School bands bring home gold, two silvers, and big awards from MusicFest Canada

Story and photos by Casey Lessard

They’re the best percussion ensemble in Canada, and they’re right here in our backyard. Led by music director Isaac Moore and coach Dave Robilliard, South Huron District High School’s percussionists won the Zildjian Outstanding Percussion Section Award at this year’s MusicFest Canada national competition in Ottawa May 22; graduating student Jon Gill of Grand Bend, who is attending UWO for music in the fall, won the Zildjian Outstanding Percussionist Award. Judge and seminar leader Wayne Toews called the group the best student percussion ensemble in Canada, and could challenge any group in the world. If that’s the case, says Robilliard, it’s because the students are fully committed to success.
“We challenge our students in a way that other percussion ensembles I’ve seen in Canada are not challenged,” says Robilliard. “We give them – and they’ve requested – very difficult material that requires extra time and rehearsal on their time. It’s one of the best things (judge) Wayne Toews has seen in high school percussion ensembles, so in his eyes, it’s world class. It’s a very flattering statement.”
The accolades came hours after performing at the nationals; the percussionists performed last and earned a gold standard, while two other groups led by Moore and fellow teacher Matt Weston – the senior concert band and senior jazz bands – performed earlier the same day, each earning the silver award.
“A lot of kids in the music program are goal-oriented students,” says Moore, “and they respond well to having a goal. Whether we go to nationals or regionals, that goal is one of the things that motivate them to continue to get better. MusicFest Canada is on a different level because you have 10,000 kids from across Canada who are passionate about music. Something really special gets created when you put them together in the same place.”
To compete at nationals, the bands had to earn either gold or high silver with invitation at the regional competition in London. When the nationals are held in Ottawa, South Huron finds it convenient to attend, and a great experience as well.
“Ottawa is a great place to play, and the National Arts Centre is one of the best concert halls in the country, as it should be,” Moore says. “The experience of playing in that building and hearing other bands in that building, it’s incredible for them. It’s probably something a lot of them won’t have the opportunity to do again, so it’s important for me that every student experience the nationals if possible.”
During the years when the competition is not in Ottawa, Moore and Weston take the music students on non-MusicFest trips, including last year’s trip to Chicago. It’s part of Moore’s mission to give a rounded music education.
“A teacher I had while at university asked, are you giving your students a fantastic four-year band program, or are you giving your students a fantastic band program for four years, as in the same program for four years,” he says.
“A lot of what we do is based on routine and tradition, and it called into question for me how you maintain tradition and routine, but also offer the kids a different experience over the four years they are here. It opened my mind to the different options of where kids can go and what they can learn. In the four years you’ve got, you can do a lot.”
This year’s trip to the nationals was the second for Robilliard, whose father Bob was music director at South Huron for many years. After returning to Canada from graduate school in Oklahoma, Dave Robilliard joined Moore and Weston – the three studied percussion together at UWO – three years ago to lighten their load.
“I am able to focus on techniques and sound concepts that Isaac and Matt can’t focus on in the large classroom or band settings,” says Robilliard, who, unlike education majors Moore and Weston, pursued performance at university. He now works with the Stratford and International Symphonies, serves as a substitute for the Kitchener and Windsor Symphonies, and performs in a percussion group called DuO. His contribution has led to great success for the students.
“We received a gold standard in 2008,” he says, “which was my first year working with percussion ensemble. There was still a large number of carryover of students this year – Jon Gill, Joe Pavkeje and Jeff Penn – and we won gold again. But we don’t do it for the awards. We want to see students grow as musicians and see their confidence grow on stage.”
While South Huron has a full trophy case – and that’s just from this year – Moore agrees that they’re not looking for pats on the back.
“The real measure of success is how we feel about our performances when we’re done. I measure our success as a teacher how we fare when we compete at a higher level (the 2008 bronze winning senior concert band competed in a higher bracket this year and earned silver). If we were not taking the kids to an uncomfortable place, it would be an exercise in self-confidence. It makes more sense to shoot a little beyond where you might be so you can develop.”
The success can be attributed to the approach of the teachers, and the commitment of the students.
“It’s a lot of practice, a lot of one-on-one with your section and Mr. Moore,” says graduating student Trish Pavkeje, who performed in the concert and jazz bands. “It helps that Mr. Moore and Mr. Weston are easy to talk to. It’s easy to ask them for help.”
“Everyone’s on the same level and enjoys being there with everyone else,” says Joe Pavkeje, a member of all three groups, winner of the national honour award for the jazz band, and SHDHS student of the year. “Our school isn’t segregated into athletic kids and music kids. Everyone is doing everything. It feels cohesive for that reason.”
Clarinet player Stephanie Pratt agrees.
“Kids from all over the school are in this, so you get a sense of diversity,” Pratt says, noting music is attractive because of the lessons you learn. “Self-discipline is important, you learn a lot of patience and togetherness.”
For Stephen Mills, who has experienced bullying at school, the inclusivity makes the music room a refuge.
“We have to work together to do anything in the band,” Mills says. “We all have to talk to each other, and when you have to talk to someone, you appreciate them for who they are.”
And that’s exactly what Isaac Moore wants to hear.
“If a student is willing to commit themselves to the educational experience, we try not to discriminate in any way. Students can find their place in the band based on their strengths and weaknesses. Without your strong players and weaker players, you can’t maintain consistency. Eventually the weak players become strong and take over the leadership roles.”
Now that many members of the successful bands are graduating, Moore, Weston and Robilliard look to the future.
“We take it year by year,” Robilliard says. “The younger students will now have an opportunity to succeed at a higher level than they’ve had in the past. We’re going to do a lot of different pieces in different styles, and give everyone an opportunity to learn and grow.”

