WELCOME TO THE BIG Dipper

The Big Dipper constellation is known in many cultures as symbolic of various interpretations: a chariot, a plow, a boat, a canoe, a cup.  African Americans in the United States used the Big Dipper as a navigational tool to find their way north to freedom on the underground railroad. This reference becomes the back story for the York Theater Company’s musical theater production of Welcome to the Big Dipper, presented at Theater at St. Jean’s.

The scene opens onto a beautiful proscenium stage in the basement of the Church of St. Jean’s, (who would guess such a theater?) presenting the lobby of the Big Dipper Inn hotel in Bigelow, New York, a rural town south of Niagara Falls. Five doors are positioned on stage, a large desk, a staircase leading to an upper level, a window in the background displaying snow falling designed by Brian Pacelli. The doors effectively serve as portals for characters to enter and exit or offer openings and closings that allow questions of identity and relationships. 

Various characters appear in the opening scene, identifying themselves and singing “Song of the Travelers” (music and lyrics by Jimmy Roberts and John Daggett). Joan, and her son Dez, have inherited the “Mom and Pop” hotel for many years; now it’s facing foreclosure because of dwindling business. A blizzard creates the reason for several unlikely travelers to show up unexpectedly… seeking refuge in the storm. 

Their disparate life stories unfold: a group of cross dressing men stranded on their way to audition for a show in Toronto; an Amish father, rebellious daughter, and two companions; the insurance agent trying to foreclose; the handyman, Mr. Sapper; police, and TV newscaster. Of all the characters, Joan, the owner of the hotel, (Debra Walton), is the only one who creates believability and compassion from the audience. In the face of dire circumstances–the loss of her home, employment and college age son– she sings Sanctuary.

Other cast members try too hard to tell their stories through song and text, their voices never modulating between the two. Always loud, they force dramas about a transgender relationship, an Amish daughter wanting to leave the cult, a lesbian woman coming to terms with her identity and moral responsibility to Joan,  and Joan trying to hold on to the inn. 

In the end, they all live somewhat “happily ever after” resolving their dilemmas as the storm subsides. Truly a temporary sanctuary, it’s revealed (late in the show) that the Big Dipper operated as part of the Underground Railroad. This revelation places the inn on the historical register, saving it for posterity.

Written by Catherine Filloux and John Daggett and directed by DeMone Seraphin, the well-meaning and occasionally diverting production packs an over-abundance of information into 90 minutes.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Mary Seidman, EYE ON THE ARTS