Winnie The Pooh Musical is the original first production of the musical Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Adaptation created by Jonathan Rockefeller and Rockefeller Productions.
On December 15th, 2021 the official accounts of the musical announced for the spring of 2022 the musical would be in Chicago at the Mercury theatre beginning in March. on March 3rd the next year they revealed the cast of the musical which consisted all of the original male cast members from the original New York production in 2021 but had new female cast members (which were Emilie Rose Danno, Carolyn Plurad, and Tina-Kim Nguyen). On March 11th a sneak peek of the show took place revealing the new sign for the theatre playing the production and sang 2 of the songs from the show (specifically the Winnie The Pooh theme song and The Wonderful Thing About Tigger's) with all of the performing cast members of the show followed by a photo op at the end. On March 15th they had they're first full show performance preview but for some (currently) unexplained reason Chris Palmieri (the one who originated the stage role of Tigger) decided to leave the show after the first preview leaving Sebastiano Ricci to take on being Tigger until Josh Bernaski could be the role starting in April. On March 21st it was revealed that Jake and Emmanuel (the ones who originated the stage roles of Winnie the pooh and Eeyore/Rabbit/Owl respectively) Werent going to stay on the roles during the run because they made a new cast announcement like the last one only Jake, Chris, and Emmanuel were replaced by Will Rupert, Josh Bernaski, and Frank Cesario respectively beginning on April 17th (though Jake did make one last tv appearance on April 19th before leaving). So the production began playing at Mercury Theatre in Chicago for a limited 13-week run lasting from March 15 to June 12, 2022 with an opening night on March 23rd, 2022.
Information About The Show[]
Following the format of Timon and Pumbaa from Disney’s The Lion King and Olaf from Frozen the Musical, the actors playing the characters are purposely not hidden from view. Their faces and performances as just as important as their endearing puppetry.
Set in the classic Hundred Acre Woods, a secret and hidden forest clearing, young Christopher Robin lets his imagination come to life when he plays with his famous fictional teddy bear and his world of wonderful friends. Originally created by English author and World War l veteran, Alan Alexander Milne, Pooh’s popularity stems from the characters’ relatability and innocence. With that in mind, the live action show is both created and directed by Jonathan Rockefeller and produced in association with Disney Theatrical Group. Disney’s involvement upped the show’s game exponentially. The puppets are credited to builder Matthew Lish and his team of artists, designers, patternmakers, welders and fabricators at Rockefeller Productions.
As for the performers, Jake Bazel completely embodies the essence of Winnie the Pooh. I flashed back to childhood immediately upon his first utterance of Pooh’s signature “Oh Bother.” Mimicking Sterling Holloway, the original voice actor from the 1960s but making the character solidly his own. Scene stealer Emmanuel Elpenord was tasked with bringing a trio of characters to life; sad sack donkey, Eeyore, knowledgeable Owl and persnickety Rabbit. He nailed all three, Eeyore clearly proving to be the audience favorite. Tina-Kim Nguyen brought Pooh’s pint-sized best friend Piglet to life. The bombastic Tigger given all the energy and, well, bounce, from Sebastiano Ricci. William Daily is the only performer to not have a puppet strapped to his person, portraying the young Christopher Robin.
Credited as a musical, songs performed include all of the fan favorites; “Winnie the Pooh”, “The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers”, “Sing-Ho (For the Life of a Bear)” and “Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce”. These little ditties hand selected from several previously produced Pooh programming’s; and featurettes Winnie the Pooh & the Honey Tree (1966) and Winnie the Pooh & the Blustery Day (1968), The Tigger Movie (2000), and Piglet’s Big Movie (2003).
The story is made up of vignettes from a few very well-known Winnie the Pooh animated adventures by Disney, all culled from the pages of multiple storybooks. The most delightful and giggle inducing visual is Pooh’s head stuck in a tree, aimlessly kicking his hind legs in the air while his friends concoct a scheme for his eventual rescue. Set over a single calendar year, we collectively get to experience all four seasons, with “leaves” blowing and “snowflakes” falling over the first few rows of the audience in attendance. Zach Pizza’s lighting and Jack Golden’s scenic design help craft the passage of time and seasons with heartwarming results. Golden’s take on Rabbit’s garden deserves a closeup, pre-show look. Anyone with even the slightest of green thumbs will get a chuckle out of the details.
A source of consternation and immediate post-show debate was Lindsay McWilliams’ costuming. Dressed in denim and neutral tones, the actors fit right into the proceedings effortlessly, not pulling focus from their puppet partners. I personally appreciated we could see the actors’ faces during their performance. Others I was chatting with thought they should all be adorned in black from head to toe, like a stage hand. That level of stark black wouldn’t fit in this world, surely standing out against the pale pastel landscape that Christopher Robin’s imagination created. Seems everyone’s a critic nowadays, but this review space is solidly mine.[1]
There might be no better proof of theatrical success than to join an audience packed with tiny tots and watch as they sit (often perched on a booster seat or a parent’s lap) and remain totally engaged with what is happening on stage for a solid hour.
