by lisa lipsey –
Grab your kiddos or those who are kids at heart for a delightful adventure; the world premiere musical The Tale of Despereaux. Based on the beloved novel by Kate DiCamillo and the Universal Pictures animated film, the musical adaptation comes to us from the imaginative minds at PigPen Theatre Co. who brought The Old Man and The Old Moon to the Old Globe in 2017.
With a few weeks of rehearsal behind them, the cast includes Bianca Norwood (pronouns: they, them, theirs), who is debuting professionally in the role of Despereaux. A proud California native and a graduate of the acting program at Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA), Norwood is currently attending Juilliard.
“It was crazy, I had no idea casting for this show was even going on, or that a musical version of Despereaux existed,” Norwood said. “It has been a wild adventure. One of the members of PigPen saw me performing in an ensemble at Juilliard and he came up and asked me to audition. I’ve never done a musical, but I threw myself into it. I can’t believe the Old Globe is where I am starting my professional career.”
“It really is a beautiful story and I just hope that—I identify as non-binary—as a non-binary person I hope that people will choose curiosity over fear. Despereaux grew up in a world where everyone is afraid of doing the wrong thing, everything is about conformity.”
– Bianca norwood
The show is definitely family-friendly, but Despereaux is a tale for everyone. “It is really for the kid in all of us, those of us with a sense of wonder, play and imagination. The story leans more toward the book than the animated film, but PigPen brings out this universal curiosity that lives in everyone,” Norwood shared.
“It really is a story about a few people and their different perspectives, who in the end each come to understand how the other see things. The play reminds us to look outside of ourselves to find forgiveness and peace. That’s something we could all use a reminder about, and we need to teach it to our kids.”
Given this is a brand-new show, Norwood tried to give us a sneak preview without giving away too much. “It’s magical and one of the most collaborative efforts. We are building the show from scratch and PigPen has a few tricks up their sleeves, showing the human world versus the mouse world. They use puppets and shadow work; I’ve never done anything like that, I never even considered it. I think those are my favorite parts of the play, now. Really, they are geniuses when given just a blanket and flashlight.”
Listening to PigPen’s other music and soundtracks helped Norwood stay connected to the show. “This show definitely has classic PigPen sound. There are also some really exciting things happening from character to character, some really beautiful songs, and each one is specific to the character.”
“It’s a delight from moment to moment, scene to scene you don’t know what you’re gonna get.”
Muses and people that Norwood looks up to are a bit few and far between, “That’s difficult. I feel inspired by Indya Moore (FX television series Pose), they are non-binary too [TIME magazine named Moore one of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2019]. They are one of the few non-binary actors I am exposed to.”
Regarding the show, Norwood feels a strong connection to Despereaux, “It really is a beautiful story and I just hope that—I identify as non-binary—as a non-binary person I hope that people will choose curiosity over fear. Despereaux grew up in a world where everyone is afraid of doing the wrong thing, everything is about conformity. Here he is, with his ears so big, eyes wide, more curious than afraid. That feels close to my heart, knowing what family and people will think and choosing curiosity before fear and doubt.”
The Tale of Despereaux runs Saturday, July 6 through Sunday, August 11 at the Old Globe Theatre. For tickets and more information, call 619.234.5623 or go to theoldglobe.org.