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.

Actress Cynthia Dale

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.

Disney’s High School Musical

Written by David Simpatico
Directed & Choreographed by David Connelly, with Louise Johnson and Luke Brown
Musical direction by Peter Aylin
Performed by David Cotton, Melissa O’Neil, Lisa Lennox, Chad McNamara, with Thomas Alderson, Mark Harapiak, Cassandra Kranjec, Amelia Sirianni, Stephanie West, Shaun Castor, Liam Flanagan, Alison Jantzie, Tim Porter, Liam Tobin, Jonny Wexler, Ken Chamberland, Caitlin Goguen, Susan Johnston Collins, Alana Randall, Sarah Vance.
Drayton Entertainment Production

St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, Waterloo – April 21 to May 15, 2010
Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend – May 19 to May 30, 2010

Entertain This Thought!
By Mary Alderson
(Disclaimer: The reviewer’s son is in the cast.)

Last year, when High School Musical hit the stages in St. Jacobs and Penetanguishene, it was an amazingly energetic show.  This year, the energy has been kicked up a notch or two, if that’s possible!
The show is lots of fun, with enthusiastic singing and dancing.  It’s back at St. Jacobs after completely selling out there last year, then in mid-May, it opens Huron Country Playhouse’s season in Grand Bend.
Director David Connelly describes it as a Romeo and Juliet story; two kids from opposite sides fall in love – the jock and the brainiac.  Troy, the school’s basketball star, meets Gabriella while on a ski vacation.  They take part in a karaoke contest and are surprised to learn they can sing.  But when Gabriella enrols at Troy’s school, he’s embarrassed to tell his friends he likes singing.  She is pressured into taking part in a math competition, rather than audition for the high school musical.
This show is also the new Grease, but instead of peer pressure on the couple to conform, High School Musical celebrates the differences.  The cliques can mix: the jocks, brainiacs, skater dudes and musical theatre geeks can all be friends.  They can even admit to enjoying activities outside their clique, like the jock who bakes, or the skateboarder girl who plays cello.  In act one, they are afraid to mix up the cliques, singing “Stick to the Status Quo”, but by the end, the kids declare, “We’re all in this together.”
With 10 of the 20 cast members returning from last year, the show has all the same good qualities.  Plus, 10 new cast members have joined, bringing with them experience playing the same characters at the Neptune Theatre in Halifax.  Like the plot, the two groups have come together, raising the energy level.
David Cotton reprises the role of Troy Bolton – this year with hair à la Zac Efron or Justin Bieber, which is sure to impress the girls in the audience. But more impressive is David’s voice.  He nails every song perfectly, with better harmony than Efron’s movie versions.
Canadian Idol Melissa O’Neil returns as Gabriella.  Her character is quiet, shy, smart, and endearing much like O’Neil herself.  Her solid singing experience is certainly evident.
Lisa Lennox is the evil Sharpay, with ideal comedic timing and plenty of energy.  Her twin brother Ryan is played perfectly by Chad McNamara.  The two of them are amazing dancers.  Lennox and McNamara, along with Jonny Wexler, who plays Chad Danforth, are TV’s Doodlebops.  All three know how to hold the young audience’s attention.  In addition, there are four other members of the Doodlebops live touring shows in this production: Shaun Castor (Mongo), Tim Porter (James), Amelia Sirianni (Kelsi) and Sarah Vance (Cathy).
Susan Johnston Collins is back as the eccentric drama teacher Ms Darbus, perfect in the comedic role.  She talks to her class in a variety of accents, each one funnier than the last.   Mark Harapiak, just back from a North American tour as King Arthur in Camelot, plays the nasty, tough Coach Bolton well.  After Bolten has his revelation, Harapiak infuses some comedy into the character, joining the students for the final dance numbers.
The rest of the cast, Thomas Alderson, Cassandra Kranjec, Stephanie West, Liam Flanagan, Alison Jantzie, Tim Porter, Liam Tobin, Ken Chamberland, Caitlin Goguen, and Alana Randall, are adept at handling various parts and many quick costume changes.  They also bring great enthusiasm and energy with their singing and dancing.  An audience favourite is “The Start of Something New” where the cast sings and signs the lyrics.  The huge megamix finale with the entire cast is spectacular.
This show is very family friendly with a 7:00 p.m. start, wrapping up at 9:30 so the kids can get home to bed.  There are also booster seats available for diminutive theatregoers – extras were brought in from the Elmira McDonalds.
Kids love seeing the movie brought to life on stage.  They have the DVD memorized and know exactly what will happen next.  For the most part, they love the predictability.  However, last year, I chatted with one young fan who was upset that a new song had been added that wasn’t in the movie.  But then it was forgivable when her friend reminded her that the song was an “extra track” on the CD.
If you have pre-teens in your family, take them to the show.  But even if you don’t have a handy youngster, go anyway.  It is a great evening of entertainment, with superior singing, lively choreography, and a positive message.  All ages can enjoy High School Musical.
Just a note – if you have the Drayton Entertainment Theatre Guide 2010, there have been changes:  The booklet lists High School Musical as appearing at the Drayton Theatre, but the show has been moved to St. Jacobs due to renovations at Drayton.  Also, the booklet shows that High School Musical runs until June 5 in Grand Bend, but now it is scheduled to close May 30.  Order tickets now, last year it sold out.

High School Musical continues with eight shows a week until May 15 at St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, and then from May 19 to May 30 at Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend.  Tickets are available at the St. Jacobs box office 519-757-7788, Huron Country Playhouse box office at 519-238-6000, Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463, or check out www.draytonentertainment.com.

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

Young Frankenstein
Written by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Music and lyrics by Mel Brooks
Directed & Choreographed by Susan Stroman
Musical direction by Robert Billig
Performed by Roger Bart, Shuler Hensley, Cory English, Brad Oscar, Beth Curry, Joanna Glushak, Anne Horak.
North American Tour
Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto
March 17 to April 18, 2010

Entertain This Thought!
Review by Mary Alderson

Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre has been transformed into Transylvania for the next month, with the Broadway tour of Young Frankenstein rolling into town. While it hasn’t earned the same accolades as The Producers, Young Frankenstein is still classic Mel Brooks with many laughs.
Brooks had a hit back in 1968 with the movie The Producers, which he followed with two more movie hits, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, both in 1974. In Young Frankenstein, Brooks satirized scenes from the old black & white Frankenstein movies of the 1930s and 40s. He created parodies of several scenes familiar to fans of the old horror movies.
In 2001 he converted The Producers into a Broadway Musical and won a record-breaking 12 Tony awards. Following the success of The Producers, he wrote music for Young Frankenstein and opened it on Broadway in 2007. Even if Young Frankenstein hasn’t been as popular as The Producers, it is still one corny laugh after another and a whole lot of fun.
Fortunately, Broadway star Roger Bart has gone on this tour, because he’s what makes the show so much fun. Bart was Carmen Ghia in The Producers and won a Tony for his portrayal of Snoopy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. He is recognizable from a brief role on Desperate Housewives – he was the pharmacist who killed Bree’s first husband.
Bart has excellent comedic timing and his style is reminiscent of Johnny Wayne of Wayne & Schuster fame. He looks at the audience with a silly grin and then delivers the funny line – a bad pun or corny joke. Yes, the style may be very old fashioned, but Bart makes it work today.
The year is 1934, and the people of Transylvania are celebrating the death of Victor Frankenstein. They won’t have to fear his experiments any more. Back in New York, his grandson Frederick Frankenstein is a medical school professor. He prefers that his name be pronounced Fronk-en-steen, to distance himself from his grandfather. When word of his grandfather’s death arrives, Frederick must travel to Transylvania to deal with the castle he has inherited. He says good-bye to his girlfriend, Elizabeth (Beth Curry), who won’t let him touch her as she has just had her lips, nails and hair done. She sings, “Please don’t touch me” as Frankenstein tries to give her a farewell kiss.
Igor (pronounced Eye-gor) played hilariously by Cory English, along with lab assistant Inga (Anne Horak), tries to convince Frankenstein to stay and carry on his grandfather’s work. After the hay wagon ride with Inga, where Horak yodels delightfully in her low cut peasant blouse, he agrees to stay.
The castle is maintained by the housekeeper Frau Blucher, portrayed very well by Johanna Glushak. The horses whinny in fear each time her name is spoken – apparently, Mel Brooks originally thought that Blucher was German for glue, and so the horses were afraid of being sent to a glue factory. This running gag kept the audience laughing throughout the show.
The Monster is played by Shuler Hensley, who also had the part on Broadway. He has great fun with the character, particularly in the scene where he crashes into the blind hermit’s cabin (played very well by understudy Erick R. Walck.) Hensley is uproarious when he sings and dances “Putting on the Ritz”, Monster style.
The laughs roll across the audience with one silly joke or pun after another. Some were a little bit naughty so I wouldn’t recommend the show for children under 12.
At one point, Young Dr. Frankenstein decides to have a sit-down talk with Igor, who stepped on a good brain, and then brought a different brain to put into The Monster. Igor insists it’s also a good brain; it belonged to Abby Normal. Igor goes to great dramatic lengths to take his seat. Both actors break up as Igor makes sitting down a big production – or was that acting, too? Finally, Frankenstein asks quietly, “Do you want me to validate that parking?” Maybe the line was improv, or it was acted to look like improv – either way, it was hilarious.
Using all the old jokes and puns and satirizing the horror genre, Brooks created a very funny movie in 1974. By adding songs to it and making it a big musical, he only adds to the comedy. If you’re a fan of Wayne & Schuster type humour, you’ll love this show.
Rumour has it that Mel Brooks at age 84 is writing songs for Blazing Saddles. I’m looking forward to more of Brooks’ crazy comedy on the live stage.
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.

Pride and Prejudice
Written by Jane Austen, adapted by James Maxwell, revised by Alan Stanford
Directed by Susan Ferley
Performed by Susanna Fournier, Brad Hodder et al.
Grand Theatre, London
March 10 to April 3, 2010

Entertain This Thought!
By Mary Alderson

When Artistic Director Susan Ferley welcomed the audience to the opening night of Pride and Prejudice at the Grand, she told everyone to “Enjoy this romantic comedy.” That is probably the most amazing thing about Pride and Prejudice – it is a 200-year-old romantic comedy not unlike the light fare in our movie theatres today. Think of Bridget Jones’ Diary – it’s the 21st century version of Pride and Prejudice. While Bridget relates her thoughts in her journal, here was have Elizabeth Bennet narrating the story.
Jane Austen’s plot has withstood the proverbial time test, and remains entertaining today. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet have five daughters and it is Mrs. Bennet’s duty as a mother to get all five girls married off. So imagine their delight when a wealthy, single young man moves in next door and brings along his rich friend. The comedy results in the many twists and turns it takes to get the two oldest daughters, Jane and Elizabeth, suitably matched. The youngest daughter is also married off, although less suitably.
Susanna Fournier tells the tale as Elizabeth Bennet, and delivers her humourous observations well. Her face and voice are vivacious, but her posture and gestures seem uncomfortable. Perhaps it is an attempt to mirror Mr. Darcy’s awkwardness but it seems strange to keep it up when he’s not around. Brad Hodder as Mr. Darcy is appropriately stiff and awkward. Darcy translates the words pride and prejudice as arrogant and judgemental. Hodder portrays Darcy as so disagreeable, that when we learn of his redeeming qualities they don’t seem believable.
Burgandy Code plays an over-the-top Mrs. Bennet, squealing loudly with laughter whenever she’s excited. Code gets the audience laughing at Mrs. Bennet’s silliness. It’s a far cry from the heart wrenching character Marketa (Hana’s mother) she played in the Grand’s production of Hana’s Suitcase two years ago. Code is certainly versatile.
David Warburton as Mr. Bennet has excellent comedic timing, and delivers his lines perfectly. Mrs. Bennet frequently worries about the fact that she and her daughters will be forced out of the family home when he dies, as it will go to a cousin who is the male heir. Finally Bennet tells Mrs. Bennet, “I may live longer than you!” to the delight of the audience.
Alden Adair plays the annoying and obsequious Mr. Collins very well. He toadies to Lady Catherine De Bourgh creating comedy in a style reminiscent of Broadway actor John Lithgow. His refusal to accept Elizabeth’s refusal of his proposal is hilarious.
Michelle Fisk is excellent as the haughty and snobby Lady Catherine, and garners laughs as she describes all the wonderful things her homely and boring daughter Anne would do “if only her health permitted.” Erin Polatynski is good as both Anne and the equally as boring sister Mary, who embarrasses everyone with her terrible singing. Perrie Oltheuis as Jane and Morgan Jones as Mr. Bingley are both enchanting as the happy young couple.
It’s good to see London actor Jim Doucette at the Grand again. He plays the dual roles of Lucas and Uncle Gardiner well. Two High School Project alumnae also appear. Claire Burns plays a very hoity-toity Miss Bingley. She is sometimes difficult to understand, speaking in a low voice and struggling with the British accent. Carolyn Hall as Kitty is a good partner to the high-spirited Lydia, played well by Laura Schutt. Brendan Rowland is a charming Mr. Wickham, even when he turns out to be a cad, and Courtney Stevens is a charismatic Fitzwilliam. Marilla Wex is good as Charlotte who has to settle for the first proposal that comes her way. Completing the cast are Martha Zimmerman in triple roles and Michael Iliadis as Denney.
The set is well created, minimal, but easily recognizable as it changes from parlour to garden. The characters carry chairs on and off quickly as the show moves smoothly from scene to scene.
The costumes are lovely, with all five daughters wearing delicate creamy gowns, appropriate for the era. But unfortunately there are no costume changes – even poor families changed their dress from what they wore at home to something fancy for a party.
So while everything seems to be in place for a romantic comedy, it is the romance that is lacking. Elizabeth is a strong young woman, even rebellious for her time. She is not going to settle to get a husband; she will hold out for love. And while she tells us that she is falling for Mr. Darcy, and he has said he is attracted to her, we don’t see it. Yes, these are very formal times, but still, if two people profess love for each other, shouldn’t we see a spark? Some chemistry? Even a smile? We saw it with Jane and Bingley, so shouldn’t there have been a moment with Elizabeth and Darcy?
While true Jane Austen fans will enjoy this show for its delightful wit, a little more romance with the comedy would be preferable.

Pride and Prejudice continues at the Grand Theatre in London until April 3. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 519-672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593, or visit www.grandtheatre.com.

High School Musical
Presented by Drayton Entertainment
Huron Country Playhouse
May 19 to 30
Tickets: $39 for adults, $20 for under 18
Box office: 1-888-449-4463

Photos and story by Casey Lessard

Aiming for fame, more than 100 teenagers joined auditions in Exeter and Guelph for Drayton Entertainment’s summer presentation of Disney’s High School Musical, which runs at the Huron Country Playhouse May 19 to 30. After a weekend of auditions, including a full Sunday at South Huron District High School, 80 actors were chosen to join the P.E.P. Squad, the play’s chorus.
“I saw it in the paper and right away I knew that it was something I had to do,” said Alicia Veens, 16, a student at North Lambton Secondary School in Forest. “I love the play a lot, and I love to sing. I love to dance, even though I’m not very good.”
Veens and the rest of the teens had to show their abilities in both areas. Director and choreographer David Connolly and dance captain Michelle Black taught the audition attendees one of the routines those selected will be performing in the play, “We’re All In This Together”.
“It was nerve-wracking,” said Viktor Coletta, a South Huron student from Parkhill. “I was scared out of my mind. I wasn’t expecting what they did. I felt better when we were in groups, but I think I did pretty good.”
The Drayton team acknowledges the fear auditionees have. After all, for some, this is their first time trying out for a professional role.
“We had kids coming to the door, still not convinced of whether they were going to do it at all,” Michelle Black said. “Still thinking it over and they got here. The fact is, they got the courage to learn the material and present at the end.”
The process is not new for Grand Bend’s Meaghan Forrester. She was in the chorus of last season’s Oliver!
“With my Oliver! audition, I screwed up, too, and let my performance suffer,” Forrester said. “This one I screwed up, but I felt my performance was better. You miss a step or have to catch up.
“I hope I get in, but if I don’t, I’m applying to university and those auditions need work,” she added. “If I do get in, I plan to work a lot harder than I did on Oliver!, because we had a lot more time and it was less complicated. This will be less time and more complicated.”
It seems Forrester impressed Connolly and Black; she was among those chosen to join the squad for eight performances this summer. But Connolly understands the pressure the audition process puts on a new performer.
“These kids are making courageous choices to be here,” he said. “For some, it’s an obvious choice; their parents support them and they drove them and it was a no-brainer. There are others who moved mountains to get into that room. When you know what an audition is, it’s scary enough, but they don’t even know what an audition is and they’re walking into a room to put it all on the line.”
Alicia Bradley, 17, of London put it on the line. The Central Secondary School student, who spends summers at a cottage in Grand Bend, has experience at the Grand Theatre in London, where she was a pianist. She was hoping to move from the orchestra pit to the stage.
“I love to dance and sing, Bradley said. “I want to go into theatre at university, but I didn’t realize that until last year, so I’m trying to get my show experience now. I have a couple of auditions at Ryerson, York and U of T. I’m a dancer, so I thought this would be a good chance to get on stage.”
Unfortunately, Bradley is not among those who will be on the Playhouse stage this summer. Neither will Beth Smallman, a South Huron student new to professional theatre.
“I want to go into acting after high school,” Smallman said. “This was my first audition. I’ve been in a lot of drama things through school. I wanted to see what an audition is like and see whether I get it.”
No matter, though. It was a worthy experience for the teen.
“It went really well,” she said. “I learned a lot. I tried my hardest and it was a lot of fun.”
That’s the kind of attitude David Connolly was looking for, even if it didn’t translate into a position with the cast. The overwhelming desire to succeed reminds Connolly of his early theatre years.
“My first big audition was for Alan Lund at Kitchener-Waterloo Musical Productions. I had done some dancing with dance studios and competed a little, but Alan Lund was standing in front of me with Cynthia Toushan Brnjas, who was his assistant, and I didn’t even know that choreographers had assistants. I remember being in awe of that. I must have been so bad and awkward. But we’re looking for passion, someone who can’t think of anything else they’d rather do, and I must have had that.”
It’s all about perspective, Michelle Black said.
“If they did it again, it’s less of an audition and more of a workshop on life. Every time I spend time with David, I learn a little more about myself. Today, if they don’t get the show, the confidence they’ll get from being in the room with him is huge.”
And it’s not for everyone.
“We had a girl yesterday break down in the middle and say, ‘I can’t do this,’” Black said. “You can see that, for some of them, it’s terrifying.”
It wasn’t a problem for Virginia Iredale of Exeter, who earned a spot on the squad.
“The hardest part is keeping it all together,” the Grade 10 student said. “I don’t get embarrassed on stage. The easiest part was coming. I just decided, I’m going, my mom will bring me. Then it’s like, I’m here, guess I get to do it now.”
Family support is important, and makes the process easier.
“My mom made me (audition),” said Viktor Coletta. “I did this in London with Original Kids. I was Zeke Baylor, the cook. It’s a fun show, a lot of energetic people.”
Alicia Veens came wearing a shirt that reads Born to be Famous.
“My grandma bought me this shirt,” Veens said. “She loves what I do and hopes for the best for me. I want to be famous really bad.”
And she knows what it takes to get there.
“If you have it, you have it. You don’t have to be good looking, as long as you have the talent and believe in yourself.”
Words David Connolly might argue were taken right out of his mouth. He hopes some kids discovered this about themselves during the audition process.
“You can tell somebody they’re great, but that will never replace them feeling that they did it themselves,” he said. “That moment of doing it for themselves will stay with them.”
Veens walked away wanting the moment to last.
“I would love to get a letter in the mail saying I’ve made it. I’ve always wanted to be in a play like this.”
“I’d like to see all the good people get it,” added Virginia Iredale. “I will definitely go see it now because it looks like fun.”
No need to buy a ticket, Virginia, because you and Alicia are in it. Veens and Iredale were both added to the P.E.P. Squad roster. And yes, High School Musical looks like fun. To see it for yourself, visit http://www.draytonentertainment.com

Story by Casey Lessard

Drayton Entertainment is gearing up for the summer season at the Huron Country Playhouse, but needs your help finding accommodations for its cast and crew. More than 100 people will need a place to stay for their time here, which can range from five weeks to the whole summer.

“It’s a great way to bring in some extra money if you have an empty room or two in your home, or a private apartment, basement apartment, or empty cottage that would be available during the summer,” facility manager Paul Pembleton said in a release. “Some of our accommodation partners open their homes to several actors for the entire season while others choose to house an actor for just one five-week period.”

Proximity to the Playhouse is important, but some performers will have access to vehicles, so communities other than Grand Bend are an option for them.

Pembleton says the average accommodation rate is about $100 per week – with certain amenities that must be included, such as cooking and washroom facilities. Most productions run for three weeks, plus an additional two weeks of rehearsals.

“We rely heavily on the community’s support and generosity to help maintain the calibre of production that our patrons have come to expect and Huron County never lets us down,” Pembleton says. “Everyone loves coming to this area. They always feel very welcomed into the community.”

For more information, or to add your name to the list for available housing, please call Paul Pembleton at (519) 238-8387 ext. 50.

Area high school students will hit the stage at the Huron Country Playhouse this summer as members of the chorus of Disney’s High School Musical May 19 to June 5. Auditions for Avon Maitland, Bluewater, Huron Perth and Lambton Kent District School Boards take place this Sunday, February 21 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at South Huron District High School; London and Thames Valley District School Boards will audition from 2 to 5 p.m.. The auditions are exclusively for students in Grades 9 to 12, and 36 students will be chosen to perform in the show alongside professional actors, including Canadian Idol winner Melissa O’Neil.
“Since the show is High School Musical, what better way to show that than by casting high school students to be in the show,” says Drayton executive producer Steve Roth. “We’re looking for enthusiastic high school students who can sing and dance but who also have a passion for theatre.”
Other than that, no specific preparation is necessary, but students should come with a recent photo and comfortable clothes and shoes.
Students cast through the auditions will be involved in five numbers. Roth says auditionees will learn the music and choreography for one of the songs they’ll be performing if chosen. Those chosen will spend one week learning their roles before joining the professional cast two days before the first show.
“Getting the community more involved in Grand Bend is something we’ve talked about for years, and I hope that in the next year or two, we’ll go back to the way it used to be, where we have our professional company, but community members are invited to be part of the show.”
Meaghan Forrester, 18, of Grand Bend (left) was a member of the children’s chorus in Oliver! this year at the Playhouse, and is eager to audition for a role that fits her age more appropriately. The South Huron student encourages other students to try to be part of the process.
“Try to have fun with it. Even if you don’t get in, it’s a really good experience. Getting to know people and doing the work is so nice. I made tonnes of friends, and I’m actually keeping in contact with the director as a reference for university.”
The show premiered last year at St. Jacobs to sell-out crowds, with O’Neil, the 2005 Idol winner in the starring role. David Connolly (Miss Saigon) returns as director after successful runs in St. Jacobs and Penetanguishene.
For tickets to the Drayton season, call 1-888-449-4463. Audition forms: http://www.draytonentertainment.com/

Wingfield Lost & Found
Written by Dan Needles
Directed by Doug Beattie
Performed by Rod Beattie
Grand Theatre, London
February 9 to 28, 2010

Entertain This Thought!
By Mary Alderson

The Wingfield franchise of laughter continues with its seventh instalment, Wingfield Lost & Found, which opened Friday at London’s Grand Theatre.

For those not familiar with the Wingfield series, Dan Needles has used a string of newspaper columns to create a story of a Toronto stockbroker who leaves the big city to become a hobby farmer in the mythical township of Persephone. Stratford actor Rod Beattie stars in the one-man shows, directed by his brother Doug Beattie. The series has a loyal following, and they have stuck closely to their popular format – almost all the same characters, on the same set, but with new laughs in each play. The plays have been filmed for television, in exactly the same format as the stage productions.

The play opens with Walt’s Belted Galloway cattle escaping, and the nephews try to round them up using text messaging to track their whereabouts. Walt’s neighbour, the Squire, says that having those two show up to help is like have four good men not show up. Maybe you’re familiar with the Galloway: they are black at each end, with a white belt in the middle, like an Oreo cookie, which Walt thinks would be easier to raise.

It’s a long hot summer on the 7^th line, and the Wingfields’ well runs dry. Walt tries to get the local witcher, “Dry Well Delbert”, out of the retirement home to tell him where to drill a well. At $40 a foot, AAA Well Drilling puts down a 200’ well with no water, as Walt interviews other diviners and dowers. The drought continues with great hilarity.

Rod Beattie makes a one man show seem easy, as he switches from one character to another. I started counting the characters for which he has distinctive voices, and lost track at about 13 (that’s counting Walt and Maggie’s toddler Hope who says beep-beep and Spike the dog who says woof, in a sub-plot about the Road Runner chasing the Coyote.)

I heard some of the stories two years ago when Dan Needles spoke at a conference I attended. Needles explains how he (or Walt) moved from the city to the country thinking it would be better for the environment. But as a city dweller, he left his car parked underground in his high-rise apartment building. Everywhere he went, he walked or took transit. But moving to the country, he now drives a 4×4 everywhere he goes, uses a tractor, a garden tractor, a lawnmower, etc. His carbon footprint is much greater as a rural dweller. Needles got plenty of laughs at the conference, but when the words come out of Walt’s mouth, they are even funnier.

If you’re a fan of Wingfield, you will, of course, enjoy this latest adventure. If you haven’t seen any of the series before, that’s all right, you can jump in any time and still have fun.

Wingfield Lost & Found continues at the Grand Theatre in London until February 28. 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

Little House on the Prairie ~ The Musical

Written by Rachel Sheinkin, based on the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Music by Rachel Portman
Lyrics by Donna Di Novelli
Directed by Francesca Zambello
Choreographed by Michele Lynch
Musical direction by Kevin Stites
Performed by Melissa Gilbert, Steve Blanchard, Kara Lindsay, Kate Loprest, Kevin Massey, Alessa Neeck, Carly Rose Sonenclar.
Guthrie Theater Production/Mirvish
Canon Theatre, Toronto
January 27 to February 28, 2010

Entertain this Thought
Review by Mary Alderson

The new musical, Little House on the Prairie, is a cross between two old favourite musicals:  Anne of Green Gables and Oklahoma!
If you like Anne’s perkiness, then you’ll love Laura’s spunk.  If you like the settlers’ tenacity in Oklahoma!, then you’ll love the Ingalls family’s triumph over tribulations.
An American touring company of Little House on the Prairie ~ The Musical, originating in Minneapolis, has been brought to Toronto’s Canon Theatre by the Mirvishes.  The new musical follows the series of books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, rather than the long-running TV show, if memory serves.   However, the television series is well represented, with Melissa Gilbert, who starred in the series as Laura, playing the role of Ma in the musical.  Gilbert received a warm round of applause when she stepped on the stage.
The story traces the Ingalls family, Ma, Pa, Mary, Laura and Carrie, as they settle a tract of land near DeSmet, Dakota Territory, in the 1800s.  The Ingalls girls find it difficult to fit in at the country school, and Laura’s nemesis, Nellie Oleson, scorns them.  Life is rough – winters are harsh, prairie fires destroy the wheat crop, and scarlet fever leaves Mary blind.  In order to pay tuition for Mary to attend a college for the blind, Laura at age 15 takes a job teaching school at the Brewster settlement. She struggles with living with away from home in an unwelcoming household.  But Laura manages to earn enough to get Mary off to school, where she eventually receives a scholarship.  With the requisite happy ending, Laura and the young farmer with the strange first name, Almanzo Wilder, marry and make their home on the prairie.
Melissa Gilbert as Ma may be the drawing card to introduce this new musical, but unfortunately she is not a singer.  She and the director have recognized that fact: her performance is credible with simple tunes and very few solo parts. It is a great novelty to see her now at age 46 taking on the role of mother. Also interesting to note, I believe that one of the young schoolboys in the show, Michael Boxleitner is Melissa Gilbert’s son.
Steve Blanchard as Pa symbolizes the pioneer spirit well and has a beautiful voice. His rendition of the song The Prairie Moves early in the show is a touching account of his love of the land.
Kara Lindsay as Laura is excellent in portraying the energetic little tomboy who makes the transition to the responsible young woman.  Lindsay is one of those actors who commands the stage with her sparkling eyes.  Alessa Neeck is good as Mary and handles the difficult task of being blind very well.  The two young women both have powerful singing voices and harmonize well in the poignant song I’ll Be Your Eyes.
Kate Loprest provides the comic relief as Nellie Oleson, complete with the head full of blonde ringlets.  Kevin Massey as Almanzo has a soaring tenor voice and is endearing in his efforts to befriend Laura.  Little Carly Rose Sonenclar at age 10 handles the role of Carrie well, another item on her already impressive list of credits.
As with many touring shows, the set is simple:  two walls are rolled out to represent the little house.  The colours of sunsets and clouds in the big sky create a prairie feel.  Representing horse drawn wagons and sleighs is always a challenge on stage.  In this case, the actors held long reins fastened to the stage, as they jumped or bounced about to simulate the ride – by the end of the show, the reins seem overdone.
The choreography in the Fourth of July celebration was out of synch and needed tightening while the dancers seemed tired the night I was there.  But they redeemed themselves in the curtain call where they really seemed to be having fun.
Little House on the Prairie ~ The Musical will become very popular with high schools and community theatre as it will support a large cast.  In this production there were 24 on stage.  The creators have included all the ingredients of the old favourite musicals:  the horse race scene is reminiscent of the joust in Camelot, the Fourth of July celebration is similar to the barn raising in Oklahoma!  It is a great family show, and will be enjoyed by all ages, especially those who liked reading the Little House books.

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 .

