How far would you go for your dream?

For Cameron Hinkle as ambitious entrepreneur Homer Humdinger and many characters in Mudville, baseball is king and some are willing to do almost anything for it.  Exploring integrity, celebrity, ambition, the true nature of friendship and the spirit of the game, a lot is at stake in Imaginary Beasts’ production of Casey at the Bat:  An All American Panto.

Directed wistfully by Matthew Woods, Imaginary Beasts presented Evan Turissini, Kiki Samko and Matthew Woods’s Casey at the Bat: An All-American Panto from October 18 through October 26 live and in person at Topsfield Town Hall in Topsfield, Massachusetts.  The show was approximately two hours with one intermission.  Click here for more information.

Hot popcorn and baseball-themed concessions were sold prior to the show and intermission as a lively audience arrived for an interactive Panto.  A panto is a form of wintertime family entertainment in the UK that weaves in puns, wordplay, jokes, and more.  Boasting a friendly drawl and wicker hat, Molly Kimmerling warmly portrayed guardian angel, wise narrator and townie Pop Fly who shared the wild tale of Casey at the Bat partially based on the classic poem by Ernest Lawrence Thayer.  It delved into a mysterious deal with the devil in order to bring baseball to a town like Mudville.  However, things quickly get complicated as events unfold.

The continual audience engagement fueled this exaggerated tale that meandered and veered off course on occasion while humorously weaving in fitting contemporary pop and winking adult references.  Billie Eilish, Ebay, Marilyn Monroe, Mae West and various musical and baseball film references are just a few examples. 

With so many productions that rely on the zip and zing of digital effects, CGI, and AI, it is exciting to again see director Matthew Woods solely rely on homespun creativity and audience interaction to bring to life this patriotic and unpredictable spin on a classic poem.

Imaginary Beasts has been excelling at creating vivid costumes and mesmerizing settings as if walking into a storybook.  Mudville is a cheerful and optimistic world and the imaginative and layered set folded out in a wonderful way standing as a portrait of vintage baseball nostalgia which included inflatable bats, fields, a locker room and as baseball is America’s pastime, American flags and patriotic ribbons wrapped around the set. 

Casey at the Bat poem was published in 1888 and the uniforms reflect that colorful retro quality which included the old time milkmen and barbershop as part of this vintage landscape.  Cotton-Talbot-Minkin’s captivating costumes reflect baseball nostalgia with a dash of steam punk.  As the look is inspired by silent films, distinctive patterns combined with bow ties, top hats, sporty converse sneakers, bodices, velvet, vintage baseball uniforms, pearls, and boots.  This panto also delivered a dynamic assortment of tunes including calliope music, characters breaking out into baseball themed song, a pop tune a tap dance or Camille Chartier as eternally Shakespearean and mischievous accordion playing Sox the Cat.

With swagger and a winning smile, Evan Turissini charismatically portrayed the Mighty Casey with a dose of gruff and ego seemingly striding through life.

In a velvet red coat and top hat and scowling eyes, mustachioed Matthew Woods schemed and plotted as Silverado Quick who will stop at nothing to win over a soul, even if it means tricking everyone in his path.  However, the person assigned for the actual dirty work was the multi-tasking Miss Slump portrayed with versatile comic timing by Kiki Samko.  Slump did what she must and she was great. 

Fresh faced Tommy Vines was earnest as idealistic and wide eyed Dewey who dreams of becoming a star baseball player.  Vines’s enthusiasm shone through the production boosted by some endearing scenes with Julia Hertsberg as shrewd yet sweet Katie, baseball’s biggest fan especially in a rendition of Frank Sinatra’s High Hopes. 

Casey at the Bat is a love letter to the sport in many ways.  Although it had its corny moments, these animated characters delivered a quirky tale with high jinks, scheming and sleuthing through memorable and poetic dialogue including vintage expressions such as ‘flimflam’ and ‘hop to’ to deliver a meaningful message about inspiration, friendship, and doing what is right.

Directed wistfully by Matthew Woods, Imaginary Beasts presented Evan Turissini, Kiki Samko and Matthew Woods’s Casey at the Bat: An All-American Panto from October 18 through October 26 live and in person at Topsfield Town Hall in Topsfield, Massachusetts.  Click here for more information and upcoming events by Imaginary Beasts.