THE LOVE CHILD OF LAURA INGALLS
AND ANNE OF GREEN GABLES
In this novel-turned-musical, it’s 1899 and the world, even in rural Texas, is changing. Just not nearly fast enough for Calpurnia Tate (Aubriella Navarro), who is “age 11-3/4, practically 12!”, as she mentions (and sings) quite often.
The Cast
Calpurnia isn’t quite a tom-boy, but her attentions are drawn to all-things scientific, rather than the sewing, baking, knitting, and piano lessons that Mother (Jacquelyn Ritz) pushes upon her. The lifeline to her intellectual mind is her quirky, science-of-nature loving Grandfather (Christopher Vettel). After mostly ignoring her for her first eleven years, he discovers an ally in young Calpurnia, once he realizes that she’s not so much disobedient as drawn to the same atypical things he is, such as noting the differences in behavior of yellow vs. green grasshoppers.
Aubriella Navarro
Local playwright and performer Omri Schein obtained the rights to adapt Jacqueline Kelly’s 2011 Newberry Award-winning novel into this musical. Mr. Schein is the librettist and lyricist in conjunction with composer Daniel Lincoln and musical director Ben Read. More than half of the 95-minute one-act is spent in pleasant songs that establish struggles of Calpurnia and others to reach their goals in a world not yet designed for personal fulfillment. Some of it even plays into the period, with ragtime piano numbers like “You Can Find the Fun in Anything.” That much singing, though, does cut into the amount of story in such a short show. As such, it’s not really a heavily plotted piece. Rather, it’s more of an exploration of a family with diverse values and intentions, primarily focusing on this bright and likeable woman-to-be.
Christopher Vettel, Aubrielle Navarro
The age-appropriate young Miss Navarro nails the inner ping-ponging of the lead, beautifully walking the line between spunk and politeness, reminiscent of a young Mayim Bialik, making her a genuinely empathetic focus. Kerry Meads directs the cast of ten (Calpurnia’s family, friends, and house staff) creating an old world feeling with areas of affability in everyone, despite their flaws. There are no villains here; just differing hopes and goals.
Aubrielle Navarro, Christopher Vettel and Geno Carr
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate at Lamb’s Players feels almost like a short story plus music, rather than a full book. We do reach a milestone with Calpurnia, but given the agreeable score taking up the time where our tale would go, we are left hoping for her future, but not all that sure what it will be, as if this musical were based on the first few chapters of a book, instead of all of it.
The Cast
The question for this lovely, touching production isn’t whether it’s good or not, because it truly is. The question is who the right audience is. This show will likely fall into a category with NBC’s Little House on the Prairie and Netflix’s Anne with an “E”: each had limited audience, but ones that devoured each episode and were fiercely loyal to the program. It is easy to envision married couples going to Lamb’s, where one half gets lost in beauty of the past and the other is checking their watch. Put another way, had I a 12-year-old daughter, I’d happily go see this again, just to take my girl and expose her to Calpurnia’s thoughts and spirit ’¦ but if I brought my Dad with us, I’d never hear the end of it from him.
The Castphotos by JT MacMillan
The Cast
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Lamb’s Players Theatre
1142 Orange Ave in Coronado
Wed at 2 & 7; Thu & Fri at 7; Sat at 2 & 7; Sun at 2
ends on May 5, 2024
for tickets, call 619.437.6000 or visit Lamb’s Players