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Friday, Sep 05, 2008
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Musical at 5th Ave. - sentimentality with a Christian core might not be for everyone |
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| Musical at 5th Ave. - sentimentality with a Christian core might not be for everyone | |
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by Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid -
SGN A&E Writer WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND DIRECTED BY BILL KENWRIGHT STARRING ERIC KUNZE, ANDREA ROSS, DANN FINK, NADINE JACOBSON, CAROLE DENISE JONES, GERRY MCINTYRE, ADAM SHONKWILER, MATT SKRINCOSKY, GREG STONE, AUSTIN J. ZAMBITO-VALENTE, KURT ZISCHKE 5TH AVENUE THEATRE NOVEMBER 13 - DECEMBER 2 A few people walked out on opening night, but most of the audience for Andrew Lloyd Weber's Whistle Down The Wind stayed and a few even gave the Christian-themed musical a standing ovation. Is it something everyone should see? Yes and no. Personally, being raised Methodist in Houston and being a minister myself at the ripe old age of 51, the core message in the song "No Matter What" didn't bother me much. True, as the young members of the cast sang about belief in Jesus and miracles, a part of me winced a bit, as I have embraced many beliefs since my days sitting in a pew in Boynton Methodist Church in Houston. Still, the songs in this musical did make me feel the holiday spirit - this is what I have come to expect this time of year - and they stuck pleasantly stuck in my mind. I did love the whole "our belief is so strong, not even the threat of adults talking about escaped murderers can change it" thing embraced by the young characters. Hey, I've been a naïve 16-year-old who believed in all sorts of stuff, so I guess I related to Swallow (Andrea Ross), the fresh-faced and innocent girl who believes the escaped con in her barn is Jesus. But keep in mind there are some other messages in this play which make it worthwhile to see past the Christian message. There's the black girl, daughter of a town musician (this is set in Louisiana in the '50s), who hooks up - if only for a short time - with the town bad boy: a young, motorcycle-riding white teen (Carole Denise Jones and Matt Skrincosky). There's the underlying racism thrown at them and the two black musicians by the white sheriff and his deputy (Kurt Zischke and Adam Shonkwiler). And then there's the core plot of the townspeople against the escaped convict "outsider" (Eric Kunze) which bespeaks an intolerant attitude wholly different from racism. Bottom line, if you see Whistle Down The Wind, go with an open mind. It's a solid piece of work which I liked (once I could get my head past the "message" in the music). The songs zip along, the acting is top-notch and all of these folks can really belt out a tune - even the kids. For ticket information and times call 206-625-1900, or visit www.5thavenuetheatre.org. |
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