Peach State Summer Theatre opened the 2009 season this past weekend with a big-hearted show in “Big River.”

Fueled by the Broadway-country songs of Roger Miller and the smooth-sailing direction of Jacque Wheeler, “Big River” keeps to the spirit of Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” while finding powerful streams of emotions through the music.

The show opens with several introductory songs, reminding folks of Huck’s adventures with Tom Sawyer, attempts to civilize Huck, and the ne’er-do-well intentions of Huck’s drunken father, Pap.

All of these are well-done numbers, from Johnny Machesko’s solos as Huck to Marc Cornes’ rip-roaring Pap Finn tune on the “Guv’ment” to Shelby Nichols’ comic Tom Sawyer riff with “Hand for the Hog” and the opening company number of “Do You Wanna Go to Heaven?”

But the show, like Twain’s book, finds its heart when Huck and the escaped slave Jim unite and begin traveling the Mississippi, the “Big River.”

Machesko’s Huck and Jonathan Awori’s Jim complement each other well. They have a believable rapport, the father-son bond between a black man and a white boy that is essential in this play set in the slavery days of the South. Machesko’s Huck and Awori’s Jim seem to truly care for one another, and the audience can easily care for them.

Machesko invests his Huck with the street smarts of a boy who has long had to care for himself as well as the aw-shucks earnestness of Forrest Gump. With Jim, Awori captures the underlying trick of the character; though Jim is the most put-upon character in both Twain’s original and this musical adaptation, he is also the most dignified human of all of the adults whom Huck encounters. Awori maintains Jim’s dignity throughout all of the abuse the character endures.

Awori is also an amazing singer. His baritone voice shines throughout this show, while bringing depth to both the sound and meaning of “Big River.” While Awori is a stand-out solo performer, he also has several duets with Machesko. As they do with performing the relationship between Jim and Huck, they strike a great harmonic chord in singing together.

While Awori and Machesko are the heart of this show, they are joined by several great performances from the aforementioned players to John Allen Biles and Nick Mason’s maliciously humorous turns as the con men known as The King and The Duke. The entire company does an incredible job bringing Twain’s world and characters to life and raising the roof with Roger Miller’s music.

Peach State and director Jacque Wheeler have another hit with “Big River,” a show that will sweep you away on a current as fast and strong as the mighty Mississippi.

This review is based on the June 5 opening-night performance.

This show continues 7:30 p.m., June 12, 13; 3 p.m., June 14, 21, 28; 2 p.m., July 1, 4; 7:30 p.m., July 8, 11; 2 p.m., July 15; 7:30 p.m., July 17; 3 p.m., July 19; Sawyer Theatre, Valdosta State University Fine Arts Building, corner of Oak and Brookwood. Tickets: $25, adult; $20, seniors, students; $18, groups of 10 or more. Reservations, more information: Tickets are now available online; visit the Web site www.valdosta.edu/psst; or call 259-7770. The Valdosta Daily Times is proud corporate sponsor of Peach State Summer Theatre!