Playwright: Martha Watterson, Sharon Evans, Mary Scruggs, Robert Steel
At: Live Bait Theatre
Phone: (773) 871-1212; $20-$25
Runs through: Oct. 10
Every summer camp kid learns the lore of the hatchet-wielding madman in the woods, the lost hikers, the ghost canoeists, or the girl who fell in love with her horse. The cautionary endings of these haunted tales and scary stories rarely are happy. But how to these stories begin? Well, that's the tale told by Camp Nimrod for Girls, a new 90-minute musical about four girls, four boys and four horses. As one lyric says, 'The Hill is dark and full of history. Is it all true? Well, that's a mystery.'
At times Camp Nimrod is confusing, as it borrows in equal measures from Spin and Marty, Grease, Equus, Dark of the Moon and Mr. Ed. The tone of the piece shifts constantly from comedy to earnest drama, from gothic ghost story to pubescent satire. Only in the last moments do the styles coalesce as Camp Nimrod for Girls reveals its final perspective. This reviewer—wondering what the point of this sometimes-curious show was—found himself disarmed and charmed.
Robert Steel's music (nimbly played by pianist Phillip Caldwell) is traditional theatrical fare, not rock, pop or pseudo-opera. Pleasant tunes sport generally-simple melody lines and lyrics (by Mary Scruggs) as the Catbird Cabin girls sing 'We're Better,' or the boys use military swagger to plan minimal sexual exploits. But every two or three tunes, Steel and Scruggs let fly with something better, such as the very pretty love song 'Let Me Share This Night with You,' or the double-entendre song-and-dance 'Don't Get Saddled with a Dame,' sung by a trio of horses.
Director Jay Paul Skelton has assembled an attractive cast chiefly of Off-Loop newcomers who are young and cute (well, they are playing 13 year olds) and have good legit belt voices. Matthew Holzfeind as principal horse Butterscotch has a particularly sweet voice. Ryan Pfeiffer as principal boy Randy is appropriately smooth-talking and hotheaded. Michelle Dahlenburg as Jane, the girl torn between boy and horse, wisely plays her odd triangle straight. The six other ensemble members offer strong, energetic and even support.
Scenic designer Brian Sidney Bembridge throws up barn planks on three sides of the otherwise-empty stage to define cabins and stables. Tree branches above and bales of hay in one corner (masking the piano) complete a look that's just right. Costume designer Tatjana Radisic makes her mark with horse costumes for the boys, created almost like body armor from pieces and strips of leather. As in The Lion King, the horse heads are worn like hats so as not to cover the human faces below them.
Camp Nimrod for Girls neither is nor tries to be a musical spectacular, but it's pleasing and original end-of-summer fare; a campfire show for all ages.