By Paul Nickels
When a mystical “Zoltar” machine grants Josh (Kole Mitchell McKinley) his wish to grow up – fast ! – and “big” Josh winds up with a job in a toy company as Vice President in Charge of Fun Evaluation. What luck! It seems Zoltar is a cosmic genie bent on doing good in unorthodox ways. Or maybe a mischievous angel figuring how to work a double assignment.
The Stage Door’s McKinley is the ideal vehicle to be 12-year-old Josh Baskin’s 25-year-old body. Imagine a little kid having to drive a dump truck through a crowded street and you get the sense of McKinley’s portrayal of out-of-control-awkward as he crashes through an adult world he’s not prepared to navigate. It’s slap-stick funny, and yet real in reminding us all of the painful uncertainties of becoming grown up. McKinley’s voice is pitch-perfect and perfectly adapted to carrying the “big” songs of the show, from the tear-jerking “I Wanna Go Home”, to the explosively energized, “Make That Coffee Black!”.
Eric Davis is the little Josh, who appears before and after the transformation, and reappears during the journey to sing the nervously beautiful “I Want To Know”, and remind us all that the little boy is still there, wishing and wanting to understand. His cocky and street-wise best-friend-forever is Billy Kopecki (Jack Pearson), who helps keep the stricken Josh afloat with pre-pubescent wisdom about the coolness of the fact that “You’re A Big Boy Now”. Pearson is a real-life 12-year-old, and embodies the role so well it’s like watching the movie over again.
Choreographer Christine France plays Josh’s mom. Her introductory “Say Good Morning to Mom” reminds me a lot of Carol Burnett’s iconic “Little Girls” from Annie, but without the gin. Maybe a Dr. Pepper. When she returns with “Stop, Time”, every mother in the audience should tear up at the memory of the steps in a child’s life. With Aaron Naylor and Angie Naylor’s infant daughter on stage, the link to reality is bridged. And what a little star she is, content to be posed and passed around without a whimper. Her daddy Aaron gets the heavyweight role of Paul, the office ego, and mom Angie is Miss Watson, the office go-pher. Both lend great voices and solid characterizations.
The boss of the toy company is George McMillan, brought to larger-than-life by the genius of Jared Davis, who can play “Für Elise” with his feet. Watch Davis’ comedic talents as he shucks and jives through a corporate shakeup with McKinley to play right back at him. The pair team up for what is arguably one of the most famous scenes in cinematic history as the two duel it out on a giant piano. And in this production you will see an actual monster of a keyboard that fills the stage. But wait—there’s more. There’s the nightmare scene done in black light, and dancing, kids doing synchronized scooter drills, and dancing, marching toy soldiers, dancing, scary street people and scarier Harvard MBA’s (dancing) – and then there’s Cynthia Benson (Kierra Campbell), the “big deal” that started it all. For those who might be wary of the original show’s built-in innuendos, let me assure you this is a family show. After all, it’s about kids growing up right, and we all want that. Much has been reworked to make the message meaningful.
The most complex character is that of Susan Lawrence (Avrill Corkin), a still-single office executive who immediately finds herself pulled into orbit around McMillan’s newly arrived protege’. Corkin’s voice is lovely, but it is secondary to what she does to make Susan a meaningful counterpoint of balance for Josh’s story. Susan’s experiences have taught her all the rules of winning in the adult world, but she hasn’t found fulfilment in playing the game. Her rise in the business world has brought her success and multiple love relationships, but she isn’t happy. Her ladder to success seems to be leaning against the wrong wall. Why would she risk being attracted to this awkward and socially inept newcomer Josh Baskin?
Avrill manages to bring out an endearing Susan who hasn’t quite given up hope. As she tries her usual ploys on the new VP, she doesn’t see his responses as ridiculously adolescent, but clings to a childlike hope that this time will be better, and this is how Avrill succeeds in getting the audience to love Susan. She is drawn to Josh’s innocent honesty because she herself is still innocent, not quite hardened by life, but still a little girl struggling to make sense of an adult world. Like we’ve seen Josh transform into a “big” body, we see Susan transform by being led back to her own childhood. Psychoanalysts write volumes about “connecting with your inner child”, but here we get the message through music as Susan sings “Dancing All the Time”. In a brilliant addition to the script, we see an enchanting “Little Susan Lawrence” adorably done by Macy Gardner, connect with “big” Susan, and the title of the show employs itself in a mirrored way. Big Susan shows Josh what it is like to be an adult, and Big Josh reminds Susan what it was to be a child. So, both find love for the right reasons, but because of the time warp that created it, the moment exists only long enough to bless the two lives involved. Magic? Or miracle?
Kelly Olsen is one of the more prolific directors here and provided the two most difficult items for staging, a 12-foot Monster Keyboard (brand name) and a real, working ZOLTAR booth. Music Direction is by Kris Barber, a Utah Teacher of the Year award winner. Costumer Emily Holt made sure to keep Josh’s outlandish white party tux and signature red tennis shoes. Lighting Tech Jake Barrett filled the theater with stars as points of light played off the walls and ceiling. Limitations of a small stage are offset by using the space below the apron so that characters also cross and perform at audience level. No sound issues through the whole performance – that’s a rarity!
Stage Door Theater’s Big is fun for the whole family. It has fun for the kiddos, but some depth for the adults who are accompanying their children. Make your way to the Electric Theater and enjoy Big on the big stage.
Stage Door Theater presents Big, by Richard Maltby and David Shire.
Electric Theater, 68 E Tabernacle St, St. George, UT 84770
October 10-26, 2019
Tickets: $15-21 7:30 PM, matinee 10/19 and 10/26 2:00 PM
Contact: 435-619-5447, 435-627-4520
Stage Door Theater Website
Stage Door Theater Facebook Page
Electric Theater Website
Electric Theater Facebook Page
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