Beautiful Oops! Jr Blogger Report

Our Jr. Blogger Sophie Knipp talks all about Beautiful Oops!

Beautiful Oops! is a very creative show where six animal friends come together to make a great show! The problem is: everyone keeps making mistakes. 

The show Beautiful Oops! shows very artistic sets and colorful scenes. “Lots of fun; and a lot of scenery overload,” says Hanna McPheron who plays the Stage Manager in the show.

One example of the very artistic set was during the fishing scene when the character Bunny, played by Mary Gibboney, learns that that her friends will always be there for her, even if she makes mistakes. The back wall of the set falls down at the start of the fishing scene, revealing a sheer fabric. You can see moving lights shaped as fish behind the fabric. It looks like a lake!

The set also had 3 projection screens that dropped down from the ceiling during scene changes. The artistic projections were of animated kids talking about art. 

Another cool part of the show was when the stage went dark, and the characters danced with light up hoola-hoops and ropes. The audience also participated. We were given tea lights and an activity bucket at the start of the show. We turned on the tea lights when the stage went dark, and colored a sticker that we stuck on the back of the stage wall at the end of the show. My sister, JoJo (7) especially liked to add her art work to the set.  “I like all the ways all the art supplies work in the show,” says Anna Smith, who plays the part of Alligator. 

There is a lot of sarcasm in this show! Even adults were laughing! One character named Pig, played by Andrew Mondellow, dreams of having a car. He sings the song, “Pig in a Car” which is a hysterical rock song. He always makes the audience laugh. On the way out of the theater, I heard people saying that the show was really funny!  

The other characters in the show are very playful too! Crocodile, played by Anna Smith; Elephant, played by Kevin B. Johnson; and Penguin, played by Amanda Nguyen love to do many things together! They play, sing ,dance, and make beautiful mistakes. 

Making mistakes is beautiful! It’s OK if you make mistakes. Good friends will always forgive you. Come and make beautiful mistakes and artwork with the cast of BACT’s show, Beautiful Oops!

JR Blogger Chris Enjoys Willy Wonka

Junior Blogger, Chris Eppley, tells us all about his Willy Wonka experience.
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Friday, January 12, 2018 1n San Francisco the Children’s Theater had the play “Willy Wonka” playing. This performance had great service before the play, after the play, and during the 15 minute intermission. Right before the performance “Willy Wonka” herself came out and pointed out the emergency exits and gave credit to all the companies that helped to make the play possible. The characters were enthusiastic, funny, creative, exciting, sad at some times and happy at other times. The cast was talking to the audience. An oompa loopa puppet high-fived a little girl in the audience.  

The boring parts of the movie and book were changed into songs.

The cast “twisted it up” a bit. Willy Wonka, the Candy Man, poor guy, Grandma Georgina, and Phineous Trout were played by Mary Gibboney. Charlie Bucket by Juan Castro. Oompa loompa #1, Mrs. Bucket, and Mrs. Gloop by pauli N. Amornkul. Oompa loompa #2, Veruca Salt, Matilda, Grandma Josephina, and Ms. Teavee by LeighAnn Cannon. Mike Teavee, Mr. Bucket, and Mr. Salt by Kailah Cayou. Agustus Gloop, Grampa Joe, James, and Mrs. Beauregarde by Paul Loper. Violet Beauregarde and Grandpa George by Chelsea Wellot.

A four year old named Maya says”So good.” Other audience members like the simple set, the part of Wonka retiring, just the show itself, the music, characters, and singing. Also, for the adults there are some jokes involving the card game “Gin.” There are famous names used like Edgar Allan Poe. For an exciting part of the play there are “BUBBLES!” (Veruca Salt quote)

Interviews with Agustus and Violet:

Chris: How long did you practice?

Agustus: 5 weeks.

Violet: 5 weeks.

Chris: What were your favorite parts?

Agustus: My number “I Eat More!”

Violet: Working with Oompa Loompas and pretending to lick Charlie’s hand.

Chris: Anything you just want to say that’s not in the other questions?

Augustus: Since there weren’t many people who had screens who weren’t rich at the time the play was based on it’s a good experience to go to a play, not a movie.

Violet: The cast worked well together overcoming things like our original Wonka calling in sick at the last minute.

