Brigadoon a melodic antidote to today's tumult

There is for many, myself included, an unbridled fondness for musicals of the so-called "Golden Age".  The era of musicals such as Carousel, Oklahoma, The Sound of Music and so on.  The stark reality is, as much as we might hate to admit it, they are often too dated for today's audiences as originally written.

There has been in recent years a movement towards "updating" in some form these classic musicals to appeal to a more modern audience and quite often, it seems to work to an extent.  More hits than misses, if you will.

Lerner & Loewe's first collaboration, Brigadoon, is getting the update treatment this year at the Shaw Festival, courtesy Canadian actor and director Brian Hill, who himself trod the boards at the Shaw Festival as part of the acting ensemble for three seasons earlier in his career.

Brigadoon, which premiered on Broadway in 1947 still deals in escapism pure and simple, but the time-period has been revised in Hill's fresh take to offer escapism from the horrors of the Second World War.  For the most part, it makes sense and works quite well.

However, there are still questions that need answers we don't get in this Brigadoon update, such as why and how the romantic attraction between George Krissa's Tommy Albright and Alexis Gordon's Fiona MacLaren even happens in the first place.

No matter; love conquers all, even in the Scottish Highlands in in the 1700s.

For the uninitiated, Tommy and his comic sidekick Jeff Douglas, played with great skill by Mike Nadajewski, are on a postwar hunting trip in those same Scottish Highlands and find themselves lost, tired and pretty much out of options.

Yet out of the Scottish mist on this very day, as it does every 100 years on this particular day, the mythical Scottish town of Brigadoon materializes right before their eyes.  As does lovely Fiona, of course.  Tommy is smitten.  Jeff is skeptical.

Tommy and Fiona almost immediately fall for each other (hey, it is a musical, after all) resulting in a lovely version of the musical's signature tune, Almost Like Being in Love, while Jeff settles for a more prosaic (read physical) hook up with Meg, played by Kristi Frank.

Wouldn't you know on this very night Fiona's younger sister Jean is to be married to Charlie Dalrymple, played by Madelyn Kriese and Matt Nethersole respectively.  Fiona invites Tommy and Jeff to the wedding.  This was before the time of wedding planners, of course.

Trouble is, Jean's former boyfriend Harry, played by Travis Seetoo is none too happy with the scenario on every level and his displeasure results in the chase scene that offers a dramatic departure from the romance of the wedding itself.

All the while, back in New York City a bride awaits Tommy "picking out flatware as he enjoys his Highland fling" as Jeff aptly puts it.  What to do, what to do?  Tommy ponders staying in the mythical Brigadoon with his new found love Fiona forever rather than return to New York to get ready for his impending marriage to his fiancee.

I like the update overall, although it can't quite overcome the age of the musical totally.  Director Glynis Leyshon making a welcome return to Shaw brings a 21st century perspective to a 20th century musical with the clever use of projections on the stage, designed by Corwin Ferguson.  These result in several 'oohs' from the audience.

Music Director Paul Sportelli does a nice job in the pit with a small orchestra and a collection of voices that altogether sounds larger than it actually is.  Linda Garneau's choreography is certainly a match for the athleticism of the story and designer Sue LePage gives us tartans everywhere.

So does Brigadoon deliver?  If you want an escape from the modern scourge of social media, populist  premiers and presidents and the rantings about "fake news", this will do it admirably.  Will you come away singing every song from the show?  No you won't.  But don't let that deter you; Brigadoon is a melodic antidote for what collectively ails us at the moment, if only for a couple of hours or so.

Brigadoon runs at the Festival Theatre until October 13th and rates a respectable 3 out of 4 stars.

Have a great weekend!

June 23rd, 2019.