tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-172295412024-03-18T17:12:57.764-04:00A day in the Life of a TorontonianThis blog describes the exploits of Rich and Annie in Toronto including the interesting events and attractions that this city offersA.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.comBlogger256125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-72718175334426527292024-03-13T19:02:00.026-04:002024-03-18T17:12:11.156-04:00Theatre 2024: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLsP3NBtglpfxbWUCujUDmOis4NVmpQyty2vZMjWyshn-hP9N8X_YK1AfdcuB4z9kLQa7vXCtounvUz7eTwXsv3TTCJOv477AeG1OjxWR0SuJ_mdtXIUWuqsQJY4lLPvK_2X7aI6K5RqDk6nREJu-df4u9o6V7oyZoPKtugbxp45i1KzhVqB5/s1600/A_R&G1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBLsP3NBtglpfxbWUCujUDmOis4NVmpQyty2vZMjWyshn-hP9N8X_YK1AfdcuB4z9kLQa7vXCtounvUz7eTwXsv3TTCJOv477AeG1OjxWR0SuJ_mdtXIUWuqsQJY4lLPvK_2X7aI6K5RqDk6nREJu-df4u9o6V7oyZoPKtugbxp45i1KzhVqB5/w640-h160/A_R&G1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The final show in our “Off-Mirvish” subscription series was the remounting of Tom Stoppard’s 1966 absurdist play <b>Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead,</b> highlighting two minor characters from Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Within the context of the play Hamlet, Rosencranz & Guildenstern (henceforth mentioned together as R&G) are two bumbling former childhood friends of the Danish Prince who are summoned to Elsinore Castle by his mother Gertrude and stepfather Claudius to observe and report on Hamlet’s strange behaviour. They watch on as Hamlet mounts the play “The Murder of Gonzago” to trap Claudius into admitting that he murdered Hamlet’s father. In response, Claudius bribes R&G into betraying Hamlet by escorting him by boat to England with a letter to the English King requesting Hamlet’s execution. Hamlet discovers the plot and switches the letter with a new one indicating that R&G should be put to death instead.<p></p><p>To some degree, Stoppard’s play retells this small subplot of the play Hamlet, but from the perspective of R&G. We first meet the pair as they sit together in an indeterminant location, repeatedly playing a game betting on whether a flipped coin comes down heads or tails with the winner pocketing the coin. Guildenstern stubbornly calls “Heads” and loses 89 consecutive coins which seems to violate basic laws of probability. This coin flip scene is our first clue that we are watching an absurdist play. Absurdism is the philosophy that the universe is irrational and meaningless and trying to find meaning is a useless endeavour that leads to conflict. Theatre of the Absurd is a term coined for plays that focus on absurdism. Throughout the play, Guildenstern becomes upset at the incongruity of his experiences and acts out aggressively because of it. Rosencrantz is gentler in nature and seems satisfied to just go with the flow since he can’t (or won’t) actively change anything anyways. He just wants to be happy and to make his friend happy as well, to the point where he rigs a new coin game so that Guildenstern would win every time.</p><p>R&G seem unsure of who they are (mixing up each other’s names), why they are there, where they are headed, or what they can remember. This theme of Individual Identify or lack thereof, further accentuates the irrationality of the universe. They meet up with a theatre troupe led by a character known as “The Player” who seems to hold the answers to their confusion but does not or cannot reveal them clearly to R&G. When they first meet, the Player refers to R&G as “fellow artists” as if alluding to the fact that the pair are actually actors or characters within a larger story (i.e. the play of Hamlet?). Because of this, it is debatable whether R&G have any free will or ability to change a destiny that has already been pre-determined for them. While they consider it, they make no efforts to choose any path other than the one laid out for them. Their fate and the inevitability of their deaths are so set in stone that it is actually in the title of Stoppard’s play (no spoiler alert required). In this regard, R&G act as a stand-in for the “everyman” since death will ultimately come to us all.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1B8K8KIl4F-7k1o4MA146Yu6zoYSo8ExvXSyTjKMrvhkwmrmKkC2ZjB6l4bkZLu7GEv4P0LbS9rST8nrYJRNqgt6zJ-hq41Py-xXTcNadkZYJtcHNHHpksHe9AnVW9H7YSVuZd22XQvRzw8J-1OaXL3tGfIn2jiO95YP0jGNHt0lSeuoyS-t4/s1211/RGD%20(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="1211" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1B8K8KIl4F-7k1o4MA146Yu6zoYSo8ExvXSyTjKMrvhkwmrmKkC2ZjB6l4bkZLu7GEv4P0LbS9rST8nrYJRNqgt6zJ-hq41Py-xXTcNadkZYJtcHNHHpksHe9AnVW9H7YSVuZd22XQvRzw8J-1OaXL3tGfIn2jiO95YP0jGNHt0lSeuoyS-t4/w400-h189/RGD%20(4).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Stoppard cleverly weaves actual scenes from Hamlet with the extra discourse and musings between Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and the Player. When speaking to any of the other characters within the play Hamlet, the Shakespearean text is quoted making it very meta since we are watching a play within a play. The two titular characters are played by Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd who previously paired up to play the Hobbits Merry and Pippen in the movie version of Lord of the Rings.They are both excellent in their roles as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern respectively, especially Monaghan whose facial expressions exude his character’s sweet innocence and bewilderment.<p></p><p>I’m not sure that I fully appreciate Theatre of the Absurd and why plays of this genre are considered entertaining. Perhaps it takes too much brain power for my taste. At very least, Hamlet is referenced in this Stoppard play, which gives it some relatable context for those who are familiar with Shakespeare’s classic as opposed to watching the absurdist play Waiting For Godot, or as I like to call it, “Waiting for this Play to End”. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is a three-act play that spans over three hours including two short intermissions. This is an extremely long time to concentrate and try to follow along while inane, nonsensical dialogue is rapidly dispensed. In the end, what I got out of it is this: “Life is absurd and then you die”. I think this could have been conveyed in about half the time.</p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-68661722913067848732024-03-05T06:29:00.069-05:002024-03-17T19:58:27.303-04:00Theatre 2024: Aladdin<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXIq1xU3RJB34l5UOJ4HyuMr8PtPLJpn9bZT69JqWGdj9_Jbe9y4UJpd3whtdCRs01_oYFXQG_LmhYVySj0h2566ExkbwKbBnXl4pJMqInzot6SPeUVSCYW6hnCugDcKlzn7MSUxg9FLaFxQOuTEsNtWl8hjK-kgvYzA6skRpeKKrouTBO93r/s540/AladdinWonderfulLamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="413" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXIq1xU3RJB34l5UOJ4HyuMr8PtPLJpn9bZT69JqWGdj9_Jbe9y4UJpd3whtdCRs01_oYFXQG_LmhYVySj0h2566ExkbwKbBnXl4pJMqInzot6SPeUVSCYW6hnCugDcKlzn7MSUxg9FLaFxQOuTEsNtWl8hjK-kgvYzA6skRpeKKrouTBO93r/w153-h200/AladdinWonderfulLamp.jpg" width="153" /></a></div>The next show in our 2023/24 Mirvish subscription series was a touring revival of the 2014 stage musical <b>Aladdin</b>, adapted from the same-named 1992 Disney animated film featuring songs by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. This movie was part of Disney’s “Renaissance” of commercially successful animated musicals that included The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. In turn, the film is based on the story of <b>Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp</b>, a much darker Middle-Eastern folktale associated with the stories told in One Thousand and One (Arabian) Nights. In that folktale, Aladdin is portrayed as lazy, greedy, self-entitled and kills two men (abeit evil sorcerers)—hardly the hero of modern-day depictions.