Adventure Musical Theatre at The 5th Avenue Theatre

On The Road Again…

Well, they got their act together and now they are taking it on the road! That's right, I saw the first public performance of Northwest Bookshelf 2 at Maple Elementary a couple of days ago. I think that the word "adventure" in the title "Adventure Musical Theatre" actually refers to the adventure that the actors are on! Every school is a different adventure. Sometimes they perform in a big gym, where there is lots of room, but the sound is really boomy. Sometimes they perform in a multipurpose room where the space is a lot smaller and there are stairs to contend with -- there goes the original blocking! Sometimes the musical director (Danny Sullivan) doesn't always have a clear view of the actors. I like to call it "guerrilla musical theatre". Either way, the actors, musical director and stage manager are up for it, and quickly adapt.

The performance at Maple Elementary was great. The whole student body (K-5) was there. It's fun to watch both the students' and the teachers' reactions to the shows. Kids especially love the visual gags, and outrageous costumes. The shows are written as real musicals with lots of word play, but are based on simple stories, so they appeal to both the teachers and the kids. The next performance I saw was at Sanislo Elementary. It was a much smaller school, in a smaller space, so it felt like a more intimate performance. These kids really liked it and like the Maple Elementary kids, asked lots of questions (there's always a question about costume changes!).

This is such an amazing program that the 5th Avenue runs. Watching the kids' reactions is so rewarding as a writer because you know you have made a positive difference in a child's day. And hats off to the troupe -- not only do they give 100% at each performance, they have to set up and break down the set themselves (with the help of Sara Barnes the stage manager) before and after every performance and load it back in to the van!