SHDHS, Jon Gill named best in Canada

Jon Gill (right) of Grand Bend is a member of the 2010 Zildjian Outstanding Percussion Ensemble of the year (below), and winner of the Zildjian Outstanding Percussionist Award.

As told to Casey Lessard
Photos by Casey Lessard

When we won in 2008, it was the first time in six or seven years that any of our bands had earned gold at nationals. It wasn’t a tradition before, but over four years, we’ve earned seven golds at eight festivals. It’s a legacy of excellence at South Huron.
I still can’t believe it (the individual award). I know a couple of guys who have won it before, and I look up to them as amazing people who I want to be half as good as they are. To be compared to them on a national level, it’s mind-blowing for me.
I wanted to start playing drums in Grade 4, but my parents wouldn’t let me. They got me started on bass guitar, and then I came here to the high school. Mr. (Bob) Robilliard recognized that I had a sense of rhythm, so he gave me a pair of drumsticks and stuck me in the percussion ensemble. It really caught on and I really enjoyed playing. I bought my own drum kit and I started playing a lot.
A lot of us take lessons from Dave Robilliard, and he’s taken that percussion ensemble further than we could have imagined.
I don’t think we could do it without the help of dedicated professionals. It just gives us the real world experience and the ability to go beyond just playing. I’m hoping to be a high school music teacher (attending UWO in the fall), and I want to give back to students what my teachers have given to me.

A Killing Snow runs June 23 to August 13 and features Patricia Hamilton of Green Gables fame

Patricia Hamilton is a Canadian icon best known as Rachel Lynde in Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea. A long-time stage performer at Shaw Festival and other theatres, she makes her Blyth Festival debut in Grand Bend resident Paul Ciufo’s A Killing Snow, which runs June 23 to August 13.
Nominated for the Governor-General’s award for drama for his play Reverend Jonah, Ciufo’s follow-up was inspired by the 2007 murders of Bill and Helene Regier, and focuses on the way people react to such events. “The panic people were feeling, and also the feeling of how could something like that happen here,” Ciufo says. “I explored that fear in a different way. My way of exploring that is writing a play.”
The play also examines the surprising complexity of small town life. One character is a pig farmer who also models. Patricia Hamilton’s character runs a lunch place in Clinton, but is also a psychic. Big cities aren’t always as dangerous as we think, and small towns aren’t always safe. These ideas are brought to light in a thrilling ensemble piece, and Casey Lessard spoke with star Patricia Hamilton to learn more.