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcJYWUeSQsm3Z61nfTVnWhri5laHoklnK7jwWiugoog4xX0rIWsXhiS2rtQ0GI6WGnyd93EEHUPfiGXnWK1kKY9ISlVdHtkxdoJNhvVnyr75w2ijVKr7yioixPW7QlBcS2haGs3tUdVQu9xfcl_b836mlVYiOJc5SH7C4x2LBRpRPes2Y2oF0/s684/A_Aladdin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="684" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcJYWUeSQsm3Z61nfTVnWhri5laHoklnK7jwWiugoog4xX0rIWsXhiS2rtQ0GI6WGnyd93EEHUPfiGXnWK1kKY9ISlVdHtkxdoJNhvVnyr75w2ijVKr7yioixPW7QlBcS2haGs3tUdVQu9xfcl_b836mlVYiOJc5SH7C4x2LBRpRPes2Y2oF0/w510-h317/A_Aladdin1.jpg" width="510" /></a></div>In <b>Disney’s sanitized film version</b>, Aladdin is a poor, thieving street urchin with a heart of gold who roams around the Middle-Eastern city of Agrabah with his sidekick Abu, a chattering little monkey. He meets and falls in love with Princess Jasmine, but it is decreed by her father the Sultan that she must marry a prince. The evil sorcerer and royal advisor Jafar seeks possession of a magic lamp with a genie inside who can grant three wishes. Jafar’s minion is an ill-tempered parrot aptly named Iago. The lamp is hidden inside a cave that only can be entered by a heroic “diamond in the rough” and Jafar realizes that Aladdin is the one. Through mishaps in retrieving the lamp, Aladdin ends up becoming the genie’s master and wishes to be turned into a prince so that he can marry Jasmine. Aladdin arrives at the palace riding a giant elephant (actually a transformed Abu) and woos Jasmine by taking her on a magic carpet ride while singing the now iconic song “A Whole New World”. Jafar unmasks the fake prince and takes control of the lamp and genie, but Aladdin outwits him and marries Jasmine for the prerequisite Disney happy ending.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvU2rVMLiFQ3Oo-eTa6Bp-mjoaqwNXL_C1vWdtBrLfLze3KRd4VoB5p64s3Ay06Gsc5bGH2Z8BhS5_kBrDa4QTJjIq8xy2z3HACauyhdp7UlIPOTea9tRjgWNE2MvFgEzWlEfp_qSvzgZwTV-O9dyzxLIBQFxCMGXOOa_vHXoxCfeOy3WCqv3G/s905/A_Aladdin1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="905" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvU2rVMLiFQ3Oo-eTa6Bp-mjoaqwNXL_C1vWdtBrLfLze3KRd4VoB5p64s3Ay06Gsc5bGH2Z8BhS5_kBrDa4QTJjIq8xy2z3HACauyhdp7UlIPOTea9tRjgWNE2MvFgEzWlEfp_qSvzgZwTV-O9dyzxLIBQFxCMGXOOa_vHXoxCfeOy3WCqv3G/w560-h263/A_Aladdin1a.jpg" width="560" /></a></div>The late, comedic genius Robin Williams was the voice of the giant blue genie, and his manic, tour-de-force performance still acts as the gold standard for all subsequent portrayals of the genie in live action movies and stage musicals. Singing the showstopping song “A Friend Like Me”, the genie goes through all sorts of magical gyrations to prove his powers, including morphing into various forms and multiplying into many genies, as only can be done through animation. To adapt this movie magic into something that would work in a live theatrical production takes some fancy stagecraft.<div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCSZsDVSsESZ40jG5XJ_G_6wG91txndQfAd-M4YF2Y6UfWbAez83BJw6xKYH1zfaiiXM660APfIE2ZOYNRpcL5L6NQBwlcofV9nEewDDbWR9p-GJRLhJs2x11mJfJ2qUpn_5DwXDXM-aGJVeFxLmb7LdJTbbdWCX72EAzOlGjXQG1io30_xwq/s1600/A_Aladdin1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQCSZsDVSsESZ40jG5XJ_G_6wG91txndQfAd-M4YF2Y6UfWbAez83BJw6xKYH1zfaiiXM660APfIE2ZOYNRpcL5L6NQBwlcofV9nEewDDbWR9p-GJRLhJs2x11mJfJ2qUpn_5DwXDXM-aGJVeFxLmb7LdJTbbdWCX72EAzOlGjXQG1io30_xwq/w640-h160/A_Aladdin1b.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The musical does a great job of recreating the look and feel of the movie, with bright, colourful sets depicting the ancient city of Agrabah, the gilded and bejeweled cave where the lamp is found, and the palace. The flowing silky costumes and in particular, the genie dressed in bright blue and Jafar in his long black robe, all channel the wardrobe of the characters in the film. The animal sidekicks of the film have been replaced with human versions of Iago and Abu, but in place of the monkey are Aladdin’s three goofy but loyal friends Babkak, Omar and Kassim.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17dM0JJ9GY-F33IIBJpHSe7oOSCTZ2ptQkyHgSsAegHqRB1NZBEhyRVHjyn-5nDuLL9X6l1Q5D51sNHJBxxOhxvI2n04ntW4hQ1X33oD-8BVkRS1FrEmiCwjJMMdIoPY7BSbvfvJMe9UfeifRxmGzeFeO5qnfXijcX71OAEETSuug3exgeVzC/s1228/Sidekicks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1228" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi17dM0JJ9GY-F33IIBJpHSe7oOSCTZ2ptQkyHgSsAegHqRB1NZBEhyRVHjyn-5nDuLL9X6l1Q5D51sNHJBxxOhxvI2n04ntW4hQ1X33oD-8BVkRS1FrEmiCwjJMMdIoPY7BSbvfvJMe9UfeifRxmGzeFeO5qnfXijcX71OAEETSuug3exgeVzC/s320/Sidekicks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>While the musical retains the same opening songs to introduce Agrabah (“Arabian Nights”) and Aladdin (“One Jump Ahead”) as in the film, additional songs were added including “<b>Babak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim</b>” which the four friends sing to busk for money. My favourite additional song is “High Adventure” where the three friends set off to the palace and fight royal guards in an attempt to save Aladdin who has been captured and imprisoned by Jafar. Unfortunately, the new song “Proud of Your Boy”, meant to show Aladdin’s desire to honour a promise to his deceased mother to stop stealing, has taken on an infamously negative association when an American far-right, neo-fascist group named themselves “Proud Boys” after this song. Poor Disney must be horrified.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHRDtw-ejo8IDFuNtDxG4YbNBaBUNRUcnstLz2oWpvKmFOTOKRewVRT6bVoze9LMOaG4FIzwa7OYyjwbuqXaEvDV5LOi5ieHC7huqsv-xyE1GYKE89wIlLl1kM40lvpa0NOzZ7qVPc7KkRMGFlQ_Uv8nE5Yc2289ACwHQM0jO-uVjlK0CuNMQ/s1267/Tap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="1267" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHRDtw-ejo8IDFuNtDxG4YbNBaBUNRUcnstLz2oWpvKmFOTOKRewVRT6bVoze9LMOaG4FIzwa7OYyjwbuqXaEvDV5LOi5ieHC7huqsv-xyE1GYKE89wIlLl1kM40lvpa0NOzZ7qVPc7KkRMGFlQ_Uv8nE5Yc2289ACwHQM0jO-uVjlK0CuNMQ/w523-h291/Tap.jpg" width="523" /></a></div>To reproduce the animated extravaganza of the song “A Friend Like Me”, the extended live production number includes dancing waiters performing acrobatic moves, slinky harem girls and a slew of gold-clad, top-hatted tap dancers that look like they just came from the finale of A Chorus Line. Additional lyrics are added to the song including a brief interlude where in quick succession, the genie sings notable lines from other Disney animated musicals including Beauty and the Beast (“Tale as old as time..”), Little Mermaid (“Look at this stuff..”) and Pocohantas (“.. And you’ll never hear the wolf cry…”).