The Last Five Years
Written and Composed by Jason Robert Brown
Directed by Vikki Anderson
Musical direction by Ryan DeSouza
Performed by Julie Martell and Mark Uhre
Grand Theatre, London
January 19 to February 6, 2010
Reviewed by Mary Alderson

Entertain This Thought!
By Mary Alderson

The Last Five Years, currently on stage at the Grand Theatre in London, is one of those show-business shows that will be appreciated more by those in the industry. A musical with very few spoken words, it tells the story of a five-year relationship between Jamie, a writer, and Cathy, an actress. But even if all audience members don’t identify with their careers, they will recognize the flaws in the relationship.
There is a catch you need to know in order to really understand what’s happening: Cathy starts telling the story in the present, and then she works her way back reliving the last five years. At the same time, Jamie describes their relationship, starting when he first fell in love with Cathy. In Act One Cathy is miserable with the break up of their marriage and her difficulties leading up to it, while Jamie is happy and head-over-heels in love with her as the relationship begins. In Act Two, Jamie is increasingly unhappy with Cathy, while she moves back through their blissful early days together. The action flips back and forth between the two characters, until the middle of the show, when they are on stage singing together at the time of their wedding.
Unless you realize that Jamie’s story moves forward in time while Cathy’s moves backwards, the show could be very confusing. During Act One, I heard murmurs from audience members who did not understand what was happening. This is an example of why theatregoers need to take time to read the playbill before the show or do some homework before they get to the theatre.
In spite of the unusual time shifts, The Last Five Years does an excellent job of exploring a relationship. And even though we know immediately that it ends badly, we are still interested, wanting to know what went wrong and why. Few shows would be able to get an audience’s full attention after revealing the end first. Jamie’s work as a writer is taking off, while Cathy is struggling with her career as an actress. The audience is led on a few twists and turns – who do we blame for the failure of the marriage? Is it because she’s too possessive and jealous, or is he too wrapped up in his writing and the high life that comes with his success? Writer and music composer Jason Robert Brown gives the stories authenticity and his intricate pop/rock music keeps the audience engaged.
Mark Uhre as Jamie immediately makes the audience love him with his giddiness early in the relationship. He is a delightful storyteller in The Schmuel Song. Uhre handles the shift from happy romantic to disenchanted husband very well and expresses himself perfectly in song.
Julie Martell as Cathy breaks our hearts in the first scene with her song Still Hurting. She is excellent as the unhappy, dissatisfied Cathy, but doesn’t match Uhre’s exuberance when the relationship is at its outset. In Act Two, one would assume that she should be happy, but she fails to really demonstrate it in the songs. She provides comic relief in Climbing Uphill/Audition Sequence as we hear her thoughts during an audition. Unfortunately, Martell has some difficulty switching from her belting voice to her soft voice in Jason Robert Brown’s complex style of song writing.
The set is interesting – on top is a waterfront pier and they even move across in a boat. It looks great, but I just wish the boat would float along smoothly. The lower set is their apartment building – we see in windows, sometimes through Venetian blinds. I found the fact that they moved in and out through a half-door below one window a little strange. I also appreciated the range in lighting and how it changed with the characters’ moods. However, the shadows in the muted lighting created distracting blotches on their faces.
Jason Robert Brown gives a fascinating inside look into both sides of a relationship. His lyrics express the feelings well and the music is moving. The Grand gives us a credible version of his work.
The Last Five Years continues at the Grand Theatre in London until February 6. 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.

Drayton Entertainment is looking for area teens to be members of the chorus for Disney’s High School Musical, which runs from May 19 to June 5 at the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend.
Open auditions will be held on Sunday, February 21 at South Huron District High School in Exeter from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for students of the Avon-Maitland, Bluewater, Huron-Perth and Lambton-Kent District School Boards only; from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. for students of the London District and Thames Valley District School Boards only.
Auditions are open exclusively to students in Grades 9 though 12. Students do not need to prepare any material for the audition; please bring a recent photo and comfortable clothes and shoes for the movement audition.
Additional information is available at: draytonentertainment.com.

The Wizard of Oz
Written by L. Frank Baum
Music and lyrics by Harold Arden and E. Y. Harburg
Directed by Susan Ferley
Musical direction by Mike Lerner, assisted by Floydd Rickets
Choreography by Kerry Gage, assisted by Doug Price
Grand Theatre, London
November 25 to January 3, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

An old favourite has been revived at the Grand Theatre. The Wizard of Oz is on their stage again, after just seven years. However, as director Susan Ferley points out, that’s a lifetime for some members of the Wizard’s audience.
The classic story of Dorothy’s adventures after a cyclone carries her away over the rainbow is fresh and lively in this new production. Sets and costumes are colourful and the cast’s energy is amazing.
A delightful chorus of 10 children makes this performance. The kids play several roles: Munchkins, Crows, Poppies, Apple Trees, Winkies, Jitterbugs and Ozians, They sing and dance their way through the show, keeping energy levels up as if they were professionals.
The rest of the cast maintains the pace. Adrienne Merrell is an animated Dorothy. Her trio of travellers are all well cast: Keith Savage as the Scarecrow/Hunk; Alana Bridgewater as the Cowardly Lion/Zeke; and Steven Gallagher as the Tin Woodsman/Hickory. Keith Savage is always a favourite Huron Country Playhouse, with his talent for song, dance and comedy. As the Scarecrow, he delights the audience with his stumbles and spins. Alana Bridgewater was the Killer Queen in Toronto’s We Will Rock You, the Queen musical. She has the opportunity to rock the Lion’s music in this production.
Jewell Blackman was last seen at the Grand as Deena in Dream Girls. As Miss Gultch and the Wicked Witch of the West, she too, rocks her numbers. Her green hair, twisted into a point, gives the audience a chuckle when she takes off her witch’s hat.
Stephanie Roth is a charming Glinda and a realistic Auntie Em, while Shane Carty is a quiet Uncle Henry but comes on strong as the Ozian guard, offering some laughs. Kawa Ada’s wizard is reminiscent of Joel Grey’s Wizard in Wicked, and he plays a charming Professor Marvel.
Almost stealing the show is Tilley, the Norfolk Terrier, as Toto. The well-trained four-legged actor performs on cue every time, and receives oohs and aahs from the audience every time she wagged her little tail. (For some fun, visit the Grand’s website and read Tilly’s blog – she describes the rehearsals from her vantage point, 8 inches off the ground.)
The costumes are extraordinary. The Munchkins colourful assortment, through to the Ozians green outfits are all so eye-catching. But the favourite has to be the Jitterbugs. The children are dressed in Roaring Twenties style zoot suits and flapper dresses in shades of red, pink and purple, complete with bug antennae sticking out of their hats!
The sets are not to be outdone by the colourful costumes. Munchkinland is awash in psychedelic colours. Even the tornado was applauded! The pyrotechnic special effects were very well done – enough fire to scare a Scarecrow.
The choreography is outstanding. Both the adult cast members and the children have all the moves, from rock and roll to jazz and jitterbug jives, along with back-flips and cartwheels. And what dance does he Tin Man do? Why, the Can-Can, of course! Kudos to choreographer Kerry Gage and Assistant Choreographer Doug Price.
The vocals and music are exceptional, too, thanks to Musical Director Mike Lerner and Apprentice Musical Director Floydd Ricketts. This classic story has been dressed up with jazz, rock, doo-wop and more to keep it lively.
The old movie has some lulls in the action as the characters move towards the big meeting with the Wizard, but the Grand’s production as overcome any plot slowdowns with lively choreography and quick scene and costume changes. Children will love the show, and adults will not be disappointed.
The Wizard of Oz continues at the Grand Theatre in London until January 3. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Story by Casey Lessard

Disney sensation High School Musical will kick off a musical summer at the Huron Country Playhouse as Drayton Entertainment prepares for the 2010 season. The playbill also includes Sweet Charity, Country Legends, Cagney! and the world premiere of Dance Legends.
The playbill “offers something for everyone,” artistic director Alex Mustakas said in a release, “and appeals to avid theatergoers who want a taste of all genres.”
The season opener, High School Musical, runs May 18 to June 5 and follows Troy and Gabriella as they navigate the tricky world of high school. Based on the Disney film series, the musical was a big hit in 2009 at St. Jacobs and Penetanguishene. A full review is available at grandbendstrip.com.
Sweet Charity follows June 9 to 26, and follows the misadventures of Charity Hope Valentine in 1960s New York. Country Legends, which features tributes to Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline and more. comes to Grand Bend after a sold-out run in Drayton and Penetanguishene; it runs June 30 to July 24. The Canadian premiere of Cagney!, a celebration of silver screen legend James Cagney, runs July 28 to August 7. The season ends with Dance Legends, a Drayton Entertainment original production; it hits the stage August 11 to September 4.
On the second stage, watch as two couples from contrasting walks of life face the unpredictable waves of romance in Separate Beds. It runs at Playhouse II August 3 to September 4.

To learn more and to buy tickets, which are already available for members and go on sale to subscribers November 1 and the general public January 4, call 1-888-449-4463 or visit draytonentertainment.com.

Cyrano de Bergerac
Written by Edmond Rostand
Translated by Anthony Burgess
Directed by Donna Feore, with Colm Feore as Cyrano
Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production
Festival Stage, Stratford
May 29 to November 1, 2009

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

One of my favourite Stratford actors, Colm Feore, is starring in Cyrano de Bergerac on the Festival Stage, and as usual, he makes the show. I remember first enjoying Feore when he played Henry Higgins in Stratford’s My Fair Lady, absolutely stealing the show with his energy. Other memorable Feore shows were Shakespeare’s Coriolanus, and Oliver!, in which he played a menacing Fagin.
In the role of Cyrano, Feore reminds me of the character he played in the movie Bon Cop Bad Cop, a bilingual police officer trying to solve a murder that took place on the Ontario-Quebec border. He plays Cyrano switching seamlessly from English to French throughout the show, conveying the meaning of every word through his acting, in case anyone has difficulty understanding either language.
The story of Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rosland is well known. It first premiered on the French stage in 1897. Stratford’s version was translated Anthony Burgess of Clockwork Orange fame. It is cleverly written and credit must go to Burgess for maintaining the wit in translation.
Cyrano is a swashbuckling musketeer, who unfortunately has been blessed with a very large and long nose. He has made it clear to his colleagues that he doesn’t want any mention of his oversized proboscis. But whenever anyone sees him for the first time, they can’t stop themselves from staring and commenting.
Cyrano is in love with the beautiful Roxane, but realizes he has no chance with her because of his gigantic nose. When she confesses her love for Christian, Cyrano kindly tells Roxane he will look out for Christian and keep him safe in battle.
Cyrano also generously offers to help Christian woo the lovely Roxane. He tells the romantically-challenged Christian what to say and writes love letters for him. So of course, Roxane falls in love with the notion of the romantic Christian, even though he is inept as a suitor.
When Cyrano’s overbearing, older commanding officer, De Guiche, shows a lecherous interest in Roxane, Cyrano encourages the marriage of Roxane and Christian to thwart De Guiche’s dishonourable intentions. To retaliate, De Guiche sends Cyrano and Christian off to the front lines in battle, and tragically Christian is killed. Roxane is heartbroken. The show concludes with Roxane and Cyrano meeting many years later, and finally she learns whose words had impressed her so much.
There have been many movie versions of Cyrano de Bergerac, and even a Broadway musical. The humourous favourite is the Steve Martin – Daryl Hannah version Roxanne, in 1987. Canadian comedians Wayne and Schuster had an excellent parody Cyrano de Bergerac as part of their CBC TV specials. But it is always wonderful to see an original and Stratford’s version is well done.
The costumes are colourful and extravagant. The show opens with a play within the play, where the actors are delightfully made up and dressed.
Colm Feore is utterly outstanding as Cyrano. His huge nose is amazing: the makeup is very realistic. Michael Shara is excellent as Christian with perfect comedic timing. His bungled attempts at romancing Roxane are laugh-out-loud funny, just before Cyrano steps in to assist. Amanda Lisman is an adequate Roxane, although misses opportunity for comedy. She is also unconvincing as she plays the aging woman. The rest of the colourful cast of 30 or more characters are exciting and engaging throughout the show. Credit goes to Director Donna Feore, Colm’s wife. A young Thomas Feore plays a page – it will be interesting to see the next generation.
The action of stage is remarkable, with fast action sword fights, and cannons exploding in war. The sets are incredible: there is even a full bakery complete with a huge inventory of goods. As Cyrano ages, fall leaves come fluttering to the ground.
For any Feore fan, it is well worth the trip to Stratford.

Cyrano de Bergerac continues at the Festival Theatre, Stratford until November 1. For tickets, call the box office at 1-800-567-1600 or check www.stratfordfestival.ca.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Story by Casey Lessard

Sometimes the Huron Country Playhouse saves the best for last, and this year is one of those times. Evita, playing now until August 29, is top quality theatre thanks to excellent hiring decisions that include a star director, a perfect Evita, and great talent all around.
Michael Lichtefeld, who was a performer in the original Broadway cast of Evita, directs and choreographs the Playhouse version to great effect.
“I’m not recreating what we did on Broadway,” Lichtefeld says, “but you can’t do a show for two years and not be influenced by what you did. I’m trying to make it my own and make it fresh for now.”
For Lichtefeld, a key part of making it fresh is the star he discovered after a chance audition.
“I think we’ve found a Canadian star in Dena Chiarcossi,” he says. “She’s exactly what I was looking for because I was looking for someone young and on the verge of a breakthrough. For me, she’s spectacular in the show. The whole cast is terrific.”
Chiarcossi planned to audition for a secondary role, Juan Perón’s mistress.
“I asked my agent if I could audition to play the part,” she says, “but they said it was already cast, but they’re looking for an Eva. I said, all right, I’ll try.”
“She’s an incredible actress and has an amazing voice,” Lichtefeld says. “I asked her at the audition if she could dance and she said ‘a little.’ Well, she dances a lot more than just ‘a little.’ She’s quite a find for me, and she knocked my socks off.”
The show opens with Eva Perón’s 1952 death at age 33, and flashes back to show her life from age 15 to her rise to power with her husband Juan Perón, who was Argentina’s president from 1946 to 1955 and again from 1973 to 1974. During her time at Casa Rosada (the presidential residence), Eva Perón championed women’s rights and the rights of workers.
“I’ve always been on her side,” Lichtefeld says. “There’s something interesting about a woman, especially in the ‘30s and ‘40s, who worked her way up through a male-dominated society to become as powerful as she did. At the end, it went to her head. But look at how many young stars spend all their money or get burned out at the end.
“She’s kind of an anti-hero. She’s a tough character and you’re either going to love her or be elated that she dies in the end.”
Chiarcossi believes the script makes Evita (or Little Eva) look worse than she was.
“Eva Perón was for the people,” she says. “The reason she wanted power and jewels and money was to show the upper class and middle class that they’re not the only ones entitled to this. She, being lower class, wanted to show the people of Argentina that they too could have all of those riches. That’s what I believe. The script is a little different. It manipulates that a little. It shows her more on the arrogant and greedy side.”
This is the challenge for viewers: is Evita (the character) good or bad?
“For me, it’s about how power can corrupt,” Lichtefeld says. “She started off with ambitions to be greater than what fate had dealt her at the beginning. She worked her way up to be the first lady of Argentina. She did some great stuff but also some really bad stuff.
“She slept her way to the top. But she got the vote for women in Argentina, and that itself is a big deal.”
As a counterpoint, Stephen Patterson plays narrator Che Guevara, who never met Evita.
“I tried to find out why they chose him,” says Patterson, who plays a central role in the success (once again – he starred in Miss Saigon and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) of this Playhouse presentation. “What would his problems be with Perónism? A revolutionary acts from the heart. She might have believed she was there for the people, but Che would likely say that she wasn’t.”
With strong singing, dancing and acting, perfectly simple set pieces, and wonderful orchestration, Evita is a perfect reason to spend a couple of hours in the Playhouse theatre on a hot August afternoon or evening.
“It’s controversial, which makes good theatre and makes you think,” Patterson says. “If you can leave the theatre and think about something, we’ve done our job.”

Clooney Tunes
Created, Directed and Choreographed by Dean Regan
Performed by Judy Marshak, Graham Coffeng, & Jay T. Schramek
Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia
August 11 – 29, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

For those who remember and take pleasure in the music of Rosemary Clooney, Clooney Tunes will be an enjoyable evening at Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia.
To many of us, Rosemary Clooney is just one of the sisters in the classic movie White Christmas. But she also had a long singing career, performing in the style of a big band vocalist or jazz singer. This musical revue brings together 19 of her favourite songs from the 40s and 50s – for those familiar with that era, it will be a great nostalgia trip.
Dean Regan, well known for his creation of A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, collected the songs and put the revue together. This Petrolia production is the world premier of Clooney Tunes.
Judy Marshak portrays Rosemary Clooney, singing tunes such as “This Ole House”, “Mambo Italiano”, and “Come on-a my house.” Jay T. Schramek and Graham Coffeng, both with smooth vocals, back her. A three-piece band, including Michael Barber, Spencer Lewis Cole and Michael Herring, provides the music.
Schramek gets spontaneous applause for a dance solo early in the show. He also provides the comedy as a cowboy in an extreme hat, and keeps the audience laughing at his over-the-top expressions. Coffeng with his singing voice duels with Schramek’s amazing tap-dance skills in an entertaining number.
The audience fully enjoys their rendition of Sisters, a favourite song from White Christmas. But instead of two beautiful sisters, we get three – Marshak is flanked by Coffeng and Schramek in very interesting glittering gowns.
Local children Justine Davis, Katherine McNabb, Emily Cross and Sharlyn Mcquigge alternate performances and portray Clooney’s family in the early numbers.
The set for the final number, White Christmas, brought forth “oohs and aahs” from the audience. Barn doors are opened to reveal a beautiful winter scene with snow falling, while a sleigh appears. Marschak wears a beautiful red satin dress, recreating the movie scene.
Costume changes and moving set pieces took a little longer then they should have, on opening night. We hope the pace will be stepped up over the run of the show, to avoid the loss of momentum.
The performance is short, running just over an hour and a half including an intermission. There is more Regan could do with this show to make it good theatre. Perhaps a little more of Clooney’s life could be included: she tried to overcome a dysfunctional upbringing, battling mental health issues and weight problems. Her career faltered, then she made a comeback. Those who remember Clooney will enjoy this light fare, but to attract a new audience, a story is needed.
Clooney Tunes continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until August 29. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or (519) 882-1221 for tickets.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Evita
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Directed & Choreographer by Michael Lichtefeld
Performed by Dena Chiarcossi, Stephen Patterson, Kyle Dadd & company
Drayton Entertainment Production
Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
August 12 – 29, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

To wrap up the 2009 season in Grand Bend, Huron Country Playhouse is offering a brilliant production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita. More opera than musical, this show features a fascinating story, great music, excellent cast and good orchestra.
The show opens with revolutionist Ché Guevera in a movie theatre in Argentina in 1952. The movie is interrupted to announce the death of Eva Peron, wife of Argentinean president Juan Peron. The people of Argentina are devastated by the demise of their beloved Evita, their pet name for her. Then Ché, as the narrator, takes the audience back through time to tell the story of Eva’s life. Born illegitimate and in abject poverty, Eva Duarte convinces a lounge singer to take her away from small-town Argentina to the big city of Buenos Aries at age 15. There, she gets what she wants – working her way from model to radio announcer to famous actress by offering sexual favours to influential men. Finally she meets Juan Peron, a candidate for president of Argentina. She dispatches his 15-year-old mistress, and puts herself in that role, eventually getting him to marry her. With her strength and drive, he becomes president. She ingratiates herself with the working class people and is their “spiritual leader”. The Perons travel the world on their “Rainbow Tour”, where Eva is very popular in Spain and Italy but snubbed by England. Ché points out the discrepancies – money in a charity she creates goes missing, and the poor people are no better off under the Peron regime. The Argentinean military doesn’t like Eva’s power, which only strengthens her desire to be vice-president. But she becomes ill, and her body prevents her from doing all that she wants. She dies of cancer at age 33.
Dena Chiarcossi is outstanding as Eva, playing the character as strong and feisty, ready to take on the world. Chiarcossi sings the many difficult songs beautifully, including the showstopper “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina”. Chiarcossi was part of the cast of Miss Saigon two years ago, and recently played Sharpay in Disney’s High School Musical for Drayton Entertainment.
Stephen Patterson as Ché is also exceptional. Last summer at Huron Country Playhouse, Patterson was Freddy Benson in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, where he also had the outrageous Ruprecht role. Returning from a North American tour of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Patterson shows his strength and wonderful voice as Ché, narrating the story through song. He easily handles the many different music styles and tight lyrics, getting the story told without slowing the action. Together, Patterson and Chiarcossi sing a moving version of “High Flying Adored.”
Kyle Dadd is excellent as Juan Peron. Earlier this summer he played Bill Sykes in Oliver! at Huron Country Playhouse. Keely Hutton gives a very good rendition of “Another Suitcase in Another Hall” as Peron’s young mistress, and Jay Davis as Magaldi is entertaining with “On This Night of a Thousand Stars.” Michelle DiGioacchino, another Drayton favourite, gives an amazing performance as the tango dancer.
The large cast of 23 plus a children’s chorus of six, give a rich, full sound to the songs. “A New Argentina” is a strong, rousing close to act I. Comedy is created with the stuffy British at the polo match, and with the tap-dancing military.
The set is sparse – just a few pieces of furniture along with the famous balcony where Eva greets the masses. But by using actual photographs and newspaper accounts from the times, the feel of Argentina in the 30s and 40s is created.
This is a top quality production and the abilities of Broadway director Michael Lichtefeld are evident. The very full house on opening night was thrilled with the show and showed their appreciation.
Evita continues with eight shows a week until August 29 at Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend. Tickets are available at the Huron Country Playhouse box office at (519) 238-6000, Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463, or check www.draytonentertainment.com

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

I’m a Soulman
Based on The Blues Brothers (Dan Ackroyd and John Belushi)
Performed by Geoff Dahl and Chris Dahl, with Frank Rondell and Denise Pelley
London City Music Theatre, London
July 24 to August 9, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

The London City Music Theatre is filling a specialty niche as the place to go for tribute artists. But the current offering, I’m a Soulman, is more than just a tribute show – it’s an entire musical production.
The show features Goeff and Chris Dahl, real life brothers from London, Ontario performing as the Da Blooze Brothers. What started as a tribute to the Blues Brothers has grown into a show featuring two other performers, three dancers and a seven-piece band. The Dahls impersonate John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd doing their famous Jake and Elwood Blues act. This act spawned the 1980 hit movie, and then 20 years later, after Belushi’s death, a sequel was made with John Goodman in the role of Jake. Da Blooze Brothers and I’m a Soulman are sanctioned by Dan Ackroyd and the Belushi estate.
Geoff Dahl is excellent as Elwood, sounding very much like Dan Ackroyd, speaking in clipped words. He also plays a mean harmonica, even keeping the music going while he runs up the steps among the theatre seats. Chris Dahl is a very convincing Jake Blues, with a better singing voice than Belushi. They harmonize well, presenting all the Blues Brothers favourites: Soul Man, Gimme Some Lovin’, and Let the Good Times Roll. Geoff/Elwood even manoeuvres his mouth through the gibberish of Rubber Biscuit.
Frank Rondell plays the role of Ray Charles performing Shake a Tail Feather and What’d I Say. Later he returns with Hit the Road Jack and a beautiful rendition of Georgia. London singer Denise Pelley plays a perfect Aretha Franklin belting out The Queen of Soul’s numbers: Think, Chain of Fools, Respect, and Natural Woman.
The Dahl brothers also perform Elvis’ Jailhouse Rock, Wilson Picket’s 634-5789 and Flip Flop and Fly of Downchild Blues Band fame. As Jake croons the Drifter’s Boardwalk, Elwood plays along, running a drumstick up and down the chain that usually handcuffs him to a briefcase.
Joining the singers on stage are the European Dancers: Carla Oya, Laura Fernandez and Gwenny Ludwig. The three young women have a myriad of costumes – from neon-fringed outfits to police officers, all in keeping with the original Blues Brother story. They are an impressive ensemble with great choreography.
An extraordinary band has been assembled for I’m a Soulman. Guitar player Doug Varty has an extensive list of credits, going back to the 70s band Seadog. Bass player Prakash John has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for his work with Parliament/Funkadelic, and has also performed with the likes of Alice Cooper, James Brown, and Paul Shaffer, not to mention the original Blues Brothers. He appears in the 2000 Blues Brother sequel movie. His son, Jordan John, is drummer for the I’m a Soulman band, and Duncan Grant plays keyboards. The amazing horn section, known as Dr. Bombay Horns includes Scott Edwards, Ron Walker and Mike Polci.
The Dahl brothers have performed I’m a Soulman all over North America and Europe. They have produced a 2 CD set of the show, which was recorded live in Germany. With their attention to detail when bringing back The Blues Brothers, their popularity will continue.
I’m a Soulman continues until August 9 at London City Music Theatre at the Western Fairgrounds, London. Tickets are available at the box office at (519) 432-0888, or check www.londoncitymusictheatre.com

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

See How They Run
Written by Phillip King
Directed by Marcia Kash
Performed by Kevin Burnett, Phil Martin, Stephanie McNamara, Paul McQuillan, Jane Moffat, Nicholas Rice, Clive Walton, Robin Ward, Karen Wood.
Drayton Entertainment Production
Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
July 29 to August 8, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

There is great fun to be had at Huron Country Playhouse’s production of See How They Run, a zany British farce. Billed as a “Marathon of Laughs”, this comedy had the opening night audience in gales of laughter nearly continuously.
Director Marcia Kash, herself the author of a couple of great Canadian farces (Who’s Under Where and Too Many Cooks), knows how to organize a farce: lots of slamming doors, funny faces, and in this case, plenty of running and jumping around the stage.
See How They Run is true British farce, written by Phillip King in the 1940s to entertain British troops in World War II. It has all the necessary elements of the farce: a prim and proper local spinster who is sure that the Vicar’s wife is having an affair, with a myriad of other eccentric characters, and of course, the requisite mistaken identities. Indeed, the Vicar’s wife has a sketchy past – she was actress until she married the Vicar, and she was seen brazenly waving at a soldier. But her uncle is a Bishop and he’s coming to visit. Unfortunately the Vicar won’t be preaching this Sunday when the Bishop visits; a travelling clergyman will be taking the pulpit. Add to this a crazy maid, a Russian spy and a cop. What more could one want in a farce?
Karen Wood nearly steals the show as the Cockney maid, Ida. Her expression-filled eyes are enough to start the laughter rolling and then she delivers the hilarious lines. Jane Moffat, as the up righteous, judgemental parishioner also keeps the audience in stitches when her character has a bit too much to drink. Both women have excellent comedic timing and know when and how to make the lines work for them. Stephanie McNamara is delightful as the Vicar’s wife, and Clive Walton is excellent as the Vicar, showing his slapstick skills after he has a conk on the head. Paul McQuillan creates some laughs as the soldier, but unfortunately, the character goes a bit too far over the top. Robin Ward as the Bishop, Nicholas Rice as the visiting reverend, Phil Martin as the Russian and Kevin Burnett as the policeman round out the cast and contribute to the hilarity.
The set is excellent: designer Allan Wilbee made sure that there were enough doors to run through and slam, while still keeping it believable. The furnishings are authentic 1940s, and are located strategically to ensure there are places to hide and things to jump over – well, there are things to jump over some of the time – and other times the characters just jump!
For fans of the British farce, this show offers laugh-out-loud fun.
See How They Run continues with eight shows a week until August 8 at Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend. Tickets are available at the Huron Country Playhouse box office at (519) 238-6000, Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463, or check www.draytonentertainment.com

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

West Side Story

Book by Arthur Laurents, Conceived by Jerome Robbins
Music by Leonard Bernstein, Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by Gary Griffin, Musical direction by Rick Fox
Choreographed by Sergio Trujillo
Performed by Chilina Kennedy, Paul Nolan and company
Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production
Festival Theatre, Stratford
June 5 to October 31, 2009

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

Based on the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story is a perfect fit for Stratford’s Festival Theatre stage. The darkness of the wooden stage, dressed with the stark balcony and fire escape ladders of tenements, transports the Festival theatre into 1957 west side New York City.
Instead of Shakespeare’s Montagues and Capulets involved in a family feud, West Side Story has two street gangs, the Jets and Sharks, in a turf war. The Jets are the “Americans” (ironically most of them are first generation Americans, the sons of immigrant families), and the Sharks are recent immigrants from Puerto Rico. Juvenile delinquent gangs were frequently in the news in New York in the fifties, when Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim got together to create this musical. Viewed as very controversial 50 years ago, West Side Story was declared by many too dark for a musical.
Tony, the former leader of the Jets, meets Maria, sister of Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks. The two fall in love at a school dance. A rumble between the rival gangs is planned, and Maria asks Tony to put a stop to it. But the fight gets out of hand, with both Tony’s friend Riff and Bernardo killed. The story is brilliantly woven together, with beautiful music leading to the rumble at the end of Act I. In Act II, the atmosphere is lightened with Maria singing “I Feel Pretty” before she knows about the deaths. There is also a beautiful ballet sequence imagined, and comic relief as the Jets members sing a funny song “Gee, Officer Krupke”. But the harsh reality of the gang war returns in the heart-wrenching conclusion.
Chilina Kennedy, who also plays the female lead this summer in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at the Avon Theatre, is wonderful as Maria. Along with her beautiful voice, Kennedy adds a delightful sauciness to Maria’s character, who is usually played too demurely. This attitude builds to Kennedy’s draining performance in the final scene.
Paul Nolan, in his 3rd season at Stratford is excellent as Tony. Nolan and Kennedy’s harmony in the familiar songs such as “One Hand, One Heart” and “Tonight” is perfect, and the chemistry between them is palpable. Nolan also gives excellent performances in “Something’s Coming” and “Maria” – even showing that he can belt lying flat on his back.
The dance numbers are what make West Side Story such a great production. Credit goes to Sergio Trujillo for capturing the essence of the original Jerome Robbins choreography, taking full advantage of the thrust stage. When the Jets come out with the famous finger-snapping dance number, their feet barely touch the stage. The Sharks girls, in the song “America”, when they argue over whether life is better in New York or back in Puerto Rico, are all amazing dancers. The Latin dance with the girls flashing the colourful full skirts in spike heels, contrasting with the lyrics about America, is a definite audience-pleaser.
Other favourite moments include Nolan lifting himself chin-up style onto the balcony for one more kiss from Kennedy, Anita (Jennifer Rias) appearing on stage in a bubble bath (was that the partial nudity that the playbill warned of?), and the beautifully lit bridal shop number.
The Stratford Festival orchestra brings the score to life. From those first distinctive notes, you know you’re in for some superb music. With more than 25 musicians and the excellent acoustics of the Festival theatre, the sound is full and rich.
West Side Story was groundbreaking back in the fifties and has become a classic of the musical stage. As we hear the horrors of drive-by shootings and the difficulties faced by immigrants in our big cities today, we know West Side Story, like Romeo and Juliet, is timeless. Stratford has done it justice.
West Side Story continues in repertoire at the Festival Theatre, Stratford until October 31. For tickets, call the box office at 1-800-567-1600 or check www.stratfordfestival.ca.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Review by Casey Lessard

Like a train ascending a mountain, See How They Run (playing now to August 8 at the Huron Country Playhouse) starts out slow but picks up speed as the comic antics get out of control.
The first laughs come almost near the end of the first act, courtesy Ida the maid, played by Karen Wood.
“From day one, our director Marcia Kash said to keep it real,” Wood says. “It may not have seemed totally real to you or the audience, but in our world, on stage, whatever we’re doing, if you play it for real, that’s where the comedy lies. We’re in unbelievable situations and because we’re playing it for real, that’s what makes it funny. If you go for stupid, it’s not nearly as funny.”
“You try to walk on and be debonaire and in control,” says Paul McQuillan, who plays a smooth soldier visiting an old friend, “and that all goes away very quickly in this melody of craziness that happens on stage. You think you’re insane like everyone else is. That’s the premise of the piece. You start with your sanity and then you question it.”
If looking like a comedian helps make one funny, Clive Walton is a step ahead of his castmates. Walton resembles Rowan Atkinson, better known as Mr. Bean.
“My kids sometimes tell me I look like him,” Walton admits. “He’s a bit shorter. I wish I were as successful and rich as he is, though.”
As Reverend Lionel Toop, Walton is the centre of the confusion after he is attacked by a Soviet spy on the loose from the local air base. Performing in a play set in war-time England, Walton need not learn a new accent: he’s a recent immigrant to Canada.
“I just came over about five years ago. I don’t know how I ended up here. I didn’t know where Grand Bend was. I must admit I’d never heard of it. But it’s lovely. It’s like the Mediterranean going down to the beach.”
Back in the theatre, McQuillan admits the actors often didn’t know how they ended up where their characters were.
“When we were in rehearsals,” McQuillan notes, “we had to ask each other questions to make sure we were all on the same page. ‘Do I know that this person’s in the closet right now? Who do I think is Rev. Toop right now?’ Sometimes nobody had the answer, and you’d connect the dots.”
That, to Wood, is the secret to the success of the play’s humour.
“There’s lots of embarrassment and frustration and that’s real life.”

