The return of some cooler weather in September often brings with it some interesting outdoor and indoor events that take your mind off the leisurely days of summer when the beach is often the most-desired destination. So it is this weekend in St. Catharines when the first annual Art City takes place downtown on Saturday from 12 noon to 10 pm. This is part of the Niagara Nights of Art initiative that has grown out of the designation of Niagara as the Cultural Capital of Canada in 2012.
You might remember the late, lamented Night of Art held in October for a few years, sponsored by the St. Catharines and Area Arts Council. I attended several of those before the council folded over a year ago, taking the Night of Art with it. This will have a somewhat similar theme, although it is on a Saturday rather than a couple of hours on a Friday evening, and a lot of it will take place during the daytime on Saturday to hopefully make this a more family-friendly event.
There will be a number of workshops at several locations downtown, including Silver Spire Church on St. Paul Street, Ryson's Studio of Music on Court Street and Bansaree Indian Cuisine on St. Paul Street. Outside events will be largely centred on St. Paul Street between Court and Carlisle Streets. The workshops range from hip hop dance or jazz dance workshops to bucket drumming workshops, among other events. There will also be something called a mask petting zoo, put on by Theatre Beyond Words which sounds really interesting.
Art installations include interactive rug hooking at Wally Wemnants on St. Paul Street with Alexa Fraser and at the CRAM gallery on James Street, Family Album by my neighbour, Sandy Middleton where you can visit the past through old family photos.
Performances range from Aaron Berger at Out of the Past on St. Paul Street and The Lucky Ones at Liberty Bikes on Bond Street to the St. Catharines Chamber Music Society at Silver Spire Church.
The best part of all, these events are all free throughout the day this Saturday from 12 noon to 10 pm. For more information go to www.mydowntown.ca.
Also tied in with all this activity is a performance by Great Lakes Swimmers tonight (Thursday) at Centre for the Arts, Brock University at 7:30, and A Walk Through History twice daily through to Saturday at Victoria Lawn Cemetery at 5 and 7 pm. The Great Lakes Swimmers will perform free of charge; the walks at Victoria Lawn are $ 8, and you can register by calling 905-984-8880.
So all in all, this is a lot more activity than we used to have on that Friday evening in October up until a couple of years ago, so let's hope people come out and support this ambitious initiative.
Also tied in with the weekend is the annual Season Launch announcement of seven Niagara Performing Arts Companies at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre put on by the Downtown Alliance for the Performing Arts (DAPA) on Saturday evening. This is not open to the public but I will be attending and reporting on the evening in this space in the near future. The DAPA announcement each September is one I always look forward to, as it involves a lot of great creative minds in the area, all working out of the Courthouse Theatre. Notably missing this year will be Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects, which has moved operations to downtown Niagara Falls this year.
There have been a lot of events already in the Region tied in with the Niagara 2012 Cultural Capital of Canada designation, including the first annual Mount Carmel Fine Arts Show held last weekend in Niagara Falls. Look for more in the future, too, as we continue to celebrate the arts in Niagara throughout the year.
Should be a fun weekend in downtown St. Catharines!
September 13th, 2012.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Two more winners at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival
We're getting down to the wire with the theatre seasons at both Shaw and Stratford, with my final reviews for both coming next week. But this weekend, before we get to that point I have two of the more interesting shows at the Tom Patterson Theatre this season, both of which close towards the end of this month.
I heard good reviews from locals about the musical Wanderlust, based on the poems of Robert Service. This work, both commissioned and premiered by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, is directed by Morris Panych, with Panych providing the book and additional lyrics as well. The music and orchestration is by Marek Norman and the dance choreography is by Diana Coatsworth, who also appears as one of the bank tellers in the production.
For me, I always enjoy seeing a Canadian commission at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, but you have to ask yourself, will Wanderlust have a life after this Stratford run ends September 28th? I certainly hope so, as this show deserves a life on several stages beyond Stratford and indeed, beyond Canada's borders.
Now, don't get me wrong. This is not the Great Canadian Musical; it isn't particularly deep, either; but it does possess that unique feel-good feeling that makes you want to smile and just enjoy the show for what it is. This isn't a pretentious show, and providing you know that going in, you'll be just fine. Bob White, in his programme notes for Wanderlust, notes correctly Service was well aware his work was never going to be taken seriously. But he seems to have been more than content to have the approval of his audience in lieu of that of critics, notes White, and I think most people seeing the show will be accepting of it on that level.
Wanderlust is a light and airy work, full of fun and telling a delightful tale of Service and his devotion to the written word. Like the poems themselves, the musical moves at an easy pace, smiling all the way. And who cannot smile while reminiscing with some of Service's more memorable works, including, of course, "The Shooting of Dan McGrew"! I grew up with an old, kitschy painting recounting the tale visually, and I have never been able to get rid of that painting. It lurks in my closet somewhere, waiting to make me smile once again. That is the power of Robert Service's writings: they make you feel good no matter how long it has been since you last heard or read them.
The cast for Wanderlust is very strong, with Tom Rooney quite engaging as Robert Service himself, still toiling at The Canadian Bank of Commerce by day and staying behind overnight to write his poetry. Randy Hughson is his boss, Mr. McGee; and Robin Hutton is Robert's love interest, sort of, Louise Montgomery, playing the role with more than a little sex appeal. The supporting cast is equally as strong, including Xuan Fraser as Blount and Dan Chameroy as Dan McGrew.
It was interesting to see Lucy Peacock continue to evolve as a fine character actor following many years of leading roles. My, how the winsome young Lucy Peacock we were introduced to at a press conference in downtown Toronto in 1983, I think it was, as a member of that season's Young Company has grown into one of the finest female character actors on the Stratford stage.
Wanderlust may not be deep, but it is worth exploring all the same. Even if you have never heard the poems of Robert Service, which I would find hard to believe, you will discover a new world waiting to be discovered here. Wanderlust continues at the Tom Patterson Theatre until September 28th and rates a strong three out of four stars.
Also at the Patterson Theatre, but clearly on another plane entirely, is Sophokles' Elektra, translated by Anne Carson. Greek tragedy is, well, tragic, and this production is no exception. That being said, director Thomas Moschopoulos keeps things moving with a production featuring a very clean, spare design by Ellie Papageorgakopoulou and exceptional lighting by Itai Erdal.
This is a very contemporary take on Elektra and it works very well, making it much more relatable to modern audiences. However, some of the speeches, delivered in an almost rap-like monotony, can become a little tedious at times. Credit Peter Hutt, though, as the Old Man, to make them more interesting than some.
