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| Photo courtesy of Ensemble Theatre |
Set in 1899 in London, England, the precisely punctual and clever Phileas Fogg wagered his life savings on a bet that the world was able to be circumnavigated in 80 days. Between boarding trains and steamships, Fogg and his witty French butler, Passepartout, dodge bandits, stampedes, and the thick of the jungle all while being pursued by the British police. Will the race against the clock defeat them from a timely journey to win their bet?
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| Photo courtesy of Ensemble Theatre |
The largest cast to take stage at the Ensemble in recent years, 17 actors filled the intimate stage with the grace and grandeur of a national Broadway show. Familiar faces return from past shows, including powerhouse vocalist Torie Wiggins and her co-star Annie Fitzpatrick from Black Pearl Sings. In a vast contrast to the solemn production of The Whipping Man, lead actor Ken Early delighted the audience with his portrayal of Phileas Fogg, who was filled with optimistic perseverance.
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| Photo courtesy of Ensemble Theatre |
The incredible interchangable set design transformed into a matter of moments creating vehicles from hot air balloons to trains, ships and elephants. In addition to the actors, puppeteers were incorporated as animals in a variety of scenes. Some of my favorite moments were those that involved audience participation as well as the subtle humor slipped in about Cincinnati's current transportation issues. At several points in the play, characters quipped at "reliable American rail transit" and also rode a train that stopped only halfway to their destination due to the track ending abruptly.
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| Photo courtesy of Ensemble Theatre |
Of course, it wouldn't be a musical without claiming a favorite song. Torie Wiggins, who played supporting character Aouda, a rescued Indian princess, performed a soulful and inspiring "Strong Wind, Strong Woman" as she intuitively guided a sailboat for a nearly defeated Phileas Fogg.
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| Photo courtesy of Ensemble Theatre |
Around The World In 80 Days was one of Ensemble Theatre's first commissioned musicals, with its last performance taking place 13 years ago. Cincinnatians will have many opportunities to catch this much-anticipated show, with over 30 evenings of performances scheduled between now and January 4, 2014.