Starbright Summer Festival
Produced & Directed by David Hogan

Imperial Theatre, Sarnia
July 7 to August 16, 2009

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

The Heart of Broadway
Musical Direction by Mark Payne

Performed by June Crowley, Susan Gilmour, Marcus Nance, Cory O’Brien, Rebecca Poff, and David Rogers.

Sarnia has been blessed this summer to host the best in Canadian musical theatre. Produced by Stratford actor David Hogan, four shows are running in repertoire at the Imperial Theatre.
The Heart of Broadway is a delightful evening of songs from Broadway. It opens with a medley of musical theatre hits involving all six performers; each of them stars in their own right.
David Rogers has played leading man roles in a myriad of musical productions and is best known for playing both Raoul and the Phantom in Toronto’s long-running Phantom of the Opera. June Crowley is a veteran of the Stratford and Shaw Festivals and has been on stage all over North America. She is also best known for her role in Phantom of the Opera, as Christine. Susan Gilmour played Fantine in Les Miserables in Toronto, on Broadway, in Los Angeles and around the world. She has also starred in numerous productions such as Evita, Cats, Into the Woods, and Joseph.
Rebecca Poff has performed in Phantom of the Opera and Show Boat and is a favourite at Huron Country Playhouse, having starred in the past as Marion the Librarian in The Music Man, Aldonza in Man of LaMancha, and in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Marcus Nance is familiar as the Beast in London’s Grand Theatre’s Beauty and the Beast and as the Mikado in The Mikado at Huron Country Playhouse. He has also appeared in My One and Only and To Kill a Mockingbird in Stratford. Cory O’Brien spent four seasons with the Stratford Festival, most recently in Cabaret. He has also been in numerous Toronto productions such as Iolanthe, Lord of the Rings, and Man of LaMancha.
With six such experienced and talented performers, The Heart of Broadway can’t help but be an excellent show. In fact, the cast received standing ovations at the end of Act One, and again at the end of the evening. Act One concludes with numbers from Les Miserables. Susan Gilmour sings “I Dreamed a Dream” as she did as Fantine. Then two Les Mis show stoppers are presented: “Bring Him Home” followed by the entire cast giving an amazing performance of “One Day More”.
At the end of Act Two, David Rogers and June Crowley sing “All I Ask of You” and “Think of Me”, followed by Rogers singing “Music of the Night”, from Phantom of the Opera.
Marcus Nance singing Show Boat’s “Old Man River” is a crowd pleaser, followed by Gilmour having some fun with “Blow Gabriel Blow”. Rebecca Poff provides comedy with “Arthur in the Afternoon”, and later she introduces the Dream songs with Abba’s “I have a Dream” from Mamma Mia.
Cory O’Brien sings “Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago, and later O’Brien and Rogers garner some laughter when they perform the duet “Agony” where two princes compare their sorrows in Into the Woods.

Cynthia Dale in Concert
Performed by Cynthia Dale
Accompanied by Charlene Nafziger

Cynthia Dale, is of course, well-known as Stratford’s leading lady of musicals, appearing such classics as Camelot, Man of LaMancha, My Fair Lady, Anything Goes and South Pacific. She brings selections from these shows and many more to Sarnia in concert. Among the audience favourites are “Meadowlark” from The Baker’s Wife and “Moon River”.
Dale is very personable, with friendly patter between songs. She talks about Pete (her husband, CBC National News anchor Peter Mansbridge), son Will, and their home in Stratford. She sings a very touching number dedicated to her young son.
She concludes with “Impossible Dream” as her encore number and gets a warm standing ovation.
It is indeed wonderful to see such high-calibre professionals in Sarnia’s Imperial Theatre. Credit goes to the local community theatre group, Theatre Sarnia, for restoring this old movie house to a beautiful Art Deco live theatre. My only concern with the venue is the seating: instead of staggering the rows of seats, the chairs are placed one directly behind another. For the Cynthia Dale concert, I was seated behind a woman who had beautiful upswept hair with large fluffy curls framing her head. It was nearly impossible to see Dale when she stood by the grand piano at centre stage, which she did much of the time.
Also part of the Starbright Summer Festival are two other productions: You’ve Got a Friend and Tuesdays with Morrie. You’ve Got a Friend features the Mantini Sisters and David Rogers singing favourites from the seventies. The Mantinis have been favourites on the stage at Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia. Tuesdays with Morrie is a poignant play written by Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom about one his favourite professors. Cory O’Brien plays Mitch, while Aron Tager reprises the role of Morrie, which he performed so well at London’s Grand Theatre.
An amazing amount of talent assembled on one stage – Starbright Summer Festival is a wonderful surprise for Sarnia.
Starbright Summer Festival continues at the Imperial Theatre, Sarnia until August 16. For tickets, call the Imperial Theatre box office at 1-877-344-7469 or 519-344-7469 or see www.starbright.ca.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Harvest
Written by Ken Cameron
Directed by Robert More
Performed by Robin Craig and Patric Masurkevitch
Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
July 21 to August 8, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review By Mary Alderson

The concept of retirement does not come easy to most farmers. They’ve said, “Farming is a way of life” so often that to cease farming might mean the end of life. Harvest, a warm comedy now playing at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, explores one farming couple’s shift to retirement and what it means to their relationship.
Charlotte and Allan have finally decided to sell the farm and move into a condo in the city. A neighbour offers to buy the farm, but doesn’t want the house. The family home is severed from the farm, and Charlotte and Allan put it up for rent. They are thrilled when a nice young pilot is interested in it. They don’t want to be nosy landlords, but they drop by frequently to pick raspberries or check on the koi in the fishpond.
Without giving away the plot – it turns out the nice young pilot isn’t who he seems to be. Charlotte and Allan learn the hard way about a lifestyle very different from theirs, and fortunately, their marriage is strengthened.
Robin Craig as Charlotte and Patric Masurkevitch as Alan are excellent. I must confess that I sometimes cringe when I pick up the playbill and see only two names in the cast – especially since my preference is always the big cast musical. I worry that two people can’t keep up the required energy for an entire show, or that the writing won’t be adequate to support one person playing several roles. My fears have been unfounded twice in the past week: 2 pianos, 4 hands in Grand Bend and this production are both excellent examples of two people playing many parts and keeping the audience well-entertained.
Both Craig and Masurkevitch bring impressive experience to Petrolia’s stage. You may recognize Craig and her distinctive voice from playing Toppy Bailey on CBC’s Wind at my Back, or Spinner’s mother on DeGrassi – The New Generation. Masurkevitch has 28 years experience in theatre, and his bio states that he is still with this “original wife” which may account for his ability to portray the evolution of marriage so well.
Craig and Masurkevitch are excellent at playing many characters: they easily handle the East-European neighbour, the sketchy tenant in sunglasses, the police officer, and the local insurance agent. Comedy is provided when Masurkevitch plays a myriad of church ladies, all wearing different hats. As quickly as Craig could slap a different hat on his head, Masurkevitch changed accents or lisps to suit the hat. On opening night, the audience erupted in spontaneous applause for this hilarious scene.
Canadian playwright Ken Cameron has created a funny and heart-warming story. It’s completely believable – in fact, it is based on his parents’ real-life experience. Cameron grew up on a south-western Ontario farm, and wrote the play so that it can be adapted to any community. In the Petrolia version, we hear about friends down the road in Wyoming and other local place names. Credit goes to Director Robert More for making this a Lambton County story, and finding just the right mix of fun and poignancy.
The delight in Harvest is that it isn’t just meant for farmers. Anyone moving through the various stages of life can easily relate to Charlotte and Allan. It’s a wonderful way for a couple to spend an evening together.
Harvest continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until August 8. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or (519) 882-1221 for tickets.
Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Story by Casey Lessard

Fresh out of college, fresh-faced Thomas Alderson of Strathroy is hogging the spotlight in Camelot, playing now to July 25 at the Huron Country Playhouse.
“It’s a dream come true,” says the 21-year-old, whose mother Mary writes theatre reviews GrandBendStrip.com and other newspapers. “I grew up coming to see every show here for the last 20 years, and I always joked with my mom that if I ever lived in Grand Bend, I would come and live with her. I was thinking that would be a few years from now. I just graduated from Sheridan College two months ago, and I was so lucky to get this job.”
Luck seems to have little to do with it; Alderson perfectly portrays the conniving Mordred, who draws the play to its climax. Still, Alderson believes fortune played a role in getting him here.
“It was all luck,” he says. “Drayton Entertainment did High School Musical live and because I look young, that’s a show I can be in, right? Through that, I got an audition for Camelot and the stars aligned.”
The role of villain is a new experience for Alderson, and he says he needs to stay focused because of the fact that he plays such a pivotal part.
“I don’t come in until intermission, so I have time to do my hair the way I like it and get ready. Then I hide in the tree before I come out, and I listen to their (Arthur and Guenevere’s) song. It’s like Mordred’s actually spying on them. I’m able to plot and then I come out and give ‘er.”
And he’ll be “givin’ ‘er” for a while. The show is going on tour across North America from October to March, with a stop at the John Labatt Centre in London.
“When I heard the possibility this would go on tour, I thought that was crazy. That IS my dream come true. That takes us through to March. After that, who knows? Maybe back here again.”
And back in with mom. Why not? At this pace, he’s got a long career away from home ahead of him.
For tickets, call the box office at 519-238-6000 or visit http://www.huroncountryplayhouse.com

Review by Casey Lessard

It’s a good thing 2 Pianos 4 Hands is running most of the summer at Huron Country Playhouse II – it’s good enough that there should be no empty seats all summer. The comedic musical (versus a musical comedy) centres around two pianists and their careers starting from their first lessons to the moments they have to decide whether they will make a career out of classical music.
Jonathan Monro has been portraying Ted Dykstra “on and off for 11 years”, while Patrick Burwell takes his first swing at the role of Richard Greenblatt. Dykstra and Greenblatt wrote the play; Greenblatt directs the Playhouse staging.
“It’s really hard to cast this show,” Monro says, “and once they have people they don’t really like to find new ones for a long time. The first thing I did was the U.S. tour and we went everywhere for that.”
“One of the challenges is that you have to play and act and do physical comedy at the same time,” Burwell says. “Jonathan has been a big help.”
In the play, the two characters dream of playing Carnegie Hall one day, but Monro actually did as a teenager.
“I started out as a classical pianist; that was my career path. Then so many things happen to block the way of that occurring. This show showed me there’s life after the death of my career as a pianist.”
And that life, ironically for Monro, has included 11 years of portraying a pianist. His practice has paid off; a must-see for music lovers and anyone who had to endure any kind of lessons or coaching as a child.
2 Pianos 4 Hands runs through August 29. For tickets: 519-238-6000 or visit http://www.huroncountryplayhouse.com.

2 Pianos 4 Hands
Written by Richard Greenblatt and Ted Dykstra
Directed by Richard Greenblatt
Performed by Patrick Burwell and Jonathan Monro
Drayton Entertainment Production
Playhouse II, Grand Bend
July 15 to August 29, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Anyone who has ever taken piano lessons and hated it when your mother forced you to practise every night for one full hour, will appreciate the opening of 2 Pianos 4 Hands. Any parent who has paced in the hallway, straining to listen while your son or daughter struggles through a Conservatory piano exam, will enjoy this show.
2 Pianos 4 Hands is a funny and touching musical comedy currently on stage at Playhouse II, inside the old barn beside Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend. Playhouse II’s intimate space is perfect for this production as we get to know the characters well.
The story is semi-autobiographical, written by Richard Greenblatt and Ted Dykstra, two Canadian actors/pianists who realized that they had the same experience growing up and learning to play piano. They collaborated on the play, which was first performed in 1994 in Toronto. Since then, it has been off-Broadway, all across Canada and the U.S., as well as London, England; South Africa and Japan. It’s been called Canada’s most successful musical comedy. Greenblatt and Dykstra originally played the roles themselves, but many others have followed, including female performers playing characters Rachel and Thea.
The story starts off with Richard and Ted as little boys. While one is at the piano, the other plays a strict parent or a strange piano teacher. We’re with them as they prepare for the music festival, and the elderly Kiwanis member stumbles through the introductions while the bizarre adjudicator offers words of advice. There is an assortment of eccentric piano teachers as the boys cram for conservatory exams and practise their ear training. Somewhere along their journey, the emphasis shifts from trying to avoid practise to spending every spare minute at the piano. As nerdy teenagers they are told to find other interests and get out more. Finally comes the crushing blow – reality sets in and they realize they aren’t going to be classical concert pianists. Harsh teachers tell them they are good, just not good enough.
Patrick Burwell plays Richard, and Jonathan Monro plays Ted. Both are accomplished pianists and excellent comedic actors. With author and performer Richard Greenblatt directing, we can rest assured that this production is exactly as it was intended to be.
The music played ranges from Bach, Beethoven and Mozart to Heart and Soul and Chopsticks. Among the great classical music is a pop medley including Elton John, John Lennon and even Linus’ song in the Peanuts movies.
It’s a poignant everyman story – from the kid on the hockey rink who’s sure he’ll make the NHL but gets cut from the try-outs, to the smart university student who can’t get the marks for med school. Sometimes the dream doesn’t always unfold as hoped, but the journey is always interesting, and in this case funny, emotional and entertaining.
Fortunately for Richard and Ted, they do move on in the world of entertainment – acting, directing and writing a wonderful musical comedy. The result is worth seeing.
2 Pianos 4 Hands continues with eight shows a week until August 29 at Playhouse II, Grand Bend. Tickets are available at the Huron Country Playhouse box office at (519) 238-6000, Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463 or at www.draytonentertainment.com.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

I’ll Be Back Before Midnight
Written by Peter Colley
Directed by Robert More
Performed by Susie Burnett, Terry V. Hart, Andy Pogson, Elana Post
Theatre Orangeville/Victoria Playhouse Production
Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia
June 30 to July 18, 2009

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

If you enjoy a thriller with dark moments of horror, then you’ll like I’ll Be Back Before Midnight, currently running at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia.
Jan (Susie Burnett) is just out of the hospital after an extended stay, and her husband Greg (Andy Pogson) decides that relaxation in a desolate country farmhouse is just what she needs. The farmer next door (and owner of the house), George, (drops by and mentions that it’s haunted, of course. Then Greg’s sister comes to visit, much to Jan’s dismay… and that’s all that can be told without spoiling the thrills and chills.
The first act is slow to unfold. But that is an inherent problem with a murder mystery or thriller story. Setting up the mystery requires a lot of exposition: the audience needs to know all the characters and understand how they came to be in this house, and pains must be taken to make it all plausible. If the playwright asks too much of the audience, they won’t be open to the big scares. The writer also has to set up the killer, ensuring that it’s feasible, and then set up the “red herrings” so that the audience starts guessing who is going to die and “who done it”.
In act two, the action takes place, and certainly in this story there is plenty as it builds to the conclusion. Susie Burnett is good as the troubled wife – the character waivers between nervousness, giddiness and anger. Burnett will be remembered for her past roles in farces at VPP, such as Too Many Cooks and Confessions of a Dirty Blonde. She proves she can handle mystery as well as comedy. Andy Pogson is excellent as the loving husband and brother – he’s had experience at VPP’s thrillers – he was the bumbling idiot in 2004’s Thumbs. In 2006, he played the pot-smoking son in one of my favourites, Test Drive. Elana Post is great as the sister with attitude, and she wears her make-up well. Terry V. Hart provides the comedy as George the farmer – when Greg introduces his wife, George assumes they are newlyweds, but Greg explains she’s not a new bride. “Very few are these days,” George quips. Hart is skilled at getting the audience on his side, having them laughing, and then surprising them. His humourous performance is reminiscent of Tom Poston’s portrayal of George Utley, the Stratford Inn handyman on the 1980’s TV show, Newhart.
The set — a realistic farmhouse living room – is very well done, and the special effects impressive. The lighting is excellent, taking us back and forth between dim nights to bright lights: possibly one of the best-lit shows at VPP.
This play was first performed at the Blyth Festival in 1979. It’s interesting to see the changes in 30 years. Groceries arrive in brown paper bags. The cassette tape player has an important role, as does the dial phone. The lack of cell phones is certainly a key factor – if characters could easily call police, the action would come to an early end.
In a salute to the late Michael Jackson, his song Thriller was playing as the audience left the theatre on opening night.
I’ll Be Back Before Midnight continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until July 18. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or (519) 882-1221 for tickets.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Camelot
Disclaimer: the reviewer’s son appears in this production
Book & lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Fredrick Loewe
Directed by Timothy French
Musical Direction by Stephen Woodjetts
Performed by Jayme Armstrong, Mark Harapiak, Gabriel Burrafato, William Fisher, Thomas Alderson, and company
Drayton Entertainment Production
Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
July 8 – 25, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

It is said that John F. Kennedy loved the Broadway show Camelot. He asked that the cast recording be played throughout the White House. His short tenure as U.S. President has been compared to the kingdom of Camelot’s brief shining moment. In both cases, idyllic civilizations were destroyed by human weakness.
Camelot, now playing at Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend, offers three shining hours of superior entertainment. Director Tim French and Musical Director Stephen Woodjetts have brought together a high-quality cast of great voices to tell this timeless musical story.
Young Arthur, nicknamed Wart, reluctantly becomes King of all England when he pulls the sword Excalibur out of the stone. He grows up at Camelot and resolves to build a utopian kingdom. When a marriage is arranged between Guenevere and Arthur, they are both nervous and shy, but soon fall in love. Camelot becomes the perfect place where by decree, it can only rain at night, and the amount of snow is regulated.
Arthur decides that rather than fighting, knights should be out doing good deeds. They gather at the round table (where there can be no jealously as all are equals) to come up with ways to improve civilization. When Lancelot hears about this in France, he travels to Camelot to join the Round Table. Lancelot is so self-righteous that Queen Guenevere mocks him, but she comes to appreciate his purity and they fall in love, even though they both love and respect Arthur. King Arthur turns a blind eye to the affair, but it causes unrest in the court. The elderly King Pellinore is caught in the middle as the kingdom starts to unravel. Then Mordred, Arthur’s illegitimate son shows up, jealously points out the hypocrisy, and destroys Camelot.
There is also fantasy in the plot. Merlyn is Arthur’s mentor, Nimue is a fairy spirit and Morgan Le Fey is a sorceress who assists Mordred in plotting against the Royals.
The casting is excellent. Jayme Armstrong takes Guenevere on a journey, from a spirited young bride to a frightened adulterer. Armstrong will be remembered as the 2nd runner up on CBC TV’s “How do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?” Her beautiful voice is reminiscent of Julie Andrews on the original cast recording. Mark Harapiak is a perfect King Arthur – strong and commanding attention, but at the same time, very human and vulnerable. Gabriel Burrafato channels the late Robert Goulet when singing the show-stopper “If ever I would leave you”. He plays an understated Lancelot, but it works well in endearing the audience to him.
Great credit goes to William Fisher in the dual roles of Merlyn and Pellinore. Douglas Chamberlain was originally cast in the two roles; but unfortunately, he suffered a medical emergency during final rehearsals and could not carry on with the show. Fisher came in at the last minute, performing on opening night with script in hand. Nevertheless, Fisher had the audience’s full attention and was a given a loud and long round of applause, for his delightful and humourous portrayal of both characters.
My son, Thomas Alderson, plays the evil villain, Mordred. It’s difficult for me to be objective – I enjoyed seeing him in the malevolent role, with his surprise entrance. The audience appreciates his sarcastic solo “The Seven Deadly Virtues” and his rousing number with the knights “Fie on Goodness”. Susan Johnston Collins is wickedly charming as Morgan Le Fey, especially as she and Mordred tease each other. Linda Gallant is enchanting as Nimue, singing with great clarity. Henry Firmston, a youngster from London, plays little Wart at the beginning and young Tommy at the end of the show.
The rest of the Ladies of the Court and Knights of the Round Table are all strong singers, each bringing unique personalities to their characters. The chorus numbers highlight their truly outstanding voices.
There are many delightful costume changes, with colourful dresses on the ladies, and golden gowns for Guenevere. Similarly, the men all have colourful medieval costumes and make several changes. The jousting knights wear convincing armour and chain mail.
The set is the only disappointment in this production. The tree and castle wall are abstracts, and resemble a poor quality digital photo with boxy pixels. In the May Pole dance, the pole looks wobbly, and the “rocks” aren’t convincing when they turn into the famous round table.
If you can’t make it to Huron Country Playhouse to see Camelot before it closes July 25, there is still a possibility to catch it. Drayton Entertainment has once again contracted with a New York company and this production is going on a North American tour. In fact, it will be in London at the John Labatt Centre January 10th and 11th, as part of their Broadway in London season. But best to see it now with better sightlines and acoustics than an arena.
Camelot continues with eight shows a week until July 25 at Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend. Tickets are available at the Huron Country Playhouse box office at (519) 238-6000, Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463, or www.draytonentertainment.com.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Leading lady in Camelot was finalist on CBC’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria

Fifty years after celebrated musical writers Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe wrote the hit, Camelot makes its Huron Country Playhouse debut this week, with eight shows a week from July 8 to 25. Set in medieval England, the musical – from the team that created My Fair Lady, which appeared at the Playhouse last year – tells the story of King Arthur, his Queen Guenevere, and her lover Lancelot.
“The Huron Country Playhouse is renowned for staging extraordinary musicals, and this production is no exception,” Drayton Entertainment artistic director Alex Mustakas said in a release. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to present this spectacular production to our audiences in Grand Bend for the first time.”
Full of action, magic, and romance, Camelot is billed as a musical for everyone. The original Broadway production won four Tony awards, and spawned a film version that won three Oscars. Jayme Armstrong, a contestant on How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria, takes the lead role of Queen Guenevere, made famous by Julie Andrews. Mark Harapiak is King Arthur, and Gabriel Burrafato plays Sir Lancelot. In all, the cast consists of 16 performers under the direction of Timothy French.
Tickets for Camelot can be ordered by calling the Huron Country Playhouse Box Office at (519) 238-6000 or toll free at 1-888-449-4463. To find out more about the 2009 season, visit www.huroncountryplayhouse.com.

Blue Champagne
Conceived & Written by Ken John Grant
Musical Arrangements by Bob Ashley, Ted Shadbolt, Dan Parr
Directed & choreographed by David Connolly
Performed by Michael Killinger, Marianne McCord, Leah Oster, Stephanie Roth, Michael Torontow
Music Performed by Charles T. Cozens & Robert Mills
Drayton Entertainment Production
Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
June 24 to July 4, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

For those who remember the 1940s, there’s a nostalgia trip to be taken at Huron Country Playhouse. Blue Champagne, billed as a musical flashback to the 1940s, offers 65 songs from that era.
The production pretends to be a radio show. The songs are categorized into sets such as Swing Medley, Hollywood Medley, Juke Box Medley and even a War Medley. One song flows into the next and then between sets, the audience is treated to commercials and newscasts. Old favourites like “Campbell Soup is Mmm-Mmm Good” and Chesterfield Cigarettes with their promise of smoke dreams are promoted.
Some of the numbers are real crowd pleasers. “The Trolley Song” featuring Leah Oster is a favourite, as is “Comin’ in on a Wing” with Stephanie Roth. Later in the show, the wartime favourite “Lilli Marlene” with Marianne McCord has patrons singing along. Michael Killinger and Michael Torontow round out the cast. In some songs, all five cast members harmonize creating a “Manhattan Transfer” sound, in other numbers they perform solo, in duets or trios and so on. The show demands good voices and high-energy to keep up the fast pace of one song after another, and this cast delivers.
The female cast members have great 1940s hairdos and the costumes seem authentic. The set is an Art Deco stage, with old-fashioned microphones set up, as if it were a radio broadcast before a live audience. At one side of the stage is a radio programming office and on the other side is a living room with a big old radio beside a chair.
One of the characters tap-dances along with the music. When she tires, she takes off her shoes and taps them on the desk, giving radio listeners the sound of tap-dancing, to the laughter of the audience. The old commercials and newscasts could have been great vehicles to bring in more comedy, but they fell short. There is certainly the potential for more laughs that isn’t fully exploited.
It isn’t often that I get to use the phrase “I’m too young” anymore, but on opening night, I actually felt too young to fully appreciate this show. However, for those with a fondness for the sound of the forties, it’s a great night out.

Blue Champagne continues with eight shows a week until July 4 at Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend. Tickets are available at the Huron Country Playhouse box office at (519) 238-6000, Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463, or check www.draytonentertainment.com

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Book by Burt Shevelove & Larry Gelbart
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Directed by Des McAnuff
Choreographed by Wayne Cilento
Musical direction by Franklin Brasz
Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production
Avon Theatre, Stratford
June 20 to November 1, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

From the minute the Proteans’ heads pop up between the curtains, you know you are in for a funny show. Physical comedy and farcical situations are the hallmarks of Stratford’s A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which opened Saturday at the Avon Theatre.
If you are a fan of the kind of comedy found on 1960’s television, then you’ll love this production. From the Three Stooges smacking each other, to Dick Van Dyke tripping over the footstool, or Carol Burnett’s crazy faces to Tim Conway’s deadpan looks – this production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum offers the best in the style of those old favourites.
First produced on Broadway in 1962, this musical comedy has all the elements of a farce – slamming doors, mistaken identities, white lies that turn into big fibs, and men dressing as women. When the Stephen Sondheim score is added, it’s great entertainment.
Bruce Dow is Pseudolus, a Roman Slave who will do anything to gain his freedom. Dow’s wonderful singing voice and comedic skill make him a natural for the part. His expressive face under the Roman bangs of his bowl-shaped haircut causes laughter to ripple through the audience when he simply bats his eyelashes. He plays the part cute and cuddly, a far cry from the frightening Emcee he played in last year’s Cabaret. But like the Emcee, all eyes are on him when Dow is on the stage. Dow plays a very energetic Pseudolus and you know you’re in for fun as soon as he sings the opening number “Comedy Tonight”.
The Proteans, played by Jordan Bell, Stephen Cota and Julius Sermonia, are hilarious from start to finish. The three play a variety of roles – slaves, Roman soldiers, guards, and even eunuchs reminiscent of Saturday Night Live’s Coneheads. These three young men are going to be constantly bruised from all the slapstick. Sermonia was repeatedly tripped and pushed into the orchestra pit, only to climb out and be shoved around again. There are tumbles and pratfalls throughout the show. And if the three of them aren’t funny enough, they have extra dummies of themselves to add to the hilarity.
Stephen Ouimette is excellent as Hysterium, the slave left in charge while the owners are away. Ouimette’s deadpan comedy reminded me of the great Tim Conway. The look on his face as Domina pulls out fistfuls of his hair is priceless.
The young lovers, Hero and Philia, are played wonderfully by Mike Nadajewski and Chilina Kennedy. Both have amazing singing voices and a penchant for comedy. Kennedy’s wide-eyed dumb blonde is perfect, and Nadajewski’s innocence is delightful.
The costumes are colourful with plenty of glitz. The courtesans’ alluring outfits are accentuated by their amazing dance moves.
The set is great fun in itself – the nudes carved on the pillars light up strategically, while the arms move on other carvings, and even the gargoyles sing along.
If you enjoy farcical comedy, Forum offers it at its best. Just be sure to order your tickets early and get seats close enough to the stage to see all the facial expressions – I don’t think it would be as much fun if you couldn’t see the expression these actors put into the show. As the opening number tells us, it’s comedy tonight, and weighty decisions will just have to wait.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum continues at the Avon Theatre, Stratford until November 1. For tickets, call the box office at 1-800-567-1600 or check www.stratfordfestival.ca.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Sexy Laundry
Written by Michele Riml
Directed by David Nairn
Performed by Mary Long and Ralph Small
Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
June 9 to 27, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Don’t mess with success – that must be the rule at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia. Last summer, they had a very successful run of Separate Beds, a great little comedy about two couples in their fifties, played by Ralph Small and Mary Long. So in this year’s line-up Artistic Director Robert More included Sexy Laundry, another comedy about a couple in their fifties trying to rekindle the romance, and again Ralph Small and Mary Long play the leads. In keeping to that pattern, Victoria Playhouse has produced another winner.
Henry and Alice have been married for many years, living busy lives, raising a family and working on the careers. Alice decides that it’s time for romance, and books them into a fancy hotel. She brings along a copy of “Sex for Dummies”, that she has checked out of the library, and wants Henry to “share” in the activities suggested by the book. She tells Henry her very sexy fantasy about a handsome young waiter, and wants Henry to take his turn. But Henry’s fantasy is to come home to dinner and have his kids show him some respect. With all the pressure to be romantic, by the end of the first act, both are contemplating divorce, and planning how good life would be without the other. However, in the second act, Henry has some fun playing air guitar with his suitcase, and Alice attempts to whip him into shape. You will have to see the show to learn more about sexy laundry.
Ralph Small and Mary Long both have excellent comedic timing and keep the audience in gales of laughter, without going over the top. That’s the real quality of Sexy Laundry: while it’s laugh-out-loud funny, it is also a slice of life. Many of us who are fifty-something and in a long-time marriage can certainly identify with the story. Credit goes to Director David Nairn for keeping it real, while giving us plenty of humour. Nairn, the Artistic Director at Theatre Orangeville, will be remembered by Victoria Playhouse audiences as the hilarious frustrated screenwriter in last year’s production of The Long Weekend.
Sexy Laundry is a timely reminder for aging baby boomers: whenever we think our lives are dull, we just need to step back and take a look at how good we have it.
This comedy offers a pleasant reminder and a lot of laughs – a delightful way for busy baby boomers to take some time out and spend a June evening with their better halves.
Sexy Laundry continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until June 27. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or (519) 882-1221 for tickets.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Story and Photo by Casey Lessard

Drayton Entertainment has struck gold this spring, discovering an adorable ingenue who should have audiences (especially grandmothers) coming back for more Oliver! The play, based on Charles Dickens’ story of the orphan who falls in with a gang of pickpockets, opens June 2 at the Huron Country Playhouse.
Joel Cox, 10, is a Grade 5 student at Mary Johnston Public School in Waterloo. At 4’4”, and with curly golden locks that extend to his shoulders, it’s hard to picture Mr. Bumble (the orphan’s caretaker) refusing him more Food, Glorious Food. Cox was discovered at a open audition for the role.
“My music teacher said I should try out for Oliver,” Cox says, “then Kim and my dad asked me if I wanted to do it. I just came here (to audition) for the experience to see what it would be like. Three days later, they told me that I was Oliver. I didn’t think it was that big. Then after a few days, I finally figured out, Whoa, this is huge.”
Dean Cox, Joel’s dad, moved the family to a cottage for five weeks during Joel’s two-week rehearsal and three-week run.
“It’s a cool story. He’s gone from nothing to everything. He’s a bright kid and he likes to be challenged. I hope he enjoys it because I don’t think he realizes how big it is yet. He’s still innocent, and that makes it special.”
With thousands of ticket-holders expecting big things from the young star, it’s a good thing he is innocent, considering this is his first professional performance.
“I did have some experience singing for about two years,” says Joel, who also plays guitar, “but I don’t have any drama experience other than community theatre.
“Now I’m in this acting thing. My school supports me well, and I don’t think they’re too worried. I didn’t have to do any homework over this, so that’s good.”
Joel’s innocent attitude could rule the day, with Kim Cox noting Joel is eager to return even after long days in rehearsals.
“It’s been really fun,” Joel says. “Usually I pick up things really quick. When you’re having fun, it’s a blast.”
With dreams of being a professional actor, a guitarist and a midfielder for the British soccer club Chelsea, Cox is focused and exudes confidence that he can pull this off. His secret?
“Just be myself. Just act.”
Oliver! is directed by Ron Ulrich, and runs June 2 to 20. For tickets, visit huroncountryplayhouse.com or call 519-238-6000.