Interview by Casey Lessard
Photo courtesy Blyth Festival

You are performing in Paul Ciufo’s play A Killing Snow. Tell me about the play and your role.
It’s a murder mystery about a group of people who get stuck in a farmhouse for four days because they can’t get on the road due to whiteouts. Murders ensue.
I play a middle-aged woman with a grown-up family who is on the road and ends up at this place. Her old lover owns the house and she hasn’t had anything to do with him for a long, long time. One of the other people stuck is her daughter’s ex-boyfriend. They all know each other, so when people start dying, you wonder who is killing whom.
It’s an interesting play by Paul because he doesn’t only write murder mysteries. He’s trying to broaden his writing. If you get a good murder mystery, it will do the circuit and can make the playwright some money.

I take it there aren’t very many older women in theatre; it’s really a young people’s game. Does that give you an advantage?
I think it does. There are a lot of plays being written about older people. The baby boomers are interested in people their own age and the problems of those people. I think you will see a lot of plays about people of that group. They’re going to see things that interest them about themselves. The second play I’m doing here at Blyth is called Pearl Gidley, and it’s about two elderly women living together in Blyth in 1969 who take in a boarder who is a deserter from the Vietnam War. It will speak to the audiences that come to Blyth.

Most people would recognize you from the role of Rachel Lynde, but you’ve been doing much more over the years as an actress. What has brought you to perform for the first time at Blyth?
I like the theatre more than I like television and film, although the Green Gables stuff was fantastic. I did it for seven seasons plus the four movies, so I played that role for about a decade. But I really am a theatre actress mainly, and I love working in repertory theatre, which is what they do at Blyth.
For the last 12 years, I have been at Shaw Festival, and I love doing that. Before that, I used to do a lot of new Canadian plays. There is nothing more wonderful than being the first person to say a writer’s words on stage.

Our most memorable moment from your career is in Road to Avonlea, where Rachel Lynde has a stroke. It’s such a touching concept.
That series was very good to work on, and it was given good production values from the beginning. And it was about an iconic book that every Canadian girl had read as a child. As we went along, the scriptwriter had already seen what I could do, so that script was written for me. When you got an episode where you were featured, like that one, it’s very exciting.

Sarah Polley was also in that show. She directed a film called Away From Her (adapted from a story by Alice Munro) about Alzheimer’s. It’s so interesting that you’re able to perform acts of reality for older people, for example strokes. Other Canadian films are also about this reality, for example Juno. Do you think we are different from the Americans in what we’re doing?
Yes. That’s one of the reasons we fight so passionately to have our own culture. We are not like the Americans in so many ways. Our culture should reflect who we are. We have to stand up for our culture, and Blyth is a place that really does that.

What’s special about Canadian theatre in particular?
It’s ours. We’re writing about what we know. And the actors who live in Canada have a better chance of being able to perform it because we know it. It’s fun to do plays about a place you know. That’s what Anne of Green Gables was about, too. It’s about doing things that are part of your culture.
I’m an actor. I’m a Canadian actor. I love performing on stage, and I love it in all its forms. There are plays from all over the world that attract me. I look for plays where there is a part for me, where it has something interesting to say, and where I can work with congenial comrades, all of which is true at Blyth.