The rest of the cast is very strong as well, including Ian Lake as Orestes, son of Clytemestra, and E.B. Smith as Pylades, Orestes' companion. Yanna McIntosh as Elektra and Laura Condlin as her daughter Chysothemis are equally strong; but the real kudos go to Seana McKenna as Clytemestra, Queen of Argos. Her command of the stage is never an insignificant factor in any production she appears in, and Elektra is no exception.
Elektra herself is a lone wolf, deceived to the point of near hysteria, which carries through to the climax of the play; the final scenes are gripping and well worth the journey. This is a production clearly not for everyone, but from every angle it is a spellbinding performance and certainly deserving of your attention should you decide to take up the challenge.
Elektra continues at the Tom Patterson Theatre until September 29th and rates a strong three out of four stars.
Enjoy the theatre!
I heard good reviews from locals about the musical Wanderlust, based on the poems of Robert Service. This work, both commissioned and premiered by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, is directed by Morris Panych, with Panych providing the book and additional lyrics as well. The music and orchestration is by Marek Norman and the dance choreography is by Diana Coatsworth, who also appears as one of the bank tellers in the production.
For me, I always enjoy seeing a Canadian commission at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, but you have to ask yourself, will Wanderlust have a life after this Stratford run ends September 28th? I certainly hope so, as this show deserves a life on several stages beyond Stratford and indeed, beyond Canada's borders.
Now, don't get me wrong. This is not the Great Canadian Musical; it isn't particularly deep, either; but it does possess that unique feel-good feeling that makes you want to smile and just enjoy the show for what it is. This isn't a pretentious show, and providing you know that going in, you'll be just fine. Bob White, in his programme notes for Wanderlust, notes correctly Service was well aware his work was never going to be taken seriously. But he seems to have been more than content to have the approval of his audience in lieu of that of critics, notes White, and I think most people seeing the show will be accepting of it on that level.
Wanderlust is a light and airy work, full of fun and telling a delightful tale of Service and his devotion to the written word. Like the poems themselves, the musical moves at an easy pace, smiling all the way. And who cannot smile while reminiscing with some of Service's more memorable works, including, of course, "The Shooting of Dan McGrew"! I grew up with an old, kitschy painting recounting the tale visually, and I have never been able to get rid of that painting. It lurks in my closet somewhere, waiting to make me smile once again. That is the power of Robert Service's writings: they make you feel good no matter how long it has been since you last heard or read them.
The cast for Wanderlust is very strong, with Tom Rooney quite engaging as Robert Service himself, still toiling at The Canadian Bank of Commerce by day and staying behind overnight to write his poetry. Randy Hughson is his boss, Mr. McGee; and Robin Hutton is Robert's love interest, sort of, Louise Montgomery, playing the role with more than a little sex appeal. The supporting cast is equally as strong, including Xuan Fraser as Blount and Dan Chameroy as Dan McGrew.
It was interesting to see Lucy Peacock continue to evolve as a fine character actor following many years of leading roles. My, how the winsome young Lucy Peacock we were introduced to at a press conference in downtown Toronto in 1983, I think it was, as a member of that season's Young Company has grown into one of the finest female character actors on the Stratford stage.
Wanderlust may not be deep, but it is worth exploring all the same. Even if you have never heard the poems of Robert Service, which I would find hard to believe, you will discover a new world waiting to be discovered here. Wanderlust continues at the Tom Patterson Theatre until September 28th and rates a strong three out of four stars.
Also at the Patterson Theatre, but clearly on another plane entirely, is Sophokles' Elektra, translated by Anne Carson. Greek tragedy is, well, tragic, and this production is no exception. That being said, director Thomas Moschopoulos keeps things moving with a production featuring a very clean, spare design by Ellie Papageorgakopoulou and exceptional lighting by Itai Erdal.
This is a very contemporary take on Elektra and it works very well, making it much more relatable to modern audiences. However, some of the speeches, delivered in an almost rap-like monotony, can become a little tedious at times. Credit Peter Hutt, though, as the Old Man, to make them more interesting than some.
The rest of the cast is very strong as well, including Ian Lake as Orestes, son of Clytemestra, and E.B. Smith as Pylades, Orestes' companion. Yanna McIntosh as Elektra and Laura Condlin as her daughter Chysothemis are equally strong; but the real kudos go to Seana McKenna as Clytemestra, Queen of Argos. Her command of the stage is never an insignificant factor in any production she appears in, and Elektra is no exception.
Elektra herself is a lone wolf, deceived to the point of near hysteria, which carries through to the climax of the play; the final scenes are gripping and well worth the journey. This is a production clearly not for everyone, but from every angle it is a spellbinding performance and certainly deserving of your attention should you decide to take up the challenge.
Elektra continues at the Tom Patterson Theatre until September 29th and rates a strong three out of four stars.
Enjoy the theatre!
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Two more winners from the Shaw Festival
We are getting into the time of the year when I love going to our two major theatre festivals in Ontario, Shaw and Stratford, because the crowds in each respective town diminish somewhat, while the weather is still pleasantly warm and the theatres are still humming along. Plus, the deeper you go into September, the more fall colours you get to enjoy along the way to the theatre!
This weekend, let's look at a couple of shows at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake that are very impressive, each continuing until mid-to-late October.
William Inge is perhaps best-known for two other plays that appeared at Shaw in recent years, Picnic and Bus Stop. Those later plays by Inge are fondly remembered by many, myself included, as exceptional ensemble pieces at Shaw. This year, director Jackie Maxwell decided to go back to the beginning, as it were, and direct Inge's first Broadway success, Come Back, Little Sheba, written in 1949. While not as well known to modern audiences, it deserves the careful treatment afforded it here at Shaw until October 19th.
Come Back, Little Sheba is a very bleak and powerful comment on the evils of drinking to excess and the social consequences of doing so. The story involves the late 40s-era couple, Doc and Lola Delaney, played by Ric Reid and Corrine Koslo, respectively. They have a nice life in a nice neighbourhood in a nice mid-western city. Doc is, obviously, a doctor, but he could have been so much more had it not been for his drinking problem years ago. He is a reformed alcoholic now, but that comes to a crashing end when he finds their young border, Marie, sleeping under their roof with a young stud while promising her heart and hand to another, more respectable man. Doc has taken to Marie very much and considers her almost to be his daughter, and the news hits him hard.