When it comes to making money, the Huron Country Playhouse Guild has chosen the right person for its upcoming fundraiser. Humourist and motivational speaker David Chilton, renowned author of Canada’s all-time best selling book, The Wealthy Barber, knows his finances and can help you find your way out of the current economic mess.
Chilton will speak at the Playhouse Friday June 12, with the $25 tickets more than half sold. All proceeds go to the Huron Country Playhouse Capital Campaign, and with a copy of Food Network stars Janet and Greta Podleski’s Eat Shrink & Be Merry (a $30 value) included, as well as performances by the stars of the 2009 Playhouse season, organizers expect the show will sell out soon.
The Huron Country Playhouse Guild is a volunteer organization of 100 theatre members who support theatre enhancement projects through a variety of fundraising initiatives. Tickets can be ordered by calling (519) 238-6000 or toll free at 1-888-449-4463.

Oliver!
Book, Music & Lyrics by Lionel Bart
Directed by Ron Ulrich
Musical direction by Michael Barber
Choreographed by Jim White
Drayton Entertainment Production
Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
June 2 to 20, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Huron Country Playhouse is kicking off its 2009 season with an old favourite – Oliver!, Lionel Bart’s 1960 musical based on Charles Dickens’ 1840 classic tale of Oliver Twist. The show proved very popular with the opening night audience, particularly the familiar songs: “Food, Glorious Food”, “Consider Yourself”, “I’d Do Anything”, and “As Long As He Needs Me.”
Oliver Twist is the little workhouse orphan who escapes a cruel existence to be recruited by The Artful Dodger to train as a pickpocket for Fagin. There’s a happy ending when, by coincidence, he ends up with his Grandfather. But along the way he is exposed to the volatile low-life of London in the 1800s.
Joel Cox is endearing as young Oliver in his first theatre performance, and he handles the role very well. With his shaggy hair and clear voice, his performance is touching. Unfortunately, because of his small stature, he is sometimes difficult to see on stage, as audience members stretch their necks to follow his movement.
Gail Hakala as the Widow Corney and Sheldon Bergstrom as Mr. Bumble provide some humour as Mr. Bumble tries to seduce the widow and she sings “I Shall Scream”. Both have rich, full voices along with good comedic timing. Douglas Chamberlain also demonstrates his skills in comedy in two roles, as the bumbling undertaker and the quack doctor.
Cameron MacDuffee is good as the evil Fagin, and shows a touch of warmth at the same time. Kyle Dadd is truly frightening as the malevolent Bill Sykes, and was gently “booed” by the audience during his curtain call. Carly Street as Nancy is the crowd-pleaser with her rendition of “As Long As He Needs Me”. Her powerful belting voice is also featured in “Oom Pah Pah” and “It’s a Fine Life”. Street does a good job of delivering Nancy’s lines – which can be difficult in the Cockney rhyming slang. Anthony MacPherson plays a lively Artful Dodger.
The orphans and Fagin’s thieves are performed by 14 local children, who are well rehearsed and do excellent presentations of “Food, Glorious Food” and “Be Back Soon.”
The best musical number in the production is “Who Will Buy” with the company blending their voices in beautiful harmony. This stands out in contrast to many of the songs that are delivered in loud belting voices.
At times, the choreography seems rushed, actually moving faster than the music. In “Consider Yourself”, the carousel interludes are ignored and the dance doesn’t seem to fit the music or lyrics.
With the cast of children on stage, you may want to take the kids and grandkids to see Oliver!. But prepare them first, with a little discussion. Bill Syke’s abuse of Nancy is shocking, as is her murder. There are also some slightly naughty scenes when Mr. Bumble courts the Widow Corney, as well as the funny flirtation between Noah Claypole (Ari Weinberg) and Charlotte Sowerberry (Sarah Slywchuk).
Oliver! continues with eight shows a week until June 20 at Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend. Tickets are available at the Huron Country Playhouse box office at (519) 238-6000, Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463, or visit www.draytonentertainment.com

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Mending Fences
Written by Norm Foster
Directed by Robert More
Performed by Norm Foster, Heather Hodgson, Derek Ritschel
Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia
May 19 to June 6, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

You can’t find a better actor than Norm Foster to star in a Norm Foster play, and once again, Director Robert More has done that at Victoria Playhouse. Mending Fences opens the new season in Petrolia.
Foster continues to be Canada’s most prolific playwright, and his comedies are always popular. While the funny dialogue gives us many laughs in Mending Fences, the second act is a little darker than many of Foster’s stories.
Last year, Foster and co-star Heather Hodgson had lead roles in Foster’s The Long Weekend, and More has brought the successful duo together again in Mending Fences, along with Derek Ritschel. The three of them had the same roles in a production of Mending Fences last summer at Port Dover’s Lighthouse Theatre.
Foster plays Harry, a beef farmer wiped out by mad cow disease. His adult son, Drew, (Derek Ritschel) whom he hasn’t seen in 13 years, has come for a visit, and the two obviously have a very strained relationship. Harry’s girlfriend, Gin, (Heather Hodgson) is a regular houseguest, dropping over from her neighbouring ranch.
The first act is a fine example of Foster’s quick-witted writing. Harry trades sarcastic comments with both Gin and Drew, and the audience enjoys the comedy. Then, there are flashbacks as the story unfolds – we see Harry’s wife leaving, taking a young Drew with her. They we go further back to Harry’s childhood, meeting his father and mother. Foster gives us food for thought.
We learn about suicide, alcoholism, adultery, bad parenting and a broken home – not the usual fare of comedies. Yet, Foster has carefully wrapped the dysfunctional revelations with some funny stuff, moving the audience past the tragedy. Just as you think this is almost too true to be funny, he tosses in a laugh.
Foster is of course, a natural for the part of Harry. His deadpan humour and quick barbs provide the laughs. Hodgson is excellent as Gin, but also flips easily into the flashbacks where she capably handles playing Harry’s ex-wife and his mother. Ritschel is perfect as the troubled Drew both at age 29 and as a child.
Credit goes to Director Robert More for balancing the comedy with the darker side, and still providing an entertaining evening. The set is excellent, a typical prairie farm kitchen. The lighting is well done, differentiating between the present and the flashbacks.
For a great study in human relationships, and some humour along with it, Mending Fences is well worth an evening in Petrolia.
Mending Fences continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until June 6. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or (519) 882-1221 for tickets.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

High School Musical
Written by David Simpatico (Disney)
Directed & Choreographed by David Connolly
Music Director Mark Camilleri
Performed by David Cotton, Melissa O’Neil, additional cast of 18, plus local high school students
Drayton Entertainment
St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, St. Jacobs (April 29 to May 30)
King’s Wharf Theatre, Penetanguishene (June 3 to June 20)

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson
(Disclaimer: The reviewer’s son is part of this cast)

Everybody loves the musical “Grease” — boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy denies he knows girl, and then boy and girl are reunited, when she sheds her goody-two shoes image. Disney’s popular movie, High School Musical, has now been taken to the live stage, and it is the Grease of the new millennium.
Instead of a greased-lightning hot rod, the vehicle in High School Musical is the cell phone. The similarities between the two musicals are many, and in fact, High School Musical may actually be the better show — with an improved message. Instead of forcing the new girl to fit in with the school gang and bringing her to the dark side, in High School Musical, the couple gets together and everyone is praised for their differences. In fact, the jocks, the brainiacs and the musical theatre geeks all learn to respect each other and even cross over from clique to clique.
David Cotton is excellent as Troy, the jock basketball star who finds out that he likes singing. His smooth, melodic voice suits the part well. Former Canadian Idol Melissa O’Neil is Gabriella, the brainiac who decides to try out for a musical. Again her pop-style singing is perfect for the role, and the two make a charming couple as their worlds collide.
Dina Chiarcossi is excellent as the spiteful and vicious Sharpay, who schemes to keep her crown as queen of the musicals. Jeff Moulton plays a low-key Ryan, Sharpay’s hen-pecked twin brother. Another 14 singers/dancers/actors: Ryan Adkins, Thomas Alderson, Michelle Black, Ken Chamberland, Rachel Crowther, Stephen Dickson, Alison Jantzie, Tim Porter, Kiera Sangster, Erika Santillana, Jaz Sealey, Amelia Sirianni, Liam Tobin, and Sarah Vance, make up the cast of energetic and enthusiastic basketball jocks and brainy science students. Susan Johnston Collins provides great humour as the eccentric drama teacher Ms. Darbus, and Kent Sheridan is the tough-guy Coach Bolton.
In addition, 12 area high school students join the professional cast for a few numbers. Each week of the show’s run, a new group of high school students takes to the stage.
High School Musical could have been dismissed as fluff, but Director David Connolly has made it spectacular and genuinely funny. There are frequent costume changes as the clothing become increasingly impressive with plenty of glitter. The choreography is lively, with many cast members doing acrobatic flips and cartwheels, not to mention basketball moves. The lengthy megamix finale was spellbinding – the only complaint would be that the audience didn’t know when to give the cast a standing ovation.
In keeping with his style of getting seats filled, Artistic Director Alex Mustakas has another hit on his hands. The St. Jacobs run is nearly sold out, and the show has turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It is obviously very popular with 12-year-old girls, but seniors were seen leaving the theatre with broad smiles on their faces. It’s great family entertainment with catchy songs and vibrant dance that anyone would enjoy.
High School Musical continues with eight shows a week until May 30 at St. Jacobs Country Playhouse and then June 20 at Penetanguishene. Tickets are available at Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463, or check http://www.draytonentertainment.com

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Dreamgirls
Book and Lyrics by Tom Eyen
Music by Henry Krieger
Directed and choreographed by Tim French
Music direction by Andrew Craig
Grand Theatre, London
April 14 to May 9, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Everyone enjoys a rags-to-riches story, and I confess to having a penchant for a tale about show business. Among my favourite musicals are Gypsy, the story of the classy stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, and Buddy – the Buddy Holly Story, which are both show biz stories. Dreamgirls, now on stage at London’s Grand Theatre, is another brilliant example, going from rags to riches to rags in the competitive world of entertainment.
Loosely based on the story of Diana Ross and The Supremes, Dreamgirls opens in the 60s with three young African-American women who are trying to win a talent show at the Apollo Theatre. Lead singer Effie is plus-sized with a powerful voice, and vows she’ll never be a back-up singer. Effie is representative of Florence Ballard, the member of the Supremes who was kicked out and died in poverty in Detroit at age 32. The Dreamgirls Deena, the Diana Ross character, is manipulated into the lead singer’s role by their manager, Curtis. A former Cadillac salesman, Curtis is modeled after Motown Records founder Berry Gordy. Deena Jones and the Dreams become international singing stars, among the first African-American girl groups whose recordings cross over and appeal to white audiences.
Act II is set in the 70s with spandex, bell-bottoms and the advent of disco, as Deena Jones continues to overshadow her back-up singers. In the meantime, Effie struggles as a single mother, trying to return to singing. It’s a great story, coming to a very moving conclusion.
The stage version of Dreamgirls, which opened on Broadway in 1981, seems to work even better than the 2006 movie version. The scenes where two characters sing dialogue to each other work much better on stage than they do in the movie.
Interestingly, the movie propelled American Idol contestant Jennifer Hudson into superstardom for her portrayal of Effie, giving her an Oscar win. In the Grand Theatre’s version, Effie is played by Toya Alexis, a Canadian Idol contestant in 2003. Alexis is outstanding as Effie, playing the role much like Hudson’s movie version. Her show-stopping solo “And I’m Telling You I’m Not Going” had the opening night audience offering spontaneous applause before she was finished.
Jewelle Blackman is excellent as Deena, and Katrina Reynolds gives a funny and entertaining portrayal of Lorrell. Also very entertaining is Troy Adams as Jimmy ‘Thunder’ Early, a James Brown–type soul singer. Anthony Sherwood gives a strong performance as the ousted manager Marty. Sherwood will be familiar from his years on TV’s Street Legal.
In all, a very strong cast of 20 makes up this excellent production. Congratulations to two newcomers to the stage: Allison Edwards-Crewe who plays Michelle and becomes a dream girl when Effie is kicked out, and Andrew Broderick, both of whom are recent graduates of Sheridan College. Kudos to three London high school students, Matthew Fuller, Imogen Wasse and Abbey Yerema, for their intriguing cameo appearance.
The costumes are outstanding – colourful, glamorous and larger than life – from the giant Afro wigs to the sequinned gowns and the Las Vegas showgirls. The simple set works well: sometimes the audience is seeing the characters as they perform on stage, other times the audience is privy to the backstage action.
Director/Choreographer Tim French has created a memorable show, while Musical Director Andrew Craig has taken a score created in the 1980s and given it a true 60s and 70s sound, very reminiscent of Motown music, for those of us who grew up listening to the Big 8 CKLW.
Dreamgirls brings the glitz of Broadway to London – it’s a fascinating story, with powerful music and a solid cast making it a top-quality production. It is also a great nostalgia trip, offering an inside look at the days when Motown music took over the pop charts, along with drama in the personal lives of those involved.
Dreamgirls continues at the Grand Theatre in London until May 9. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

The Syringa Tree
Written by Pamela Gien
Directed by Miles Potter
Performed by Carmen Grant
Grand Theatre, London
Marcy 17 to April 4, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

As the action begins on stage, my first thought is “how can one actor possibly play 24 roles?” As The Syringa Tree opens, Carmen Grant is protraying a little girl sitting on a swing, making me think she must be 24 different little girls. But no, the characters are young and old, male and female, black and white, and Grant remarkably plays them all, and does it very, very well.
The Syringa Tree, currently on stage at London’s Grand Theatre is an excellent production of a moving story. Set in South Africa in the 1960s, the story is told by Elizabeth. She’s the young child of a presumably wealthy white doctor. Their black servant Salamina has a baby girl but the toddler doesn’t have government papers to be outside the black townships and has to be kept hidden. Carman Grant plays Elizabeth, her parents, the black servants the family employs, neighbours, grandparents, and friends.
Grant is a brilliant actor. She changes her accent and the timbre of her voice with every character. She has different mannerisms and ways of walking for each personality, and she alters her perspective accordingly. When little Elizabeth talks to her father, she reaches up to hold his hand, when the father replies, Grant portrays him reaching down to the child. She instantly becomes each character, changing herself completely, so the audience forgets she is just one woman.
Through the characters, we learn about the appalling conditions of apartheid. Innocent people, both black and white, die. The strife between the segregated races is enough to convince Elizabeth to move to California when she finishes university. The story ends when she returns to South Africa years later – unfortunately, it’s not clear that there is any improvement in the conflict, although there is a bittersweet reunion.
Grant, originally from Tisdale, Saskatchewan, has portrayed the characters of The Syringa Tree previously at the Neptune Theatre in Halifax, the Belfrey Theatre in Victoria, and the Manitoba Theatre in Winnipeg, along with many other impressive credits.
She must have incredible strength and stamina to do this show eight times a week. Not only is it emotionally draining, it is also physically demanding. How she can talk in her stage voice continuously, changing the range from high to low, for a full hour and a half, without pausing for a drink is remarkable. There is no intermission.
It is worth the ticket price just to see Grant perform this feat. But it is also a valuable experience to feel the effects of the government-imposed racial prejudice. This evocative story brings the damage caused by apartheid to a personal level – we see the horrific effect on children, friends and family.
The Syringa Tree continues at the Grand Theatre in London until April 4. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

More than 100 performers, musicians, directors, stage managers and production crew need temporary rental accommodation for the 2009 Huron Country Playhouse season.
“We rely heavily on the community’s support,” facility manager Paul Pembleton said in a release.
The average accommodation rate is $70 per week, Pembleton said, and cast and crew work five weeks at a time, including two weeks of rehearsals and three weeks of performances; some work the whole season. Accommodations close to the theatre are appreciated, but some performers have access to vehicles. Required amenities include cooking and washroom facilities.
“It’s a great way to bring in some extra money if you have an empty room or two in your home, or a private apartment, basement apartment, or empty cottage that would be available during the summer,” Pembleton said, noting some people host several actors for the whole season, while others host for just one five-week period.
Info: Paul Pembleton (519) 238-8387 x50 or paul@draytonentertainment.com.

Misery
Written by Stephen King
Adapted by Simon Moore
Directed by D. Michael Dobbin
Performed by Karen Skidmore & Geoffrey Whynot
Grand Theatre, London
February 17 to March 7, 2009

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

Madness is contagious in the Grand’s latest production, the Stephen King thriller, Misery. We first realize that Annie is crazy when we learn that she hasn’t called an ambulance despite the seriousness of Paul Sheldon’s injuries. Her descent into madness progresses; however, throughout the story she relates bits and pieces of her past and we understand that her inability to deal with life is not new.
The play takes some disturbing twists and turns, and we see Paul slip precariously in and out of madness with Annie. Annie, as portrayed by Karen Skidmore, claims to be a former nurse and the number one fan of Sheldon, a writer of romance novels. When she finds him unconscious after an automobile accident, she decides to nurse his injuries. As a fanatical reader of his romance novels, Annie forces Paul to write the next book in the series to her liking. Geoffrey Whynot’s Paul seems sane enough, but when pushed to the edge by Annie’s mental illness, Whynot totters at the limits.
Both Skidmore and Whynot play the roles very well. Her madness is convincing, as his addiction to painkillers. At times, humour is created by the insane actions and the audience laughs, albeit nervously. Grand theatre-goers are not used to seeing hideous violence on their stage, and there is some obvious discomfort.
While the acting is excellent, the props are outstanding. The blood and gore is very convincing, and leaves little to the imagination. Credit goes to John Dinning for an outstanding set. The home, with an attractive exterior, revolves to reveal an interior where evil lurks in the rather ordinary looking rooms. Louise Guinand’s lighting adds to the mystery as the story unfolds.
Director D. Michael Dobbin has done an excellent job of taking Stephen King’s story, which was easily transformed into a movie, and giving it life on stage. The horror is very real.
So if this play is so well done, why didn’t I like it? Well, for the same reason that I put down a Stephen King book after just a few chapters. I don’t find the genre entertaining. And it’s not that I expect every theatre production to be amusing and uplifting. I certainly found last year’s presentation of Hana’s Suitcase very disturbing, but it was also a gripping education with redeeming value. I didn’t find much value in Misery’s story. But those who enjoy horror will appreciate this production.
Misery continues at the Grand Theatre in London until March 7. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Happy Days
Written by Garry Marshall
Music and lyrics by Paul Williams
Directed by Gordon Greenberg
Performed by Joey Sorge and company
Dancap Production
Elgin Theatre, Toronto
February 3 to 15, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

The hit TV show of the 1970s was a sit-com called Happy Days set in the 1950s. You’ll remember Ron Howard who played the sensible Richie Cunningham along side Henry Winkler’s super cool Fonzie. If you enjoyed that show, and your kids enjoy it on Deja-Vu, then you’ll all have a good time seeing it live.
Happy Days, an over-the-top musical that closely follows the television show, is currently running at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre, downtown on Yonge Street. This touring production has a good cast of high-energy dancers/singers.
The plot is rather superficial (but then who was expecting anything deep?). Everyone is devastated because Arnold’s (remember the drive-in restaurant?) is going to be torn down to make way for a mall. This is 1959 and no one knows what a mall is; nevertheless, they are sure they have to save Arnold’s.
The show is peppered with such tidbits of anachronistic humour. Joanie wants a car, but her father says she can’t have one, with the price of gas so high. Marion, her mother, responds that she’s sure gas will never go higher than 12 cents a gallon. As the show ends, Richie is heading off for college, and Marion worries about his future. But Mr. C. says “What could be more stable than a college dorm in the 1960s?”
Some of the humour is at the expense of the television series: Richie says that he used to be able to solve all problems in less than half an hour. They also poked fun at Canadians at the Toronto opening – there was an ‘eh’ joke, among others.
A touch of dark humour was added to the corny comedy. Fonzie is guided by the ghosts of super cool stars: James Dean and Elvis. The audience chuckles when Elvis was hungry for a burger and James offers to drive him to the restaurant, foreshadowing both their untimely deaths.
Joey Sorge is excellent as an exact replica of Fonzie. He has the voice down pat with the trademark “aaaayyyy”. James Michael Lambert also has a good reproduction of the whiny voice of Ralph Malph. Cynthia Ferrer is a delightful Marion Cunningham. It was nice to see Marion updated and moving out of the kitchen. Ferrer is wonderful as a tap dancing pie maker. Whitney Bashor has the mannerisms of Joanie, and Felicia Finley makes a good tough-girl Pinky Tuscadero.
While the tunes were cute and the lyrics funny, there isn’t likely to be any big hit songs come out of this show. The choreography is best described as lively, with flips and cartwheels tossed in.
Happy Days is good clean fun that you can enjoy with the kids or grandkids. The humour is corny and the acting is over-the-top, but a good time can be had by all.
For tickets call 416-644-3665 or go to www.dancaptickets.com

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Jersey Boys
Written by Marshall Brickman a& Rick Elice
Music by Bob Gaudio, Lyrics by Bob Crewe
Directed by Des McAnuff
Choreography by Sergio Trujillo
Performed by Jeremy Kushnier, Jeff Madden, Michael Lomenda and Quinn VanAntwerp
Dancap Productions Inc.
Toronto Centre for the Arts
Canadian cast opened January 17, 2009

Live! On Stage!
Review By Mary Alderson

Back in August 2008, Aubrey Dan of Dancap Productions proudly brought the Broadway tour of the Tony-award-winning Jersey Boys to Toronto. He talked about the Canadian connection – the director was Des McAnuff (now artistic director of the Stratford Festival) and the choreographer was Sergio Trujillo, both of Toronto. Plus, Jeremy Kushnier of Winnipeg was playing one of the lead roles.
And indeed, the touring company put on a very good show, proving popular with Ontario audiences. But on January 20, Jersey Boys reopened, this time with a Canadian cast that is going to stay here – probably for a very long time, if the enthusiasm on opening night is any indication. The energetic Canadian cast brings even more passion to this New Jersey story.
Jersey Boys is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. We learn the early history – Tommy DeVito and his brother Nick are bad boys – singing under street lamps, and pulling jewellery store break and enters. They hear about a young teenager who sings like an angel, Frankie Castelluccio, and get him to join their trio. Frankie changes his last time to Valli with “i” not a “y” on the advice of his future wife, Mary. She says that he’s an Italian so it has to be an “i” – and y is a b**s**t letter because it doesn’t know if it’s a vowel or a consonant. Between jail time and personnel changes, the Four Seasons eventually evolve. Tommy is the self-proclaimed leader, with Frankie, Nick Massi and later Bob Gaudio.
The show is cleverly put together. The history is traced like the seasons – when the word Spring appears on the overhead screen, (along with comic book sketches) the group is just getting started. When Summer arrives, they are hot and in their heyday. Then comes Fall, where financial troubles and personal squabbles take over. Then Winter: as the group ages, they are finally reunited at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
We are told in the beginning of the show that if you asked each member of the Four Seasons about their rise to fame, each would have a different story. And that’s what we get – as the season’s change, a different member of group takes over as narrator. And each Jersey Boy has a different perspective on how they became chart toppers of early American rock and roll.
Jeremy Kushnier continues in the role of Tommy DeVito with amazing talent. He commands the stage like an Italian mobster. You know he is nothing but bad news, but you love him all the same. Kushnier pulls off the split personality perfectly.
Jeff Madden as Frankie shows off an amazing voice: his baritone flips easily into the trademark falsetto. Songs like Sherry, Rag Doll, or Big Girls Don’t Cry have the authentic Four Seasons sound and will take baby boomers back to places like the Grand Bend roller rink of the early sixties. Madden has an impressive list of credits with the Shaw Festival, and shows his acting skill as Frankie grows throughout the show.
Michael Lomenda who plays Nick Massi will be familiar to fans of Drayton Entertainment – he appeared last summer in “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” at Playhouse II in Grand Bend, and in the fall in “Forever Plaid” at St. Jacobs. He plays Nick as if he’s surprised to be taken along on this crazy ride to fame and fortune.
Quinn VanAntwerp (an American in the not quite all-Canadian cast) has a beautiful voice as Bob Gaudio. Gaudio was the talented songwriter of the Four Seasons, and not a tough-guy like the others, which VanAntwerp portrays well. VanAntwerp brings the house down with December,1963, better known as Oh, What a Night, the autobiographical account of Guadio’s, uh…, first time.
Director Des McAnuff has ensured the show never lags, with tight, fast scene changes. In fact, the narrator is telling the next story before the final notes of the last song die off. Credit goes to choreographer Serge Trujillo for the perfect moves that keep the familiar tunes very lively.
A busy cast keeps the show moving, too. Twelve people play 129 parts! The fast costume changes and hectic pace backstage is unimaginable. Their energy adds to the production.
A great orchestra provides a full, rich sound. They give an extra push in the reprise of Walk like a Man at the end of Act I, and again in Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, where Frankie gets the horn section he always wanted.
Audiences are warned that this show contains “authentic New Jersey language”. Don’t bring the kids – the show is liberally sprinkled with the f-word and other epithets.
If you saw Jersey Boys in 2008, come on back and see the Canadian cast – it just gets better! You get an interesting story, cleverly strung together by narrators who were there, plus good old pop rock, sung by amazing voices. If you’re a fan of the stage version of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story or shows like Drayton’s Twist and Shout: The British Invasion and Legends, then you’ll love Jersey Boys. It’s the best of the jukebox musicals.
If you haven’t seen it yet, order your tickets now. It’s at the Toronto Centre for the Arts (formerly the North York Centre or Ford Centre), which is easy to find – just a few blocks north of the 401 on Yonge Street. There’s underground parking as well as a parking lot in back, and you can have dinner right in the theatre.
For tickets, call Dancap at 416-644-3665 or go online to www.dancaptickets.com.

Mary Alderson offers her view of theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

The Wild Guys
Written by Andrew Wreggitt and Rebecca Shaw
Directed by Susan Ferley
Performed by Eric Coats, Aidan deSalaiz, David Snelgrove, Williams Vickers.
Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
January 20 to February 7, 2009

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

The Wild Guys, currently on stage at London’s Grand Theatre, starts with great promise. Four men line up across the stage, each talking on a telephone, explaining that he is going on camping trip. Each gives his own idea of what he thinks the weekend will entail, and right away we can imagine the hilarious problems that will result from the various misconceptions.
But while the exposition seems to hold promise, the play doesn’t quite take full advantage of it. There is potential for greater humour, but the plot becomes predictable.
Grocery store chain executive Andy (William Vickers) invites three other men for a camping weekend. Each agrees for his own reasons. Stewart (Eric Coates), who manages a small town grocery store, thinks that Andy is about to offer him a promotion. He has visions of moving up to a better store in a big city like Meaford or Penetang. And to him, a camping weekend means beer and fishing.
Randal (David Snelgrove) is Andy’s corporate lawyer. He comes to keep his client happy, and also to have a break from his much younger girl friend. Robin (Aidan deSalaiz) is a new acquaintance of Andy’s – apparently they met at some kind of men’s sensitivity group. Robin is looking forward to sharing poetry and deep breathing exercises.
Vickers as Andy is reminiscent of Wilson, the guy who was always peeking over the fence in the old Home Improvements TV series. He has read all the pop-psychology books and has an analysis of everyone else’s problems. Predictably, the audience learns later that he has more personal problems than the others.
This is a very talented cast, with plenty of solid experience. Vickers was last on the Grand stage as Belle’s father in Beauty and the Beast and he has 21 years at the Shaw Festival. Coates is well known as the Artistic Director of the Blyth Festival. Snelgrove has been in over 20 productions at the Stratford Festival and, along with Vickers, appeared in a delightful production of The Black Bonspiel of Wullie MacCrimmon at the Grand. DeSalaiz is an alumnus of the High School Project, having been in three, along with other shows at the Grand. With such a strong cast, one would expect more of this production. A tighter script with fresh humour would have allowed this cast to live up to their potential.
The Wild Guys is much like Norm Foster’s golf comedy, The Foursome. Both are stories of male bonding. But Foster packs his script with surprising plot twists and loud laughs. The Wild Guys’ writers are a husband and wife team – Andrew Wreggitt and Rebecca Shaw. Both have impressive resumes, with many notable works to their credit. Wreggitt has written several excellent, well-known made-for-TV movies, such as Mayerthorpe and One Dead Indian. It appears that drama is their strength.
The set for The Wild Guys is well done. Different rock formations sit at centre stage, and revolve as the characters climb on them, making the audience believe that the lost men are walking in circles.
So, while a good cast has been assembled, the script doesn’t come through for them. The Wild Guys offers a few chuckles, but lacks the big “laugh out loud” surprises we’ve come to expect from Canadian comedies.
The Wild Guys continues at the Grand Theatre in London until February 7. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Drayton Entertainment announced its 2009 lineup Monday, with the Huron Country Playhouse hosting a Dickens’ classic, a big musical, a 40s music romp, and a medieval tale.
The season starts with Oliver!, the Broadway classic, June 2 to 20. Blue Champagne, which weaves 65 timeless songs from the 1940s, runs June 24 to July 4. Lerner and Loewe’s tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table follows July 8 to 25. The season ends with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s epic, Evita, the tale of Argentina’s Eva Peron. It runs August 12 to 29.
Over at Playhouse II, two pianists tickle the ivories while striving for fame in 2 Pianos 4 Hands, which runs July 15 to August 29.
With tickets already selling to members and groups, Drayton has booked more than 65,000 seats in its theatres for the 2009 season. Tickets are now available to the general public.
Individual theatre tickets are $38.00 for adults; $20.00 for youth 18 and under, and $31.00 for preview performances. To receive a complimentary 2009 Theatre Guide, call the Huron Country Playhouse Box Office at (519) 238-6000 or 1-888-449-4463 or visit www.huroncountryplayhouse.com.

