ImaginOn Show Review
By Perry Tannenbaum
If you've never traveled to that imaginary Brainerd, Minnesota, where pterodactyl tuxedoes, wanted posters of aphids, and pinecone sandwiches are all possible, you had a chance to see it live at ImaginOn -- and other public library locations -- a couple of weekends ago. Half concert and half dazzling animated cartoon video, The Gustafer Yellowgold Show was a 100 percent joy, as pure as sunlight.
As so many of the toddlers at ImaginOn's Wachovia Playhouse seemed to know already, Gustafer hails from the sun, preferring to hang out with pet dragon Asparagus, eel roommate Slim (short for Slimothy), and mustard slugs Paul, Kevin, and Evan. Hardly a breath of evil inhabits this preschool world, invented by singer/songwriter/illustrator Morgan Taylor. No Roald Dahl terrors for sure -- or even a Saturday morning cartoon meanie.
Yet the lyrics of "Your Eel," "I Jump on Cake," aren't dumbed-down in their simplicity. I'm reminded of the mischievous Michael Franks when I hear Taylor rocking softly with his quartet -- and the flamboyance of Dr. Seuss's imagery has been mellowed out with late Matisse in the animation. Leftover copies of the newest Yellowgold CD/DVD, Have You Never Been Yellow, may still be available at ImaginOn. We'll soon learn whether New York goes for the Yellowgold as Gustafer Yellowgold's Mellow Sensation makes its off-Broadway debut on March 15.
The Charlotte warm-up certainly looked promising.
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