Playwright: Stuart Ardern. At: Piccolo Theatre, Evanston Arts Depot, . 600 Main St.. Phone: 847-424-0089; $25 . ( 12 and under, $12 ) . Runs through: Dec. 8
In the mid-19th Century, our English cousins took elements of music hall, slapstick comedy, traditional children's stories and fairytales, clog dancing and drag artistry and combined them in lavish productions staged only during the holiday season. Thus, the British pantomime or 'panto' was born, although THESE pantos talk, sing and dance. Traditions abound in pantos, such as that which has a woman play the leading man--often Robin Hood or Aladdin or Puss-in-Boots--while a man plays the ugly old dame with a clock-stopping face and matching wig.
A good panto plot is simple while the humor simmers between silly and sophomoric. 'Booty is in the eye of the beholder,' declares a pirate. 'What kind of tree has hands?' someone asks, only to be answered 'A palm tree!' 'I'm seeking your hand in marriage,' the hero says, to which the heroine replies, 'What about the rest of me?' Kids love such nonsense, as do far too many parents. Throw in some kid-level audience participation, some original songs, some fantasy and a little magic, and you have the classic traditional panto.
That's what you get with Sinbad. The Piccolo Theatre's fifth annual panto is so true-to-form the actors even use British accents. The story involves Sinbad and a bad guy competing for a princess, aided respectively by good and bad genies. The acting mostly is over-the-top while the shtick is thick as--shall we say?--shaving cream and the puns and gags come fast and furious. Everything's in your face in the tiny Piccolo space, with actors literally inches from the audience.
Indeed, what's missing is scale. The Piccolo is a miniature theater with beautifully painted scenery resembling a life-size Victorian pop-up book. But pantos typically are played in large, well-equipped theaters that can support all kinds of stage magic. Sinbad certainly is ingratiating holiday fun, yet offers only a fraction of the effect of a large-scale panto.
Also, arguably it's a bit too slavishly traditional. There are times and reasons to bend or break tradition. Now that Piccolo has established its annual holiday panto, perhaps it's time to find an equivalent American story or provide a more vigorous and contemporary musical score. That's what the Brits do: panto stories stay the same, but each year there's a new version with original pop music, new business and frequently with top stars in the lead roles.
In the breeches role as Sinbad, Deborah Craft provides proper gamin charm and a buoy of understatement afloat in a sea of overstatement. As the dame, the buxom Glen Proud ( is he wearing the Edna dress? ) boasts a remarkable and consistent falsetto. Ken Raabe is the oily villain with—surprise!—Chicago ties. Joshua Allard's splashy Arabian Nights costumes are apt and fun.