That was the scene at the Mercury Theater on the opening night of its large-scale yet intimate production of “Disney’s Winnie the Pooh,” the new musical stage adaptation of British writer A.A. Milne’s classic tales. The production was created and directed by Jonathan Rockefeller and brought to vivid life by a cast of six delightful actor/puppeteers who both operate and voice their larger (and sometimes smaller) than life characters.
Along with these animals (who possess many easily recognizable human personality traits, which keeps the adults in the audience laughing) is Christopher Robin, the young schoolboy who is a good friend of Pooh and his fellow creatures, and is played with the utmost natural charm by William Dally.
At the center of the story, which moves through the seasons (and features a score that draws primarily on the light-hearted songs composed for the 1966 animated film by the fabled Sherman Brothers, along with a few additional tunes by Carly Simon, Steve Nelson and the show’s fine sound designer, Nate Edmondson) is Winnie the Pooh. The plump bear, with an engaging spirit and an insatiable appetite for honey, is winningly animated and voiced by puppeteer Jake Bazel. And in a particularly funny scene, the puppet spends quite a while stuck in a honey tree, with only his bottom and his chunky legs hanging out until he is rescued.
Pooh’s creature community, which inhabits the lovely Hundred Acre Wood (with a set design by Jack Golden that includes a lovely stream and footbridge, lighting by Zach Pizza, and whimsical, character-defining costumes by Lindsay McWilliams), is full of distinctive personalities. They include a demure little Piglet (Tina-Kim Nguyen), the kangaroo known as Kanga (Emilie Rose Danno), the self-important Tigger the tiger (Sebastiano Ricci), and Eeyore the elderly donkey, a self-assured Owl, and Rabbit, a serious carrot farmer (all played by Emmanuel Elpenord), with Carolyn Plurad as the cast’s female “swing,” who plays three of the animals in rotation. Butterflies and bees, suspended on thin poles, fly throughout the forest from time to time, too.
To be sure, there is great humor in these various animals’ quirks, mischief, orneriness, very particular appetites and sense of self-importance. But the crucial threads that keep them together is a love for their natural environment, a tolerance for their neighbors, and a belief in the essential need for friendship and communal caring with each other, as well as with Christopher Robin, the boy with a love of adventure.[2]
CHICAGO – After its acclaimed, record-breaking run in New York City, Jonathan Rockefeller’s Disney’s Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation will arrive in Chicago on March 15, 2022 for a limited 13-week run through June 12, 2022, bringing Pooh, Christopher Robin, and their best friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit and Owl (and Tigger too!) to the Mercury Theatre Chicago (3745 N. Southport Ave.)Tickets go on sale for the general public starting Jan. 5, 2022, at 10 a.m.
Inspired by the beloved books by A. A. Milne and the classic Disney featurettes, the production was welcomed in New York with rave reviews where it was called “A perfect reintroduction to live theater. It’s a captivating adventure with spectacular puppetry,”(Mommy Poppins); “Charming and whimsical stage show that Pooh surpasses every expectation I had for it,”(The Laughing Place); “Winnie the Pooh is delightfully first-rate,”(Theatre Pizzazz); “Irresistible. ‘Winnie the Pooh’ is sweeter than honey,”(DCMetro Arts); “An hour of bountiful joy,”(New York Theatre Guide); “Mesmerizing life-size puppets and original Sherman Brothers tunes, the beautiful new Winnie the Pooh musical is must-see,”(Theatrely); and “The wonderful thing about musicals is that musicals are wonderful things. The New ‘Winnie the Pooh’ Musical Is Sweeter than Honey,” (Toy Insider.)
“The music, the life-size puppets, and the charming performances are the perfect way to introduce (or re-introduce) audiences to live theatre, and this is a must-see show for Winnie the Pooh fans of all ages. I am thrilled to be entrusted to bring this celebrated character to the stage for new audiences as they join our adventure into the Hundred Acre Wood. And what a grand adventure we had in New York City and now we look forward to celebrating Pooh and friends in Chicago,” said Jonathan Rockefeller, creator of Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Adaptation.
In a new story from the Hundred Acre Wood, this fresh stage adaptation is told with impressive life-size puppetry, telling exciting new stories featuring characters that have played iconic roles in the lives of children for generations. Accompanying the magical, modern narrative is an original score from Nate Edmondson, which features some of the songs written for the animated feature from The Sherman Brothers’, including Winnie the Pooh, The Blustery Day, The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers and Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce and A.A. Milne’s The More It Snows (featuring music by Carly Simon) and Sing Ho, a new arrangement.
