The Pacific Northwest is a great place to premiere a musical about hiking, especially with the mountains we’ve been seeing lately! The creative team of a brand new musical, Trails, agreed with me when I met them at Village Theatre’s Issaquah location. Christy Hall (book), Jordan Mann (lyrics), and Jeff Thomson (music) were hard at work getting Trails ready to make its world premiere, and every day they woke up in the shadow of the Cascade Mountain range. It seemed serendipitous to them, as did many things in the creative process of birthing this musical, which, in truth, is about much more than hiking.
According to the threesome, there is a sort of “trail magic” that happens to people on long treks, like the one taken by the main characters in Trails on the Appalachian Trail. Hall said the trail gives its trekkers what they need along the way. Likewise, the creative team has experienced what they needed at every turn, leading them to this point — the musical’s first full production with the talented cast and crew at Village Theatre.
It has been said that most people who hike a long trail, such as the Appalachian, are on some sort of a quest. As the musical progresses, the audience gains insight into the quest that Mike (Dane Stokinger) and Seth (Joshua Carter), best friends from childhood, are on. The haunting memories that underscore their pain propel them toward each other, even when they want to run in opposite directions. It is their friendship that ultimately brings the healing both need.
This is not a light-hearted show; it is a show about life and death, and how we deal with it. But it has moments of joy and laughter, and a solid cast balances the brevity and drama well. Village Theatre is always top-notch and its production of Trails is no different. I recommend it.
Trails shows at the Everett Performing Arts Center through May 19. Go to www.village threatre.org for more information.
Photos include Dane Stokinger (Mike), Joshua Carter (Seth), Kirsten deLohr Helland (Amy), and Bobie Kotula, John Patrick Lowrie and Sarah Rose Davis (trail guides). Photos by Jay Koh.