If Thursday’s opener is any indication, Sweet Charity is sure to please crowds at the Huron Country Playhouse. Starring Stratford legend Cynthia Dale as hopeless-in-love dancer-for-hire Charity Hope Valentine, the cast is rounded out by a line of women whose talent bursts from their barely-there costumes. Their necessary sex appeal is only effective because they (and the male actors) are a solid crew of triple threats, and director Michael Lichtefeld and associates are to be credited for bring fresh talent to the Huron Country Playhouse stage to complement (and in some instances, overshadowing) Dale’s talent. “Big Spender” sets the tone for the musical, and this solid performance outshines the movie version because the actors are sexier and desperately powerful. Spot on.
Sweet Charity is a romantic comedy that breaks away from the expectations of the genre, creating tension in relationships and depth in its characters so often lacking in such plays. Bringing the best of drama, comedy, dance and song, this play is one of the best staged at HCP in recent years, and is well aimed at audiences that like musicals and are familiar with the 1960s era (i.e. HCP’s core supporters).
While most of the cast had two weeks to rehearse for the show, Cynthia Dale spent the better of six months learning her part to lead the way. At 49, Dale shows no signs of stopping. That said, this role was a dream she had yet to fulfill in her storied career, including the 10 years she spent as the darling of Stratford Festival artistic director Richard Monette before his retirement in 2007.

Casey Lessard stole Dale away from her lunch break to discuss the role and how she ended up in Grand Bend.

Interview and photo by Casey Lessard

Cynthia Dale: Sweet Charity had been a dream role of mine for 30 years. It’s been the part I have wanted to do, and I’ve had some fabulous parts. In January, I was out with some girlfriends, and they said, well, why aren’t you doing it? I said I was too old, etc., but they convinced me to do it.

You’ll be 50 this year.
In August. It’s hard on the old bod. I am a dancer, thank God. I didn’t have to learn how to dance for the part. It’s a full part for anybody at any age. It’s just a lot of work, but that’s okay.

What attracted you to this role?
It’s who Charity is. She wears her heart on her sleeve and is full of moxy and sass. She’s a broad, but she believes in love and sees the world through rose coloured glasses and dreams of another life. She’s a part of everybody in the world because everyone has those qualities.
The show has some of the best music to sing and dance to. It’s just a fabulous show for music. It doesn’t come along that often. It had a revival on Broadway a few years ago and had a brief tour. If I didn’t step into it at this point, I may not get the opportunity again.

This is your first time with Drayton. What’s that been like?
It’s great because I know so many people in the cast. I’m doing it because it’s Michael Lichtefeld’s production. I did six shows with Michael at Stratford over the years. He knows me really, really well and knows what my strengths and weaknesses are. I knew I was going to be in really good hands with him.

You’ve been performing for a long time; most of your life. Do you find the roles you think you should be doing are changing?
No. I’ve been really lucky in the past two or three years. That hasn’t hit me yet. I played the crème de la crème parts in theatre for 10 years. There weren’t many more that I wanted to play other than this. There are others, but they are older ones. I’ve got some time for those.

You’ve also done some production work, including judging Triple Sensation (she spent the last two years co-producing a CBC movie). With your reputation, are you able to write your own ticket?
No, I don’t write my own ticket. I still audition.

But your name must carry some cachet.
I guess it does. I got offered a play in Toronto this week I’m probably going to do. I still lose parts I really want to do. Usually they’re TV or film roles. I’ve done pretty much every role I wanted to do in theatre. There are parts that come along and the director just doesn’t think you fit into his vision. That’s what theatre is.

There’s a mystique about people who are on television or film that they are different from other people, but it doesn’t exist.
No. We go buy groceries. We’re normal people and we have every single joy and hardship that everyone else does. I love performing, but it’s not the be all and end all for me.

This is your first time being to Grand Bend, but you haven’t been downtown yet.
I’ve been too busy. I started training in January, and Michael and I started rehearsals a month beforehand.

I see you also do art, and especially beach scenes. I’m surprised you haven’t been down to the beach.
I know, that’s what people keep saying. Go paint the beach. Part of the plan in July is to paint.

