If you think it’s hard being the first daughter, try being the first chihuahua. You get no respect, and the image consultants don’t think you are as All-American enough as, say, a golden retriever.
Tipp the Chihuahua (Matthew McGloin) and his human sidekick, young Alastair (Jessica Frances Dukes), are new to the White House and intimidated by the daunting majesty and history of the place. Their efforts to fit in and assume their “first” roles are chronicled in “Unleashed! The Secret Lives of White House Pets,” a delightfully winsome and informative children’s play by Allyson Currin in its world premiere at the Kennedy Center.
George W. Bush’s dogs Barney and Miss Beazley are nowhere to be found - but his parents’ dog, the ladylike book-hound Millie (Dawn Ursula), is well-represented, as are the animal companions of presidents from Jefferson all the way to LBJ. Canines abound, but the show also reveals that some presidents and their families preferred more exotic fauna, such as Thomas Jefferson’s mockingbird (Tony Nam), Alice Roosevelt’s (Melissa Flaim) garter snake (Miss Ursula), the spirited Tad Lincoln’s (Miss Flaim) pet goats (Mr. Nam and Miss Ursula) - both of which had the run, and the chew, of the White House - and a hungry alligator, who was a gift to Marquis de Lafayette (Mr. Nam) from a grateful nation.
Alastair and Tipp visit these pets in a magical, time-traveling buggy - built to look like a flying White House - as a means to escape from their responsibilities. As they hopscotch through history, they learn not only about the beloved animals populating the president’s home, but also about the importance and necessity of assuming one’s role in public service.
While all the creatures are adorable, it’s the dogs residing at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. that captivate and make the play a merry walk in the park. Tipp is especially taken with Fala (Mr. Nam), FDR’s Scottish terrier - rendered here in impressive black sideburns, a plaid lap robe and a ripping Scottish brogue - who, we learn, gave up his rubber bone for the war effort. Now that’s sacrifice for the greater good.
He also falls head over wagging tail for the sultry Russian pooch Pushinka (Miss Flaim), a gift to Mrs. Kennedy from Nikita Kruschev. His master Alastair, on the other hand, is bowled over by one of her heroes, the spunky Alice Roosevelt, who saw the White House as her own personal playhouse.
“Unleashed” emphasizes presidential lore from a four-legged perspective, and rarely has a civics lesson been more entertaining. However, the playwright is also mindful of the pint-sized audience, and fills the show with enough poop jokes and dog butt-sniffing bits to keep the children giggling and engaged.
Accolades go to Mr. McGloin as the excitable Tipp, who starts out with a rather large chip on his tiny shoulder before becoming the macho mutt he was born to be.
“Unleashed!” turns the White House into a pet-friendly place any dog - or first family - would be proud to call home.
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WHAT: “Unleashed!: The Secret Lives of White House Pets,” by Allyson Currin
WHERE: Family Theater, Kennedy Center
WHEN: 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturdays, 1:30 and 4 p.m. Sundays. Through Feb. 22.
TICKETS: $18
PHONE: 202/467-4600
WEB SITE: www.Kennedy-Center.org
MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS
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