First Stage takes audiences down the Mississippi River for an engaging, family-friendly production of Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. This is the world premiere of a co-production developed by Adventure Theater-MTC and the Lyric Theater of Oklahoma, in association with Rogers and Hammerstein Theatricals and First Stage. Many of Mark Twain’s characters from his famous novel come vividly to life in this show, which is directed here by Marti Gobel. The characters include Huck Finn (Luke Brotherhood), Jim, the runaway slave (DiMonte Henning); the Widow Douglas (Kat Wodtke), who tries in vain to “civilize” the parentless Huck into an upstanding citizen; Mary Jane (Georgina Pink) and her maid, Alice (Terynn Erby-Walker). In the performance seen by this reviewer, the younger actors were part of the Clemons cast (First Stage double casts all the children’s parts in its shows). It must be noted that the songs, as well as the story, have been condensed into First Stage’s traditional 90-minute format. A decision also was made to delete instances of the “n-word” from the script (so as not to invite controversy, one imagines). Traces of humor erupt throughout the show, and two of the most humorous characters are a couple of ne’er do wells who call themselves the King (Matt Daniels) and the Count (Chris Klopatek). These con men manage to sweet-talk their way onto the raft, avoiding an angry mob that’s chasing them. Both Daniels and Klopatek are well-known comedians from past productions, and their pairing here is a high-water mark of the whole show. Klopatek’s character, an actor, manages to scoot away with a box full of Shakespearean costumes (by Samantha C. Jones) that add to their visual hilarity. Another welcome feature of this production is an onstage band, composed of full-time musicians as well as those who double as actors during Huck Finn’s adventures. Live music is incorporated into the show’s first few moments, as a fiddler brings the musical to life. The onstage band instruments, which range from banjo to guitar and tambourine (plus an offstage piano) bring the immediacy of the proceedings right into the audience’s lap. Music director Paul Helm integrates the music seamlessly into the narrative. The songs by country star performer Roger Miller fit in well, lending some of the hoedown spirit one might expect to find along the eddy’s of the Mississippi. One of the most plaintive songs, “Worlds Apart,” beautifully emphasizes how different life is for a run-off white boy versus a runaway slave. Although other characters come and go during the adventures of Huck and Jim, the plot rests heavily on their relationship. Both Brotherhood and Henning are more than up to the challenge. The rustic stage set, comprised of weathered wood structures and small wooden crates, nestles snuggly into First Stage’s limited performing space. Set designer Kurtis Boetcher leaves plenty of room for the raft, which is cleverly moved around the stage by a children’s ensemble meant to represent the river’s currents. The children, dressed in blue period overalls, undulate and sway with precision. Their dance-like moves add another layer of texture to this already multi-layered show. Behind the raft is a softly sketched map of one section of the Mississippi, with the names of states prominently lit by lighting designer Jesse Klug. The vastness of the territory reminds one of the true scope of Twain’s novel, as it is a story of America, not just a boy’s adventure tale. Like Huck himself, the nation at that time was young and wild, brash and adventurous, as unknowing as the uncharted wilderness of the American spirit.
