Wanda’s Monster

Wanda has recently started Kindergarten and life is pretty sweet—she has a room full of toys, her best friend, Mr. Peanut, and a rockin’ grandma. But then a monster moves into her closet. With a little musical coaxing from Granny, Wanda decides to try to befriend the monster. Erin Hutchison is fun as the spunky five-year-old, and Sharla Fisher lends Granny a great set of pipes. Alex Chouinard had the unenviable task of donning a purple onesie in a hot theatre to play the monster, along with face paint that melted off over the course of the show. The heat may have been the reason he blanked on some lines in a song toward the end. The younger members of the audience seemed prepared for a scare, but were mostly won over by Chouinard in the end. More interactive content might have helped them stay more engaged. - Chelsea Novak