Marriott Theatre For Young Audiences Presents “Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus: The Musical”
Marriott Lincolnshire’s Theatre for Young Audiences presents the delightful, dynamic Mo Willems’ Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus: The Musical. The story is simple and aptly mirrors the frustration of young children who cannot do whatever they want when they want to. Matty Bettencourt’s Pigeon puppet dreams of driving the park bus even though he has wings, not arms, and his foot claws do not reach the gas pedal. The Pigeon laments, “It’s not easy being the Pigeon-you never get to do anything!”
Bettencourt does a marvelous acting job in making the Pigeon come to life for the young and adult audience. His energy and enthusiasm is infectious. As most children are, the Pigeon is an expert in begging, negotiating, and pleading for what he wants. At every proposal, though, he is told no by the bus passengers and audience. You would not think children should be encouraged to say “No!” Apparently, Mo Willem disagrees. He says NO. He does know children. He is this children’s generation, Dr. Seuss. Mo Willems is a prolific, award-winning, best-selling children’s author, American writer, animator, voice actor, and television series creator. Some of Willems’ notable television work includes creating the animated television series Sheep in the City for the Cartoon Network, working on Sesame Street, and The Off-Beats for Nickelodeon. As a writer and animator for Sesame Street, he earned six Emmy Awards. He was awarded a Caldecott Honor for three of his Children’s Illustrated books–one being Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus. He is also the recipient of two Carnegie Medals for his two animated shorts: Knuffle Bunny, 2007 and Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus, 2010.
Director Lorenzo Rush, Jr. acclaims, “This production is a feather-filled extravaganza that is both hilarious and heart-warming.” He promises, “We’ll take you on a bus ride of discovery towards one’s purpose, in a cacophony of angst, community, crisis, friendship, and heart. It leaves audiences with a reminder that we all have gone or will go on this same journey of discovery, and although there maybe bumps, detours, traffic, unpredictable weather, and a few wacky passengers, we all find our purpose in the end. I am so proud to share this toe-tappin’, hand-clappin’, wing-flappin’ story with Marriott Theatre families.” He should be proud of this as it is splendid entertainment for both young and old.
As the bus driver, Lydia Burke has a stunning voice, which she projects so well. She was a stellar performer who was fun to watch. With his multiple roles as a hot dog vendor and businessman passenger who cannot be late, Dan Gold was engaging and had a great presence onstage. Allison Sill had just the right comedic timing as the old lady with her birdseed tosses. Tommy Rivera-Vega ably portrayed a city worker and teenage passenger. The singing and dancing was fabulous. As mother and bus engine, Leah Morrow was inventive, charming, and animated. She was captivating with her energetic moves. All the acting is over-the-top, which is just perfect for this musical and audience.
Associate Artistic Director Katie Johanningman expertly leads the Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences. Costume Design by Gregory Graham was creative and on target. Sim Carpenter set the mood with his colorful lighting, while Willow James’s Sound Design aided us in clearly and effectively understanding the musical. Choreography by Matthew Weidenbenner was fantastic. Music by Otto Vogel perfectly defined the story. Lauren Nichol’s Scenic Design and Leo Bassow’s Props Design effectively swept us into the story. However, I felt like the bus looked more like a blue pigeon cage than a transport vehicle. Rick Lyon’s Pigeon, Duckling, and Puppy, constructed for TYKEs (Theatre Young Kids Enjoy) of Rochester, New York, were absolutely adorable.
Marriott Lincolnshire’s Theater for Young Audiences is a marvelous vehicle to introduce both youngsters and the young at heart to the engaging power of a live performance. My adult friends and I thoroughly enjoy the charming staging of magical, marvelous children’s literature and picture books. Sophia, our four-and-a-half-year-old princess, loved the storyline and was enchanted by both the pigeon, duckling, and puppy puppets. She thought the puppy was real. On Opening Day, a jam-packed theatre audience laughed, giggled, and applauded the musical. I love how the play was introduced to the youth with three simple paraphrased rules 1) applaud when you like something 2) laugh when something amuses you 3) Sing when you want and oh yes, tell your accompanying adults to silence their phones. You will have more fun than staying up late for a hot dog party. The musical is one hour long, with a brief but informative Q and A after the show.
