The Hobbit came and went, but will it be back again? - By N.L. Belardes
I recently saw Kevin Lively and Caroline Clark’s production of the Hobbit. I went out on media night where the staff had kindly build a sandwich tower and a chocolate waterfall in a wonderful display for the local media. Of course I wouldn’t shun the Hobbit or kid actors. There were 60 kids from the Boys and Girls homes to check out the production…and I was more than glad to be on-hand.
The Hobbit ended today at 2pm, but let me tell you this was one of the coolest local plays I have ever been to. I’m a big fan of the Hobbit and when I was a kid delving into fantasies, I read the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit at least four times each. Of course that was before I got into more classical forms of literature; but then, the Lord of the Rings was created by one of the most classical literary minds of the modern age.
The play adaptation by Brainerd Duffield and directed by Kevin Lively and Caroline Clark is a tribute to Tolkien, slapstick, and the great child and adult actors in the Bakersfield area...
The show featured an incredible performance by Chris Orta as Bilbo Baggins. This curly dark-haired youth was last seen in The BCT’s production of Peter Pan and has an incredible amount of potential in theatre and beyond. His performance as a rather uppity adult-like yet childish Bilbo was believable, although I sometimes wished his voice was just a bit louder…
The Hobbit had the most interesting Gandalf and Gollum(s) I could have ever imagined. Gandalf was played by Angela Poncetta and offered Tolkienesque wizardry through another gender perspective. Strangely, I think this Gandalf captures how behind every great man (men) is an even greater woman. She was entertaining to say the least, and comical in her seeking of the map to the Desolation of Smaug… As for the Gollums, they were portrayed in a simultaneous dualistic acting job that was pulled off magnificently by Ben and Jenna Lejeune. I can’t even begin to describe how they both talked simultaneously, yet didn’t, yet finished each other’s sentences as they slunk about the stage, intimidating the childish heart of the appointed thief of Smaug’s treasure, Bilbo.
Meathead from KRAB radio’s Meathead and Desi show was the voice of Smaug and added to the great comedy of the show. Oh, it was slapstick. But who doesn’t like cheesy slapstick like when one of the dwarves yelled, “Lend me your ears!” and all the dwarves threw rubber ears his way.
The show also featured a funny dance number between the Mirkwood elves and Goblins that helped make up the large ensemble cast... you can view the entire cast list and more photos here...
The show may be over, but all of the actors as well as Bakersfield Community Theatre and shows by these great directors are going to keep coming our way. I have been so busy lately that I want to publicly apologize to Kevin Lively for falling so far behind. If it weren’t for recently laughing like crazy at Enrique Fuentes Dysfunctional Theatre Review of the play, I might have pushed off my own review even longer. Stay tuned for lots more from the BCT!
The Hobbit ended today at 2pm, but let me tell you this was one of the coolest local plays I have ever been to. I’m a big fan of the Hobbit and when I was a kid delving into fantasies, I read the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit at least four times each. Of course that was before I got into more classical forms of literature; but then, the Lord of the Rings was created by one of the most classical literary minds of the modern age.
The play adaptation by Brainerd Duffield and directed by Kevin Lively and Caroline Clark is a tribute to Tolkien, slapstick, and the great child and adult actors in the Bakersfield area...
The show featured an incredible performance by Chris Orta as Bilbo Baggins. This curly dark-haired youth was last seen in The BCT’s production of Peter Pan and has an incredible amount of potential in theatre and beyond. His performance as a rather uppity adult-like yet childish Bilbo was believable, although I sometimes wished his voice was just a bit louder…
The Hobbit had the most interesting Gandalf and Gollum(s) I could have ever imagined. Gandalf was played by Angela Poncetta and offered Tolkienesque wizardry through another gender perspective. Strangely, I think this Gandalf captures how behind every great man (men) is an even greater woman. She was entertaining to say the least, and comical in her seeking of the map to the Desolation of Smaug… As for the Gollums, they were portrayed in a simultaneous dualistic acting job that was pulled off magnificently by Ben and Jenna Lejeune. I can’t even begin to describe how they both talked simultaneously, yet didn’t, yet finished each other’s sentences as they slunk about the stage, intimidating the childish heart of the appointed thief of Smaug’s treasure, Bilbo.
Meathead from KRAB radio’s Meathead and Desi show was the voice of Smaug and added to the great comedy of the show. Oh, it was slapstick. But who doesn’t like cheesy slapstick like when one of the dwarves yelled, “Lend me your ears!” and all the dwarves threw rubber ears his way.
The show also featured a funny dance number between the Mirkwood elves and Goblins that helped make up the large ensemble cast... you can view the entire cast list and more photos here...
The show may be over, but all of the actors as well as Bakersfield Community Theatre and shows by these great directors are going to keep coming our way. I have been so busy lately that I want to publicly apologize to Kevin Lively for falling so far behind. If it weren’t for recently laughing like crazy at Enrique Fuentes Dysfunctional Theatre Review of the play, I might have pushed off my own review even longer. Stay tuned for lots more from the BCT!
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Sunday, October 23, 2005.
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