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Big River: The Road Show
| Article
# : |
10832 |
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Section : |
The Arts
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| Issue
Date : |
7 / 1986 |
575 Words |
| Author
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Jeff Church
Jeff Church is a playwright-in-residence at The John F.
Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Programs for Children
and Youth. |
Big River, about to embark on its nationwide tour, has a great many things going for it. The show is vast, considerable, and mounted on a grand scale. I wondered what others thought of it, and so I asked.
"Mr. Samuel Clemens, now there was a right smart man. He made hisself a book that was rightly perfect for folks to make into a musical show, didn't he? Much as I recall, it was 'bout the only new show up there on Broadway at the time and it won itself most all the prizes."
What do you think about that?
"It's a good thing, as I see it. 'Cause a man by the name of Mr. Roger Miller wrote some fine tunes--danged if I do say so myself. The crowd they put up there on the stage can really sing'em, too."
So, you liked it?
"I tell you, I liked it when they sent them rafts afloatin' 'cross the stage--why, I bet I hain't seen the likes of anythin' like it in my life. They even had stars that lit up a whole sky. I reckon there was pretty things in 'bout ever scene. And there at the end--even though I alrudy knowed what was gonna happen--I was mighty happy when they let ol' Jim go free."
And I couldn't have agreed more.
"Cuz Jim's my friend. And so's Huck, too! Ha ha! I guess I'd have to say most all the people loved the story bein 'told. But the way I seen it, sometimes this here Huck was too happy when he should a been just happy and ol' Jim got real mad when Jim us pro'bly just git a little mad. 'Says I,' I said, 'we ain't seen enough 'tween the two of them 'cause we bin seein' so much of the Duke and the King.'"
I thought they were very good actors.
"Now, I give you that they is a funny pair. They git to cavortin' around so much that they kinda steal the thunder from Huck and Jim, in my estimation. But the folks out front loved'em, and I figure that's why they had'em up there so much."
I understood that.
"Me, I liked it when Jim said, 'You my only friend in the world,
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