Chris: Your original Wonka was sick?

Violet: Yes the original Wonka was a man. This Wonka is a woman.

Chris: I couldn’t even tell she didn’t get as much practice as the rest of you guys!

Violet: Yep. That’s why she’s called Madam Wonka in this production.

Chris: Instead of Mister Wonka.

Violet: Yep.

Chris: Thanks Agustus. Thanks Violet. Bye.

Jr. Blogger Review: Willy Wonka

      

  Junior Blogger, Alex Eppley, tells us all about Willy Wonka!

I loved Willy Wonka. 

It was nice how they made the beginning a song instead of an introduction. I liked how the stage was shaped like a peppermint. Though, it was purple.

         Then, it was super funny how they made the grandparents not hear well. I liked how Charlie had two failed golden ticket attempts instead of one. I also liked the candy man, he was hilarious in every way.  Really, everything was great.

The ticket interviews were awesome!

I can tell you one thing about each of the characters. Charlie and the other Buckets think positive. Violet Beauregarde likes to chew a lot of gum, Veruca Salt is bossy and spoiled, Augustus Gloop eats a lot, and Mike Teavee is a screen zombie. Oh! The grandparents like gin.

         When there is only one golden ticket left. Charlie goes to the candy man and finds a nickel. The candy man gives him a free Wonka bar. It has no ticket =(. He buys a Wonka bar with his found nickel and finds a golden ticket =)!

         At intermission I interviewed three kids. 

Maya thinks the five year old based Willy Wonka play is great, even at only four years old. She likes that Charlie got the golden ticket. Rian likes Willy Wonka because of the shiny golden ticket, he says he likes everything. Ramona likes that Willy Wonka makes candy, her father Geoff  like the songs and the dancing. They were surprised Willy Wonka was a woman.

         Then the second half was great, and at the end I interviewed LeighAnn Cannon, who played Veruca Salt. LeighAnn likes the theater because it gives her an opportunity to do new things in the show. It’s been a dream role of hers since she was 10 and it was great to finally sing Veruca’s famous song in the play. But most of all, she really likes the members in the cast.

BACT Junior Blog: Elephant and Piggie, We are in a play!

Here's another post from our Junior Blogger, Sophie Knipp!

The best plays based on books always. . . 

have humor, audience interaction, span many ages, a strong and talented cast, fun music, and keep true to the message of the books. Well, I would say that the BACT production of Elephant and Piggie playing in Sunnyvale has all of that!

Gerald the Elephant, played by Alan Coyne, was fun to watch as he and his best friend Piggie went to a party, had ice cream, played together, and put on a play within a play with their 3 friends, the Squirelles, 3 pretty, rodent singing divas.

In Act 2 Gerald, Piggie, and the Squirelles interact with the audience. They lead us in dance moves, singing, and clapping to the beat - making the audience feel part of the play. Adults and kids of all ages joined in the fun! 

The music was very silly - dramatic, exciting, sad, and funny. Very funny! Elephant’s surprise dramatic solo in Act 1 was one of the standout performances in the show. 

The cast was very very strong. It was amazing how talented they were. Their voices, their dance moves, and their acting was fantastic!

The set was a simple but creative design that had a backdrop that looked like the different pages of the Mo Willems books. The costumes were also very simple but creative. Instead of animal costumes, the actors looked like normal people, but with pieces that looked like the animal they were playing. 

The message of the show is “that true friends can get you through anything”, said Alan Coyne. Just like the books, Elephant and Piggie get through obstacles together as friends, solving problems and finding solutions.

BACT’s production of Elephant and Piggie, We Are In A Play was overall very enthusiastic and fantastic to watch! The next show I will be blogging about is BACT’s Beautiful Oops. Stay tuned! 

The Willy Wonka New Year's Bash!

This review of our first ever NYE party comes from Jr. Blogger Sophie Knipp!

Doesn’t everybody like fun parties? 

Well, the BACT New Year’s Eve Bash was a blast that included the musical Willy Wonka, sweet treats, and a fun dance party with the Night Fairy where everyone cheered to the new year. If you want to know more, read on!

The evening began with a quick reception with activities like face painting, a photo booth, raffle drawing, and drinks (for both kids and adults). We were then escorted to the Osher Studio for the main event: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the musical. 