His wife, Lola, is the devoted-to-a-fault housewife who lives in fear of this moment, when her husband falls off the wagon and takes to drinking again. Lola is not unlike the put-upon wife in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which also featured Koslo in a gripping performance opposite Jim Mezon in that production not long ago. Here, Lola calls for help when her drunk husband arrives home and threatens her harm; his colleagues at work rush to the rescue to try to straighten him out and take him away to detox.
The scene when Doc is hauled away in the second act is sad, powerful and not to be missed. Reid plays the role beautifully, never going over the top and yet, showing the despair the character is facing. When he is finally hauled off stage, not a word is spoken for a moment and in the audience you could hear a pin drop. The scene is very convincing.
I love the set design of a humble home, just nicely lived in but not too fancy. I also love the supporting cast here, too. Julia Course as Marie is just sexy enough for the time period; her young stud, Turk, is well played by Kevin McGarry; and Sharry Flett gives a fine performance as the neighbour Mrs. Coffman.
This is a must-see at the Shaw Festival this season; you will feel for both main characters, yet wish they could get their lives straightened out. These are not just players; we see Reid and Koslo as real people we all have known in our own lives and we find ourselves pulling for them at the end of the play.
Come Back, Little Sheba continues at the Royal George Theatre until October 19th, and rates a very strong 4 out of 4 stars.
The second play this weekend is Bernard Shaw's Misalliance, continuing at the Royal George Theatre until October 27th. Directed by Eda Holmes, the play has lots of Shaw's famous dialogue, of course, but the play's relatively short (for a Shaw play at least) run time of two-and-a-half hours seems to fly by with this production. Sure the first act drags a little, but the second act more than makes up for it.
The set and costume design is super sleek and stylish, with lots of great touches by designer Judith Bowden. The ensemble work here is first-rate, with top marks going to Tara Rosling as the exotic Russian daredevil Lina Szczepanowska, who plays the role with a grand measure of good-old-fashioned sex appeal. All the men who are drawn to her, Johnny Tarleton and Bentley Summerhays among them, played with great humour here by Jeff Meadows and Ben Sanders. Meadows, especially, is a treat to watch due to his facial expressions.
The rest of the cast is just as strong: Krista Colosimo as Hypatia Tarleton; Catherine McGregor as a very elegant Mrs. Tarleton; and Thom Marriott as a very appreciative John Tarleton. I did find Peter Krantz as Lord Summerhays to be more of a bore than he ought to be, though.
The Tarleton household glides through life with not a care in the world, really, until the end of the second act when fate crashes into their roof, literally, and there before them is lovely Lina, throwing them all off their game. It is fun to watch and of all the productions of Misalliance I have seen over the years, I think this one rates as the most fun to watch.
Misalliance continues until October 27th at the Royal George Theatre, and rates a highly-recommendable three out of four stars.
Enjoy the weekend!
September 2nd, 2012.
This weekend, let's look at a couple of shows at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake that are very impressive, each continuing until mid-to-late October.
William Inge is perhaps best-known for two other plays that appeared at Shaw in recent years, Picnic and Bus Stop. Those later plays by Inge are fondly remembered by many, myself included, as exceptional ensemble pieces at Shaw. This year, director Jackie Maxwell decided to go back to the beginning, as it were, and direct Inge's first Broadway success, Come Back, Little Sheba, written in 1949. While not as well known to modern audiences, it deserves the careful treatment afforded it here at Shaw until October 19th.
Come Back, Little Sheba is a very bleak and powerful comment on the evils of drinking to excess and the social consequences of doing so. The story involves the late 40s-era couple, Doc and Lola Delaney, played by Ric Reid and Corrine Koslo, respectively. They have a nice life in a nice neighbourhood in a nice mid-western city. Doc is, obviously, a doctor, but he could have been so much more had it not been for his drinking problem years ago. He is a reformed alcoholic now, but that comes to a crashing end when he finds their young border, Marie, sleeping under their roof with a young stud while promising her heart and hand to another, more respectable man. Doc has taken to Marie very much and considers her almost to be his daughter, and the news hits him hard.
His wife, Lola, is the devoted-to-a-fault housewife who lives in fear of this moment, when her husband falls off the wagon and takes to drinking again. Lola is not unlike the put-upon wife in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which also featured Koslo in a gripping performance opposite Jim Mezon in that production not long ago. Here, Lola calls for help when her drunk husband arrives home and threatens her harm; his colleagues at work rush to the rescue to try to straighten him out and take him away to detox.
The scene when Doc is hauled away in the second act is sad, powerful and not to be missed. Reid plays the role beautifully, never going over the top and yet, showing the despair the character is facing. When he is finally hauled off stage, not a word is spoken for a moment and in the audience you could hear a pin drop. The scene is very convincing.
I love the set design of a humble home, just nicely lived in but not too fancy. I also love the supporting cast here, too. Julia Course as Marie is just sexy enough for the time period; her young stud, Turk, is well played by Kevin McGarry; and Sharry Flett gives a fine performance as the neighbour Mrs. Coffman.
This is a must-see at the Shaw Festival this season; you will feel for both main characters, yet wish they could get their lives straightened out. These are not just players; we see Reid and Koslo as real people we all have known in our own lives and we find ourselves pulling for them at the end of the play.
Come Back, Little Sheba continues at the Royal George Theatre until October 19th, and rates a very strong 4 out of 4 stars.
The second play this weekend is Bernard Shaw's Misalliance, continuing at the Royal George Theatre until October 27th. Directed by Eda Holmes, the play has lots of Shaw's famous dialogue, of course, but the play's relatively short (for a Shaw play at least) run time of two-and-a-half hours seems to fly by with this production. Sure the first act drags a little, but the second act more than makes up for it.
The set and costume design is super sleek and stylish, with lots of great touches by designer Judith Bowden. The ensemble work here is first-rate, with top marks going to Tara Rosling as the exotic Russian daredevil Lina Szczepanowska, who plays the role with a grand measure of good-old-fashioned sex appeal. All the men who are drawn to her, Johnny Tarleton and Bentley Summerhays among them, played with great humour here by Jeff Meadows and Ben Sanders. Meadows, especially, is a treat to watch due to his facial expressions.
The rest of the cast is just as strong: Krista Colosimo as Hypatia Tarleton; Catherine McGregor as a very elegant Mrs. Tarleton; and Thom Marriott as a very appreciative John Tarleton. I did find Peter Krantz as Lord Summerhays to be more of a bore than he ought to be, though.
