Who knew the heart of a Chicken could be so disgusting and so lovely at the same time? From the mind of Bret Fetzer, The Moonshine Revival Tent is a collection of short stories and songs, ranging from odd and quirky to thought provoking and then heartwarming. It opened November 21st to a packed crowd at 18th and Union. All I could say is Bret Fetzer is a master storyteller, go see it. But for necessities sake, I’ll say more.
As far as necessities go, The Moonshine Revival Tent keeps it down to a minimum with short songs, stories and puppets presented by a storyteller and chorus. It consists of three ‘appetizers’ (two songs and a short story) and one ‘entree’ (Sweetheart in the Chicken Coup). That being said, there’s really only one thing to ask: how are the stories told? To put it simply, they are told beautifully. Bret Fetzer grabs your attention with every word, leaving you eager to hear what else he has to say and keen to know what happens next with a perfect delivery of these whimsical tales.
The chorus of Sari Breznau, Mike Gilson, Christine Longé, and Jillian Vashro back up Fetzer’s stories with expressive vocals and a strong delivery. The puppet design by Breznau added a lot to ‘The Wall’ by Che Apalache and ‘Isabella’ by Drew Keriakedes, However, the core story of Sweetheart and the Chicken Coup is the highlight of the show. Fetzer’s clever writing of the story and music, full of constant chuckles, out of left field moments, and perfect delivery make this odd and quirky tale something to behold. It will leave you tilting your head in disbelief before giving the audience something lovely to end on.
There really isn’t much else to say about this clever, heartwarming, delightful, and thought-provoking arrange of short songs and stories. All there is to it is a chorus singing with a man telling you a story. But sometimes, simplicity has a charm of its own and the execution of these short tales is nothing short of fantastic. Fetzer’s storytelling and chorus’ vocals, along with a beautiful puppet show, really bring the stories to life and paint a clear picture. It’s a rare feeling to leave thinking ‘that story was sort of disgusting and sometimes troubling but also so lovely at the same time’.
Sweetheart in a Chicken Coop Moonshine Revival Tent at 18th and Union. 1406-1#8th Ave, Seattle, WA 98122 (corner of 18th and Union, Central District) Nov. 21-23 8 pm. Nov 24 3 pm. Info:
Tickets: https://18thandunion.org/moonshine-revival-tent