Bed & Breakfast a fun tour-de-force show

 I used to go to a lot of summer theatre in my earlier days covering the arts, going as far as the Red Barn Theatre up at Jackson's Point or down to the Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover.  It's always a very casual setting with minimal sets and costumes, but the entertainment is almost always fun and entertaining.

I thought this summer, since I was trying to do more fun things as I start to feel a little more normal now, I should try a summer theatre outing again and have some fun.  So yesterday, spur-of-the-moment, I booked a ticket to the afternoon matinee performance of the Lighthouse Festival Theatre's current offering in Port Colborne, Mark Crawford's Bed & Breakfast.

The old Showboat Festival Theatre was taken over a few seasons back by Lighthouse, which now uses both Port Dover & Port Colborne locations to showcase their annual summer theatre lineup.  While one show plays in Port Dover, the previous show moves on to Port Colborne.  It's a clever way to get more mileage out of a production and reach a larger audience.

The current show in Port Colborne closes tomorrow, so you only have performances this evening and again tomorrow afternoon to choose from, but the show is well worth your time should you choose to do as I did and act spur-of-the-moment.

Playwright Mark Crawford has crafted a fine & funny play about opening a Bed & Breakfast in a small Ontario town, and the many, many obstacles facing those that do.  It's not as easy as it looks, and I can tell you from years of B&B stays the burnout rate for owner/operators is high.  The average lifespan of your average B&B is apparently 7 years, although some close sooner and some go much longer.  It all depends on the owner/operator really.

In addition to the usual trials and tribulations associated with a B&B, in the case of this particular play the two owners inherited the house from a late aunt and as they are gay men living in Toronto, it is more than a little bit of a culture shift for them.  And for the town they land in.

That said, the play deals with the many troubles the two face with wit, compassion and a very forthright outlook on how society deals with those who choose a so-called "alternative lifestyle."

The two men in question are Brett, played by Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski, and Drew, played by Warren Macaulay.  They can't afford to get into the real-estate market in Toronto but when the house literally falls into Brett's lap when his Aunt Margaret passes away, leaving the house to him, they explore their options together.  At first they want to sell quick, but then decide on renovations and open a B&B they run themselves.  

How difficult can it be?  Don't ask...

Unexpected delays, contractor problems and then...well, they soon realize not everyone in the community is as understanding and open-minded as the two men thought.  Coming home from a birthday party one night in November, they find the Christmas lights torn down and cut, and the wreath they fashioned for the front door destroyed.  In its place a very ugly term is painted on the door.

A little heavy for summer theatre but the two actors handle the situation with such skill they easily win over the audience at the performance I attended, and go on to open a successful business, even if they hit some more unexpected bumps in the road.

There are a myriad of characters in the play but only two actors, and although sets and costumes are at an absolute minimum, each actor performs each role with great precision and move at lightning speed at times.  I found myself in the second act trying to keep up with all the character changes they are so quick!

The play is directed by Stewart Arnott and the set is simply yet effectively designed by William Chesney.  Both provide a perfect vehicle for these two talented actors to work in, and they each grow into their respective roles as the play moves along at a brisk pace.

There's plenty of coarse language in the play but most in the audience yesterday didn't seem to mind.  I did see a couple leave at intermission, so I am not sure if it was the language or the subject matter they were not happy with, but it's their loss.

Bed & Breakfast is an absolute winner for Lighthouse Festival Theatre and you should catch one of the final two performances tonight or tomorrow afternoon if you can.  I give the show a strong three out of four stars.

The theatre is located on Fielden Avenue in the Roselawn Arts Centre complex, and there is plenty of nearby parking.

For tickets call or visit the box office at 905-834-0833 or go online for Lighthouse Festival Theatre.

Have a great weekend!

July 29th, 2023.

Shaw Festival's On The Razzle offers some dazzle-dazzle

 My second trip to the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake this month took me to the cozy confines of the Royal George Theatre for Tom Stoppard's light-hearted take on 19th-century Viennese society, "On The Razzle".  Based on Johann Nestroy's "Einen Jux will er sich machen", the play is really a departure for Stoppard, known perhaps more so for more weighty offerings such as "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead".

