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A down-on-his-luck inventor turns a broken-down Grand Prix car into a fancy vehicle for his children, and then they go off on a magical fantasy adventure to save their grandfather in a far-off land.
A flying car and a brilliant cast of local talent are bringing happiness and a night of sentimental charm to the mid-cities theater goers as “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” takes the stage at Artisan Center Theater’s main stage. So many times, family-friendly musicals really aren’t family-friendly. Instead, they are loosely tailored to the taste of tykes, they leave parents self-sacrificingly bored. Not so with “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” It rightly boasts stuff to bridge the generation gap: droll dialogue, catchy songs, fun story, super visuals galore, and enough smart jokiness to deliver a witty, witty bang. You can readily see where every penny of this lavish production went.
Brits are really the best at this kind of all-purpose whimsy: Think “The Wind in the Willows,” “Winnie the Pooh,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and on and on. So when Ian Fleming, as a respite from writing fairy tales for adults, tried one for his son, out came “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” a book that became a not-so-good movie but comes into its own as a yummy musical.
The songs by the brothers Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman are less than sensational but more than satisfactory. Authors of the scores for “Mary Poppins,” “The Jungle Book,” and any number of screen and stage musicals, they have elevated serviceability into ability pure and not too simple.
The original inspiration for “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” is a children’s book by Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond novels, which have been such a boon to the action-film industry. “Chitty” translates the sensational motifs of the world of Bond, especially its obsessions with velocity and gadgetry, into children’s terms.
The show is a mixture of intrigue madness and exuberance. Caractacus Potts along with his two children and Truly Scrumptious try to outwit Baroness Bombast when she decrees that all children be banished from the kingdom. When the two children are caught and imprisoned along with the other youngsters by the evil Child catcher, will it all have a happy ending? Of course it will!
Artisan’s strong and talented production crew, directors and actors have never failed to provide near-excellence in their ambitious productions, and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” is no exception. More than any other theater in the metroplex, I am always completely surprised and amazed at the vocal talent that ACT delivers.
Reid Horton as C. Potts absolutely won my heart. I never doubted for an instant that he was completely and entirely devoted to the children. He delivers the message that more than any material “thing” we can give our children, the most valuable offering we as parents can give our children: love and hope.
Alexandra Eddings as Truly Scrumptious continues to grow and develop her amazing talents. With a near pitch-perfect voice, I hope to see and hear her in many shows to come at ACT.
A significant and deep tip of the hat to the ensemble/chorus of the show. Almost entirely in sync with each other throughout a very demanding and energetic show.
“Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” runs from now until July 30th. Please visit their website for reservations and information on concurrently running shows on their Second Stage venue at www.artisanct.com
