‘Wind in the Willows’ Provides Enjoyment

Theater Review

If you have a child or simply love Kenneth Grahame’s 1908 book ‘The Wind in the Willows,’ there is no better place to spend an evening than at Theatre Palisades, where the music is lovely, the story delightful and laughs abound. The final four shows of this world pre’miere youth production are tonight, Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon at the Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Road.   Pacific Palisades resident Diane Grant has written a children’s musi’cal based on the book and produced an entertaining and updated version of the adventures of Toad, Ratty, Otter and Badger. Many of her char’acters who are male in the book are now female, and friendship among the characters is emphasized.   I especially enjoyed seeing the nasty weasel girls Olivia Busselle, Claire Suisman and Anna Reger. With the proper amount of smirking, scheming and slinking, they are a joy to watch as they disrupt other characters’ lives throughout the 90-minute show.   Complete with lime green tights, Toad (Brendan Terry) is properly ‘mad’ after discovering the power of the automobile. Be prepared, Toad does demonstrate his driving ability on stage.   One of the funniest scenes comes when Toad, dressed as a washerwoman in order to escape from prison, is wooed by the guard (Jakob Pollack). The device worked for Shakespeare, and it was amusing to see it still brings big laughs as even the youngest audience members got the humor.   This is one talented cast, from the opening solo, with a crystal-clear sweet voice of Mole (Gigi Pressman) to the assured stage presence and equally great voice of Miss Ratty (Katie Reinhold) to the lovely voice of Badger (Roni Ellis). Playing Otter (Reilly Pressman), gives her character nice flourishes to help define her animal’s personality.   Musical director Michael Reilly has composed and arranged new music for the show, and the songs help the show flow smoothly from scene to scene.   A special acknowledgment goes to director and chorographer Dor’othy Dillingham, who understands youth and manages to elicit topnotch performances from each of her talented cast of 22 local youth. This is her eighth production with TPY, and with each one she manages to take a large cast and give everyone a chance to shine, even if it’s as sim’ple as showing the season change with actress (Nicole Leshgold) dancing across the stage, placing ei’ther butterflies or snowflakes on the side of the set to indicate the seasons. The make-up and costuming are also imaginative and inventive.   Tickets: (310) 454-1970 or visit: www.theatrepalisades.org.