A&E

Despite a relatively unenthusiastic opening to Junior SING!, the juniors proved themselves as formidable opponents to the seniors. The juniors left half of the audience roaring with laughter, and the other half “si-rent” after being offended. Despite a few weak points, Junior SING! was in general an excellent production that moved the audience—2 spots forward.

Junior SING! is set in Hasbro World, which is ruled by the capitalistic tyrant Mr. Monopoly (Grace Klein). Pawn (Chris Cusack) does not have sufficient Funbucks to pay back Monopoly, due to the escalating healthcare costs of his brain-dead son. Pawn is immediately sent to jail, where he befriends Aboot (Joshua Pulinat). Meanwhile, Pawn’s friends, Ms. Scarlett (Eileen Leguillou) and Professor Plum (Santiago Mueckay) consult the elders of the Ouiji board about how to defeat Monopoly.

Monopoly is not without his own share of troubles. He has a failing marriage and an unsatisfied need for money. Both issues are resolved when his wife, Queen Frostine (Ella Gibson), has an offstage affair with her butler (Matthew Gottesman). Humorously mistaking his wife’s groans of pleasure for business ideas, Monopoly comes up with the “original” idea to increase taxes. But before he can act, the citizens of Hasbro rise up in revolt and drive him away.

To maintain their victory, the citizens send Thimble (Paolo Singer) to meet up with Candy (Molly Schaeffer), Monopoly’s servant. Thimble finds both true love and Monopoly’s diary. After reading some compromising entries, the citizens discover the existence of Monopoly’s bitter foe, General Milton Bradley (Ray Hicks). Years ago in a duel, the General lost his leg and his horse, Bessie (Dylan Tramontin), due to foul play by Monopoly. The General proves to be a valuable ally, bringing with him an army of Irish step dancers.

In jail, Pawn and Aboot finally roll doubles, which grants them their freedom, and after convincing the guard, Lord Licorice (Robert Stevenson) to abandon Mr. Monopoly’s evil regime, they escape. The conflict climaxes with an epic battle between Monopoly’s minions and the townspeople, eventually leading to the end of Monopoly’s era of capitalistic terror.

The concept and storyline behind Junior SING! is creative, successfully pulling together the characters from the worlds of Hasbro to create a somewhat coherent plot. At times, however, certain scenes come across as unnecessary and downright offensive, such as when Scarlett and Plum meet the Elders. Certain dances came out of nowhere and awkwardly transitioned between scenes.

Klein as Monopoly stole the show. With her snooty British accent, flashy outfit and cheerful take on pinching every penny, she made the ultimate Scrooge. “It’s perfect weather for capitalism!,” she says at the start of the show.

Gibson and Gottesman’s duet was one of the best musical pieces in the show. Both had voices beyond their years, and their soulful duet came as an unexpected surprise. Gibson played the part of the crooning seductress perfectly, and Gottesman the hapless victim.

Stevenson drew many laughs with his costume and dialogue. At one point, he references Dungeons and Dragons, musing on whether to send his prisoners to the dungeons, the dragons “or better yet, dungeons and dragons!” Later, Aboot calls him “the Han Solo to my Princess Leia.” However, his rendition of the Darkness’s “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” was nasal and off key.

LeGuillou had all the poise and attitude needed for an overbearing Scarlett. While she occasionally tried too hard to be cruel, her overall performance drew laughs and applause.

Schaeffer, dressed as a doll, provided all the innocence needed for a show about board games. She and Singer had a laughable and endearing romantic chemistry as they sang a version of Aladdin’s “A Whole New World,” titled “A Whole New Board.”

Hicks gave his character, the affable General Milton Bradley, an element of swagger and capriciousness worthy of Captain Jack Sparrow. Though barely comprehensible in the first two performances, his whimsical lyrics were audible in the final night while singing “Modern Major General,” by Gilbert and Sullivan. His strange dance, no doubt due to his “missing” leg, added to his characters’ appeal.

While every dance was well rehearsed, certain dances showed more creativity and spirit than others. The step dance crew was the highlight of the night. They stomped onto the stage, performing their routine flawlessly and with a gusto that drew roars of approval from the crowd. It seemed that with each routine showed off a more elaborate and stunning stunt. Their intricate and lengthy routine ended with deafening applause.

Chinese Dance came across as a colorful and fascinating spectacle. While the fan dance was by no means remarkable, it set the stage up for the second crew, who shocked the entire crowd. With a clash of the cymbals, the uninteresting bundled sticks they held in their hands exploded into a flash of red ribbons, drawing formations and patterns that danced in the air.

The backdrop was colorful and inviting, giving the illusion of the stage being one giant board game. The band was excellent overall, although there were some audio issues on all three nights. The juniors went over the time limit on Wednesday and Friday, no doubt due to their jabs at Senior Sing!, which drew boos from the crowd. They ended with “Stacy’s Mom” as their spirit song, followed by the bold prediction that “the juniors won SING!”

Though the juniors certainly had the seniors running for their money during the highlights of Junior SING!, namely the step dance and Candy and Thimble’s duet, flaws like the awkwardly placed dances and a lack of energy during the beginning of the show forced the juniors into second place. Perhaps the juniors should wait until next year to proclaim their own victory.