Looking at where you’ve been and what you’re doing, what would you like to do for the next 25 years?
I want to raise a good kid. That’s the dream. That’s all. If I work, that’s lovely, too.

Drayton Entertainment continues its tradition of tributes to popular music, this season bringing Country Legends to life at the Huron Country Playhouse. The Alex Mustakas show sold out last year in Penetanguishene, bringing a fusion of classic country, gospel and bluegrass music, dance and comedy to the Grand Bend stage. Among the highlights are songs by Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Patsy Cline, and many others. Country Legends runs from June 30 to July 24. Tickets are available at huroncountryplayhouse.com or by calling 519-238-6000.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel church celebrates 150 years as a parish July 18 with a mass, music, games, and a barbecue chicken dinner. Anyone interested in attending the 5 p.m. dinner must buy their tickets before July 4, the caterer’s deadline for attendance numbers. You can do so by contacting Judy Steeper (519-294-6639), Fran Roelands (519-294-6710), or Cecile Muller (519-238-8536). Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children under 10.
Free activities require no tickets, and include refreshments and cake after the 2 p.m. mass. Souvenir pens will be given to each family after the mass, and live Christian music, face painting, and old-fashioned games will include sack races, wheelbarrow races, three-legged races, bean bag toss, relay races, etc.

South Huron District High School held its seventh annual Relay for Life for the Canadian Cancer Society June 11. The overnight walking relay raised $40,000 this year, bringing the total raised by walkers and their sponsors to $250,000 over the years.
Next year’s relay runs June 10-11 with the theme of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”.
Above: prostate cancer survivor Harry Dougall of Exeter gets help releasing his balloon after the survivors’ lap.

Community/Charity

Grand Bend Nursery School is now offering five sessions a week of the Early Learning Program, a FREE high quality program designed to help prepare young children for school. If you have children 2.5 to 4 years old and reside in Lambton County, call Grand Bend Nursery School at 519-238-8514

Tuesdays
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Port Franks Community Centre
Kids Matter every Tuesday. Join us as we crochet sleeping mats out of milk bags to send to the children in Africa and South America. Bring your lunch, scissors and a #7 crochet hook. Call Peggy Smith at 519-296-5834 for details.

7 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Bingo

Wednesdays
8 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Colonial Parking Lot
Grand Bend Farmers’ Market

Fridays
5 to 7 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Meat Draw

Friday, June 18 to Sunday, June 20
Friday 7pm-11pm, Saturday 10am-1am, Sunday 10am-5pm – Grand Bend Beach
Grand Bend Optimist Burgerfest. Three days of beach fun, food and entertainment. For more information call 519-238-6859, or visit www.grandbendtourism.com

Saturday, June 19
2 p.m. – Trivitt Memorial Anglican Church, Exeter
Strawberries and Champagne silent auction. Fundraiser for AIDS mission in Africa. Featuring the Sweet Adelines and other entertainment. Tickets: $20 by calling 519-235-2565 or online at trivitt.ca

Wednesday, June 23
Grand Bend CHC
Huron Country Playhouse Guild Lunch.

Monday, June 28
7 p.m. – Grandpa Jimmy’s Scottish Bakery, Grand Bend
Relay for Life meeting. Team Captains meet at 6.30 p.m. General Meeting at 7 p.m. Everyone welcome!
Tuesday, June 29
Grand Bend Legion departure
Grand Bend Horticultural Society Bus Trip Royal Botanical Gardens, Aviary in Hamilton and Canning Perennials in Paris. A few seats are still available. Cost $45. Contact Rosie Heipel at 519-238-5225.

Thursday, July 1
Grand Bend
Canada Day celebrations, plus official opening of the Grand Bend Main Street. Street opens 4 p.m., entertainment at 5 p.m. and fireworks at 10 p.m.

