Review: 2011 Winter Pageant (Redmoon Theatre)

  
  
2011 Winter Pageant  

Created by Alex Balestrieri and Jim Lasko
Music by Alice Wedoff 
at Redmoon Centerall, 1463 W. Hubbard (map)
thru June 8  |  tickets: $10-$20   |  more info
  
Check for half-price tickets 
  
  
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This Teeny Lounge has a 2-drink minimum (of milk, that is)

Redmoon Theatre presents

2011 Winter Pageant

Review by K.D. Hopkins

I grew up in the days when a lot of girls and some of my boy cousins wanted to be a part of the Miss America Pageant. I took part in Easter pageants, Christmas pageants etc. It meant lots of music, some speechifying, some skits, dancing, and playing the accordion while doing ventriloquism. Okay-no ventriloquist acts at Holy Name of Mary, but the showy displays, and variety were on blazing display.

That is what I expected when I took my niece Elina to see Redmoon’s 2011 Winter Pageant. Redmoon is known for their gorgeous puppets, acrobatics, and whimsical creations. Indeed, the cavernous lobby/workspace of Redmoon displays a Zoetrope, a cool dollhouse, and some hand reclaimed art under glass. I was excited for Elina as this show would take place in a lounge setting with a full milk bar.

There’s a really cool assortment of costumes for the guests of the "Teeny Lounge". The little tables are attended by a waiter (Cooper Forsman) and waitress (Katie Dingle). I give major kudos to the two of them for infinite patience with the more active children. Okay, one kid needed evaluation for ADD and the parent or guardian should have calmed the frisky kid or perhaps gently warmed the milk.

The "Teeny Lounge" and costumes is where the term pageant stayed. The show that’s presented is nice but by no means a comedic presentation of an historical event – which is another definition of pageant. In fact, I am not sure what in this show actually has a connection to winter in any way.

The loungers are treated to a cute if benign send-up of a lounge lizard singer named Ricky D. Fish played by Alex Balestrieri. The jokes were appropriate and meant to be double entendre in the great tradition of Bugs Bunny. Ricky D. Fish was accompanied on piano by Penny (Alice Wedoff).  Penny has lost her voice. She doesn’t speak or sing but is a fantastic pantomime artist. Ms. Wedoff seems to channel Harpo Marx and Lucille Ball in speaking her lines in gestures, whacky facial expressions, and a great head of curly hair.

Ricky wants to sing the ‘La Dee Da’ song but it strikes great apprehension in Penny. What could be the answer to Penny getting her ability to speak and sing back? Will Ricky D. Fish get that Penny is in love with him? These are questions that are great for a grade school appropriate play. But it is not a pageant. The only real showy moments comes when the piano collapses on cue and then re-inflates with an explosion of tinsel. Could that be the allusion to winter – Christmas tree tinsel?