The NFLT's Pinocchio: a classic, magical production

Apr 27, 2016

When every element in front of and behind the curtain coalesces, it makes for really good theatre.

That was the case for the North Frontenac Little Theatre's April 21 - 24 production of Pinocchio, in which both cast and crew rose to the challenge of bringing this age-old fairy tale to life.

The play was based on the adaptation by John Baldwin, and Director Brian Robertson chose his cast wisely, with a mix of veteran and newbie actors. A stellar line up of youngsters who sang in the chorus, played as the Toyland folks and tripled as Pinocchio's tormentors, created the solid foundation necessary for this play, and each was given a chance to show their talent.

Their transformations were a delight to behold, as were a number of the older members of this crew, many of whom were new to the stage. They included Emily Baillargeon (Mapes), Leah Neuman (Sprucey), Morgan Rioux (Maria), Braidey Merrigan (Tony), and Danielle Gosse (Amy/donkey).

The older cast of fairy grandmothers and grandpas narrated the story and book-ended the acts. Grandmothers Madge (Pam Giroux) and Betty (Carol Morris) sang a lovely duet of “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

Johnathon Wisteard, who likes nothing better than the limelight, had a chance to go deep into his huge- hatted role as the evil Mastroni. His powerful cackle and accented delivery delighted the house.

The hero's two animal nemeses, in the form of the sly fox (Gillian Hoffman) and the calculating cat (Sydney Drew), both indulged their meaner sides with aplomb while also showing off some of their funkier dance moves, one of the many modern musical additions to this production.

Candlewick (Mackenzie Drew) added a healthy shot of humour to the production with her impressive drill sergeant song, along with her and Danielle Gosse's hilarious hee-haws after both catch donkey fever on an ill-fated trip to Pleasure Island.

Paul Gosse as Geppetto offered up the soft and cozy aspect of parental love, and he never lost his faith in this irascible boy puppet who in the end saved Geppetto from the belly of the whale. Director Brian Robertson played the coachman in the style of a New York Bronxian gangsta who, while in cahoots with the evil Mastroni leads the kids off in a cart to Pleasure Island.

Robertson gave his cast and crew an added chance to shine in a number of lip-synched tunes that included Fun Fun Fun. The youngsters reveled in their chance to riff on electric guitars and showed the audience they also know how to rock and roll.

The undeniable star of this production was Mason Moore whose Pinocchio was pitch, picture, and puppetty perfect. Mason is a natural when it comes to physical comedy; his temper tantrums were hilarious and he has the ability to store and deliver his lines perfectly on cue. His puppet antics were unbeatable and his singing voice was also a delight. Hats off to costume guru, Geoff Murray, who decked out the cast in eclectic, festive and beautifully colored attire that included diagonally cut skirts, lovely blue tutus, fake animal furs and of course, and most eye catching of all, Pinocchio in his bright yellow matching dandies and pointy feathered cap. Donna Larocque's impeccable storybook back drop, which had real pages that turned and provided colorful scenes to fit the plot, was a delight. Jeff Siamon's lighting, with a starry medallion shining above the full cast singing in perfect unison, was used to great effect

The additional props and sets, including the boat, the whale tail, and Pinocchio's many-sectioned pieces of nose, which were aptly applied by the younger members of the cast, added a very tender touch.

This colorful and classy production was a magical take on an ages-old story that encourages youngsters to take the higher road in a world that sometimes encourages them to do otherwise. Congratulations to the cast and crew for giving their all in a very memorable night of theatre.