VERO BEACH — Breathing new life into an 86-year-old overstuffed bear character and his classic stories takes energy and a great attitude, and the cast at Riverside Children’s Theatre has succeeded in offering audiences a fun and memorable jaunt with Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and the gang.
When asked to describe the best thing about being Pooh after the curtain closed on opening day last week, Vero Beach High School student Patrick Schlitt simply said, “Being with all my friends.”
That’s exactly what Disney’s “Winnie the Pooh Kids” is all about. Traipsing through the forest, jumping to conclusions and getting into and out of sticky situations, always with their friends, are what the iconic characters do best.
They also sing and dance to the catchy Disney tunes performed in this licensed production. Tigger bounces around the multi-level stage. Rabbit scurries around, worrying as usual.
Owl acts wise, but misinterprets a misspelled note left for Pooh by his boy, Christopher Robin.
This confusion sets the plot in motion, leading Pooh and friends on a shadowy and harrowing adventure.
The woodland creatures get tangled up in their rescue effort and end up capturing not the villains, but themselves in their trap.
All’s well that ends well, however, when all the friends are reunited and the mystery is solved.
The show is the first of a diverse lineup of summer productions on tap at Riverside Children’s Theatre.
After Pooh and friends depart the stage, the “Rascals Revue Goes Pop,” “Dance Recital,” “Xanadu Jr.” and “Little Shop of Horrors” round out the calendar.
“Winnie the Pooh Kids” a musical adaptation of A.A. Milne’s beloved tales about his son’s nursery toys, is about 40 minutes long — the ideal length to keep even the smallest kids riveted the whole time.
Parents who have been yearning to take their toddlers to the theatre should take this opportunity as it’s the perfect introduction to the stage for preschoolers.
They already know all the characters, and the story is a familiar one.
A few of the songs are standards from the Disney Pooh and Tigger movies and they’re blended creatively with new, exciting melodies to fit the plot of this show.
As the Pooh bear and his sidekick Piglet, played by either Chloe Larabie or Emily Catherine Stewart, go about their travels, they are aided and accompanied by Tigger (Lilly Connell or Kristi Beckett), Rabbit (Melanie Funka or Isabel Abby Morby), Owl (Allison Leavitt or Lilla Stawara), Kanga (Kathleen Taylor-Beckmann or Mackenzie Ross), Roo (Cori McWilliams or Grace Kotnik), Eeyore (Olivia Lazorik or Jade Wild) and Chirlstopher Robin (Peter Wixon or Bobby Miller III).
The animal chorus of squirrels, beetles and frogs hops in and out of scenes as the more the merrier in the Hundred Acre Wood.
Bees are a recurring theme in Pooh’s life as he embarks on his valiant and seemingly endless quest for that golden honey pot.
In the stories, the bees serve as Pooh’s collective nemesis, but in “Winnie the Pooh Kids,” a chorus line of adorable bees flit across the stage at opportune times with their catchy honey tune.
With all the talent and personality of a Motown girl group, the little ladies who embody the charming bees (Madeline Chavers, Christina Pines, Charlotte Taylor, Bailey Walker and Caleigh Elizabeth Willis) not only cause uproarious laughter, but also threaten to steal the show from the main characters.
For fans who frequent Riverside Children’s Theatre, many of the ensemble cast members are familiar.
Schlitt and his counterparts have starred in several recent productions. These young actors, many of whom hail from the barrier island, devote hundreds of hours per year to putting on high-quality plays and musicals for local families to enjoy.
But the rehearsals definitely paid off for the “Winnie the Pooh Kids” cast as the opening performance was flawless – vocals on key, choreography in step and lines delivered with punch and impeccable timing.
For much of the upbeat musical, the stage is literally packed with kids in colorful costumes – roughly 30 per performance, with two different teams handling the two weekends of shows.
Schlitt and his crew lead the Heffalump Cast, which performed Friday and Sunday and which will take the stage again Saturday.
The Woozle Cast with Tahlia Lauren Cisneros as Pooh took to the stage on Saturday and will be on hand for Sunday matinee performance this week. The lead actors of the Heffalump Cast make up the chorus when the Woozle Cast is in the lead, and vice versa.
Showtimes are 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Anne Morton Theatre.
Tickets cost $12 for adults and $6 for students for a reserved seat.
