This production even had a very brave number where a stage full of kids were dancing and swinging bamboo sticks and, though I may not have been brave enough to attempt it, the cast pulled it off without a hitch and it was a very entertaining number! Each number was tight and very well rehearsed. When there’s music and singing, dancing isn’t far behind and Choreographer Rachel Miller, who doubles as Mulan, the show’s namesake and main character, seemed to know her cast and what they were capable of and every single choreographed number was pulled off brilliantly and flawlessly. Of course, the cast is to be commended, as well and it seems they may not have been as difficult to work with as other casts may have been, but it seems DeLisle took her time to teach these numbers and harmonies (which can be hard even with adults) and got these kids to understand what they were singing making the performance shine. Music Director Patty DeLisle is to be commened and applauded for her work in getting this cast to sound amazing! Let’s face it, working with children and teens can be difficult at times but DeLisle managed to get these kids and teens to sound great. Watching this particular production and its fluidity, I can think back on a few shows I’ve been in that were comprised of mostly or all adults and could have used the help of Hunnicutt’s guidance! Hunnicutt’s blocking of this huge cast was fluid and she managed to get everyone on and off the stage easily and with no major mishaps.
had it’s share of all that, but it still kept me interested because the pace of this show did not falter once.
As children’s theatre goes, things can get a little hokey and silly, and Mulan Jr. It takes a special kind of person to direct a show with about 40 people in the cast but it takes an extra-special person to direct a show with about 40 kids (and a few teenagers) and Liz Boyer Hunnicutt, somehow or another, managed to pull it off flawlessly… I repeat… flawlessly! Hunnicutt does have experience being the resident director of another children’s theatre that shares the space so, this was old hat for her, but still, her direction was superb. Smith was perfect and beautiful but it didn’t take away from the performance but seamlessly blended in, giving the audience a very pleasant aesthetic experience. Miller hand painted each backdrop and that made it all the more impressive. Scenic Artist Laura Miller created absolutely beautiful real life backdrops of Chinese countrysides and pink blossoms that was a refreshing break from the current trend of using projections (which I think is here to stay, like it or not). I’m an adult and not a huge fan of what one would call children’s theatre, but I have got to admit… I was thoroughly and pleasantly impressed by what these kids and production team did with this show! From the moment I walked into the theatre and saw the set, I knew I was in for something notable. Seriously, even if you don’t have children of whom you’re responsible, you really should check out this production of Mulan, Jr. This production is brilliantly directed by Baltimore theatre veteran Liz Boyer Hunnicutt, Choreographed by Rachel Miller, with Music Direction by Patty DeLisle. This stage production is based on, of course, the 1998 Disney film Mulan, and the story of “Fa Mulan” by Robert D. with Music & Lyrics by a plethora of folks including Matthew Wilder, David Zipple, Jeanine Tesori, Alexa Junge, and even Stephen Schwartz, Additional Music & Lyrics by Bryan Louiselle and Book by Patricia Cotter. This year, the children’s troupe of Cockpit in Court is presenting Disney’s Mulan, Jr. It’s that time of year and school’s out for the summer! If you have little ones running around all day (yours or otherwise), you might want to consider what Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre Court Jesters Young People’s Theatre has to offer. Running Time: 2 hours with one 15-minute intermission