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Three Bears at 1st Stage
By Mike Spain - February 12, 2012
Three Bears is a creative and entertaining twist on a classic fairy tale. Three bears, a janitor, and an animal control officer create a wild time on stage. The show could best be described as a funny musical geared for younger audiences while being slightly interactive. Some of the humor is geared for adults. For instance, there’s a line about a Helen Hayes Awards judge being eaten.
Director Leslie A. Kobylinski brings out some outstanding performances from the cast. The team of Musical Director Jane Margulies Kalbfeld and Vocal/Movement Coach Joshua Dick help the cast nail the musical numbers. Set Designer Steven Royal provides plenty of bear signage throughout the theatre. It was an added treat to see the playwright and lyricist perform in the play. Mario Baldessari plays the janitor, and interacts with everyone in the play. His opening monologue is one of the highlights of the musical.
The three bears – Leader Bear (Joshua Dick), Sidekick Bear (Tyler Herman), and Clumsy Bear (Leigh Taylor Patton) – entertain the young audience with their tight musical numbers and small skits. The bears have the A capella songs down and are quite a delight. Gannon O’Brien (Sergeant Dr. Benjamin Frathmore-Lockingston-Fyfe) is hysterical, and makes sure the audience is involved throughout. Gannon also had the audience in stiches when he accidentally pulled off his wig when he removed his hat. The young audience thought the blooper was hilarious.
Cheryl Patton Wu does a great job with the costumes. The bears are easily recognized as bears but are not scary to kids. The Sergeant’s costume looks like a law officer’s uniform. Lou the Janitor looks like a real janitor.
Three Bears provides laughs, songs, and entertainment for the whole family filled with cute bears, a comical animal control officer, and a janitor who ties it all together.
The show is short – about 45 minutes – perfect for young children. As a bonus the actors do sign autographs and talk to the children after the show.
Running Time: 45 minutes without an intermission.
Three Bears plays through March 4, 2012, at 1st Stage Theater – 1524 Spring Hill Road, in Tysons Corner, Virginia. For tickets call (703) 854-1856, or purchase them online.
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About Mike Spain
Mike Spain writes for the Examiner covering Blues Music around Washington, D.C. He also writes for the Yahoo! Contributor Network, where his writing has been published on Associated Content, Yahoo! Finance, Yahoo! Sports and Rivals.com. Mike lives in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia where he enjoys spending time with his family, listening to live music, skiing and fishing.
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