Everything about the show is on the theme of nature, of a cartoonish variety. The set is comprised of 2D greenery and giant mushrooms (since we're on a worm scale), the pre-show entertainment includes a game of "hang-ant," and the band members wear hats with buggy eyes and antennas. Bee Davis (music director), Claire Chenoweth, Hawken Paul, and Mason Tacke lead us through a couple of old timey / bluegrass / Americana classics like "The Big Rock Candy Mountain" and "Inchworm" (natch). On the night I attended, they were then joined by local bluegrass musician Helen Forsythe, playing banjo and accordion, and singing a few of her songs. I'd not heard of her before, but she's great, and this is totally my kind of music. She encouraged the band to join in, even if they didn't previously know the song, and even allowed for solos. It reminded me of sitting around the campfire at Storyhill Fest, listing to the musicians jam together, which I dearly miss.
Once the play begins, we're introduced to Worm (played by the delightful Laura Marie, who was "a true find as Olaf" in Frozen at Children's Theatre Company). The entire plot revolves around her desire for teeth; she's happy with her smooshy gloopy worm body, but she'd love to have some hard teeth to bite and chew and smash. The play involves her quest to find the teeth, encountering Frog (Alex Cavegn), Fox (Will Schroeder), a Dentist (Josh Wilczyk), and even the Tooth Fairy (Kate Cosgrove) along the way. But when she finally gets them, she learns what Glinda knows, that "getting your dreams, as strange as it seems, is a little, well, complicated." She has a bit of an existential crisis, but with the help of the audience (there is some voluntary audience participation throughout the show), she remembers that she loves "me."
Rachel Ropella and Samantha Miller co-direct the piece with much playfulness, and the cast fully leans into the silliness and heart of the show. They match the cartoonish set in different character-specific monochromatic outfits, including Worm's adorable pink striped overalls. Props include a log, a giant snake head, dentist equipment, a tooth fairy puppet, and of course, giant teeth. I'm not sure if we'd call this a musical, or a play with music, but there area couple of cute songs sung by the cast and accompanied by the Buggy Band, who provide a soundscape throughout on multiple instruments (costume design by Anneliese Garner, scenic and puppet design by Mady Smith, lighting design by Timothy Kelly).
Check out a video preview here, and then head to the Phoenix for this sweet, fun, silly show and some great live music (allow plenty of time because there is construction surrounding the Pheonix, including on 26th which eliminates most of the parking there).