</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDeI0G7Zj45kYokKoAFdvPOUoeJgMn9EkS0gZlphdezuPu7aued1Sup6j_2LBgertQyuD1Mjfztymq1h8y5pWxkOXiUuLvS48GhLh6BNd9X6aaJUGqXiGP-r_FSHK6RDd_YrCMI8q_fMDudcSyFSSK0golag5PkVu40ZcmuKb5VgAHHtYogoI/s832/Aladdin%20(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="832" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjDeI0G7Zj45kYokKoAFdvPOUoeJgMn9EkS0gZlphdezuPu7aued1Sup6j_2LBgertQyuD1Mjfztymq1h8y5pWxkOXiUuLvS48GhLh6BNd9X6aaJUGqXiGP-r_FSHK6RDd_YrCMI8q_fMDudcSyFSSK0golag5PkVu40ZcmuKb5VgAHHtYogoI/s320/Aladdin%20(6).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The romantic magic carpet ride scene where Aladdin and Jasmine “soar” through the air was a bit of a letdown in this revival version of the show. My husband Rich and I had actually watched this musical when it first previewed in Toronto in 2013 before heading to Broadway. In that initial production, I seem to recall the carpet swooping across the entire stage with a large moon and starlit backdrop. From what I see on Youtube, it is still like that on Broadway. For our show, the stage went dark, and the carpet made short, constrained movements across a much smaller section of the stage with merely a spotlight on the Aladdin and Jasmine. Also when “Prince Ali” (aka Aladdin in disguise) made his grand arrival at the palace, instead of an elephant he was pushed on stage sitting on what looked like a slightly raised Ikea trolley used to access objects on the top shelf. At very least they could have created a taller platform and covered it with royal trimmings and decorations. I guess these are the staging cuts and compromises that are made for a traveling road show that is only in town for a short period of time.<br /><p></p><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4J_JiTGEQrey4loTsOMVolGyPGjwm6E65Y9uFCowa6KAloeLAztLQJz2GZuElWv_ViAZL3sKQJKOd4dcKnfISRwGaYJlEt56AwzYfZ6vmbvhr4jn5O5nFnHfjwCwkJPoltqbf-H_zOCaEcJfYhRL6DKRRWwGQ0yAu4a_duLD1dbltwhr8PVhyphenhyphen/s1025/Aladdin%20(8).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1025" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4J_JiTGEQrey4loTsOMVolGyPGjwm6E65Y9uFCowa6KAloeLAztLQJz2GZuElWv_ViAZL3sKQJKOd4dcKnfISRwGaYJlEt56AwzYfZ6vmbvhr4jn5O5nFnHfjwCwkJPoltqbf-H_zOCaEcJfYhRL6DKRRWwGQ0yAu4a_duLD1dbltwhr8PVhyphenhyphen/s320/Aladdin%20(8).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Better special effects were on display in the grand finale when Jafar takes control of the genie and wishes for himself to be the Sultan and ruler of the lands. In a flash, Jafar’s black robe turns into a white Sultan’s robe. Then when Aladdin tricks Jafar into wishing that he could be the most powerful genie, in another flash his robe turns bright red before he “vanishes” into the lamp that he is now trapped in. Now that is some fancy stagecraft.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>In general, this musical version of Aladdin provides all the feel-good fun of the Disney film. Although it was probably targeted more for families with children, it was still a refreshing change from the many serious, tense or depressing plays that we have watched recently. It was nice to just relax and enjoy an evening out, forgetting about the woes of the world. That is the power of good theatre.</div></div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-36303282083709210482024-02-07T17:09:00.049-05:002024-02-15T11:00:16.414-05:00Theatre 2024: Uncle Vanya @ CAA Theatre<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYFOTFAgmtsn3TlnpZSGqMomEyM-iQtBUsL-YJigmlZFPREzByvJmvWjayl73gdWKK8qLUIPJwL-fc4V5OoLjDI9pKIkR97kISEQs7kZIC8a3JdoQg6GPT9Z_CtqAefuVFNaRx7ZhZt0lUVD7Aio9BgxSz-Xe2XOPtwbtZMHgYnrarVYe_uiGZ/s1600/A_Vanya1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="1600" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYFOTFAgmtsn3TlnpZSGqMomEyM-iQtBUsL-YJigmlZFPREzByvJmvWjayl73gdWKK8qLUIPJwL-fc4V5OoLjDI9pKIkR97kISEQs7kZIC8a3JdoQg6GPT9Z_CtqAefuVFNaRx7ZhZt0lUVD7Aio9BgxSz-Xe2XOPtwbtZMHgYnrarVYe_uiGZ/w640-h168/A_Vanya1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Are the terms “Russian play” and “happy” oxymorons? Or perhaps it is the concept of Chekhovian plays that is incongruous with anything lighthearted or joyful? Because after watching a performance of Anton Chekhov’s classic 1897 work “<b>Uncle Vanya</b>” for the first time, it is hard to imagine a group of more morose, ineffectual people who are not only disappointed with their lots in life but are also bored, unfulfilled and so instilled with inertia that they make no efforts to change their lots in life. There are a few moments of dark comedy since the characters are so pitiful that you are induced to laugh at the absurdity of their often self-imposed plights.<p></p><p>The setting of the play is a country estate run by Sonya, a plain looking spinster and her uncle, Vanya. The pair toil endlessly to keep the run-down property going and send all profits to Sonya’s father, an elderly professor who lives in the city. Also present at the estate is Mariana, an old nursemaid, Vanya’s mother Maria who is an ardent admirer of the professor, Astrov, an old county doctor who Sonya is secretly in love with, and an impoverished neighbouring landowner nicknamed Waffles because of the pockmarks on his face.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifM3wxdd6jd8BBCkBM7mrSRtaQlPLIeMAzeJt6NzuX0y-KERRpVtN_0l4hKACNiFRCcv-82h-02pYR2fnr6SCkFoe41YYV560kV7hbaJBaXIbZDv4qa4wyYMnlofDgXr2E-tfRVZM4G4eNqgy9ZPrL-yg-UG7Iti3M4YJgezVtdZ_-OUDDL7IG/s1600/A_Vanya2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1600" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifM3wxdd6jd8BBCkBM7mrSRtaQlPLIeMAzeJt6NzuX0y-KERRpVtN_0l4hKACNiFRCcv-82h-02pYR2fnr6SCkFoe41YYV560kV7hbaJBaXIbZDv4qa4wyYMnlofDgXr2E-tfRVZM4G4eNqgy9ZPrL-yg-UG7Iti3M4YJgezVtdZ_-OUDDL7IG/w504-h194/A_Vanya2.jpg" width="504" /></a></div>Sonya and Vanya’s mundane but familiar existences are thrown into turmoil when the Professor comes for a visit, accompanied by his beautiful and much younger wife Yelena, who he married after the death of his first wife (also Sonya’s mother and Vanya’s sister). Both Vanya and Astrov are attracted to Yelena and try to woo her despite her being married. She responds to Vanya’s advances with disdain but reciprocates Astrov’s feelings. In a North American play, Yelena and Astrov would end up running away together in pursuit of their happy ending. But this is Chekhov’s world where Yelena stays with the elderly professor who she no longer loves, either out of guilt and a sense of commitment, or more likely due to inertia and lack of will to act.