Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Jeri Jacquin, Entertainment

     This week and running until August 17^th at the Lyceum Theatre in Horton Plaza is the California Youth Conservatory Theatres stage production of “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”.
      The story follows true to the journey of author Mark Twain in the adventures of Huck Finn. Huck (Austyn Meyers) tells the audience his tale since finding riches in a cave. Both he and his friend, Tom Sawyer (Joshua Pinkowski) have settled back down into a peaceful life. 
      Huck is now being raised by the two town spinsters the Widow Douglass (Jazzy Aburto-Pratt) and Miss Watson (Kristine Ochoco), who have also taken in the slave Jim (Shaun T. Evans). They are making Huck just a little more than miserable sending him to school and trying to get him on the right side of God. Judge Thatcher (John Procopio) is taking care of Huck’s finances so there is nothing for the boy to do except…find trouble.
      When Hucks father, Pap Finn (Dirk Stenger) returns to claim the boy, and his money, Huck devises a plan to free himself of the do-gooders, his father and the life that doesn’t suit him. Faking his death, Huck is free to roam but instead finds himself in the strangest of circumstances.
      On his travels he runs into his friend Jim once again floating down the river on a raft. Jim tells Huck the town believes him to be dead and blame Jim for it. Now Huck wants to help his friend find freedom and his family, but as is life for Huck Finn, things don’t go exactly as planned.
      Along their travels they meet two rather unscrupulous men. One claims to be a King (Dirk Stenger) and the other a Duke (John Procopio). With no choice but to do as he’s told, Huck realizes these men are only out for themselves and all the money they can lay their greedy hands on. It is his momentary smitten-ness with Mary Jane Wilkes (Miranda Nuevo) Huck means to set things straight.
      In the meantime, his friend Jim has been re-sold into slavery and Huck knows he has to save him. With the help of Tom Sawyer, Huck is able to help his friend be free once again but with considerable more trouble than he bargained for. 
      Once the world is made right again, Huck tells you his lessons learned but, in the end, he still sets one foot in front of the other leading him to his next big adventure!

     FINAL WORD: This is a very delightful production from a beloved Mark Twain classic.  The songs range from upbeat and crowd participatory to somber and heartfelt. The minimal staging gives the viewer a chance to focus on the story telling and characters them selves without to much distraction.
      There are four characters here that stand out and I have to bring them to the forefront. First, the actor Dirk Stenger in his role as Pap Finn and the King (along with two other minor roles). This young man has such versatility in his ability to go from the drunkard father to a scoundrel in a matter of a few scenes. Having seen this actor in other CYC productions, it is a continued pleasure to once again be taken in by his performance. As the King his farce story of being a “King” is animated and fun.
      The second is actor John Procopio and his roles as Judge Thatcher and the Duke (along with two other minor roles as well). Also having seen John in previous productions with CYC such as “The Secret Garden” and more notably in “Les Miserables”, John continues to perfect the craft of bringing little nuances to each character he plays. His humor is direct but subtle as if to coddle the listener. This brings after-thought laughs that are resounding with his outlandish showmanship. Procopio’s overblown tale of being the Duke of Bridgewater brings laughs.
      These two actors combined are amazing to see and should not be missed. The song and dance did not miss a beat. Watching Procopio’ Duke attempt to teach Stengers’ King the words of Shakespear is like watching someone sew a silk purse out of a sow’s ear, hysterically funny!
      Thirdly, actor Shaun T. Evans and his role as Jim. Although sometimes a little more modern in the phrasing of some lines than would be expected of this beloved character, his role has depth and heart. He is animated and moving with a warm sense of humor. Evans reaches deep to show in his face the honest emotion of friendship and life. His voice resonates through the theatre with emotion and a command that brings the audience to ride down the river of each note that he sings.
      Finally, actor Joshua Pinkowski as Tom Sawyer. This young man is a fast-talking, story telling charmer. There is something about this young actor that draws the audience in for a spell just to see what he comes up with next. In the song “Hand for the Hog” he invites the audience to join in his romp of words. In this night’s production Pinkowski plays Sawyer but in the Gold Cast performance he is Huck Finn. That is a performance I would like to see.
      The rest of the cast works amazing well together. In Scene 2 they sing, “We are the Boys” with the same ode as the Lost Boys from Peter Pan with Tom Sawyer being their Pan!  From the song “Do you Wanna go to Heaven?” to “Waitin’ for the Light to Shine”, the ensembles voices mix soulfully together to bring feeling to an era of great emotion. The most moving songs were performed by Shaun T. Evans and Deborah Terrell, who portrayed the role of a slave woman Alice.
      The children of this production are delightful! Their singing and dancing will melt your heart. Their costumes are charming and add to the feeling of the era. Each young performer stands out on his/her own as a wonderful addition to the cast.
      That being said there are a few minor critiques. The production runs a little over two and a half hours. Noticing certain scenes were a little lengthy on the face of audience members, perhaps this asks too much from the viewer in the flow of the story telling. 
      The main character portrayed by Austin Meyers, although delightful at times, lacks the vocal presence that somewhat diminishes the story. He does have the gift of story telling but needs to slow down in telling the tale so the audience does not get lost. The overall chemistry between Meyers and Evans as Jim works well. 
      The CYCT, under the guidance of Shaun T. Evans as its Artistic Director, sees the work of this theatre as recognizing and cultivating talent. This is a venue for young performers to act with veterans from Broadway and national tours. It is an opportunity for the young to learn theatre from those that have given years and dedication to their craft.
      During intermission, the audience will get to meet the smaller members of the cast that entreat you to purchase raffle tickets for some extravagant prizes. There are also tee-shirts available for purchase as well as posters signed by the cast!
      So, come to the Lyceum and see what all the fussin’ is about with its production of “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” showing now until August 17, 2008. For further information go to www.cyctheatre.org.