Lights! Camera! Action! Wiggles!

There is something surreal about seeing someone that you have faithfully watched on television for years and years and have fallen in love with. All of a sudden, you are sitting in a theatre watching them 20 feet in front of your face. The Wiggles have been a huge part of entertaining and educating children and families for over twenty years. They have contributed a wealth of enjoyment and positive morality that makes our world a little bit better.

After all this time, the original four Wiggles: Anthony Field (the Blue Wiggle), Murray Cook (the Red Wiggle), Greg Page (the Yellow Wiggle), and Jeff Fatt (the Purple Wiggle) are bringing their union to an end. This very special and emotional goodbye is made by their Celebration! tour, which is traveling around the country till the end of the year.

Celebration! is a fun, exciting, colorful, interactive, singing, dancing extravaganza filled with all of your favorite songs and characters from the last two decades. There is an amazing arrival by the “Fab Four” in their iconic big red car: Murray playing his guitar, Greg driving, Anthony waving to the audience, and Jeff (of course!) falling asleep. There is a great big welcome and hello from all and on with the show. More songs, more magical adventure, and then…………………? Yes! It’s Captain Feathersword! He is singing, dancing, doing acrobatics on a steel, 20-foot cube frame. Without missing a beat, Wags the Dog appears, the kids go nuts, and then Henry the Octopus! The kids are yelling, screaming, and laughing,

You have not seen anything yet. As soon as Anthony poses the question of “Who likes roses?,” the kids go crazy! Not only did more than half of the audience bring bouquets of roses, but because they know here comes Dorothy the Dinosaur! As Dorothy brings her song to an end and the show comes to a close, The Wiggles do a fast-paced medley of their songs and invite Moms, Dads, and the kids to stand up and sing and dance. Then, after a standing ovation during the curtain call, we are showered by an exploding cannon of confetti and streamers.

This was probably one of the best children’s theatrical events I have ever witnessed and something that my entire family and I will hold very close to our hearts and never forget.

Though the tour usually only plays one night in each city, I hope by reading this you will spread the word from town to town, city to city, coast to coast, and tell everyone you know to catch this legendary event!

Disclaimer: ShowBizRadio was provided four complimentary media tickets for this review.

The Wiggles are coming! The Wiggles are coming!

That’s right, folks, the legendary children’s music group from down under is coming to our nation’s capital. This Tuesday, The Wiggles, who formed in Sydney, Australia more than 20 years ago, are bringing their farewell “Celebration” Tour to the Warner Theatre in Washington DC.

If you are a parent of younger children, or even older children for that matter, then one way or another, The Wiggles have probably crossed your path. Whether a diehard fan or parent of a diehard fan, you know how big a deal this is.

For those who unfortunately have not had the pleasure of being entertained by The Wiggles, here is a short history. The Wiggles are Anthony Field (the blue Wiggle), Murray Cook (the red Wiggle), Greg Page (the Yellow Wiggle), and Jeff Fatt (the Purple Wiggle). Page retired in 2006 due to ill-health and was replaced by Sam Moran, but returned in 2012, replacing Moran. In May 2012, The Wiggles announced that they will be doing a farewell tour, and, after the tour, Cook, Page, and Fatt will be leaving the group. Three new members will be joining Field, as The Wiggles continue to entertain and educate children all around the world. The Wiggles have left us with memorable and beloved characters, such as Captain Feathersword, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus, and, of course, Dorothy the Dinosaur and a cornucopia of songs. We will never forget “Big Red Car,” “Rock-a-bye a Bear,” “Hot Potato,” and the ever iconic “Fruit Salad (Yummy, Yummy).”

ShowBizRadio was very fortunate to be able to get a quick interview with Jeff Fatt. Here is what the purple Wiggle had to say:

SBR: You were originally a member of The Cockroaches. In what ways has being a Wiggle been different and similar to being part of an adult rock band?

JF: Well, (Jeff responds with a reminiscing chuckle), The Cockroaches was a rock band, and our audience was a bit different, but the similarity is that I was playing music and entertaining audiences.

SBR: How has this last tour been? Is it great to have Greg back? How is he doing?

JF: It has been a blast! And very busy. It is great having Greg back; we have all missed him greatly. He is doing absolutely great.

SB: Are you excited or sad about leaving the group? Why did you all make that decision at this time? What are the future plans for Anthony and the three new Wiggles?

JF: Well, a bit of both obviously. It has been long time, and it’s sad to leave. But we all agreed that this was the right time. Anthony will be joined by three brand new Wiggles: Emma, Simon, and Lachlan. And the journey will continue.

SBR: I hear that you really do fall asleep all the time. Is that art imitating life, life imitating art, or just a rumor?

JF: A bit of both actually. It actually started as a joke a long time ago with the guys. Sometimes I nap; I’m naturally a very laid back person (he adds with another chuckle).

SBR: When you were a teenager, who were some of your early musical influences?

JF: Well it was the sixties. But mostly The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin.

SBR: Is there anyone current on the music scene that you are really into?

JF: No not really, I tend to stick with what I like, and for me that’s still the same.

SBR: Jeff, what is your plan after you leave The Wiggles?

JF: Not quite sure really. But I am excited to see where life takes me.

SBR: Jeff, one last question: Is there anything in particular that audience members should know before coming, like to bring flowers for Dorothy?

