gilligan fanatic
02-27-2007, 03:13 PM
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a TV series that tried to become a stage musical.
Tried is the operative word, because that's the thing about Gilligan's Island: The Musical. No matter how hard it tries, no matter how many songs and dance numbers it has, it's still a sitcom stretched from a half-hour to two hours.
It's clear that the legacy of Gilligan's Island is very precious to the Schwartz family; series creator Sherwood Schwartz co-wrote the book with his son Lloyd, and his daughter Hope Juber wrote the music and lyrics with her husband Laurence. Their mission with the musical is not to add anything new, but to preserve it for generations of fans.
The stage presentation begins with a large video screen and footage of a tiny ship being tossed in the ocean. The cast enters and sings the Ballad of Gilligan's Island, the TV series' theme song. Then they engage in activities that remind us of the TV show: They have a bad encounter with quicksand, they glue themselves together, they weather a hurricane, and they attempt to get off the island.
Gilligan (Justin Meloni) bumbles, the Skipper (James Dudley) grumbles, Ginger (Alice Eacho) slinks, the Professor (Mark Harmon) thinks, Thurston and Lovey Howell (Barry Williams and Dawn Wells) count money, and Mary Ann (Liberty Edwards) is as sweet as honey. When the Professor makes a functioning rocket from nail polish remover and Ginger's underwear, he proves that although the musical is being performed on a theater stage, it's still firmly ensconced in Televisionland. And in case another reminder is needed, the video screen showing black and white footage of water and palm trees returns several times, taking the audience out of the theatrical experience -- and drowning the actors in some very unflattering lighting.
The cast has a tricky job, re-creating characters made famous by other actors. Wigs and costumes do most of the work, because at times the actors veer from re-creation to imitation. As Lovey and Thurston Howell, Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from the original series) and Barry Williams (Greg from The Brady Bunch) are given little to do except change clothes and deliver one-liners.
The best thing about Gilligan's Island: The Musical is local actor Mark Harmon as the Professor. Harmon is a terrific singer and his lean physique, short dark hair and studious demeanor should satisfy fans' expectations. Harmon also gets to belt out the two best songs, The Legend and The Professor's Lament, the latter a tongue-in-cheek patter number that borrows heavily from Gilbert and Sullivan's Modern Major General. These are also the only two songs that move the story forward; the rest are distractions that prolong the meager plot.
Design-wise, the sets lack detail, lighting is sketchy and costumes are familiar.
If you're a fan, you might get a kick from the nostalgia that comes with watching Gilligan's Island: The Musical. Then again, you might be better off staying home and watching the original seven stranded castaways on the little screen, the way they were meant to be seen.
Mary Damiano is a freelance writer in Wilton Manors.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-th05gilliganfeb06,0,6632215.story?coll=sfla-features-headlines
Tried is the operative word, because that's the thing about Gilligan's Island: The Musical. No matter how hard it tries, no matter how many songs and dance numbers it has, it's still a sitcom stretched from a half-hour to two hours.
It's clear that the legacy of Gilligan's Island is very precious to the Schwartz family; series creator Sherwood Schwartz co-wrote the book with his son Lloyd, and his daughter Hope Juber wrote the music and lyrics with her husband Laurence. Their mission with the musical is not to add anything new, but to preserve it for generations of fans.
The stage presentation begins with a large video screen and footage of a tiny ship being tossed in the ocean. The cast enters and sings the Ballad of Gilligan's Island, the TV series' theme song. Then they engage in activities that remind us of the TV show: They have a bad encounter with quicksand, they glue themselves together, they weather a hurricane, and they attempt to get off the island.
Gilligan (Justin Meloni) bumbles, the Skipper (James Dudley) grumbles, Ginger (Alice Eacho) slinks, the Professor (Mark Harmon) thinks, Thurston and Lovey Howell (Barry Williams and Dawn Wells) count money, and Mary Ann (Liberty Edwards) is as sweet as honey. When the Professor makes a functioning rocket from nail polish remover and Ginger's underwear, he proves that although the musical is being performed on a theater stage, it's still firmly ensconced in Televisionland. And in case another reminder is needed, the video screen showing black and white footage of water and palm trees returns several times, taking the audience out of the theatrical experience -- and drowning the actors in some very unflattering lighting.
The cast has a tricky job, re-creating characters made famous by other actors. Wigs and costumes do most of the work, because at times the actors veer from re-creation to imitation. As Lovey and Thurston Howell, Dawn Wells (Mary Ann from the original series) and Barry Williams (Greg from The Brady Bunch) are given little to do except change clothes and deliver one-liners.
The best thing about Gilligan's Island: The Musical is local actor Mark Harmon as the Professor. Harmon is a terrific singer and his lean physique, short dark hair and studious demeanor should satisfy fans' expectations. Harmon also gets to belt out the two best songs, The Legend and The Professor's Lament, the latter a tongue-in-cheek patter number that borrows heavily from Gilbert and Sullivan's Modern Major General. These are also the only two songs that move the story forward; the rest are distractions that prolong the meager plot.
Design-wise, the sets lack detail, lighting is sketchy and costumes are familiar.
If you're a fan, you might get a kick from the nostalgia that comes with watching Gilligan's Island: The Musical. Then again, you might be better off staying home and watching the original seven stranded castaways on the little screen, the way they were meant to be seen.
Mary Damiano is a freelance writer in Wilton Manors.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/features/lifestyle/sfl-th05gilliganfeb06,0,6632215.story?coll=sfla-features-headlines