mulan at the alliance theatre

The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta transformed itself into an Ancient Chinese playground last weekend with the premier of Disney’s Mulan. This Families Centerstage production included a festival in between shows with crafts tables and demonstrations of Chinese music, dancing and Kung Fu. The decorations, dancing dragon and pounding drums definitely set the mood for the adventurous story of Mulan. I had the opportunity to take my kids (who are 4 and 5) and my mom, who was visiting from Virginia, to the show.

Disney’s Mulan is the story of a girl who breaks tradition by abandoning her familial obligation to marry and running off to fight in the army. Mulan is motivated both by the Hun army’s invasion of China and her desire to protect her injured father from fighting in another war. Because women are not permitted to fight, Mulan disguises herself as a man and trains to defend her country, a crime that is punishable by death.

Mulan is played by Leslie Bellair, who rightly captures both the naivety and the gusto of a girl determined to define herself in the midst of family expectations, tradition, and a war. She is funny, without being too over the top, especially in her foible attempts to look and sound like a man. Ms. Bellair’s voice is also impressive. Her performances of  “Bride Practice” and “Reflection” are right on the mark.

The entire cast of Mulan is strong, but Alecia Robinson and Bernard Jones are especially worth mentioning. Bernand Jones plays the Matchmaker, Young Xiao, and the Emperor, but his most notable character is Mushu, the goofy dragon who longs to be a dignified ancestor. Mushu definitely gets the most laughs and deservedly so. Ms. Robinson plays several characters, and along with the other actors, switches gender. Adults will appreciate her quips as the wise-cracking Grandmother Fa.

There’s a whole lot of cross dressing going on in this play, some for comic relief, but also keeping in theme with the story. The underlying message of Mulan is that the masculine and feminine (or symbolically yin and yang) lie in all of us. There cannot be masculine without feminine, nor yin without yang. Like the Chinese elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal, one cannot exist without the other, and their opposition is not conflicting, but rather complimentary.

The set reflects the mountainous terrain of Ancient China with water elements and two giant lion sculptures bookmarking the stage. The color scheme of pale blues and white create a subtle and reflective backdrop to the colorful costumes of the players. The costumes are appropriate without being stereotypical. The ancestors tall-reaching puppet arms and heads are especially beautiful, looking like Chinese kites floating across the stage. Also worth mentioning are the Hun soldiers’ costumes, which are earthy layers of brown fur and leather.

The Alliance Theatre’s production of Mulan is a charming, adventure-filled musical that swiftly moves through the journey of a girl’s desire to honor herself, her country, and her family. It’s enjoyable for kids and the grown-ups who love them. The play runs through March 19.

Disney’s MULAN

Music and lyrics by Matthew Wilder and David Zippel, Stephen Schwarts, Jeanine Tesori and Alexa Junge; Music adapted and arranged/additional music and lyrics by Bryan Louiselle; books adapted/additional lyrics by Patricia Cotter; based on the 1998 Disney film “Mulan” and the story “Fa Mulan” by Robert D. San Souci; set design by Kat Conley; costume design by Sydney Roberts; lighting design by Pete Shinn; sound design by Clay Benning; musical direction by Christopher Cannon; production stage manager, Liz Campbell; dramaturg, Celise Kalke; casting by Jody Feldman; choreography by Hylan Scott; directed by Rosemary Newcott. The Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center, (404) 733-4650. Through March 19. Running time: one hour.

WITH

Leslie Bellair (Mulan)
Blake Covington (Shang/Young Yi/Magyar)
Alejandro Gutierrez (Zhang/Groomer #2/Old Yi/Qian-Po)
Bethany Irby (Yun/Fa Li/Yao)
Bernard Jones (Mushu/Matchmaker/Young Xiao/Emperor)
J.C. Long (Laozi/Shan Yu/Groomer #1)
Brandon O’Dell (Hong/Fa Zhou/Ling)
Alecia Robinson (Lin/Grandmother Fa/Chen/Chi-Fu)

Disney’s Mulan is running through March 19, 2010. The Alliance Theatre is offering Jaimes readers 50 percent off adult tickets! Just enter the promo code DISNEY when ordering tickets.

ORDER TICKETS

The Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 733-4650