<p></p><p>The other major dramatic plot point occurs when the professor insensitively announces that he has decided to sell the estate in order to fund a more lavish lifestyle for himself and Yelena in the city. Perhaps they can buy a “summer cottage in Finland”. He treats the issue that this will leave his daughter and brother-in-law homeless and jobless as a minor inconvenience that he hasn’t fully considered yet and totally ignores the fact that the estate actually belongs to Sonya and is not his to dispose of. The professor’s thoughtlessness and lack of gratitude towards him finally causes Vanya to explode in rage. This leads to a huge fight culminating on Vanya firing a gun at point-blank range, missing the professor twice. He is a failure even in this regard and his dismay is comical. After decades of apathy and acceptance, when Vanya finally tries to take action to change his fate, he does not succeed. In the end, the professor backs off from the idea of selling the estate and leaves with Yelana. Sonya and Vanya return to their old routines with Sonya comforting Vanya by implying that although they feel unhappiness now, one day they will find peace and joy in heaven. She softly repeats the words “we shall rest” over and over and over again, as if to emphasize the monotony and emptiness of their current lives. Despite her hope for the afterlife, this ending felt extremely depressing.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWZBe4S9g6qK_O-NSc8llJwSky1WnRmJwC31m9CgIMkyyKliAhpBdxTSal3b2iiO0H0HP-d8Xcv9aSSZ6nM4gWQUn8g2bo41iXjPBwjfbnMPUGh8HcWnDyIphwkRTUOZzGp89Odoz9ke0ScyCYr96qamgKe_q4NgZ8wl-FFecORDZRonL-i9U/s1000/Wood%20Demon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="612" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxWZBe4S9g6qK_O-NSc8llJwSky1WnRmJwC31m9CgIMkyyKliAhpBdxTSal3b2iiO0H0HP-d8Xcv9aSSZ6nM4gWQUn8g2bo41iXjPBwjfbnMPUGh8HcWnDyIphwkRTUOZzGp89Odoz9ke0ScyCYr96qamgKe_q4NgZ8wl-FFecORDZRonL-i9U/w156-h255/Wood%20Demon.jpg" width="156" /></a></div>Ironically, Uncle Vanya is based on a prior unsuccessful comedic play called The <b>Wood Demon</b> that Chekhov wrote eight years earlier in 1889. Featuring a cast of 15 characters (compared to Uncle Vanya’s 8), The Wood Demon was panned as being long-winded, convoluted and facetious, perhaps curing Chekhov from further attempts at writing comedies. That he was able to trim the cast by half, take the best ideas from The Wood Demon and convert it into the classic drama which is Uncle Vanya speaks to his talent. Unlike the characters in his play, his strength of character allowed him to turn failure into triumph.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifj_jd8zenM7mN6RQgAKxGNZGz4mRTiJ3hj03H4FHXRHe5td_7wzU_S8igDaGCuonBKPbvkxZsmDiygqbQq4mftfJmK2xeHyuaMZvX0NFCWlOdut83ohQsTHEtYoaXqPxA6cJpxBOGdYchHyAJQvGY5Tbzm9g1WRL_e3odanve2T9sYNVtKTe3/s1800/Uncle%20Vanya1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifj_jd8zenM7mN6RQgAKxGNZGz4mRTiJ3hj03H4FHXRHe5td_7wzU_S8igDaGCuonBKPbvkxZsmDiygqbQq4mftfJmK2xeHyuaMZvX0NFCWlOdut83ohQsTHEtYoaXqPxA6cJpxBOGdYchHyAJQvGY5Tbzm9g1WRL_e3odanve2T9sYNVtKTe3/w400-h266/Uncle%20Vanya1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Uncle Vanya was one of the first plays to concentrate on the environment and the harmful effects of over-development at the expense of Nature. Dr. Astrov was a great proponent of conservation, lamenting the destruction of Russia’s forests. The play was also lauded for its realistic characters, naturalistic dialogue and universal themes of unfulfilled potential, wasted lives, unrequited love and failed ideals. Yelena’s name is interesting as this translates to a variation Helen in English and her character draws parallels to Helen of Troy. While not quite launching a thousand ships and starting an epic war, Yelena’s presence did ignite previously dormant emotions in both Vanya and Astrov.<p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaUBiGDfxYJBJt1qvMeVPFWLjc0s_0V9-lrGQ9xRYvudPMChM66J89IkCFXXsjY_5w1Pbj76yWHVBxbaVu2emLDpqSdEkRipf86-mFtV8839c-IEj7qLSrxqWF-RDGWmoGA7Yx8xREYqANHhrBRsoUwFVyL44k5xrgry8dS9QsG0E_6HROrFQ/s1600/A_Vanya3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="1600" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaUBiGDfxYJBJt1qvMeVPFWLjc0s_0V9-lrGQ9xRYvudPMChM66J89IkCFXXsjY_5w1Pbj76yWHVBxbaVu2emLDpqSdEkRipf86-mFtV8839c-IEj7qLSrxqWF-RDGWmoGA7Yx8xREYqANHhrBRsoUwFVyL44k5xrgry8dS9QsG0E_6HROrFQ/w640-h164/A_Vanya3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Although it is part of the Off-Mirvish subscription series, this version of Uncle Vanya is actually a remount of a 2022 Crow’s Theatre production. Crow’s has impressed us time and again with their innovative staging and while the fixed structure of the CAA theatre limits what can be done, there were still some great touches added to the setting of the crumbling estate where the play takes place. To emphasize how run down the manor is, in the first scene, water appears to be dripping from the ceiling into a bucket and when Vanya makes his entrance through a set of rickety wooden doors, one of the doors actually comes off its hinges. A broken beam representing the rafter of the manor extends beyond the stage into the audience, further emphasizing the decrepit state of the home as well as adding a slight touch of immersive staging to the set. The glass wall stage right gives the illusion of a garden on the other side. I would have liked to see the original staging of this play within Crow’s Theatre’s Guloien Theatre since from accounts that I read, that production was truly immersive and in the round.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTnfF4OS1GGgqGTRIm7oVUybWKU5gX3FXzZaJm1XDfdXA7RKhXHhuH8-t_25YjscCJPsr2J1y4-o-aNhgDQT3krG6H4AjsolNM1h1VrKTAleriQRHbxpzAacoZOUXZCn4Wt8OROm-3e82dPy7801eoSo4ywlQT-yNVMXQLAXZJGJhZQ74pdmQ/s751/Uncle%20Vanya%20Family%20Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="751" data-original-width="565" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKTnfF4OS1GGgqGTRIm7oVUybWKU5gX3FXzZaJm1XDfdXA7RKhXHhuH8-t_25YjscCJPsr2J1y4-o-aNhgDQT3krG6H4AjsolNM1h1VrKTAleriQRHbxpzAacoZOUXZCn4Wt8OROm-3e82dPy7801eoSo4ywlQT-yNVMXQLAXZJGJhZQ74pdmQ/w202-h268/Uncle%20Vanya%20Family%20Tree.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>The excellent cast included a few familiar faces. One was the Tom Rooney who played Vanya. We saw him in the Crow’s Theatre production of 15 Dogs in 2023 and he was superb in that show as the black poodle Majnoun. Rooney is equally impressive in Uncle Vanya, making you feel his pathos and share in his pain. Eric Petersen plays the smaller role of the professor with the right amount of arrogance, bluster and insensitivity. We watched him in several past productions of Billy Bishop Goes to War. I’m not sure if this is becoming a new Crow’s Theatre trademark, but just like Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 which we watched earlier this year, the <b>program</b> for Uncle Vanya contained a Family Tree to help us tell the characters apart. Maybe it is because both of these Russian-based plays feature characters with impossibly long names.</div><div><br /></div><div>From the purpose of enriching our literary and cultural knowledge, watching Uncle Vanya was enlightening and important. But from an entertainment perspective, my husband Rich summed it up best. It felt like the theatrical equivalent of eating a kale salad. He knows that it is good for him but saying he enjoyed the experience might be a bit of a stretch. One thing that it did do was make us appreciate our own relatively happy and fulfilling lives all the more.