Golliwhoppers

by Rick McCluskey

I have always associated the candy Golliwhoppers with Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, and the southern flavor of Brer Rabbit’s timbre with Walt Disney and Uncle Remus. For me theses are childhood truths, iconic tidbits that still tickle me whenever I think of them. Yet when I visited The Rhode Theatre the other night with Joe Barr and his camera, I discovered another truth that tickles me even more. Not only is Kenosha blessed with artists, it teems with actors and actresses as well.

Golliwop In…Story begin.

The cast and crew numbers nine altogether and as they donned their costumes for tonight‘s rehearsal (bib overalls, colored T-shirts, Tennis shoes and an assortment of funny headdresses), I’m saddened and a little disappointed I’m not a kid anymore. Not that I wanted to be a part of the show. No. That wasn’t it at all. For old times sake, I wanted one of the headbands and kazoos Laura Larson, the show’s director, was holding in her hands.

“For those kids who come to the pre-show party, there’ll be juice and deserts and while we’re making their headbands they’ll
also get one of these.” She waved the unopened package under my nose and I nodded, wondering if my pre-show interview qualified as a pre-show party. I spotted an iridescent one deep in the package and knew it would look great hanging around my neck.

But it never happened. She stuffed the package into her backpack as she lead me to the stage. Like I said, my kid days were over. Darn. No kazoo for me. No headband either.

What’s a kid to do? Sure I was being childish, but I couldn’t help myself. I was excited, smitten by Flora Atkins press release posted on Expose Kenosha. I had already seen Joe’s pictures of Golliwhoppers’ cast in action and looked forward to seeing four, “‘Tall Tales’ told through dialogue, mime, ballad, dance and puppetry.”
Still, I wanted a kazoo!

The house lights suddenly dimmed and the stage went awash with brilliance. Those cast members onstage moaned shielding their eyes and someone in the balcony hollered down, “sorry” and adjusted the glare to something more tolerable. Joe moved in stage front and snapped a few more candid shots as two reporters from the Kenosha News joined the rehearsal. Armed with more cameras, they were greeted with group smiles and began interviewing the jubilant cast in a flurry of flashing strobes.

Watching the interplay on stage was an interesting sight to behold. What had once been a subdued atmosphere of serious performers was now an infectious ambiance bubbling with giddiness. The cast was obviously pleased with the free press and notoriety, and from what I’d seen so far they certainly deserved it. I could tell it was going to be a wonderful show. The kids would love it, especially those lucky enough to get their own headband and kazoo.
After several frantic minutes the newspaper guys finished up and said their goodbyes. Once they had left, everyone settled down and rehearsal began in earnest. The tales were masterfully told and the accompanying scenes were crisp. The cast was really into this. If what I saw of Big Jesse and Goll-Golli-Gee was any indication of what the kids would see, the show would be a booming success, the memories lasting forever. Brandi’s portrayal of the blind and cranky old woman was hilarious. She’s a talent.

Joe plopped down in the seat next to me, exhausted. He’d finished his pictures and wanted to take a breather before leaving. I’m glad he did.

In the precious moments that followed, I got a chance to witness the birth of genius. It’s rare that an audience gets to see such a performance. But I’ve been lucky to see it at the REP in Milwaukee, The Fireside in Fort Atkinson and in the Rosemount in Chicago, but never around here. That is until now. I’m not a critic, but for what it’s worth, Vince Cook’s rendition of Knee-High Man was absolutely brilliant.

There is so much more that needs to be said about this production that is worthy of print. It is magical and hopefully the Kenosha News will carry that portion. So rather than spoiling the performances all I’ll say is go see it. Watch them all. Laugh until your sides ache. The price of admission is worth it. The kids will love it and so will any adult with an imagination. Only don’t ask for a kazoo, they’re for the kids.

Golliwop…story stop.

Golliwhoppers:

Saturday, May 17th at 11:00am and 2:00 pm
Sunday, May 18th at 2:00 pm
Tickets are $7 for all ages
Directed by: Laura Larson

Click HERE to see more pictures, courtesy of Joe Barr