Stoppard himself described "On The Razzle" as a 'lark', and in his Director's Note, Craig Hall rightly posits after three tumultuous years of the pandemic, "a bit of harmless fun sounded right up my alley".  Ours too, as we return to some semblance of normalcy in this beleaguered world we find ourselves in.

The play dates from 1981 and premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival, before moving to London's National Theatre.  That production starred Dinsdale Landen and Felicity Kendal, and those of us who loved the short-lived gardening-themed mystery series on British telly called Rosemary & Thyme will be familiar with Kendal.  I must admit to having had a 'thing' for Felicity after watching that series!

But I digress...

This new production takes a pretty brisk pace bordering on farce yet not quite achieving that breakneck speed, but it comes close.  Director Hall has harnessed considerable talent in this new production and they all perform admirably, even if some of the many, many puns and double-entendres might get missed in the mad rush of things.  There is really no let up from the send ups it seems...

The original Nestroy story also inspired The Matchmaker years ago which spawned Hello, Dolly! of course, and it probably receives a better treatment in those vehicles than in Stoppard's play, but still, this is as he reminds us, really just a lot of mindless fun; a romp, if you will.

Basically the proprietor of a successful Viennese dry-goods store, Zangler, is full of himself and not shy about showing off just a bit.  In the opening scenes we see him squeezing into a new military uniform his tailor has made for him, tactfully suggesting the tighter fit is what's popular at the time rather than stating the obvious.

That being said, this particular tailor should be bound up in his measuring tape for leaving the sleeves on the old man's jacket simply too long.  It is a small slip up in this production but one I couldn't help but notice.

Zangler also cares for a young ward, Marie, and is not too keen on the young man she has her eye on, Sonders.  From there this pretty thin plot goes from scene to scene with mistaken identities, missed opportunities and general mayhem as they all rush headlong to the final curtain.

The cast is uniformly first-rate, as is usually the case at the Shaw Festival, and it is nice to see veteran actor Ric Reid have a ball in the plum role of Zangler.  His tailor, who also shows up in lesser roles throughout the play, is Jason Cadieux.  His role is rather thankless frankly but he makes the most of his opportunities in his assortment of roles.

The two key roles belong to the two clerks who run Zangler's shop for him, and when he leaves in full ill-fitting military regalia for a parade after telling them they will soon be promoted, they promptly close up shop and celebrate.  They hit the town or, as they would say perhaps, be out "On The Razzle."

Weinberl and Christopher are the two clerks and they steal scenes between them throughout the play, trying all the while to avoid coming in contact with Zangler while on the lam.  Reliable and always clever Mike Nadajewski has great fun as Weinberl, and his young assistant Christopher is played with great affection by Kristi Frank.  She imbues the role with a waif-like quality that instantly makes her an audience favourite.

Rounding out the strong cast is Drew Plummer as the suitor Sonders and Lindsay Wu as his love interest Marie, the ward of Zangler.  Both are solid but Marie's role especially is pretty thin.

Special mention must go to another Shaw veteran Patrick Galligan, who goes over-the-top with great style as both the Coachman and the Scotsman, always eying the ladies and looking for action.  Galligan more often than not is the gentleman on stage but here, he is anything but.  I can imagine his glee when offered the role...

Sets and costumes by Christina Poddubiuk are suitably Viennese although the sets are rather sparse in order to maximize the tight space on the Royal George stage.

So even though this is all mindless fun, is it worth your time? Yes, so long as you realize this is akin to what a situation comedy TV show would have been like in the 19th-century, had there been one.  It goes nowhere fast, but the journey is more than half the fun.

"On The Razzle" continues at the Royal George Theatre until October 8th and rates a three out of four.

For tickets, contact the Shaw online at www.shawfest.com.

Have a great week!

July 24th, 2023.

Revisiting the Elora Festival

I wrote last time in this space about the 44th annual Elora Festival, which was set to get underway last weekend in the picturesque town of Elora, Ontario, and the fact I would be returning for that first weekend for a performance.  It would be my first time back after the pandemic and after the loss of Sophie in 2020.

