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.

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.

Harvey
Written by Mary Chase
Directed by Joseph Ziegler
Performed by Peter Krantz, Mary Haney, Norman Browning et al
Shaw Festival Production
Royal George Theatre
April 1 to October 31, 2010

Entertain This Thought!
Review by Mary Alderson

The story of Harvey and his endearing companion, Elwood P. Dowd, hit Hollywood’s big screens 60 years ago. The movie version is based on a play by Mary Chase, which she wrote and rewrote in the 1940s. Fortunately, the whimsical story has withstood the test of time, and continues to charm audiences 70 years later. It opened Saturday at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Since the world knows Harvey through James Stewart’s portrayal of Elwood P. Dowd in the 1950 movie, Shaw actor Peter Krantz allows us to hold on to that image. He plays Dowd much like Stewart’s version, in a similar soft-spoken, sometimes whistling voice. This seems to work well – and while he gives us Stewart’s style, he is not just an impersonator; he makes the character his own.
Dowd is unfailingly polite, always pleasant with impeccable manners. He is someone everyone would like. His only failing is that he spends much of his time talking to his companion, a six foot invisible white rabbit named Harvey who is a pooka. A pooka is a mythical ghost who can take animal form and offers humans friendly advice and assistance.
Dowd’s sister, Veta Louise Simmons, is very embarrassed about her brother’s penchant for introducing the invisible rabbit to everyone he meets. She has high hopes of her daughter Myrtle Mae meeting the right young man to improve their social standing. Mary Haney plays Veta Louise with excellent comedic timing. Her distress makes for much of the laughter in the play.
Also creating much of the humour are the two doctors in the show. Gary Powell plays the earnest young Dr. Sanderson who is trying so hard to do the right thing, while Norman Browning plays the older Dr. Chumley who later succumbs to Harvey’s spell. Both actors handle their roles well and remain understated for maximum humour.
Donna Belleville handled both roles of older woman at the opening. She plays Mrs. Chauvenet, the gossipy visitor, and also Mrs. Chumley, the doctor’s wife. Both characters are delightful, and as foils for Elwood, show how charming he is.
The set for Harvey is incredible. A stately library in the Dowd family mansion with luxurious heavy Victorian furniture, and classic Persian rugs takes us back to the days of old money in the 1940s. But when the action shifts to the sterile insane asylum lobby, the set transforms. Backdrops come down, while white-coated hospital workers carry off furniture and flip around walls. During the opening performance the stage workers were applauded for the quick transformation of the two amazing sets.
Of course, the audience never actually sees Harvey. However, we can rest assured that the giant white rabbit actually exists. When we see doors opening and closing we know that Harvey as onstage.
It’s a very heart-warming story, one of those comedies where you leave the theatre feeling good. It has endured and remains uplifting, still funny decades after it was first written. The Shaw’s version is good entertainment.
Harvey continues at the Royal George Theatre, Niagara-On-The-Lake, until October 31. 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.

Forever Plaid
Written by Stuart Ross
Directed and musical direction by Sandy Thorburn
Choreographed by Ramona Gilmour-Darling
Performed by Douglas John Alan (Price), Russell Tyson Clark, Ben Kunder, Sef Wood
Originally produced by Thousand Islands Playhouse, Gananoque
Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
May 18 to June 5, 2010

