And just when you thought that this tale could not get any more endearing, here comes Trumpets’ retelling of Noah through a puppet show! My ideal vision of a puppet show consists of cut-out cardboard stages and the puppets from the Sound of Music all sounding like an extremely happy Julie Andrews singing…"High on a hill lived a lonely goatherd…" My own version consists of whatever characters I thought the socks on my hand looked like until eventually I completed my collection of all the Sesame Street characters rendered as hand puppets. Trumpets, of course, takes the form and the medium way beyond all that by combining musical theater with the spirit of those small endearing puppet shows brought to larger-than-life scale on a stage that seems to be a giant version of that cut-out cardboard box, backstage view out.
Happily, Mr. Noah’s Big Boat does not fail. Credit must go to writer-director Jaime del Mundo who shapes such a dynamic spine for this show that at once bends over for the kids and leans back with the adults. Yes, the writing ensures that the parents who bring their children to this show will have a wonderful time as well. It shows a modern interpretation of how the old tale could have played out and brings to life the peripheral characters often skipped in the telling of the story. And such interesting characters they are – from the Biblical wife who can’t cook but tries her best to the three sons who love to play catch with the youngest one (as the ball) to that funky green monkey that dances around with the pig. Del Mundo’s witty repartee keeps the scenes alive.
And when the songs come on, Del Mundo’s words find great company in the music of Rony Fortich. Bouncy, catchy, spirited songs move this musical along.
The words and the music come alive in the puppets and their voices. The performances were energetic and daring from Gary Valenciano and Bituin Escalante as Mr. and Mrs. Noah. And of course, there can be no one else giving God (in white sneakers) a voice but Freddie Santos. The three sons, voiced by Chevy Mercado, Marvin Ong and Sam Concepcion also deserve kudos. And the ensemble work was strong and tight. If this show were on DVD I would want a menu feature that shows a live staged reading of this show from just the voices.
But the real troopers of this show are the puppeteers. Under the leadership of choreographer James Laforteza, they’ve created a magical life for the puppets that felt real and playful. I couldn’t believe that there were so little of them when they took their bow. It’s fascinating to think about it and this is what makes me want to go back and watch it again.
Mr. Noah’s Big Boat is something you will definitely watch and want to watch again. I can find no other word for it but delightful. It will remind you of the rainbow that is alive in your heart and help you believe in the many rainbows that God has planned for you.