A Christmas Carol
Adapted by Jeff Pitcher, based on the book by Charles Dickins
Performed by Michael Rawley as Scrooge et al
Directed by Susan Ferley
Grand Theatre, London
November 19 to December 24, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

London’s Grand Theatre is opening its doors to kids with this production of A Christmas Carol. While the whole family will enjoy this play, it’s definitely geared to keep children enthralled.
Most notable is the elaborate set. An old English streetscape draped with snow sits along each side of the stage, while the centre revolves. Each time the stage turns around, a new set appears, complete with all the details of the different homes – Scrooge’s run-down abode, Bob Cratchit’s humble home and nephew Fred’s elaborate mansion, as well as Scrooge’s office. Credit goes to the crew for getting the stage turned and all the props changed. As the run of the show continues, the changes should get faster, with fewer noisy bumps as furniture is moved.
Also notable are the special effects. Marley’s ghost appears out of nowhere, and even rises up as he is angered. Doors and windows open as the spirits come and go. The spirits’ voices are amplified with special effects to make them sound especially scary and haunting.
Costumes are elaborate and well done, with beautiful ornate gowns for the wealthy girls, and worn-out fabrics for the Cratchit family. Attention to detail is shown with complete changes when an actor becomes a different character. The extra effort is appreciated when complete changes with wigs are used to show that a different character is being portrayed.
Michael Rawley makes an interesting Scrooge. He plays the cantankerous and miserable Scrooge very well – even showing a nasty, sarcastic side. Kids will love the way he mimics others in a whiny voice. Rawley has great fun showing Scrooge’s terror as the apparitions appear, and after his epiphany, he becomes a silly Scrooge. Never has a transformed Scrooge had so much fun. Children were giggling at his antics throughout the theatre on opening night. The sight of Scrooge, jumping up and down on the four-poster bed, so that his head pops up above the canopy frame with each jump was hilarious. Giddy with laughter, Scrooge decides that he wants to be called Ebbie!
This production marks the return of three High School Project (HSP) Alumni. Ben Sanders, who was Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof (and in three other HSP) plays Peter Cratchit, the undertaker and other characters. Sanders makes a very pleasant, youthful Cratchit boy. Mark Uhre was in the original HSP West Side Story. Here he plays the young Scrooge, as well as Scrooge’s nephew, Fred, giving him a very sunny disposition. Callandra Dendias was Molly in the HSP Hello, Dolly! In this production, she plays a delightful Martha Cratchit, as well as others.
Two area children add to the cast: nine-year-old Caitlin Cahill of Delaware is excellent as Molly Cratchit and a ghostly Spirit of Christmas Past. Katherine Gray, age seven, is an endearing Tiny Tim.
Completing the line-up of actors are Laura Condlin as Mrs. Cratchit and others, Kelly Handerek as a hilarious Fezziwig/Toggett/Topper, David Leyshon as Bob Cratchit, Julie Martell as Belle/Mary, George Masswohl as Marley/Christmas Present, and Stephanie McNamara as Mrs. Togget/Mrs. Fezziwig/Mrs. Dilber.
Cast members sing together in beautiful a cappella harmony on the street, demonstrating the reason behind the title, A Christmas Carol, as snow gently falls on them.
So while this show is intended for families, and Scrooge will hold the children’s interest, we wonder if Charles Dickens’ original message about the true spirit of Christmas will shine through. If the positive significance is lost behind the silly antics, young audiences will, at least, understand that being grumpy and greedy is bad!
And then maybe they’ll remind a few adults that being grouchy, irritable, and stingy is not in spirit of Christmas!
A Christmas Carol continues at the Grand Theatre in London until December 24. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Music and Lyrics by William Finn
Book by James Lapine and William Finn
Directed by Tricia Lackey
Studio Theatre, Sheridan College, Oakville 
November 27 to December 6, 2008
 
Cast:
GORDON SCHWINN – Thomas Alderson
MR. BUNGEE – Alex Fiddes
MIMI Gordo’s Mother – Jacquelyn French
RHODA the Agent – Jennifer Shaw
ROGER the Boyfriend – David Cotton
RICHARD the nice nurse – Cody Lancaster
HOMELESS LADY – Paige Robson-Cramer
WAITRESS/NANCY the nurse – Tess Benger
THE DOCTOR – Jason Clarke
THE MINISTER  – Daniel Greenberg
 
Live! On Stage! 
Backgrounder by Mary Alderson 

I am way too biased to write a review of A New Brain – I’ll simply say that the cast is brilliant.  This talented group of 3rd year Sheridan students are all outstanding singers/actors/dancers.  It’s a heart-warming show with comedic moments, a touching story, and good music.  I’ve seen this production of  “A New Brain” twice so far, and it’s fascinating.  To fully appreciate it, you need to know the background
The first thing you need to know – it’s a true story!
The story and the music were written by William Finn, and the main character Gordon (Gordo) Schwinn is him (Finn = Schwinn: rhyming names!).  My son Thomas Alderson  plays the role of Gordo Schwinn.
Gordo is a song-writer who wants to write a great musical.  In fact, writing a big Broadway musical has become more important to him than family and friends.  
Unfortunately, he is stuck writing songs for a kiddie TV show about a giant frog named Mr. Bungee.  So he goes off to talk to his agent/friend Rhoda – he wants to quit writing silly moralistic songs for Mr. Bungee. 
At the restaurant where he’s meeting Rhoda, the waitress overhears them talking about Mr. Bungee’s TV show.  Because this is New York, the waitress is, of course, an unemployed actress, so when she’s serving them, she’s actually auditioning for the Mr. Bungee show, which explains her over-the-top singing and dancing.
Gordo starts to hallucinate and then collapses.  Throughout the show in his hallucinations and nightmares, he often sees Mr. Bungee, who is “aquatic and despotic”.  When Bungee appears on stage, it is just in Gordo’s head.
Gordo is rushed to the hospital with his Mom and Rhoda.  They are trying to contact Gordo’s boyfriend, Roger, but as usual he is out sailing.  Roger appears in a ridiculous sailor suit, singing the beautiful ballad, “I’d Rather be Sailing.”  Later Gordo needs an MRI, and he’s told to relax and think about sailing.  The rest of the cast sings “Sitting Becalmed in the Lee of Cuttyhunk,” but Gordo’s frustration with Roger’s frequent sailing is evident.  As Gordo slides into the MRI machine, we see his facial expressions projected on the wall above him – a very  clever special effect added for comedy.
Gordo finds out that he needs very delicate brain surgery, and quite likely he will die during the operation.  The night before the surgery, he sends his mother and his boyfriend away, so that he can write a great song.  He believes that unless he writes at least one really good song, he will be forgotten after he dies.
When the doctor asks about family history of illnesses, Gordo writes a song in his head, which is acted out on stage:  Gordo’s Law of Genetics.  While this is a good song, it isn’t the big showstopper he was hoping to write.  So immediately, he launches into another song “And They’re Off”.  It’s the sad story of his parents’ divorce, resulting from his father’s gambling on horse racing.  Despite the comedy of seeing all the characters trot across the stage like horses, the touching lyrics caused some audience members to reach for tissues.     
In the second act, we finally see Gordo’s vulnerability as his tough outer shell starts to break down, and he sings the sad ballad “In the Middle of the Room”. 
The next day, he lives through the operation, but is in a coma.  Roger sings “A Really Lousy Day in the Universe” and again, I had to pull out my Kleenex.  Gordo lies in his hospital bed and sings the song “Brain Dead” then has some very strange nightmares.  His agent Rhoda is the puppet of the evil Mr. Bungee, then the nice nurse, Richard, is eating himself alive (in reality Richard is getting fat from constantly eating Twinkies). 
Finally Gordo comes out the coma when he hears Mr. Bungee singing “Don’t give in”.  His old nemesis is actually the one that brings him back to life. 
Much of this show is what is going on in Gordo’s head. Hallucinations, his wandering thoughts, his dreams and his nightmares all appear acted out on stage.  It might appear confusing, but when one realizes that most of it is in Gordo’s mind, it all makes sense.
At the beginning Gordo is struggling to write a ridiculous song about spring and frogs for Mr. Bungee, called “Frogs have so much Spring”.  After his near-death experience Gordo sings “I feel so much spring”.  The song “Heart & Music” opens the show and gives a delightful preview of what’s to come, then the show closes with “Time & Music” – Roger has kindly told Gordo that he’s giving him lots of time to recover and put his life and priorities back in order. 
It is truly a funny, endearing and heart warming show about hope.  But I feel that I need to be like the announcement before the TV shows start “This may not be suitable for all audiences ”.  If you are offended by the “f” word, and uncomfortable with gay love scenes, then this might not be the show for you.  On the other hand, what else rhymes with Nantucket?
Like Gordon Schwinn, William Finn survives the brain surgery.  He makes “A New Brain” into an off-Broadway musical, and later he writes “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”.  It becomes a huge Tony–award winning Broadway smash hit!  Also, he has lived with his partner, Arthur Salvatore for 27 years.  A success both in music and in love!

Grand Bend playwright Paul Ciufo nominated for Governor-General’s literary award for Reverend Jonah

Born in Toronto, raised in Guelph and Mississauga, Paul Ciufo has called Grand Bend home for more than two decades. His first professional play, Reverend Jonah, was recently nominated for the Governor-General’s Literary Award for Drama.
“It was probably the most pleasant surprise of my life,” says Blyth Festival artistic director Eric Coates of his response to Ciufo’s news. Blyth developed Ciufo’s and produced the play for the festival’s 2007 season. “It was one of the most gratifying moments in my career as someone who develops and produces new Canadian work.”
Blyth scripts have been nominated for Governor-General’s awards twice over the years; both plays, The Drawer Boy and Quiet in the Land, won the award.
“Competition is stiff,” Coates says. “Paul’s work stood out among the best new plays in the country.
“This play really forced people to take a look at faith, tolerance and inclusion, and they responded very well to it.”

As told to Casey Lessard

Reverend Jonah is inspired by a couple of ministers, primarily a minister I know who got into conflict with the powerful families in the church where he was a minister, and there was a real clash, and it was quite devastating to him health-wise. It was quite poisonous for the church; quite a few members of the congregation stopped going over this because they disagreed with the antagonism toward the minister. I got incensed about that. This is a church, a place of love and support amongst its membership. I felt angry and sad that even that kind of human institution can be so flawed, that people can be seeking power there. I also had a relative who was a minister and it was quite taxing on him. He struggled with addiction issues and died at a young age. These are the starting points.
I went to Blyth Festival and presented my idea for the play, and they said they liked it and would commission me. ‘We will work with you and we’ll get the first opportunity to produce the play when it’s done.’ That was a long process because it took me a long time to get this play right. When I started, what caused the conflict in the fictional church was much less controversial and smaller than what ultimately is the cause of the conflict in the church. The people at Blyth Festival were the ones who said, ‘Choose a bigger issue. It’s not realistic and it’s not incendiary enough.’
So I thought, why not choose the biggest issue facing churches right now, which is acceptance of gay and lesbian people. I’m really glad I did.
This wasn’t the only thing I was working on for those years. I’d take a run at it and take it to Blyth, and they’d say, ‘It’s getting better, but it’s still not ready.’ We did readings of it with actors, and they did that several times. This process started in 1999, and it wasn’t until 2006 that Blyth said, ‘Yes, we’re going to go ahead with this.’ And in summer 2007, it finally made its way to the stage.

One thing I learned along the way was the process of a theatre company commissioning a writer. I always envisioned just sort of going off and doing your thing and then making the approach. I didn’t realize that you could go to a theatre company and say, ‘I’ve got an idea. Here’s an outline of the plot and the characters,’ and have them jump aboard with you in the process.
I didn’t realize it would take so long. I almost totally lost faith in the project several times and gave up on it. The fact that it finally occurred was somewhat surprising. I got to a point where I thought, I just can’t get it to be good enough to be worthy of being on stage. But something about that story got me to give it another try. It finally paid off.
The monetary payment is a very modest amount, and it’s in several installments. It’s not a lot of money (for seven years work). Do you want to do the hourly rate (laughs)?
Knowing that someone is waiting to read your draft gives you extra motivation to get done, apart from your own satisfaction. Of course there’s always the chance that they might say, ‘It’s ready to be produced.’ That didn’t happen until the summer/fall of 2006.

My emotions would ebb and flow. I would be out for a run in the Pinery and suddenly think about the play and say, That’s how I solve that problem. I’d come home and spend all weekend working on that. I’d get excited and that process of working on problems, deleting some characters, adding some subplot would lead to a new draft. I’d take it to Blyth and wait expectantly. In the early days, the artistic director was Anne Chislett, and she has won a Governor-General’s award for her play Quiet in the Land. She would say, you’re on to something, but you just need to keep working on it. To show you how long it took, there’s a new artistic director there. Fortunately, Eric Coates, who took over, also saw the value and potential in the play and kept encouraging me.
When they say there’s something here, but it’s still lacking, it’s like you’ve completed a marathon and there’s another one in front of you because you put your best into that draft and it wasn’t good enough. Sometimes that meant putting it away and working on something else. For example, I did a radio play for CBC in 2002. Or I got a new idea for a play and would work on that. But I always circled back to Reverend Jonah and tried to get it right. It was this flow of hope followed by despair, followed by hope, followed by despair.
There was a further complicating factor, and I’ll never know how big of a factor it was. I believe Blyth Festival saw it as a risk to put the play on because they have a core audience that may be deeply offended by a play with sensitive religious issues. The play had to be bang on artistically, but there was always the question of what the impact would be. Would sponsors stop supporting the festival?
Eric Coates had a public reading of the play in the summer of 2006, and that may have been as much to road test it from an artistic merit standpoint as from a community reaction standpoint. The feedback was incredibly positive. The ministers at that reading stood up and said, ‘Paul, you got that right. That’s what ministers go through.’ Or, ‘Thank you for tackling this issue.’ Or, ‘This isn’t a play about one issue; it’s about community and acceptance.’ A lot of people connected to it in all sorts of ways.

I’m also a rookie. I’ve only written one stage play before this called On Convoy. That got a tremendous non-professional production at the Livery Theatre in Goderich, and was produced as a radio play for CBC. But this was my first professionally produced stage play, so I had a lot to learn.
I learned some things doing that CBC production working with very knowledgeable people there, such as executive producer James Roy and script editor Dave Carley. They really helped me understand parts of the craft, like how to structure a scene, how conflict works to drive a scene forward; basic things that are essential.
I learned that writing is not just a talent. It’s a skill you have to hone and hone and hone.
(When Blyth said it was ready,) first of all I felt joy. Yes! It’s going to see the light of day. It’s actually going to reach people and be seen. I was really excited and I essentially had the goal of having a play produced by Blyth for about a decade, so it was a realization of a long-term goal. I was very excited and very happy.
Then there’s the buildup as the season was approaching. Then there was, surprisingly to me, a lot of work to be done on the script over the winter and spring. I was asked to be at the first week of rehearsals. I thought there would be some tweaking as the actors were rehearsing, but major rewriting happened that week. I’d wake up in the morning and email the new script to the actors and the process would start again.
What you’ve written on the page, when it’s a play, doesn’t tell the whole story. Actors move around, insights emerge into what’s working and what’s not. The major realization was that with one of the characters, I hadn’t done a very good job with her. The actress bravely said, ‘I don’t know who this character is; she’s just angry all the time.’
I was taken aback, but then I realized it was true and I had known all along that was true. I tried in the course of a very short time to flesh out that character. That has impacts on everything else when you’re adding a character and scenes. She is the life partner of arguably the most important character in the play.
Bottom line, I learned a lot that week about the process. It was very intense.
They rehearse for several more weeks and opening night arrives. To my surprise, I wasn’t very nervous. I knew they were going to do a good job. I will never forget that night because I just sat and watched these incredible performers totally nail it. The audience was so receptive. They were laughing at the funny parts and very moved at the poignant parts. There was so much energy in that. I was sitting among my family and friends and I got to watch their reactions. It was odd because I knew where every line was coming from. Two of the characters are based on my in-laws, so when Fred sings in the shower, I’m laughing, and the character based on my mother-in-law says ‘I can’t get him to sing a note in church.’ And she actually said that. It was really neat to watch it and be there in the moment while thinking of the background leading up to it.
Paula Citron, a reviewer from Toronto, wrote the review every playwright hopes for when she said, ‘The play was beautifully written.’ That’s a wonderful thing because so often theatre reviews focus on the performance.

I started sending the play out to other theatres, and nothing. I was told, ‘The cast is too big.’ A year goes by and there are no other productions. I had been hoping that since it was such a success that it would go on.
I got contacted by Scirocco Drama publishing house that wanted to publish it.
A play is in its most fully realized form on stage, so you don’t often think of plays in books except for Shakespeare. But plays are often published, and that’s how they are studied in classrooms and that’s how theatre people get access to them and get inspired to put them on stage.
It was really exciting because since the age of seven, I dreamt of having a book published. My first book idea was a mystery novel in the Hardy Boys style called the Mystery of Shadow Ranch. I had never thought that it would be a play that would get published. I also thought it would be a real struggle to find a publisher. You hear all these stories of authors who get 49 rejections, but here was a publisher who sought me out, so that was great.

I knew theoretically (because only published plays may be nominated) that it could be nominated for the Governor-General’s award, but I had no expectations of that. The publication date was September 30, and I just got a phone call the other Tuesday (Oct. 21). The woman said, ‘I’m calling on behalf of the Canadian Arts Council,’ so my wheels started turning and I wondered why they would be calling, and ‘I’m calling to inform you that you have been nominated in the drama category…’ and I’m thinking, Oh my God, it’s the Governor-General’s awards, which it was.
It was quite a moment. I was really moved. I was at a business conference in Toronto, so it was a voicemail message I was listening to, and I was immediately a mess. All my writing life flashed through my mind. I saw myself as a kid working on that novel, as a very nerdy high school guy working on a spy novel in high school, and studying literature in university.
Whether you paint or write, artistically it’s completely subjective. It’s tough to know whether what you do is good. There are always varying opinions on it. I tend to suspect the negative opinions are right. When something like this happens, a national award, it’s tough to dismiss that.
Perhaps now it will be considered for more productions, so that’s positive. For new work in the future, it will be easier to have people consider it.
Blyth has commissioned me to write a play called The Five Day Whiteout. It’s a thriller/murder mystery. The plot is that four people traveling separately by car are blinded by a whiteout and stranded on the side of a country road. A retired schoolteacher brings these five people into his house, and there’s a killer in their midst.

My family is really excited for me. Julie is really happy for me and it’s her success, too, because she has to make sacrifices when I’m writing. I get the sense that she also thinks the sacrifices are worthwhile.

Paul Ciufo will find out November 18 whether he has won the Governor-General’s award. The winner will attend a December ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa hosted by Governor-General Michaëlle Jean. The awards are Canada’s oldest and one of its most prestigious literature awards.

Congratulations to Grand Bend’s Paul Ciufo, who was nominated Tuesday for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama, according to the Canadian Press.

Winners will be announced November 18 in Montreal.

The Drawer Boy
By Michael Healey
Directed by Gina Wilkinson
Performed by Oliver Dennis, Brendan Gall, John Jarvis
Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
October 21 to November 8, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

The Drawer Boy, which just opened at London’s Grand Theatre, is a challenging production. There’s comedy, but behind the laughs is a heart-warming love story, with an unusual twist to it. To bring all these elements together takes a talented cast. Thankfully, the Grand has provided three solid performers.
The Drawer Boy is based on an actual event. In the seventies, a Toronto theatre company sent a group of young actors to stay with farmers in Huron County to create a play about the farm life. The Farm Show was born and was a celebrated piece of theatre to educate urbanites about rural life.
Many years later, The Blyth Festival commissioned Michael Healy to write a play about the experiences of the young actors who visited Huron County. Healy created Miles (perhaps based on Miles Potter who was one of the actors) who stays with two farmers, Morgan and Angus, in The Drawer Boy.
Brendan Gall is excellent as young Miles. He is nervous and uncomfortable when he arrives at the farm, but eager to capture events and information for the show that is being prepared. Gall shows us Miles’ discomfort, and then we see his confidence build and grow.
John Jarvis plays Morgan, the farmer who pulls Miles’ leg, but yet doesn’t seem to enjoy the humour – at least, not as much as the audience does. Jarvis does well to show that Morgan can enjoy some fun, but is also tired with the never-ending work on the farm, and frustrated by the low commodity prices. Morgan teases Miles with dead=pan seriousness.
Oliver Dennis cleverly handles the difficult role of Angus. Angus has suffered a head injury in World War II, and has memory loss. Dennis is brilliant in showing Angus’ disability. Like Miles, Angus goes through a transformation, adding to the challenge that Dennis handles so well.
The comedy in The Drawer Boy comes from putting a city boy to work on a farm. For those of us who are just a generation or two away from the land, we know that when city folks visit the rural areas, there will always be ways to poke fun at them. The audience roars when Miles believes that they will have to get up early to rotate crops the next morning. Morgan tells him that they will be digging up all the wheat in one field and replanting in another. Morgan also convinces Miles that the dairy cows are tense and nervous, knowing that they will be butchered if they don’t give enough milk.
The Drawer Boy breaks some of the rules of theatre, and does it so well that enhances the production. Morgan tells Angus a story on stage with no action going on – sometimes a lengthy story can create a lull in a production, but in this case the audience is spellbound. Then later, that story is repeated – again, this risks boring the audience. But we are fascinated, especially by the revelation in the end..
Credit goes to director Gina Wilkinson for putting together the humour, the touching story, and the unusual ending.
The set is a typical farm kitchen. While the fridge is old, the harvest gold stove must have been new in 1972. Attention to detail is evident.
The sound and lighting are excellent in this production. We hear a very realistic sounding tractor start up just offstage. Dogs bark in the distance, crickets chirp at night and the rooster crows in the morning. Later a vehicle starts and headlights beam across the set.
The Grand’s Artistic Director Susan Ferley points out that this was the most performed play in North American in 2003-04, and is still very popular in the United States. Congratulations to playwright Michael Healey for ingeniously blending comedy, tragedy and a surprise disclosure into one fascinating story.
The Drawer Boy continues at the Grand Theatre in London until November 8. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

The Pirates of Penzance
Written by W. S. Gilbert
Composed by Arthur Sullivan
Directed by Susan Ferley
Grand Theatre High School Project
Grand Theatre, London
September 23 to October 4, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Gilbert & Sullivan were masters of the comic operetta in 1870’s England. So popular were their shows, that American producers were stealing their works and putting them on stage in the United States without giving Gilbert & Sullivan any credit or paying any royalties. Thus, the writing team decided to create a show about pirates and open it in America, to send a not-so-subtle message about the piracy of their creative material.
Gilbert & Sullivan would be proud of the version now on stage nearly 130 years later at the Grand Theatre in London. In the famous song “I am the very model of a Modern Major General”, the lyrics are indeed modernized for this production. The Major General talks about text messaging and Facebook, suggesting Google Earth be used to track down weapons in Iraq. In acknowledging the internet, the modern Major General is ironically saluting the greatest of all vehicles for piracy.
But more important than any moral message is the comedy. This is the Grand’s High School Project, where a large cast and crew are brought to the professional stage straight from area secondary schools. The young people on stage have the advantage of working with a professional director, choreographer and music director, while those behind the scenes work with professional set, costume and lighting designers.
The fun begins right away, when the large family (23 to be precise) of young girls decide to “paddle” their toes in the ocean. They are all dressed beautifully in delicate creamy white gowns. But when they lift their long skits to take off their shoes, each girl is wearing different brightly coloured striped and printed stockings.
In contrast to the young ladies’ pale ivory gowns, the pirates appear dressed in vibrant colours. When the pirates and the girls mix and mingle, the effect of the costumes is stunning.
Once again, Director Susan Ferley has assembled an amazing cast of high school students and worked wonders with their talent. The young female voices together have beautiful harmony. Soloist Alexandra Smither as Mabel has an amazing voice and also demonstrates excellent comedic ability with very expressive eyes. Also possessing strong and beautiful voices are Evita Trembley as Ruth, Shauna Yarnel as Edith and Amelia Galizia as Kate.
A. J. MacDonald handles the tongue-tripping Major General’s song in astonishing fashion, and Jordan Campbell demonstrates solid acting and singing skills as Frederic. Micah Richardson is outstanding as the Pirate King, and Oscar Morena is excellent as Samuel.
The police, led by Nicholas Borg as the Sergeant, add to the hilarity. The assortment of sizes as they arrive on stage starts the laughter, and their ballet keeps the audience in stitches. Credit goes to choreographer Amy Wright for creating all the comical movement.
The use of puns and misunderstandings to create comedy has withstood the test of time. Across the audience, adults were chortling, while beside me, a 12 year old was giggling with delight. At the same time, the young actors’ friends were filling the theatre with cheers – the teenagers in the audience thoroughly enjoyed seeing the silliness on stage. Like an old Wayne & Schuster sketch, Gilbert & Sullivan are still funny.
This production is good Gilbert & Sullivan – it is not just good for being high school kids, it’s good theatre.
The Pirates of Penzance continues at the Grand Theatre in London until October 4. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Romeo and Juliet
By William Shakespeare
Performed by Gareth Potter and Nikki M. James
Directed by Des McAnuff
Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production
Festival Theatre, Stratford
To November 8, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Thank goodness for Stratford veterans Lucy Peacock and Peter Donaldson. Without them, Romeo and Juliet now playing on the Festival Theatre stage would be very short on substance. Lucy Peacock plays the Nurse who has raised Juliet and continues to care for her. Peter Donaldson is Friar Laurence who sets the tragic chain of events in motion.
The Montague and Capulet families are feuding. Young Romeo Montague is infatuated with Rosaline, and goes to a costume party, hoping to see her. But instead he is captivated by the beautiful Juliet Capulet. They fall in love, despite the fact that their families are embroiled in a gang-like revenge war. Romeo kills Juliet’s cousin Tybalt and is banished. Friar Laurence secretly marries the young couple and they spend the night together before Romeo leaves the country. Juliet’s family wants her to marry Paris. To avoid the arranged wedding, Juliet takes a potion that puts her into a deep sleep so everyone will think she’s dead. Then she’ll wake up and steal away with Romeo. But Romeo believes she is dead and he drinks poison. When Juliet wakes up and finds Romeo dead, she, too, kills herself.
The roles of Romeo and Juliet are very demanding in this tragic love story. While Gareth Potter is adequate as the lovelorn Romeo, Nikki M. James falls short with Juliet. She is both difficult to hear, and difficult to understand. Her inexperience with Shakespearean English is evident and the language is garbled. Without good communication, it is impossible to build the necessary chemistry between Romeo and Juliet.
Donaldson, with his superior interpretation of Shakespeare, keeps the plot moving and Peacock as the Nurse provides the comedy. She makes the Nurse’s babble coherent, and uses it to comedic advantage. The first act is full of humour, much of it on the naughty side. The jokes are crowd-pleasers and the play holds promise. Unfortunately, as the plot begins to unravel in the second act, so does the presentation.
But the costume decisions are a little off-putting. The story begins with modern dress. The young men appear wearing jeans and t-shirts. But when everyone goes to the costume ball, they appear in Elizabethan dress: the men in tights with exaggerated codpieces, presumably to add to the bawdy humour. They stay in Shakespearean costumes, even those who did not attend the costume ball, until the end of the story when they reappear in today’s clothing. While the Shakespearean costumes are beautiful and colourful, puzzling over the changes is a distraction.
The set, too, is distracting. If any Shakespearean play demands Stratford’s plain, thrust stage with the balcony in the centre, it’s Romeo and Juliet. Instead, a fake-looking cobblestone bridge spans the stage, which just doesn’t work for the famous balcony scene. It seems as if the Stratford stage is being turned into a regular proscenium stage, which defeats its purpose.
Megan Follows’ Juliet in 1992 left a lasting impression. At the end of her performance, the audience was drained, and many left the theatre wiping tears from their eyes. This production doesn’t allow us to feel that emotion.
Romeo and Juliet continues at the Festival Theatre, Stratford until November 8. For tickets, call the box office at 1-800-567-1600 or check www.stratfordfestival.ca.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Memories of the Summer of Love
Created by Chris McHarge and Colin Stewart
Performed by Natalie Howard, Derek Marshall, Penny Skolski, and Paul Wilson
Directed by Chris McHarge, Musical direction by Colin Stewart
Lighthouse Festival Production
Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia
September 9 – 20, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

For their final offering of the summer season, Victoria Playhouse presents a nostalgia trip, which, for the right age group, is a real crowd pleaser. The evening is one sixties song after another, with bits of trivia in between.
Act I starts off with some early sixties surfin’ music, and then moves to the British invasion. Derek Marshall’s talent is showcased early with “Don’t let the sun catch you cryin’”. Natalie Howard gives a good rendition of Petula Clark’s “Downtown”, then Marshall and Howard together do a couple of Sonny and Cher numbers. The act ends with protest song selections: “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “Paved Paradise”, “Stop, hey, what’s that sound”, and The Youngbloods classic “Come on, people now, smile on your brother.”
The second act takes the audience to the home of the hippies, Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco, and then on to the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. Penny Skolski shines as Janis Joplin with “Me and Bobby McGee”. She also does well with Jefferson Airplane’s “Want Somebody to Love”. The four vocalists perform together for songs such as The Byrds “Turn, Turn, Turn” and “Mr. Tambourine Man” (which, they tell us, was written by Bob Dylan), the Association’s “Never My Love” and “Along comes Mary”. In the introduction we learn that Mary is marijuana. The foursome also gives a very credible version of Mamas and Papas.
Derek Marshall and Paul Wilson have beautiful harmony for a Simon & Garfunkel set – “59th Street Bridge” and “Sound of Silence”. For the final number, Wilson does an audience favourite – “Bridge over Troubled Waters”.
The four-piece band does very well with the sixties hits, under the musical direction of bass player Colin Stewart.
But while the audience seemed to really enjoy this walk down memory lane, there were several things that could have been done to make a decent show into a great show. The tidbits of musical trivia, (Simon & Garfunkel started singing together in 6th grade, and Laura Nyro wrote hits for many stars of the day) were interesting, but could have been presented with a lot more showmanship. It seems like the cast just hurriedly rhymes off the information. Perhaps a narrator or emcee would have helped.
The authenticity of the costumes is very questionable – they need to do better when most of the audience remembers the time well. Also, with album covers appearing overhead on the big screen, we can see what the stars of the day wore – the costumes on stage looked like a few items were grabbed from someone’s old tickle trunk. While Natalie Howard dons wigs to be Cher or Michelle Phillips, the men on stage do not have long hair. If a man with a shaved head had gone to the Monterey Pop Festival, he would have been treated like an alien.
There is also a need for choreography – dancing around like they are floating on LSD gets tiresome, and I worry they could be injured when they bump into each other.
With cast members sipping from water bottles and casually strolling to the back of the stage, it is more like a concert – not a polished musical theatre piece.
This is not a Victoria Playhouse production – it was created at Port Dover’s Lighthouse Theatre. And it was not up to the standards set this summer at VPP with their musicals The Broadway Club, the second act of Discovering Elvis and the surprise delight Oil Rush.
So while the audience loves the old music, this show isn’t in the same category as Twist & Shout and Legends, both of which have been at Huron Country Playhouse in recent years. (Legends is currently showing at Drayton.) And if you really enjoy old music, consider seeing The Jersey Boys, currently running at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. This fantastic Broadway production is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons.
Memories of the Summer of Love continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until September 20. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or (519) 882-1221 for tickets.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Babes of the Bend recalls music and lifestyle of the early 20th century

Babes of the Bend: A Musical Comedy
Based on events in Grand Bend between 1915 and 1945
Grand Cove Caddyshack
Friday, October 3 – 7 p.m.
Saturday, October 4 – 7 p.m.
Sunday, October 5 – 2 p.m.
Tickets – $7.50 each, available to non-Cove residents starting September 1 at the Caddyshack Mon & Fri 1-3 p.m. or Call Jo Dabrowski at 519-238-5156

Photos and story by Casey Lessard

Photo textures courtesy www.flickr.com/photos/ghostbones

Grand Bend has its share of babes, and if you ask the folks at Grand Cove, a lot of them live in the retirement community at the town’s north end. Babes of the Bend is the Cove’s latest musical theatre production written and directed by resident Doreen Newell.
“I’ve always been interested in light theatre and after doing the Fred and Ginger show last year, I thought it would be nice to do something that reflected the community this time,” Newell says. “It brings in the beach and the main street. It has a little bit of historical background, but it’s so farfetched now that there is no history left in it except that it is set in Grand Bend.”
Even still, Newell consulted local historian Dorothy Graff, who grew up in Exeter, where her father owned the canning plant.
“A whole pile of us used to come over to Grand Bend to the dance hall,” Graff says. “It was 5 or 10 cents a dance. Eric McIlroy had the dance hall when I was there. The thing that I remember the most was when I’d walk up the stairs it had a big sign that said ‘Gentiles Only.’
“The air force was based at Centralia and Clinton and that’s how I met my husband Jack, who was at Centralia graduating as a pilot. I was 15 and he was 20. He told me to come back when I grew up and I did. I went into nursing training at St. Joe’s in London.
We kept in contact with one another and when I graduated we got married.”
Graff’s local knowledge helped guide Newell’s sense for what was happening here in the time during and between the two world wars; Newell also brought her experience growing up in England’s Channel Islands.
“Although it was a sort of sad time in England and we were getting the Blitz and the bombs and that around us, we still had the Americans and the soldiers around us, coming in and dancing with the local girls at the salons,” Newell says. “I can remember how the Londoners used to come up to where I lived and they were always singing. They sang a lot of the songs that we have in the play. I’ve tried to get the real feel of Grand Bend, but not promote the sadness of war, and show there was a happy side to the war era.”
One of the challenges to recreating the era was finding music true to the time.
“You can’t buy any sheet music from that era to any large extent,” Newell says, “so we’ve had to rely very much on memory and old discs that we’ve got and that sort of thing, and Sylvia the music director has been absolutely fantastic. You can go to her and sing her a song and she’ll work with you and be able to get it on the keyboard.”
“It is a lot of work,” Sylvia Rees says, noting she does this type of recreation work through manual dictation, “but when you know what the end product is going to be, that spurs you on to do it.”
The music will be familiar to most audience members, even though some of it is more than 100 years old.
“It’s a very wide spectrum of music because it goes from the early part of the century up and past World War II,” Rees says. “We have the Victorian Era, which would have been called top music at the time; Betty Boop music from the early 1920s; Irving Berlin ballads; well-known dance numbers; music from the early through Duke Ellington jazz, and some patriotic stuff for WW2 and then big band music.”
Newell did take some liberties in recreating a local fixture, abolitionist Strawberry Desjardine.
“When the air force was here, half of Grand Bend was dry and the other half was wet,” says Graff, “so there used to be a lot of bootlegging on one side and Strawberry Desjardine was a very religious lady who used to go around and bang on the doors and talk about not drinking. Doreen’s got her yelling and hollering. I don’t know that Strawberry ever did that.”
Not that Graff had to worry about facing Strawberry’s wrath herself, she notes.
“We really didn’t drink much, but we had a lot of fun. There was always a gang that came every year and we had a grand time. You can’t help wanting to relive that.”
“The reason it’s good for Grand Cove is they can identify with the people and identify with the music,” Newell says. “They sing along. They can come and laugh at their neighbours; whatever they want to do. To sing and be together like that keeps you well. It keeps you happy.”
Getting good representation from the Grand Cove community was critical to making this play work, Newell says.
“It had to be a creation where whoever came forward in the community could get in it. You can’t say when people come, ‘Oh come on. You’re 71. You can’t go in it. Or you’re 80 and you can’t go in it.’”
As a result, the average age of the cast members is 69, including eight men and many women.
“A lot of people have been interested because we’ve used music from the era that they know. It was good music at that time. And let’s be honest, old ladies love to dress up.”
And Newell expects audiences will love it, too.
“People are going to come out, and they are going to laugh. They are going to have a really good evening out for $7.50.”

