by John Garcia of John Garcia's The Column

CCBB is really a family musical geared for children, and they will truly love it.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (CCBB). Talk about a peculiar title for a musical. Actually the title comes from the name of the flying car because of the noises it makes as it spits, sputters, and chugs along.

But before the musical hit the stage boards at the Hilton Theater on Broadway in April 2005, it was first a motion picture which premiered in 1968 starring Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes. Strangely enough the toymaker was played by Benny Hill, who later gained fame on the BBC comedy series The Benny Hill Show where he lasciviously chased women. Him? In a children's movie musical? Bizarre.

An interesting filming note: The musical number "Toot Sweet" was shot in a large candy factory, involved 38 dancers, 40 singers, 85 musicians, 100 dogs, and took three weeks to film.

The film was based on a novel by Ian Fleming -- that's right, Mr. James Bond the writer himself. The film itself received one Oscar nomination for Best Song. CCBB would actually become a strong financial hit and with endless airings on TV has become a family classic.

As a child when I saw the film I was enchanted with the car, but what really held my interest were the comic characters of Baron and Baroness Bomburst. Each time they appeared on screen they made my funny bone ring with laughter. It was such a pity they did not have more musical numbers in the film.

What did scare me to death though (other than the god-awful acting of the two children who portrayed "Jeremy" and "Jemima") was the Child Catcher. Man, talk about the perfect target for Chris Hansen and his NBC series Dateline's "Catch a Predator." In the film the child napper was just so slimy, evil, and abnormal. I mean think about it. Luring little tykes with unlimited sweets into his "car". Then storing the children down in some dungeon. Someone call Dateline now!

Now as an adult, I've caught the film a few times on TV, and still my interest sticks like glue to the two comic characters of the royalty clan. But I'm sorry -- the performances of those two children are like nails on a chalkboard. They are just dipped in sugar-coated sweetness and overacting that hurts both my gums and the art of acting. I still keep hoping that for just one time Chitty would dip sideways and dump those two brats "accidentally." It would just make it a better film. I know, you hate me, but those kids just got on my nerves.

In 2005 the movie was transformed into a huge spectacle of a musical housed at the gargantuan Hilton Theater (formally the Ford Center for Performing Arts). The stage version starred some stellar talent including Raúl Esparza, Erin Dilly, Philip Bosco, Marc Kudisch, and Jan Maxwell.

For the 2005 Tony awards the production received five nominations, but walked home empty handed. However, it did not receive a nod for Best Musical. That season the nominees were The 25th Annual Putnam Spelling Bee, Spamalot, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and The Light in the Piazza. Ultimately it would be the coconut-carrying knights that would walk home with the big prize of the night.

CCBB flew for only 285 performances before closing on December 31, 2005.

This brings us to the national tour that opened last night at the Music Hall at Fair Park, presented by Dallas Summer Musicals.

The production elements are the bright, shimmering stars for this tour. There have been modifications and changes from the original Broadway production into the tour. So was the script as the credits do state "touring script adapted by Ray Roderick."

Robert Bissinger's marvelous scenic design is laden with grand sets that fill the elephantine Music Hall stage. The back wall is used for various projections as well, such as moving clouds, then later some spinning machinery at the Candy factory or a twinkling tent and strings of bright lights for the carnival scene. He designed this massive circular contraption that is part of the Potts home that transforms into a twinkling, dazzling Ferris wheel. For the Baron's chambers he creates a backdrop of the national flag-done all in sparkling glitter -- you gotta love that. Various backdrops and set pieces slide in and out that really pop and add magic to the physical aspects of the musical.

Anthony Ward's costumes are eye popping wonderful. His palette is an array of candy shop colors that lit the stage with energy and pizazz. The costumes for the carnival scene are designed beautifully for the ladies who are performers, fabrics of radiant colors and layered in sequins.

But the best designs are for the Baron and Baroness. Beaded, glittered, and bejeweled within an inch of their lives. For the second act entrance the Baroness wore a gorgeous coat sprinkled in red gems, feathers, and sequins. But the design of the coat itself was a stand out. Each of their costumes was just perfectly designed.

Both sets and costumes were beautifully lit by lighting designer Charlie Morrison, with just the right amount of bright hues for the happy moments, and dark, shadowy shades for the darker moments in the show.

So what about the car itself? Well, it is a fantastic replica of the original one in the film. It floats! It flies! And it flies with really spectacular magic! It was fun watching these two kids sitting across the aisle from me gasp, point, and sit there with wide eyes of excitement as the car actually flew with a glittery backdrop of stars surrounding the flying car. The magic here for the car is truly remarkable.

Joann M. Hunter's choreography is serviceable, if a bit mundane and pedestrian. Several of those numbers are meant to be showstoppers, such as "Toot Sweets" and "Me Ol' Bamboo." But they lacked that dazzling, acrobatic, rousing choreography that these numbers begged for. You could even tell by the audience's polite applause that they did not meet up to expectations.

But where the musical just wheezes and struggles consistently throughout the evening was the disproportionate and at times baffling book. It takes so much exertion and imagination to transform a movie into a stage musical. Many have failed.

The book throws in characters everywhere scrambling to find some real emotion and character arc, but never really finding it. The "love story" between Mr. Potts and Truly is jumbled, rushed, and you just don't really buy into it by the end. The villains are used for comic relief, which work off and on, but never seem to stay in focus.