Entertain This Thought!
Review by Mary Alderson

A turquoise 50’s era Lincoln Continental carried the cast of Forever Plaid, each wearing a white tuxedo jacket, through the streets of Petrolia to kick off Victoria Playhouse’s 2010 season. They were escorted by bagpipe music, thanks to a plaid kilted piper.
It’s 1964 and four young men have formed a singing group, harmonizing at popular spots such as the airport bar, known as the “Fusal Lounge”. Sadly, before they make it big, all four are killed in a car crash. Then suddenly, it’s 46 years later, and they are surprised to find themselves back on earth and performing the big show they never gave.
Smudge (Ben Kunder), Sparky (Douglas John Alan ‘Price’), Jinx (Russell Tyson Clark) and Frankie (Sef Wood) along with Jim Hodgkinson as the pianist, timidly take the stage, but soon regain their confidence, performing before an appreciative audience. They confess to rehearsing in the plumbing supply warehouse, using plungers for mics.
The four have excellent voices from Kunder who supplies the low notes, through to Clark’s soaring tenor. The songs are late fifties, early sixties favourites such as Three Coins in the Fountain and Love is a Many Splendored Thing.
There’s salute to Perry Como when the four pay homage to the “golden cardigan”, and sing Catch a Falling Star. They also honour Caribbean music with Day-O, Kingston Market and Matilda. Another set includes Sixteen Tons and Chain Gang. They even acknowledge the Beatles who are becoming popular with a new sound, by singing She Loves You. But of course, they make it their own by singing “yessireee” instead of “yeah, yeah, yeah.”
The most laughs come during a special segment, where they perform the entire Ed Sullivan show including all the favourite acts in five minutes. There’s a juggler, flamenco dancer, trained seal, dogs jumping through hoops, ballet, opera, the famous spinning plates, Sr. Wences, the singing nun, Topo Gigio the mouse and more.
When the Jim, the accompanist, has to take his union break, Doug Price, a talented triple threat actor/singer/dancer gets to demonstrate his fourth threat, and takes over at the piano. They even invite audience participation, with the one song everyone knows how to play, Heart and Soul. Sef Wood supplies to vocals to this crowd pleaser.
The Plaids always wanted was new plaid jackets. When the jackets arrive, they are truly heaven-sent. It’s a relaxing evening of entertaining comedy featuring the smooth harmonies of the pre-rock pop era.

Forever Plaid continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until June 5. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or 519-882-1221 for tickets.

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

The Wedding Singer
Written by Chad Beguelin & Tim Herlihy
Music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Directed & choreographed by Tim French
Musical direction by Anthony Bastianon
Performed by Matthew Campbell, Erica Peck et al
Stage West, Mississauga
April 22 to July 4, 2010

Entertain This Thought!
Review by Mary Alderson

Based on the 1998 Adam Sandler movie, The Wedding Singer has been revised as a musical comedy for live theatre. Robbie Heart tries to make a living singing at wedding receptions, along with his friends George and Sammy. He’s a true romantic, engaged to Linda who leaves him at the alter. So he becomes very cynical and depressed, making inappropriate speeches at weddings. Eventually, he realizes he’s in love with Julia, a waitress who regularly serves at wedding receptions. Unfortunately, she’s engaged to Wall Street businessman Glen.
The story is appealing, and the songs written especially for show have hilarious lyrics. Comedy is created by making fun of eighties fashion and lifestyle. When Glen brags about his new cellular phone, he lifts the heavy battery pack, attached by a cord to a huge phone.
Matthew Campbell plays Robbie, a sweet, romantic soul who really enjoys being a part of the happy couple’s wedding day. Erica Peck is the kind and gentle Julia, who longs to be married. Peck was the lead in We Will Rock You, and again shows her strength in handling the vocals.
Karen Wood is hilarious as Grandma Rose, and Andrew McGillivray is the audience favourite providing laughs as George, the gay keyboard player. Rachel Fischer is very entertaining as Julia’s cousin Holly. Kraig Waye is good as Sammy, also in the band, and Sean Andrews plays a rather nasty Glen. Kristen Peace gives a powerful portrayal of Linda, who dumps Robbie.
The 12 members of the ensemble are excellent singers and lively dancers. With a variety of colourful costumes and many wig changes, they all handle many roles. The clothes and hair-dos are authentic eighties styles – lots of well-padded big shoulders and big hair.
In the end, the action moves to Las Vegas, where a myriad of impersonators reminds us of who was making the news in the eighties: in a cleverly written scene we find none other than Ronald Reagan, Imelda Marcos, Tina Turner, Billy Idol, Cindy Lauper, and Mr. T.
It’s an entertaining show, well cast with energetic performers. Stage West is a dinner theatre and features buffet dinners before each performance – we enjoyed the Sunday brunch.
Like Rock of Ages, which opened recently in Toronto, The Wedding Singer mocks all things eighties. While Rock of Ages uses actual 1980s rock music, The Wedding Singer has eighties-like songs written for the show. Both are light-hearted love stories, with laughs along the way.
The Wedding Singer continues in dinner theatre at Stage West, Mississauga until July 4. For tickets, including dinner or Sunday brunch, and hotel room packages, contact 1-800-263-0684 or www.stagewest.com

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

Stratford actor and screen star Cynthia Dale is coming to the Huron Country Playhouse next month. Dale, star of CBC’s Street Legal and frequent stage presence at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, hits the stage June 9 to 26 as the title character in Sweet Charity.
Set in New York in the 1960s, Sweet Charity is Neil Simon’s Tony Award-winning musical about an optimistic young woman who always wears her heart on her sleeve.
For tickets, call 519-238-6000 or visit huroncountryplayhouse.com.

