Yes the car actually flies and so does this show!
This an apologetically silly billy and highly entertaining musical about a beguiling, if slightly nerdy single-dad inventor (David Hobson) who, along with his two kids, (Beau Woodbridge and Lucille Le Meledo), their loving Grandpa (Peter Carol) and the perfectly ‘scrumptious’ heiress to a sweet factory (Rachel Beck), all embark on a classic Edwardian boy’s/girl’s-own adventure story. Complete with requisite chase, capture, love interest, goodies, baddies and final cathartic rescue, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is an all-round bells and (candy) whistles show.
Based on the novel by Ian Fleming (of James Bond notoriety), this production features music and lyrics by the Sherman brothers, composers of Mary Poppins although not quite as witty or memorable as those timeless Poppins songs. That said the opening night audience did burst into a spontaneous clapping accompaniment when the show’s signature song started up.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was the first film my dad took me to when I was around the same age as my 10-year-old son, who accompanied me to the show’s opening night. And he loved it. ‘It’s pretty awesome! I didn’t think it was going to be so good.’ He liked the spies from Vulgaria the best (George Kapinaris and Todd Goddard). Even though he reckoned their German accent was a ‘bit embarrassing’. Naturally, he also savored the full-on comic-operatic antics of the Baron and Baroness (Alan Brough and Jennifer Vuletic).
Directed with admirable restraint (contemporary reworkings of much-loved classics are often blasted with oh-so-clever-irony and camp), Chitty is for the most part very well sung (Hobson and Beck are particularly secure and impressive) and overall, performances are dexterous, amusing and mighty generous. Tyler Coppin does a suitably evil job as the lean, mean Childcatcher. Some of the kids in the audience actually booed when he slithered on stage.
Its huge cast, spirited choreography, hummable melodies, candy-colored design and uber-impressive flying car make this ‘a real crowd pleaser for the whole family’ as they say in the classics.