‘Cheaper by the Dozen’ well acted
Published 9:00 pm Thursday, March 17, 2005
EVERETT – How do you keep order when your household includes a dozen kids?
For the patriarch of the clan in “Cheaper by the Dozen,” that’s not as daunting a task as it might seem. Dad (Rick Wright) loves his children, but he’s a hard-driving, Type-A, perfectionistic control freak who pushes self-improvement regimens and constantly seeks more efficient ways to run family life.
He keeps his kids in line, quite literally, by blowing a shrill whistle – the signal for them to assemble in chronological order. He brings home Victrolas not for entertainment, but so that kids might learn foreign languages by listening to recordings – French for the girls, German for the boys.
He pushes his eldest, Anne (Anne Olsen), to finish high school early. At a school dance, he even tweaks the dance steps for improvement.
Set in 1920s Montclair, N.J., “Cheaper by the Dozen” is based on the childhood of authors Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, whose parents developed motion study as an engineering and management technique while bringing up 12 children.
L. Sam Samano directs this Debut Family Theatre production, with a cast including community theater veterans as well as many up-and-coming child actor-singers. Talented stand-outs include Leah Beauchamp in the role of second-eldest Ernestine, and Jadon Hickenbottom who, as little Jackie, is just as cute as he can be.
Set designer-costumer Mike Olsen creates a vintage feel with antique furnishings and such vintage clothing as knickers and high tops.
In this household, the parental penchant for scientific inquiry is reflected in the butterfly collections and solar system posters that adorn the parlor walls, much to the chagrin of Anne, who wants stylish wallpaper instead. Anne just wishes her father didn’t always compare their house to an assembly line.
The show’s musical numbers are greatly enhanced by the talented young orchestra (Peter Lee on trumpet, Barb Jensen on horn, Brian Ward on clarinet, Erik Hunter on trombone, Austin Wiegand on percussion and Ayako Okano on keyboard) as well as the chorus, consisting of James Bowen, Nathaniel Cook, Kayley Freshman, Monica Hayes, Laura Hoover, Merilee McClure, Tatiana Peterson, Lauren Rosenauer, Alana Smith and Laura Wright.
In “The Teddies Tango,” the three eldest daughters Anne (Olsen), Ernestine (Beauchamp) and Martha (Laura Olsen) chafe at the frugal garb they normally wear, wishing for more glamorous attire and daydreaming of lingerie.
“The Slicker Song” sees Anne yearning for acceptance from her peers and eager to go out to a soda fountain like the rest of her friends.
“Hey, Angel” features the trio of lads Larry (Jeremy Wright), Joe (Stephen Feris) and Mac (Andrew Leonard) who court Anne, Ernestine and Martha.
Act II finds Dad bringing home the school psychologist (Hester Brill) to test his kids for proof of their intellectual superiority. Before he departs for Europe, he receives a command performance of the clever number “Eskimos,” put on by Lillian (Sarah Byrne), Jane (Carly Vogan) and Jackie (Hickenbottom).
Amid all the banter and cheerful chaos, there’s the specter of something more serious going on here. There’s an ominous foreshadowing of life without the CEO-like Dad at the helm, brought into focus by numbers like “As Far As I Can See” (sung by Dawn Goodwin as Mother) and “The Happiest Time.”
Review
“Cheaper by the Dozen”: Debut Family Theatre production through March 26. $12, $10 students and military, $8 ages 8 and younger. Northwest Savoyards, PUD Auditorium, 2320 California St., Everett; 425-303-8902, www.northwestsavoyards.org.
Review
“Cheaper by the Dozen”: Debut Family Theatre production through March 26. $12, $10 students and military, $8 ages 8 and younger. Northwest Savoyards, PUD Auditorium, 2320 California St., Everett; 425-303-8902, www.northwestsavoyards. org.
