“Big River” takes audience back to hardships of 1884

Written by MICHELLE JACOBY

Thursday, 16 February 2012 15:35

One of the greatest American novels unfolds on stage at The Westchester Broadway Theatre this month. Mark Twain’s 1884 classic novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” wins the heart of the audience from start to finish with “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” The Family Theatre Company presents this special production in honor of Black History Month.

The place is Mississippi and the times are hard. This production takes us back to the times of slavery. The themes run as wild as the river: prejudice, diversity, acceptance, respect and freedom. The community tries to keep control and slaves try to find peace through song and dance. Huckleberry Finn, played by Anthony Malchar, finds himself in a whole lot of trouble. Malchar’s strong stage presence combined with his innocence and southern dialect lead the audience to fall in love with him. Malchar has heartfelt songs in “Waitin’ For The Light To Shine” and “River In The Rain.” The young actor holds his own against the strong talented veteran actors that he shares the stage with.

He has special chemistry with FaTye, who plays Jim, the slave who runs away to find his wife and children. Huck Finn is the only one who will help him and they end up on an adventurous ride down the Mississippi River. FaTye is truly believable as the broken-down slave as he hobbles across the stage in search of his family. His deep southern voice is heard in “Muddy Water” and “River In The Rain,” which he sings with Malchar in one of the best scenes in the production that pulls at the heartstrings.

The raft ride down the Mississippi takes a humorous turn when Huck and Jim run into Joey Sanzaro as the Duke and August Abatecola as the King – two theatrical creatures that try to con everyone. Sanzaro and Abatecola have extreme passion and energy for theatre and they bring it all with them all on stage. They are a great combination and more important they are fun to watch.

The characters are colorful and real. No one is more boisterous than Pap, played by Tom Ammirato. This so-called father of Huckleberry Finn comes to find him only because there is money involved. Pap only knows how to solve his problems with a drink and Ammirato brilliantly stumbles around stage as he sings, “Guv’ment.”

Finn’s partner in crime is Tom Sawyer, played enthusiastically by Todd Ritch. Ritch is very high-spirited and his constant body movement’s balances out Finn’s easygoing nature. He provides laughter with his ideas and keeps the audience laughing with “Hand For The Hog.”

The ensemble in this production is as equally talented as the leads. The dance numbers and the costumes take you back to Mississippi and make you feel the hardships of all involved. The tap numbers are phenomenal: Jen Percival as Alice and Jasmine Knight as Alice’s daughter sing beautiful soulful songs and that truly represent what people felt during hard times.

This is a must see. Young and old, it has something for everyone. Watching this production is an exciting history lesson and you get to experience one of the greatest pieces of literature live on stage. The Family Theatre Company presents “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” directed by John J. Fanelli is playing now through Feb. 26 at the Westchester Broadway Theatre. For more information, call (914) 592-2222 or visit their website at www.broadwaytheatre.com.

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