My overall impression
Gregory Crafts’ story contains the perfunctory lessons about believing in yourself and overcoming your fears, and Michael Gordon Shapiro’s music is light and simple enough to keep the kids engaged. There are even some sweetly comic moments that work very well, especially when the actors speak directly to the children in the audience.
Unfortunately Super Sidekick quickly loses its charm due to Jenn Scuderi’s overly-melodramatic direction and under-rehearsed actors. Dance steps are haphazard and scenes at times played out in the shadows by a hesitant cast not always able to find their light (one of the challenges of fringe shows that jump into a space without much prep time). Some manage better than others with the material but for the most part the characters feel clumsy in the hands of inexperienced actors. The lone exception is Cahill, who finds just the right blend of Snidely Whiplash humor and exaggerated performance style without pointing at himself saying – aren’t I funny?