</div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-42520231168941657902024-01-02T16:07:00.082-05:002024-01-11T17:13:19.757-05:00Theatre 2024: Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWm24InvwAZ8A2eAL7yvp4ee21SWbzYbZRw6ZqXde3IXxMm3hFtsMUyVd1H9dMV5a0AN9qmyB7gmR88G6KDMliehzlZxIz9e-55fkbm-lFz82lR8tGqN6VaOM4lcVCNJwjRD-Au1j8LrLGYszftIZJUlvmUIw63qhK5SC4WDjJ6QuyHB7tVcHx/s1600/A_Natasha%20(1a).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="1600" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWm24InvwAZ8A2eAL7yvp4ee21SWbzYbZRw6ZqXde3IXxMm3hFtsMUyVd1H9dMV5a0AN9qmyB7gmR88G6KDMliehzlZxIz9e-55fkbm-lFz82lR8tGqN6VaOM4lcVCNJwjRD-Au1j8LrLGYszftIZJUlvmUIw63qhK5SC4WDjJ6QuyHB7tVcHx/w640-h162/A_Natasha%20(1a).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>We originally had tickets to see the musical <b>Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812</b> back in February 2021 before COVID canceled all live theatre. In January 2024, we were happy to finally be able to watch this demanding show that is based on part of Leo Tolstoy’s epic 1225-pages literary tome War and Peace. That opus spans from 1805-1820 and weaves fictional interactions between five noble families within the timeframe of the Napoleonic wars. It also includes lengthy discussions on history and philosophy. The musical over covers a very small section (less than 100 pages) of the second of 4 books and 2 epilogues within the novel.<p></p><p>As its unwieldy title implies, the musical concentrates on the plight of Countess Natasha Rostova, an impressionable young romantic pining for her fiancé Andrey who is away at war. Natasha is further disillusioned by Andrey’s father and sister who don’t approve of her. To distract herself, Natasha travels to Moscow to visit her godmother Marya with her cousin and best friend Sonya accompanying her. While attending the opera, Natasha meets and is seduced by the lothario Anatole who convinces her to break her engagement to Andrey and “elope” with him instead, despite his already being secretly married. Anatole is the brother of Helene, who is married to the titular Pierre, a wealthy, socially awkward misfit who struggles with philosophical questions that are a reflection Tolstoy’s own beliefs. Natasha is saved from total ruin when Sonya discovers and foils the elopement plan. But Natasha has destroyed her chances with Andrey and unsuccessfully attempts suicide in despair. Pierre comforts Natasha and gives her hope for the future, then witnesses the passing of the Great Comet of 1812 (the other part of the musical’s title and a historic phenomenon that was visible by the naked eye for 260 days).</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzOaXKw8wFiAtLNkCczUDa9VpCMaGATWZKgLOd9JvzaPNpOc02WhaTPA1w5o-GGbsIgyb1UgAck1nFKrsMGRgf0xRsZnO8j5dUf8GV0kjcVqcoXkaV-bsZLoZY4K9ycDfYj_QtpgMZHPcxCRu3G61eLdAYdhhuEKzwLC5e1SQp1EtbQV0x-bW/s1600/A_Natasha%20(1b).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1178" data-original-width="1600" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvzOaXKw8wFiAtLNkCczUDa9VpCMaGATWZKgLOd9JvzaPNpOc02WhaTPA1w5o-GGbsIgyb1UgAck1nFKrsMGRgf0xRsZnO8j5dUf8GV0kjcVqcoXkaV-bsZLoZY4K9ycDfYj_QtpgMZHPcxCRu3G61eLdAYdhhuEKzwLC5e1SQp1EtbQV0x-bW/w384-h284/A_Natasha%20(1b).jpg" width="384" /></a></div>The first song of the show, titled “<b>Prologue</b>”, acknowledges and makes fun of the complicated source material as well as the large cast of characters with lengthy Russian names. Singing a cumulative song, in the same vein as “Twelve Days of Christmas”, one by one the characters appear on stage to introduce themselves and then each refrain adds the name and main trait of that character to the top of the verse before reviewing all the previous names mentioned. “.. Anatole is hot .. Marya is old-school .. Sonya is good .. Natasha is young.. and Andrey isn’t here”. There is a visual family tree included in the program which is actually referred to in the song with the lyrics “If you want to keep up with the plot .. complicated Russian novel .. Everyone’s got nine different names .. So look it up in your program”. While singing this amusing song, the cast members dance around and actually gesture to the programs on the laps of the audience members sitting in the front rows.<p></p><p>The musical is sung-through meaning that there is no spoken dialogue, except for a few comforting lines expressed by Pierre to Natasha for dramatic effect in the penultimate scene. Some of the libretto is taken word-for-word from the English translation of War and Peace. As a result, while most of the lyrics represent dialog between two characters, occasionally they also reflect a character’s inner thoughts or emotions. When Natasha and Sonya first arrive in Moscow, Marya praises Natasha on her engagement to Andrey and Natasha next sings “I blush happily”. This is obviously not part of the conversation, but rather her inner thoughts. Within the same song, Sonya occasionally turns into a narrator. When Natasha tells Marya “My cheeks are glowing from the cold”, Sonya sings “She said, gazing at Marya with kind, glittering eyes”. It is almost as if she is reading text from the novel. There are also instances where a character sings about himself in third-person as Pierre does in his last interaction with Natasha. Pierre sings about himself “Pierre sniffed as he looked at her, but he didn’t speak …”. This constant change of perspective within consecutive lyrics of a song is disconcerting and you have to pay attention to discern between dialogue, internal thoughts and descriptive exposition.</p><p>In addition to the lyrics, the music is also challenging to listen to, with its use of dissonant chords, harsh sounds and varying musical styles. The score is a mixture of Russian folk, classical, indie rock and operatic music and is described by the composer as an “electropop opera”. The songs are definitely not “hum-hum-hummable” to quote an ironic and winkingly self-referential line from Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Row Along. Yet they work when heard in the context of watching the play. These tunes that sounded strange and alienating when merely listening to the soundtrack suddenly feel appropriate and engrossing when supported by the actors in costume, the stagecraft and choreography.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uTLSHSCDFt-yHcFf-a7728a04CkPknoA4NKeowlQKQfVrlR7nqXzhYuVElTyK-qCfpP17shAgmzSVGB4lNs9ZLTjuvjxUoXgsuIQP1aJD8HsXeqVe8zVsGq-urXVQI_UJZGc73uQAY5gFqkdgsJw9yAHUoXX31J_ETOvCvnetWEcMHwKJGWM/s1600/A_Natasha%20(1c).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uTLSHSCDFt-yHcFf-a7728a04CkPknoA4NKeowlQKQfVrlR7nqXzhYuVElTyK-qCfpP17shAgmzSVGB4lNs9ZLTjuvjxUoXgsuIQP1aJD8HsXeqVe8zVsGq-urXVQI_UJZGc73uQAY5gFqkdgsJw9yAHUoXX31J_ETOvCvnetWEcMHwKJGWM/w640-h180/A_Natasha%20(1c).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>While the main orchestra can be seen situated up high, at the back of the stage and the sides of the theatre, they are supported by some of the actors who also play instruments when they are not the central characters of the current scene. When the actor who portrays Andrey and Andrey’s crotchety father is not playing his minor roles, he wanders around playing a clarinet. The actor in the role of Dolokhov, a friend of Anatole who flirts with Helene and gets into a duel with Pierre, plays the accordion, guitar, drums and cello when he is not in a scene. Looking at the program, you see that many of the musicians are also understudies for the main roles.