BIG RIVER: THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN

A musical journey of discovery!

April 9 – 25, 2010  Performed at the Illusion Theater in Minneapolis, MN.
Named one of the ‘Top 10 Productions of the Year’ – St. Paul Pioneer Press

Music and Lyrics – Roger Miller
Book – William Hauptman
Based on Mark Twain’s 1884 classic novel

Come along on the adventure of a lifetime!  Join Huck Finn and the runaway slave Jim on a musical trip down the Mississippi River in Mark Twain’s classic tale.  Their adventures are hilarious, suspenseful and heartwarming.  Propelled by Roger Miller’s award winning score, Big River brings to life all your favorite characters, including a rascally pair of river drifters, a grieving heiress and – of course – Tom Sawyer.  The winner of 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, this jaunty journey provides a brilliantly theatrical celebration of pure Americana!

Director / Choreographer – Steven Meerdink
Musical Director – Lori Maxwell

Assistant Director – Christine Karki
Light Designer – Grant Merges
Costume Designer – Kirsten Iverson
Sound Designer – Jacob Davis
Scenic Designer – Joshua Stevens
Rehearsal Accompanist – Emily Hanson
Stage Manager – Sarah Bauer
Scenic Construction – Jay Schueller

Cast
Mark Twain / Pap Finn / Ensemble – Carl M. Schoenborn
Huckleberry Finn – Andrew Newman
Jim – Reginald Haney
Tom Sawyer / Ensemble – Kevin Chick
Young Fool / Ensemble – Samuel VanWyk
Duke / Ensemble – Max Wojtanowicz
Judge Thatcher / King / Ensemble – Ryan Grimes
Field Hand / Ensemble – Rodney Fair
Widow Douglas / Ensemble – Joyce Norman
Miss Watson / Joanna / Sally / Ensemble – Suzanne Reyburn
Mary Jane / Ensemble – Tara Borman
Strange Woman / Susan / Ensemble – Jodi Tripp
Alice / Ensemble – Nikki Anthony
Betsy / Ensemble – Michelle Delgado

Musicians
Emily Hanson (Keyboard)
Darren Hensel (Guitar)
Dennis Pollard (Brass)
Kristen Sammartano (Fiddle)
Paul David Stanko (Percussion)

“Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn … might well be the best production the company has ever done.  … the staging at Illusion Theater is one of the most mature and integrated productions that Minneapolis Musical Theatre has accomplished in the decade or so that I’ve been watching their work.  A uniformly strong-voiced cast is led by the sweet-and-clear voiced Andrew Newman as Huck and the booming, authoritative but not overbearing pipes of Reginald Haney as his raft-mate Jim.  But there are nice vocal surprises all the way down the cast list, including Michelle Christina Delgado’s soulful version of the spiritual ‘How Blest We Are’ and Tara Borman’s plaintive and lovely interpretation of ‘You Oughta Be Here With Me.’  The character roles are nicely filled — but not overstuffed — by the likes of Carl Schoenborn (who, as Huck’s dad, growls a barely articulate anti-government tirade that could immediately be adopted by the Tea Party Movement) and Ryan Grimes and Max Wojtanowicz (playing the pair of n’er-do-wells who join Huck and Jim on the raft). … where MMT’s production of Big River succeeds — and it does so more often than not — it’s a fine endeavor worthy of its source.” – St. Paul Pioneer Press

“This show, with a book by William Hauptman, remains a daring rendition of the Mark Twain classic, and it’s being given a mature and courageous production by Minneapolis Musical Theatre.  The lead roles are cast from strength.  Andrew Newman (Huck) and Reginald Haney (Jim) have strong, robust voices that blend well together.  Their duets are the musical highlights of the production, from the jubilant ‘Muddy Water’ to the deeply felt ‘Worlds Apart.’  Newman captures Huck’s initial wily innocence and makes his eventual maturation convincing and effective.  Haney gives Jim a dignity and nobility that puts the lie to the culture’s prevailing racism (which, of course, was Twain’s intention).  Among the supporting characters, Ryan Grimes and Max Wojtanowicz deliver delightfully burlesque performances, as two con men who hook up with Huck and Jim, without stinting the characters’ vile nastiness. Carl M. Schoenborn is violent and scary as Huck’s abusive father, but finds a bit of his humanity as well.” – Minneapolis Star Tribune