Village Theatre is serving the stage version of that Hollywood classic, "Meet Me in St. Louis" for the holiday season and it is a wholesome good time for the whole family. The stage production by Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane and Hugh Wheeler is based on the 1944 Judy Garland movie (yes, the movie came first). And as director Steve Tomkins noted, "Because Meet Me in St. Louis is based on a movie, the musical poses it's own set of challenges for our artistic team. Some of the best elements of the movie are things that are beyond the scope of what can be done on stage. Our job, therefore, has been to find areas in which we shine." And shine they do. The show greets you with a nice warm hug from an earlier age and never lets go.
The story, in case you don't know, is not a complex one. Not surprising since it's set in 1904 which was not a complex time. Basically boy-next-door meets girl-next-door, boy and girl fall in love after a rocky start, girl finds she must move away with her family, everyone bursts into song. That's pretty much it. And as with any musical from that simpler time, everyone does burst into song and dance numbers at the drop of a hat. But that's what makes these kinds of shows so much fun. No one finds the need to apologize for the moment, they just have it. And this cast really goes for that style. With direction and choreography by Village's Artistic Director, Tomkins, and music direction by Tim Symons, every character, from the kids to happy-go-lucky Grandpa delivers every line and lyric with wide eyed naiveté. It's never over the top, just very stylized and it works.
But what would a classic musical be without lots of exceptional singing and dancing. And this show has both. They leap and cavort all over the place (yes, including on the trolley car) just as naturally as they were walking down the street. And the voices, well, golly, they're just swell. Our young lovers Esther and John (charmingly played by Ryah Nixon and Jason Kappus) are a joy to watch and hear. Especially Nixon who gave me chills as she belted out one of Garland's signature songs "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and just as well as Judy ever did. I also have to note the always wonderful Bobbi Kotula as the family's maid Katie who manages to steal every scene she's in (sometimes with just a look) and brought the house down with "A Touch of the Irish". There's a reason she gets cast a lot. She's fabulous!
The scenic design by Steven Capone is nothing less than stunning. The first time the grand house of the Smith Family grew out of the simple exterior porch into the elegant living room was quite a site. And kudos to the wonderful stage crew who move this huge set on and off with grace. Let's hear it for the techies!
All in all this amounts to a fun night for the whole family. There's no deep message or subtext. You won't walk away pondering the meaning of life. But you will walk away humming a tune and have a little extra spring in your step. It's light, it's fluffy and it's good clean family fun. So if you're looking for a nice change from the usual holiday offerings around town, you could do much worse that heading on down to Village for a little song, a little dance and a slice of Americana. Oh, I think I hear the "Clang, Clang, Clang" of the trolley comin'. All aboard!
"Meet Me in St. Louis" plays at Village Theatre's Issaquah location through January 3rd and then moves to Everett running January 8th through the 31st. For tickets or information contact the Village Theatre box office at 425-392-2202 in Issaquah or 425-257-8600 in Everett or visit them online at www.villagetheatre.org.