The Tarleton household glides through life with not a care in the world, really, until the end of the second act when fate crashes into their roof, literally, and there before them is lovely Lina, throwing them all off their game. It is fun to watch and of all the productions of Misalliance I have seen over the years, I think this one rates as the most fun to watch.
Misalliance continues until October 27th at the Royal George Theatre, and rates a highly-recommendable three out of four stars.
Enjoy the weekend!
September 2nd, 2012.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Two Stratford Shakespeare Festival late-season winners
The Stratford Shakespeare Festival is where I spent part of my vacation last week, as I finished up my season covering the offerings at the various theatres that are part of the Festival, so over the next couple of weeks we'll wrap up the late-season openings at Stratford.
Two of the shorter, one-act plays at the smaller Studio Theatre space at the back of the Avon Theatre are The Best Brothers and Hirsch. I was pleasantly surprised with both productions, as they both balanced substance and humour in very entertaining ways.
First up, let's look at The Best Brothers by Canadian playwright, actor and director Daniel MacIvor from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. MacIvor has a reputation as a creative and funny writer, but also a very thoughtful one displaying a great deal of depth. The Best Brothers, a play dealing with the death of a loved one, has both humour and depth. It deals with the two Best brothers, Kyle and Hamilton, who are faced with the passing of their mother and how each comes to grips with the loss and grieving process.
Kyle, played by John Beale, is the more artistic, creative soul, while Hamilton, played by MacIvor himself in this production, is the more solid, business-minded soul. They are like oil and water, basically, yet each shares the grief at the loss of their mother, albeit in their own particular ways. I saw a lot of myself and my brother in both these roles, dealing three years ago as we were with the loss of our father. It was a difficult period for both of us and I identified with one of these characters very clearly, although I won't say which one it was!
A family loss can bring out the best - and the worst - in the remaining family members, as was the case for us three years ago, and so it is with Kyle and Hamilton Best. Yet both characters are funny, touching and everything in-between in this production. While the subject matter is rather morbid to some, it is a reality we all have to deal with at one time or another in our lives, and I doubt many in the audience would not be able to identify with either one of the brothers and what they are dealing with.
The final curtain call includes the subject of one of the sore points for one of the brothers during the play, incidentally, and I will leave it at that. But suffice it to say the audience was pleasantly surprised with that moment at the very end of the play!
Dean Gabourie directs The Best Brothers with a great deal of care, bringing out the best in both characters, and the simple set designed by Julie Fox works well in the small Studio Theatre space. The Best Brothers continues until September 16th and rates a strong three out of four stars.
Meantime, the one-man play at the other end of the Avon Theatre, complementing the highly-publicized A Word or Two with Christopher Plummer on the mainstage at the Avon, is Alon Nashman as Hirsch, the Hungarian-born Canadian director and head of CBC drama for English-language television in the mid-70s, John Hirsch. He may be better-known to Stratford regulars as the Artistic Director at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival from 1981 to 1985, which included the first few years I actually started attending and writing about plays at the Festival on a regular basis. So for me, Hirsch served as my introduction to the theatre institution known as Stratford during those - for me, at least - formative years.
Nashman, co-creator with Paul Thompson and sole performer of the play, directed by Thompson, is the first to admit this is not a bio or even a documentary of Hirsch, but rather their interpretations of some of the events in the life of John Hirsch. There are some of his "actual" words included in the play, of course, and many of those struck a chord with audience members at the performance I attended last week. Nashman also notes the chronology of the narrative reflects John's life as well, so it might appear at first glance to be a biography of the director.
Visually, Nashman looks a lot like the John Hirsch we remember, with a full heard and spectacles, wearing a check shirt in his rather casual, professorial way. I never met Mr. Hirsch personally, unfortunately, but I suspect some of the physical mannerisms are rather similar to Hirsch's as well.
Nashman obviously had a great deal of respect for Hirsch, and as such this is a loving tribute to a man who was often misunderstood by some of those he worked with. I remember the turmoil he went through as Artistic Director of the Festival in those years from 1981 to 1985, yet few would disagree with Hirsch's love and passion for live theatre in general and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in particular.
The set is simple, making good use of the space at the Studio Theatre, with several props handed off to Nashman by the stage managers that generated a few good-natured laughs during the performance.
I liked this production quite a bit, and respect Nashman for devoting part of his theatrical life to honouring a man who gave so much to Canadian theatre for many years before passing away in 1989. It will continue until September 14th at the Studio Theatre, and rates a strong three out of four stars.
August 27th, 2012.
Two of the shorter, one-act plays at the smaller Studio Theatre space at the back of the Avon Theatre are The Best Brothers and Hirsch. I was pleasantly surprised with both productions, as they both balanced substance and humour in very entertaining ways.
First up, let's look at The Best Brothers by Canadian playwright, actor and director Daniel MacIvor from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. MacIvor has a reputation as a creative and funny writer, but also a very thoughtful one displaying a great deal of depth. The Best Brothers, a play dealing with the death of a loved one, has both humour and depth. It deals with the two Best brothers, Kyle and Hamilton, who are faced with the passing of their mother and how each comes to grips with the loss and grieving process.
Kyle, played by John Beale, is the more artistic, creative soul, while Hamilton, played by MacIvor himself in this production, is the more solid, business-minded soul. They are like oil and water, basically, yet each shares the grief at the loss of their mother, albeit in their own particular ways. I saw a lot of myself and my brother in both these roles, dealing three years ago as we were with the loss of our father. It was a difficult period for both of us and I identified with one of these characters very clearly, although I won't say which one it was!
A family loss can bring out the best - and the worst - in the remaining family members, as was the case for us three years ago, and so it is with Kyle and Hamilton Best. Yet both characters are funny, touching and everything in-between in this production. While the subject matter is rather morbid to some, it is a reality we all have to deal with at one time or another in our lives, and I doubt many in the audience would not be able to identify with either one of the brothers and what they are dealing with.
The final curtain call includes the subject of one of the sore points for one of the brothers during the play, incidentally, and I will leave it at that. But suffice it to say the audience was pleasantly surprised with that moment at the very end of the play!
Dean Gabourie directs The Best Brothers with a great deal of care, bringing out the best in both characters, and the simple set designed by Julie Fox works well in the small Studio Theatre space. The Best Brothers continues until September 16th and rates a strong three out of four stars.
