Daily Herald April 27, 2007

'Go, Dog, Go!' captures book's hilarity, energy

By JACK HELBIG

Daily Herald Theater Critic

When I was learning to read many years ago, P.D. Eastman's whimsical "Go, Dog, Go!" was one of my favorites. I loved the bright, funny illustrations and the simple, but action-packed story about a pack of funny-looking dogs who all work, play, drive cars and party together.

But I never in a million years believed this book would be adapted as a stage play, much less a successful play by Steven Dietz, Allison Gregory and the folks at the Chicago Children's Theatre.

All the madcap energy of the book, all those dogs running, jumping, roller skating, and careening from one side of the page to the other has been transferred to the stage. And they're all the more hilariously energetic thanks to an ensemble lead by Adrian Danzig and Molly Brennan, two of the comic minds behind the brilliant 500 Clown troupe.

The story, well, there isn't really a story - in either the book or the play - only a series of comic scenes. Some scenes in the show are laugh out loud funny. This is especially true of Danzig's artfully executed slapstick scenes.

Some are merely sweet and whimsical. Such as the repeated scene, taken directly from the book, when the stylish poodle girl-dog, Hattie, (Johanna McKenzie Miller) keeps trying to catch the eye of another dog (Danzig) with her increasingly fabulous hats.

But sweet or zany, the show remains first to last entertaining, thanks in large part to the wild mix of music and dance, acrobatics and song director Andrew White and his talented cast and artistic staff have concocted.

Don't take my word for it. As we were leaving the show, my hard-to-please 6-year-old kept trilling about how much she liked it. How it was really, really funny. And how much she would love to see it again, only this time she'd like to bring three or four of her best friends because they have to see it, really, Dad, especially the "dog party," because "that was hilarious."

I wouldn't mind seeing it again, either.

• "Go, Dog, Go!" runs through May 20 at Grant Park's Butler Field, Monroe Street and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. For tickets and showtimes, call (312) 334-7777 or visit www.chicagochildrenstheatre.org.