Fall 2013: UAA Theatre presents 'Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'
by Michelle Saport |
Preview from the upcoming UAA production of "Big River."
Show dates: Nov. 1-24 Show times: Fridays and Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Location: Fine Arts Building, Mainstage Theatre Tickets: $20/$18/$15 at UAATix.com and CenterTix.com
The UAA Theatre & Dance program is in the midst of preparations for its first show of the season, the musical "Big River." The show has been cast with a contingent of 36 actors. There's a gospel chorus, roving pit band and a set taking shape on the stage. Dance numbers are in full swing and blocking the show moves forward apace.
"Big River" is the musical adaptation of Mark Twain's novel "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." It is the story of young Huck, a boy in the early-to-mid-19th century who travels south on the Mississippi with his friend, a slave named Jim, and discovers what is truly important in life: Love, friendship and being true to yourself. It also pokes fun at southern antebellum society and provides an objective look at the stereotypes and attitudes of the times. Some of the characters are equally funny and scary.
"To my mind one of the predominant themes is learning to see with your own eyes, and feel with your own heart," director Tom Skore states. "Even today, almost 150 years later, though society has made strides in the areas of equality in race, gender, nationality and religion, the Treyvon Martin/George Zimmerman incident shows us that we as a society still have a ways to go when it comes to living up to our own ideals, making the themes in 'Huck Finn' still resonate." It is also about the personal journey we all take in our lives, and all the people and events that float to us and past us as we go.
Even though "Big River" premiered almost 30 years ago, this is the first production of the musical in the Anchorage area. The winner of 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, with the book by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller, the show has a blend of music, ranging from bluegrass, to gospel, to beautiful country ballads, to songs that reflect some of Roger Miller's more humorous hits. The show will also feature guest artist Torrie Allen, former artistic director of the Anchorage Opera, in the role of Jim.
"It should be remembered that 'Huckleberry Finn' is not without controversy,'' Skore states. "It was clearly written to make us reflect upon ourselves-what is good about us and what is not so good. We recommend parental guidance (PG, or even PG-13) for those coming to see the production."
"Fall 2013: UAA Theatre presents 'Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'" is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.