Meantime, the one-man play at the other end of the Avon Theatre, complementing the highly-publicized A Word or Two with Christopher Plummer on the mainstage at the Avon, is Alon Nashman as Hirsch, the Hungarian-born Canadian director and head of CBC drama for English-language television in the mid-70s, John Hirsch. He may be better-known to Stratford regulars as the Artistic Director at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival from 1981 to 1985, which included the first few years I actually started attending and writing about plays at the Festival on a regular basis. So for me, Hirsch served as my introduction to the theatre institution known as Stratford during those - for me, at least - formative years.
Nashman, co-creator with Paul Thompson and sole performer of the play, directed by Thompson, is the first to admit this is not a bio or even a documentary of Hirsch, but rather their interpretations of some of the events in the life of John Hirsch. There are some of his "actual" words included in the play, of course, and many of those struck a chord with audience members at the performance I attended last week. Nashman also notes the chronology of the narrative reflects John's life as well, so it might appear at first glance to be a biography of the director.
Visually, Nashman looks a lot like the John Hirsch we remember, with a full heard and spectacles, wearing a check shirt in his rather casual, professorial way. I never met Mr. Hirsch personally, unfortunately, but I suspect some of the physical mannerisms are rather similar to Hirsch's as well.
Nashman obviously had a great deal of respect for Hirsch, and as such this is a loving tribute to a man who was often misunderstood by some of those he worked with. I remember the turmoil he went through as Artistic Director of the Festival in those years from 1981 to 1985, yet few would disagree with Hirsch's love and passion for live theatre in general and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in particular.
The set is simple, making good use of the space at the Studio Theatre, with several props handed off to Nashman by the stage managers that generated a few good-natured laughs during the performance.
I liked this production quite a bit, and respect Nashman for devoting part of his theatrical life to honouring a man who gave so much to Canadian theatre for many years before passing away in 1989. It will continue until September 14th at the Studio Theatre, and rates a strong three out of four stars.
August 27th, 2012.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Shaw Festival one-act plays present a mixed bag this year
There are two short, one-act plays at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake this season, the traditional lunchtime offering at the Court House Theatre, and the Studio Theatre production, which opened just last week. Let's take a look at both this week as we continue with our reviews of Shaw Festival offerings this season.
The Lunchtime show is traditionally lighter fare, a one-act play designed to send you out into the street for a late lunch with a smile on your face. This year, however, a bit of a break with tradition as Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell has programmed an early one-act musical by a very young Leonard Bernstein as both composer and lyricist, Trouble in Tahiti. The trouble with Trouble, as it were, is not really the musical's fault, per se. We now know Bernstein as the clever and inventive writer of such musicals as On The Town and of course, West Side Story; we expect more of the same even in Bernstein's earlier works, too. But this is young Bernstein: he was, after all, only about 34 years of age when Trouble premiered in 1952, and although we hear passages that will suggest later successes for him, particularly West Side Story, this is a more youthful-sounding Bernstein still finding his way in the world of musicals.
The premise of the work, according to Bernstein, was to strip away the shiny veneer of suburban contentment and reveal instead the void that comes when a couple don't communicate and ultimately begin to drift apart. The wife is bored and ignored by the husband who is an executive on the ladder to success; they are augmented by what Bernstein called "a Greek Chorus born of the radio commercial" meaning, essentially, they are singing jazzy rhythms to complement the action unfolding between the two onstage. The wife is played by Elodie Gillett and her husband by handsome Mark Uhre. Both are quite good, and they fit their respective roles well; together with the chorus all under the direction of Jay Turvey, this is a nice little slice of American life from exactly 60 years ago.
That being said, one would have to think this lunchtime offering will have somewhat limited appeal, being an acquired taste for some. I quite like parts of it, actually, but it is not really one of Bernstein's best efforts. so this one scores a two out of four stars. Trouble in Tahiti continues at the Court House Theatre until October 7th, beginning at 11:30 am incidentally.
Now, on to the riskier offering at the Studio Theatre, Helen's Necklace by playwright Carol Frechette, which opened August 11th and continues only until August 31st. The past few seasons, the Studio Theatre offering has been one of the late-season hits of the Festival; last year, for example, Top Dog Underdog was one of the most riveting evenings of theatre anywhere. But this year, well, close but no cigar, unfortunately.
Helen's Necklace was the first of Frechette's plays to examine the horrors of contemporary war, although she herself is quoted as saying she really didn't write about war itself but rather the losses felt by those affected by war. At any rate, it is pretty grim, as was the Beirut of the 90s Frechette experienced first-hand while living there for a few short weeks. The play premiered there in 2002 and was received warmly, she says in the Playwright's Notes in the programme at Shaw; the English premiere of the work was at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto in 2003, directed by Eda Holmes and starring Susan Coyne and Sanjay Talwar. Talwar reprises his role here at Shaw, playing opposite Tara Rosling as Helen. Sanjay plays several roles, primarily the cab driver in war-torn Beirut taking Helen on an adventure first to look for the necklace she has lost, but ultimately to discover much more about the people she is living amongst and indeed, herself.
The play is short, only an hour long with no intermission, and is a bit of a tough go given the grim nature of the storyline. But there is humour as well, and a musical score that brings back memories of exotic locales, courtesy of John Millard. Rosling and Talwar deliver great performances, but even so, you might be tempted to ask at the end of it all, "What in the world happened here?"
Helen's Necklace won't have the powerful impact of last year's Top Dog Underdog to be sure, but it is an interesting sidelight to the rest of the Shaw season. It clearly won't appeal to everyone, to be sure, so I'll give it a two out of four stars. It runs at the Studio Theatre until August 31st.
Enjoy the theatre!
August 20th, 2012.
The Lunchtime show is traditionally lighter fare, a one-act play designed to send you out into the street for a late lunch with a smile on your face. This year, however, a bit of a break with tradition as Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell has programmed an early one-act musical by a very young Leonard Bernstein as both composer and lyricist, Trouble in Tahiti. The trouble with Trouble, as it were, is not really the musical's fault, per se. We now know Bernstein as the clever and inventive writer of such musicals as On The Town and of course, West Side Story; we expect more of the same even in Bernstein's earlier works, too. But this is young Bernstein: he was, after all, only about 34 years of age when Trouble premiered in 1952, and although we hear passages that will suggest later successes for him, particularly West Side Story, this is a more youthful-sounding Bernstein still finding his way in the world of musicals.
The premise of the work, according to Bernstein, was to strip away the shiny veneer of suburban contentment and reveal instead the void that comes when a couple don't communicate and ultimately begin to drift apart. The wife is bored and ignored by the husband who is an executive on the ladder to success; they are augmented by what Bernstein called "a Greek Chorus born of the radio commercial" meaning, essentially, they are singing jazzy rhythms to complement the action unfolding between the two onstage. The wife is played by Elodie Gillett and her husband by handsome Mark Uhre. Both are quite good, and they fit their respective roles well; together with the chorus all under the direction of Jay Turvey, this is a nice little slice of American life from exactly 60 years ago.
