Big River at Theatre At The Center

Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...William Hauptman (book) and Roger Miller ( music and lyrics) decided that these characters were ready for the Broadway stage and so they made a musical based on the characters and the ideas of Twain relating to same. The play, "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Book and Score. The music, by the way, is a great combination of "Country", "Bluegrass" and" Gospel", and this particular story tells of the funny and sometimes dangerous river journey that was taken by young Huckleberry Finn ( a wonderful performance by James Romney, a loveable actor/singer that captivates the warmth and soul that Twain wrote into Finn) and his friend Jim ( played to sheer perfection by Jonathan Butler-Duplessis- what a voice!) as Huck attempts to help him find his "freedom". Along the way, they encounter con-men ( two solid performances by Brett Tuomi and the extraordinary Jason Richards)."

Chicago Theatre Review - Recommended

"...Based upon Mark Twain’s classic novel, found on practically every high school student’s summer reading list these days, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn unfolds like an pre-Civil War Southern version of Candide. Like Voltaire’s novel, it’s about a young man’s journey toward meaning and self-discovery. Episodic and peppered with pain, humor and a cast of eccentric characters, Huck travels onward and learns many valuable lessons about life and the human race."

Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Recommended

"...Indeed, the music is a huge asset to a plot that reads better than it displays on stage. Which is not to say Big River doesn't deserve its accolades. It simply would benefit from some creative editing of scenes that go on too long and characters with too much stage time during which the stories of Huck and Jim aren't front and center."