By: Janet Preus
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Pre-teeners, your day has arrived. The Children’s Theatre Company has mounted a production that has your number. “Fashion 47” puts you right in the aisle seats next to the runway, with all the hype and pseudo-glam of a pint-sized “Runway” meets “American Idol” meets “Dancing with the Stars”.
Roving videographers capture willing audience/participants waving placards (provided), screaming (as cued), and dancing with abandon to the pounding club music* – all projected onto giant screens flanking both sides of the runway/stage. Before anyone who might be recognized as a “character” sets foot on – or near – the stage, the audience of equal parts budding teen, willing parents, and stray adults (us) was pumped and likely to fall for anything that appeared on that runway – the more outrageous the better.
And outrageous it was. Over-the-top-characters in costumes of near Seussian proportions just added to the fun, fun, fun. If you’re stuffy and can’t stand loud music, stay home. You have to at least pretend hipness to dig this show.
There are the models. With female names. All boys. Clearly boys in vaguely female attire, but not drag. What a gas! But the best cross-gender casting was unquestionably Traci M. Allen as Jasper. In the midst of an over-abundance of in-your-face characters, Jasper was the deadpan, hip-hop garbed, too-cool-for-you winning designer. I loved this character! I only wish this persona had been sustained right to the finish. It would have continued to provide some respite from the frenetic quality of just about everyone else.
Jasper’s competition is a sweet-faced boy named Roberto, played with understatement (blessedly) by Robert Verhoye. Verhoye, as the pre-ordained audience favorite, was thoroughly charming and a refreshing foil for all the affectation. He is also an amazing singer and lifted the production number “Inspiration” from silly fun to honestly heartwarming.
The real appeal of this show is the teen-aged cast. The Children’s Theatre Company’s program, CTC4teens, has done a beautiful thing for the young, local actors who had the good fortune to be cast in this show. Some were extraordinary (the dancer performing the brief solo dance as the finale unfolded) and some were not as accomplished, but all performed with focus and energy. For example, Cody Braudt as Jessica (“the large pineapple model”) personified the absurdity of the fashion and modeling world, but would do better to contain his indiscriminate mugging to the audience.
But never mind. A full audience of young and not-so-young were on their feet, clapping and bobbing to the thumping dance tunes. We left having experienced something instead of watching something, affirming that live theatre is way cooler than T.V. Plan to come early for your “VIP pass” to all the backstage action.
Location Info:
The Children's Theatre Company
Artist Info: The Children's Theatre Company
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