“People who know the book or the movie will love the musical,” says director Rae Robison. “It doesn’t matter how old you are. Coraline is a children’s story but it’s about what it means to be brave, and that’s for everybody.”
Coraline tells the story of a nine year old girl who finds a portal to another world in her own home, with an alternate set of parents who turn out to be more sinister than they first appear. She must not only save herself but rescue her own parents and other captive children, heeding the advice to “Be wise, be brave, be tricky.”
The unconventional music by Stephin Merritt (leader of The Magnetic Fields pop band) features six toy pianos and a regular-sized piano altered to create eerie sound effects. Playwright David Greenspan wrote the script based on Gaiman’s story. “The musical is much closer to the book than to the film,” Robison said. “It’s scarier than the movie. But there’s also a lot of humor and a lot of fun.”
The production features several different kinds of puppets as well as live actors in masks and colorful costumes, including a human-sized talking cat (played by Patrice Elise-Byrd.)
Erin Harris plays Coraline, with Anna Duchi as her evil Other Mother. Other cast members include Erin Henry, Mickey Thompson, Jesse Chavez, Hanna Jo Clark, Kyle Rispoli, Bryce Luna, Justine Bivans and Valerie Castillo. Dakota Dieter, Mary May, and Hanah Toyoda handle the puppets, while Brian Post and Charles Thompson accompany the singing cast.
Tina Toomata is the Music Director. Scenic design is by Jared Sorenson, costumes by Marissa Menezes, makeup and mask design by Hanah Toyoda, lighting by Santiago Menjivar and sound by Charles Thompson.
Robison cautions that parts of the musical may be too scary for children under age 9. But children who do attend the 80-minute show (no intermission) can meet the characters in the JVD lobby afterwards.
HSU Theatre, Film & Dance presents Coraline in the Van Duzer Theatre Thursdays through Saturdays, Oct. 16-18 and 23-25 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $12/17 general, $10/15 students and seniors, and are available from the HSU Ticket Office (826-3928) or at the door. For more information, visit hsustage.blogspot.com.