Dec. 04--The British holiday "panto" tradition, which ransacks classic fairy tales through music, parody and healthy doses of audience participation, doesn't have the same broad cultural currency stateside. So for that reason alone, the return of "Potted Potter," the ingratiating adolescent brainchild of British performers/writers Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner last seen here three years ago, fills a void in the seasonal theatrical schedule. If you're a Potter fan, or parenting a child who is just wild about Harry, here's a family-friendly alternative to the gaggle of Scrooges and Nutcrackers clogging the stages this time of year.
Much in the style of the Reduced Shakespeare Company, Clarkson and Turner romp through J.K. Rowling's beloved series (the first book turned 18 this year, if you can believe it). Fear not -- if you're not up on all your Hogwarts lore (ahem), you won't be lost. If you are, you may wish that the show spent more time with supporting characters, especially Hermione. Then again Emma Watson herself has moved on to bigger worlds. As Clarkson observes in his brief turn as Harry's female sidekick, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make a speech to the U.N. about women."
In fairness, despite a few moments bent on milking laughs past the sell-by date, this show's brevity stands in welcome contrast to Harry's film legacy, where the final book was divided into two movies -- "Part one about camping, part two about death," as Clarkson cracks.
In terms of persona, Turner's got the True Harry Nerd role, while Clarkson is the goofy and gormless wingman whose knowledge of Potter keeps working back around to quidditch (and yes, there is a quidditch match involving the audience and a beach ball). Turner's desire for big-name stars and special effects takes up a little too much of the introductory section, as it quickly becomes clear that Clarkson's vision of production values owes a debt to the wee Stonehenge from "Spinal Tap." (That fringe aesthetic isn't reflected in the Michigan Avenue ticket prices.)
So the show is more concerned with snipe over Snape, if you will. Clarkson's joy at seeing Turner's stuffy fanboy forced into a ridiculous "golden snitch" costume, only to be brought low by a volunteer child wizard from the audience, embodies the requisite love/hate comic duo relationship. "She's got 99 problems but a snitch ain't one," he cracks -- one of only a handful of semi-adult references in this otherwise squeaky-clean show.
Considering that Clarkson and Turner have been puttering with this Potter parody since 2005, it's remarkable that the show still feels fresh and spontaneous. Both men understand that a large part of the show's charm lies in letting us see them as overgrown nerds who are eager to please the audience even as they end up covered in Silly String and cake. "Potted Potter" takes good-natured potshots at the excesses of its source material while still letting the Muggles in on the fun.
Kerry Reid is a freelance critic.
ctc-arts@tribpub.com
Running time: 80 minutes
When: Through Jan. 3
Where: Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St.
Tickets: $39-$69 at 800-775-2000 or broadwayinchicago.com
