The king, in a stately blue robe, had fainted three times within the first two minutes of “Sleeping Beauty.” They were extravagant, silly faints, and each time he hit the deck, more than 700 kids giggled.
Thus King Lapis, played by tall, bespectacled Stephen P. Full, set the physical and often slapstick tone for the Drury Lane Theatre’s production of the familiar fairy tale. The enthusiastic cast never lets the crowd get bored–every few minutes comes a song, a fainting, a sneezing and hiccupping fit, an out-of-control skateboard ride or a huge green dragon who staggers like Snuffleupagus.
You know the story: The evil sorceress (Magenta, played by Karen Leigh) puts a curse on the beautiful princess (Julie Ann Emery as the friendly tomboy Amber), who falls into a deep sleep until a prince (Curt Dale Clark, with horn-rimmed glasses and a bandage on his chin, as the nervous Hunter) comes and rescues her with a kiss.
Director Marc Robin never lets dialogue unfold for very long–he has packed the musical with 12 songs, from Hunter’s comedic “Allergies” to Amber’s humanitarian “Colors of the World.” When the story lags even slightly, Sienna the owl (Paige Coffman) exhorts the crowd to cheer on Prince Hunter.
The hourlong “Sleeping Beauty” has a fun, spastic energy. The costumes are bright and colorful, the actors are good sports and the thrust is clearly for kids. In the final scene, after Prince Hunter kisses the awakened Amber, the young crowd at one performance erupted in a unanimous, hilarious chorus of “ee-eeee-eeeewww!” It was a perfect ending.
———-
“Sleeping Beauty”
When: Through May 10
Where: Drury Lane Evergreen Park, 2500 W. 95th St., Evergreen Park
Call: 708-422-0404
