Photo credit: Paul Ruffolo
“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, we love you!” sing a pair of children to their favorite car, and that’s likely to be the audience’s impression, too, after they’ve seen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, a musical that opens First Stage’s season.
Based on the 1968 film starring Dick Van Dyke as eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, this musical is intended for children ages 6 and older. Director Jeff Frank leads the large cast (32 children, split into two casts) through a fantastical storyline highlighted by famous tunes from the film. In addition to the “Chitty Chitty” song, there are also versions of the film’s other tunes, including “Toot Sweets” and “Truly Scrumptious.” The last song is a tuneful tribute to the inventor’s love interest, Truly Scrumptious (the lovely Malkia Stampley). Milwaukee Ballet’s Michael and Jayne Pink provide snazzy choreography.
The complicated plot is carefully unwound for the benefit of young children. Potts, a widowed inventor (Jackson Evans), is trying to scrounge enough cash to buy a rusty old racecar for his kids. Otherwise, the car is going to be sold to a scrap dealer (Rick Pendzich). During Potts’ attempts to raise money, he meets Truly Scrumptious. The children (Jack Trettin and Paige Landrum) are immediately drawn to her kindness.
There must be villains, of course, to foil Potts’ intentions. A spy from the fictitious country of Vulgaria gets a lot of laughs as she (Sara Zientek) bungles the job with “help” from her partner (Nathan Wesselowski). They report to the Baron (masterfully played by Drew Brhel), who is as visibly excited as a 7 year old as his birthday draws near. On opening night, many children in the audience shrieked with laughter at the Baron’s antics. Elyse Edelman plays the Baroness.
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The highlight of the props department is a full-sized replica of the famous car. Set designer Martin McClendon and properties master Nikki Kulas supervised the car’s design and construction. One cannot use any word but “fantabulous” (coined by Caractacus) to describe this magnificent vehicle. But can the car become a boat and even an airplane, as it does in the film? See the show and find out.
Through Nov. 5 at the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts’ Todd Wehr Theater, 929 N. Water St. For tickets, visit firststage.org or call 414-273-7206.
