'Goldilocks':
Fun for kids and grownups
- MICHAEL SMITH, SB
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Panto-a brash, charmingly
slapdash marriage of fairy tale, song and dance, comedy and shreds
of the ancient harlequinade-is a show-business tradition at Christmas
time in England. It may seem an unlikely transplant to sunny Santa
Barbara, but it is positively flourishing at the Lobero Theatre.
A year ago, "Jack and
the Beanstalk" introduced the city to panto. This year's edition,
"Goldilocks, 3 Bears... and Then Some!," is even better It's a healthy
dose of silly fun for kids and grownups alike.
Producers Karin delaPeņa
and Geoffrey Hornby have not made the mistake of Americanizing this
wacky, family-friendly gene, though they wisely spare us the British
accents. "Goldilocks" is the real thing, written and directed by
a master, Michael Ashton, who happily emerged from semi-retirement
in Shropshire to create Santa Barbara's panto, using a mix of talented
kids and first-rate professional actors. Done with this much confidence
and flair, panto's odd conventions are inexplicably endearing
The show bowls you over
with its high-spirited velocity. It's just one surprise after another.
A circle of innocently dancing children is frozen by the green Demon
King (Wesley John), who soon has the audience booing and hissing.
But say the words "I wish" and the Good Fairy (Rachel Levy) comes
whirling in, and we believe that good will vanquish evil in the
end. The King of Nearly Nowhere (Stan Hoffman), heralded by a buffoonish
pair of soldiers (Martin Bell and Craig Mulgrew), is having a party
for his daughter, Goldilocks (Ashley Lambert). Peter Piper(Kevin
Symons) arrives on a tricycle, crying, "Hello, boys and girls!"
to the audience, and quickly teaches all the children present to
answer, "Hello, Peter!" Their voices are a joyful noise. Mother
Hubbard, a shopkeeper in the town, is played very broadly indeed
by a man (David Figlioli). Prince Rudolf, who appears in rags because
of the Demon King's machinations, is played by a girl (Laurel Marlantes).
The gender switches are
traditional in panto, and Ashton would not violate tradition. But
he has gone beyond the traditional panto scripts and written us
an original one this year, playfully making room in the story of
Goldilocks and the three bears for a dozen other characters from
Mother Goose. It's an affectionate pastiche, gently mocking the
conventions and our expectations but honoring the spirit of story
that so enriches the lives of children.
Often the humor is outrageously
silly, but there are moments of real enchantment Rudolf and Goldilocks
fall in love at first sight. An aura of radiant good will accompanies
the Good Fairy, and she can do magic. She transforms a forest into
a royal palace, and she transforms three people into bears, to save
them from the Demon King, who is really scary.
The actors named above
are wonderful and Ashton draws on a lifetime of experience to make
it all go swimmingly. He is energetically abetted by musical director
Konrad Kono, scenic designer Kerrie Kilpatrick, lighting designer
Vickie J. Scott, costume designer Janet Doran-Veevers and choreographer
Victoria Finlayson. There is also a brief interlude by members of
the State Street Ballet (the three bears are dreaming), choreographed
by Gary McKenzie.
Pantastic
-D.J.PALLADINO, THE
INDEPENDENT
That hunkering skeptic
that perpetually comes with me has found a theatergoing companion,
and her name is Annie Warren, my 4-year-old niece. "Where are the
bears?" she kept asking nie throughout the first act of this fun-for-the-whole-family
musical. I couldn't answer her, and I was having my own secondary
twinges in the wake of a silly, uncool product placement thing that
happened on the scrim of the opening scene. It's enough that it
happens in Hollywood, I kept grousing internally-why make our kids
subject to it at the theater?
Both of us lost our crabby
exteriors however, and fell into the spell by the end of the first
act, Bears appeared, humor sharpened, and the overall magic of fine
performances and silly songs made me forget my own reservations.
By the final scene, when Annie was actually up on the stage waving
back proudly, I let the entire matter drift away, and even, God
help my neighbors, sang along with the bow-wow, croak-croak chorus.
For the uninitiated, the best way to think of Panto is a kind of
live action Bullwinkle Show. A fairy tale gets de- and reconstructed
to fit a free-floating concept that carries gags aimed somewhere
between the kids and adults in the audience. (We all know what happens
to liars, huh, kids? They go to the White House.) The songs were
engaging, thanks to Konrad Kono, and the dance numbers, thanks to
the Victoria Finlayson choreography and State Street Ballet dancers,
added significantly to the entrancement. It's enough that we embrace
this other tradition, the lumbering skeptic within told me as Annie
chattered happily out the door, particularly if there are big silly
bears in it, too.
barney's
bits
- BARNEY BRATINGHAM,
SB NEWS PRESS
Loved Goldilocks!: Took
granddaughter Danielle, 7, to see "Goldilocks and the Three Bears-and
Then Some!" at the Lobero, figuring it for a kid show that'd bore
me to death. Was wrong! It's a kick, brilliantly done, and the most
fun I've had since Santa got stuck in the fireplace. Never have
I seen such an outrageous Old Mother Hubbard as David Figlioli's.
Leaving the Lobero, I was raving to daughter Wendy about how much
is going on around town, when we spotted a party raging at The Press
Room, a Brit bar on East Ortega. Wendy and Danielle scooted off
home but I was lured to the al fresco fun. A band was rocking, people
were dancing and a blonde in a red dress was prancing around on
the sidewalk. "Hi," she said, "I'm Goldilocks!" (Not the cutie from
the show, though.) Wife Sue waited at home, so I hit the road, with
nary a dance with a warm Goldilocks or sip of a cool Guinness.
PANTO
RETURNS!
- ASHLEY LAMBERT, JUNIOR,
LAGUNA BLANCA
Last December I had an
amazing opportunity to participate in my first Panto, Jack and the
Beanstalk-the Panto at the Lobero Theatre. It was a thoroughly professional
production with a cast of charismatic, experienced actors and a
great director who came over from England to do the show. I was
cast as Margery (Jack's girlfriend). I was delighted to find out
how much fun Panto was -- for me and for the audience!
Every show was packed
with children and parents laughing and having a wonderful time.
Panto has been around
for over a hundred years in the United Kingdom, and is so well-loved
that everyone, no matter what their background or culture, makes
a point of going. It always takes place between Christmas and New
Year, which is perfect - It fits in between presents and holiday
feasts! By the way Panto is often the first theater experience for
British children, and they aren't required to sit quietly and behave
themselves, leaving them free to enjoy the live theater!
There are recurring character
in every Panto, who are hysterical and weave magic and humor into
every story: the Dame, the Demon King, and the Good Fairy, for example,
are recurring characters. Panto is great for all ages, because the
humor is multi-level. Lots of adults came last year even if they
didn't have children!
There will be singing
and dancing bears, the State Street Ballet, and many of my favorite
Panto characters from last year's show! Also Michael Ashton is coming
back from England to direct - he's really amazing. Konrad Kono will
be the musical director once again - he has produced most of the
show's music.
Many community organizations
such as Cox Communications, Border's Books and Music, Rusty's Pizza,
Santa Barbara Bank and Trust, and The Teddy Bear Outlet, are supporting
Panto this year. There are also many individual supporters and donors
from our community There is even a special program so help families
who otherwise couldn't afford to come, to see the show We are fortunate
to have such wonderful support from our community!
I hope to see YOU there
also!
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· P.O.Box 1496, Santa Barbara, CA 93102
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