A Funny Thing happening at Playhouse

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.

You’ll love I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change

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.”

Over the top fun

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.

Couples comedies in Grand Bend and Petrolia

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.

Broadway comes to B-Line

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.

Perhaps all does not end not so well

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.stratfordshakespearefestival.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.

Scoundrels brings Broadway to Grand Bend

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.

I Love You is a play for all ages

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.

Elvis is alive and well in Petrolia

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.

All good things come to an end

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.

« Previous Page — Next Page »