The Hobbit is Thrilling at Children's Theatre Company

Who would dare tackle turning Tolkein's The Hobbit into a stage show for a children? 

Photo by Dan Norman

Better yet, who would dare tackle The Hobbit for a wide age-range of audience (but focus on kids) in less than two and a half hours with only five actors and a two piece band on stage?

Photo by Dan Norman

The Children's Theatre Company (CTC) has always been audacious, but their newly minted production of The Hobbit is a gamble of another order. Adapting beloved stories well is always tricky, but it's especially difficult with an epic story set across dozens of fantastical landscapes and including magical creatures like trolls, goblins, dragons, gollums and more. How fortunate, then, that CTC's gamble has paid off - we left the theater to the loudest applause I can remember at a show there, and it's gotten nothing but buzzy social media shares ever since.

Photo by Dan Norman

For a quick overview, The Hobbit tells the story of Bilbo Baggins, a member of one of Middle Earth's gentlest and most domestic species - the homebound hobbits - as he is abruptly thrown into an adventure of epic proportions. Bilbo is conscripted to join Gandalf, a wizard, and a team of ragtag but extremely proud dwarves (led by their king Thorin Oakenshield) to recover the dwarves' ancestral home and extreme riches buried in the Lonely Mountain. In addition to an unbelievable series of obstacles, including traversing long distances on foot, goblin infested caves, hungry cannibalistic trolls, vengeful wood elves and more, the group has to contend with the ultimate challenge at the end of their quest: an enormous dragon named Smaug, the same dragon who displaced the dwarves and stole their treasure decades ago. The group is successful in their goals although it takes a wandering path to cross the finish line, and many lessons are learned by their band - and the audience - along the way.

Photo by Dan Norman

The biggest question I had about this show was: how on earth are they going to cover all that ground in just a few short hours? Especially with only five actors? When The Hobbit was first announced I envisioned a magnum opus with dozens of children playing each set of magical creatures, an endless revolution of detailed sets, projections, harnesses - in other words, the works. Thanks to a truly excellent cast, it turns out you don't really need all of those other trappings. CTC company member Dean Holt narrates the show as Bilbo, and he's an excellent example of how careful timing, audience engagement and extremely expressive acting can fill in imaginative gaps that sets or props might otherwise cover. He's a perfect choice for the part, and I can't imagine anyone else as Bilbo. Joy Dolo holds it down as many of the story's iconic characters - including Gandalf (!!) and Gollum - and is an inspired choice for those parts. She brings a new, modern life and consciousness to each role, and she's a major reason this production feels so fresh and energetic. H. Adam Harris and Becca Hart both do a great job filling in key context as some of those "other creatures" - like Smaug and Bard, the human who kills Smaug - giving glimpses into each world with shocking ease. It is HARD to switch characters so quickly, and they do an awesome job of nimbly jumping between parts to keep the story feeling fully fleshed out. Reed Sigmund is an anchor as well as Thorin Oakenshield; it's a change from his usual Grinch-y roles, but one that really fits his rich baritone and steadfast stage presence.

Photo by Dan Norman

The scenic design by Joseph Stanley is ingenious and fully utilized by the cast. What looks like a skeleton set becomes caves and spiderwebs and mountains, and all sorts of secret surprises are tucked into the stage. I will be honest - I was really hoping for something a little more lush and literal with this show, so I wish CTC had gambled a little more on that front - but logistically I do understand why they decided to go this route, and I definitely think it works. The costumes by Annie Cady look simple, but it's amazing what small details - such as the addition of a weapon or a change of goggles - can do to transform a character. The lighting and sound design, by Nancy Schertler and Sten Severson, respectively, is pitch perfect - and it has to be. Flashes of light show Bilbo "becoming invisible" with his magic ring, crashes signify the heat of a battle, and an illuminated map leads the way to the Lonely Mountain. On a set and cast this sparse, lighting and sound are imperative to provide context, and this team succeeds in that goal. I also have to call out the movement direction by Joe Isenberg. There are so many clever blocking and choreographed sequences in this show that make it seem bigger than it really is, and hats off to him for visualizing how to expand that set into a full Middle Earth-ian universe.

Photo by Dan Norman

If I had my druthers (and an endless budget and time span), I'd love to see The Hobbit on stage turned into a sprawling hours-long extravaganza with lush sets, dozens of extras and every special effect that can be summoned in modern theater. Neither I nor CTC has these things, however, so instead CTC wisely chose to use this show as a challenge to get kids to use their imaginations and inspire them with the fundamentals of good theater - excellent acting, a judiciously edited script, and clean but versatile production design. It was clear that the audience of kids and grownups alike was entranced by this play - it nearly got a standing ovation at intermission, and a boy sitting next to me wept at the ending - and the fact that such a beloved narrative (and especially one that has been done so well on film) can become a captivating experience as a live audience is a testament to the excellence of CTC and this cast. I have a feeling The Hobbit is going to become one of the highlights of CTC's current season, and I hope it inspires other companies not to fear producing some of these epic fantasy and adventure stories. With hard work and good fundamentals we can move anything into reality, and isn't that what live theater is supposed to be all about? Snatch your tickets while you can before The Hobbit closes on April 14; click here for more information or to buy tickets.

Photo by Dan Norman