Review: Despite COVID setback, Tuacahn still manages entertaining debuts with ‘Wonderland’ and ‘Mary Poppins’

Tuacahn Center for the Arts' production of "Mary Poppins," Ivins, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Tuacahn Center for the Arts, St. George News

REVIEW — Tuacahn’s 2022 outdoor season got off to a bit of a rough start with the cancellation of a few shows owning to a virus outbreak among the technical staff.

Arrows point on a street sign, showing directions to Tuacahn, Snow Canyon State Park and Red Mountain Resort, April 17, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News
Arrows point on a street sign, showing directions to Tuacahn, Snow Canyon State Park and Red Mountain Resort, April 17, 2022 | Photo by Jessi Bang, St. George News

More than proving what we already know, that the coronavirus is something we’re going to have to live with for a while, the setback also serves as a reminder of the critical importance of the tech crew. You can feature on stage the greatest performers in the world, but the audience still needs to see them and hear them – and talented “techies” are not only important but in high demand, as anyone involved in the arts will confirm.

As with last year’s “The Count of Monte Cristo,” Tuacahn is attempting to resurrect a musical with songs penned by Frank Wildhorn (“The Scarlet Pimpernel,” “Jekyll & Hyde”) and re-introduce it years later to new audiences. “Wonderland” had promising showings in smaller cities before opening and promptly closing on Broadway after only a month in 2011.

That inauspicious debut suggests a “bomb” categorization, but on a recent gorgeously sultry and breezy Saturday evening in Padre Canyon, “Wonderland” exceeded expectations.  A sumptuous scenic design (by Christine Peters) along with wonderfully creative costumes (Vanessa Leuck) and an uber-talented cast of performers brought to life Wildhorn’s pop/rock-infused, modernized retelling of the classic Lewis Carroll novel.

The upbeat opening minutes introduce protagonist Alice (Crystal Kellogg) as a harried working mom to adorable Chloe (Harper Griffith), who is re-examining her life while dealing with separation from her husband Jack (Josh Strickland), who pleads for another chance.

The energetic “Worst Day of My Life” shows off not only Kellogg’s powerful voice – which proved perfectly suited in last year’s turn as “Belle” and still feels right at home in rangier material – but also a collection of catchy, fun, hook-filled tunes that Wildhorn and writing partner Jack Murphy justifiably want to keep alive in the musical theater orbit.

The whimsical first act introduces a menagerie of colorful characters along with their respective songs: the soulful Caterpillar (Rendell Debose), the Santana-inspired flavorings of El Gato (Michael Carrasco) and the crowd-pleasing boy-band-channeling White Knights led by Strickland.

Tuacahn Center for the Arts’ production of “Wonderland,” Ivins, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Tuacahn Center for the Arts, St. George News

The villains are every bit as entertaining, with their own killer voices including the Mad Hatter (Katie LaMark), Morris (Randal Keith), and as she did in “Mary Poppins,” the scene-stealing Lexie Dorsett Sharp, this time as the towering Queen of Hearts. As nearly every reviewer has pointed out, the second act loses traction in muddled plot development, unnecessary storylines, and a rather milquetoast conclusion. But that shouldn’t deter audiences from enjoying most of this Cirque de Soleil-meets-the-Wizard of Oz production whose newness is one of its best features.

In contrast, Disney’s “Mary Poppins” in its relatively short life as a stage musical has been performed in countless venues, including here at Tuacahn back in 2013. The production is aging gracefully and receives a nice facelift with beautiful digital displays that, when not acting fussily as sophisticated tech sometimes does, showcase beautiful London street scenes, gloomy rainy nights and panoramic park vistas.

Gail Bennett reprises her role as the practically perfect magical nanny, and her terrific characterization illustrates why. But this show rises or falls depending on the rest of the cast, and that’s where this production soars.

Randal Keith’s powerful, resonant vocals capture the essence of the burdened and ultimately redeemed father George Banks who is the emotional heart of the show. As the light-hearted Bert, Neil Starkenberg is bright and breezy whether singing or dancing, and proving there truly are no small roles, Lexie Dorsett Sharp is thunderously memorable in her few minutes on stage as the replacement-nanny-with-a-grievance, Miss Andrew.

Also impressive are the younger-than-normally-cast Banks children, who exhibit wonderfully natural performances as Michael (Hudson Sullivan) and Jane (Lilly Pearson). The song with the long name has become this show’s “Be Our Guest” moment, and Mrs. Corry (Jalynn Steele) leads the crowd-pleaser with pure joy.

The choreography (By Mara Newbery Greer) is sprightly, although Poppins veterans might miss the side stage gravity-defying sequences normally on display in “Step In Time,” which are done digitally here. Like “Wonderland,” “Mary Poppins” is too long with redundant reprises in the second act that push the show to almost three hours.

Still, there’s plenty of entertainment to be had in two contrasting shows that offer either fresh surprises “Through the Looking Glass,” or the more predictable pleasures on “Cherry Tree Lane.”

“Wonderland” and “Mary Poppins” run weekly (through Oct. 21-22, respectively) with ticket prices ranging from $32 to $128. Children under age 3 are not permitted. Contact Tuacahn.org or 435-652-3300 for tickets and information.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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