Sky Boys
Making Books Sing marks its 15th anniversary with an engaging musical about the construction of the Empire State Building.
It's rare that a kids' show boasts a score so lovely that parents yearn to buy the original cast recording. But the musicals incubated by Making Books Sing—which was launched in 1996 by Barbara Zinn Krieger, founder of the award-winning, Off Broadway Vineyard Theatre—are more sophisticated than most children's fare. Sky Boys is no exception. Inspired by Deborah Hopkinson's celebrated book of the same name, about the construction of the Empire State Building, the show imposes a necessary (though at times pat) plot about the adventures of 13-year-old Mickey (Aaron Riesebeck, bright-eyed and clear-voiced), whose father is on the road looking for work during the Depression and whose mother is dead. The boy is befriended and taken in by a crew of Mohawk Indians working on the skyscraper, who teach him their customs, and even lands a job assisting Lewis Hine (Keith Herron), the real-life photographer who documented the erection of the city's tallest building.
In addition to highlighting the landmark's incredible stats—1,860 stairs, 2,000 tons of marble, 10 million bricks—the show puts its construction in historical context. The Emp was a gleaming symbol of hope during bleak times, and also offered (admittedly arduous) work to many unemployed men. And Sky Boys is especially relatable to kids thanks to its familiar coming-of-age tale, with the initially naive Mickey broadening his horizons, meeting a girl, conquering adversity and personal fears, and becoming a man.
The strong-voiced cast is uniformly fine, and Gino Ng's minimalist costumes and set evoke the era well. But it's the songs that shine as brightly as the steel beacon itself. Charles Greenberg's melodies recall Stephen Flaherty (of Ragtime fame), and ‘30s composers like Gershwin and Berlin, with just a touch of Sondheim. The lyrics by Krieger are simple enough for kids to follow, without resorting to false rhymes or easy pop-culture references (it is a period piece, after all). With tickets only $10 a pop, Sky Boys is the richest cheap cultural experience in town.—Raven Snook
is playing through Mar 20 at various locations. Tickets: $10.
