For the Enquirer
"The Wizard of Oz" was the best musical staged at the Barn since 2002.
But the summer stock's final show, "Escanaba in da Moonlight," cannot earn
such kudos because it's the third time the Barn has performed the show in the
last four years.
The phrase "third time's the charm" doesn't hold water here either as the
other two productions in 2004 and 2003 were about as excellent as theater can
be. This production of "Escanaba" is no exception. Even for those who have seen
the show three or more times, like this reviewer, the Jeff Daniels comedy of
"Yooper" humor is worth seeing again because it's one of the most entertaining
American comedies written in the last 20 years.
The Barn's formula for success with this show has a proven track record. Four
of the six cast members have been in all three productions, and Joe Aiello has
joined that group in the last two shows.
What's surprising is that Tuesday's audience was over half-filled with people
who had seen the other two productions. And yet, the laughter still drowned out
the performers on many occasions. In fact, "Escanaba" may be the Barn's new
"Rocky Horror" with audience members knowing lines ahead of time and clapping
for favorite bits.
Surprisingly, there are still people who have not seen this show, surveyed
when Producer Brendan Ragotzy asked for a show of hands. So, for those who have
not seen the show, a summary may whet the appetite for a trip to Augusta.
The curtain opens on Albert Soady (Michael Ray Helms) engaged in telling a
tale so tall he doesn't think anyone will believe him, though he swears it's the
truth. He tells this "buck story" from the armchair of the Soady deer camp,
detailing the events of the 1989 hunting season and the "curse" of his eldest
son Reuben (Scott Burkell), who has never bagged a buck.
At the ripe old age of 35 years, Reuben will become the oldest Soady in the
history of Soadys if he doesn't kill a buck this year, which will mark him as
the most failed hunter in all of the Upper Peninsula.
To reverse his bad luck, Reuben uses Native American methods taught him by
his wife, Wolf Moon Dance (Jana DeBusk).
Despite the use of Ojibwa protections and potions, the other hunters Remnar
Soady (Eric Parker), Jimmer Negamanee (Roy Brown), and Ranger Tom (Joe Aiello)
experience unexplainable phenomena typical of the dark, long November nights in
the Great Lakes State.
The story becomes not just the tale of how Reuben bags his first buck but a
tour de force of Indian legends, hunter superstitions, and UFO sightings.
The ensemble cast make this show a special jewel in the crown of the Barn's
season every time they stage it. Michael Ray Helms is a perfect fit as Albert
Soady with a smooth delivery and a well-detailed performance that is 100-percent
Broadway quality for an actor who has only played locally.
Sharing the stage with veteran actors who have played big cities like New
York and Chicago, Helms seems right at home.
Parker and Burkell are magnificent as the Soady brothers. Burkell's Indian
incantation is so funny it's worth the price of admission alone. But it's the
little things that Burkell does that make his performance even better the third
time around. Likewise, Parker puts some new spin on the role of Remnar Soady and
gets his share of laughs. Aiello is funny and yet suitably low key as the DNR
ranger with DeBusk also adding to the show in a minor role.
But the main reason to see this show is once again Roy Brown as the Jimmer. A
Hastings native, Brown steals the show with a character so attuned to his
particular talents that after seeing him, you will never be able to imagine
anyone else playing the role.
The Jimmer is an outrageous character complete with a funny speech impediment
and unnatural talents for drinking and farting; as with all roles he tackles
Brown shows off why he is now pursuing a professional acting career in New York.
The evening is completed by the final bar show of the season directed by Eric
Parker. Some surprises await those who stay and attend the cabaret-style revue,
which still makes for an early evening as "Escanaba" lets out after about 90
minutes.
Parker has one of the show's highlights. But pianist Jamey Grisham and Nick
Horton add some soulful moments, too, and extra choreography by Anthony Daniel
makes the three-set show special.
Whether you have or haven't seen "Escanaba" before, returning to the Barn for
the 2006 production will provide more laughs than any other entertainment choice
available as the summer wanes. Don't miss it.
Christopher Tower of Richland reviews theater and teaches at Western
Michigan University.
Barn's 'Escanaba' a fun farce, eh Wednesday, August 23, 2006 You might be from Michigan if you find "Escanaba in Da Moonlight'' so
side-splittingly funny you couldn't hear half of it because you were laughing so
hard. You might add that to the "might be from Michigan'' joke compilations that
yoopers and even below-the-bridge "fudge-sucking trolls'' forward to their
friends online. They might be especially inclined to add a nod to "Escanaba''
if they were among those who attended the show's riotous opening night Tuesday
at Augusta's Barn Theatre, eh. The two-hour-long in-joke that is Jeff Daniels' "Escanaba in the Moonlight''
has been such a hit for the Barn that they've staged it three times in the last
four years. The show was far from stale in its third staging, however. If anything, the
cast's experience with the material ensured each quip hit the funny bone like a
yooper bagging a buck. Lead Michael Ray Helms, as tall-tale-telling patriarch Albert Soady, seemed
seasoned like maple-sap whiskey in this, his fourth go at the part. The Barn
snatched him up to reprise the role after seeing his performance in the
Kalamazoo Civic's "Escanaba.'' If there was a fault with the opening-night show, it would be that the
audience laughed so hard that cast members had trouble knowing when to resume
their dialogue, so an occasional line was inaudible over guffaws from the crowd.
Such a strong audience reaction is just a a testament to the skill of the
actors, as well as Daniels' savvy script about a deer-hunting family and its
"black sheep'' son who'd never bagged a buck. The comfort among Barn actors Burkell, Joe Aiello, Roy Brown and Eric Parker
was at perhaps its all-time most palpable in the production, which thrives on
cast camaraderie, well-sustained accents and physical comedy. Brown's vocal
affectation for the slightly touched-in-the-head Jimmer Negamanee from Menominee
was also especially brilliant. Its humor would likely be lost on those not from Michigan -- the state where
folks mark where they're from on the palm of their hand and the two seasons are
``winter'' and ``construction'' a la the Internet postings. But if you know a pasty's something you eat as opposed to exotic-dancer
apparel, ``Da Moonlight'' will certainly light up your night.
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By Elizabeth Clark
Special to the Gazette
