Riverwalk's current attraction of "Sleepy Hollow" is first and foremost a children's show, but it's also much more than that: a unique "experience" in the village of Sleepy Hollow BEFORE the show, then a trip down the rabbit hole into the auditorium for the show itself.
And a fine show it is, with a fun script and excellent pacing by Tom Ferris, a literate performance by A.S. Freeman as (narrator) Washington Irving plus David Bolton as an appropriately geeky and gawky schoolteacher Ichabod Crane. As village hotshot Brom Bones, Brett Robertson conjures up the classic Gaston from "Beauty & the Beast."
Special note must be made of Yvonne Gonzales who stepped into the lead role of Katrina Van Tassel on THURSDAY NIGHT after Heather Harper was admitted to the hospital. Ms. Gonzales was charming and effortless as the village sweetheart, seeming as if she'd been doing the role for weeks.
As well, the many good villagers added to the evening's fun, particuarly in the exended dance(!) portion. And Chris Kennedy - an Okemos Barn veteran and Jeff Kennedy's mother(!) - has returned to CCP with a fabulous array of colorful period costumes.
Extra kudos to Carol Ferris for her concept and execution of Sleepy Hollow Village!
Oh, and, the many children present seemed to have lots of fun too.
Seating is General Admission ($7 adult, $5 children) AND you must allow a half-hour or so for the Village before the show, so arrive by 1:30 or 4:00 on Saturday, 1:30 on Sunday (or 6:30 next Friday, etc.).
T.E. Klunzinger