Where: Village Theatre, Francis J. Gaudette Theatre, 303 Front St. N., Issaquah (through April 26). Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Ave., Everett (May 1 through 24).
When: Issaquah: 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays and selected Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. selected Tuesdays, 7pm selected Sundays, through April 26. Everett: 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, 7 p.m. Sundays May 1 through 24.
Admission: Issaquah: $22 to $58. Everett: $16 to $51. “Rush” tickets are available 30 minutes before curtain to students ages 20 and younger, as well as military personnel and their families, for half price (identification is required; subject to availability).
Length: About two and a half hours, with one intermission.
I had my doubts that a musical about a newspaper reporter from the Victorian era would be entertaining. I thought it might be a snore for a modern-day audience. Boy, was I wrong. The Village Theatre’s Stunt Girl is interesting, entertaining, and probes themes that are echoed in today’s headlines.
Stunt Girl is a fast-paced musical overview of a very remarkable life. Nellie Bly was, in a nutshell, a woman far ahead of her time. She was strong, unflappable, irreverent and determined to break into the man’s world of journalism. She knew how to persevere when the odds weighed heavily against her, and she broke new ground in her career.
She originated the concept of investigative journalism, and convinced her boss, Joseph Pulitzer, to send her on dangerous undercover assignments, earning her the moniker “Stunt Girl.” She became arguably the most famous woman of her time when she went on an around the world assignment based on Jules Verne’s popular novel Around the World in 80 Days. She made it in 72.
The production is recommended for ages 12 and older. And as so many of today’s newspapers are cutting back on investigative journalism because of the worst financial downturn in decades, it's a good time to remind young people about the important and often dangerous work reporters do to keep the public informed.
Sarah Chalfy, a Bellevue native with several New York credits under her belt, plays Nellie. Chalfy has terrific onstage presence – she commands the audience’s attention with her enjoyable voice and scrappy delivery. John Patrick Lowrie, as Joseph Pulitzer, was in great voice opening night, as were Jessica Skerritt (Phoebe) and Eric Polani Jensen (Howard Martin).
Melanie Burgess did a masterful job on costume design. Obviously bustles were the fashion statement of the 1880s. Scott Fyfe designed fantastic sets that were changed out many times during the show.
Props to Village Theatre for having the courage to take a chance on a musical biography of a forgotten person from the history books. As it turns out, the times Nellie Bly went through – with their themes of news media meltdown, bankruptcy and corruption – are just as relevant today as they were back in the late 19th century. And while Nellie Bly may not have been successful in all that she did, her ability to be bold, candid, daring and to persevere should serve as inspiration for young people today.
Chris Stay is calendar editor for Seattle’s Child.
