Like some of the best picture books for the youngest readers, there’s not much of a plot to the latest production at Chicago Children’s Theatre, “Go Dog Go! — Ve Perro ¡Ve!” Rather, this musical is structured as a series of vignettes and relies on colorful images, repetitive language and whimsical movement to portray a community of dogs at work and play. Just as illustrations in a book can help kids connect written words with their meanings, the show’s seamless blend of English and Spanish offers a gentle primer in bilingual comprehension.
Based on the 1961 children’s book by P.D. Eastman, a protégé of Dr. Seuss, “Go Dog Go! — Ve Perro ¡Ve!” is a fresh version of an earlier stage adaption, a 2003 play by Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz. In collaboration with Chicago Children’s Theatre, Gregory and Dietz also co-wrote the new musical, with original compositions by Michael Koerner, Spanish translations by Ana Maria Campoy and music direction by Rob Witmer. Dietz directs this world premiere.
Jean Claudio serves as the audience’s guide, MC Dog, in a charming performance reminiscent of his starring role in “Corduroy” at Chicago Shakespeare Theater last summer. Although Claudio’s circus skills aren’t showcased as much in the role of MC Dog, he still has an undeniable flair for entertaining young viewers with his pliable features, expressive vocalizations and floppy-limbed movements.
The rest of the canine ensemble includes Tony Carter, Jalbelly Guzmán, Maria Clara Ospina and Shawn Pfautsch as Dogs Red, Green, Blue and Yellow, respectively. Melanie Brezill plays Hattie, a glamorous pink poodle who dons a series of increasingly elaborate hats in an effort to impress MC Dog. Rounding out the cast is an onstage accordionist, played by Witmer for the show’s first two weeks and by Nathan Hunter for the rest of the run.
Koerner’s score only has four songs, but the accordionist provides jaunty incidental music throughout, accompanied by the ensemble on a variety of percussion instruments. Sonya Madrigal’s choreography smoothly incorporates the actors’ music-making; for example, Green Dog’s hammer and brush serve as the rhythm section in the scene where the dogs go to work. In my favorite number, the dogs sing a cappella, blending their yowls in harmony to create a “Bow Wow Round.”
Visually, Jazmin Aurora Medina’s costumes and Jason Lynch’s lighting design pull much of the weight in this production, with their vibrant palettes popping against a functional storybook set by Michael Sommers. Medina’s fanciful dog costumes mostly combine monochrome onesies with patches and other accessories for a cheery array of colors, while MC Dog’s costume nods to traditional Latin American patterns and Hattie’s hot pink look is accented with ruffles and glitter. Lonnae Hickman’s props recreate Eastman’s classic illustrations with cut-out puppets and a giant pop-up book.
“Go Dog Go! — Ve Perro ¡Ve!” doesn’t have as much thematic depth as some shows I’ve seen at Chicago Children’s Theatre, but there are throughlines of friendship, generosity and imagination that are equally valuable for the youngest theatergoers. We see the dogs learn to share with each other, and in the end, they party together and dance a tap routine on a sheet of bubble wrap.
Perhaps most importantly, the decision to create a bilingual adaptation of this beloved children’s book, which has been available in Spanish for many years, represents an important step toward making theater more accessible for all Chicagoans. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2021 American Community Survey, about one-third of Chicagoans 5 years and older speak a language other than English at home, and almost 70% of these residents are Spanish speakers.
This production weaves together English and Spanish organically, not simply repeating each line in both languages but rather bouncing between them and using repetition and context clues to help listeners understand, no matter which of the two they speak at home. Eastman’s book, with its focus on simple words such as colors and prepositions, is perfectly suited to this approach. With their youthful aptitude for languages, the kids in the audience are likely to learn new vocabulary, while English-speaking adults just might find the Spanish they studied in high school awakening from slumber.
Emily McClanathan is a freelance critic.
Review: “Go Dog Go! — Ve Perro ¡Ve!” (3 stars)
When: Through May 18
Where: Chicago Children’s Theatre, 100 S. Racine
Running time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Tickets: $42.25 at chicagochildrenstheatre.org