That being said, one would have to think this lunchtime offering will have somewhat limited appeal, being an acquired taste for some. I quite like parts of it, actually, but it is not really one of Bernstein's best efforts. so this one scores a two out of four stars. Trouble in Tahiti continues at the Court House Theatre until October 7th, beginning at 11:30 am incidentally.
Now, on to the riskier offering at the Studio Theatre, Helen's Necklace by playwright Carol Frechette, which opened August 11th and continues only until August 31st. The past few seasons, the Studio Theatre offering has been one of the late-season hits of the Festival; last year, for example, Top Dog Underdog was one of the most riveting evenings of theatre anywhere. But this year, well, close but no cigar, unfortunately.
Helen's Necklace was the first of Frechette's plays to examine the horrors of contemporary war, although she herself is quoted as saying she really didn't write about war itself but rather the losses felt by those affected by war. At any rate, it is pretty grim, as was the Beirut of the 90s Frechette experienced first-hand while living there for a few short weeks. The play premiered there in 2002 and was received warmly, she says in the Playwright's Notes in the programme at Shaw; the English premiere of the work was at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto in 2003, directed by Eda Holmes and starring Susan Coyne and Sanjay Talwar. Talwar reprises his role here at Shaw, playing opposite Tara Rosling as Helen. Sanjay plays several roles, primarily the cab driver in war-torn Beirut taking Helen on an adventure first to look for the necklace she has lost, but ultimately to discover much more about the people she is living amongst and indeed, herself.
The play is short, only an hour long with no intermission, and is a bit of a tough go given the grim nature of the storyline. But there is humour as well, and a musical score that brings back memories of exotic locales, courtesy of John Millard. Rosling and Talwar deliver great performances, but even so, you might be tempted to ask at the end of it all, "What in the world happened here?"
Helen's Necklace won't have the powerful impact of last year's Top Dog Underdog to be sure, but it is an interesting sidelight to the rest of the Shaw season. It clearly won't appeal to everyone, to be sure, so I'll give it a two out of four stars. It runs at the Studio Theatre until August 31st.
Enjoy the theatre!
August 20th, 2012.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
News and events around Niagara this month
The summer may be waning somewhat, but the number of arts-related events continues unabated as we prepare to turn the corner into September in a couple of weeks. I thought this weekend we'd clear up a number of arts-related odds and ends that have crossed my desk the last couple of weeks and clear the decks for the remainder of my Shaw and Stratford reviews to close out the month.
The busker season is upon us, and you might remember the battle that ensued following the first annual Buskerfest in downtown St. Catharines this time last year. Kelly Daniels and Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects, who presented the weekend-long event last year, took a bit of a financial bath on the event, even though critically and popularity-wise, it was a huge success. After going hat in hand to St. Catharines Council earlier this year, they were turned down for a financial bailout, so cancelled the event for this summer. But then, the City of Niagara Falls saw an opportunity to showcase the event in their downtown, so the Niagara Falls Buskerfest was born and comes up Labour Day weekend on Queen Street in downtown Niagara Falls.
That means St. Catharines was free and clear to present their own Buskerfest this weekend, which they have done, presented by a local group, Valuemedia. Called Niagara Buskerfest 2012, it is on now on James Street at King Street in downtown St. Catharines through to Sunday evening. I walked through the event site this morning and while it was well attended and everyone seemed to be having a good time, it is certainly smaller than last year, with only one stage that I could see for buskers compared to about three last year. But it is the first year for the new group, and if things go well they will likely expand the event next year. There is lots of food available on site and other displays and shopping kiosks set up, so there is something for everyone. It looks to be a good time for most downtown this weekend, so if you have some free time you might like to head down and check it out. Just remember driving and parking are both restricted in the area.
Speaking of Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects, they of course moved their theatre operations to downtown Niagara Falls earlier this summer as well, moving into the nicely renovated Seneca Theatre on Queen Street. This week they announced the lineup for season eight, and they include three plays: The Woman in Black by Stephen Mallatratt, directed by Kelly Daniels, and running October 12th to the 28th; It's A Wonderful Life, adapted by Barbara Worthy and Jon Osbaldeston and directed by Barbara Worthy, running November 23rd to December 16th; and Criminal Genius by George F. Walker, directed by Karen Wood and running February 22nd to March 10th. Of course, there will be a couple of preview performances for each of these productions prior to the official opening. I'll be writing more about these shows as the dates draw closer, but for more information go to the Lyndesfarne website at www.lyndesfarnetheatreprojects.com.
To help fund and generate interest in the Niagara Falls Buskerfest, there will be a Busker Blast Charity Gala coming up Thursday, August 30th in Vineland, with a ticket price of $ 125.00. Again, information will be found on the Lyndesfarne website.
This week I attended a media conference at one of my favourite places in all of Niagara, the Mount Carmel Monastery in Niagara Falls, where I have spend many a quiet moment on retreat in the past. They have partnered with Belinda Anderson and Torena Gardner-Durdle and a team of enthusiastic volunteers to organize The Carmel Fine Art and Music Festival, coming up the weekend of September 7th to 9th on the grounds of Mount Carmel. I will be writing more about this event and what you can expect closer to the date, of course, but suffice it to say if you have never visited Mount Carmel you are in for a treat. It is a glorious space overlooking Niagara Falls, and I never fail to have a good feeling whenever I visit. Sadly, the outside labyrinth for walking that was next door on the grounds of the Christian Life Centre is no longer there, but I walk the grounds regularly and find peace not many steps from the tourist area of the Falls. For more information on the festival in the meantime, go to www.carmelfineart.ca.
Speaking of art, remember the Downtown Night of Art in St. Catharines in October each year, organized by the late and lamented St. Catharines & Area Arts Council? The organization may now be long gone and with it the Night of Art in October, but a new initiative known as Niagara Nights of Art will be presenting Art City in St. Catharines September 15th, starting at 12 noon and going well into the night. There will be art-making workshops, street performances, live music, theatre readings and dance, and it is all free. More on this when the date approaches, too, but for now there is a call out for volunteers who want to take part. You can email artcityvolunteer@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out. Just be sure to include your phone number and age.
