Adventure Theatre MTC presents Pinkalicious-The Musical, based on the book by Victoria and Elizabeth Kann and with lyrics by John Gregor. Carl Menninger directs this colorful production.
Scenic Designer Collin Ranney transforms the set into a young girl’s dream; bright and feminine, with cottony, textured clouds that sprawl across the blue walls. The effect is so transfixing that children (and their curious fingers) have to be repeatedly shooed away from it. Oversized vases with colorful flowers sit near chairs built to look like cupcakes, and mini chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Lighting Designer Andrew Cissna leans heavily on (what else?) pink hues, and Sound Designer Kenny Neal uses effects like tinkling chimes to round out the playfully posh atmosphere. At first, costumes designed by Katie Touart seem pretty standard– then a wild transformation takes place, and the resulting cupcake dress and pink braids are a sight to see!
Pinkalicious (Carolyn Agan) is the princess of pink, singing about her love for the color in the upbeat song “Pink-a-riffic.” Pinkalicious has a particular penchant for pink cupcakes, and begs her parents (Ashleigh King as Mrs. Pinkerton and Jaysen Wright as Mr. Pinkerton) to let her have another in the number “Just One More.” Choreography by Michael J. Bobbitt is particularly clever in this song, blending tug-of-war and monkey-in-the-middle antics along with the dancing, (although I didn’t find the remaining song-and-dance numbers to be hugely memorable.)
Defying her parent’s orders, Pinkalicious sneaks just one more cupcake…and wakes up with a disastrous case of Pink-a-titus! Pinkalicious is pink from head-to-toe; her hair, her skin, everything! At first, Pinkalicious is thrilled…until her Pink-a-titus brews some trouble with her friends, and a myriad of hungry insects and hummingbirds harass her in a cute song called “Are You A Flower?” When Dr. Wink (Maggie Leigh Walker at my performance) prescribes vegetables as the cure, a battle of wills begins. Can Pinkalicious be talked into changing her habits before her condition becomes worse?
My favorite aspect of this production is the character of Pinkalicious’ brother, Peter (John Sygar). Peter is consistently ignored and unnoticed throughout the show, while his dramatic sister gets all the attention. Peter is also himself a fan of the color pink, but is discouraged from his father, who insists that “pink is for girls.” Peter sings about the unfair gender bias in the song “Pink Blues.” This character arc provides some insight and depth into an otherwise simple plot, and Sygar delivers the performance with great comedic timing and a hint of complexity. The talented cast bring a lot of energy into their roles (Carolyn Agan has a particularly lovely singing voice), and the technical aspects are great.
If your child is fond of anything pink, girly, and fun, then take her and her friends to Adventure Theatre MTC’S Pinkalicious!
Running Time: Approximately 60 minutes, without an intermission.
Pinkalicious-The Musical plays through August 31, 2014 at Adventure Theatre MTC-7300 MacArthur Boulevard. in Glen Echo, MD. For tickets, call (301) 634-2270, or purchase them online.
