Deborah Hopkinson and James E. Ransome’s striking children’s book, “Sky Boys” tells the story of the building of the Empire State Building through the eyes of a young boy. Employing concise, readable text and colorful, compelling illustrations, the book captures the miraculous collective achievement of the building’s rapid construction. It also communicates the shining skyscraper’s symbolic and economic significance to a nation and city in the throes of a depression. As enjoyable and informative as the book is, it is driven more by event than character, and thus poses a challenge for its musical theater adapters. Remarkably, Charles Greenberg (music) and Barbara Zinn Krieger (book and lyrics) have remained faithful to the spirit of Hopkinson and Ransome’s story while embellishing the narrative with a cast of well developed and entertaining characters.
It is 1930, and a widowed artist played by Michael Hadary can barely support himself let alone his son Mickey, played by Aaron Riesebeck. Like many men of the time (“homeless” wasn’t the epithet it is today), the artist hits the road in search of brighter prospects in other cities. Mickey remains in New York, where he is supposed to attend school and live in a shelter. But the ambitious 13 year old has ideas of his own. He goes to the site where the “Emp” is being built and offers his services as a water boy. Fibbing that he is not afraid of heights, he is put to work at the towering new construction. Here he meets the deceptively named Little Joe, played by Jessica Angleskhan, and her father, Big Joe, played by Michael Mann. They welcome Mickey with open arms, even inviting him to leave the shelter and stay at their home. The reception is a lot cooler from Joe’s older brother, though, played by Zachary Clause. He carries the scars of history and distrusts anyone outside the Mohawk community. Against the backdrop of the rising superstructure, all the characters rise to personal and professional challenges. Like girders that hold the Emp together, their differing perspectives and diverse personalities are forged into an indestructible alloy.
Greenberg and Krieger’s score is heartfelt without being schmaltzy. The songs offer a pleasing variety, from rousing (“Riveting Steel the Mohawk Way”) to lyrical “My Camera’s Just Like a Paintbrush”, sung by Keith Herron as real life photographer Lewis Wickes Hine). The book visual potency is adroitly captured by Leslie Bernstein’s period New York and Native American costumes and Gino Ng’s ever changing scenic design. Ingeniously, the construction site is set against the backdrop of the existing Manhattan skyline. As the tower rises, the buildings in the background get lower and lower until, at the finale, only sky is visible. The committed cast are all strong singers and play their parts with sincerity and sensitivity. Director Brad Malow and choreographer Lorin Lataro employ an economic style where movement and imagery serve the story rather than the other way around. As an added bonus, Krieger and the players come out on stage for a talk back. For both children and adults, their intelligent answers are as informative as they are entertaining.
Book & Lyrics by Barbara Zinn Krieger; Music by Charles Greenberg; Directed by Brad Malow; Choreography by Lorin Lataro; Various Venues; MakingBooksSing.org
