{"id":5153,"date":"2013-03-03T11:12:02","date_gmt":"2013-03-03T19:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=5153"},"modified":"2013-03-03T22:39:53","modified_gmt":"2013-03-04T06:39:53","slug":"musical-big-river-flowing-through-college-of-marin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/musical-big-river-flowing-through-college-of-marin\/","title":{"rendered":"Musical “Big River” flowing through College of Marin"},"content":{"rendered":"

You probably know Huckleberry Finn from Mark Twain\u2019s famous 1884 novel, but I\u2019ll bet you didn\u2019t know he could sing!<\/em>\u00a0 Check out College of Marin\u2019s new production of the 1988 Tony Award-winning musical Big River<\/span>.\u00a0 The big river is, of course, the Mississippi, and the show follows Huck\u2019s transformative journey down that stream with the escaped slave Jim.\u00a0 Twain\u2019s book, an American classic seems to be aimed at the young adult reader, but it explores the deeper meanings of friendship, loyalty, and the knowledge of good and evil.\u00a0 Closely following the book, Big River<\/span> does the same.<\/p>\n

Zachary Isen\u2019s amazing turn as Huckleberry evolves slowly over the course of the musical to an emotional maturity while never leaving behind the boyish charm that lies at the heart of the character.\u00a0 Huck deliberately ignores the legal and social strictures of the day in helping the escaped slave Jim (Phillip Percy Williams) along his road to freedom.\u00a0 Williams\u2019 sensitive portrayal of Jim\u2019s mentoring role, and powerful singing bring heart and soul to the production.\u00a0 A large supporting cast allows a wide variety of production numbers that get heads nodding and toes tapping throughout the audience. \u00a0Especially moving songs include “The Crossing” by the Slave Ensemble, and “River in the Rain,” night crossings \u00a0during which we see a friendship bloom on its way into the tragic heart of the American South.<\/p>\n

Roger Miller\u2019s music and lyrics are reflective of the show\u2019s historical era, alternating between high-stepping barn dance, quiet reflective waltz melodies, and the deep soul of the yet-to-be-freed Africans enslaved in America\u2019s South.\u00a0 Inventive staging has the same space doing multiple duty as a town and its wharves, steamboat, the shore and the big river itself.\u00a0 A seven-piece orchestra provides the musical background, lively and poignant by turns, leading up to the powerful and triumphant reprise of \u201cMuddy Water\u201d that closes the show.<\/p>\n

This wonderful show has only a short run.\u00a0 Don\u2019t miss it.<\/p>\n

March 2, 8, 9, 15 and 16 at 8 pm\u2028March 10 and 17 at 2 pm<\/p>\n

Tickets: $25 general, $18 seniors, $15 students, $10 children 12 and under<\/p>\n

James Dunn Theatre, College of Marin Kentfield Campus<\/p>\n

Box Office: 415.485.9385<\/p>\n

Website:\u00a0 http:\/\/www.marin.edu\/departments\/PerformingArts\/index.htm<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

You probably know Huckleberry Finn from Mark Twain\u2019s famous 1884 novel, but I\u2019ll bet you didn\u2019t know he could sing!\u00a0 Check out College of Marin\u2019s new production of the 1988…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[312,311,716,281],"class_list":{"0":"post-5153","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-david-hirzel","7":"tag-bigriver","8":"tag-college-of-marin","9":"tag-david-hirzel","10":"tag-musical-theater"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"