Broadway UMC

Disney next-generation tale on Epsilon stage

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By Wendy Carson

For those of you who are not familiar with the Disney Descendants franchise, allow me to sum up: All of the classic Heroes and Villains now have teenage kids. All villains (including offspring) have been banished to the “Isle of the Lost” where magic doesn’t work and evil is the status quo. Everyone else lived in the “United States of Auradon.”

Epsilon Theatrical Company gives us a glimpse of these lands in “Disney Descendants: The Musical,” performed by an eager local cast of various ages.

Belle (Macie Barker) and the now-human Beast (Jim O’Connor) rule Auradon, and plan to crown their son Ben (Eliott King) as king in a grand coronation ceremony. The youth wishes to heal the rift between his people and those of the Isle, especially as there is now a second generation. In this spirit, he has invited four of the Villains’ kids to attend school in Auradon for a year.

Though there is pushback from both sides, the plans go through and Carlos (Gavin McMillin), son of Cruella DeVil (Mary McDonnel); Jay (Christian Parchman), son of Jafar (Rodney Sciba); Evie (Lacey Pierce), daughter of The Evil Queen from Snow White (Kellie Lawrence); and Mal (Phebie Heath) daughter of Maleficent (Sharon Livingston) arrive at school. The group has plans to steal the wand of the Fairy Godmother (Kate Ambrose) in order to permanently open a portal to the Isle so Maleficent can rule all of Auradon.

Also added to the mix are Doug (Tyrell Smith), the son of Dopey; Chad (Luke Wilson), the empty-headed son of Prince Charming; Jane (Greta Shambarger), daughter of the Fairy Godmother; and Audrey (Adriana Nicholson), daughter of Sleeping Beauty. Rounding out the cast are a few teachers and a huge ensemble of very talented youngsters keeping everything hip-hopping.

As the “bad” kids seek to exploit being good, the “good” kids find themselves acting on their dark side. While this plot may feel a bit predictable (watch for a twist, though), the songs are fun and the whole cast does an amazing job of keeping the show upbeat and enjoyable. Jayson Elliott directs. A couple of big shout-outs to wardrobe director Lawana Penrod who did a stand-out job bringing together a wild group of outlandish costumes that were absolutely perfect for each character, as well as Mary McDonnel and Macie Barker who worked together to give us some lively choreography that really sparkled.

This show is an excellent choice for younger children, so round up your kids and grandkids and head over to catch it or else you might feel “Rotten to the Core” for missing out. Performances are Friday through Sunday, April 17-19, at Broadway United Methodist Church, 609 E 29th St., Indianapolis. Get tickets at epsilontheatricalco.org.

Epsilon ‘School’ a class act

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By Wendy Carson

 While it seems that bringing a popular movie to the stage would be an instant ticket to success, there are a few that feel dependent on their stars to pull off the magic of the original – “School of Rock” is one such property. No matter how talented the cast, it is almost impossible to match the man-boy magic of Jack Black. Luckily, Epsilon Theatrical Company has struck that match in their amazing casting of Caleb Wilson as Dewey Finn.

Wilson brings out the lovable side of this Peter Pan character who is absolutely obsessed with winning the local Battle of the Bands and becoming a Rock God.

After sponging off his best friend Ned Schneebly (Darin Richart) for years, he is finally given an ultimatum by Ned’s hot new girlfriend Patty Di Marco (Afton Shepard) to pay some rent or get out. This leads to Dewey posing as Ned for a substitute teaching position at a posh prep school, Horace Green.

While Dewey’s initial lackadaisical attitude has him on the rocks, he happens to overhear his students’ music class and decides to create a band out of these kids to win the contest. While they have only been exposed to classical music, he fast-tracks them on a rock education and creates an awesome band, complete with back-up singers, roadies, sound and light techs, groupies, even a manager/promotions director.

The shenanigans run fast and furious throughout, but everything manages to come together in the end with love and understanding winning the day.

While the several adults in the cast give exceptional performances, Allison Williamson’s turn as Rosalie Mullins, the uptight Principal of Horace Green (and Dewey’s love interest), is sheer perfection.

As for the kids, please note that although the show does have an orchestra at the rear of the building, all the kids with instruments on stage genuinely play them, and do a wonderful job. Principal band members backing Finn (guitar, vocals) are Zack Mooneyham (Luke C. Wilson) on lead guitar, Freddie Hamilton (Colm Tripple) on drums, Lawrence Turner (Thomas Kim) on keyboard, Katie Travis (Tess Eggeson) on bass, and Tomika Spencer-Williams (Koto Hoskins) as featured vocalist. While they, and gold-star student Summer Hathaway (Ellie Richart) as the band Manager, do get most of the lines and attention, all the young performers were amazing at bringing their rock-star roles to life.

Directed for ETC by Jayson Elliott with additional choreography by Mary McDonnel and Tim Reed as music director, “School of Rock” was adapted from the Mike White film by Andrew Lloyd Webber with book by Julian Fellowes, new music by Webber and lyrics by Glenn Slater. (Though ALW was involved, rest assured this musical is [mostly] Cat-free.)