Friday, July 9
7 p.m. to 7 a.m. – Klondyke Sport Park, Grand Bend
Grand Bend Relay for Life fundraiser for Canadian Cancer Society. Please join us for an inspiring but fun evening. Entertainment produced by Ken Dinel. Food and more. Come out and support our teams! Info at www.cancer.ca/relayforlife or call Carole 519-238-2297.

Saturday, September 11
5 p.m. – Huron Country Playhouse
Autumn Indulgence. The gala fundraiser supports our community and showcases the exceptional talents of local artists.
The ticket price is $90 for the whole evening, and $25 without dinner. Please note that the dinner tickets are now on sale. All proceeds support The Rotary Club of Grand Bend’s projects.
Buy your tickets now – this event sells out!

Arts & Entertainment

Mondays
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Golden Agers shuffleboard

7 p.m. – Port Franks Comm. Ctr.
Dunes Duplicate Bridge

Tuesdays
1 p.m. – Port Franks Comm. Ctr.
Bridge

Wednesdays
7 p.m. – Port Franks Comm. Ctr.
Dunes Duplicate Bridge

Thursdays
9 to 11 a.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Golden Agers shuffleboard
Thursdays
1 to 4 p.m. – Pt. Franks Comm. Ctr.
Shuffleboard

7:30 p.m. – Pt. Franks Comm. Ctr.
Cards

Fridays
10 a.m. – Port Franks Comm. Ctr.
Badminton

1 p.m. – Port Franks Comm. Ctr.
Bridge

1:30 to 3:30 p.m. – Grand Bend Youth Centre
Grand Bend Drum Circle. Contact Anita at the Youth Centre or call 519-238-8759.

7 p.m. – Port Franks Comm. Ctr.
Dunes Duplicate Bridge

Saturday, June 19
3 to 6 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Live Music by Mike Fagan

Friday, June 25
4-9 p.m. – Sunset Arts and River Road Galleries, River Road, Grand Bend
Sunset Arts and River Road Gala Openings. Meet the artists, enjoy refreshments, and enter to win a $300 Sunset Arts gift certificate.

Saturday, June 26
3 to 7 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion (upstairs)
Live Music by Brian Dale

Saturday, July 3
3 to 6 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Live Music by Bob Finlay

Saturday, July 10
3 to 6 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Live Music by Mid Life Crisis

Health & Fitness

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
8 to 9 a.m. – Southcott Pines Clubhouse
Workout for your Life. To learn more, call Beth Sweeney at 519-238-5555

Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
8:45 to 10 a.m. (Mon/Fri), (to 9 a.m. Wed.) – Grand Bend Legion
TGIF Exercise classes with Elinor Clarke. $3/week – all proceeds to charity.

Mondays and Wednesdays
6 to 7 p.m. – Precious Blood Catholic School gym
Workout for your Life. To learn more, call Shelley Van Osch at 519-234-6253.

Tuesdays and Thursdays
9 a.m. – Port Franks Community Centre
Healthy Lifestyle Exercise Program. Program includes warm up, low impact aerobic workout, strength work and stretching. Sponsored in part by Healthy Living Lambton. Cost: Free!! Everyone welcome. Contact Cindy Maxfield, Health Promoter at the GBACHC, 519-238-1556 ext 6 to register.

9 a.m. – Catholic Church parking lot
Grand Bend CHC Walking Program. Warm up stretching, walking and strength work. Call for details 519-238-1556 ext 231. Everyone welcome! Program runs until July.

9 a.m. – Port Franks Community Centre
Walking program in Port Franks

Wednesdays
9:30 a.m. – Lambton Heritage Museum parking lot
Savannah Strollers Pinery Park Walking Group. Meet at 9:30 so we can coordinate rides into the park for 10 a.m. walk. Different Trail each week. Everyone welcome!

Wednesday, June 23
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Grand Bend CHC
Mental Health Support Group. Contact Social Worker Lise Callahan at 519-238-1556 ext 230.