Then there's that bizarre, perplexing second act. The first scene takes place in the kingdom of Vulgaria. But it looks and acts too much like the second act opening of Wicked (which also took place in a public setting).

But where the book completely unravels and goes off track is this ridiculous musical number called "The Bombie Samba." This takes place at the Baron's birthday party. In the film, the old, mean rich folk (all costumed in purples) danced this funny number -- it was brief on film -- but it was quite funny. For the stage musical, the Baroness has decided that the Baron's Birthday theme this year was to be Samba. And before you know it, the entire company does this head-scratching musical number set to samba and the mambo. It looks and feels like Bob Fosse was brought in to doctor the script and decided to throw in "Who's got the Mambo?" from Damn Yankees. It just didn't make sense whatsoever. Surely something more comical or a "snobbish Vulgaria" themed number could have been created here.

The production's direction by Ray Roderick seems to have been slathered in cutie pie sweetness. The performances at times tend to border on that form of "children's theater acting" that forces adult actors to over-exaggerate and heighten up their acting, movements, energy, and facial expressions to keep the kiddies entertained. I understand that completely -- which is that you have to keep the children focused and entertained. Especially since today's tots are born to so much over the top wizardry in their entertainment with video games, the internet, animated films, etc. But for the theater -- and in this show -- at times it was a bit much.

However there were performances in the production that survived all that to still deliver charming, lovely work.

Steve Wilson has just the right amount of energy, kindness, and soothing stage presence that gave his performance as "Caratacus Potts" the ideal package as a loving, single father. Equipped with a winning tenor voice his various solos, such as the touching lullaby "Hushabye Mountain," were some of the musical highlights of the evening.

"Truly Scrumptious" is portrayed with adorable, motherly love by Kelly McCormick. She sings like a nightingale in her various musical numbers. Strangely the role never has a true solo, which is odd because the character really does demand at least one solo to establish her characterization and arc. Her chemistry with Mr. Wilson and the children is quite believable and does enchant the audience.

As I stated at the beginning of this review, I was not impressed whatsoever by the two child actors in the film version. I breathed a huge sigh of relief that the two tiny tykes portraying the Potts children were completely devoid of "bad children theater school" training that seeps into so many kids performances.

Jeremy Lipton (Jeremy Potts) and Camille Mancuso (Jemima Potts) make a 90 degree turnaround away from the film version's performances and create their own, which is genuine, endearing, truthful, and 100% believable. They avoid the pot holes of "kiddie sweet" acting, and instead just deliver performances of real kids who love their dad and his crazy inventions.

Oliver Wadsworth portrays the slick, evil "Child Catcher." In the Broadway version the actor wore much more ornate and unique stage makeup to give the role even another layer of sinister villain. For the tour his wig, make up, and costume resemble more the film's version. Alas, Wadsworth does not strike fear in the children nor the audience. Across the aisle two twin boys sat with their dad, and I heard them whisper several times, "Dad, what did he say?" Wadsworth uses this high pitch voice on helium that was just impossible to understand. The character voice he uses makes him sound like he caught his twig & berries in the massive iron hook prop he carries on stage. Wadsworth's performance was disappointing.

In the film, it was the Baron and Baroness who I thought stole the show with their hysterical performances as spoiled royalty. For the stage version it is George Dvorsky and Elizabeth Ward Land who now portray the Vulgaria royals. So it was just so discouraging on how off the mark they were in their performances. Dyrosky lacked the childlike, pompous buffoonery the role demands, while Ms. Ward added these unneeded, perplexing noises and snooty aura that the role is not. Both just pushed so hard on making the comedy work within the dilapidated book that their characters were stuck in. Their comedic choices worked a few times, but they just forced the comedy way too much instead of allowing it to flow out naturally.

The performances that did get the best laughs of the night (and besides the car got the loudest applause at curtain call) were the two snarky villains, Boris (Dirk Lumbard) and Gorgan (Scott Cote). In the film they were more like minor characters, but here the roles have been expanded greatly, resulting in achieving some terrific laughs throughout the evening. They are given a dreadful duet called "Act English," but both actors still were able to wring out some laughs from the elementary lyrics. Sure, they do remind you of Gaston and LeFou from Beauty and the Beast -- but they still were quite funny.

The funniest moment of the entire show was the opening of the second act as both villains popped up from the orchestra pit in old-fashioned bathing suits. They had apparently swum from England back to Vulgaria during intermission. Both do a robust, good ole vaudeville shtick (with a couple of hilarious ad-libs) that really embellished their performances into delightful scene stealers.

I know, I know, I was harsh in this review, so let me end it with the following:

I'm a single male who has no children and most "family" musicals are not really my cup of tea.

But this show is perfect for children and families. There were several little kiddies sitting all around me-and their eyes, faces, and attention was glued to the stage. They loved every moment and were completely enraptured with the musical.

They gasped and clapped with joy when the car magically flew (as did I actually!).

CCBB is really a family musical geared for children, and they will truly love it. It's a show for the family to go out to the theater, and they should! Kids will thoroughly be hooked on the journey with the Potts children riding Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and going on that wild adventure.

So if you're a parent, this is honestly the right show to take your kids to! They will relish every moment.

GRADE: B-

What do you think?