Foothill Performing Arts Council Presents “Firebringer”

Foothill Performing Arts Council Presents “Firebringer” with Music and Lyrics by Meredith Stepien and Mark Swiderski.

The Foothill Performing Arts Council (FPAC) has been very busy building a reputation for mounting musicals that don’t get the attention they deserve or produced as often as they should.

I have a theory about this. The musicals FPAC choose to produce require a particularly high level of musical competence and technical flair. They are challenging, not just relying on good music and familiar storylines. They demand as much from their audiences in some ways as they do from their cast. But while this might make it harder for FPAC to produce the work, it makes it infinitely easier for us to love them for it.

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I was lucky enough to see their last show, "The Theory of Relativity," which was absolutely brilliant, so I had pretty high expectations of “Firebringer.” I was happily far from disappointed.

This is totally different from the poignant and moving "The Theory of Relativity."

“Firebringer” was developed by STARKID Productions and is a weirdly wonderful mixture of "Ice Age," "Game of Thrones" and "The Flintstones"….set to music.

It centers around a small and disheveled tribe of prehistoric humans, led by a woman, who all worship a duck. Always hungry, frequently cold and permanently scared of being eaten by enormous beasts, they eke out a fairly miserable existence until one of them accidentally discovers fire.

Of course, this totally transforms their lives as they burn their way through vegetation, local food stocks and very nearly each other they learn many hilarious lessons along the way. Much like children do when they play with matches.

The songs are spectacular and the cast is so talented they easily maneuver their way through every brilliant number, while also dancing and fighting and clinging on to their brief and wildly inventive costumes. The set is simple and excellent and there is a wonderful star turn by a fantastic and gargantuan saber-toothed tiger.

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FPAC set the bar very high with "The Theory of Relativity," but they have managed somehow to created a show just as excellent and equally entertaining. They also look like they had an infinite amount of fun making it, and the exquisite ecstasy is apparent in every single minute.

This is a great show - funny, warm, uplifting and brilliantly produced. Boy, do we all need to get out of our heads right now.