MUSICAL ‘LIT’ WILL CHARM THE WHOLE FAMILY
World premiere from Blindspot Collective is now streaming
As Disney and Pixar figured out long ago, creating a story that entertains children while also resonating with adults is a rare and magical thing.
That’s the case with “Lit,” a world-premiere musical for children and families produced by Blindspot Collective of San Diego. The musical was commissioned by the California Center for the Arts, Escondido, where it was filmed onstage this spring and premiered for streaming Friday. After the show’s digital runs closes May 16, Blindspot aims to market the show to San Diego County classrooms for students in grades two through five.
“Lit” has all the makings for an eye-catching children’s show — with puppetry, pirates, dancing, songs and an endearing childlike central character. But it also has an interesting thematic story and clever lyrics that adults will find entertaining. The show looks gorgeous and has a multitalented cast whose members sing, dance and play their own instruments.
Desha Crownover directs the production and wrote the story on which the musical is based. The book and lyrics were written by Blake McCarty, and the score is by Ian Brandon. The script was further developed for production by its six-member cast: Kailey Agpaoa, Morgan Hollingsworth, Joe Kao, Dakota Ringer, Sarah Jane Salonga and Heather Tjalma Barton.
The story is told in five parts with a variety of simple but charming theatrical techniques, including shadow puppetry, marionettes, acoustic instruments, small dioramas and drawings that glow under black light.
The play’s central character is Celeste, played by Agpaoa. The timid daughter of Mother Moon, Celeste becomes frightened when the sun disappears one day, but her mom is too busy overseeing the world, so Celeste is left alone in the dark. Fortunately for the viewer watching at home, “Lit” is beautifully illuminated by lighting designer Michael Barahura.
Finding her courage, Celeste sets sail on a nautical adventure where she meets a nosy bird named Luna and the “not-so-jolly Rogers” band of pirates. She also travels to the bottom of the sea, where she meets a selfconscious whale named Melanie. Melanie’s song, the ballad “Too Much,” is the show’s best tune, but there is also a fun pirate shanty and several other songs that highlight the ensemble’s vocal harmony.
The show’s one flaw, at least for me, was Celeste’s efforts to find and combine three different sources of light — phosphorescence, incandescence and iridescence — in order to create luminescence, which isn’t really how that works. And the script’s effort to tie each form of light to a human quality — like creativity or compassion — gets a bit confusing.
There are almost too many ideas in the play, particularly an odd scene involving a flaming German punch called a “feuerzangenbowle.” If I couldn’t figure everything out, I wondered how kids would? But I have no doubt that children will be swept up in the fun and creative songs and the imaginative storytelling of the show.
“Lit,” which runs 55 minutes, is streaming through May 16. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at blindspotcollective.org/lit.