By JULES SHINKLE
BG Independent News
When the impossible becomes possible, all logic goes out the window. For Peter Duchene, that’s the entire point – his quest for a lost sister can’t be hopeless if someone can magick an elephant out of thin air.
Perrysburg Musical Theatre presents “The Magician’s Elephant” by Nancy Harris and Marc Teitler. Leading the production is PMT Artistic Director Julie Bermudez alongside Musical Director Charlie Ligus and Technical Director Dave Bermudez.
Showtimes are this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m (Feb. 6-8). The theater is located at 210 East South Boundary St. in Perrysburg. Click here for tickets. https://pmttickets.ludus.com/index.php
“The Magician’s Elephant” is a musical adaptation of a novel by celebrated children’s author Kate DiCamillo. Her lineup of books include “Because of Winn-Dixie,” “The Tale of Despereaux,” and “Flora and Ulysses,” with the last two each earning her a Newbery Medal.
The immense success of DiCamillo’s writing has made her literature a popular subject for film, musical, and even opera adaptations. “The Magician’s Elephant” is the latest to make the leap from page to stage.
In the fictional European town of Baltese, times are tough. A recent war has left the citizens ragged and cynical. Most people keep their heads down and focus on getting through each day.
Our protagonist, Peter Duchene (Abby Widmer), is an orphan being raised by the spartan Vilna Lutz (Chuck Kiskaddon), a veteran and friend of Peter’s father. Vilna is determined to raise Peter as a soldier, someone strong enough to endure the cold practicality of the world.
When Peter is sent to the market to purchase three-day old bread (mold builds character), he notices a red tent that everyone else seems to ignore. A fortune teller (Shannon Ruhe) entices Peter over, promising answers to life’s most burning questions. Peter jumps at the opportunity with what’s been eating at him for years – if he has no family left, as Vilna insists, why does he have memories of a sister? And if she’s alive, how can he find her?
The fortune teller responds: “Follow the elephant.”
Soon after, a rather preposterous rumor grabs everyone’s attention: word is, during last night’s show at the opera house, a magician conjured an elephant that fell right on Madame LaVaughn’s lap! The Police Chief (Liv Lutz) tries to keep the affair under wraps, but not addressing the literal elephant in the room proves futile.
With Peter’s work cut out for him, he is filled with determination. So are the powers of Baltese, who are interested in controlling exactly who benefits from this miracle. Baltese is turned upside down as the living proof of magic changes everyone’s perspective on what should be impossible.
PMT’s production of “The Magician’s Elephant” is top notch in the world of community theater. The costume team (Julie Bermudez, Samantha Henry, Jordan Gottschalk, Liv Lutz, and Kris Parker) did an incredible job dressing each cast member in garb that adds to their memorability, an impressive feat considering how large the ensemble is. Also worth shouting out is the musical talent on display from both actors and pit musicians. Then, of course, there’s the life-size elephant set piece (puppeted by Anne Kidder), whose reveal is so exciting that to spoil it here would be a shame.
Through an act of magic, a city depleted of hope is transformed. The people of Baltese have seen the impossible, followed the elephant, and have reason again to believe in better days.
