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A scene from the Old Globe\u2019s world premiere musical \u201cHuzzah!\u201d (Jim Cox)<\/p>\nYou know you\u2019re in for a good time at the new Renaissance fair-themed musical comedy \u201cHuzzah!,\u201d when the pre-curtain speech is performed live, with bassoon and tambourine accompaniment, advising audience members to turn off thy cell phones, chat not with thy neighbors and don\u2019t kiss or feed ye actors.<\/p>\n
The funny, exuberant and lavishly staged musical opened Thursday in its world premiere at The Old Globe in Balboa Park. It\u2019s the story of two estranged American sisters who must overcome their differences to save their family\u2019s olde English-style historical festival.<\/p>\n
The book, lyrics and score were co-written by Nell Benjamin and Laurence O\u2019Keefe, the married creative team who wrote the music and lyrics for the Broadway musical \u201cLegally Blonde.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their 18-song \u201cHuzzah!\u201d score incorporates a wide variety of musical styles and sharply clever lyrics, with standout songs including the sisters duet \u201cDragons,\u201d the mysterious sword-maker\u2019s lovely ballad \u201cThe Weight in Your Hand\u201d and the rousing and eye-opening ensemble number \u201cThe World We Live In.\u201d<\/p>\n
As a theater and history lover who visited many Southern California Renaissance fairs in my teens and early 20s, I admire the research that went into the writing of this musical\u2019s book, including the colorful characters who work these events, the elaborate costumes, competitions, roasted turkey legs, guild rivalries, smelly outdoor privies and anachronistic visitors, like the fairy and Star Wars bounty hunter who turn up at the family\u2019s King\u2019s Bridge Fair in \u201cHuzzah.\u201d<\/p>\n
A scene from the Old Globe\u2019s world premiere musical \u201cHuzzah!\u201d (Jim Cox)<\/p>\n
Liisi LaFontaine, an endearing actor with a lovely singing voice, leads the cast as Gwen, the brainy accountant sister who left the fair a decade ago but still oversees its finances. When the fair\u2019s bank account is unexpectedly drained, Gwen returns to discovers that her father, Johnny, is retiring and leaving the business 50-50 to Gwen and her sister, Kate, the fair\u2019s longtime leading lady who resents Gwen\u2019s presence. Cailen Fu is a perfect fit for the role of Kate.<\/p>\n
Hoping to restore the festival\u2019s past successes, Johnny (played gently by sweet-voiced Lance Arthur Smith) has spent all of the fair\u2019s payroll to hire famed swordsman Sir Roland Prowd, who\u2019s amusingly played by Leo Roberts. Roland becomes a big box-office attraction, but his controlling nature and demand for absolute period authenticity divides the fair\u2019s performers and vendors, as well as the smitten sisters.<\/p>\n
The show\u2019s book could still use some shaping. The first act is formulaic and its plot direction and obvious romantic couplings are forecast from the start. But the shorter and better second act throws in some clever and unexpected twists for a satisfying and crowd-pleasing finale.<\/p>\n
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Kate Shindle as Anne Bonny the Pirate Queen in the Old Globe\u2019s world premiere musical \u201cHuzzah.\u201d (Katie Spelman)<\/p>\n
There\u2019s a nice theatrical callback by the \u201cHuzzah!\u201d co-creators in the casting of Broadway veteran Kate Shindle as the festival\u2019s fiercely deadpan Anne Bonny the Pirate Queen. Shindle is even wearing the same black bob-style wig she wore as Vivienne in \u201cLegally Blonde.\u201d But she feels a little under-used in this story.<\/p>\n
Some of the other actors who stand out in the production are Peyton Crim as swordsmith Wayland Smith and Anthony Chatmon II as festival attorney Gareth.<\/p>\n
Director Annie Tippe keeps the show\u2019s action, one-liners, visual sight gags and sword battles moving along swiftly in a fun, colorful and engaging way. I especially appreciated the maypole ribbon-braiding scene and the swordfights.<\/p>\n
The physical production, which reminded me of a Shakespeare play in the Globe\u2019s outdoor festival theater, has been luxuriously designed with Haydee Zelideth\u2019s wonderful period costumes, Todd Rosenthal\u2019s two-story festival gates scenic design where the show\u2019s orchestra performs from the balcony, lively dance choreography by Katie Spelman and fight choreography by Jacob Grigolia-Rosenbaum. Jeff Croiter designed lighting and Connor Wang designed sound.<\/p>\n
\u201cHuzzah!\u201d looks like a show that\u2019s destined for Broadway, but its premiere at the Globe features a cast generously stocked with many San Diego-based actors and alums, including Josh Breckenridge, Michael Louis Cusimano, Berto Fern\u00e1ndez and Lance Arthur Smith.<\/p>\n
\u2018Huzzah!\u2019<\/p>\n
When: <\/strong>7 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays. Through Oct. 19<\/p>\n