Finally, Sunday September 16th will see the 10th anniversary of the Willowbank Jazz Festival, although this year the event has been moved off the grounds of the Willowbank Estate and over to Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery in St. Davids, a lovely setting we have enjoyed visiting for dinner and performances in the past. It really is an idyllic setting with rolling vineyards and great scenery to go with the music. Tickets are available by calling Willowbank at 905-262-1239, ext. 21. I will write more about this with the lineup planned closer to the event, but you might want to mark it on your calendars now as it promises to be a big event.
Enjoy your weekend!
August 18th, 2012.
The busker season is upon us, and you might remember the battle that ensued following the first annual Buskerfest in downtown St. Catharines this time last year. Kelly Daniels and Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects, who presented the weekend-long event last year, took a bit of a financial bath on the event, even though critically and popularity-wise, it was a huge success. After going hat in hand to St. Catharines Council earlier this year, they were turned down for a financial bailout, so cancelled the event for this summer. But then, the City of Niagara Falls saw an opportunity to showcase the event in their downtown, so the Niagara Falls Buskerfest was born and comes up Labour Day weekend on Queen Street in downtown Niagara Falls.
That means St. Catharines was free and clear to present their own Buskerfest this weekend, which they have done, presented by a local group, Valuemedia. Called Niagara Buskerfest 2012, it is on now on James Street at King Street in downtown St. Catharines through to Sunday evening. I walked through the event site this morning and while it was well attended and everyone seemed to be having a good time, it is certainly smaller than last year, with only one stage that I could see for buskers compared to about three last year. But it is the first year for the new group, and if things go well they will likely expand the event next year. There is lots of food available on site and other displays and shopping kiosks set up, so there is something for everyone. It looks to be a good time for most downtown this weekend, so if you have some free time you might like to head down and check it out. Just remember driving and parking are both restricted in the area.
Speaking of Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects, they of course moved their theatre operations to downtown Niagara Falls earlier this summer as well, moving into the nicely renovated Seneca Theatre on Queen Street. This week they announced the lineup for season eight, and they include three plays: The Woman in Black by Stephen Mallatratt, directed by Kelly Daniels, and running October 12th to the 28th; It's A Wonderful Life, adapted by Barbara Worthy and Jon Osbaldeston and directed by Barbara Worthy, running November 23rd to December 16th; and Criminal Genius by George F. Walker, directed by Karen Wood and running February 22nd to March 10th. Of course, there will be a couple of preview performances for each of these productions prior to the official opening. I'll be writing more about these shows as the dates draw closer, but for more information go to the Lyndesfarne website at www.lyndesfarnetheatreprojects.com.
To help fund and generate interest in the Niagara Falls Buskerfest, there will be a Busker Blast Charity Gala coming up Thursday, August 30th in Vineland, with a ticket price of $ 125.00. Again, information will be found on the Lyndesfarne website.
This week I attended a media conference at one of my favourite places in all of Niagara, the Mount Carmel Monastery in Niagara Falls, where I have spend many a quiet moment on retreat in the past. They have partnered with Belinda Anderson and Torena Gardner-Durdle and a team of enthusiastic volunteers to organize The Carmel Fine Art and Music Festival, coming up the weekend of September 7th to 9th on the grounds of Mount Carmel. I will be writing more about this event and what you can expect closer to the date, of course, but suffice it to say if you have never visited Mount Carmel you are in for a treat. It is a glorious space overlooking Niagara Falls, and I never fail to have a good feeling whenever I visit. Sadly, the outside labyrinth for walking that was next door on the grounds of the Christian Life Centre is no longer there, but I walk the grounds regularly and find peace not many steps from the tourist area of the Falls. For more information on the festival in the meantime, go to www.carmelfineart.ca.
Speaking of art, remember the Downtown Night of Art in St. Catharines in October each year, organized by the late and lamented St. Catharines & Area Arts Council? The organization may now be long gone and with it the Night of Art in October, but a new initiative known as Niagara Nights of Art will be presenting Art City in St. Catharines September 15th, starting at 12 noon and going well into the night. There will be art-making workshops, street performances, live music, theatre readings and dance, and it is all free. More on this when the date approaches, too, but for now there is a call out for volunteers who want to take part. You can email artcityvolunteer@gmail.com if you are interested in helping out. Just be sure to include your phone number and age.
Finally, Sunday September 16th will see the 10th anniversary of the Willowbank Jazz Festival, although this year the event has been moved off the grounds of the Willowbank Estate and over to Ravine Vineyard Estate Winery in St. Davids, a lovely setting we have enjoyed visiting for dinner and performances in the past. It really is an idyllic setting with rolling vineyards and great scenery to go with the music. Tickets are available by calling Willowbank at 905-262-1239, ext. 21. I will write more about this with the lineup planned closer to the event, but you might want to mark it on your calendars now as it promises to be a big event.
Enjoy your weekend!
August 18th, 2012.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
A Word or Two about the Stratford Shakespeare Festival
I just got back from a day trip to Stratford on the weekend, just after the opening last week of Christopher Plummer's celebratory one-man show, A Word or Two, and I'll have more than a word or two to say about it momentarily. But first, the latest news from the Festival came yesterday with a release announcing the completion of the changing of the guard at the top of the Festival for the coming season.
I wrote in this space earlier this season when it was announced Artistic Director Des McAnuff would be leaving at the end of this current season, and General Director Antoni Cimolino had been appointed as the new Artistic Director effective November 1st of this year. Having seen the work Antoni has done in the past with the Festival, I think this is a good fit for all concerned, and we can expect some good things in the coming years at Stratford.
Now it has been announced Anita Gaffney will take over as Executive Director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as of November 1st of this year. Anita has been with the Festival for 21 years now, most recently as Administrative Director and previous to that as Marketing Director, designing the Festival's customer relationship marketing system, which has proven to be a very successful model. In the release that came out yesterday, Mr. Cimolino noted the family ties run deep at the Festival for Anita, saying: "It seems most fitting that Anita's father, Oliver Gaffney, literally built the Stratford Festival auditorium. He passed on to her a profound love for the Festival and a desire to see it flourish and aspire to reach new heights. This is a passion we share." We'll see where that combined passion takes us starting next year!
Now, speaking of passion, it is no secret Christopher Plummer has a passion for words. They are his life and have been for the better part of eight decades. It should come as no surprise that Plummer, celebrated on both stage and in film for many years now and an Academy Award winner to boot, wanted to help celebrate the 60th Anniversary season of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as well. He has been at the Festival off an on for many years now, almost from the beginning. So, he teamed up with Artistic Director Des McAnuff to revamp his long-running one-man show for the Avon stage, where it continues only until August 26th.
