Fox Valley Rep takes light-hearted journey 'Around the World'

At a time when spectacle dominates stage and screen, Fox Valley Repertory's cleverly staged production of “Around the World in 80 Days” reminds audiences that the written word can be just as enthralling.

Credit for that rests with director John Gawlik and his imaginative staging of Mark Brown's adaptation of Jules Verne's late 19th century adventure tale, which marks the start of Fox Valley Rep's summer theater festival.

Set in the cozy bedroom of a young boy (played by Colin Steele, who shares the role with Caden Bohmer), Gawlik's jolly romp unspools in the imagination of the lad, who reads Verne's novel when he's supposed to be sleeping. Literature comes to life. Kudos to Gawlik for making it so in this whimsical, winning celebration of the story that underpins an extravaganza.

The story centers on the very proper and somewhat eccentric British gentleman Phileas Fogg (the pleasantly unflappable Brian Hamman) — a man described as “exactitude personified.” He bets his upper-crust acquaintances he can circumnavigate the globe in 80 days.

Accompanied by his valet and jack-of-all-trades, the Frenchman Jean Passepartout (the lithe and wily Matthew Sherbach), Fogg sets off on his quest doggedly pursued by the rumpled Detective Fix (the disarming Peter DeFaria), a Scotland Yard policeman who considers Fogg the prime suspect in a London bank robbery.

Along the way, they encounter an array of officials, officers and merchants (many played by the engaging Sean Patrick Fawcett) and a distressed damsel, the Princess Aouda (Lauren Pizzi), whom Passepartout and Fogg rescue from certain death.

Traveling by rail, ship and pachyderm (ingeniously conjured by Gawlik and set designer Stephen H. Carmody in perhaps the production's most delightful visual), Fogg, Passepartout and their assorted traveling companions endure equipment malfunctions and misunderstandings, commit several cultural improprieties and suffer through a typhoon, snowstorm and Indian attack all in their mad dash to London.

Brown's script is a mixed bag. Fittingly farcical, but heavily expositional and overly self-referential, it comes dangerously close to camp. A reference to Rodgers and Hammerstein's “Oklahoma!” falls flat, and the actors' nudging and winking to the audience and their improvised asides prove to be an unnecessary distraction to an otherwise enjoyable tale. Frankly, Brown should have had more faith in his source material. “Around the World in 80 Days” doesn't need additional schtick. Fogg's epic quest, and the eccentrics he meets along the way, are more than enough to sustain our interest.

Gawlik's hardworking, six-person cast takes on multiple roles. And while they earn praise for their energy and effort, Sunday's matinee suggested that some are still not entirely comfortable with their lines, which I expect will improve over the course of the run.

That said, there are moments in this breezy, highly theatrical, family-friendly production that are absolutely inspired. Carmody's artfully designed set transforms from bedroom to steamer ship to sleigh, creating appealing visuals, which rightly suggest a young child's fancy. Also deserving mention is designer Liviu Pasare, who uses video and archival film footage to wonderful effect.

Great literature grabs hold of our imagination and keeps our attention until the final page. It pulls us in and carries us to another world. Great theater does the same. Campier elements aside, “Around the World in 80 Days” demonstrates how.

“Around the World in 80 Days”

<b>Location: </b>Fox Valley Repertory, Pheasant Run Resort Mainstage, 4051 E. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 584-6342, foxvalleyrep.org

<b>Showtimes: </b>8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday, through July 31. Also 2 p.m. June 30. The July 16 performance is at 4 p.m. The July 15 and 19 performances are at 7:30 p.m. No performances July 8 and 22.

<b>Running time: </b>About two hours, 10 minutes with intermission

<b>Tickets: </b>$29-$39; dinner packages start at $49

<b>Parking: </b>Free lot adjacent to the theater

<b>Rating: </b>For most audiences