Rock of Ages
Written by Chris D’Arienzo
Directed by Kristin Hanggi, Associate Director Adam John Hunter, Resident Director David Connolly
Choreographed by Kelly Devine
Musical supervision by Ethan Popp
Performed by Yvan Pedneault, Elicia MacKenzie, David W. Keeley, Aaron Walpole, Cody Scott Lancaster, et al.
Mirvish Production
Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto
May 11, 2010 – open run

Entertain This Thought!
Review by Mary Alderson

It’s 1987, and the Bourbon Room, a seedy bar on Hollywood’s Sunset Strip is the centre of “hair-band” metal rock. The bar is owned by Dennis, an aging hippie in a fringed jacket, who, along with his sidekick, Lonny the sound guy, books the best in up and coming ‘80s rock and roll acts. Also working at the bar sweeping floors is Drew, a rock star wannabe. Sherrie, the small town girl, arrives in Hollywood, hoping to become a movie star. The Bourbon Room has a “kick-ass” house band, and life is good, until a German investor and his son Franz bribe the mayor to let them tear down the district in the name of economic redevelopment.
Rock of Ages is the latest in popular jukebox musicals, shows that have a plot built around existing songs. Mamma Mia was fashioned around Abba songs and lasted for a five year run in Toronto. The Jersey Boys, the story of The Four Seasons and created around their music, is now enjoying a good run. Rock of Ages incorporates the music of Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, and more, cleverly woven around a funny tale typical of musical theatre: there’s a story of unrequited love, an impending disaster and happy ending, all set to epic ‘80s anthems. If audience appeal is any indication, Rock of Ages, with its Canadian cast, should rival Mamma Mia’s longevity.
The comedy is good – poking fun at the era, with a few corny jokes and groaners thrown in. But what makes Rock of Ages so entertaining are the voices and the harmonies. Yvan Pedneault as Drew earns applause for how loud and how long he can hold a note. Pedneault was the lead in the Queen musical, We Will Rock You, and continues to show he has a voice just as amazing as Freddy Mercury or Steve Perry of Journey. Pedneault hails from Sept-Iles, Quebec – not South Detroit as the Journey song says – so the story is altered slightly to account for his delightful French Canadian accent.
As Sherrie, Elicia MacKenzie’s powerful voice soars in tunes such as Harden my Heart. Recently, MacKenzie played Maria in The Sound of Music after winning the CBC-TV series “How do you Solve a Problem like Maria?” Her mini-skirted ‘80s stripper character is a far cry from Maria, but she nails the rocker chick vocals.
Aaron Walpole plays Lonny as a cross between a cartwheeling John Belushi with the facial expressions of Jack Black. As the narrator, he nearly steals the show with his excellent comedic timing and fantastic voice. Walpole takes us into the final number in Act I promising a big song (Here I Go Again by Whitesnake) and giving us jazz hands.
David W. Keeley as Dennis looks and sounds like a ‘70s rock star, making the transition to the ‘80s. Keeley, with a background at the Stratford Festival and Broadway, works very well with Walpole’s comedy. The two are hilarious when Lonny shows Dennis how much he cares with REO Speedwagon’s Can’t Fight This Feeling.
Cody Scott Lancaster as Franz gets spontaneous applause just for smiling at the audience. His version of Pat Benatar’s Hit Me with Your Best Shot brings the house down.
Since this is the Canadian opening of Rock of Ages, there are some Canadian jokes tossed in: high on the big screen, we see the rock stars of the day – including Anne Murray. There are also scenes of Lonny and Dennis travelling the world – making stops at iconic attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, and then Maple Leaf Gardens. The audience roars – how we love the proud Canadian stuff.
Audiences are adoring this show. I saw the Sunday matinee and there was long and loud applause and cheering throughout. During the ballads, the audience was swaying side-to-side, waving lighted cell phones. For the finale, Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’, everyone was on his or her feet clapping, singing and dancing. And yet, in talking with the cast later, they said that the afternoon audience had been their quietest yet! The Saturday night crowd had the set shaking, they reported.
Don’t go if you don’t like loud metal rock of the ‘80s or you’re offended by the language used by ‘80s rock stars. But if you’re about 40 years old and you grew up on these tunes, don’t miss this show. So it’s a little loud and little bit naughty – it’s the most fun you can have in a theatre.
For tickets, call TicketKing 416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333 or go to www.mirvish.com

