October Sky

The Old Globe's newest season is now underway and its first show is explosive. Directed by the utterly imaginative Rachel Rockwell and surrounded by a stellar cast and creative team, "October Sky" has taken flight and is sure to take a few hearts with it.

Based on the 1999 film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and the novel "Rocket Boys" by Homer H. Hickam Jr., this story follows a rag-tag group of boys who are inspired by the Russian's 1957 launch of the Sputnik satellite, the first artificial satellite to enter Earth's orbit, and decide to build their own model-sized rocket from scratch.

Set upon the backdrop of a West Virginian coal mining town, Homer, the project's architect, struggles with pursuing his fantastical dreams and fulfilling his father's expectations by settling on a life down in the mines. As the space race heats up and the world begins looking to the stars, Homer works to inspire his friends and his community to do the same. His future depends on it.

Jam-packed with moving performances, a spectacular score by Michael Mahler, and brilliant book by Brian Hill and Aaron Thielen, this production was filled with every element that makes musical theatre inspiring. Boasting a charismatic ensemble and leads that are just so darned loveable, the cast is anchored by the affable Kyle Selig as Homer.

Believable and endearing, you can't help but root for Selig. The counterbalance to Homer's sky-high dreams is his grounded and practical father, John Hickam, portrayed portentously by Ron Bohmer. He finds an equilibrium in his act, a heavy whose motivations are understood though disapproved of, and he becomes a man the audience both feels for and dislikes, a man worthy of redemption but too hard-headed to ask for it. It is a steel tightrope to walk and Bohmer manages well to find that poise.

Upon entering the theatre the importance of the mine is immediately sensed by the imposing structure that makes up the theatre's proscenium. Looming over the actors and audience alike, Kevin Depinet brought an immediate sense of importance to his set design and the importance of mining to the rural town of Coalwood. Inventive and transformative, his set was adaptable to the rapid style of storytelling yet thoughtful enough to continue the show's themes in scene after scene.

Linda Cho's costume design was also a delight and incredibly adaptable for some rather quick changes required by the pace of the show. Also of note is special effects designer Markus Maurette who brought these rockets to the stage and literally made them fly, most of the time. Adding a sense of believability and magic, the audience noticeably reacted, and appropriately so, to every launch.

With heart and humor and a keen sense of pathos, there is nary a hole in casting and just about every emotion is explored in the two-and-one-half hour epic. Walking in, I was intrigued to see how this movie could be adapted for the stage and I expected to enjoy the show but instead I left feeling moved and inspired and invigorated by what I experienced. Eloquent storytelling and superbly executed, "October Sky" is a daring and delightful launch into the Old Globe's new season.

Anyone attending the show would do themselves a favor by arriving to the theatre early to peruse the upstairs gallery featuring a model of the Sputnik 1 satellite as well as a history of the space race and its roots buried deep in San Diego. Also of note is the Old Globe's Out at the Theatre night scheduled for Thursday, October 13.

For $24 in addition to the cost of a ticket, LGBT theater-goers can arrive early and enjoy a hosted wine and martini bar, appetizers, door prizes, and pre-show mixer. Tickets are also on sale for the Old Globe's next show "The Lion" which opens October 6. Out at the Globe is available for both shows though tickets are limited and selling out fast so be sure to book soon.

"October Sky" runs through Oct. 23 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage at The Old Globe Theatre in Balboa Park. For information or tickets, call 619-23-GLOBE or visit www.TheOldGlobe.org or .