Is there any writer more American than Mark Twain? Is there any tale more iconic than that of Huckleberry Finn and his adventures on the Mississippi River with his friend Jim, a runaway slave? If your answer to these questions is “No,” then you need to line up quickly for tickets to Big River, the musical based on Twain’s greatest novel, running through Sept. 4 at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center (1028 Scott Blvd., Covington).
The show was a Broadway hit in 1985, when it won seven Tony Awards, including best musical and score. The show’s innovative 2003 Broadway revival by Deaf West Theatre won another Tony. Its tour included a memorable stop at the Aronoff Center in 2005, where the cast, a majority of them deaf, dazzled local audiences.
The Carnegie’s version has its own set of good reasons to see it, led by the directing team of Dee Anne Bryll and Ed Cohen, who routinely bring in excellent musical theater productions. Playing Huck Finn is Zack Steele, soon to be a freshman at Wright State and recently recognized as an outstanding performer at the 2010 Cappies Awards program. The cast is rounded out by six performers from UC’s College-Conservatory of Music, including Cincinnati Entertainment Award nominees Carlyn Connolly and Max Chernin.
With a great story, a strong cast and one of the most infectious scores ever written, Big River is a great kickoff for the Carnegie’s Theatre Series and, in fact, for Cincinnati’s overall theater season. $19-$26. 859-957-1940.
Read Rick Pender's review, get show details and buy tickets here.