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

Legends
Conceived, Written and Directed by Alex Mustakas
Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements by Robert Foster
Choreographed by Gino Berti
Musical direction by Mike Lerner
Originally produced by Drayton Entertainment
Grand Theatre, London
April 20 to May 22, 2010

Entertain This Thought!
By Mary Alderson

If you enjoyed “Twist and Shout: The British Invasion” when it played at the Grand two years ago, you’ll love “Legends”. It’s 1975 and Roy Solomon (who was the Ed Sullivan-like character in “Twist and Shout”) is retiring after 20 years on television.
In his honour, emcee Sheldon Lubliner has brought together the best rock and roll acts of 1955 to 1975. The Grand Theatre becomes a TV studio — don’t sit in the first row, unless you’re willing to be singled out as a celebrity: Richard Nixon and Jackie Onassis were introduced on opening night. Lubliner, played by the hilarious Tory Doctor, keeps the audience in stitches throughout the show.
Doctor provides the comedy – he comes dressed for each occasion; for example, he wears water wings and flippers during the Beach Boys set. He also gives his impression of the almost forgotten Tiny Tim, a dashing James Bond, or a crypt-kicker in the “Monster Mash”, among others.
During set changes, commercials are shown on big screens on either side of the stage. Some of these are unintentionally funny, like health benefits of smoking menthol cigarettes being touted. A couple of old movie trailers are over-the-top hilarious, even thought they weren’t meant to be funny at the time.
What makes “Legends” actually, well, legendary are the 58 musical numbers in the show. Several numbers are medleys by favourite artists, so it’s likely that there are over 80 songs presented in 2 ½ hours. Non-stop music of a generation: From Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary”, to Aretha Franklin’s “RESPECT”, with all kinds of familiar favourites in between. Audience members squeal with delight as they recognize the next song after a few bars. Tunes like “Whole Lotta Shakin’”, “Johnny B. Goode”, “Mony Mony”, “Heard it Through the Grape Vine”, “Bad Moon Rising”, “Takin’ Care of Business” and “American Woman” evoke memories for the baby-boomer audience.
There are medleys from Buddy Holly, Four Seasons, Elvis, and more – a particular audience favourite is the Monkees medley, where the performers include typical Monkees’ high jinks.
Another crowd pleaser is the Sonny and Cher impersonation by Duff MacDonald and Michel LaFleche. Without giving away too much, let’s just say the laughter got louder with each visit.
With a cast of 15 taking turns singing lead and back-up, the harmonies are wonderful.
Danny Williams, who wowed the audience with “A Whiter Shade of Pale” in “Twist and Shout”, continues to be the favourite with his fantastic voice. He brought the house down with Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” and The Hollies “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”. His powerful voice can send shivers down your back.
I’ve seen “Twist and Shout” and “Legends” three times each, and I enjoy them more every time. However, I did miss Christine Glen and her belting voice on songs like “Son of a Preacher Man” and “River Deep, Mountain High”, as well as Ange Pagano and her raspy “Me and Bobby McGee”, both of whom were in earlier productions in Grand Bend and Drayton.
Frequent costume changes take us back to the satin suits of the Temptations, and the big hair-dos and sequins of the Supremes through to the tie-dyed hippie-wear of The 5^th Dimension and The Mamas and the Papas. Kudos to Bill Layton for the colourful and historically accurate, though exaggerated, clothing.
Gino Berti’s impressive choreography really makes the audience feel like we have gone back 30 or 40 years, and the dancers’ energy is incredible.
Credit must go to musical director Michael Lerner and the talented musicians in the band for their diverse sounds and ability to perfectly recreate all the old favourites. Too bad the scrim didn’t rise when we were applauding so they could receive the recognition they deserve.
“Legends” offers a good night of superior entertainment and definitely the best nostalgia trip one can take. We look forward to more from creator/director Alex Mustakas and his Legends franchise.

Legends continue at the Grand Theatre in London until May 22. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 519-672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593, or visit www.grandtheatre.com.

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