My wife Peggy and I had already taken my cousin Lavinia Hart to see a production at CenterStage in Federal Way. She enjoyed it. For the latest presentation, Peggy was feeling tired and opted out, while Lindy (AKA Lavinia) and I drove to Dumas Bay in Federal Way for the Sleeping Beauty Panto. This was the second showing of Sleeping Beauty of the day. You would think the two hour plus musical might have slowed the actors down, but no . . . I think they gained more strength as they went along . . . from both the adults and the young grade school girls who joined in nicely. The musical was well over two hours of mayhem, laughter, and very, very funny bad jokes. When our grand-daughters were young we brought them along to the yearly panto. They always had a great time. Lindy fell right in line.
Comment from Cousin Lindy . . . you might say she enjoyed the production:
Lindy ran a small professional theatre company for 20 years in Detroit. Then she led a grad school acting company for Wayne State University for 20 years. She had a lot to say about SLEEPING BEAUTY: A Holiday Panto. “This is the best directed comedy I have seen in this area since the work at The Empty Space Theatre in Seattle in the 1970’s. The CenterStage ensemble cast’s energy, razor-sharp timing and pace, rapport and the comradery with the audience was comparable to the best Commedia Dell Arte productions with which The Empty Space Theatre excelled. It takes a great team effort to create, rehearse and perfect a theatre piece that seems to be completely spontaneous, accessible, executed with ease and FUN! Every aspect of the play was a slam dunk. It makes me feel like another golden age of small professional theatre is recurring if the theatres can sustain this standard of high caliber casting, and production team creativity. Helen Marion is an experienced director who has staged every plot point to its maximum state of hilarity. She has a talent at giving the actors freedom to “play” which is so important with all genres of theatre, but comedy in particular. As a bonus Ms. Marion also choreographed the fight sequences with a fine-tuned sense of humor. I look forward to all her work in the future at CenterStage and beyond. This show is so lively and entertaining, it should quickly sell out its run, now through December 17. I hope we can get the family together and go see it again.”
Pantomime (informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speaking countries, especially during the Christmas and New Year season. Modern pantomime includes songs, gags, slapstick comedy and dancing. The Panto generally combines gender-crossing actors and topical humor with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or folk tale. Pantomime is a participatory form of theatre, in which the audience is encouraged and expected to sing along with certain parts of the music and shout out phrases to the performers. – Wikipedia
Here is a typical “Panto” joke:
Panto Man dressed as a woman: “You remind me of my third husband.”
Man: “How many times have you been married?”
Panto Man dressed as a woman: “Twice.”
Here is an article we wrote about pantos and actor Brad Cerenzia – https://thesubtimes.com/2021/10/26/meet-local-actor–/
For this current Panto, Brad was playing the part of Nurse Nellie.
We had already introduced Lindy to CenterStage via the classic comedy “Tartuffe” and one of our favorite actors Kyle Sinclair. Peg and I had seen Kyle is productions at Lakewood Playhouse and CenterStage. In Sleeping Beauty he was playing Prince Peter – https://thesubtimes.com/2023/06/14/tartuffe-and-the-bento-box/
Jessie Selleck played the “Fairy Sweetheart.” She had the entire audience wrapped around her little fingers. She is so much at ease, you start to belive in miracles and super happy endings. Jessie stared as Cinderella in Cinderella and as Rapunzel in Rapunzel, but gave other actresses a break by playing Alana Dale in Robin Hood.
Kyle Sinclair played Prince Peter. He was fantastic as the “computer” in Oregon Trail. He had a bit of panto magic in him then. In a fight scene he was thrown flat on the stage and sprung back up in a blink of an eye. In Sleeping Beauty, he was just as fantastic.
Brad Cerenzia as Nurse Nellie was appearing as the fifth “Dame” role in the yearly Panto. It seemed like every time he appeared on stage he was wearing some different, weird and hilarious hairdo or getup. He’s not just on stage but comes out into the audience as well.
Olivia Lee as the Wicked Fairy Carabosse was a knock out. She has terrified kids and adults in Little Red Riding Hood as well as Beauty and the Beast. She ruled the stage almost every single time she came on stage. She played in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and “Rent” two musicals . . . and both just a little bit off (a good thing)!
Meghan Ames played the “Queen” but is a professional fool, clown, and theatre maker. She was outstanding in dancing, singing, and protecting her daughter The Princess Aurora.
Jasmine Wright as the princess was everywhere and was more than just another pretty face, Jasmine has a great history of performing with Disney World and Disney Live. Her character overcame and fought back, but with charm.
Cassie Fastabend has degrees from the University of Puget Sound. Peggy and I met while attending UPS, so look upon actors from UPS as being special. Cassie is a great dancer and has appeared in local productions of Macbeth, King Lear, A Few Good Men, Gypsy, and The Oregon Trail. She plays Jangles. This is her forth panto.
The panto runs through December 17th, but get your tickets now (we are going to see the panto a second time): https://thesubtimes.com/2022/08/26/the-oregon-trail-stage-production-review/
