Keeping with the spirit of the Salt Lake Acting Company’s (SLAC) commendable tradition of featuring a theatrical production annually for young audiences, The Utah Review thought it most appropriate to invite two students from the Salt Lake Arts Academy to wear the reviewer’s cap, by attending the opening night performance of the regional premiere of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! by Mo Willems, Tom Warburton and Deborah Wicks La Puma.
For children born in the 21st century, this children’s illustrated book and the other books in the series have become icons in introducing them to the joys of reading. Willems is among the most successful authors of children’s literature in the contemporary period. Published in 2003, Pigeon won the Caldecott Honors, one of the nation’s most distinguished prizes for children’s literature, which is awarded by one of the divisions of the American Library Association. He won two other Caldecott Medals for subsequent books. Willems won six Emmys for his earlier work as a writer and animator for Sesame Street. Also, an animated short of this Pigeon book won a Carnegie Medal in 2010.
Photo: Todd Collins Photography.
In a 2013 interview with WBUR public radio, Willems explained why he was interested in creating books for beginning readers: “Early readers are extraordinarily challenging. Before I was doing the [‘Elephant and Piggie’] early readers, I was writing picture books almost entirely. And the great thing about picture books is you’re writing for illiterates. So that means that you can use really big words because there’s somebody else, there’s the orchestra reading this for the audience. But once you get to an early reader you’re really limited. And that challenge was very fun. Each of these books usually has only 40 to 50 unique words. And I vet them all. And I check them. I try to make sure they’re monosyllabic. Every now and again two or three syllables get in. So it’s this great puzzle: How do you create emotion and frustration and anger and joy with these very, very simple words?”
As the two young reviewers note below in their pieces (published below), the musical version of the stories builds nicely on the creative brief, in a tight 60-minute show with music and puppets. Directed by Penelope Caywood, the production features a treasure trove of well-known actors from the Utah theatrical scene: Joseph Paul Branca (The Pigeon), Wendy Joseph (Bus Driver), Pedro Flores (Hot Dog Vendor, Business Man, Duckling 1, Airplane Engine), Bryce Romleski (City Worker, Teenager, Duckling 2),
Laurel Morgan (2nd Pigeon, The Duckling, Bus Engine, The Bus, Bus Driver’s Mom, Puppy) and Alexa Shaheen (3rd Pigeon, Little Old Lady, Duckling 3)
The production run continues through Dec. 30 at SLAC (168 West, 500 North), and the hour-long performance is followed by a talkback with the cast. In partnership with The Utah Food Bank, SLAC is collecting canned and non-perishable food items at the theatre during the production run. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! books also will be available for purchase at the theater, courtesy of The King’s English Bookshop. For tickets and more information, see the SLAC website.
E.B. Rivkin, 6th grade, Salt Lake Arts Academy
Pigeons have a great sense of direction but that doesn’t mean they should drive buses!
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical, based on Mo Willems’s book series, is the story about a pigeon who doesn’t get anything he wants and is always being told to fly away. Then he meets a very passionate bus driver who always wants to be on time. The pigeon then immediately wants to drive the bus. The bus driver and the pigeon quickly form a bond and the bus driver explains that everyone has their own path.
The first thing I noticed when I walked into the auditorium was the set, meticulously thought out and colorful. The set was amazing and every part of the set was used in either a song or just for humor at times. The costumes also were incredible.
by Mo Willems, Tom Warburton and Deborah Wicks La Puma,
Directed by Penelope Caywood, Salt Lake Acting Company.
Photo: Todd Collins Photography.
All of the characters were really engaging and I especially liked how each brought humor to the stage thanks to the great direction and choreography of Penelope Caywood (known to this writer and many other kids as the director of Youth Theater at the U).
One of my personal favorite moments was when the old lady (Alexa Shaheen) would keep taking “Bird seed” out of her purse which was actually sparkly glitter flakes. This was so funny every time it happened. It was hilarious when out of the blue she would yell, “Bird Seed!” and scatter glitter in the air.
In addition, the person who played the pigeon (Joseph Paul Branca) had a really expansive vocal range. He captured the audience with his silly voices and great projection. It was especially impressive because he operated the pigeon puppet the whole time.
I really enjoyed the part where the pigeon wanted to ask the bus driver a question but everytime he started a new passenger would urgently board the bus and say they needed to be somewhere on time. And then finally once the pigeon asked to drive the bus the song that they sang was very upbeat and very exciting even though the pigeon was very sad he couldn’t drive the bus.
My favorite song was called “Let me drive the bus,” a catchy tune sung by the pigeon to the bus driver. As the pigeon sang, the passengers on the bus responded “No, No” and danced energetically. The sound in the theater was great, bringing out all of the characters’ wonderful voices.
I think that kids and adults will really like this show. It has humor and lessons in a fun entertaining way. Parents and kids will love the message of the show: everyone has their own path and thing they’re good at.
by Mo Willems, Tom Warburton and Deborah Wicks La Puma,
Directed by Penelope Caywood, Salt Lake Acting Company.
Photo: Todd Collins Photography.
Ellie Thompson, 5th grade, Salt Lake Arts Academy
In the musical Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus, the pigeon never gets anything he wants. It starts with a hot dog because the hot dog vendor assumes he couldn’t appreciate it, which deeply offended the pigeon. The sad pigeon expressed his sadness through song. The pigeon learns that the cute little chick who gets everything they want, including a hotdog, does so by “asking nicely.” The pigeon felt this was unfair because the little chick didn’t even fully appreciate the hot dog; they said it needed mustard, which is an outrage! Then the bus arrived, and the bus driver boasted about getting a bus driver’s hat (that the pigeon thinks should be his) and talked about how public transportation is never late (which, if you’ve ever ridden public transportation, you know, is a total lie!)
An elderly woman, a businessman, and a teenager who is a movie buff board the bus and get seated, but it breaks down immediately! Even though the driver instructs them not to, the passengers panic. While the bus driver searches for the problem, the pigeon tries to drive the bus, and everyone says NO!!!!! The bus driver figures out the pigeon can’t fly because his dear mommy never taught him, and the bus driver’s heart aches for the pigeon. The bus driver teaches the pigeon how to soar high and also teaches the pigeon that he has a purpose. The pigeon flies ahead and lets people at the other bus stops know that the bus is going to be late and that the bus driver is fixing the bus.
After the play, the actors talk about the characters they play and all of “their things”. For the pigeon, it’s flying. For the bus driver, it’s driving the bus. For the elderly woman, it’s birdseed. For the teenager, it’s movies. And for the businessman, it’s capitalism. One thing I thought was really nice about the extra details in the play was when a character in the play says, “It’s my thing,” and a roach pops out of the trash. One thing I think all young theatergoers will enjoy is the amazing Mo Willems book that a lot of us grew up with coming to life with the puppets and the music and all the little voices that the pigeon makes. As for the older theatergoers, I believe they will enjoy and appreciate the architecture, flashing lights, and the plot. Now for me, as a person who enjoys detail, the people who operated the puppets wore the exact same color and had the same details as the puppets. Overall, I give this musical a 12/10.