If your idea of a perfect traveling experience is sitting in
you favorite seat at North Coast Repertory Theatre and avoid all the pitfalls
traveling affords, join those who on opening night traveled the world in 80 days
(on trains, steamers and elephant, and fraught with danger, adventure and
outrageous happenings) with Richard Baird, Loren Lester, Omri Schein, Lovlee
Carroll and Will Vought, who plays 19 characters, and together with the rest of
the cast play 40 characters by shows end.
Forget about the balloon and put on your imagination caps for
a journey with some folks you will get to know in that time frame, and more
importantly, some you will probably want to meet up with on your next trip or
not.
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| Loren Lester and Omri Schein |
Jules Vern’s 1780 classic adventure “Around The world in 80
Days” has been made into a motion picture and adapted to several play versions
most following the speedy journey around the world and stopping off for a quick
look- see in different countries, continents and hotel lobbies usually with a cast
larger than seen at NCR.
This particular version, somewhat resembling Alfred
Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps”, was adapted by Mark Brown and deftly directed by
Allison Bibicoff and is in a San Diego Premiere running through Feb. 4th. It is a hoot and a howl.
Briefly, our central character Phileas Fogg (Baird is a
perfect fit as the mysterious, meticulous and methodical Fogg) is at his Reform
Club where his whist partners are discussing a recent bank robbery. The robber
got away scot-free with fifty thousand pounds from the Bank of London.
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| Omri Schein, Richard Baird and Loren Lester |
They argue back and forth about how this robber could or not,
get away with the crime. It is now 1872 and Fogg pipes in that the world has
grown smaller (than it was 100 years ago) because of the completion of the new
Great Indian Peninsular Railway, making it much easier to make it around the
world in 80 days (a mathematical fact according to Fogg) thereby eluding the
law.
By making this statement he contradicts some of his friends
who insist that it would take three months. At this time, a twenty thousand
pound wager is agreed upon that sets this tale into motion.
If he’s to win the bet, he must make all the right
connections. However even without airline delays that are so much a part of our
now daily lives, unexpected trials and tribulations will get in the way of our
fellow travelers.
Fogg, whose routine is exactly the same everyday, summons his
Parisian valet Passepartout (Omri Schein is one hell of an actor doing the
almost impossible). He is perfect as the versatile decoy and does yeoman’s work
as the over the top clown and do all -be all servant to Baird’s steady as she
goes gentlemanly aura.
Omri’s Passepartout claims to have been a singer, horse rider,
trapeze artist, tight ropewalker and goat herder as he tumbles on to the stage
and does a head stand.
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| Loren Lester and Will Vought |
He is ordered by Fogg to take “two carpet bags with the bare
essentials” along with the Bradshaw Guide that contains timetables of every
steamer and railway in the world, and be prepared for some travel.
And the trek begins on the train with the first stop in
Brindisi and from there to Bombay via Suez. It is here we meet up with
Inspector Fix (Loren Lester). He follows Fogg throughout the journey,
resembling Colombo in a long trench coat, convinced that Fogg is the thief that
mastermind the bank robbery.
If you combined Colombo, Inspectors Clouseau and Poirot, Fix
is the embodiment of the classic bumbling detective. He hides behind
newspapers, peeks around corners and is, in general a royal pain in the
arse.
His goal is to stop Fogg at his own game, slow him down in
anticipation of an arrest before he sets foot back on British soil.
Unfortunately for him, as ‘twas not the case, he was outwitted by Fogg and
company at every turn.
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| Cast of "Around The World in 80 Days" |
One of the most interesting characters we meet up is Kamana
Aouda in the person of Lovlee Carroll daughter of a wealthy merchant and recent
widow. In India, Fogg rescues her after
a near death mishap and the two become traveling companions, which in turn puts
a little zip in Foggs step. I’ll let you watch that one play out because Carroll
is so convincing, and yes a bit coy as the sought after and beautiful Aouda.
Thanks to set designer Marty Burnett’s clever (a la ‘Laugh
In’ type set) with the map of the world as a backdrop, drawers that pull out
for various and sundry uses; a step up pyramid for the ship’s deck, 4 chairs
for train travel, a chest with again, miscellaneous ‘stuff’ and in what is the
most clever, two umbrellas representing elephant ears, doors leading to other
doors for the coming and going of the various characters that come and go.
Baird, for the most part, stays in character throughout.
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| Loren Lester (front) Will Vought, Omri Schein, Ruchard Baird and Lovlee Carroll |
Holly Gillard’s props
are exceptional and Kimberly DeShazo’ costumes are worth noting for their (for
lack of a better word) flexibility and originality. Dave Mickey’s sound design
gives credence to the type of travel, say fog horn, train whistle, etc., and
Matt Novotny’s lighting puts everything into perspective.
Allison Bibicoff’s hits all the right strides with enough
mystery to have you shaking your collective heads on the way out wondering how
they managed to make it all come together and finish their game of whist at the
end of 80 days.
NCR’s “Around The World in 80 Days” is a whimsical,
theatrical, magical, capricious, playful, you name it, romp. It’s well worth
the trip to Solana Beach. Enjoy.
“Oh! The places you’ll GO! You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high flyers who soar to great heights!” You will be traveling to Mongolia, Hong Kong, Bombay, Calcutta, the Suez Canal and Egypt, Singapore, Yokohama, the American West and New York. (Dr. Seuss)
See you at the theatre.
Dates: Through Feb. 4th
Organization: North Coast Repertory Theatre
Phone: 858-481-1055
Production Type:
Where: 987 Lomas Santa Fe Drive Suite D
Ticket Prices: Start at $42.00
Web: northcoastrep.org
Photo: Aaron Rumley
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