The franchise made the move to live stage with the debut of “School House Rock Live” in 1990. The show is a collection of the most popular installments of the series, loosely strung together around a barebones narrative of a nervous new teacher named Tom as he prepares for his first day on the job.
The junior production at Villagers Theatre contains 11 of the 21 songs contained in the full-scale production, and benefits greatly from Joey Kalet's turn at Tom, the teacher. Kalet, a teen performer, has appeared on stage at Villagers and at other theaters in the area, and his confidence shows as he fully embraces his goofy character without a sign of self-consciousness.
With numbers like “A Noun is a Person, Place or Thing,” “Elbow Room” and “Just a Bill,” the show will please nostalgia-hungry Gen X parents who remember tuning in to watch Bugs Bunny on Saturday morning and catching animated school lessons pushed through on the sly.
On the other hand, the lively tunes and the spirited performances of cast members mean that younger audiences who may not be as familiar with the show, still are going to find plenty to enjoy.
Kalet is supported by five characters who represent Tom's thoughts in their efforts to prepare him for his first day on the job: George (James Kan), Dori (Chloe Garcia), Shulie (Justine Torres), Joe (Kevin Luck) and Dina (Naomi Taylor).
Other soloists include Jocelyn Kalet, Sam Moffett, John Shea and Bhavna Bangalore (“The Preamble”); Lexi Thomas (“Do the Circulation”), Rishika Chakravorty (“Interplanet Janet”); and Sarah Stefaniak and Rebecca McCabe (“Great American Melting Pot”).
The show is directed and choreographed by Devin Massih, with assistance provided by stage manager Jess Kimberlin.
Remaining performances are scheduled for noon March 12 and March 19, and at noon and 3 p.m. March 18. Tickets cost $10 for general admission.
Villagers Theatre is located at 475 Demott Lane, Somerset. For more information, call the theater's box office at (732) 873-2710.