For a feel-good musical tour-de-force that will have you banging your head for a long time afterwards, sit in with the cool kids at Epsilon’s usual venue, Broadway United Methodist Church, 609 E. 29th St., Indianapolis, 7 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 14-16.

Info and tickets at epsilontheatricalco.org.

Want to see a snowman? ETC presents ‘Frozen’

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By John Lyle Belden

Given the weather lately, some ice and snow would be refreshing. To get the feel, if not the chill, enter an air-conditioned church hall to see the musical “Frozen Jr.” presented by Epsilon Theatrical Company.

As the title indicates, this is the stage version of the 2013 animated Disney film which added songs, a few updates, and hit Broadway in 2018, with book by the movie’s screenwriter Jennifer Lee and music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

The addition of “Jr.” means that this is both cast with and appropriate for children, with ETC’s actors aged about 9 to 19. The content edits are few enough to keep the show tight length-wise, while not lacking in substance. And though a community kids’ production, the talent and dedication are exceptional throughout.

The familiar plot is intact: In the Norway-adjacent kingdom of Arendelle, the King and Queen’s two daughters love each other, but the fact that one of them has magical ice-elemental powers leads to near-tragedy and their parents keeping them apart as they grow up. Later, with the parents lost at sea, elder Princess Elsa is crowned queen as she comes of age, and despite her best efforts, inadvertently releases her weather powers. Seen as a “monster,” she runs away into the mountains. Her sister Princess Anna, eventually joined by local ice-cutter Kristoff, reindeer Sven, and the living snowman Olaf (who the sisters made when they were children), travel off to find her. After Elsa’s big song – you know the one – there is conflict, betrayal, and a true-love ending a little different from other Disney fairy-tale classics.

Epsilon treats us to three sets of sisters – Lila Dodyk and Ellie Richart as young Anna and Elsa, Riley Sutton and Rose Kennerk as “middle” Anna and Elsa with a charming “Do You Want to Make a Snowman?” and Brynn Dunlap and Lauren Bowman completing the play as the maturing Anna and Elsa, respectively. Dunlap gives us the full range of her character, from hopeful, to smitten, to determined, to commanding and heroic. Bowman delivers an apt performance of immense power barely checked by equally powerful fear. Pushed to her limit vocally, she ascends without “letting go” of her vocal chords.

Silas Tripple and Ashlynn Stone play the King and Queen. Other nobility on hand include Caleb Estes as the Duke of Weselton (his “weasel”-ish political demeanor makes him quite entertaining) and Zach Kolterman as Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, who sparks an instant romance with Anna.  Gavin McMillin is the Bishop at the coronation.

The stone trolls of the film have been replaced by the “hidden folk,” also of Scandinavian lore, led by Pabbie (Thomas Kim) and skilled in the ways of magic.

For provisions on Anna and Kristoff’s journey, there is the Oaken Family shop wagon, where Oaken (Tripple) and his kin go all out to provide “Hygge.” Soloists in that rousing musical number include Fender Brokamp, Kennerk, and Amelia Landrum.

Speaking of Kristoff, Aaron Owens delivers the country-boy charm with subtle dignity, accompanied by Judah Owens as Sven – charming in his own way, with more speaking lines than I recall the deer having in the movie. As the “love interest,” Kolterman effectively gives us both sides of Prince Hans.

Elsa’s powers manifest with a “Snow Chorus” of dancers: Molly Ades, Rebecca Burkhart, Bethany Frederick, Hazel Heath, Ellie Richart, and Riley Sutton. Their presence worked without being gimmicky or distracting, arms pointing like the spread of frost on windows. A crew member mentioned to me that some had formal ballet training, and the others learned to follow right in step to deliver their effects.

Natural scene-stealer Colm Tripple embodies the naïve and noble Olaf with easy charisma. He is said to be interested in working behind the scenes as well, so I expect we’ll be seeing a lot of this kid in the future.

The talented cast also includes Norah Ambrose, Ceci Burkhart, Althea Butz, Skyler Cook, Jonah Gibbons, Sarahanne Gibbons, Phebie Heath, Lydia Nilsen, Ella Owens, Jonny Owens, Adelaide Phillips, Nova Prater, Bea Rader, Abby Rowls, Brooklynn Shaw, Ember Stritar, Zoe’Rose Taylor, Greta Wolff, Conrad Zook, and Graham Zook.

Past ETC company member Allyssa Moore returns again to direct, with music director Tiffany Billingsly, choreographer Kennedy Wilson, and stage manager Mia Joelle Baille. The impressive costuming was thanks to costume manager Kate Ambrose, wardrobe director Lawana Penrod, and Moore as “glam squad & wig design.”

All the fun of the popular show, with the thrill of having it all happen right in front of you by eager young local performers, find “Frozen Jr.” playing at Broadway United Methodist Church, 609 E. 29th St., Indianapolis, Friday through Sunday, June 27-29. Get tickets at epsilontheatricalco.org.