There are lessons to learn in “Schoolhouse Rock Live!” at Deerfield Family Theater. But mostly it’s fun. Performances of the tune-filled musical, based on the popular 1970s cartoon, are Nov. 12-21.
Performances are 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, and 2 p.m. Sundays at Caruso Auditorium.
Buffalo Grove native Matt Canon, who directs the musical, saw the cartoon when he was a kid. “We would watch it in school which was a nice little break from the usual classroom activity,” he said. “There’s a lot of beautiful music and you kind of forget how good it is and how catchy it is until you hear it again.”
The show, which runs about an hour and a half, has 21 musical numbers. That presents a challenge but Canon declared “the cast is absolutely amazing. They’ve exceeded every expectation that anyone could have hoped for.”
Henry Gessner, a Northbrook native and resident who plays Tom, was a major fan of the cartoon. “When I was growing up, that was the kind of thing my mom would show me all the time,” he said. “We had all the VHS tapes. I don’t think we wore them out but we came really close. We watched it that much.”
“Tom is the teacher who is kind of nervous about his first day at school,” Gessner said. “He’s never been in front of a group of students before. Over the course of the show, his various personality traits come to life and give him advice over what to do. It’s all done through ‘Schoolhouse Rock’ songs.”
Rebecca Watson of Westchester who plays Dina, said she wasn’t familiar with the cartoon because “I was a ’90s baby.” She described Dina as “bold. She’s one of the more mature characters. She knows what she wants, she’s confident, and she’s a big advocate for women’s rights.”
Dina sings “Interjections.” “I think a lot of people know that one,” Watson said. “She also sings ‘Separate to Suffrage.’ That song is a lot about women’s rights and how women did not have the right to vote back in the day. I think that’s a showstopping number.”
Gessner wanted to be in this production because he loves the music but also because it gave him an opportunity to work at Deerfield Family Theater again. “I worked with them on ‘Annie’ two years ago and I just loved everybody behind that so much,” he explained.
“This is my third production with Deerfield Family Theater,” Watson said. She decided to audition “when I saw the posting for this show, even though I wasn’t that familiar with it. I’m really a big fan of the production staff and the family atmosphere.”
The cast also includes Jamie Davidson as George, Britny Hendrickson as Dori, Sammi Gassel as Shulie, and Michael Kirby as Joe. Ensemble members are Amanda Carol, Caryl Davidson, Zoe Graven, Angela Meehan, Nikki Paliev, Eliza Sible, Melissa Thal, Sue Vani, Joe Vitaterna, and Lane Wheeler. Marty Karlin is the music director, Chris Causer is the choreographer, and Lee Rivlin is the producer.
The director made some updates to the show to make it appropriate for the current climate. This was allowable because one of the theater’s board members is a friend of one of the writers of the show.
Canon concluded, “This is a really great choice for parents to bring their kids and the parents are also going to enjoy it because they’re hopefully going to be a little nostalgic about the songs.”
Audience members must wear masks. They will be grouped in socially-distanced pods.
‘Schoolhouse Rock Live!’
When: Nov. 12-21
Where: Caruso Auditorium, 1801 Montgomery Road, Deerfield
Tickets: $25
Information: 847-945-0650; deerfieldfamilytheater.com
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