Director McAnuff has helped to bring the words to life along with Plummer and set designer Robert Brill, who has created a staircase of books as a backdrop to the otherwise sparse and simple stage design. The overall effect is breathtaking when you walk into the theatre, as you immediately sense you are in for something special.
When the lights come up and Plummer appears onstage, sitting at the base of the book 'staircase', the applause is immediate and genuine. There is a connection between Christopher and the audience almost from the first words he utters, and it never wavers throughout the 90 minute show. He appears almost frail at first, walking the stage and arranging the props just as he likes them, wearing about the most sensible walking shoes imaginable. But as the show goes on the words invigorate him - and us - as he breathes new life into passages that have touched him over the years from the likes of Shakespeare, Shaw and Wilde to A.A. Milne, Rostand and MacLeish, and even a friendly nod to famed Canadian storyteller Stephen Leacock among many others.
Christopher Plummer has lived life well over the years, some of his exploits being documented in the show, as well as some snippets of his early years and family life in his native Montreal. You never find out too much about his early years, just enough thank you very much. The audience didn't care, of course; they were there to celebrate the written word right along with him and with them, his life as well.
There is alway a danger a show of this nature could veer towards the self-indulgent, but Plummer and McAnuff wisely and carefully choose their course and keep things informative yet light, pleasant but not too probing. The balance works well. Oh sure, it would be nice to hear even longer passages than the short snippets we hear; that is natural in a case like this. But Plummer and McAnuff keep things moving at a good clip and the show never lags.
One of the most gratifying aspects of the show, I found, was the genuine love for Canada and for Canadians he displays throughout. It celebrates Canada as well as Canadian theatre along with his strong associations with both. How can you not appreciate and respect him for that?
Criticism? Not much. Perhaps wearing a belt when his jacket is undone might be nice. But other than that, there is not much to dislike about A Word or Two. Christopher Plummer is a national treasure by now and he could stand on stage and read the proverbial phonebook while they are still around, and the audience would be happy. He doesn't of course, and we're all the better for it.
The run is unfortunately very short for A Word or Two; it closes at the Avon Theatre August 26th. But if you are one of those lucky ones to have already bought your tickets, you will be richly rewarded with a loving tribute to the written word from a man who loves them as much as he loves life itself.
The show may not be perfect, but this is Christopher Plummer all alone onstage, for heaven's sake! When might we have the pleasure of that experience again, you have to ask. As such, a very strong four out of four stars for A Word or Two from this corner.
Enjoy the show!
August 15th, 2012.
I wrote in this space earlier this season when it was announced Artistic Director Des McAnuff would be leaving at the end of this current season, and General Director Antoni Cimolino had been appointed as the new Artistic Director effective November 1st of this year. Having seen the work Antoni has done in the past with the Festival, I think this is a good fit for all concerned, and we can expect some good things in the coming years at Stratford.
Now it has been announced Anita Gaffney will take over as Executive Director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as of November 1st of this year. Anita has been with the Festival for 21 years now, most recently as Administrative Director and previous to that as Marketing Director, designing the Festival's customer relationship marketing system, which has proven to be a very successful model. In the release that came out yesterday, Mr. Cimolino noted the family ties run deep at the Festival for Anita, saying: "It seems most fitting that Anita's father, Oliver Gaffney, literally built the Stratford Festival auditorium. He passed on to her a profound love for the Festival and a desire to see it flourish and aspire to reach new heights. This is a passion we share." We'll see where that combined passion takes us starting next year!
Now, speaking of passion, it is no secret Christopher Plummer has a passion for words. They are his life and have been for the better part of eight decades. It should come as no surprise that Plummer, celebrated on both stage and in film for many years now and an Academy Award winner to boot, wanted to help celebrate the 60th Anniversary season of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as well. He has been at the Festival off an on for many years now, almost from the beginning. So, he teamed up with Artistic Director Des McAnuff to revamp his long-running one-man show for the Avon stage, where it continues only until August 26th.
Director McAnuff has helped to bring the words to life along with Plummer and set designer Robert Brill, who has created a staircase of books as a backdrop to the otherwise sparse and simple stage design. The overall effect is breathtaking when you walk into the theatre, as you immediately sense you are in for something special.
When the lights come up and Plummer appears onstage, sitting at the base of the book 'staircase', the applause is immediate and genuine. There is a connection between Christopher and the audience almost from the first words he utters, and it never wavers throughout the 90 minute show. He appears almost frail at first, walking the stage and arranging the props just as he likes them, wearing about the most sensible walking shoes imaginable. But as the show goes on the words invigorate him - and us - as he breathes new life into passages that have touched him over the years from the likes of Shakespeare, Shaw and Wilde to A.A. Milne, Rostand and MacLeish, and even a friendly nod to famed Canadian storyteller Stephen Leacock among many others.
Christopher Plummer has lived life well over the years, some of his exploits being documented in the show, as well as some snippets of his early years and family life in his native Montreal. You never find out too much about his early years, just enough thank you very much. The audience didn't care, of course; they were there to celebrate the written word right along with him and with them, his life as well.
There is alway a danger a show of this nature could veer towards the self-indulgent, but Plummer and McAnuff wisely and carefully choose their course and keep things informative yet light, pleasant but not too probing. The balance works well. Oh sure, it would be nice to hear even longer passages than the short snippets we hear; that is natural in a case like this. But Plummer and McAnuff keep things moving at a good clip and the show never lags.
One of the most gratifying aspects of the show, I found, was the genuine love for Canada and for Canadians he displays throughout. It celebrates Canada as well as Canadian theatre along with his strong associations with both. How can you not appreciate and respect him for that?
Criticism? Not much. Perhaps wearing a belt when his jacket is undone might be nice. But other than that, there is not much to dislike about A Word or Two. Christopher Plummer is a national treasure by now and he could stand on stage and read the proverbial phonebook while they are still around, and the audience would be happy. He doesn't of course, and we're all the better for it.
The run is unfortunately very short for A Word or Two; it closes at the Avon Theatre August 26th. But if you are one of those lucky ones to have already bought your tickets, you will be richly rewarded with a loving tribute to the written word from a man who loves them as much as he loves life itself.
The show may not be perfect, but this is Christopher Plummer all alone onstage, for heaven's sake! When might we have the pleasure of that experience again, you have to ask. As such, a very strong four out of four stars for A Word or Two from this corner.
Enjoy the show!
August 15th, 2012.
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