Clockwise from top: Org, the alien, and Lonesome Luke get into it during a performance of 'Fizz' Saturday evening at the Brewery Arts Center in Carson City. Two Bits checks Professor Plunk's e-mail and faxes while Plunk manipulates Lonesome Luke during a scene from 'Fizz.' The 'Hare band' takes the stage during the Saturday performance. BRAD HORN/Nevada Appeal
The original BAC Stage Kids musical "Fizz" opened last weekend with two sold-out shows. "Fizz" is another adventure of the hero Lonesome Luke who made his debut in last year's "Why Does the Coyote Yodel?"
Both plays were created by Carson City's Bayer family. Chris Bayer composed and performed the music for "Fizz" and wrote the script, while his wife, Darla, directed, did the costumes and edited. Their daughter, Danita, added humor such as the "Hare band" composed of rabbits.
"It's a lot of fun to see it done with real people," Darla said after Saturday's matinee.
"This is as good as it gets," her husband said later. "What more could you hope for than to see 80 talented kids bring together a magical world for themselves and for other people?"
The play starts with Lonesome Luke - "cowboy aviator of the Western skies" - running out of fuel in his yellow airplane. Luke (played by Gus DeBacco and Marcus Rucks) lands in the desert, hoping to find gas. Instead he finds a self-obsessed, greedy capitalist named Prof. Plunk (Jacob Linstrom and Neal Long), a group of singing miners, three stylish coyotes, a silver space alien named Org and - because every hero needs a princess to save - the lovely Sagebrush Sue (as well a wide array of desert creatures, dancing stars and "placard placement professionals").
Sue operates a sasparilla parlor which has run out of fizz.
While Luke works to save the day, he is pestered by the capitalist Prof. Plunk. At one point Luke is perplexed by a strange map given to him by the alien, Org.
"Let me see it," Plunk says, "After all, I have attended all-day seminars."
Neal, who plays Plunk in cast B, loves the role.
"I like being the bad guy for once. It's fun to be persuasive and kind of sly."
Neal, 12, played Luke in "Why Does the Coyote Yodel?"
Playing Luke in cast A for "Fizz," Gus milks the role for humor.
"I laughed, I cried, it changed me," he said.
He gets a laugh from the audience every time he introduces himself as "Lonesome Luke, cowboy aviator of the Western skies," but really, he just wants to dance with the stars.
Although the cast is made of young people, their lines bring up clever, Nevada-flavored adult themes.
Plunk hatches a scheme to store "decayed and useless materials for 10,000 years" (ring a bell?) and then sell it on eBay.
Sue works hard to bring visitors to her fading tourist trap of a town for a bottle of sasparilla.
"I hope you're thirsty, 'cuz we need the business," she says with a smile.
Plunk reminds us of current events when he gives Luke an ultimatum: "Are you with us or against us?"
"Read into it what you will," Bayer said Saturday night. "These themes may seem modern but so much of it is timeless. And these are all Nevada characters - from the alien to the Hare band."
A modest playwright, Bayer rejected praise and glorified all those who made it happen.
"This reflects a tremendous effort by a whole lot of people, from lights people to sound people to techies. This is a phenomenal children's theater," he said. "I'm just lucky."
Contact Karl Horeis at khoreis @nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.
IF YOU GO
What: Original children's theater production "Fizz"
When: Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m.
Where: Brewery Arts Center, 449 W. King St.
Cost: $8 general admission, $5 for students, seniors and children
Call: 883-1976
