If you ignore this play because it seems to be a children’s show, or because a prominent cast member is a dog, you’d be making a big mistake. This is pleasurable, heart-warming entertainment.
Because of Winn-Dixie, named for a supermarket chain in the Deep South, is based on a kids’ book. But remember You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown? That seemed childlike and it too had a dog (though played by a human), and it became an enduring theater classic.
The creators have a strong pedigree: Duncan Sheik composed Spring Awakening, and Nell Benjamin contributed book and lyrics for Bat Boy and Legally Blonde, and their score is catchy.
A lonely young girl finds a stray dog roaming the aisles at a Winn-Dixie supermarket. Everyone in the small-town Florida church community is dealing with loss. Opal (Kyle McVey) has been moved there by her minister father (Clarke Thorell) after her mother abandoned them. She feels rejected by her dad, too, because of his devotion to his job.
The poodle-mix dog is on stage almost constantly, acting and reacting to the other characters, rather than doing tricks. There are no dazzling animal stunts; that wouldn’t be real life. The dog, Bowdie, was trained by Bill Berloni, the premiere director of animals for the stage, and made his music-theater debut in Peter Pan live on TV last December.
Strong contributions are made by Leonay Shepherd as the sassy Amanda, Joilet Harris as the outspoken Gloria and Maggie Lakis as neighbor Jeanne. Gina Giachero leads the 8-piece on-stage band.
The impact of the play comes from its reminder that deep emotional issues exist even in the most mundane of settings, such as a low-price chain store in the rural South. The musical has strong themes of loss, loneliness and the weight of personal history and should not be categorized as just for children.