The show is about a poor boy named Charlie Bucket who wins a golden ticket to Willy Wonka’s magical chocolate factory. Mary Gibboney, the actress who plays Willy Wonka, said that “A whole lot is different” between the popular movies and the musical; and I agree! 

The most noticeable difference was the oompa loompas.  They were the cutest puppets I have ever seen. 

  Emery Oompa, played by the actress Pauli Amornkul, is an orange fuzzy, 2-eyed, 3 feet tall adorable creature . “The kids love it. It adds another dimension”, said Pauli about using puppets in the show. 

The costumes were creative, especially the masks the actors wore to show they were playing different parts. The set included a colorful lollipop designed floor that made you want to lick it!

 “I think the message of the show is to not be afraid to be yourself... and everyone has a chance to be successful”, said Juan Castro who plays Charlie Bucket.

 After the show, the actors led us to the second theatre where there was a dance party where we counted down to the New Year with the Night Fairy from BACT’s show playing now recommended for ages 8 and up. The party was bumping and thumping with laughter, fun, desserts, drinks, awesome music (by DJ Austin Zumbro and his puppet shark), and lots of balloons in the air!

The BACT New Year’s Eve Bash was a great experience for families! My next blog will be about BACT’s first show in Sunnyvale, Elephant and Piggie. Stay tuned! 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar: An Enjoyable Show for Children

Check out our Jr. Blogger Kara's thoughts on the Very Hungry Caterpillar Show!

On Friday, I got to see the student matinee show of The Very Hungry Caterpillar put on by the Bay Area Children’s Theatre and inspired by Eric Carle’s books.  This play includes the books, The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse, The Very Lonely Firefly, Mister Seahorse, and of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The characters are life-size puppets controlled by puppeteers who use bars and their bodies to make them walk and talk.   The puppets themselves are colorful, majestic, and bright, especially the seahorse from Mister Seahorse.  The polka-dotted donkey puppet from The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse was neat because the colors were fun and the actors did a good job making him dance around.  I laughed when they played hide-and-seek.  It was like magic.  

The set was made up of moving set pieces that looked like trees, seaweed and lots of other things.  Also, the background would change color depending on what was going on in the scene.  The music and sound effects were captivating.  All this helped make the story come alive.  They had a narrator to help the characters tell the story; it really helped portray Eric Carle’s books well.

My favorite story was The Lonely Firefly.  It was about a Firefly looking for some friends to play with.  At first, he finds a lamp, a candle and a flashlight, but he can’t find any other fireflies to play.  Finally he finds his firefly friends and they joyfully dance around in the night.  I loved this production because it retold the story just like the book would.  I enjoyed the show immensely. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a show that young children would enjoy.    

Our Junior Blogger, Julietta, LOVED Fly Guy, read her review here!

The Fly Guy play had me buzzing for more BACT plays! 

It was really amazing, and I loved the set especially. It was about a boy named Buzz who has a fly as a pet (it can even say his name!). He also meets a girl named Liz who also has a fly as a pet (and it can also say her name!). However, some people might not like the idea of it. They think of flies as pests, not pets.
The play is really funny and I really enjoyed it. 

So what about those people who think of flies as pests? Can flies really be friends, not foes? In my opinion, sure, if you prefer a very, very small pet that has a chance of easily flying away or causing chaos in restaurants, or maybe a fly swatter factory, if you go to one ( hopefully without your pet!).

The moral of the story? Check what kind of factory your touring before bringing your pet fly!

What do I think about a pet fly and if they are pests or pets? Well, during the play I felt like I needed to help Fly Guy and Fly Girl when they were almost going to get swatted, but being honest, I still do not want those flies in my house!  I'm thinking of them as kind of a mix, since they are a bit gross, but the play helped me see the pet part of flies.

But, even though I would never have a pet fly, I still loved the play and the books too.

The fly in the play is given personification to make him fit in the story better. For one thing, he can talk, like say Buzz, friendzies, Hizee, and more. The only thing about it is he can only say words with a Z in them (or at least words humans can understand.) . The same thing goes for Fly Girl too. So they are given personification, only more realistic. 

I'm excited for the next BACT play!