CEDAR CITY — A truly nostalgic piece, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tells the story of Caractacus Potts, his children Jeremy and Jemima, and Truly Scrumptious as they go on a grand adventure in their motor car. They end up at odds with the child-hating Baron and Baroness Bomburst as both groups want this magnificent car. With music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, this script was adapted for the stage by Jeremy Sams. American Crossroads (formerly SimonFest) performs this piece with a delightful cast who brings energy and heart to the story.
I first want to note that during the performance I attended, the car’s motor was not working. They made an announcement before the show began to expect some “extra help” and asked the audience to suspend their disbelief. As the show progressed one actor (Milton McLelland) helped to push the car out and Caractacus (Jared Davis) helped to guide it. This was not a distraction from the show and the audience was still able to feel the magic during the performance. That is a sign of a good cast that is able to roll with the punches and work even when big changes happen – as they say, “The show must go on!”
This cast is lovely, and brings to life this classic tale with soul and spunk. I was especially impressed with the two children, Rory Shakespear as Jeremy and Lily Cox as Jemima. They know each song, dance, and line and are not swayed even if other actors appear to stumble. In the very first scene Cox and Shakespear are alone onstage while the rest of the cast is offstage. They are singing the titular song, and while some cast members are slightly behind the music, they stay right on and carry the cast with a smile. They do this without looking as if there is a problem, which is a great feat especially for younger actors.
Rachel Cox as Truly brings motherly warmth into her role. It is especially fun as she is the actual mother of Jemima (Lily Cox). Her songs are a highlight with her controlled and full voice. Cox plays Truly with a sophisticated grace. With that grace comes a little bit of sass, which adds a great element to her character, unique to Cox. At the beach Truly and Caractacus are arguing and she brings a playful sassiness. Her character choices bounced off of Jared Davis’ Caractacus, which helps their love story make more sense.
Davis brings an endearing quality to his Caractacus – making choices to add silliness. This is apparent during his dances and songs, and especially in “Me ‘Ol Bamboo.” His character is not supposed to know the dance, but Davis jumps in and adds his own flair, a beat or so behind and a big smile on his face. Again in “Doll on a Music Box/Truly Scrumptious,” he threw himself around the stage bravely and to really sell that he was a toy. What I really appreciate about Davis’ Caractacus is how he uses glances and stillness to humanize and remind the audience of the family’s past heartache and current struggles. At the end of the “Hushabye Mountain” lullaby, Davis takes a moment in stillness and silence to reminisce about his late wife. Another example of this is towards the beginning when Davis and Stacey Johnson as Grandpa Potts were discussing money problems. While still remaining positive, Davis made choices to show the strain the money issues were placing on the family. These were not hokey or silly, but authentic reactions for a single father struggling to care for his children. This is a lovely juxtaposition to the rest of his upbeat and zany character choices.
Other notable performances are given by the Baroness Bomburst (Hannah Evans), the spies Boris (Daniel Bugg) and Goran (Memphis Gesullo), and the Child Catcher (Kameron Petsche). Hannah Evans brings such a fire to her performance as Baroness Bomburst. She is hilarious in the way that she interpreted her character and commits fully to each choice she makes. She lights up each scene, and, even though she was the villain, I looked forward to each time she appeared on the stage. Bugg and Gesullo as spies work so well with each other, and again are wonderfully ridiculous. At times hard to understand, their physicality and jokes definitely make up for any verbal misunderstanding. I appreciated the gags that they add to enhance their characters and the performance. Finally, Kameron Petsche’s Child Catcher is a thing of nightmares. Living up to (and surpassing) the reputation from both the movie and previous performances, Petsche stares down the audience and gives us a great villain. He completely committed to this role which made it exciting and scary all at the same time.
I would be remiss to leave the ensemble out of this. They perform multiple characters with the same energy and strong choices in each scene. One specific scene is “The Roses of Success.” Ensemble members dance as old inventors. Each dancer, including Stacey Johnson, on the stage made strong (and silly) choices to make this a truly delightful and hilarious scene. Another member of the ensemble dies repeatedly in different comical ways to add a new element to this production. I truly appreciate the commitment to this production that all of the ensemble members have.
The choreography done by Christine France is excellently crafted for this cast. The dancing fits each cast member so that all of the dances look clean and polished. I was also impressed with the “Bombie Samba” and the way France showcases two strong dancers: Hannah Evans and Mary Kate Schoessling. This not only adds to this fun number, but also gives these women a chance to “show their stuff” in the creative use of a dance break.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is massive production-wise and this can be a difficult obstacle for any theater company to overcome. Randy Lawrence Seely’s set design uses projections with small additions in order to transition scenes smoothly. The style of projections did not always match from place to place, and there were times when there were inconsistencies – the car driving forward, but the projection moving the opposite direction; however, the overall use of projections with the addition of small set pieces proved to be an effective choice.
Directed by Tammy Smith, this production oozes nostalgia and “scrumptiousness” in every scene. This cast is blocked to fill the stage, and brings important moments close to the audience. At times it seems as though the pacing may move a bit too fast for the cast, but they quickly catch up. There were a couple of blocking inconsistencies – one being the cast walking in front of the “driving” Chitty – that is slightly distracting, but the way the cast moves and fills the stage is well done. I appreciated Smith’s directorial focus on the family and the nostalgia many hold for this story.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at American Crossroads Theatre is a delightful and timeless story. As Caractacus spins stories and crafts inventions, we as the audience are invited to join this family on their wild adventures. Getting swept up in the music, the candy, and the magic are all part of the fun. Whether this is your first foray into the magical world of the Potts family and their new car or you’ve seen it many times, you will enjoy this excursion with Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!
