Krianna Walljasper, Taylor Lynn, Savannah Bay Strandin, Emmett Boedeker, and Bobby Becher in Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School
The Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse is now presenting the witty and hyperactive Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School, a 2014 musical based on the book by Barbara Park, author of 31 other popular works about, or purportedly by, the lovable scamp. Its book and lyrics are by Marcy Heisler, with music by Zina Goldrich – creators of Junie B. Jones: The Musical. Circa '21 has also staged that one, plus three other Junie adaptations. This production boasts Ashley Becher as director (also choreographer and set designer) and Shelley Walljasper as musical director. It's scheduled for daytime performances only, with no meal. But with its brisk pace, lean hour-and-10-minute duration, lack of intermission, and lively, accomplished cast, this show is so tasty you won't even think about food.
I saw Thursday's opening performance alongside a few hundred enthusiastic yet well-behaved schoolkids. This brings the number of musicals I've reviewed, based on books I have not read, featuring a spunky heroine, to four. (I admit to feeling a tiny sting of guilt about this, because I've worked in libraries for 20 years; I just haven't read all the books.) Anyway, this is a joy-making experience, whether or not you've read the source material.
Six adults play 15 roles in this show, and each actor can sing and dance like gangbusters. Five performers play multiple roles, while the petitely explosive yet endearing Taylor Lynn is always Junie B. Junie's active-kid wardrobe of denim-short overalls with yellow tights is augmented with an "I'm Special" spangled purple shrug, but Lynn already communicates that with every word and move. This girl is precocious, sometimes wielding the vocabulary and demeanor of a smart-ass 13-year-old. But she's still six, and among my favorite aspects of Lynn's portrayal were her overdramatic collapses while telling her mother about the trials of her day at Clarence Somebody-or-Other Elementary School. Junie's impetuous shenanigans get her sent to the principal's office, then burdened with take-home notes. (Is that still a thing? Thought it was all done online now.)
Krianna Walljasper plays Junie's chief tormentor, both as her know-it-all schoolmate May and as an uncontrollable quasi-supernatural manifestation of rage – more about that later. Walljasper is highly entertaining in both these aspects (and also takes a brief turn as the school nurse). The wonderful Savannah Bay Strandin, who's concurrently appearing in the mainstage's Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, plays the frilliest of pink princesses and material girl Lucille, who is, refreshingly, a friendly sort, not a snob. Bobby Becher, always remarkable to watch, portrays class dweeb Sheldon and Grandpa Miller, and also has a cameo as the school janitor.
Emmett Boedeker plays the obedient, upbeat student Herb, as well as the principal and teacher Mr. Scary, plus serves as assistant stage manager and deck manager. I was glad to see the multi-talented Boedeker again – he tickled me as Circa '21's pianist/surprise villain in Clue: The Musical this past fall. Rachel Winter plays both Mother and the school's Mrs. Gutzman, and is convincingly all adult, all the time. With both characters, she brings reassuring, good-natured reason to the Junie-fueled chaos.
It is to Mother that Junie B. confesses the source of her naughtiness in my favorite number, "El Toro Fabuloso." Walljasper appears as the menacing bull, with Strandin and Becher in crossbred matador/rumba garb, and Winter joins in. It's even funnier than it sounds. Other great musical moments include a bit in "Backpacks on Parade," when the others brag about their book-toters' amazing features and Junie B. matter-of-factly sings "My backpack was the cheapest at the store." (As a former kid for whom economizing was a given, I loved this.) And at the end of a tap-dancing salute to "School Supplies," Junie B. insults May, resulting in a forced apology note ("Dear May") which is not only hilarious, but a very pretty song.
I admired the swift scene changes accomplished by stage pieces being wheeled on and off, during which the cast provided neat misdirection with dancing and "shoo-bee-doo-wahs." I swooned over Ashley Becher's circa '71 Jones-living-room set with its trippy wallpaper, bean bag chair, and brownish cuboid that the mature spectator will recognize as a console TV.
Bradley Robert Jensen's costumes are outstanding, as always, but I did have a few thoughts. While I get that fashionista Lucille's "School Supplies" ruler costume was supposed to resemble a pageant sash, it was almost too subtle to recognize. (Ditto El Toro's horns.) Also, Sheldon's glue-bottle ensemble cried out for a peaked orange cap. (A query for playwright Heisler: Shouldn't May have portrayed the glue? You know … Elmer? The Bull?)
From what I understand, some real-life grown-ups are down on Junie B. because she's "not a good role model" and "can't spell." People: She's six, and if you have those sorts of hand-wringing issues with Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School, you clearly don't know how drama or books work. No conflict, no story! Besides, who's polite straight outta the womb? Kids misbehave. They know it, they laugh about it, they relate, they see the consequences. Junie B. is curious, intelligent, bold, engaged with the world. Ever hear of legendary literary sensation Ramona Quimby? Not a perfect kid.
Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School runs at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse (1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island IL) through April 22, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 and visiting Circa21.com.