JF: They should know that they are in for a great show and a ton of fun. And Yes, Yes, Yes, Of Course, Bring flowers for Dorothy!

I got a very genuine feeling from Jeff, and it is crystal clear that Jeff is a Wiggle for life and will miss the joy and honor of performing for children from around the globe. He will be greatly missed. The Wiggles perform at The Warner Theatre in Washington, DC on Tuesday October 9th. Show times are 2pm and 6:30pm.

Most people know that, in 1991, Disney Studios released its 30th full-length animated film Beauty and the Beast. What most people don’t know is that it became the very first animated film that was nominated for an Academy Award in the best picture category; that it broke box office records at the time; and that, on April 18, 1994, the musical version opened at the Palace Theatre and ran on Broadway for 13 years and became the 8th longest-running musical in history. It has been touring around the country and around the world for just as long.

And, once again, it’s here, running at the National Theatre from June 12th- 24th. This brilliant, spectacular, amazing, breath-taking production comes with Original Direction and Staging by Tony-nominated Director Rob Roth, with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Asman and Tim Rice, and a book by Linda Wolverton.

The musical and the animated film are both based on the fairy tale La Belle et la Bete by Jeanne Marrie le Prince de Beaumont. The plot is a fairy tale and enchanting as it gets.

An enchantress disguised as an old beggar woman offers a young prince a rose in exchange for a night’s shelter. When he turns her away, she punishes him by transforming him into an ugly Beast (Dane Agostinis). She gives him a magic mirror that will enable him to view faraway events, and she gives him the rose, which will bloom until his twenty-first birthday. He must love and be loved in return before all the rose’s petals have fallen off, or he will remain a Beast forever. As the tortured Beast, Agostinis allows the beastly make-up to strip away so that the audience sees the broken man underneath. And, luckily for the Beast, the audience are not the only ones.

Years later, a beautiful young woman named Belle (Emily Behny) comes along, living in a nearby French village with her father Maurice (William A. Martin), an inventor. Belle loves reading and yearns for a life beyond the village. Behny does an incredible job of staying true to the story and expectations, yet she is able to bring a new life to the character and to truly reinvent Belle for herself. She brings new life, energy, and dimensions to the role. It only gets better as the show progresses with the beautiful coupling between her and Agostinis. There is a beautiful scene when Belle is reading the Beast a story, and it is just magical.

The Beast, however, is not her only admirer. Her beauty attracts attention in the town and she is pursued by many men, but mostly the arrogant local hunter, Gaston (Matt Farcher). Belle has no interest in Gaston, despite the fact that he is sought after by all the single females and is considered godlike in perfection by the male population of the town. Farcher is brilliant in his humorous and grand-scale take on the familiar character. Enhancing the comedic scenes with Farcher is his sidekick Lefou (Jimmy Larkin).

To add to the magic of the show, the Beast was not the only one transformed. All of his servants were turned into furniture and other household items: Lumiere, a candelabra (Michael Haller); Cogsworth, a clock (James May); Mrs. Potts, a teapot (Julia Louise Hosack); her son Chip, a tea-cup (Noah Jones); Babette, a feather duster (Jessica Lorion); and Madame de la Grande Bouche, a vanity (Jen Bechter). It is the servants who form the true backbone of the production, not missing a beat. Bechter practically steals every moment, while never taking away from the other actors or the progression and flow of the story.

The set and scenery are mesmerising, the costumes are as if you just stepped into a fairy tale. The Puppet Design (Basil Twist), Fight Direction (Rick Sordelet), and the Illusion Design (Jim Steinmeyer) are some of the best and most innovative you will ever see! The cast is stellar! Not enough can be said about each and everyone’s detailed, fresh, flawless, interpretation of their roles; the vocals are beautiful and pitch perfect.

As cliché as it sound, this is a show for all, a beautiful sight, an inspiring moral, a memorable lesson and one heck of a good time. So…be their guest, be their guest, put their talents to the test! Don’t miss this one.

Photo Gallery

Emily Behny as Belle	Emily Behny and the cast
Dane Agostinis as Beast and Emily Behny as Belle	The Enchanted Objects
Emily Behny as Belle and Dane Agostinis as Beast	Emily Behny as Belle and the cast

Photos by Joan Marcus

Cast

• Belle: Emily Behny
• Beast: Dane Agostinis
• Gaston: Matt Farcher
• Lefou: Jimmy Larkin
• Mrs. Potts: Julia Louise Hosack
• Lumire: Michael Haller
• Cogsworth: James May
• Babette: Jessica Lorion
• Maurice: William A. Martin
• Madame De La Grande Bouche: Jen Bechter
• Chip: Noah Jones/Gabriel Reis
• Monsieur D’arque: Matt Kopec
• Young Prince: David Baur
• Carpet: David Baur
• Silly Girls: Brittany Conigatti, Amanda Grace Holt, Christie Schwartzman
• Towns People/Enchanted Objects: David Baur, Andrew Betz, Sky Bronfenbrenne, Jeff Brooks, Carly Casey, Brittany Conigatti, Kyle Dupree, Amanda Grace Holt, Brian Kess, Kolby Kindle, Caroline Kittrel, Matt Kopec, Carter Lynch, Lauren Palmeri, Christie Schwartzman, Mandy Striph
• Voice Of Prologue Narrator: Logan Denninghoff

Disclaimer: The National Theatre provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.