Last Saturday I made my way up for an afternoon performance that proved to be everything I hoped it would be:  informative, entertaining and for me personally, soul-soothing.

I got away from the house not as early as I had planned, but I stopped in Guelph for a picnic in the park along the way, even though storm clouds were looming in the distance.  No matter, the concert was inside the cozy confines of St. John's Church in the heart of Elora, so I wasn't worried.  Sure enough, the rain came just as I was parking for the concert, but I packed my trusty umbrella and all went well for a short stroll on the main drag before the concert was set to begin.

I purposely chose an afternoon concert for my return visit as I only wanted a day trip for this very first visit on my own; an overnight stay at our favourite B&B might be easier to handle next year.  So I decided on a delightful recital of the music of Clara Schumann, in a program curated by Confluence Concerts' Larry Beckwith.

Entitled Clara Schumann Letters, words and music are interwoven to tell the life story of a remarkable 19th-century woman who, although well-known during her lifetime, has rather faded from the pages of history since her passing, and that is such a pity.  Clara was of course, the wife of troubled fellow composer Robert Schumann, who was somewhat older than she was.  But she was also a gifted composer in her own right and a virtuoso pianist as well.  In fact, her talents at the keyboard really helped to keep food on the table for the Schumann family, which was quite a large one by today's standards.

Clara gave birth to children that numbered dangerously close to double digits and lost one in infancy.

But it is her own compositions that were celebrated in this recital, performed alongside letters she wrote that were read from the stage by Alison Beckwith, and narration for the concert was provided by the always-informative and genial CBC Radio host Tom Allen.  Taken as a whole, the words and music provided an illuminating afternoon of music and information about her life.

The musical performers were all first rate, starting with pianist Angela Park.  She did Clara's keyboard works justice, including her "Variations on a Theme of Robert Schumann, Op. 20" that closed out the first half of the concert.  Accompanying Clara's songs was pianist Christopher Bagan, and both he and Angela teamed up on a bravura performance of her "Wedding March in E-flat Major".

All the lieder was performed by talented Canadian singer Patricia O'Callaghan, who often moves from classical to contemporary music during her regular concert appearances, and here she felt perfectly at home yet again.

All in all it was a delightful afternoon of music beautifully performed in a church I look forward to returning to each and every year I attend the Festival.

This is the final weekend, and up today is a performance of choral and vocal music written by Larry Beckwith's famous father John Beckwith, performed by The Elora Singers.  That's at 1:30 this afternoon at St. John's Church in Elora.  Tonight the cavernous Gambrel Barn on the outskirts of town is the venue for The Elora Singers teaming up with singer Sarah Slean and the Art of Time Ensemble at 7:30 pm.  Everything from Brahms to Leonard Cohen is on the bill for tonight's performance.

Tomorrow for the final day of the Festival there are three performances scheduled, beginning with the New Zealand String Quartet performing music by Farr, Mozart and Shostakovich at 1:30 at St. John's in Elora; The Gryphon Trio celebrates 30 years of music-making with a performance at the Gambrel Barn at 4 pm; and the day wraps up with another concert at the Gambrel Barn entitled Music of the North, featuring music from Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and of course Canada.  Performers include The Elora Singers conducted by Mark Vuorinen accompanied by Richard Burrows on vibraphone and percussion.  That final performance takes place at 7:30 pm.

If all this inventive music-making is tempting you to go, then great!  Call the box office for tickets at 1-519-846-0331 or go online at www.elorafestival.ca.  

Thanks again for the opportunity to return to the Elora Festival again this year; it was time and I was thrilled to be in the town again.

Have a great weekend!

July 15th, 2023.

Summer Music Festival season is upon us

 The summer brings lots of things with it, including music for those so inclined, and I thought we'd begin the month of July with a look at one of the finest summer music festivals in Ontario.  The Elora Festival begins this Friday for their 44th season and continues until July 16th.