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Grand Bend CHC
Advance your cooking skills and enjoy a tasty healthy lunch for $5. Contact Miranda at 519-238-1556 ext 222.

Thursday, June 24
2 to 4 p.m. – Grand Bend CHC
Blood Pressure Clinic. Come out and have our blood pressure checked at this free clinic! Prevention and early detection can save a life.

Here’s your chance to mingle with local artists and enjoy an evening out: artists at the Sunset Arts and River Road Galleries, located west of Purdy’s on River Road, invite you to their 2010 gala opening June 25 from 4 to 9 p.m.
Grand Bend Strip publisher Casey Lessard is among the artists selling art at Sunset Arts this summer. His photo of tundra swans mid-flight is one of the works featured in his Casey365.com project from 2009.

One Touch of Venus
Written by Ogden Nash and S. J. Perelman
Music by Kurt Weill, Lyrics by Ogden Nash
Directed by Eda Holmes
Choreographed by Michael Lichtefeld
Musical direction by Ryan deSouza
Performed by Robin Evan Willis, Kyle Blair, Deborah Hay & Mark Uhre
Shaw Festival
Royal George Theatre, Niagara-on-the-Lake
May 16 to October 10, 2010

Entertain This Thought!
Review by Mary Alderson

One Touch of Venus, which just opened at the Shaw Festival’s Royal George Theatre, should be funny. It was written by Ogden Nash, known for his silly poetry, and S. J. Perelman, a humourist and writer of scripts for the Marx Brothers. Unfortunately, the comedy in this musical, which was first staged in 1943, does not translate for today’s audience. Nor did the cast seem to know what was needed to make it funny.
The premise has some promise: It’s a zany notion with potential for humour. A snobby art instructor, who claims to prefer modern art, buys a classical statue of Venus on the black market. When the local barber slips a ring intended for his girlfriend on the statue’s finger, it comes to life. Venus, being the Goddess of Love, decides that she wants the barber for her own, and chases him around town until he succumbs to her beauty. But when the humdrum life of the suburban housewife is presented to Venus, she decides to go back to being a statue.
The lack of enjoyment cannot be blamed solely on the script. A major problem at the Royal George is the acoustics. Because it’s not a large theatre, the actors do not wear mics. On opening night, much of the singing was drowned out by the orchestra. When we could hear the soloists, they sounded strained. In addition, it is difficult to hear actors who are speaking when their faces are turned away from the audience. While the music is good, the voices need amplification.
Londoner Kyle Blair has always been an audience favourite, and he doesn’t disappoint here. He plays Rodney, the feckless, shy barber very well. Deborah Hay as Molly is excellent as the artist’s business assistant. She nearly steals the show with her comedic timing, and thankfully salvages the laughs.
Mark Uhre, who recently had a good performance at London’s Grand in The Last Five Years, is unconvincing as the pretentious shyster-artist. Robin Evan Willis as Venus is not aggressive enough to convince the audience that she is the Goddess of Love. By playing it meek and mild, she misses the opportunity for humour, and some of her lyrics are not persuasive. Unfortunately, Julie Martelle as Gloria, Rodney’s girlfriend, is unintelligible as she screeches her lines.
The set is disappointing. An old black and white photograph of the New York skyline in the 1940s forms the backdrop with some of the buildings outlined in silver metal. The set appears wobbly, and parts don’t move as they should. The wall behind the statue of Venus fails to turn around as it’s supposed to, so that the live Venus can step forward.
The Shaw’s Harvey has maintained its humour despite coming from the same era as One Touch of Venus. Is it the script or the cast that has failed at being funny? A touch of both.

One Touch of Venus continues at the Royal George Theatre, Niagara-On-The-Lake, until October 10. For tickets, call the box office at 1-800-511-7429 or check www.shawfest.com

A member of the Canadian Theatre Critics Association, Mary Alderson reviews shows at area theatres and posts her reviews at www.entertainthisthought.com.