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Book by Burt Shevelove & Larry Glebart
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Performed by Steve Ross, Keith Savage & Company
Directed by Rona Waddington
Drayton Entertainment Production
Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
August 13 to 31, 2008

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Forum is the fourth and final show of the season at Huron Country Playhouse and with it, Drayton Entertainment has another hit. Staging four musicals in a row has been a departure from the norm for the Grand Bend theatre, but it has certainly been successful. Each production – My Fair Lady, Sorry I’m Canadian, and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels – has been exceptionally good, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum continues that streak.
The zany farce first opened on Broadway in 1962, and some of the gags are showing their age. However, this excellent cast is able to pull off the humour every time, just because these are very funny people. They bring together all the elements of farce – running in and out of slamming doors, posing as other people, mistaken identities, and just plain silliness. Add to the farce some great singing and dancing and you have a good evening of entertainment.
This was one of Steven Sondheim’s earliest efforts in music and lyrics, and while the songs don’t have the rich storytelling of later Sonheim, they provide plenty of laughs, and the tunes are catchy. The opening number “Comedy Tonight” sets the tone for the show.
Huron Country Playhouse favourite Keith Savage just has to walk on the stage and the audience starts to howl. Savage plays Hysterium, a rather hysterical slave. Another audience pleaser is 80-year-old Kenneth Wickes playing Erronius, who is travelling the world searching for his children who were stolen in infancy by pirates. Wickes only needs to hobble onto the stage and look at the audience to get a laugh.
After several years at Stratford, Londoner Kyle Blair is back at Huron Country Playhouse. With his clear tenor voice and boyish good looks, he is the perfect Hero. The object of his affection is Philia played by Elena Juatco who was last year’s Miss Saigon.
The three Protean who double up in various roles are all very adept at physical comedy. The courtesans from the house of ill repute are amazing dancers and the audience is treated to a sample of their talents. The lovely young ladies are there for those “who have no interest in pirates”.
Each cast member has an impressive biography and extensive experience. The result is a great team with perfect comedic timing, expressive faces and slapstick ability.
Credit goes to director Rona Waddington for selecting this strong cast and giving the show a fresh feel. Choreographer Gino Berti and Music Director Charles T. Couzens also deserve credit for keeping the production lively.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is just plain fun – as the song says “weighty decisions will just have to wait” and there is indeed “something for everyone”.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum continues with eight shows a week until August 31 at Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend. Tickets are available at the Huron Country Playhouse box office at (519) 238-6000, Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463, or check out www.draytonentertainment.com

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Oil Rush
Book and Lyrics by Robert More
Music and Lyrics by Jacqueline Sadler
Performed by Sheldon Davis, Cathy Elliott, R.J. Peters & Company
Directed by Robert More
Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia
August 12 to 30, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Those of us who grew up in Lambton County take our oil heritage for granted. So, there are oil wells around Petrolia and Oil Springs – so what? Well, enough of that attitude. Robert More and Jacqueline Sadler have brought oil heritage to life on stage at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia and made it fascinating and funny in their new musical Oil Rush.
More has created an interesting mix of fact and fiction in this lively musical which celebrates 2008 – the 150th anniversary of the world’s first commercial oil well. That’s right – the first oil well in the world – a year ahead of Pennsylvania, and long before Texas, Alberta or the Persian Gulf. It’s a part of Canadian history in which all Canadians, not just those from Lambton County should take pride.
More and Sadler have captured that feeling of pride, using a mix of historical characters and some who are fictional representatives of “everyman”. The story opens in 2008 with two teenagers (Joseph O’Toole and Trisha Smith) visiting the Oil Museum of Canada in Oil Springs. Their search for the past takes us back to 1858, as the early prospectors arrive in Oil Springs to search for this new find called oil.
“Good Bless the Whale” is a clever tune, reminding us that before oil was supplied commercially, whale oil was an important source of light. But this new discovery, oil, could be refined as kerosene, for household lighting. “Possibilities” is a rousing anthem outlining all that can be done with this exciting new product, oil.
Act one takes place in Oil Springs as the village comes alive in the oil rush. Family man Norman C. Dodds arrives to try his luck at finding oil, bringing along his wife Beth. The couple are delightful – him with his idiomatic speech patterns and her with a charming French Canadian accent. Sheldon Davis is excellent as Norman. He’ll be remembered as the newspaper editor in Soup Du Jour at VPP and the klutzy golfer in The Foursome at Playhouse II in Grand Bend. Cathy Elliott plays Beth very well – furious at Norman for endangering himself in an oil well explosion, at the same time elated that he has survived intact. We enjoy watching Norman and Beth raise their family, through oil booms and busts, until their eldest son goes off to Borneo as a foreign driller. This is a factual part of the story – Petrolia’s “Hard Oilers” travelled to all parts of the world teaching others how to drill for black gold.
The history is told by R. J. Peters playing the role of a newspaper reporter from the Toronto Globe. The young reporter is sent out to write about the oil rush, and Peters does an excellent job as narrator.
In Act II, the action moves to Petrolia as it grows from a population of 200 to 2,000 in nine months, during the oil rush. With the boom comes bar room brawls and a lady of the night who earns her living keeping the prospectors happy.
The trio of Shawn Henry, Craig Maguire and Scott Pietrangelo provide harmony in many of the musical numbers, and comedy as they finish each other’s sentences playing Homer, Harry, and Hector. All three have beautiful voices. Shawn Henry also doubles as the real-life figure J. H. Fairbank, Lambton County’s first oil baron. It’s interesting to note that J. H. Fairbank’s 16-year-old great-great grandson, Charlie Fairbank, has a role as a teen boy in this production, and shows very promising talent. Another talented local teenager, Sabrina Redick, also appears.
Heather Lea Brown skilfully plays several female roles, including that of Edna Fairbank. Her disdain for the backwoods of Petrolia shows through when she sings, “The house could never be a home”.
Greg Campbell handles multiple roles well, making each character unique. He has a charming Irish lilt as Hugh Nixon Shaw and then shows his comedic skills as Shaky, the alcoholic who fractures the oil wells with nitro-glycerine.
Robert More has tied together a great deal of information in an interesting story line. A slideshow of old postcards provides a good view of the reality that was the oil rush. Crude derricks springing up, streets filled with mud and oil, and then the lavish Fairbank mansion.
The lighting for Oil Rush is possibly the best designed at VPP. Each explosion and fire is bathed in orange and red. Kerry Gage’s choreography is well suited to the show – from the influence of square dances and Irish jigs, through to energetic numbers to lift everyone’s spirits.
Oil Rush received an immediate standing ovation on opening night, and probably the loudest applause ever heard in VPP. Congratulations to Robert More and Jacqueline Sadler for putting together a show that educates, entertains and instils pride. This musical will not only make residents of Lambton County take interest in their oil heritage, but should arouse the curiosity of all Canadians. .
Oil Rush continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until August 30. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or (519) 882-1221 for tickets.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

By Casey Lessard

Drayton Entertainment heads back to Roman times for its next musical comedy, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, running August 13 to 30 at the Huron Country Playhouse.
“It’s high, high comedy with songs,” says director Rona Waddington. “The story is about a Roman slave who makes a deal with his master that if he can win for his master the heart of the woman that his master loves, then he’ll gain his freedom.”
Stratford veteran Steve Ross is the slave, while former Canadian Idol star Elena Juatco is the love interest. Theatre legend Doug Chamberlain is the slave master.
“It’s a very enjoyable play,” Waddington says. “It’s funny, upbeat and high-spirited.What’s interesting about this play, is that it’s very dependent on the audience, which plays much more of a role in the show.”
Sometimes, too big of a role.
“We had an audience member come in the other day, and I guess they knew the whole show somehow. They literally sang along with every song from the audience. That was a bit of a surprise for the cast. It was unusual. It was kind of funny, but it’s got to be unsettling for the audience around them.”
If you want to sing along or just enjoy it, tickets are available by calling 519-238-6000.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
Until August 30
Playhouse II
Tickets: 519-238-6000

By Casey Lessard

Anyone looking for a good summer comedy that resonates will want to see I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, playing now at the Huron Country Playhouse II.
“There’s a little gem in every scene,” says Kristin Galer, who plays one of the two women in the musical review. “When the audience is laughing, it’s the best feeling in the world.”
“My favourite scene is the two old people at the end,” says Mark Weatherley. “It’s very sweet and touching, and it’s nice that they cover what it’s like to be single when you’re old, too.
“It’s interesting in the sense that you can be yourself and the audience becomes part of the scene,” says Michael Lomenda. “Often that doesn’t happen in big theatre. This show is great at involving people.”
The story lines, about dating, marriage, having children, and losing a partner, are universally recognizable. Still they’re fresh and funny.
“I’m married now, but I certainly went through my rough dating years and all the things anybody who’s ever been single in their life – which is everybody – has gone through.”
“Stud and Babe is the one I connect with because I’m just a geek at heart,” says Lomenda. “On the other hand, when I sing Shouldn’t I Be Less In Love With You?, finding the weight of it is difficult, so you have to project as an actor, but it’s a good stretch. I hits home even though I haven’t been there yet.”
For Mairi Babb, who starred in this spring’s My Fair Lady, it’s been a nice transition performing in the smaller Playhouse II.
“I love being able to work without microphones. It’s very liberating and I love interacting with the audience.”

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Until August 9
Huron Country Playhouse
Tickets: 519-238-6000

A con within a con within a con, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is over the top with big songs and big fun on a big stage. A blend of two movies (Scoundrels and Bedtime Story) and old-time musical theatre, the Playhouse version is full of great big stuff.
“The show is a large show in its presentation, so this is a fantastic place to do this show,” says former Playhouse artistic director Brian McKay, gracing the stage here for the first time in 10 years as the dashing conman Lawrence Jamieson.
“It’s just a fantastic, fun, crazy show,” says Steven Patterson, who played the lead in last year’s Miss Saigon and appears as Steve Martin’s Freddy Benson. “You have to keep yourself in decent shape; I think I sweat pounds every day on stage.”
Heather McGuigan is Christine Colgate, the soap queen the two are trying to swindle.
“She is someone who has arrived in a wonderful location and is taken on a trip by these two men,” McGuigan says. “It’s the adventure she was looking for on this grand trip of hers, and she goes along for the ride.”
It’s a fun ride that gets crass at times, but overall is interesting to see familiar faces fronting a Broadway backdrop wearing Broadway clothes bought from the company that first staged the musical in New York.

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
Book & Lyrics by Joe DiPietro, Music by Jimmy Roberts
Performed by Mairi Babb, Kristin Galer, Michael Lomenda, Mark Weatherley
Directed by Marc Richard
Drayton Entertainment Production
Playhouse II, Grand Bend
July 16 to August 30, 2008

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

Like Separate Beds, (now playing at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at Playhouse II in Grand Bend is all about the funny side of relationships. A musical comedy of vignettes, this production pokes fun at first dates, courting, engagement and the wedding in the first act. The second act moves on marriage, babies, raising kids, empty-nesters and retirement, and the effect they have on couples.
Mairi Babb, who recently played Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady on Huron Country Playhouse’s main stage, and Kristin Galer, who was Ado Annie in HCP’s Oklahoma! are the two women teamed up with Michael Lomenda who was in last year’s Miss Saigon, and Mark Weatherly, who was in A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline in Playhouse II a few years ago. The four actors play an assortment of roles as couples in various stages of their lives. There is no plot or storyline, just a series of scenes depicting life’s changes.
Well-written comedy and hilarious song lyrics make this show a real crowd pleaser. In Playhouse II’s cozy setting, the audience really enjoys becoming intimate with the four performers. There was lots of laughter and applause, and even little comments like “oh boy” and “look out” rippling across the small theatre.
Anyone who has ever been in a wedding party can identify with Galer’s solo “Always a Bridesmaid” – and her horror of having to wear a bright fuchsia gown adorned with too many flounces and lace.
Weatherley had the audience roaring with laughter when, as an overprotective parent, he tries to bite the eyes off a Teddy bear to ensure it is safe for his baby.
Later all four work together perfectly to move their “car” around the stage, in a hilarious family road trip scene.
An enjoyable night out for couples of all ages, with many laughs, and excellent singing. .
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change continues with eight shows a week until September 3 at Playhouse II, Grand Bend. Tickets are available at the Huron Country Playhouse box office at (519) 238-6000 or Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463

* * * * *

Separate Beds
by Mary Jane Cruise
Performed by Mary Long & Ralph Small
Directed by Walter Learning
Victoria Playhouse/Theatre Orangeville Production
Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia
July 22 to August 9, 2008
Reviewed by Mary Alderson

Author Cruise Takes Audience on a Cruise

In Petrolia, Separate Beds explores married life in a humourous comedy, sharing many of the same themes as I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. This play, taking place on a cruise ship, tracks two middle-aged couples.
In the first act, we meet Twink and Ernie, who own a hardware store, and are celebrating their 33rd anniversary. They discuss another couple they’ve met and make comparisons. Then in act two, we meet the other couple Beth and Blake. Mary Long and Ralph Small play both roles, showing their versatility in playing opposites.
Mary Long was the tough cop and Ralph Small was the guy who only knew first lines of songs in the Norm Foster comedy Looking at VPP in 2005, so the pair have already established some chemistry. Small is also familiar to VPP audiences as the endearing slow-learner in Cheatin’ Hearts.
Both Long and Small rise to the challenge of playing two very different roles in one play, and they do an excellent job of making each character distinct. There are clever one-liners throughout the production that both actors handle well, with good comedic timing. They are also heart-warming moments, leading to the predictable happy ending. Long and Small’s Sonny & Cher duet “I’ve Got You Babe” is a real crowd pleaser.
While Separate Beds is very comparable to I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, it is also quite similar to Sexy Laundry, which ran at the Grand Theatre in London last winter. Separate Beds is better than Sexy Laundry at telling the story of couples trying to improve their love life. By using everyday dialogue and making the pair more believable, playwright Mary Jane Cruise has captured human nature very well. The talented author is also a St. Catharines’ area schoolteacher.
This is good summer-stock theatre, offering a pleasant diversion – especially good for couples who just can’t find time for each other.
Separate Beds continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until July 19. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or (519) 882-1221 for tickets.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
Book by Jeffrey Lane
Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek
Performed by Brian McKay, Stephen Patterson & Company
Directed by Alex Mustakas
Drayton Entertainment Production
Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
July 16 to August 9, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

I used to wonder what the “B” stood for in B-Line, the road just east of Grand Bend. Now I know – it stands for Broadway! With the arrival of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Huron Country Playhouse is a Broadway theatre.
Drayton Entertainment’s production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is the Canadian premier of this Broadway hit, showing first in St. Jacobs and now in Grand Bend. In fact, the sets and costumes for this show arrived directly from the Broadway show, in three big transports from New York.
So with spectacular sparkling sets and numerous fantastic costume changes, all that was left for Director Alex Mustakas to do, was find the right cast. And he has. He has assembled 18 very talented all-Canadian actors/singers/dancers, who can easily rival any New York cast.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was a popular movie in 1988 starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin. Then the musical opened on Broadway in June 2005, with John Lithgow and Norbert Leo Butz. It garnered 11 Tony nominations that year, with Butz winning the best actor award for his riotous performance.
It’s the story of Lawrence Jameson, a con-artist who works the upscale resorts of the French Riviera. He is suave and debonair, attracting all the rich widows and young debutantes who turn over their jewellery and fortunes to him. But along comes a small-time grifter, Freddy Benson, who is swindling for meals. Freddy wants Lawrence to teach him the ropes, and the two become partners and then competitors in various scams. There is a special surprise ending that really pleases the audience, as the swindles unfold.
Brian McKay is perfect as the charming and sophisticated Lawrence, delightfully conning all the ladies. A former artistic director at Huron Country Playhouse, McKay has an impressive resume from Stratford to Broadway.
Stephen Patterson, also very familiar to Huron Country Playhouse audiences, is excellent as Freddy Benson. His rendition of the song “Great Big Stuff” is hilarious as he admires all the trappings of Lawrence’s lavish mansion, while the maids and servants parade around with materialistic items such as works of art and silver bowls. Patterson is outrageous when he pretends to be Ruprecht, the mysterious brother locked away in the cellar. Then he performs the side-splitting number “Love is My Legs” as he stumbles out of the wheelchair and miraculously learns to walk.
Heather McGuigan is outstanding as Christine Colgate, the soap heiress. McGuigan played the lead role in The Spitfire Grill at the Grand Theatre last year, where she was a toughened tomboy. These two roles show her great versatility – she’s a clever actor and an amazing singer.
Adding to the comedy are Patrick Brown as Andre Thibault, the corrupt chief of police, and Rebecca Poff as the ditzy but wealthy Muriel Eubanks. Brown maintains an amusing French accent in the style of Inspector Clouseau, while Poff delivers many hilarious one-liners with perfect comedic timing. Brown has many credits at Huron Country Playhouse, including Cogsworth in their very popular Beauty and the Beast, while Poff will be remembered for her Aldonza in Man of LaMancha, and Marion The Librarian in The Music Man.
Christy Adamson has fun with the role of Jolene Oakes from Oklahoma, giving a great performance of country singin’ and dancin’.
The ensemble consists of six young men and woman who dazzle the audience with glitzy costumes and high kicking. The chorus members have an abundance of energy, singing and dancing on stage, then racing back stage to change yet again into various colourful gowns, wigs and shoes.
This musical has great fun alluding to other musicals. When Lawrence decides to mentor Freddy, he becomes Henry Higgins fixing up Eliza in My Fair Lady. Later, we relive Oklahoma! with a team of sparkling, dancing cowboys.
A word of warning – in certain parts, the “Scoundrels” are a little bit vulgar. If you are easily offended, leave your prudish hat at home and let your hair down. And this is not a show for youngsters; get a babysitter and come out for some laughs.
I rarely say that I would like to go back and see a show a second time, but this is one show that I would love to see again. There are so many subtle jokes; I know I missed some along the way. I would like to return and catch them all.
Enjoy Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, it’s Broadway quality. So, let’s start petitioning the municipality of South Huron to rename the B-Line Broadway!
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels continues with eight shows a week until August 9 at Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend. Tickets are available at the Huron Country Playhouse box office at (519) 238-6000, Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463, or check out www.draytonentertainment.com

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

All’s Well That Ends Well
By William Shakespeare
Performed by Juan Chioran, Brian Dennehy, Martha Henry, Jeff Lillico, Stephen Ouimette, Tom Rooney, Daniela Vlaskalic and company
Directed by Marti Maraden
Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production
Festival Theatre, Stratford
June 19 to August 23, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review By Mary Alderson

The title of All’s Well That Ends Well is somewhat ironic. This play by Shakespeare does not actually end well at all – in fact, it suffers from a very contrived ending which attempts to make the audience believe that the young couple will live happily ever after, when our instincts tell us otherwise.
All’s Well That Ends Well is one of several of Shakespeare’s works that has been nicknamed the “problem plays” — the problem being that the play doesn’t fit into one of Shakespeare’s categories. Most of his works can be neatly packaged as comedy, history, tragedy, and romance. Scholars believe that All’s Well That Ends Well was intended to be a comedy, but compared to other works, it is simply not as funny. The humour is rather dark comedy.
The 2008 production of All’s Well That Ends Well at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival has not risen above Shakespeare’s artificial ending. However, a very strong cast has still given us an interesting story with many funny moments.
The King of France (Brian Dennehy) is very ill, when fortunately, Helena (Daniela Vlaskalic), the daughter of a respected physician who is now dead, is able to cure him. As a reward, the King grants her request to marry anyone she wishes. She chooses Bertram (Jeff Lillico), the son of a Countess (Martha Henry) who is Helena’s adopted mother. Bertram is horrified – someone of his high class would not consider marrying a lowly doctor’s daughter, who also happens to be his mother’s charge. The King forces the marriage, but Bertram, being such a snob, declares that he would rather go off to war and face death, then be the husband of the common Helena.
But Helena is determined. She tricks him into marital relations with the help of Diana (Leah Oster), a young woman who has caught Bertram’s eye, assisted by Diana’s mother, the Widow Capilet (Fiona Reid). Once Bertram finds out that Helena is pregnant, and he’s the father, (he vowed this would never happen), he suddenly decides that he will love her and be a good husband. It’s this unbelievable change of heart that makes for a weak conclusion, causing All’s Well That Ends Well to be one of Shakespeare’s less popular plays.
Having said that, the cast that has been assembled for this production should make it very popular with audiences. Dennehy is outstanding as the King, and it’s a treat to watch the two-time Tony award winner command the stage. Dennehy has an impressive list of Broadway credits, several guest-star roles on television, and some fascinating movie credits – the most recent being Ratatouille.
It’s interesting to note that this play was performed 55 years ago in Stratford during the inaugural season under the big tent – with the great Alec Guinness as the King and Irene Worth as Helena. Even more interesting is the fact that Martha Henry played Helena in 1977 as did Fiona Reid in 1982, and now both woman are appearing in the same play again, taking the mothers’ roles. Stratford also presented All’s Well That Ends Well as recently as 2002, with the late William Hutt as the King.
Both Martha Henry and Fiona Reid are excellent as the contrasting mothers. Henry demonstrates her disappointment in Bertram, but somehow gets the message across that he is still her son and she still loves him. Reid, as the poor widow, adds humour when she quickly jumps to take part in a scheme, once it involves money for her.
Vlaskalic as the lovelorn Helena is interesting and does well with the part as it is written. Unfortunately, it is difficult to understand why she wants to marry the pompous Bertram. Oster, as Diana, delivers a fascinating riddle explaining how the “bait & switch” scheme to capture Bertram worked. Unfortunately, Oster is not able to put the necessary enthusiasm into her description.
Jeff Lillico plays the whiney, snobbish Bertram very well. But the contrived ending gets in the way, and it’s hard to believe Bertram could ever love Helena. This is probably more the fault of a missing element in the plot.
The play is saved by comic relief in a hilarious sub-plot. The haughty Bertram has a friend, Parolles, (Juan Chioran) who is even more pretentious. Parolles is a terrible braggart, but the other young lords know he is really a coward. They set him up, pretending that they are the enemy army, capturing him and blindfolding him, just to listen to him capitulate and tell lies. They fake a foreign language and speaking in gibberish, have an interpreter (Randy Hughson) talk to him. They have great fun with the language and actions while Parolles wears the blindfold.
Humour is also added by Lavache (Tom Rooney), a clown-like figure who hangs around the Countess’ home. He slouches about in contrast to Bertram’s and Parolles’ snobbery. Yet he also puts on airs, sitting on the Countess’ sofa with his feet up.
With an interesting, seasoned cast, and a few humourous scenes, the evening was well worthwhile. Unfortunately, we can’t ask Shakespeare just how we are to reconcile the class-consciousness and his lack of a believable conclusion, with the fact that this is supposed to be a comedy. But maybe, Shakespeare meant it to a “problem play”.
All’s Well That Ends Well continues at the Festival Theatre, Stratford until August 23. For tickets, call the box office at 1-800-567-1600 or check www.stratfordfestival.ca.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Story by Casey Lessard
Photo by Gary Moon

If ticket sales in St. Jacobs are any indication, you should likely get your tickets for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels once you’ve read this.
“It’s been a sellout in St. Jacobs,” says director Alex Mustakas, who is also Drayton Entertainment’s artistic director. Mustakas knew it was a sure hit when he saw it on Broadway two years ago. He tried to track down the rights to the show to no avail.
“We did a favour for a company in the States by taking our production of Cats to Massachusetts, so they came up and went to the opening of Legends at the Playhouse and toured our other theatres. We took them out for dinner and I said to them, ‘You know, I’ve been trying to get the rights for a show called Dirty Rotten Scoundrels for two years. It closed on Broadway and someone has the touring rights for it, so I can’t get them.’
“The guy smiled and I said, ‘Oh, you know who it is?’ He said, ‘Yeah, it’s me.’ So he released the rights and sold us the sets and costumes as well. We had three transport trucks bring them up here.”
Mustakas says the sets and designer clothes are “unbelievable,” and reek of money to establish the atmosphere of the French Riviera, where the play is set.
“It is identical to the movie, so if anyone has seen the movie, hopefully they’ve forgotten how it ends. It follows one suave and sophisticated conman making a living by talking rich women out of their money, and he’s up against a small-time crook who sort of does the same. They go into competition to see who can cheat this so-called heiress of $50,000.”
The con works in many directions, with the two men trying to con the heiress and each other.
“Ultimately, they both learn from each other and find a chemistry that has a charm to it. It becomes about friendship. The audience is on the outside looking in and they know exactly what’s going on. Will they get caught or will they get away with it? But ultimately it’s about relationships and the chemistry between these two men.”
The musical adds singing and dancing, and the writers have also added a romantic subplot between the police chief and a wealthy woman.
“The biggest challenge is that music and choreography aren’t just in for the sake of being in. They have to extend and develop the plot. It’s a very clever show with clever lyrics. It’s refreshing to see a company of actors enjoying it so much because they have respect for the text.”
The Canadian premiere of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels brings together Steven Patterson, who had the lead role in last year’s Miss Saigon, and Brian McKay, the former artistic director of the Huron Country Playhouse. Heather McGuigan is the heiress the two are trying to swindle.
For tickets, call 519-238-6000 or visit http://www.huroncountryplayhouse.com.

By Casey Lessard

If you’ve ever been single or married, you’ll be able to relate to I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, playing until August 31 at the Huron Country Playhouse. The musical comedy revue deals with the comic aspects of dating, marriage, having kids, and getting older and still dating.
“A lot of people liken it to a musical version of Seinfeld,” director Marc Richard says. “It has all the characters from the old to the young, and it’s really quite hilarious. It’s one of the funniest I’ve done, and stylistically the music ranges from pop to rock to reggae to 50s be-bop.”
Four actors portray more than 60 actors in 22 scenes, which means lots of costume and set changes.
“Each new scene was like a mini-play within itself. The play travels through a first date, to people getting married, marriage itself, having kids, and to an elderly couple who have both lost their partners and are considering dating again. I think everyone can relate to all of those things.”
The play tackles the question of what couples do after one partner dies or when they separate late in life.
“Historically, there has been a precedent that once your life partner has died, you don’t generally start looking again, but I think we have a more progressive senior population, so I think we’re going to see more seniors dating. How do they meet people, what do they do on a date, how does their family feel about this?”
Richard says you should look for strong performances from actor-singers Mairi Babb, who played Eliza Doolittle in this year’s My Fair Lady, Kristen Galer, Michael Lomenda, and Mark Weatherley.
For tickets, call the box office at 519-238-6000 or visit:
http://www.huroncountryplayhouse.com.

