Actors roam through the theater at times. Someone plays a ukulele as he chats and sings to the audience. A parent and child are called up to assist with swaying chairs to simulate an ocean voyage. Playwright Laura Eason’s inspired treatment is witty, smart and playfully reimagines this episodic saga for the stage. Michael Hugo, Andrew Pollard and the company of New Vic Theatre Staffordshire’s production of “Around the World in 80 Days” (Photo credit: Robert Day) She becomes a romantic interest during the remainder of the eventful journey where the suspense if Fogg will make it back to London in time to win the bet plays out. In India, Fogg and Passepartout rescue the young princess Aouda who is to be burned to death on her deceased husband’s funeral pyre. Scotland Yard’s officious Inspector Fix believes Fogg is the culprit behind the recent £55,000 robbery of the Bank of England and is in pursuit. Fogg and his equally offbeat French valet Passepartout who has been employed for a few hours instantly set off on this madcap trek. Several of the gentlemen accept the mysteriously wealthy eccentric Phileas Fogg’s wager of £20,000 that he can travel across the globe in 80 days. A gray cloth transforming into an elephant, model ships held aloft and actors wearing headdresses portraying a herd of buffalo are among the dazzling low-tech pieces of stagecraft on display.Īt London’s Reform Club in 1872, an argument breaks out about the possibilities of world travel. Laughter and oohs and ahs abound from an audience of all ages during this exuberant and wildly theatrical stage adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel Around the World in 80 Days. in Features // Eighteen-Year-Old Actor with Autism Honored by Only Make Believe Charity.in Musicals // Khan!!!The Musical, A Parody Trek-tacular.in Off-Broadway // Robin & Me: My Little Spark of Madness.in Columns // On The Town with Chip Deffaa: At “New York, New York,” “Some Like It Hot,” and Seth Sikes & Nicholas King’s Nightclub Act.in Off-Broadway // Romeo and Juliet (NAATCO/Two River Theater).in Off-Broadway // Samuel Clemens: Tales of Mark Twain.Tickets, reservations and information: (650) 463-1960 or visit: in Columns // REFLECTIONS ON OLIVER!, REVIVALS, AND BROADWAY ECONOMICS Running time: Two hours and fifteen minutes with one intermission Where: Lucie Stern Theatre: 1305 Middlefield Rd.-Palo Alto These days can you ask for anything more? It’s good plain well-done enjoyable, delightful, fun with an above par, talented well directed cast. “ Around The World In 80 Days” goes bounding around the world like an obsessed locomotive with jerky stops and uncontrollable careening throughout the story. Mannshardt’s lighting, Cliff Caruthers’ sound and B. They did not miss a cue and the less that fifteen second fast changes seemed to be handled without a mishap. The real heroes of this production are the backstage dressers. Ron Campbell and Michael Gene Sullivan handle most of the at least dozen plus roles along with Ajna Jai who plays the love interest and three other male characters with smooth, easy transitions that shows their capable abilities. Passepartout is suppose to be French but what the hay this is in the spirit of fun, don’t pay attention to the accent just watch her closely her agility is subtle and interesting. His sidekick, valet and Jack of all trades Passepartout well played by Tristan Cunningham keeps up the pace with almost effortless energy. (He does grow on you.) He handles the complex role and warms up as the trip progresses. Jason Kuykendall plays the seemingly uptight perfectionist Phileas Fogg with just enough sensitivity and preciseness to make his character almost likeable. If the actors are on bumpy train, aboard a ship in a storm, or riding an elephant or a sled with a sail racing across the stormy plains of Nebraska you feel you are there moving with the actors. Joe Ragey’s compact colorful sets catches the imagination throughout the production. We all know that Phileas will somehow make it and come back a better man. He is off with his newly hired manservant meeting friends and foes and adventure. Mark Brown adapted Jules Verne’s 1873 Victorian novel about Phileas Fogg a man of means and obsessively correct in everything, agrees to a shocking wager of his wealth with his snooty club members to go around the world in 80 days. “Fasten your seat belt, it’s going to be a bumpy ride,” is more than a gentle admonition it’s a signal of what is to come. He does more with double duty scenery, a the stage that becomes the world and a five member cast that aptly plays more than the dozen plus roles than some larger productions with special effects and fireworks. When the TheatreWorks’ Artistic Director Robert Kelley took on this race “Around The World in 80 Days” he certainly applied the old platitude that “less is more”. TheatreWorks presents “Around the World in 80 Days” Photo courtesy TheatreWorks
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