The 101 Dalmatians Musical

Broadway Across America recently invited my family to experience one of the great classic tales to hit the stage.  The 101 Dalmatians Musical is full of song and dance and is fun for the whole family. 

Clowes Memorial Hall (map) was the sight of our outing.  Located on the campus of Butler University in Indianapolis, IN (map) this venue has been the sight of numerous  performing arts events for over 40 years.

I recall attending performances of the Nutcracker Ballet here when I was a young girl. Now, sitting with my own children, a huge wave of nostalgia came over me.  I was thrilled to see that Clowes Hall remained as grand as my memories.

Many of us, myself included, associate this tale with the animated Disney film and later live action versions, which star Glenn Close as the evil Cruella.  Those films were actually based on the classic 1957 children’s tale by Dodie Smith, The Hundred and One Dalmatians and its sequel, The Starlight Barking.

Smith admitted that the character Pongo, was named for her own beloved Dalmatian and when a friend joked that he would make a nice fur coat, a story was born.

As the curtain went up, I tried very hard to push the Disney images out of my mind.  Seeing the world through the dogs point of view, I was instantly transformed into a topsy-turvy world where dogs are the owners and humans are unusual, curious creatures to the dogs.

I particularly loved one scene where, Missus, the mother dog in this version,  is explaining in exact details how to care for her humans in her absence.  From bounding into humans bedrooms early, to cleaning humans faces daily with licking, to letting humans pet you behind the ears because they really like to do that, there is not a dog owner out there that could not relate to these instructions.

The costumes and scenery help to separate this world of human versus dog in a way that reminded me of  Dr. Seuss.  The dog actors are dressed in obvious white with black spots.  The humans, however are dressed in bright colors and stilted shoes adding to their height and forcing the “dogs” to appear smaller.  The over sized furniture and stretched props add to the height difference.

The music was peppy and light and full of fun dances with moves that kept the attention of all those seated around me.  “Twilight Barking” and “Be a Little Bit Braver” were fun toe tapping favorites and the tender “My Sweet Child” really tugged at this mother’s heartstrings.

I had heard tale of a surprise ending that featured rescued and now trained four-legged actors.  True to the rumors these frolicking “stage hands” made a grand appearance.

For a fun family evening, I recommend purchasing tickets to The 101 Dalmatians Musical at a theater near your home.

Photo Selection: flikr