EDITOR’S NOTE: “The Hobbit” is now currently running at Town Hall Arts Center in Littleton through May 8. What follows is our review of the orginal production in Breckenridge. For ticket information on the current staging,
There’s children’s theater, and there’s children’s theater infused by the talents of Cory Gilstrap.
Colorado’s master puppeteer and his team of so-called “paduans” have created a plethora of wonderful, larger-than-life Bunraku-style puppets that elevate Backstage Theatre’s original adaptation of “The Hobbit” to a magical if all-too-brief experience for all ages.
“Puppets” seems an inadequate term to describe Gilstrap’s dynamic creations. There are three giant trolls whose heads nearly scrape the sky – or in this case, the Breckenridge theater’s roof. There is a spider larger than your average 8-year-old (and much cuter than the arthropods in your cubby hole). And there is the coup de grace, the 17-foot fiery dragon who battles protagonist Bilbo Baggins in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic “legendarium” that precedes “The Lord of the Rings.”
Bunraku is an 11th-century form of Japanese puppet theater. Because of the Japanese belief that our ancestors exist among us, the puppets are manipulated by “ghostly” (though completely visible) puppeteers who manipulate all sorts of ingenious controls, adeptly maneuvered here by four cast members.
Gilstrap employed some of the same techniques with puppets for Curious’ “The Long Christmas Ride Home” in 2004.
This take on “The Hobbit” is written by and stars Backstage artistic director Christopher Willard, to whom performing in children’s theater comes as instinctively as thumb-sucking to a toddler.
Willard secured a $4,000 grant for the creation of these puppets. It’s worth it. Without them, it’s just not the same.
Bilbo Baggins (Willard) is, of course, “uncle” to Frodo (played by J.P. Devine). Uncle is happily living a safe, sedentary, dull life in Middle-earth when wizard pal Gandalf the Grey (a deceptively gray Jason Tersterman) arrives on the eve of Bilbo’s 111th birthday. Together they recount for young Frodo and pals the story of Bilbo’s one great adventure from long ago, when the hobbit became first bearer of “the ring.”
His mission was to slay the magnificent dragon monster Smaug and retrieve the dwarves’ gold. We go back with Bilbo to when he fulfilled his destiny as “the reluctant burglar,” and in doing so conquered all manner of adventurous challenges.
“The Hobbit” marks Denver actor Geoff Kent’s directorial debut. He’s better known for starring in Score Marketing’s “Urinetown” and serving as the Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s fight director. But he brings an inventive sense of wonder and “why not?” spirit that imbues the storytelling with freshness. He gets great help from lighting designer Jacob Welch and Willard on sound effects, but most wonderful is his changing sense of proportion (such as when a miniaturized dragon takes flight).
All this should engage and impress “Lord of the Rings” fans of any age. The creatures may be a little too scary for the under-6 set, but for all others, this adorable prequel is a perfect introduction to children’s theater.
Theater critic John Moore can be reached at 303-954-1056 or jmoore@denverpost.com.
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Theater options for children
A roundup of selected shows by adult actors for children (age recommendations are determined by the best judgment of The Denver Post):
“Adventures of a Pirate King” JULY 21-NOV. 10 | Heritage Square Music Hall | 1:30 Saturdays, some 3 p.m. shows | All ages | $5-$6 | 18301 W. Colfax Ave., 303-279-7800, | GOLDEN
“Around the World in Eighty Days” Now through AUG. 18 | Colorado Shakespeare Festival | 7:30 p.m. Sunday and Thursday, dates then vary | Ages: 12 and up | $5-$38 | University of Colorado mainstage theater, 303-492-0554, | BOULDER
“Beauty and the Beast” JULY 20, 21, 27 and 28 | Front Range Music Theatre | 7:30 p.m. | Ages: 7 and up | $12-$20 | Lincoln Center, 417 W. Magnolia, Fort Collins, 970-221-6730, | FORT COLLINS
“The Hobbit” Now through SEPT. 2 | Backstage Theatre | Next showing July 22; 11 a.m. Saturdays, 1 p.m. Sundays on alternating weekends | Ages: 6 and up | $8 | 121 S. Ridge St., 970-453-0199, | BRECKENRIDGE
“The Little Mermaid” JULY 26-SEPT. 9 | Disney Theatricals | Daily except Mondays; times vary | Ages: 8 and up | $20-$77 | Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 303-893-4100,
“Lullaby Bay” Now through AUG. 11 | Creede Repertory Theatre | Noon Wednesdays and Saturdays | Ages: 4 and up | $6-$9 | 124 N. Main St., 719-658-2540, | CREEDE
“Little Red Riding Hood” Now through AUG. 18 | Theatre Aspen | 10 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays | Ages: 5 and up | $15 | 400 Rio Grande Place, 970-925-9313, | ASPEN
“School House Rock, Live” Now through AUG. 19 | Lake Dillon Theatre Company | 10 a.m. Fridays | All ages | $4 | Quaking Aspen Amphitheatre, 970-496-4386, | KEYSTONE
“Seussical” Now through AUG. 16 | Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre | 8 p.m. tonight, times then vary | Ages: 4 and up | $15-$25 | 1025 Grand Ave., 970-627-5087, | GRAND LAKE
“Trunk-a-re-runk” JULY 28 | Buntport Theater’s “live repeat” of the episode fans voted best of the season past, based on “The Prince and the Pauper.” | 11 a.m. | All ages | $4-$6 | 717 Lipan St., 720-946-1388,
Tony Kushner’s “The Illusion” JULY 21-AUG. 5 | Limelight Theatre for Young Adults | 7:30 p.m. most Thursdays-Saturdays, 2:30 some Sundays | Ages: 13 and up | $7-$10 | Bas Bleu Theatre, 401 Pine St., 970-498-8949 | FORT COLLINS
“Winnie The Pooh” Now through JULY 26 | Aurora Fox’s Little Foxes | 10 a.m. and/or 1 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays | All ages | $7 | 9900 E. Colfax Ave., 303-739-1971 | AURORA
“A Year with Frog & Toad” Now through JULY 22 | Aurora Fox | 7:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays | Ages: 6 and up | $18-$26 | 9900 E. Colfax Ave., 303-739-1971 | AURORA
3more
“WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?” Paragon Theatre presents a dynamite cast including Martha Harmon Pardee and Denver Center stalwart Sam Gregory in Edward Albee’s incendiary, drunken masterpiece. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through Aug. 11 at the Phoenix Theatre, 1124 Santa Fe Drive. $17-$19 (303-300-2210 or).
“THREE VIEWINGS” This time, they mean it. A week late, Crossroads at Five Points opens Jeffrey Hatcher’s three successive monologues set in a funeral parlor. Directed by Terry Dodd and starring bigwigs Jan Cleveland, Phil Luna and Cat diBella. 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturdays through Aug. 4 at 27th and Welton streets. $15 (2-for-1 Thursdays); 303-832-0929 or.
“ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL” The Colorado Shakespeare Festival rolls out its fourth of five successive Saturday openings with the classic gender-bending satire on romance. 7:30 p.m. in the University of Colorado’s indoor theater, dates then vary through Aug. 17. $5-$38 (303-492-0554,.).
–John Moore
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