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7h-Act9ClYzzHat9n9G5oCZu8wQP2TOOA7roHvT5Fs-9ffsMgUjengKF2HhDiktrcX3WZ99_xEW0gT3Gtxe8AOrkJevfPlRnlrO9xnk1RSAP1knHYrbEZYd0xjGTF-tuPUPgPZsLqjtsj0E-GuMA9pONhhhacAm-k_g6CloK2o7-do57vEq8v/s1600/A_Natasha%20(1d).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7h-Act9ClYzzHat9n9G5oCZu8wQP2TOOA7roHvT5Fs-9ffsMgUjengKF2HhDiktrcX3WZ99_xEW0gT3Gtxe8AOrkJevfPlRnlrO9xnk1RSAP1knHYrbEZYd0xjGTF-tuPUPgPZsLqjtsj0E-GuMA9pONhhhacAm-k_g6CloK2o7-do57vEq8v/w640-h160/A_Natasha%20(1d).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>As with all the shows that we have watched in the past at Crow’s Theatre, the most impressive part of this musical is the breathtaking staging. Decked out like a Russian opera house bathed in hues of pink and purple and decorated with gilded railings and sparkling chandeliers, the theatre is set up almost “in the round” with stadium seating on 3 sides, forming a “U” shape around the stage. The first row of seating on each side consists of small tables to give the theatre an intimate “cabaret-like” feel. The main stage is a small platform in the centre of the floor with posts on each corner that allow it to be rotated. High above behind the stage and on both sides above the audience are raised “theatre catwalks” where not only the musicians can be found, but also where some of the scenes take place. Steep stairs on either side of the stage lead up to the catwalks and during the show, the actors repeatedly run up and down the stairs and in a circular motion along the catwalks, occasionally while carrying and playing instruments. The energy expended by these actors and musicians is incredible and it felt exhausting merely to watch them. Because the catwalks do not make a full circle, to complete their circuits, the actors would come back down through the audience, often pausing on the steps to sing their songs. To follow all the action, you have to look up and down, left and right, front and back, at least if you are lucky enough to be seated in the centre section as we were. If you are positioned under one of the catwalks, you would miss what was happening above you.<p></p><p>There is much audience interaction in the musical, starting right off the bat with that Prologue song that breaks the fourth wall and talks directly to the crowd to instruct us on how to keep the characters straight by reviewing the program. This continues throughout the show with the characters wandering up and down the aisles and in one case, Anatole even plops himself in a chair between two female audience members, wrapping his arms around them and chatting for a minute. In the show, this illustrates a strange Russian custom to sit quietly for a few minutes before embarking on a journey. Another time, Anatole makes his grand exit by running out the back of the theatre, offering to kiss the hand of any audience member who extends it. I was too shy to stick out my hand but regretted it afterwards as I could have been part of the fun. In other scenes, some of the people sitting in the front rows were pulled onto the stage to join a dance, share a toast or otherwise participate.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMUJAIEnUlYeXG_hatCdZO8_5MbU3Ncyq2924jq1eQ7jXDHAo1tYukJ9bTvXFhbT1W-tAsAUaR_8GBta_bTOqsPGdXIaAUT49VrfE3kV2R9oPfgaT5Fw8tp-2NUJ9wrwtbmMLRE8Pl9vbXiORaWifSmF4iBpVGC_kA1FbK5MjK0ltis7Plh9k/s2385/Troika%20Driver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2149" data-original-width="2385" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfMUJAIEnUlYeXG_hatCdZO8_5MbU3Ncyq2924jq1eQ7jXDHAo1tYukJ9bTvXFhbT1W-tAsAUaR_8GBta_bTOqsPGdXIaAUT49VrfE3kV2R9oPfgaT5Fw8tp-2NUJ9wrwtbmMLRE8Pl9vbXiORaWifSmF4iBpVGC_kA1FbK5MjK0ltis7Plh9k/w230-h207/Troika%20Driver.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>I am assuming that those who wanted to take part chose to come early and claim the seats right up front, since we were forewarned that audience participation would happen. The audience advisory email we received was hilarious as we were told to be prepared for fog, strobe lights, dueling with gunshots, poisoning and (..gasp) ... sleigh riding!!. In fact, the sleigh ride scene where Anatole prepares to run off with Natasha was the most creative bit of staging of the entire show. <b>Balaga, the crazy Trokia</b> (a sleigh pulled by 3 horses) <b>driver</b> races with Anatole to retrieve Natasha while singing “Who’s that madman flying at a full gallop… knocking people over..”. To enact this scene, Balaga stands at the top of the back catwalk and holds long reins in his hands which are attached to the poles on the platform stage below. As he snaps the reins and sings with the clip-clop sounds of hoofs in the background, you can totally imagine the horses racing in front of him.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlw-U4pCH15UxP-yJHEMK8Ox_aZiaO6q7MuewB6r-f6r_JILeHPFdxOtt_CW0jdVlgmfLF0F7sf3xIx1iv2YF6SseNbBe3VFIO6SUsNi3qFKtCJGTzBttSxG3KU4iRXISrWSRYx-WOxVXxBXBZRDtf41j2SYc4_JiW2nCEHoLePy0zu5kATOg/s1600/A_Natasha%20(1e).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtlw-U4pCH15UxP-yJHEMK8Ox_aZiaO6q7MuewB6r-f6r_JILeHPFdxOtt_CW0jdVlgmfLF0F7sf3xIx1iv2YF6SseNbBe3VFIO6SUsNi3qFKtCJGTzBttSxG3KU4iRXISrWSRYx-WOxVXxBXBZRDtf41j2SYc4_JiW2nCEHoLePy0zu5kATOg/w640-h160/A_Natasha%20(1e).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The choreography was very impressive in using the allocated space in the small theatre and especially the small stage. In one party scene, what seemed like the entire cast was twirling and dancing at high speeds on that tiny platform all at once and then a few of the men performed the Russian Squat dance. One false move and someone would have been accidentally kicked off the stage. I watched a Broadway version of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 on Youtube and in my opinion, the intimate setting of the Crow’s Theatre version of worked much better than the staging of the huge Imperial Theatre. In our theatre, the entire audience was relatively close to the action as opposed to on the gigantic, multi-layered Broadway stage where only the few lucky (?) ones with cabaret table seats right on or in front of the stage had that feeling. The people in the nosebleed sections of the stadium seating would be too far away. And while it might have been a cool experience to be sitting in a sunken section on the stage, I’m not sure how much of the show you could actually see from there?