The Emperor’s New Clothes, directed by Eric Morris is a children’s musical that brings Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved tale to life. It runs at the Old Log theater in beautiful Excelsior through December 31st.
Is it hard for your child to sit still during a show? Are they full of enthusiasm? During this musical, your child, like the many children attending the same show as I did, may enjoy waving to actors as they come off stage and will surely be turning in their seats, straining their necks to find the emperor as he moves excitedly about.
In this unique rendition, our emperor is fourteen, and lacking in might-understandable for his age. The focus is on his heartwarming ability to relate to his castle staff, and in particular scrub boy, Arno (Sharayah Bunce), who points out that although the pair make an unlikely team, their friendship isn’t based on status but commonality. The two find a shared interest in mocking one another and pointing out how an imagination can serve its purpose. This is especially critical for the Emperor (Amanda Maias) as he considers himself a bookworm and struggles with the idea that his kingdom will desire an emperor who resembles them.
Children delight in questions actors pose to the audience like "What kind of emperor goes to a parade in his underwear?" Or when an empty hanger is shown and an actor asks, "Is anything on there?" Kids call out "No!" in response, happy to know the answer.
Even though the emperor’s clothes are the focal point in any rendition, it’s surprising that the costumes in this performance were not emphasized. Emperor Marcus is dressed in a bronze chiton and purple leggings, and his staff are in similar garments. One would expect the emperor to have several costume changes but many times clothing was merely thrown about or added as layers and his robes lacked any form of extinction.
Whereas most children’s theaters tend to emphasize exaggeration, this performance may have underscored its importance, centering instead on light and sound.
Blinking bulbs align the frame of the set and three dimensional mobile casters make it easy to transform rooms of the castle. The musical numbers could have had more pause to allow actors a chance to speak lines that did not require music. However the actors’ mics were resonant, and could withstand the overpowering musical scores.
Old Log Theater is not just a name as the theater also looks like a log cabin. If this sounds uncomfortable or unaccommodating, it is neither--the seats are comfortable and there is a bar and restaurant and several other cabins. The theater also has a parking lot large enough for school buses and handicap parking is available.
Tickets available at https://oldlog.showare.com/ till Dec. 31st
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