New musical as delicious as a cup of hot chocolate

Cinnabar’s ‘Daddy Long Legs’ a ‘cheery musical romance’|

If You Go

What: ‘Daddy Long Legs’

Where: Cinnabar Theater, 3333 N. Petaluma Blvd.

When: Weekends through Jan. 22. Fridays and Saturdays are at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. A videotaped performance will stream Jan. 27-29.

Cost: Live performances $28 - $49; streaming shows $25.

Details and tickets: Cinnabartheater.org

Free Child Care: For the Saturday, Jan. 14 performance, Cinnabar is offering ticketholders free child care for kids 6+ at the theater’s offsite studio space at the Petaluma Premium Outlets just down the boulevard. Childcare opens at 6:30 p.m. To RSVP click on “Daddy Long Legs” at CinnabarTheater.org.

If you’re looking for a simple, cheery musical romance to warm up a cold and rainy January day, I recommend checking out “Daddy Long Legs,” now being presented by Cinnabar Theater. As undemanding and delicious as a cup of hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows, this production is impeccably presented and impossible not to enjoy.

Set in 1908 somewhere in New England, “Daddy Long Legs” tells the story of Miss Jerusha Abbott, resident of The John Grier Home for orphans, who learns that a mysterious benefactor has anonymously offered to pay for her college tuition. The only attached condition is that she must write a letter to “Mr. Smith” every month, describing her experiences in the outside world. Unsure of his real name, Jerusha christens him Daddy Long Legs, an affectionate nickname based on her fleeting glimpse of his elongated shadow as he leaves the orphanage after making his extraordinary offer.

Cinnabar’s two-person production stars real-life married couple Brittany Law Hasbany and Zachary Hasbany, two experienced performers who bring warmth and wit to the characters, along with harmonious singing and genuine onstage chemistry. Law Hasbany is highly engaging as the spirited and warm-hearted Jerusha, while Hasbany as her benefactor, Jervis Pendleton, becomes increasingly intrigued by her and after falling hard, is increasingly doubtful she’d feel the same way about him, despite his obvious advantages as a young man of wealth and position.

The Hasbanys have long considered “Daddy Long Legs” as something of a “passion project.” That phrase can sometimes spell disaster, but here it clearly means that every detail of the production has been long and lovingly thought through. This includes the beautifully designed set (Wayne Hovey), the spot-on period costumes (Donnie Frank) and the creative use of a range of antique trunks (props by Andrew Patton) to create new spaces and levels, with the help of simple but effective lighting (Elise Clark). Director Elly Lichenstein has chosen to stage this production partially “in the round,” creating an additional audience space with cabaret-style tables that may surprise regular goers to Cinnabar, but adds to the cozy intimacy of the production.

If you’re not familiar with Paul Gordon and John Caird’s music and lyrics from this 2007 musical version of Jean Webster’s original 1907 novel and stage play, don’t let that deter you. The gently upbeat melodies will pull you in, especially with standout songs such as “Like Other Girls,” “The Secret of Happiness” and “My Manhattan,” many of which are first sung as solos and later delightfully reprised as duets. The live orchestra – Brett Strader (piano/conductor), Issac Carter (guitar) and Gwyneth Davis (cello) – provide exemplary accompaniment from the wings, aided by musical consultant Mary Chun.

You may prefer theater with an agenda or shows that set out to provoke contemporary discussion and debate. If so, “Daddy Long Legs” is probably not for you. Though not without the occasional mention of such of-the-time issues as women’s rights, this is a light musical romance. You’ll know the ending as soon as it begins. But you’ll enjoy getting to know the two characters, humming along inside your head with every song reprise, and watching it all play out to its sweet, inevitable conclusion.

If You Go

What: ‘Daddy Long Legs’

Where: Cinnabar Theater, 3333 N. Petaluma Blvd.

When: Weekends through Jan. 22. Fridays and Saturdays are at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. A videotaped performance will stream Jan. 27-29.

Cost: Live performances $28 - $49; streaming shows $25.

Details and tickets: Cinnabartheater.org

Free Child Care: For the Saturday, Jan. 14 performance, Cinnabar is offering ticketholders free child care for kids 6+ at the theater’s offsite studio space at the Petaluma Premium Outlets just down the boulevard. Childcare opens at 6:30 p.m. To RSVP click on “Daddy Long Legs” at CinnabarTheater.org.

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