<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbUo-QmgzxQmiCccj16pADo8AJIcxEllCJHcq6JC-Tibj7QqZiPMxzFgcgMF_hS-OngM6sTpO3fDjmhc_154yOdooNEBAEPq1zeCdCjqIRCJWiZSDTt6SA9WBFpKqXHJDsajOh8ttQyogdlZ8o4lrhuPkT1Yj51tQMRl8_HsZx6CfaDvFyRrv/s1403/A_Natasha%20(1e1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="399" data-original-width="1403" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfbUo-QmgzxQmiCccj16pADo8AJIcxEllCJHcq6JC-Tibj7QqZiPMxzFgcgMF_hS-OngM6sTpO3fDjmhc_154yOdooNEBAEPq1zeCdCjqIRCJWiZSDTt6SA9WBFpKqXHJDsajOh8ttQyogdlZ8o4lrhuPkT1Yj51tQMRl8_HsZx6CfaDvFyRrv/w640-h182/A_Natasha%20(1e1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The only time that I was disappointed in the Crow’s Theatre staging of Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 was in the representation of the comet in the final song. In consoling Natasha, Pierre realizes that he loves her, and that realization brings new energy and meaning to his life. This is symbolized in his sighting of the comet which before this moment portended disaster and the end of the world. But now he sings “The comet brings no fear. No, I gaze upon it joyfully. This comet .. feels my joyfully uplifted soul, my newly melted heart blossoming into a new life”. With such big words, the sighting of the “Great” comet should be spectacular, and it is so in the Broadway production. The lights go dark, hundreds of lights glow as stars in the sky, and then a gigantic celestial orb lights up above the stage. In the Crow’s theatre production, a small row of 20 lights hanging under the catwalk at the back of the stage light up to represent the comet. They didn't even darken the stage so that we could see them better. This supposedly miraculous and significantly symbolic sighting turned out to be a bit of a letdown in an otherwise brilliantly staged play. It is interesting that historically, this comet actually was visible in 1811, not 1812. Perhaps the word eleven contained too many syllables in an already lengthy title for a musical.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3kbApeGNboW_OcuUGTjcv4n3z8Tcsx3yorSL-HFJHK10FbTeKVN0ut0WG0kBH_4R5BMffynqNBoujdQ4ctPyHSJW1ZVtey1653P5WNhJ62yxC1s8OlPe9_oNc2IuPzfZPoJ4hatJYB3O01dGdndfV_Kes37HC_wi_-kaMt2slQ5aokMVZJTK/s1600/A_Natasha%20(1f).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="627" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3kbApeGNboW_OcuUGTjcv4n3z8Tcsx3yorSL-HFJHK10FbTeKVN0ut0WG0kBH_4R5BMffynqNBoujdQ4ctPyHSJW1ZVtey1653P5WNhJ62yxC1s8OlPe9_oNc2IuPzfZPoJ4hatJYB3O01dGdndfV_Kes37HC_wi_-kaMt2slQ5aokMVZJTK/w575-h225/A_Natasha%20(1f).jpg" width="575" /></a></div>I deliberately selected a show where there was a talkback session with the cast following the performance. We heard about how some of the actors were musicians first in their careers, and how they dealt with learning their complicated roles. While watching the show, I thought some of the cast looked familiar and I was right. Marya was played by <b>Louise Pitre</b> who is best known for starring in Mamma Mia which we watched in 2000. I first saw her even earlier when she played Mrs. Johnson in Blood Brothers back in 1993. <b>Evan Buliung</b> who played Pierre was in Fun Home back in 2017. We actually attended several previous shows starring <b>Hailey Gillis</b> who was Natasha in this one. She was in Ghost Quartet at Crow’s Theatre in 2019 and back in 2017, we saw her in Onegin which is another operatic period piece with themes very similar to this show. I asked the production manager whether they were influenced by the staging on Broadway, and he informed me that they were not allowed to use any part of that since it was copyrighted. This was just as well since for me, the staging for this show was vastly superior.<p></p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-75366051036144522202023-12-26T07:02:00.001-05:002023-12-30T15:25:17.885-05:00Theatre 2023: Pride and Prejudice, Sort Of<p>I am quite familiar with the plot of <b>Pride and Prejudice</b> after having read the classic Jane Austen novel of manners, as well as watching the 1995 British TV miniseries and the 2005 movie with the young, hot actors Colin Firth and Matthew Macfayden respectively starring as the iconic romantic hero, Mr. Darcy. Set in the Regency period between 1811-1820, the story revolves around the Bennet family with five unmarried daughters who are not entitled to inherit from their father’s estate based on the laws of the times which dictate that property can only be passed on to a male heir. The irritatingly pushy mother Mrs. Bennet is desperate to find wealthy spouses for one or more of her daughters so that the family can be supported after Mr. Bennet’s passing. The five girls include beautiful and kindly eldest daughter Jane, handsome, spunky and witty Elizabeth (Lizzy), bookish and reclusive middle child Mary, and the two youngest daughters Kitty and Lydia who are described as insipid, self indulgent and ignorant.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5KmCfozy-A0_XTfMuLlnqBG_3Y-Me8z84ANpPrYRCH1JWT44RaGnGAOOTPQmYrqsdG2BkFmYNScfver1q6wa3IseyxMCJW3b3vGDER7gWMBWXShWmqXH3ObTLtCJ3X41Ty_Qn3CbSE9L0ueiwHxV7i62m3WAzooKK8gfifiYfv_GtEemHrxO/s1599/A_PP%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="1599" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA5KmCfozy-A0_XTfMuLlnqBG_3Y-Me8z84ANpPrYRCH1JWT44RaGnGAOOTPQmYrqsdG2BkFmYNScfver1q6wa3IseyxMCJW3b3vGDER7gWMBWXShWmqXH3ObTLtCJ3X41Ty_Qn3CbSE9L0ueiwHxV7i62m3WAzooKK8gfifiYfv_GtEemHrxO/w640-h154/A_PP%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Most of this ubiquitously well-known story revolves around the romances of Jane and Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and to a lesser extent, Lydia and Mr. Wickham. The general consensus is that title of the book refers to Mr. Darcy’s pride causing him to look down on the “lower class” and Elizabeth’s prejudice in judging Darcy based on first impressions. There is just as much evidence in the book to argue that Elizabeth’s pride was hurt when she overheard Darcy flippantly denigrate herself and her family when they first met, and that Darcy was prejudiced against the Bennet girls due to their need to marry in order to avoid their unfortunate circumstances. Regardless, these two “character flaws” are the plot devices used to keep the Lizzy and Darcy apart for the bulk of the book. In terms of tropes used in romance novels, not much has changed over the centuries. The story has been adapted so many times and in so many ways. There is a spoof novel called Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, multiple movies and plays with or without a modernized spin and several musicals including the 1959 version called “First Impressions”, which was originally going to be the title for this novel.