Tucker Everlasting

 

Introduction:

    Hello everyone! Right before we have TWO shows in one week (with some great extra content), here is my review of Toms River High School South's musical, Tuck Everlasting! However, I acknowledge that this review is coming EXTREMELY late (like a week late) from when I watched the show, so my memory is slightly unreliable. However, I did take notes while watching the show, so my review will be based on those. Without further ado, let's talk about Tuck Everlasting!

Synopsis:

   Based on an American children's novel of the same name, Tuck Everlasting details the life of eleven-year-old Winnie Foster. Winnie yearns for a life of adventure beyond her house with her mother and nana. She then meets the Tuck Family, and her life is full of new experiences. However, once she learns of the Tuck's secret, she has to protect them from those who would do anything to obtain their eternal youth. As her involvement with the Tuck Family continues, Winnie eventually has to choose between returning to her life or living with the Tucks for eternity.

Review:

         I have a confession to make. After the dumpster fire that was Radium Girls (it was not that bad, I like to exaggerate), I was not expecting Tuck Everlasting to impress me. I would be supportive since I love musicals, but would I have loved it? I did not think so. Throughout that whole night, though, I remember being on an emotional rollercoaster in a good way.

    Let us start with the positives, shall we? If there is one MAJOR improvement from Radium Girls, it is the acting. God, it was fantastic. You know the acting is good if the actors and actresses get you to sympathize with them, cry because of them, and laugh at them all within one show. Does the plot have something to do with that? Why yes, but the execution makes the writing work, and the Toms River South Theatre Guild members did a fantastic job on the stage conveying their characters. You would have never thought these were the same actors and actresses performing Radium Girls back in November. They were less stiff, their energy was infectious, and overall, there was a better dynamic between the cast on stage. Overall, my favorite characters acting-wise were Winnie Foster, Angus Tuck, and Man in the Yellow Suit. These three especially stuck out with their impeccable line delivery and facial expressions. The Man in the Yellow Suit especially had me bending over in laughter whenever he came on stage, which was the whole point of his character.

    Another thing these kids killed was the set design. Tarzan had an impressive set design, the best of the three public Toms River High Schools. Radium Girls... there was not much to do, but it is no surprise that the sets here were stellar once again. My favorite set was the Tuck family's house. It looked like a home with all the furniture and decorations on the set, giving the place a homey feel. The tree branches, which looked painted, looked incredible. My only gripe is that there were these hanging curtains, and I am unsure if they were supposed to be the trees' leaves or clouds. But either way, they were honestly ugly. On the topic of set design, let's also discuss props since they are related. The props were fun, especially the boat with wheels and the frog. They were so committed to the frog someone made croaking sounds for it. Now that is commitment and hilarious. It was also extremely funny seeing a boat move across the stage because it had wheels, reminding me of Spongebob's boatmobile. And since I am discussing crew stuff here, I might as well bring up the lights. Lighting was alright, nothing too special. The purple lighting gave the show an air of mystery and calmness but did not stand out. Regardless, all of the crew stuff was good.

    And, can I say the songs in this musical were terrific? Because they were. And the actors and actresses had the voices to execute them properly. I have no clue why, but these songs were incredible. I had fun listening to all of them; there was never a dull moment. The choreography of the songs was also outstanding. I had a fun time watching them dance on stage, and the dance at the end showing what happened to Winney as she grew up was beautiful. A+ songs and choreography, for sure. 

    The plot of the musical itself was incredibly engaging. To people's surprise, I had never read Tuck Everlasting, so I entered this show blindly. This show made me want to read the book. The only weird thing I thought about the show was how they were forcing this romantic relationship between Winnie Foster, an 11-year-old girl, and Jesse Tuck, a 102-year-old stuck who looks like a 16-year-old boy. Either way, it was weird,  and I did NOT appreciate it. Maybe I misinterpreted it, but Jesse asking Winnie to "wait until she is 16" to drink the water of eternity so she could be with him and get married was offputting. Just have the two be best friends, and that is it. Regardless of that, I found the themes explored in this musical to be incredibly intriguing. No one wants to die, yet what would happen if we could live forever? That is what the plot addresses and shows the audience that living forever is not what it is all cracked up to be. It was a chilling but much-needed message, as people fear death and want to escape it when they should live life to the fullest since the next day is not always guaranteed.

    I have a lot to say about this show's positives. However, we must move on to the negatives too. But first, here is a list of my favorite quotes throughout the show:

• "You're an evil banana."
• "You TRICKED me! We CLIMBED a tree!"
• "I've got me the best man on the case, ME!"
• "YAHOO!"

    This show did not have as many funny moments as The Lightning Thief, sadly.

    But now, onto the negatives. While mic issues are typical, they still happened frequently enough that I remembered them during the show I went to. The actors and actresses of the main cast were incredible, but the ensemble felt lackluster. This especially showed in the choreography, as some were often off-timing. I was also confused with the spirits. This is likely because I did not read the show, but why were some ensemble members' roles "spirit"? That is what I want to know. Other than those questions and minor complaints, Tuck Everlasting was excellent.

Conclusion:

     Tuck Everlasting was worth the money. For just $5, I watched a charming show that pleasantly surprised me about the Toms River High School South Theatre Guild. Quite the steal if you ask me. I laughed, almost cried, and smiled from seeing Winnie Foster develop from this meek 11-year-old wishing for adventure to an old lady living life to the fullest. The musical was filled with talent, and I am ecstatic to see where they go next.