Staging Gives ‘Big River’ Depth

Maybe the “big” in the title “Big River” intimidates L.A.’s professional theater companies, most of which are fairly small operations. For whatever reason, the 1985 Tony-winning musical, based on the story of Huckleberry Finn, has never received a professional production in the city of Los Angeles.

Deaf West Theatre to the rescue. That a deaf-oriented company does musicals at all is audacious--this is Deaf West’s second, after last year’s award-winning “Oliver!” But it’s equally gutsy for the company to present this musical within its 65-seat North Hollywood theater.

“Big River” is based on a sprawling novel that’s set primarily outdoors. As with “Oliver!,” many characters are played by two actors--one who speaks and sings and the other who signs. Most of the actors play more than one character, which keeps the cast size down to 18, but it also could result in mass confusion.

Fortunately, as with “Oliver!,” director Jeff Calhoun brings remarkable clarity to the proceedings. Despite all that activity onstage--multiplied by the sight of the flying hands of the signing actors--this production is extraordinarily crisp and focused.

In fact, the combination of a small space, plenty of action and the precision of the staging creates a simmering energy that enhances “Big River,” which is sometimes criticized as languid and stately in larger theaters. This “River” resembles a frisky stream, not the massive, muddy Mississippi.

Everything hits us in the face here--the raffish humor and cutting satire, Huck’s moral crises, the grim plight of the runaway slave Jim. At least for those who haven’t read the book recently, there is little sense that we’re seeing a condensation of a classic novel--although, of course, we are.

The musical’s book adapter, William Hauptman, had to considerably trim Mark Twain’s original story. The feuding Grangerford and Shepherdson families are missing.

But Roger Miller’s score adds its own compensations. It’s not a masterpiece--a few of the songs sound shoehorned in from other contexts. But the juxtaposition of bluegrass and country with the spiritual and bluesy sounds of the slaves is a potent mixture that serves this material well and, in turn, is well served by musical director Steven Landau at the keyboard and his three-piece band above the stage.

Tyrone Giordano, playing Huck, is an adult, but he has a boyish look and an appealing spark of mischief that can turn to sorrow during Huck’s soul-searching. Huck is voiced by Bill O’Brien, who sounds a bit like Jim Croce and ably doubles as the narrator--Twain himself, in this production.

James Black sings, speaks and signs as Jim. He beautifully conveys the heightened moment when Jim recalls his deaf daughter. But his obviously strong voice sounded muffled during a few phrases on opening night--a minor problem that might well be corrected.

Big, blustery Lyle Kanouse and nasty-looking Troy Kotsur are an inspired comedy team as Huck’s Papp, whose usual state of intoxication makes the appearance of two actors, side by side in one role (Kanouse sings, Kotsur signs), seem almost natural.

Kanouse then joins another masterful comic duo, as the scalawag King opposite Allen Neece’s goofy-faced Duke. The King gets an especially show-stopping costume from designer David R. Zyla. One of the King’s intended targets, the mourning Mary Jane, sounds straight out of the hills in the voice of Melissa van der Schyff.

Ray Klausen’s set, based on flats decorated with original “Huckleberry Finn” text, looks simple but contains plenty of surprises, ingenious in their fluidity and evocatively lit by Michael Gilliam.

*

“Big River,” Deaf West Theatre, 5112 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Thursdays-Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m. Dark Nov. 22-25. Ends Dec. 16. $18-$25. (818) 762-2773. TDD: (818) 762-2782. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes.