to Pinocchio A Folk Musical at Filament Theatre

Yesterday I went to a play called Pinocchio A Folk Musical, Adapted and Composed by Tyler Beattie at Filament Theatre, directed by Scott Ferguson.  When we walked in the theatre there was lots of things to do in the lobby like: games, coloring, chalk, popcorn and a piano.  I did coloring and I played a game and we had popcorn.

The actors were Felipe Carrasco (Geppetto /guitar), Mara Dale (3 consciences/piano), Kamile Dawkins (Fox/ upright bass), Nick Kmiecik (Lampwick/piano and banjo), Roberto Jonson (Pinocchio /guitar) and Maddy Low (Blue Fairy/saxophone and accordion). We first met them in the lobby where they gave us popcorn and showed us where the coloring sheets were and helped us play the games and took our tickets.  The actors were all amazing and good because they all could play several instruments, sing and act, even with puppets!

Mommy and me sat on pillows and blankets on the stage and that was comfortable. The stage
had a piano, a box, a banjo, a violin, a guitar, an accordion, an upright bass, a blue cart and on the floor there were blue circles. When the actors changed characters sometimes they wore different costumes (designed by Noel Huntzinger) and used interesting masks and puppets by Jeff Semmerling. When Pinocchio's nose grew they used a violin bow, that was funny and smart.  The music was pretty and my favorite song was the laughing wood song.
My favorite part was when the shark swallowed Pinocchio because they used a pennant banner as the sharks teeth and two umbrellas for the eyes. My favorite character was Pinocchio because he wore overalls, he grew ears and I liked him because he made mistakes but he learned the lesson to be good and he took care of Geppetto.

I really loved this show. I'm giving this show twelve points because I liked it the most and I think everyone would love it too! Everyone in the whole world!
By, Gunnar

Gunnar's Point System:
12 points: I LOVED IT THE MOST!
10 points: I loved it a LOT
  3 points: I liked some and didn't like some
  1 point:   I only liked a little
  0 points: I didn't like it at all

to Newsies (National Broadway Tour)

On Friday we went to see a musical called Newsies directed by Jeff Calhoun.  Mommy, Aunt Kerry and I went to a gigantic theatre in Milwaukee called the Marcus Center to see it.  When we walked in we had to go up five sets of stairs and when we walked in we sat in seats and I noticed a railing in front of me and the stage was down below us. There was a screen like a tv and on it was the word "Newsies."

The tv screen could move forward and backward and the screen is actually 3 huge levels of steel with 9 boxes that each have screens that can disappear when the kids are dancing. There were also moveable steel stairs with a bridge on top that could make different shapes on stage.

When the play started the screen backs up and shows a new picture of New York City, the bridge comes in with Jack and Crutchie and clothes hanging on strings came down from above. Jack Kelly (Joey Barreiro) and Crutchie (Zachary Sayle) are newsies who are kids that sell papes (or newspapers) for one cent per pape. The newsies buy 10 papes for 5 cents and hope to sell them all.  And one day Pulitzer (the chief and owner of 'The World' newspaper) said he wanted more money so he asked the newsies to spend 6 cents for 10 papes. The newsies were sad mad and they decided to STRIKE so they wouldn't give any of their money to Pulitzer (played by Steve Blanchard).  And a girl journalist named Katherine (Morgan Keene) helps them fight Pulitzer by writing a story about the newsies in a different paper.

Newsies is a musical with a lot of dancing. My favorite songs were "Carrying the Banner",  "The World Will Know" and "Seize the Day".  My favorite character is Jack Kelly who is the leader of the Newsies, and he wears a blue shirt. Davey (Stephen Michael Langton) and his brother Les (Ethan Steiner) are new newsies but they become selling partners with Jack and when the newsies go on strike Davey tells Jack all of the things to say and Jack says it in a way that make the newsies listen.

My favorite part is when Jack, Davey and Les go in the big door to talk to Pulitzer and then they get thrown out and Les and Jack Kelly are yelling at the door as its closing. I also liked any time they were dancing because the newsies could jump really high and leap in the air at the same time and do tricks and stuff. Mommy says dancing in musicals is called choreography and we should say that Christopher Gattelli did a really good job teaching the newsies how to dance.

The musical is different from the movie because in the movie there is a boy journalist and in the musical its a girl.  And there is more singing and dancing in the musical and some different songs.

I really liked the show but it was a little long and I was very sleepy because it was past my bedtime. People who would like the this show are Jordan, Jasper, Jacob, Jo and Wesley.  Other people who will like this show might be people who like really good dancing and great music and people who like history because this is based on a true story!

3 POINTS!


Gunnar's Point System: 
10 points: I loved Everything about it
  3 points: I liked some and didn't like some
  1 point:   I only liked a little
  0 points: I didn't like it at all