Winnie the Pooh broke theatre box office records during its New York premiere for largest advance and is developed and presented by renowned family entertainment creator Jonathan Rockefeller (whose spectacular puppetry is omnipresent in the acclaimed productions of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, Paddington Gets in a Jam and the recently released streaming film Paddington Saves Christmas).[3]
Disney’s Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation is at Mercury Theater in Chicago now through through June 12, 2022! Katie and Rita’s families had the opportunity to go and absolutely loved the show. Keep reading for their reviews and a sneak peek for what you can expect from the performance.
In a new story from the Hundred Acre Wood, this fresh stage adaptation is told with impressive life-size puppetry, telling exciting new stories featuring characters that have played iconic roles in the lives of children for generations. Accompanying the magical, modern narrative is an original score from Nate Edmondson, which features some of the songs written for the animated feature from The Sherman Brothers’, including Winnie the Pooh, The Blustery Day, The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers and Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce and A.A. Milne’s The More It Snows (featuring music by Carly Simon) and Sing Ho, a new arrangement.
From the first sound of Winnie the Pooh’s voice, the audience was transported to The Hundred Acre Woods. The Winnie the Pooh show didn’t miss a single detail. There’s something so magical about Tigger’s irreplaceable giggle and Eeyore’s somber tone. Bumblebees buzzed, leaves fell on audience members at the first sign of autumn.
We loved to clap and cheer for Winnie the Pooh as he searched for his jar of Hunny. We loved the animated facial expressions of the puppeteers as they guided our childhood favorites around the stage. My 3, 6 and 8 year-old were all equally excited to be watching the show. We were all transported back to our childhood as we witnessed tender moments between these classic friends.
The theater is small enough that there truly isn’t a bad seat in the house. For it being a family-friendly atmosphere, the quality of set design, costume, and acting performances, is amazing.
The show was about 60 minutes with no intermission, the perfect length for little guests.
Mercury Theater is situated in the Southport Corridor, a lively neighborhood on Chicago’s north side. For our morning performance, we were able to easily find street parking directly in front of the theater. (Note: it was a maximum of 3-hour parking session, more than enough time for the show) I would imagine that evening performances may be more difficult to find parking, so plan ahead with your timing. There are plenty of local restaurants right along Southport Avenue if you’re looking to enjoy a meal while you’re in the city.
Winnie the Pooh was a wonderful first theater experience for our twin 4 year old sons. The music, voices, colors, and stage lighting all created such an amazing sensory experience for the entire family. The excitement of the entire audience was palpable and this well-known childhood story was appreciated by all ages. The puppetry stood out most to me. The coordination of foot and hand work was impressive as each performer brought their character to life.
Contrary to a typical musical, Winnie the Pooh mixes storytelling and music, which kept the kids entertained and engaged. The hour long performance was a perfect length and my kids are still singing the music afterwards. What a huge hit for our family![4]
Cast[]
- Jake Bazel as Pooh (March 2022 - April 2022)
- Chris Palmieri as Tigger (March opening night 2022)
- Emmanuel Elpenord as Eeyore/Rabbit/Owl (March 2022 - April 2022)
- Sebastiano Ricci (understudy swing in) as Tigger, Eeyore, Rabbit, and Owl
- Will Rupert as Pooh (April 2022 - June 2022)
- Josh Bernaski as Tigger (Eeyore/Rabbit/Owl understudy) (March 2022 - June 2022)
- Frank Cesario as Eeyore/Rabbit/Owl (Pooh understudy) (April 2022 - June 2022)
- Emilie Rose Danno as Piglet/Roo (Kanga understudy)
- Carolyn Plurad as Kanga (Piglet/Roo understudy)
- Tina-Kim Nguyen as Piglet/Roo (Kanga understudy)
Trivia[]
- On May 18th Nate Gammon proposed to his girlfriend Hailey Potts durring a vib meet and greet and the official show account made a post about it[5].
Gallery[]
Links[]
https://news.wttw.com/2022/04/19/winnie-pooh-musical-adaptation-mercury-theater-chicago
- ↑ https://stageandcinema.com/2022/04/16/winnie-the-pooh-mercury/
- ↑ https://news.wttw.com/2022/03/30/piglets-and-tigers-and-bears-oh-my-playful-puppet-rendering-disney-s-winnie-pooh-mercury
- ↑ https://northsidechicago.macaronikid.com/articles/622a6b82d986e04637e552a4/disneys-winnie-the-pooh
- ↑ https://mykidlist.com/mercury-theater-chicago/
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CdtfQlxOhPk/