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Because of Winn-Dixie
By David Schultz Because of Winn-Dixie is based on the beloved children’s book penned by Kate DiCamillo. This still morphing show has been kicking around since 2013. It is in its final stages and is Broadway-bound. The simple plot details the warm and emotional friendship between young Opal (Kylie Mcvey) and a big Labradoodle pooch found running around the Winn-Dixie supermarket. She captures him and introduces this energetic dog to her preacher father (Clarke Thorell) in the hopes that she can keep him. Seems her father and mother have split, she was an alcoholic, and this dog fills in the gap of the love she needs to give…. albeit to a dog.
The location of this tender tale is Naomi, Florida. Various quirky adult types fill the stage including a certain mysterious woman named Gloria Dump (Joilet Harris) that the local kids think is a witch. She isn’t, and has a back-story that slowly is revealed within the show. Local pet storeowner Otis (Christopher Ryan Grant) and former felon with some prison behind him spooks the locals. Aging librarian Miss Franny (Carolyn Mignini) shares her wisdom and shares her back-story with the kids in town. A cute, but sullen and serious young African American girl Amanda (Leonay Shepard) always has her head in a book. She seems distant and haughty but she has a back-story too. This work has a trunk full of back-story to tell… It does slow down the momentum way too much.The local kids fill out the rest of this cast of 16. Both little girls are suffering from loss though each is quite different in how they deal with it; they both seem to bond at a penultimate moment in the show.
Initially this featherweight show seems to be not unlike a Hallmark movie of the month. The characters within the show are drawn with thick brushstrokes. But slowly and incrementally the darker themes of the musical are given their full due, immeasurably helped by the haunting music, and slightly hokey lyrics that make you wince and smile simultaneously. The book and lyrics penned by Nell Benjamin are serviceable at best. The music written by Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening, the upcoming American Psycho) glows with a bluesy, country vibe that is perfectly in tune with the emotional vibe of the play. The well-trained dog Bowdie (Winn-Dixie) gets quite a lot of stage time. When you pair a few cute kids and a big woof of a dog on stage, there are definitely a lot of ‘oohs and ahhs’ from the audience members. The desultory and rather stiff choreography by Marcia Milgrom Dodge works against the tender tale at hand. Ms. Dodge does double duty, as she also is the current director of this rendition of Winn-Dixie. The pacing of the work has its fits and starts; some scenes seem unformed as of this writing, other scenes are perfectly nuanced, and some of the musical moments soar. Getting the right synchronicity throughout can be achieved through time no doubt. The slightly tacky southern Florida outfits for the adults are perfectly rendered; the kids on the other hand look perfectly normal in their duds. With a few tweaks and minor adjustments this adult look at the love of kid and beast should have a successful transfer. Because
of Winn-Dixie 
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