I've had a long history with the Elora Festival going back probably 30 of those 44 years, although due to the pandemic and my own personal situation I had not been back to enjoy a performance since the summer of 2019.  It was always a summer destination for Sophie and I for either a day trip or more often than not, a weekend getaway.

I will be attending this year's Festival for part of the opening weekend on a day trip, my first since losing Sophie three years ago.  This is something I know I have to do and what's more, Sophie would want me to as well.  Last summer I returned to both Stratford and Shaw Festivals, so Elora is next on the list and frankly I am excited about it.

Opening weekend kicks off Friday July 7th with conductor Mark Vuorinen and The Elora Singers and Chamber Ensemble filling the warm acoustic of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Fergus with music by Bach and Brahms.  Entitled Spirit and Soul, the concert features the majestic sounds of J.S. Bach's motets "Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf" and "Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied", as well as Brahms' hope-filled "Human" Requiem in a special chamber arrangement provided by Joachim Linckelmann.  The concert begins at 7:30 pm.

The weekend kicks into high gear on Saturday with three performances scheduled, a morning family concert featuring Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf in a score reduced to five woodwind instruments at 10:30 am at Melville United Church in Fergus; a concert that tells the remarkable life story of 19th-century virtuoso pianist and composer Clara Schumann at 2:30 at St. John's Church in Elora; and a return to St. Joseph's Church in Fergus in the evening at 7:30 pm for a performance of Frank Martin's much-loved 1922 Mass for Double Choir, along with works by Messiaen, Poulenc and others.

Sunday of opening weekend will see a performance by Constantinople with The Elora Singers at 3 pm at St. John's Church in Elora, in a concert entitled "In the Footsteps of Rumi", referring to the great poet and mystic Rumi, born way back in 1207.  In the evening the male chamber group Cantus will perform at St. Joseph's Church in Fergus in a performance of music by the likes of Sibelius and Saint-Saens paired with such contemporary composers as Andrea Ramsey, David Lang and Christopher H. Harris.  There will also be a new work specially commissioned for Cantus by composer Libby Larson.

Weekend Two of this year's Elora Festival actually kicks off early with a Wednesday evening performance at 9 pm at St. John's Church in Elora entitled "The Elora Singers at Twilight", followed Thursday evening at 7:30 in the spacious Gambrel Barn by the JUNO-nominated Canadian Chamber Choir making their Elora Festival debut with special guest, Cree-Dene singer and composer Sherryl Sewepagaham.  

Also Thursday evening at 9 pm there will be an organ recital at St. John's Church in Elora featuring Jonathan Oldengarm featuring everything from rustic 16th-centtury Dutch folk dances to music by young American composer Brenda Portman, along with works by Canadian composer Derek Healey, Sigfrid Karg-Elert and Calvin Hampton.

Friday evening at 7:30 in the Gambrel Barn The Elora Singers present their ever-popular Unplugged programme with a bevy of Broadway classics on tap.  Then on Saturday there are two performances scheduled, with The Elora Singers and Larry Beckwith presenting a tribute concert to Larry's father, Canadian composer John Beckwith at 1:30 pm at St. John's Church in Elora and the Art of Time Ensemble joined by Sarah Slean and The Elora Singers perform in the evening at the Gambrel Barn at 7:30 pm.

The final day of Week Two on Sunday, July 16th kicks off with the New Zealand String Quartet at St. John's Church in Elora at 1:30 pm, followed at 4 pm in the Gambrel Barn with the Gryphon Trio celebrating 30 years of music-making in Canada.  The season wraps up Sunday evening at 7:30 with The Elora Singers presenting a concert entitled Music of the North in the Gambrel Barn with music from Canada, Iceland, Finland, Estonia and Latvia.

There are also subsidiary performances such as Choral Evensong and the lovely Sunday Services with The Elora Singers at St. John's Church as well as Music in the Village and Music in the Woods.

Want more information and tickets? It's as easy as calling the Elora Festival box office at 1-519-846-0331 or going online to www.elorafestival.ca.

It should be a great festival and I am looking forward to returning this year.

Have a great week!

July 3rd, 2023.