Little House on the Prairie: The Musical

My sister Hayley Colvard is a young prodigy, and my mother likes “Little House on the Prairie.”  Together, they make a good match.

Watching Laura Ingalls prance around singing about her cabin in the woods didn’t particularly sound like my cup of tea, so when I was offered tickets, I decided to take my usual cop-out and send someone else to do my bidding.  Fortunately, the Prodigy and the Prairigy both thoroughly enjoyed “Little House on the Prairie: The Musical,” playing at the Fox through 6/20.  And because my sister’s so smart (Ma Colvard would argue the brains come from her side), I asked her to write the blog.  Take a gander at her awesome review and see if you can guess how old she is.  The answer may amaze you.

As you might have expected, the theater was full of delighted little girls, some donning colorful bonnets and gingham dresses, all of them starry-eyed watching their beloved Laura Ingalls come to life before their eyes in “Little House on the Prairie: The Musical.”  But don’t be fooled – this rendition of the classic tale is not just for the rosy-cheeked under-twelve crowd.

Although you certainly won’t find any R-rated content in the cheery story-line, believe me when I say this play is truly for all ages.  I had the pleasure of enjoying the show with a twenty-something couple in front of me, a group of elderly people behind me, two little girls and their parents to my left, and a cheerful middle-aged crowd to my right.

And from what I could see, they all laughed at Nellie’s antics, felt Pa’s pain as he struggled to provide for his family, and giggled with 10-year-old Carrie as she shouted at Nellie to “fall off the sleigh!”  Older crowds will also appreciate Melissa Gilbert’s animated portrayal of “Ma Ingalls” and perhaps reminisce about Gilbert’s youth on the beloved TV classic.

Okay, a quick plot summary: The play opens with an energetic Laura Ingalls – played by the incredibly vocally-talented Kara Lindsay – happily enjoying the outside air, and continues on with the same carefree Laura bounding through one small mishap after another as she matures from little girl to young lady throughout the course of the play.  The story includes some great slapstick humor offered by Laura’s self-dubbed “enemy” Nellie Oleson, so be prepared to laugh along with the kids.

Though the Little House play captures aspects of the difficult pioneer life the real Ingalls family faced (the starvation that took hold of the town during a harsh winter, the scarlet fever that stole Mary’s eyesight), the theme of the play seems to be that everything will turn out all right in the end (young Almanzo Wilder valiantly rushes to the town’s rescue, trekking out in the blizzard to find wheat and bring it back for the people; Laura promises Mary that she will “be her eyes” and Mary earns a full scholarship to the School for the Blind).  So don’t prepare to shield your children from a tragic story of hardship, because you won’t find much of that in this bright, uplifting rendition.  Instead, expect to skip merrily out of the theater, your sunbonnet trailing behind.

From the Ingalls family’s musical wagon ride out west to De Smet to Melissa Gilbert’s heartfelt solo and the closing square dance routine performed by the entire cast, kids and adults alike will adore Little House on the Prairie: the Musical.  The group’s last night at the Fox is June 20^th, so catch them before they pack up and roll out to Kansas City, Missouri, their last tour stop.

Answer to age trivia question: Hayley is 78 years old: