Jeff Daniels' Yooper comedy, "Escanaba in Love," has finally made it to Lansing.
After completing its run at Chelsea's Purple Rose Theatre Company and Detroit's Gem Theatre, "Escanaba in Love" debuted at Lansing's BoarsHead Theater, 425 S. Grand Ave., on April 30 and will continue until June 15.
The hilarious production is the prequel to Daniels' 1995 hit "Escanaba in da Moonlight" and takes place at the Soady family deer camp near Escanaba in the Upper Peninsula.
The show draws heavily on Yooper stereotypes such as thick accents that left the audience aching with laughter.
With the help of a talented cast, the play, set in the 1940s, tells the story of 18-year-old Albert Soady Jr., who joins his father, grandfather and an old family acquaintance at the deer camp cabin for one last hunting trip before he's shipped off to war.
Instead, Soady shows up with a big surprise. A Big Betty Balou surprise, to be exact.
Anxious about the notion of joining the military, Soady has gotten married and intends to spend his honeymoon with his new wife at the camp. The other men, namely Albert Soady Sr., are hesitant to let a woman join the camp, and once they actually meet Balou - the wife in question - they are even more put off by the huge personality her name suggests.
The show's quirky characters, mingled with a refreshing plotline, a taste of song and dance and Daniels' characteristic touch of sentimentality, makes for an evening of laughter and warmth that audiences of all ages can appreciate.
With little exception, the show's casting was brilliant - although I was originally perplexed by Wayne David Parker's portrayal of Salty Jim. Now, fully acquainted with the character, I applaud Parker's energy, his theatricality, and his focus - all of which helped reinforce the silly nature of the show.
Will David Young's performance as Alphonse Soady, perhaps the most enjoyable character in the production, was stunning. Recent Central Michigan University graduate Charlyn Swarthout delivered a fun and mature performance as Balou that left me unconvinced it was actually her first show.
No matter your general excitement about theater, this show is one that no enthusiastic Michiganian should miss, and one that will leave any Yooper feeling right at home.