The 101 Dalmatians Musical

Actors on stilts! I never really got over this fact. It was a good idea, but the illusion just made all the "people" look like they could not walk! The 101 Dalmatians Musical must likely is not the greatest choice for a musical. If I were 7, I think I would have gotten wrapped up in the world they created on stage. All the actors on stage, did a fine job. There were a few vocal problems, maybe just this performance, but they all did great with what they had (which was not much). The kids in the show really did the best job. At least they had dance numbers. Choreographers beware, adults on 12 inch stilts creates limited mobility! Most numbers consisted of standing in place with limited arm movement. My play date, Penny, left the theatre singing "Be a Little Bit Braver," not to my liking. Mainly due to the fact that this song showed up in the show 3 times, creating the only possible choice for an audience member to remember.

Sara Gettelfinger did a fine job with Cruella De Vil, but Cruella is such a one-dimension character it would be hard to screw up. She likes fur, she steals puppies, wants to kill puppies, losses puppies, and then dies, THE END. Part of me wishes that I would have been able to see Rachel York play the role, as I have seen her on stage before, but she recently dropped the show. Wonder why?

The parts of Jasper and Jinx (played by Michael Thomas Holmes and Robert Anthony Jones) had the show stopping number in the second act, "Having the Crime of Our Lives." Well, it would have been a show stopper if the average age of the audience was not 12. This number may have had the most "choreography" for anyone in the stilts.

I not going to bad mouth this show, other reviews have all ready done that. I think this is a great show for the family, but dont expect anything out of it. The live dogs are way too cute, the songs are so-so, and the jokes are bad.

The 101 Dalmatian Musical plays though February 28th at the Cadillac Palace in Chicago.www.broadwayinchicago.com