Ticket Winners
Fifteen Grand Bend Strip readers and their guests will be enjoying a performance of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at the Huron Country Playhouse this Friday, July 18 courtesy of Drayton Entertainment. Our winners were: Margaret Bright, Christine Chappell, Annette Clayton, Bob Dietrich, Patti Hunt, Jean Mason, Bill and Christine Osmond, Nell Smeekens, Dorothy Smith, Peter Soroka, Bonnie Sterling, John Tomkin, Fred Willard, Anne Wilson, and Pam Wulterkens.
Thank you to the many people who called to enter this contest, and if you don’t yet have tickets, call 519-238-6000 or visit: http://www.huroncountryplayhouse.com.

Discovering Elvis
By Marcia Kash
Performed by Terry Barna, Phi Bulani, Cyndi Carleton, Jenny Hall, Dylan Juckes, Daphne Moens,
Directed & Choreographed by Robert More
Musical Direction by Peter De Sousa
Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
July 1 to July 19, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

All those people who think they’ve seen Elvis may not be crazy after all; perhaps they’ve seen an Elvis impersonator. In Discovering Elvis, the current production on stage at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia, we see just how devoted Elvis impersonators really are. Not only does this show give some insight into the strange world of Elvis followers, but it also concludes with a lively concert of Elvis favourites.
A local flavour has been given to this production. All the action takes place in the Upper Club at the Squire Tavern in Petrolia. Many other southwestern Ontario place names are also mentioned, much to the audience’s delight. It’s a cold winter’s day in Petrolia and the local tavern is holding a karaoke-style Elvis contest. The stakes are high; the winner gets to perform in Las Vegas.
At first, our narrator’s acting seems a little over the top. We learn that she is Darlene, a huge Elvis fan – and when it comes to one particular Elvis impersonator, she’s a fanatic and maybe even a stalker. So yes, she’s a little bit crazy, and Jenny Hall plays her to the extreme.
We meet the four people taking part in the contest: Jay, the young Elvis, (Dylan Juckes): Rick, the black leather Elvis (Phi Bulani); Marty, the older white-satin-jumpsuit Elvis (Terry Barna) and then Cathy, the surprise female Elvis (Daphne Moens). The four contestants are being looked after by Sue (Cyndi Carleton), the back-stage assistant, as they get ready for the show.
You’ll recognize Carleton from her performance last year as Sister Amnesia in Nunsensations! when she was delightfully ditzy. You may not recognize Barna – he was the divorcee with all the new neighbours in Here on the Flight Path last season. This year his appearance is dramatically altered with two different hairstyles.
The first act progresses with the Darlene, the crazy fanatic, going overboard in her attempts to find the spirit of the real Elvis. The real Elvis has “spoken” to her and she believes that she will find him trapped inside an impersonator.
The show is well cast, and the performances in the first act are very good. Some of the lines garner laughs. But the wordiness of the script lets the act drag on just a bit too long. The point of the first act is made early on, we get it and we just want the story to progress. Perhaps in the course of the play’s run, act one will be tightened.
Thankfully, the entertainment really improves in the second act, when we actually attend the Elvis impersonators’ competition. Now we learn that not only can this cast act, they can sing as well. We hear many Elvis favourites from all stages of his life: Hound Dog, Jail House Rock, Viva Las Vegas, Love Me Tender, All Shook Up, Blue Suede Shoes, and many, many more, right through to the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
The only thing missing is a live band, but it was a karaoke contest, so it’s pre-recorded music.
Each character has a slightly different voice and a little different take on Elvis’ mannerisms, showing how versatile the real Elvis really was… there was a reason why he was the King! In Discovering Elvis, the four competitors, plus the fan and the assistant use their amazing voices to lift the show to an outstanding finale. The six singers blend well on stage, quite literally ending on a high note, and sending the audience home singing.
You don’t have to be an Elvis fan to enjoy this performance. These are superior entertainers– anyone who appreciates rock and roll will like this show.
Discovering Elvis continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until July 19. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or (519) 882-1221 for tickets.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

The inevitable day has arrived.
I had hoped I would be able to continue to provide the Grand Bend Strip newspaper for free indefinitely, but after thinking long and hard this spring, I realize that the only way for the paper to publish this winter is to ask for your support.
Like you, I value the ability to learn more about the people who live and work in this community. I love meeting you and capturing your memories for the paper. This is what I feel I can bring to this community, and I want to stay here.
I also feel it’s important to bring to light some of the problems that exist here, and the challenges we face in this community. I’m willing to put the work into creating quality journalism here, but I can’t do it alone.
The Strip will continue to be free until the end of the summer, which on most people’s calendar is the Thanksgiving weekend. After that, it will be available only to Strip Club VIP members. Even the website will be restricted to VIPs. I have yet to decide whether the exclusivity will continue next summer.
I promise to make membership worthwhile, and hope you will contribute to surveys to improve the paper, and take advantage of special offers from our advertising clients.
For more information about club membership, please see our subscription page.

By Casey Lessard

The word of mouth is spreading for Sorry… I’m Canadian, playing until July 12 at the Huron Country Playhouse. The show is a tribute to Canadiana, featuring Canadian jokes by Neil Aitchison, Canadian music by the K-9 Four and step dancing by the Ballagh Bunch.
“People go out of here feeling so good, and they tell their friends,” Aitchison said opening night. “Yesterday we sold 300 tickets by word of mouth from the preview. Normally you sell 40-50 a day.”
It’s Aitchison’s first time performing on the Playhouse stage, although he has opened many shows over the years. Audiences will remember some of the musicians, however, including the talented Danny Williams, who performed in Twist & Shout and Legends.
“In this one, I get to play some instruments,” says Williams, whose He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother and Bridge Over Troubled Waters from the previous shows, and Break It To Them Gently from this show, are hard to forget. “That’s the attraction for me: singing the songs with an actual band. You have to find the integrity a real band would have and then after the run, you go and do your own thing.”
Williams recently recorded an album of hits from Twist & Shout and Legends called Sixties Sessions, which tops the charts at the University of Waterloo campus radio station. Williams sells copies of the CD at the theatre.
“They’re all huge number one songs from the British Invasion, and one from America. I’ve always wanted to do it, and Alex Mustakas was the executive producer on it; it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”
But the music isn’t the only reason to see the show.
“The humour is unbelievable,” Williams says. “Neil has us cracking up on stage, and it’s not even a matter of having to act up there; he’s so naturally funny. With the great Canadian music and the dancing, it’s a ‘can’t miss’ show.”
The Ballagh Bunch is a group of four children from the Ballagh family: Devan, 17, Michael, 15, Paige, 13, and Matthew, 8. Mom Janice – who was raised dancing with her sisters – joins in, too.
“She started me teaching me dance when I was four,” Devan says. “Michael started when he was five, and Paige started when she was three. When we got the call to do Canadian Loonie in St. Jacobs, we put a group together with the three of us.” (Matthew joins in, too.)
The show is a tribute to the best of Canada, and Williams knows the benefits of being Canadian.
“As you go around this world, it’s true that people say Canadians are unique,” he says. “As soon as people find out you’re Canadian, you’re treated with a little more favourability.”
Director Alex Mustakas thinks we as Canadians have to embrace our unique history and culture.
“We should feel proud of our heritage, where we are and where we’re heading.”
Sorry… I’m Canadian runs until July 12. For tickets, call 519-238-6000 or visit http://www.huroncountryplayhouse.com.

The Huron Country Playhouse Guild’s first annual gala was a great success, raising $20,000 for the Playhouse; now the guild moves to its focus to its second major fundraiser for the year, the Dinner for Eight. The dinner is Saturday, September 13, and features a different course from Grand Bend area fine dining establishments at three different homes. Tickets for this draw are $5, with only 500 for sale. To get your ticket or for more information, call Doreen (519-238-5423), Marcia (519-243-3833) or Mary (519-238-5640).

Sorry… I’m Canadian
Conceived & Directed by Alex Mustakas, Additional script by Dave Broadfoot
Performed by Neil Aitchison, with music by Duncan Cameron, Bobby Prochaska, Mark Stewartson & Danny Williams
Musical Arrangements by Nicole Gusé
Visual Elements by Steve Roth
Drayton Entertainment Production
Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
June 24 to July 12, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

At every opening night at Huron Country Playhouse, you can always count on Neil Atchison for a few laughs. He made the single-clap applause famous – in order to speed up acknowledgement of the sponsors, he asks the audience to clap once when he points, as he announces each donor: “When I give you the finger, you give them the clap,” he says.
It turns out that Sorry…I’m Canadian is just more of good old Neil, being, well, just good old Neil. Oh, sure he’s supposed to be RCMP Constable Archibald F. Inkster. But the audience knows and loves him as Neil Atchison. So instead of just a couple of jokes, we’re treated to more than two hours of hilarity, in a good, old-fashioned variety show. Constable Inkster is our master of ceremonies. We see film depicting the beauty of Canada, we are treated to Canadian music, and a family of Ontario kids provides some top-notch step-dancing.
It’s another hit for Drayton Entertainment Artistic Director Alex Mustakas. He conceived and directed this show, as he did last year for Legends, and Twist & Shout a couple of years earlier. He also came up with similar shows — Canadian Looney and Canadian Twoonie at other Drayton venues. Mustakas has the knack for creating crowd pleasers—this show will no doubt sell very well as the word spreads.
Atchison as Inkster (or was that Finkster?) rhymes off one funny story after the next, sprinkled with a good one-liners. The jokes contributed by Canadian comedian Dave Broadfoot are evident, with some of the political humour reminiscent of early Royal Canadian Air Farce. Atchison himself reminds us of Red Skelton from away back – he tells the joke, the audience reacts, and then he giggles along, waiting for the laughter to subside. We even get a glimpse of his tongue, Red Skelton style. Some of the jokes are as old as Red Skelton, too, but they are all funny, so it’s quite forgivable. Like the plumber who advertises: “Don’t sleep with a drip, call me.”
Material is also borrowed from David Letterman’s Great Moments in Presidential Speeches, where George Bush is mocked. The opening night audience roared as Atchison read a posted list of Bush-isms. Atchison’s strength is his ability to make it seem like he’s just chatting directly with you, and you’re good friends sharing a joke. He is completely comfortable on stage, whether he’s playing a Mountie or he’s Anne of Green Gables in ridiculous red pigtails.
Music is provided by a great group called the K-9 Four including Bobby Prochaska, Danny Williams, Mark Stewartson, and Duncan Cameron. You’ll recognize Williams as the wonderful voice behind “He ain’t Heavy, He’s my Brother”, and “Whiter Shade of Pale” in Twist & Shout (both at Huron Country Playhouse and The Grand) and also “Bridge Over Trouble Waters” in last year’s Legends. In this show, Williams treats us to a moving performance of Burton Cummings’ “Break it to Them Gently”. The music is actually a travelogue across Canada west to east. We enjoy Susan Aglukark’s “O’Seim”, a Gordon Lightfoot medley, Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah”, and even some Stompin’ Tom. “Fox on the Run” is a crowd-pleaser. The first act closes with a sing-along of Canadian favourites, and the second act moves into lively East Coast hits.
Rounding out the show is a family of step-dancers: The Ballagh Bunch, featuring Devon, 17, Michael, 15, and Paige, 13, with 8 year old Matthew and Mom joining later. The audience loves them – what could be cuter?
Nothing is sacred in Sorry…I’m Canadian. There’s a dart board on the wall next to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s portrait – and you know that all the darts don’t hit the dart board. The Mountie rides in on a hobby horse. Still, despite all the jabs and pokes made at the Canadian establishment, this show makes us very proud to be Canadians. Sorry…I’m Canadian is the best way possible to celebrate Canada’s 141st birthday. If you didn’t get there on July 1st, you can still make it in the next two weeks.
Sorry…I’m Canadian continues with eight shows a week until July 12 at Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend. Tickets are available at the Huron Country Playhouse box office at (519) 238-6000, Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463, or check out www.draytonentertainment.com.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

The Music Man
Book, Music and Lyrics Meredith Willson
Performed by Jonathan Goad, Leah Oster, Eddie Glen, Lee MacDougall, Fiona Reid & Company
Directed by Susan H. Schulman
Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production
Avon Theatre
April 26 to November 1, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

The Music Man is a well written musical that gives us a snapshot of life in 1912 Iowa. What makes it interesting is the fact that it was entirely created by one man with the unlikely name of Meredith Willson: he wrote the book, music and lyrics. Most musicals are collaborations. Willson does give credit to Franklin Lacey for a partnership on the story. But from the story, Willson single-handedly put together the show.
This season’s production at the Avon Theatre in Stratford is very well done. Ironically the name has been changed to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, but now they seem to be having more success with their musicals than their Shakespeare.
The Music Man is a about a con man who rides into River City, Iowa on the train, Working under the alias Professor Harold Hill, he gets the townspeople to buy band instruments and uniforms for their boys with the promise of forming a marching band. The fake professor can’t play a note of music and plans to leave town right after he collects all the money, but before he has to lead the band. However, this time the traveling salesman gets his foot caught in the door, when he falls in love with Marion the Librarian.
What makes The Music Man so endearing are the many favourite songs – Trouble, Seventy-six Trombones, Iowa Stubborn, Marion the Librarian, Shipoopi, Wells Fargo Wagon, and the list goes on. One love song, Til there was you, has the distinction of being the only musical theatre piece covered by the Beatles. This cast is overflowing with good singers, they would make Willson proud.
Always an audience favourite is the barbershop quartet, and in this production they don’t disappoint. In perfect harmony, they sing Ice Cream – Sincere, Good Night Ladies, and Lida Rose.
Jonathan Goad is excellent as Harold Hill, and charms everyone both on stage and off. Leah Oster is a very good Marion, handling My White Knight beautifully. Providing the comedy are Eddie Glen and Sara Topham as Marcellus Washburn and Ethel Toffelmier. Glen will be familiar for his Charlie Brown at the Grand and various roles at Huron Country Playhouse including Sancho in Man of LaMancha, as well as TV ads. Sara Topham proves she does comedy as well as she does drama. It’s interesting to note that Jonathan Goad and Sara Topham are graduates of the Birmingham Conservatory, Stratford Festival’s in-house professional training program.
Lee MacDougall is excellent as Mayor Shinn. Instead of making the character into a clown, he is a realistic mayor, delivering the hilarious lines dead-pan funny. Fiona Reid (a Canadian TV favourite, and the groom’s mom in Big Fat Greek Wedding) also shows her wonderful comedic ability as the mayor’s wife. Lindsay Thomas as Gracie Shin gives another entertaining performance as she did as Ado Annie last year. Eric Robertson is a lively Tommy Djilis, the same part he played at Huron Country Playhouse several years ago.
And of course, the audience loves Christopher Van Hagen who plays little Winthrop Paroo – the role in the movie version that started Ron Howard’s career. Also endearing are Aveleigh Keller as Amaryllis and Koltan Stewart as the little drummer boy in the curtain call.
With lively choreography by Michael Lichtefeld and music direction by Berthold Carriere, the chorus provides great entertainment. The dance numbers are dynamic and the singing rich and full. In a salute to Stratford, the cast has some fun with the Library scene. The young couple are reading Romeo & Juliet, and then act out the final death scene.
The set is a miniature River City, all in warm, soft cream colours. Similarly, the lighting is soft, but then brightens for the energetic dance numbers.
Director Susan Schulman can take pride in the cast she assembled to give life to this classic. There is a wonderful small town atmosphere that even makes the audience feel included when the stubborn Iowans warm up and becoming welcoming.
This is a good family show – many parents and grandparents brought along the children. The ushers were busy providing booster seats, and the kids that I saw in the audience were enthralled with the show.
The Music Man continues at the Avon Theatre, Stratford until November 1. For tickets, call the box office at 1-800-567-1600 or check www.stratfordfestival.ca.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Playhouse does Canadian classics Legends style

Story by Casey Lessard
Photo courtesy Drayton Entertainment

“Canadians typically say sorry for everything. We’re sorry for this and sorry for that.”
And that, says star Neil Aitchison, is the running joke for his role in Sorry… I’m Canadian, which runs June 24 to July 12 at the Huron Country Playhouse.
“Alex (Mustakas) and I collaborated and wrote this, and it’s a patriotic, feel good show.”
Aitchison stars as RCMP Constable Archibald F. Inkster, and this is the fourth incarnation for the character; previously, Aitchison played the role at Drayton and St. Jacobs in Bending the Bows, Canadian Loonie, and Canadian Twonie.
“After four different shows, we ran out of some of our one-liners, so we conscripted (renowned Canadian comedian) Dave Broadfoot,” Aitchison says. “He helped us and collaborated on a few other one-liners because we wanted to do a cross-country tour on this show. I have about 30 pages of dialogue in my head and four-and-a-half of them are from Dave Broadfoot.”
Besides jokes about Stephen Harper, hockey, the weather, and other Canadianisms, the real star attraction is the music. The show could be compared in style to last year’s Legends, but is different in the type of music: it’s all Canadian.
“They’ll recognize all the music. Burton Cummings, Gordon Lightfoot, maritime music, Leonard Cohen, some French, Alberta Bound, Saskatchewan music, music from the Inuit from Susan Aglukark. And of course, all the Canadian patriotic songs like Something to Sing About, This Land of Ours, O Canada.”
The music is performed and sung by Duncan Cameron (fiddle), Bobby Prochaska (bass), Mark Stewartson (banjo) and Danny Williams (guitar). Aitchison also recruited family friends, the Ballagh Bunch (Devan, 17, Michael, 15, Paige, 13 and Matthew, to dance.
“They step dance and they just kick up a storm for us. They’re giving up sports and summer holidays to do this show.”
Aitchison says any audience will enjoy the show, but expects it will take a few performances for word of mouth to spread.
“Usually it opens slow; people don’t know what it’s all about. As soon as they go and see it, though, the word of mouth is so great that we end up selling out to the walls. Lots of people come back three or four times and bring their neighbours or kids. It really is a great patriotic Canadian piece.
“Every time we’ve done it, people ask us why it hasn’t been done before. They say the people from Ottawa should be here, and we should entertain the troops. It’s amazing how it gets people all fired up.”
Aitchison’s only regret?
“I’m just sorry that we didn’t do this sooner.”
For tickets, visit http://www.huroncountryplayhouse.com or call 519-238-6000.

The Long Weekend
By Norm Foster
Performed by Norm Foster, Heather Hodgson, David Nairn, and Leisa Way
Directed by Robert More
Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia
June 10 to June 28, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Norm Foster is Canada’s most popular and probably most prolific playwright. He has written more than 30 plays, and is well known for his comedic ability to poke fun at every day life. He is also an actor, and who better than the playwright to take on the lead role?
The Long Weekend is a Norm Foster classic, first performed in 1994. In this latest production at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, Foster plays Max, the pretentious lawyer, with a love of antiques and jazz music. Along with Foster is an excellent cast of experienced professionals who know how to do comedy.
Max and Wynn (Leisa Way) are about to show off their beautiful new country home to their best friends Roger (David Nairn) and Abby (Heather Hodgson). Except, Norm hates Roger, and although Wynn claims that Abby is her best friend, she is also concerned about the comments Abby will make about her taste in décor.
Soon we learn that Abby and Max are having an affair, and they decide that it’s time to tell the other two. But Abby says she can’t tell Wynn; they are best friends. Both Max and Abby agree that Wynn is a wonderful person and they don’t want to hurt her. Max suggests that they “tell Roger and he can pass it on.”
There are many laughs as this tangled affair gets even more twisted, plus a surprise chortle in the ending.
Norm Foster’s work is well known to theatre goers – audiences have enjoyed The Love List, Looking, Ethan Claymore, The Foursome, Here on the Flight Path, The Affections of May, Dear Santa, Jasper Station, The Last Resort, Wrong for Each Other, Maggie’s Getting Married, and The Melville Boys – to name a few that have been produced in this area in recent years. His characters are just slight exaggerations of people we know, and they give the witty responses that we all wish would roll off our tongues at just the right moment. The play is scattered with double- entrendres, especially in the risqué humour. Foster creates comedy in the dialogue, and a good actor can give the right intonation or the perfectly raised eye-brow to get the laughs.
Naturally, Foster is able to do that himself. His character Max has the deadpan lines, and he tosses off the sarcasm skilfully.
Leisa Way plays his wife, the relationship therapist, perfectly. She can smile at her best friend, while delicately twisting the knife in her back. At the same time, Way makes Wynn vulnerable to Abby’s back-handed attacks. You may remember Way from her portrayal of the various women in Test Drive, the excellent laugh and cry life-cycle story presented at VPP two years ago. Way has had a stellar career in musical theatre, but also proves she is an expert in comedy.
David Nairn, on loan from his position as artistic director of Theatre Orangeville, has flawless comedic timing. As the screenwriter wanna-be with writer’s block, he delivers a line that will garner a laugh, and then gives a look that makes the audience roar. It’s fun to watch Nairn and Way on stage together, knowing that they are a real-life couple.
Heather Hodgson’s take on Abby is reminiscent of Kim Cattrall playing Samantha, which works very well in The Long Weekend, given that it has nearly as much sex as Sex and the City. Hodgson was in Foster’s The Love List at VPP in 2004, and again handles Foster’s smart and sassy dialogue very well.
Enjoy The Long Weekend. It’s a well-written Canadian comedy, with an all-star cast. It would be difficult to find any actors who could perform Norm Foster any better.
The Long Weekend continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until June 28. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or (519) 882-1221 for tickets.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Story by Casey Lessard

Being able to notice subtle details is the key to appreciating My Fair Lady, Huron Country Playhouse’s 2008 season opener, playing until June 21. The musical follows the progress of Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney street flower girl, as linguist Henry Higgins takes up Colonel Pickering’s challenge to prove that class status can be modified by modifying a person’s accent.
Most obviously, viewers will notice the subtle progression in Mairi Babb’s Eliza Doolittle’s Cockney accent as it transitions to a more refined upper-class accent.
“The trick is to make the subtle changes so it’s not just overnight,” Babb says. “By The Rain in Spain, she has a little bit of class and a little bit of put-togetherness. You have to be able to do both accents really well.”
Babb pulls it off well, and her accent progresses appropriately.
“I was born in England, so I did have an accent until I was five,” Babb says. “My mom and I moved to Canada, so I had to get rid of it pretty quickly. But I’ve had to do it in other shows. Actors learn accents through CDs and dialect coaches. Every dialect has a different placement in the mouth.”
Babb also has to walk the walk, modifying her physical behaviour as much as her voice.
“She has a very much Cockney walk, she has her legs apart, but I try to bring them closer together every time she sits subsequently.”
At first, it seems there is nothing subtle about Henry Higgins, played by Douglas E. Hughes.
“I’d describe him as a monomaniac,” Hughes says. “There’s a clue in one of the first things he says when he talks about phonetics, he says, that’s my profession, and also my hobby. Anybody whose profession is also their hobby, it screams, Buddy, get a life. He doesn’t have anything outside of that.”
Then Eliza comes into his life, and challenges him to realize he must have feelings and relate to a person as something other than a laboratory rat for his research.
“He ends up being the person he believes he is at the beginning of the play,” Hughes says, “and she makes that happen.”
While the actors are excellent, and perform well, Stratford veteran Keith Dinicol says it’s an easy job when the text is great.
“When you’re dealing with the words of a great playwright like George Bernard Shaw,” Dinicol says, “you’re in pretty good hands. It’s so well written, the lyrics are so good, the melodies are good. If you follow the instructions of what’s on the page, you’re okay.”
That said, the performers still need to shine, and Playhouse newcomer Sheldon Bergstrom steals the stage when he comes on. Large and imposing, Bergstrom is light on his feet and brings a smile to faces throughout the auditorium.
“We have so much fun together that you feel it on stage. It’s important to have fun and hope the audience is willing to go along for the ride.”
Still, there’s an important lesson about the male-female relationship in this story, which transcends its time to show the value of equality.
“I don’t think we’ve given (the audience) a love story,” Babb says. “We’ve given them something more equal and challenging than a love story. (Director Susan Ferley) wanted to show we were equals and we were going forward. There is no concession given.”
“In Pygmalion,” Hughes notes, “Eliza leaves with Freddy, but maintains a connection with Higgins and Pickering. All we see at the end of this play is that she comes back. It’s up to the audience to decide what happens after this.”
To figure out what happens, get a seat at this show by calling 519-238-6000 or visiting http://www.huroncountryplayhouse.com/. My Fair Lady runs until June 21.

My Fair Lady
Book by Alan Jay Lerner, Music by Frederick Loewe
Performed by Roger Dunn and Lynne Griffin
Directed by Susan Ferley
Choreographed by Gino Berti
Drayton Entertainment Production
Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
June 3 to June 21, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Summer’s officially arrived with the season opener at Grand Bend’s Huron Country Playhouse. It’s like meeting an old friend back at the ‘Bend – the Playhouse has dusted off the cobwebs, and sure enough, over 600 of your good friends are there.
Seeing My Fair Lady in Grand Bend is like catching up with an old friend, too. The Lerner and Loewe musical first appeared on Broadway in 1956 and was made into a movie in1964. It played at Huron Country Playhouse in the mid-90s and has been on the Festival Stage in Stratford in recent years, too.
My Fair Lady is the ever-popular story of a Cockney girl selling flowers on the streets of London about 100 years ago. Based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, My Fair Lady tells how linguistic Professor Henry Higgins accepts a challenge from his colleague Colonel Pickering to rid the flower girl of her Cockney accent and make her speak like a true English lady. Eliza Doolittle becomes the guinea pig in their experiment – they must correct her enunciation and grammar, teach her etiquette, and pass her off as a lady at the upcoming Embassy ball.
In the meantime, Eliza’s unemployed, alcoholic father shows up, wanting to be paid for whatever they are doing to her. Higgins is a male chauvinist, treating Eliza as chattel. Fortunately, Pickering is kinder and models better behaviour for her. And somehow, in all of this, the professor and the project end up happily ever after.
Douglas E. Hughes is excellent as Professor Henry Higgins. He plays the role with just the right amount of attitude. Although arrogant, abrupt and too busy for niceties, we can still see the good slowly emerge. Unless this difficult role is handled properly, Higgins could become very dislikeable. While Hughes shows us Higgins’s despicable side, like his mother, we know that he’s still a decent person. Hughes handles the songs like “Why Can’t the English?” “The Rain in Spain,” and “A Hymn to Him” expertly.
Mairi Babb is back at the Playhouse as Eliza Doolittle this time – she was Laurey in Oklahoma! two years ago. This role gives her greater opportunity to show her comedic talent. She is brilliant in the hilarious scene where Higgins and Pickering take Eliza to the Ascot Races to test her ability to mingle with the upper class. But while her enunciation is impeccable, she is still using street slang. Babb pulls it off delightfully, keeping a stiff upper lip while describing her aunt’s death. Then she slips back into her Cockney when she yells at her horse to “move your bloomin’ arse!” While Babb’s aptitude for comedy is impressive and her singing voice above average, sometimes her animation slows while she was singing. The song “I Could Have Danced All Night” is a pivotal moment in the story – she needs to completely convince the audience that she has fallen in love with this somewhat dislikeable man, and I don’t think she demonstrated that passion. My Fair Lady is a long show with many songs, and it’s important to keep energy up during the musical numbers.
Keith Dinicol, with many years experience at the Stratford Festival, is perfect as Colonel Pickering. He dithers just enough to be funny without losing credibility. He and Hughes have excellent rapport, playing the two characters off each other.
Gail Hakala plays the staid and proper Mrs. Pearce flawlessly, and Lorraine Foreman is charming as the long-suffering Mrs. Higgins, refusing to be embarrassed by her rude son. Graham Coffeng as the besotted Freddy Enysford-Hill gives an enjoyable rendition of “On The Street Where You Live”.
Barrie Wood is disappointing as Alfred P. Doolittle. This character has some of the funniest lines in the show, but the humour did not come across. Without a consistent Cockney accent these lines fall flat. Wood does, however, show some excellent dancing, along with the company, in “Get Me to the Church on Time.”
The rest of the cast very capably fills numerous roles from street urchins to servants to glitterati at the ball. Excellent costumes and quick changes keep the audience enthralled. The sets are well done, from the inside of Higgins’ library, to the outside of Wimpole Street, from the Ballroom to Mrs. Higgins’ garden. Some of the changes were a little slow on opening night, but they will become faster.
In its treatment of Eliza, My Fair Lady probably reflects more about the era in which it was written, rather than the time it represents. In the1950s, every girl’s goal was to get a husband, and suddenly that becomes Eliza’s goal, even though her original intention was to get a job in a flower shop. There is also too much talk of hitting, striking and even using a belt on Eliza, which should make today’s audience very uncomfortable. Thankfully, at the end of this production, Eliza didn’t stoop to put the slippers on Henry’s feet. Director Susan Ferley has Eliza perch on the edge of the desk next to Henry, giving him a hip bump – an excellent show of equality – and a good ending to a very good production.
My Fair Lady continues with eight shows a week until June 21 at Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend. Tickets are available at the Huron Country Playhouse box office at (519) 238-6000, Drayton Entertainment at 1-888-449-4463, or check out http://www.draytonentertainment.com

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Every Sunday
11:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Pinery Flea Market
Live Music with Brian Dale

Saturday, June 14
3 to 6 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Live Music with The Persuaders

Saturday, June 21
3 to 6 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Live Music with Cactus Jam

Tuesday, June 24
to July 12 – Huron Country Playhouse
Sorry… I’m Canadian. For tickets, call 1-888-449-4463 or visit http://www.huroncountryplayhouse.com

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Life is more than a Cabaret, Old Chum

Cabaret
Book By Joe Masteroff, Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb, based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood.
Performed by Bruce Dow, Sean Arbuckle, Trish Lindstrom, Nora McLellan, Frank Moore, Cory O’Brien & Company
Directed by Amanda Dehnert
Stratford Shakespeare Festival Production
Avon Theatre
May 13 to October 25, 2008

The Stratford Festival’s production of Cabaret, just opened at the Avon, is both good theatre and good music. Cabaret’s story provides far more food for thought than most musicals – an interesting change for Stratford after last year’s lightweight musicals My One and Only and Oklahoma!, both of which were strictly just for fun.
As well as having some meat to the plot, Cabaret also has superior singing and dancing. You leave the theatre humming the tunes, but also pondering the history lesson.
Berlin in 1929 is a hedonistic place. One can see how Nazism rose as a backlash to this Bohemian life style, and how those who were just looking for a good time allowed the Nazis to come to power, believing politics didn’t concern them. As well as the issues of racism and anti-Semitism, the plot includes other subjects that would be taboo in 1929 in other parts of the world – promiscuity, abortion, and homosexuality.
The set is the Berlin train station; very fitting as this is where the story begins and ends. Based on autobiographical accounts written by Christopher Isherwood, Cabaret’s main character American Clifford Bradshaw is Isherwood. We see his arrival in Berlin on New Year’s Eve 1929, and his departure from the same train station a year or so later.
The dirty train station lends itself well to becoming the gritty Kit Kat Klub, home of the Emcee, described in the playbill as “eerily flamboyant”. The nightclub also features British singer Sally Bowles.
Clifford settles in at Fraulein Schneider’s boarding house, and goes to the night club, where he not only meets an old boyfriend, but the flighty and charming Sally. He is also unwittingly drawn into helping the Nazi cause. In another story, Fraulein Schneider and Herr Schultz, a Jew, fall in love, but under pressure from a Nazi acquaintance, she breaks the engagement.
Cabaret is cleverly put together, with the nightclub acts mirroring what is happening in Clifford and Sally’s lives. The Emcee is not only controlling what is happening at the Kit Kat Klub, he seems to be the puppet master of all Berlin.
Bruce Dow is outstanding as the creepy and raunchy Emcee. His beautiful tenor voice is very welcoming in “Wilkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome.” Sean Arbuckle is well cast as Clifford Bradshaw, the frustrated writer who at first embraces Berlin, but then suddenly sees where things are headed. Arbuckle takes the character on the journey making his change of heart believable. Trish Lindstrom is fascinating as Sally Bowles. She fills the stage, tossing herself around, flopping on the bed, larger than life. She belts out the songs — “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Cabaret” with great energy. While Lindstrom’s singing voice is not the most melodic, she makes up for it with vocal strength and her captivating stage presence. Nora McLellan and Frank Moore as Fraulein Schneider and Herr Shultz are wonderful with “It couldn’t please me more (the Pineapple Song)” and the chemistry between them in their little love story is enchanting.
The entire cast is mesmerizing in their presentation of the many unusual characters. Each has his or her individual moment, from the topless trapeze artist to the lesbian club owner. The choreography is interesting and the singing powerful. “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” is at first rousing, then chilling in the reprise when you realize it’s the Nazi theme song.
If you only know Cabaret by the 1970s movie, then you should see this production – the plot is far superior and director Amanda Dehnert has given the audience a distinct impression of 1929 Berlin. The movie version was skewed to support Liza Minnelli. Canada’s best repertory theatre has chosen a great musical and selected a strong Canadian cast to present it. As they say, “Come to the Cabaret”.
Cabaret continues at the Avon Theatre, Stratford until October 25. For tickets, call the box office at 1-800-567-1600 or check www.stratfordfestival.ca.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

By Casey Lessard

A film classic opens the Huron Country Playhouse 2008 season as Grand Theatre artistic director Susan Ferley directs My Fair Lady, running June 3 until June 21.
Encountering Eliza Doolittle, a “curbstone flower girl with a lower class Cockney accent” on the street, linguist Henry Higgins believes he can transform her into a duchess. A fellow linguist, Colonel Pickering, wagers he cannot, and Higgins accepts the wager.
Mairi Babb plays Eliza, Doug Hughes plays Higgins, and Keith Dinicol plays Col. Pickering.
“It’s a great story based on George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion,” Ferley says. “So many of the songs within this musical stood on their own and have been recorded endlessly over the years.”
“George Bernard Shaw is talking about how society can define itself in such archaic ways and he finds some humour in how the upper classes behave. Ultimately, he makes the point that at its base, there’s a humanity that unites us all.”
One hundred years later, it seems the tables have turned for the Henry Higgins’ of the world: the upper class is turning to the Cockney accent.
“What we found in our research for this play is now, the Cockney sound is viewed as attractive. Jamie Oliver the chef has made it a popular sound. What’s happening now is the younger people who would be part of the upper class don’t want to separate themselves to that degree. They’re often adapting their sound to a street sound. But it’s almost 100 years later that we’re hearing and recognizing a change.
“There still are class distinctions. But it’s less to do with how you sound and look.”
No matter how you sound or look, Ferley wants to see you in the theatre to enjoy the atmosphere created by the cast and crew.
“There’s a lovely spirit around this theatre. The people love what they do.”
If you want to be part of the spirit, the Playhouse is always looking for volunteers of a full range of ages to do various theatre tasks, and for housing for actors within the community.

