Steadstyle Chicago
October 2009 Theatre Review by Joe Stead
Dooby Dooby Moo
The animals are grooving up a storm down on old Farmer Brown's merry little farm as Lifeline Theatre cooks up a family entertainment perfect for audiences of all ages. No matter how many sophisticated adult offerings I get to sample, it is always nice to reconnect with that inner kid in me and join the young theatre-goers around me in discovering the magic of live theatre. And what better place to experience that than this Rogers Park treasure? The current Lifeline KidSeries World Premiere of "Dooby Dooby Moo" may actually be as much fun for adults as the kids. But if you bring a child companion or cover they will doubtless have a terrific time too.
"Dooby Dooby Moo" is adapted by James E. Grote from the children's book by Doreen Cronin and memorably set to a better than Broadway score by George Howe that will have you tapping your toes and clapping along. There is a positive message subtly woven about creativity, self-confidence and working hard to be the best you can be no matter the hurtles you encounter in life. And above all, the show is just plain fun.
The just over an hour musical takes place down on the "homey little haven known as Farmer Brown's Farm". Things are a little kooky here, with cows who sing and type, pigs who shower and dance, and a duck who became the President of the United States and likes to tell jokes. Fans of Lifeline's Kidseries will recognize the references to some of those little literary marvels come to life. A newcomer to the farm, a sheep named Ewe has been downsized from the factory where she made sweaters. Ewe explains that downsized is a nice way of saying "you're fired". Unemployment is happening everywhere, and it's hurting Ewe's self-confidence to think maybe she wasn't very good at making sweaters. Nevertheless she is welcomed by Farmer Brown, who advises her to "Do whatever you do the best you can and see what happens."
The other animals also welcome Ewe into their happy little barnyard family, where everybody has a special talent and a dream to show it off. Cow wants to sing, Pig wants to dance and Duck wants to make people laugh. But what can Ewe do? When the animals get a gander at the daily newspaper, an ad for the upcoming County Fair catches their attention. There will be a talent contest and first prize is a trampoline, the coolest toy of all. Farmer Brown is a no-nonsense taskmaster and it's going to be a bit of work to get to the fair. Farmer Brown's Big Box of Junk contains some surprising inspiration (The World's Great Moo-sicals, anyone?). Where did these weird things come from? Well, it may be best not to ask. The animals learn to "Cherish and love your art and share something from your heart," and indeed they all do.
This darling little show is really a gift of an upbeat story, winning characters and feel-good music and lyrics. If you don't come out of Lifeline wearing a grin, there may be something physically wrong with you. And the youngsters can take home the book and CD, which are available in the lobby, and meet the cast for autographs afterwards. You will be thoroughly enchanted with the lively ensemble of Heather Currie, Elizabeth Dowling, Craig C. Thompson, Amanda Link and Nathaniel Niemi, who all sing and dance their ways into your heart.
Although we don't get to see Betsy Lewin's illustrations (you'll have to buy the book for those), we do get a marvelous and colorful assimilation of animal types and human wear courtesy of Jana Anderson's wonderfully creative costume designs. The masterful ship setting for Lifeline's alternate show "Treasure Island" is imaginatively transformed into Farmer Brown's farm with clever and witty touches abounding. You'll love the puppets who play American Idol talent judges Simon the bull, Paula the cat and Randy the bulldog. I can think of no better treat for parents to share a performance by the amazing artists at Lifeline with their kids. To quote one of the young audience members next to me, "This is pretty awesome, isn't it?"
Lifeline Theatre presents "Dooby Dooby Moo" through December 6, 2009 at 6912 N. Glenwood Avenue in Chicago. The show runs 70 minutes without intermission. Performances are Saturdays at 1:00 p.m., Sundays at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Tickets are $12 for both children and adults for all shows. Pay-what-you-can tickets are available half-hour before the show, subject to availability. Group rates, season tickets, birthday and special event parties are also available. Call 773-761-4477 or visit www.lifelinetheatre.com.
About Joe Stead
Joe
Stead has enjoyed a lifelong passion for the theatre, which has
involved acting, directing, producing, designing and reviewing for
the past twenty-five years. He served as founder, producer and
Artistic Director of Curtain Up Productions in Baltimore, Maryland
and Four Star Players in Tampa, Florida. Favorite productions
have included "Life With Father," "Deathtrap,"
"The Odd Couple," "The Miracle Worker,"
"Brighton Beach Memoirs," "You're A Good Man, Charlie
Brown" and "Godspell". He has also performed
leading roles in "Fiddler on the Roof," "Pippin,"
"The Phantom of the Opera," "The Front Page," and
most recently as Hucklebee in "The Fantasticks" for
Waukegan Community Players. Joe holds a degree in Commercial
Art from Tampa Technical Institute. As a critic, he has
reviewed everything from Broadway to community theatre and major
regional theatres throughout the United States including the Kennedy
Center in Washington, D.C., Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey,
Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut, and the Asolo Theatre in
Sarasota, Florida.
Since 1998, he has been a proud resident of Chicago, the greatest theatre city in America. He served for two years as Theatre Editor for College News and Central Newspapers. He created the website Steadstyle Chicago in 2000 to showcase the city's outstanding and diverse theatre scene. Joe was proud to serve alongside a distinguished panel of theatre professionals as a judge for two seasons of Speaking Ring Theatre's "Vitality" Festival of original short plays. His most fulfilling role, in addition to reviewer and all-around theatre fanatic, was as director of the 2007 production of Peter Shaffer's "Equus" at Actors Workshop (now Redtwist) Theatre, which was nominated for five Joseph Jefferson Award Citations and won for Best Actor (Peter Oyloe).