The Quest of Bilbo Baggins

The Hobbit

Set in mythical Middle Earth during the ancient time, between the age of Faeries and the Dominion of Men, simple and home-loving Bilbo Baggins hears an unexpected knocking at his Hobbit hole door. Just as he’s settling down for tea, Gandalf, the Wizard, comes calling to convince Mr. Baggins that he needs some adventure in his life. Suddenly, thirteen dwarves descend upon Bilbo’s cozy underground home. Led by Thorin, their proud and pompous leader, the dwarves are setting off on a quest to both take back their kingdom under Lonely Mountain and to retrieve the treasures stolen by Smaug, a wicked and ferocious dragon. 

The wise and highly-respected wizard convinces the Dwarf King and his followers that Bilbo Baggins is the perfect individual  to accompany them on their journey. Gandalf tells them that Mr. Baggins is an accomplished thief and can help them recapture their land and recover their riches. Before he knows what’s happening, the quest of Bilbo Baggins begins.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s 1937 children’s classic, The Hobbit, has been a favorite of readers for decades, both young and old alike. The exciting and bewitching novel has inspired a radio series, a Finnish mini television series, a magnificent film trilogy and an animated musical. But playwright Greg Banks (PINOCCHIO, ROBIN HOOD, THE JUNGLE BOOK) is a veritable master at reintroducing the classics to young audiences. His 90-minute, one-act version of THE HOBBIT is an exciting, action-packed retelling of Tolkien’s novel. This magical, mystical adventure is directed with glorious creativity by Artistic Director, Randy White. His production invites theatergoers to use their imaginations to fill in the blanks, while often sending the adventure out into the audience. The lengthy saga is incredibly clever, fast-paced and staged on a beautifully designed unit set, by Jacqueline Penrod. Bridget Williams’ moody, mysterious lighting design plays a big part in creating the atmosphere of the epic tale. Cindy Moon’s imaginative costumes help the actors morph into various unusual characters. The play also features a couple of rousing songs and an evocative score, composed by Thomas Johnson and Sam Shankman, and played live by music director Sam Shankman and Adam Nigh.

There are many moments when it seems like the stage is filled with a cast of thousands. But, unbelievably, Mr. White tells Tolkien’s tale employing the talents of only five actors. And audiences would be hard-pressed to find a more talented quintet of performers. The likable, larger-than-life and loquacious Teddy Gales (A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD, at YPT;  THE 25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, at Paramount; 1776, at Marriott) who resembles actor Jack Black, is simply splendid as our hero, Bilbo Baggins. But every other character and creature in this production is portrayed by the other four gifted actors. 

The mega-gifted and multitalented Dakota Hughes (CHARLOTTE’S WEB, DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS, at Young People’s Theatre; POOR PEOPLE, QUEEN FOR A DAY, with Hell in a Handbag; THE SECRET GARDEN, at Theo Ubique) returns to YPT, splendidly portraying Gandalf, Gollum, the Elfin King and a host of other characters. Travis Ascione (SHE LOVES ME, PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE, at Citadel; SOMETHING ROTTEN, SWEENEY TODD, at Texas Shakespeare Festival) is the proud and stubborn Dwarf King. He’s also bold and brash as Dwalin, another dwarf, as well as several other characters. Spunky and especially talented Genevieve Corkery makes her YPT debut playing several characters, such as Kili, the dwarf, and manipulating the head of the gigantic puppet portraying Smaug, the dragon.  And Alex Benito Rodriguez (YOU WILL GET SICK, at Steppenwolf; INHERIT THE WIND, at Goodman; LIFESPAN OF A FACT, at TimeLine) returns to YPT to portray Balin, Bard the Bowman and a number of additional characters with strength and agility.  All in all, this is one of the most hard-working and accomplished casts theatergoers will ever enjoy.

With each and every new production, Young People’s Theatre of Chicago continues to entertain and impress. A shining star among the firmament of Chicago children’s theaters, YPT is a popular and reliable venue for bringing notable juvenile literary works to life. Under Randy White’s expert leadership, THE HOBBIT is full of exhilarating adventure and memorable characters. This production spectacularly brings to life a brave little hobbit, a wise wizard, an army of dwarves, man-eating trolls, ingenious elves, evil goblins, giant spiders, talking eagles, wolves and an enormous dragon. The play, featuring the edge-of- your-seat quest of Bilbo Baggins, is perfect for children in the upper grades, and continues this fine theatre company’s record of excellence.    

Highly Recommended

Reviewed by Colin Douglas

Presented February 7-March 1 by Young People’s Theatre of Chicago at the Greenhouse Theater Center, 2257 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago.

Tickets are available at the Greenhouse box office, by calling 773-404-7336 or by going to boxoffice@greenhousetheater.org or yptchi.org. 

Additional information about this and other area productions can be found by visiting www.theatreinchicago.com