STAGE REVIEW : Lamb’s Theatre Effort Better Than the Script

Mr. Toad is obsessed with cars. He likes to drive ‘em and crash ‘em. Not even the fatherly Mr. Badger or Toad’s buddies Ratty and Mole can do anything to stop him.

Mr. Toad is a child’s vision of what a frog should be--stubborn, charming and self-involved. And therein lies his appeal, as immortalized in the Kenneth Grahame classic, “The Wind in the Willows.”

Cute. Very cute. But cute can be deadly, if not handled with expert care. An A.A. Milne adaptation of this work garnered raves in Los Angeles several years ago.

But, sadly, Douglas Post’s musical adaptation, playing here at Lamb’s Players Theatre through July 29, isn’t likely to win raves from anyone.

Unless it’s for the talent of the Lamb’s Players team, which comes closer than one could imagine to rising over the warts inherent in the script. With lesser talent, this production could have been one giant croak.

It’s a feat all the more remarkable for those familiar with the troubled genesis of this production. Lamb’s had been set to open “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe”--much meatier fare--two weeks ago, when they discovered, days before opening night, that the Southern California rights to C.S. Lewis’ works had been obtained by somebody else.

The company gave itself two weeks to find an alternative suitable for its woodsy, fantasy-world set, obtain the rights to the script and then do the rest--cast, costume, choreograph and open.

Under the skillful direction of Robert Smyth, the Lamb’s artistic director, the company dazzles from moment to moment even as the script, which meanders mercilessly in the beginning, stops from time to time for songs, which, while beautifully sung and orchestrated, are more than a tad silly.

As much as Lamb’s meets the material head-on, the company does look a trifle sheepish forging through lyrics like, “The Toad is back, the Toad is back, the Toad is back.”

The cast itself, however, is close to irreproachable. The mellifluous musical accompaniment by music director Todd Neal brings out the best in a fine ensemble of voices and often makes you forget the preciousness of the songs.

David Cochran Heath, his dark hair dyed blond, is an irresistible Toad, upper class and childishly full of himself and his obsessions. Leigh Scarritt is a memorable Mole, tiny and curved inwards like a frightened little animal, but with remarkable dexterity--she does a mean cartwheel--and a sweet voice. Deborah Gilmour Smyth provides strong support as the Rat, but without establishing a clear personality for Ratty other than an Irish brogue. Luther Hanson is spunky as Otter, Paul Devine weaselly as Weasel, Howard Bickle doleful as William the Horse and Cynthia Peters equally charming as a Field Mouse and jailer’s daughter.

Pamela Turner’s choreography keeps the songs moving, which helps diffuse much of the score’s essential inanity. The racing in place that accompanies the first bumpy carriage ride Mr. Toad gives to Mole and Ratty, makes a static vehicle come alive with breathless movement.

Christian Turner’s stone-like set, dappled by Mike Buckley’s delicate lighting, admirably fits the fairy-tale forest theme. Jeanne Reith’s Dickensian costumes give the show a level of dignity that might have been compromised if the company had tried to replicate animals by using animal costumes.

In this production of “The Wind in the Willows,” Lamb’s shows that it has a talent for children’s theater, one of San Diego County’s sadly neglected forms; the company invests itself in the material, without being condescending. If they were handicapped here by a less than ideal script, they do everything they can to compensate. The results, while often charming, are ultimately a testament to the importance of the written word as the starting place of all good theater.

Still, children’s theater is something one hopes the company will try again.

This show is not recommended for children of all ages; because of a gunshot and a few car crashes, children of five or six who tend to have difficulty distinguishing reality from fantasy, may be frightened. But children 7 or over may very well enjoy it and ask parents to buy the book which is on sale at the theater during intermission--along with copies of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” which, sadly, did not make it to the Lamb’s stage this time around.

‘THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS”

Adapted with music by Douglas Post from the book by Kenneth Grahame. Director is Robert Smyth. Musical direction and accompaniment by Todd Neal. Choreography by Pamela Turner. Sets by Christian Turner. Costumes by Jeanne Reith. Lighting by Mike Buckley. Stage manager is Lee Weldon. With Leigh Scarritt, Deborah Gilmour Smyth, Luther Hanson, David Cochran Heath, Howard Bickle, Paul Devine, Kate McConnell, Christine Nicholson, Cynthia Peters and Melanie Rey. At 8 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and 7 p.m. Sundays with Saturday/Sunday matinees at 2 through July 29. Tickets are $13-17. At 500 Plaza Blvd., National City, (619)474-4542.