If dad enjoys theatre, Brentwood on the Beach’s annual Breakfast with the Stars may be a perfect Father’s Day gift. Guests who book the weekend at the St. Joseph area bed and breakfast for the Father’s Day weekend get tickets to the Saturday evening performance of My Fair Lady and will dine with the play’s stars Sunday morning.
This is the 14th year for Joan and Peter Karstens’ event, and is part of a season-long promotion that earns Brentwood guests a 10% discount on tickets to Drayton’s Huron Country Playhouse performances.
To book your spot for the weekend, contact Joan Karstens at Brentwood on the Beach at 519-236-7137 or beachbnb at hay.net.
For more information, visit www.brentwoodonthebeach.com.

Things to Do
July 7 to 11
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Twin Pines Orchards & Cider House, 8169 Kennedy Line, Thedford
Arts Camp. Summer fun for boys and girls aged 9 to 12. How would you like a week of drama, music, creative movement, painting, sculpture, pottery, wood working, drawing, hiking, games and MORE? Register for this camp (early registration incentive) by calling 519-296-5556 or 519-296-5558.

July 14 to 18
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Twin Pines Orchards & Cider House, 8169 Kennedy Line, Thedford
Theatre Camp. For all those Drama Kings and Queens out there, we have a Cider House Theatre Camp for boys & girls aged 12 to 15. This camp will focus on theatre tech, improv, staging, performance and MUCH more. Register for this camp (early registration incentive) by calling 519-296-5556 or 519-296-5558.

July 21 to 25
9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. – Twin Pines Orchards & Cider House, 8169 Kennedy Line, Thedford
Junior Science Camp. This is the first time for this camp for boys and girls aged 9 to 12. Register for this camp (early registration incentive) by calling 519-296-5556 or 519-296-5558.

Every Sunday
11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Pinery Flea Market
Live Music with Brian Dale

Saturday, May 31
3 to 6 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Live Music with Jimmy Vail

6 p.m. – Stanley Recreation Complex, Varna
The Blyth Festival Singers Celebrate Canada. Featuring award-winning step-dancing and fiddling duo Matthew and Sherry Johnson. Cabaret Dinner, Concert and Silent Auction. Adults $25, children 12 and under $12. Tickets available from Blyth Festival Singers, Tasty Nu Bakery, Village Bookshop, The Dutch Store.

North Middlesex Arena, Parkhill
Show & Dance Elvis, Johnny Cash & Roy Orbison. Las Vegas World Champion “Elvis” Roy Le Blanc & his band “The Combination” with “The Man in Blank” a tribute to Johnny Cash & Roy Orbison. Show, Dance, Cash Bar, food all for $25. Call 519-294-4767 or 519-294-6215 for tickets.

Tuesday, June 3
to June 21 – Huron Country Playhouse
My Fair Lady.
For tickets, call 1-888-449-4463.

Friday, June 6
5 p.m. – StarDust Dinner Theatre, Parkhill
Angels & Outlaws Country Music Tribute

Saturday, June 7
3 to 6 p.m. – Grand Bend Legion
Live Music with Midlife Crisis

5 p.m. – StarDust Dinner Theatre, Parkhill
Angels & Outlaws Country Music Tribute

The Broadway Club
By John Gordon
Performed by Jade Elliott, Lindsey Frazier & Jay T. Schramek
Created & Directed by Robert More
Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia
May 20 to June 7, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

A Trio of Triple Threats

The Broadway Club, now playing at Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia is a show for lovers of Broadway. VPP Artistic Director Robert More, using the pseudonym John Gordon, has created this show tune revue, writing a plot based on the three characters to string the tunes together.
The action begins with three people auditioning for parts in a big city night club called The Broadway Club, singing and dancing their way through “I hope I get it” from A Chorus Line. Brad (Jade Elliott) and Rick (Jay T. Schramek) both get the roles, along with the female lead Jesse (Lindsey Frazier). The Broadway Club’s show gets good reviews and becomes a popular hit. We see the characters on stage, and also get to know them better off-stage.
A sort of love triangle ensues, with Rick, who narrates the story, confessing his love for Jesse. But he is also very aware that Brad and Jesse have fallen for each other. The plot continues with the obvious problems of two cast members dating, while the third performer lives with unrequited love. More has woven this story into the various musical hits.
All three cast members are very talented triple threats – they can sing, dance and act, and this show demands that they do all three at the same time. On opening night, they were up for the challenge.
They move easily from one number to the next, adapting their style as needed: from Chicago’s “All that Jazz”, through to “Steppin’ Out” and “I’m in Heaven”, where the two men vie for Jesse’s attention, singing and dancing to two different songs at the same time. The three characters have some fun with “Make ‘em Laugh” from Singing in the Rain, and then “Together, Wherever We Go” from Gypsy.
When Schramek’s character, Brad, realizes that Jesse hasn’t noticed him, he does an excellent rendition of “Mr. Cellophane” from Chicago that gets plenty of laughs. The first act closes with selections from Cabaret – Elliott gives a solid performance with “Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome”, while Frazier does justice to the showstopper “Maybe This Time”.
The hits keep on coming in the second act, with selections from Grease – “The One that I Want”, “Hopelessly Devoted to You”, and “Greased Lightening”. Then there is a medley from Evita, with Schramek as Che and Frazier as Eva Peron. Again, Frazier easily handles the big number “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina”. Elliott provides the comedy as he wrestles with a champagne bottle that won’t give up its cork.
More has carefully chosen an interesting array of songs – some just for fun because they are part of the show at The Broadway Club, others selected to further plot in the off-stage scenes. But all the songs should be familiar – even if you’re not a Broadway aficionado, most of these musicals have also been made into movies reaching a wider audience.
Musical Director Danny Johnson makes the three-piece band sound like a full orchestra, and is even called on to share his talent and entertain on the key board or the guitar while the cast is doing costume changes – presumably those changes will become faster.
There were a few sound glitches on opening night that should also get ironed out with more performances. One mic was crackling on occasion, and when act two opened with the Grease numbers, the band was drowning out the singers. In some instances, the mics were not turned on in time to catch the first words sung by the performer.
The dance numbers are high energy. Choreographer Kerry Gage, wife of Schramek, really puts the small cast through the paces, making them fill the stage and give the appearance of a full chorus.
The set is well done – the nightclub with steps leading down the stage, table and chairs for the patrons (that we never see) and the back stage entrance are all very authentic. More proudly announced that the set was built right there in Petrolia, not trucked in as is often done.
More should also be proud of this show that he created and directed. If there is anything wrong with The Broadway Club, it’s that it is just too much for a cast of three. There is a lot of dancing, from tap to jazz, as well as lifts, and there are big belting songs. Cast members were wiping perspiration on opening night. I hope they can keep up the fast pace for the run of the show.
If you enjoy musicals and you love to hum along with show tunes, then you should see this production. It gives a little taste of many big favourites, thanks to a very talented, high-powered trio of triple-threats.
The Broadway Club continues with eight shows a week at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia until June 7. Call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or (519) 882-1221 for tickets.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

7:30 p.m. – South Huron DHS in Exeter performs its final showing of Our Town. Tickets are $7.
8:00 p.m. – North Middlesex DHS in Parkhill performs Grease! You’re the One that I Want. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students.

To readers of Live! On Stage!
Thanks for reading – I enjoy the feedback.
On a personal note: If you’re on any road trips this summer, stop at Port Hope, about an hour east of Toronto on Lake Ontario. Our son Thomas will be performing in the Port Hope Festival’s production of Anne of Green Gables at the Capitol Theatre, July 31 to August 24. He landed the part of Moody Spurgeon MacPherson, one of the Avonlea School boys. Rehearsals begin in mid-July and we’re looking forward to being there on opening night August 1. Check out www.capitoltheatre.com
All the best,
Mary

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

Shakespeare’s most quoted and most often performed tragedy, Hamlet, is back on stage in Stratford this summer. Renamed the Stratford “Shakespeare” Festival by new management, one might think that the Festival would put the emphasis on recreating a true Shakespearean/Elizabethan experience. But compared to the traditional version that was presented in 2000, this year’s production is modernized.
Costumes are Edwardian style – instead of ancient Denmark, it feels like an English parlour in the early 1900s. In fact, the suits and gowns look like they just stepped on the upper class section of the Titanic. Other little things remind the audience that they are not in ancient times – Hamlet’s famous play within a play is performed through a scrim in silhouette, using electric lights to make the shadows.
But more noticeably updated are the spoken words. Ben Carlson as Hamlet does not speak in the traditional Shakespearean iambic pentameter – the usual ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum rhythm. Somehow Carlson has made the lines sound like modern English, even though he is saying the Elizabethan words. He also glosses over the rhyming couplets at the ends of the scenes, making them sound like prose. The recent preview performance I attended was filled with high school students – I suspect their English teachers told them to watch for the rhyme to know when to applaud. As it was, they hesitated, then overreacted with wild cheers.
Young Prince Hamlet (Carlson) returns home only to find that something is rotten in Denmark. He’s terribly upset to learn that his father is dead and his uncle Claudius (Scott Wentworth) is now king and hastily married his mother, Gertrude (Maria Ricossa). (If you’re not familiar with Hamlet, and yet this storyline seems familiar, perhaps you know it from Disney’s The Lion King.) Hamlet immediately has his suspicions, but when the ghost of his father, Old Hamlet (James Blendick) appears, Hamlet heeds the ghost’s request to avenge his murder.
In order to find out what’s been going on, Hamlet pretends to be crazy. Shakespearean scholars sometimes argue whether Hamlet’s madness is feigned or real, but in this production, it seems to be faked. In fact, Carlson actually makes Hamlet funny while he’s feigning madness, adding levity and comic relief to this tragedy. Carlson plays the role less angrily than most. Many Hamlets are embittered and beleaguered, but when Carlson utters the famous “to be or not to be”, it’s impossible to think that he is at all serious about suicide. Even Paul Gross (of TV’s Due South and the movie Men with Brooms fame) played a more sober Hamlet at the Festival in 2000.
Hamlet realizes that someone is hiding behind a curtain, thinks it’s his opportunity to kill Claudius, but unfortunately stabs the Lord Chamberlain, Polonius (Geraint Wyn-Davies of TV’s 24). Wyn-Davies is not quite as annoying as the chatty Polonius should be. I think Shakespeare wanted Polonius to be a nosy gossip, so that the audience doesn’t feel bad when he dies. Wyn-Davies doesn’t make Polonius’ busybody nature apparent enough.
Unfortunately, Hamlet’s madness drives his girlfriend Ophelia (Adrienne Gould) mad and sadly, she commits suicide. Gould is a delightful Ophelia, a little perkier than others. She, too, has a couple of comedic moments.
Polonius’ son Laertes (Bruce Godfree) wants a duel with Hamlet when he learns his father is dead and poisons the tip of his sword. Eventually, all the key players are dead, and thus ends this great tragedy.
The set does not use the typical Shakespearean thrust stage and balcony, but it seems to work with the extended floor.
While most of the cast adapts to the modern cadence, Wentworth as Claudius prefers the traditional style of speaking. Not only is it difficult to understand him at times, but whenever he turns his back, it is also difficult to hear him.
The fun in seeing Hamlet is noticing all the everyday clichés in it. Amazing to think that those phrases you hear all the time, were actually coined and written in 1599.
Whether or not you like this production of Hamlet will depend on your tastes. If you are a Shakespearean purist, you may not enjoy the language, set and costumes. However, you believe that Shakespeare wrote for all times, then you’ll enjoy hearing the rhythm of the language made understandable today.
Hamlet continues at the Festival Theatre, Stratford until October 26. For tickets, call the box office at 1-800-567-1600 or check www.stratfordfestival.ca.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

May 6 – 7 p.m. – Thedford arena – Lambton Shores is holding a revitalization meeting for Thedford, Arkona and Port Franks. Citizens are encouraged to attend this important meeting. For more details, visit the Lambton Shores website.
7:30 p.m. – SHDHS in Exeter presents Our Town, the Thornton Wilder play. Tickets are $7. For more information, visit the SHDHS website.

Principal’s Page
By Jeff Reaburn

One of the events that we look forward to at this time of year is the annual school show, and it is rapidly approaching. This year’s production, Our Town, by Thornton Wilder, will be performed from May 6 to 9 in our small gym. Director Beth Jantzi and her cast and crew have been rehearsing and preparing for months for this well known classic. The show begins at 7:30 each evening and tickets, which are only $7.00, can be purchased in the main office at the school. This will be an excellent opportunity to see and hear the dramatic talents of many fine young actors, and we encourage you to come out and show your support of our dramatic arts program.
The School Council’s final community forum of the year will take place on Monday, May 5. This one will be a departure from past forums in that it will take place in the afternoon and the audience will be students rather than parents. The topic this time is “What I Wish I’d Known,” and we have invited graduates who have gone on to college and university to come back and speak to South Huron students who will be heading to post-secondary education this fall. Our goal is to have the grads share their experiences and make our current students more aware of the challenges and opportunities they will face when they head off to college or university.
While we believe that we (the school and parents) do a pretty good job of preparing students for the post-secondary world, some lessons, both good and bad, can only be learned through experience. We also think that recent grads may have more credibility with our students than some of us who attended college or university many years ago. The goal of this session is to have the speakers share the lessons they have learned, to offer some tips and pointers, and perhaps help some of our present students avoid the mistakes and pitfalls that sometimes happen at college or university. If this proves to be a worthwhile forum, we may consider offering it every year.
The forum will be open to Grade 12 students who have applied to college or university and will take place in the cafeteria in last period on Monday, May 5. One of our speakers will be speaking to us via the Internet from Rotterdam, and we are keeping our fingers crossed that we won’t have any technical difficulties. We encourage the students who will be attending this session to come prepared with any questions they may have about post-secondary education, whether they be about finances, independence, having a roommate, workload, or any other aspect of college or university life.
More information about this forum can be found on the SHDHS web-site at: http://www.shdhs.ca/.
This week we have also entered into the election campaign for next year’s Students’ Council. Campaigning will take place throughout this week, with the election on Friday, May 2. Congratulations to Leanne Hoffman, who was selected earlier this month as the Student Senator for SHDHS. She will be meeting regularly with senators from the other high schools in the Avon Maitland District School Board to discuss issues and provide the student voice to the trustees of the school board. Two of the senators were chosen last week as student trustees and they will sit with the elected trustees at regular school board meetings.
Finally, I would like to remind parents that the Semester Two Mid-Term Report Card was distributed in last period last Friday. If you haven’t seen it yet, you may want to ask your son or daughter about it. For this report students were required to complete a Response Form on which they were to comment on their academic progress this semester and on their goals for the year. This form must be signed by a parent and returned to the school to be placed in the students’ Ontario School Records. The deadline for this is Friday, May 9, and we would appreciate any assistance that parents may offer in getting this task completed.

Twist and Shout: The British Invasion
Performed by cast of 14
Written & Directed by Alex Mustakas
Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
April 15 to May 11, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

If you were glued to the family TV set on that fateful night in February 1964, and watched the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show as they flickered across a snowy black and white screen, then you’ll love Twist and Shout: The British Invasion now playing at London’s Grand Theatre.
This show is aimed at the demographics of our times. Statistics tell us that the baby-boomer population is now in the 45 to 55 age range. If the theatre’s goal is to put “bums in seats”, then it makes perfect sense to put on a show that will appeal to the bulk of the population.
Twist and Shout: The British Invasion will not only attract the populace, but it is a crowd pleaser, as well. In fact, you’d better order your tickets early, as it’s sure to sell out.
The show was conceived and written by Alex Mustakas, the artistic director of Drayton Entertainment. It debuted three years ago at Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend. Mustakas designed it to take baby boomers on a nostalgia trip and show them a good time. And he succeeded – it quickly sold out at the various Drayton Entertainment venues.
In some areas, the Grand has improved on Mustaka’s success – flashier costumes with all the bright colours and sparkles of the sixties. But they were also careful to hang on to what made the show so good: they kept the two key voices. Danny Williams and Christine Glen were the show stoppers three years ago, and clearly demonstrated they still hold that position in the Grand’s version.
The audience is taken back to a mid-sixties TV studio, complete with microphones on booms and old TV cameras. Two high large-screen televisions show the action on stage in living black and white. Watchers are treated to some 1960’s commercials – a Heinz pickle ad is particularly entertaining.
A five-piece band under musical director Mike Lerner plays in a loft above the stage, recreating the early rock and roll sounds. A cast of 14 fills the various roles as required, transporting us back to those heady days.
Mustakas, with the help of his historical consultant Michael Bignell, has done excellent work in pulling together a wide variety from those British Invasion years. They educate as well as entertain – trivia concerning the different acts flashes on the TV screens. For example, did you know that Peter Noone of Herman’s Hermits was a child star on the British soap Coronation Street?
As well as the Beatles and all their familiar tunes, we see Dave Clark Five (Glad All Over), The Searchers (Needles and Pins), Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders (Game of Love), Donavon (Mellow Yellow – and he still appears to be suffering from that early drug bust), Gerry and the Pacemakers (Don’t Let The Sun Catch You Crying), Freddy and Dreamers (I’m Telling You Now), Swinging Blue Jeans (Hippy Hippy Shake), Spencer Davis Group (Gimme Some Lovin’), Herman’s Hermits (Henry the Eighth sing along version), The Hollies (Carrie Anne, Bus Stop, ) and more groups with many more familiar songs.
I admit that I didn’t know all the groups – and even when I knew some of the bands, I didn’t know that they were part of the British Invasion. Frankly, I was surprised (and embarrassed) to learn that many groups I thought were American were indeed British. But I did know every song, and I loved them all.
And while all the early rock groups are covered, there is good representation of the female singers: Lulu with To Sir, With Love, Petula Clark’s Downtown and I Know a Place, Mary Hopkins, (Those Were the Days), and the late great Dusty Springfield with fantastic songs like You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me and You Don’t Own Me.
The showstopper is Danny Williams, first when he sings The Animals’ House of the Rising Sun, then Procul Harum’s A Whiter Shade of Pale, and also He Ain’t Heavy; He’s my Brother, which is better than the original. Next he brings the house down when he does his Mick Jagger imitation for Honky Tonk Woman, Let’s Spend the Night Together and Satisfaction.
Similarly, Christine Glen’s powerful voice rocks the house with Dusty Springfield’s Son of a Preacher Man.
The musical numbers are interspersed with Robin Ward as TV host Roy Solomon telling background stories on the various singers. Ward gives a decent Ed Sullivan impression.
Also remarkable are the dancers – Dance captain Michelle DiGioacchino is outstanding, as is Michel LeFleche. Kudos to choreographer Gino Berti who intersperses some Fosse moves with the sixties dance.
After a long winter, this show is guaranteed to put you in the mood for some hot summer weather. This is good entertainment from a talented cast of strong singers and dancers with amazing energy.
Twist and Shout: The British Invasion continues at the Grand Theatre in London until May 11. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Students at Parkhill’s North Middlesex District High School are preparing their annual dramatic performance, this year producing the musical Grease: You’re the One that I Want. The play runs May 8, 9 and 10 at 7 p.m. at the high school. “We thought it was something the students would be excited about performing,” says music director Rod Culham. “It has 50s and 60s rock, and that’s always fun to do and yet fairly simple. And the story line is where they are: teenagers in high school. It has love relationships that involve being bad and good.
“Contrary to popular belief, I don’t think kids have changed that much since the 50s. There are differences, of course, but there has always been the investigation of good and evil, the excitement of sexual tension, and the element of teasing each other, the questioning of adult authority. The same sorts of things that were relevant then are still relevant today.”
Sandra Smith directs the play, with technical direction by Rick Pardo, costumes by Lindsay Denning and choreography by Andrea Wegg. The production involves a cast of more than 20 students, six instrumentalists, and many adults assisting.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and students, and are available by calling the school at 519-294-1128.

Real Estate
By Allana Harkin
Performed by Scott Robert Fink, Keira Loughran, Carly Street, Brendan Wall.
Directed by D. Michael Dobbin
Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
March 11 to March 29, 2008

Live! On Stage!
By Mary Alderson

Joel is a writer, who has churned out a couple of mystery novels, but now life’s crises are getting in the way, and he’s suffering writer’s block. His wife left him for another man, and his widowed elderly father has moved into a seniors’ residence, so Joel is back living in his parents’ lakeside home. But the bills have piled up and he’s forced to sell the house, which his Dad built for his Mom when they were newlyweds. His flaky real estate agent is determined that this will be her first sale. Then things get worse – his ex-wife shows up with her pretentious boyfriend, and his Dad dies.
And somehow, this is a romantic comedy on stage at London’s Grand Theatre. The plot has all the components for laughter and the writing is fairly clever. The tale has some suspense: we know Joel will end up with a woman – but which? He would love to reconcile with his estranged wife, yet he’s interested in his real estate agent.
The cast of Real Estate is impressive – all have interesting and extensive theatre backgrounds. Yet somehow, they have missed the mark. They haven’t pulled together to create the chemistry for good romantic comedy.
Scott Robert Fink is excellent as Joel. We get comfortable with him right away. In fact, as the audience was coming into the theatre, Joel was on stage, stretching and scratching, looking in the mirror and checking out the food stuck in his teeth. Joel is just on the verge of being labelled a loser, yet we recognize some redeeming features. Fink makes Joel a likeable guy and soon we’re on his side.
But then, along comes Emma, the real estate agent. She, too, is on the edge of loser-dom, and unfortunately, Keira Loughran, in playing the part, isn’t able to save the character. I think the playwright intended that we like Emma – she’s quirky but still we’d enjoy her company. Loughran failed to bring us on side. Loughran has an impressive background at the Stratford Festival; in fact, she was outstanding as Valeria in Coriolanus. But she lacks the facial features and comedic timing to make Emma likeable. The part calls for a Lucille Ball type – slightly too chatty, a little annoying, but we still love her.
Similarly, the casting of Carly Street as ex-wife Estelle is questionable. Again, Street has a remarkable theatre background, having played in the Toronto’s Lord of the Rings. But Street was unable to make us understand why Joel would want her back, after she cheated on him. Even when they kissed, the chemistry wasn’t there.
Brendan Wall plays the pretentious boyfriend Ted. Again, the character’s comedy hasn’t been fully developed. When the city-boy snob carrying his man-purse shows up in the country, there is potential for more laughs. His manner of speaking didn’t sound like a city lawyer-turned-business-tycoon – he dropped his “ing” endings (doin’, comin’), which belied his background.
The set is very good – the lakefront home among the trees is complete. It looks like any elderly couple’s home with the tacky old couch and chair and an array of family portraits on the wall. The front of the cottage lifts up and we are invited inside, not just peeking through the windows.
Director Michael Dobbin did much better in finding the comedy a few years ago with the Black Bonspiel of Wullie McCrimmon, a delightful play about curling which the Grand presented. Real Estate, written by Canadian Allana Harkin, has the potential to be a touching story with plenty of laughs, but it requires a cast with strong comedic timing the ability to create chemistry.
This show was sponsored by the London – St. Thomas Association of Realtors and on opening night the audience was made up real estate agents (I know this, having moved twice in the last seven years and buying & selling a couple of houses. I recognized several of them….). And the real estate agents appeared to be enjoying themselves. The best laugh of the evening was when Emma said that real estate agents also have to be psychologists. Their clients are going though change and stress, and the agent has to know how to deal with it. In the audience, many heads were nodding as the chuckles rippled across.
Real Estate continues at the Grand Theatre in London until 29. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.

Hana’s Suitcase
Adapted by Emil Sher, from the book by Karen Levine
Performed by Burgandy Code, Jennifer Dzialoszynski, Jan Filips, Nicco Lorenzo Garcia, Gil Garratt, Matthew Gorman, Manami Hara, Janet Lo.
Directed by Susan Ferley
Grand Theatre Production
Grand Theatre, London
February 12 to March 1, 2008

Live! On Stage!
Review by Mary Alderson

Right after a show, friends sometimes call or email me with questions before I get the review written. Did you like Hana’s Suitcase? No, it’s not likeable. Was it well done? Yes, absolutely.
Hana’s Suitcase, now playing at London’s Grand Theatre, is by far the most emotionally draining show I have ever seen. I knew I was going to see a play about the holocaust. Obviously, this was not a comedy with a fairy tale ending. But I was certainly unprepared for how Hana’s story gripped my heart, how moved I felt, how many tears would flow, and how it still haunts me days later.
The story begins in Japan, where Fumiko Ishioka (Janet Lo), a teacher at Tokyo’s Holocaust Education Centre, displays some artefacts, which are on loan. Two school children, Maiko (Manami Hara) and Akira (Nicco Lorenzo Garcia) are fascinated by an old suitcase bearing the name Hana Brady, her birth date of May 16, 1931 and the German word for “orphan”. Their many questions stimulate the teacher to try to learn more about Hana. They write letters to Auschwitz, and other museums in Europe to find out Hana’s fate. Sadly, they learn that Hana was killed in the gas chambers at the concentration camp, but they are able to trace her life back to Czechoslovakia, and eventually they discover that she has a brother George, still living in Toronto, Canada.
George writes to the school children, and tells them of his and Hana’s idyllic childhood, pre World War II. He also tells of the ever-increasing Nazi regulations – they aren’t allowed to go to movies, then they can’t play in the park, then they can’t attend school and see their Christian friends. Finally, they must wear the Star of David at all times. Their parents are both arrested and taken away to concentration camps, but they stay on briefly with their Christian uncle. They, too, are taken away, first to a concentration camp in Theresienstadt, and then in 1944 both ended up at Auschwitz. Hana is murdered immediately, but George, as he is able to do work, is spared. The Japanese children, so moved by Hana’s story, decide to share it with other school children across Japan.
CBC reporter Karen Levine heard about the Japanese project and turned the story into a radio documentary. In 2000 she published a children’s novel, intertwining the Japanese school children’s story with George’s sad account. The play follows the same format. In the first act, we hear the Japanese children, and see them in their research, while the characters of Hana (Jennifer Dzialoszynski) and George (Matthew Gorman) move silently about the stage. In the second act, Hana and George have voices, as the Japanese teacher reads the adult George’s letter.
Burgandy Code is exceptional in her many roles as the various museum curators, but most effective and endearing as Marketa, Hana and George’s mother. A new mother herself, she portrays both the unbelievable pain and the strength she had to summon to say a final goodbye to her children. As Karel, Hana and George’s father and the older George, Jan Filips is also very good. Gil Garratt does excellent work as several male characters and Uncle Ludvik, who has the horrific task of sending off his niece and nephew. Lo as the Japanese teacher is very successful in showing her concern about the children taking the news that is “sadder than sad” as she unravels the tale for them.
Dzialoszynski and Gorman as Hana and the young George and Hara as Maiko are all very effective in the difficult task of playing children and capturing the essence of youth. However, Garcia was not convincing as the Japanese schoolboy, perhaps because he appeared too old for the part and therefore his child-like antics came across as awkward and uncomfortable. Adults playing youth caught in very un-childlike situations can be a challenge for actors.
Director Susan Ferley has probably created one of her most memorable shows. Anyone in the audience will be unsettled by this poignant play for a long time. The stage is very plain yet very fitting – with several sliding doors, it is suitable for Japanese rooms, also appropriate museum storage, and even convincing as a train carrying crowded Jews to the camps.
Normally, opening night audiences at the Grand are generous with their appreciation. Standing ovations are usual. But on the opening night of Hana’s Suitcase, there was even a hesitation before applause filled the theatre. Clapping hardly seemed appropriate for such a gripping tale. There was no standing ovation, not because the cast didn’t deserve it, but because we were too drained to get to our feet.
Hana’s Suitcase continues at the Grand Theatre in London until March first. Tickets are available at the Grand box office at 672-8800 or 1-800-265-1593.

Mary Alderson offers her view of area theatre in this column on a regular basis. As well as being a fan of live theatre, she is a former journalist who is currently employed with the Ontario Association of Community Futures Development Corporations.