Busytown is buzzing with activity. But what do people do all day? Take a tour of Huckle Cat’s lively neighborhood to see! Meet Sergeant Murphy, Farmer Alfalfa, Dr. Lion, Grocer Cat and more as Richard Scarry’s intricate Busytown books come to life!

Review: Northwest Children's Theater scores with fast-paced musical comedy

Published: Sunday, March 18, 2012, 12:31 PM    
By Carol Wells, Special to The Oregonian

When two sets of people are vibrating together on the exact same plane of existence, sometimes an outsider's place is simply to sit quietly and marvel. And indeed, to such an outsider, the experience of the musical comedy "Richard Scarry's Busytown" at the Northwest Children's Theater is (with two notable exceptions) chaotic and overstimulating, while, to every small child in the house on the night of this particular performance, the play was a hit, if rapt attention and giggling are accurate gauges.

The characters, drawn from various of Scarry's children's books, but most heavily from "What Do People Do All Day?" were familiar to many of the children on opening night, who could be heard noting, "That's Lowly!" (a puppet manipulated by John Ellingson) or "There's Huckle Cat!" (played by young actor Henry Martin) as each appeared onstage.

The play is essentially a farce, an amped up, fast-paced form of theater. So when Kevin-Michael Moore as Sergeant Murphy falls on his back and lands with his legs in the air, he is using the exaggerated movements and broad physical movements of farce. Jeff Seats' set, with its many doors and windows to support the characters' rapid and frequent comings and goings, is also typical of farce.

The basic story is that Betsy Bear (Kate Thresher) decides to throw a birthday party for her Grandma (Claire Aldridge). During the "Gonna Write Grandma a Letter" number, she finishes the invitation and sets about mailing it. Unfortunately, the airplane that takes letters to Grandmas' houses has already left, as the Postman (Kyle Heiner) regrets to tell her. The letter won't get there in time. What to do?

Luckily, some pirates appear, and they happen to be just about to set sail to the neighborhood of grandma's house (whew!). During "Captain Salty Song," they agree to take the letter. Grandma receives the letter and arrives in Busytown, just in time for her birthday. The message is ultimately about friendship and the lengths to which Huckle Cat goes to help his friend Betsy Bear make the party a success.

The sound of the play is unambiguously appealing. The songs are cheerful and sprightly, done in a '50s doo-wop style. Live musicians Tracy Ross (piano), Chaz Mortimer (percussion), and Patrick Harry (bass) provide excellent backup, with Mortimer going above and beyond by playing a real electric drill when Sawdust Carpenter (Emily Bryan) builds a house. Sound designer Rody Ortega worked with the cast to create, among other things, the "Train Song" number, where Sam Burns (as Train the Dog) leads an enthusiastic audience in bringing to life a passenger train made only of people and their voices.

There is a winsome trio of kittens (Alyssa Haning, Sophie MacKay and Sophie Shely) dressed in white and red polka dot dresses, and sporting Marge Simpson hairdos and cat glasses, that functions alternately as a Greek chorus, commenting on the action, and backup singers.

In the midst of all this, as the center character, is John Ellingson and his puppet, Lowly Worm. Where the other characters speak very loudly, Ellingson is mute. Where the other characters exaggerate their expressions and movements, Ellingson's expressions and movements are refined and restrained. His pork pie hat and horizontally striped jumpsuit (by costumer Shana Targosz) evoke past mimes such as Buster Keaton and Marcel Marceau. Ellingson's manipulation of Lowly is so convincing that, when the puppet (with the Tyrolean hat and single red sneaker) simply looks around silently at the audience with his googly eyes, laughter comes along.

In summary, for the children, there are the farcical elements of "Busytown." For both children and adults, there is enjoyable music, and the impressive work of John Ellingson.

© 2012 OregonLive.com. All rights reserved.

Review: NWCTS “Busytown”

March 18, 2012 ·
By Crystal Wood – Portland mom and PDX Kids Calendar reader

Richard Scarry’s “Busytown” books are treasured storybook gems that never lose their sparkle. They’re timeless, and therefore effortlessly pass along to the next generation. From the plethora of books, to both television series, to this stage production, Busytown is perfectly caught in time. The worst thing to do to Scarry’s creation would be to muddy it up with modern puns and jokes, intended for adult audience members only. The stage production of “Busytown” does no such thing. And it’s obvious that the director, cast and crew understand and respect the love that has grown around Busytown over the decades.

This was my 4 ½ year old daughter’s first foray into live theater. I had a bit of trepidation about taking her to see something she loves so much. Lowly and Huckle are her buddies and she would show sincere disappointment if they weren’t performed to her hopes and expectations. Thanks to John Ellingson and Henry Martin, she was elated throughout the entire show.

Ellingson moves the silent Lowly puppet throughout the story, always conveying emotion and dialogue, without speaking a word. Lowly is a bit of a rock star to children and when he sits upon Huckle’s shoulders, the children accept that friendship, no questions asked. My daughter didn’t notice that Lowly didn’t speak until we were having a late lunch after the show. And Martin may seem a bit young to assist in carrying a play on his shoulders but his talent must be older than he is. He so convinced my daughter that she asked if the boy playing Huckle would come over for a play-date.

In all, 11 actors bring Busytown to life, most playing multiple characters, and all with vim and vigor. Sam Burns’ characters (Farmer Alfalfa and Doctor Lion) are played with a genial comfort that makes even the adults happy to partake in the audience participation. Kate Thresher’s Betsy Bear is sweet and charming without being syrupy and over done. But really, each one of the cast do an excellent job. I could go on about them but I should leave something for you to discover at the show.

When it comes to me and musicals, it’s a love/hate relationship. A children’s musical can be a nerve racking thing. Are the songs too frenetic? Is there more than one slow-paced emotional song? And last but not least, louder is not necessarily better. The songs in Busytown are just right. Short, sweet and simple enough that the smaller children get the idea quickly. Stand-out tunes for us included “Pickle Car” and “Train Song”. For those kids who are train aficionados, the audience participation during the latter will certainly be a highlight. There is one song that seems out of place, “Lowly Song”. It’s got nothing to do with the singing talents of the Busy Girls or Nurse Nellie. All are more than suited for the style. It’s the crush the nurse has on Lowly. It’s a bit peculiar.

In case you have a child eager to see a specific character in the flesh, you should know some characters aren’t present. For instance, the absence of Hilda, the hippo with hearts in her eyes, was noted by my little one. But there’s only so much space on the stage and the multi-tasking actors are already playing half of Busytown’s population.

What does everyone do throughout the day in Busytown? Will Huckle figure out how to bake a cake for Grandma Bear’s birthday party? Can Lowly get the letter to Grandma Bear in time? Will Sergeant Murphy ever catch Bananas Gorilla? All these questions will be answered, snappy songs will be sung, and each child will leave the theater with a mile-long grin upon their face.