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQXpYrXji4Y17CS_0s6e5wv80Cnaap36fEgM36RrUpbHPe9gosPTPxdQw320-mgw8lpjlXZuapjYiOXbcmitFnsHnqSlkrAk5sny8A2BTzV-lzgPSWbUYw6Ur2Q7lOQOb3L8RwOyAfWd-trUW58epJ0Oi_0kY6swuZqEND8y8dAWCTROjEoQg/s1600/A_PP%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQXpYrXji4Y17CS_0s6e5wv80Cnaap36fEgM36RrUpbHPe9gosPTPxdQw320-mgw8lpjlXZuapjYiOXbcmitFnsHnqSlkrAk5sny8A2BTzV-lzgPSWbUYw6Ur2Q7lOQOb3L8RwOyAfWd-trUW58epJ0Oi_0kY6swuZqEND8y8dAWCTROjEoQg/w640-h160/A_PP%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Accordingly, when <b>Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort of)</b>, the play originally from Glasgow that won the 2022 Olivier award, arrived on the slate of the 2023-24 “Off-Mirvish” subscription series, one had to wonder what new ideas were left to freshen up this old tale. As it turns out, this rendition of the classic romantic drama is a <b>hilarious jukebox musical comedy</b> featuring five talented actresses who play all the relevant roles from the novel, darting behind a screen or off stage to switch costumes and characters. As a framing device, the plot of Pride and Prejudice is told from the perspective of the servants of the various households, which the same five actresses also play. This allows them to provide extra exposition such as explaining the inheritance laws of the time, to introduce or identify new characters as they first appear on stage and to manipulate the sparse props required by the story. They also stress the important narrative role that servants could play in affecting a plot, such as misdirecting a missive (think about what happened in Romeo and Juliet!). As we sat in the audience waiting for the play to start, we kept hearing a ringing sound which turned out to represent the buzzers used to summon the servants. One by one, they appeared from the back of the theatre wearing plain white cotton slip dresses, yellow rubber gloves and using rags and dusters to “clean” the seats along the aisles.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSd3TaFdyWEQt1QL_44-sS5oCXitYzWOliYK3M8UZYCauUN5nKAUOJ98fNEwY-wQu6r7CPRWpLVLzndFAfdd0kw7WfssAXEip5bmjxgNyZZD47KMaT6qyzI7fM1tEEPcGypjGXpwymDbsCLXyMzmXTCZrM7b7gc_9eyGRWlatJW0gEvAl1RW_/s1582/A_PP%20(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="1582" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilSd3TaFdyWEQt1QL_44-sS5oCXitYzWOliYK3M8UZYCauUN5nKAUOJ98fNEwY-wQu6r7CPRWpLVLzndFAfdd0kw7WfssAXEip5bmjxgNyZZD47KMaT6qyzI7fM1tEEPcGypjGXpwymDbsCLXyMzmXTCZrM7b7gc_9eyGRWlatJW0gEvAl1RW_/w640-h172/A_PP%20(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Once on stage, the servants playfully bantered amongst themselves, dusted and cleaned, and explained their purpose within the play. They then turned on music from a “boom box”, grabbed microphones and belted out the Elvis Costello song “<b>Every Day I Write the Book”</b>, which is the perfect song to reflect their roles in presenting the stories about their employers. This injection of karaoke-styled singing of classic pop songs continued throughout the play, sung by both the servants and the characters within the Pride and Prejudice story. Occasionally instruments were played as part of the musical numbers. In true jukebox musical fashion (or at least for good jukebox musicals), the songs were cleverly selected to fit right in with the plotline. Jane crooned “<b>Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow</b>” by the Shirelles after meeting and becoming instantly smitten with Bingley at a dance. When Elizabeth showed her distain for Mr. Darcy after feeling insulted by him, she retaliated with Carly Simon’s hit song “<b>You’re so Vain</b>”. When Mr. Darcy’s wealthy and powerful aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh made her appearance dressed in flamboyant red dress, naturally Chris de Burgh (pun intended?)’s song “<b>Lady in Red</b>” was performed to usher in her entrance. When the Bennet family was in despair because Lydia had disgraced them by running off with the rakish Mr. Wickham, the sisters belted out “<b>Holding Out for a Hero</b>” in hopes that someone could find and save her from ruining her reputation. And most hilariously, Mr. Darcy finally admitted his feelings for Elizabeth by singing David Cassidy’s hit “<b>I Think I Love You</b>” from the Partridge Family TV series.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zjGMK_2ywxxO6FpG6UdEhq8NHq0hKdcb-RVxThftD7YjIriIvHtzj-2UbmcZ4W9OQwqfV1ZRDixgdgkyN95Z9UyTy8qahaOr0TGp4H_-QwKjV8QLvp6vSdkGbiEs9eEbzgz6OCqxbCp7ZV6ndi39SD3S2e9KgmbRgQpJdVhon-2a_roMPkUO/s1600/A_PP%20(4).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="1600" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zjGMK_2ywxxO6FpG6UdEhq8NHq0hKdcb-RVxThftD7YjIriIvHtzj-2UbmcZ4W9OQwqfV1ZRDixgdgkyN95Z9UyTy8qahaOr0TGp4H_-QwKjV8QLvp6vSdkGbiEs9eEbzgz6OCqxbCp7ZV6ndi39SD3S2e9KgmbRgQpJdVhon-2a_roMPkUO/w640-h154/A_PP%20(4).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The main story of Pride and Prejudice started with one of the servants quoting the actual first line of the novel—“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”. At this point the quick-change artistry began as the actresses jumped from character to character. One of the actresses portrayed Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Darcy and another played Elizabeth’s best friend Charlotte Lucas, as well as Mr. Bingley and his sister Miss Bingley. It was quipped that the siblings "looked nothing alike". A third actress played Jane Bennet, Mr. Wickham and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. A fourth actress had the most roles, taking on Mary Bennet, Lydia Bennet, Mr. Collins, the tedious priest and cousin of Mr. Bennet who would inherit the Bennet estate, as well as Mrs. Gardiner, the sister-in-law of Mr. Bennet. The actress playing Elizabeth Bennet was only responsible for this one role within the main story since she was in almost every scene. Poor Kitty Bennet was only referred to and not shown onstage at all. Comically, Mr. Bennet was purported to be sitting an armchair facing away from the stage while reading a newspaper. As scenes changed, “Mr. Bennet” along with his chair was pushed on and off the stage. At one point, a servant lit a cigar for him, and smoke emanated from the front of the chair.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFGvHZhmptmPcByM0RlS8PKN469ZjKPi9mr9ItLiUEjgpHbvs1G434VXtJhz9zl6Sx6xYPTWsmuDpF4wn8rhOkMs2ye6sOzeAcTkw5nwj7JfFuAucMbBJ30FA9Cg27JjYe2a-PrBrekRiadGUOTpY1GnPD6OG5k2mytpda24pAVlzx-jLvTzm/s1600/A_PP%20(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="1600" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibFGvHZhmptmPcByM0RlS8PKN469ZjKPi9mr9ItLiUEjgpHbvs1G434VXtJhz9zl6Sx6xYPTWsmuDpF4wn8rhOkMs2ye6sOzeAcTkw5nwj7JfFuAucMbBJ30FA9Cg27JjYe2a-PrBrekRiadGUOTpY1GnPD6OG5k2mytpda24pAVlzx-jLvTzm/w493-h176/A_PP%20(5).jpg" width="493" /></a></div>There were other examples of the play’s clever use of props to portray some of Pride and Prejudice’s plot points but in a humorous fashion. With rain in the forecast, Mrs. Bennet forced Jane to ride a horse rather than take a carriage to visit Mr. Bingley, in hopes that she would be stranded due to bad weather and asked to stay longer. Mrs. Bennet’s loud proclamation that “It’s time to mount Willie” (the horse) drew the expected laughs from the audience and then a large plastic horse was brought out which Jane needed a step ladder to climb up onto. To simulate the rain that she encountered, Jane was sprayed with water from the servants’ water bottles. Sitting in the fourth row of the theatre, we actually felt a bit of that spray. In the scene where Elizabeth and her aunt Mrs. Gardiner visited Darcy’s Pemberley estate and viewed a life-sized portrait of him, two servants held up a giant empty picture frame in front of the actress playing Darcy in order to simulate the painting. To reflect Lizzy’s confused emotions upon seeing Darcy’s image and not being able to take her eyes off it, every time she turned around, the portrait “moved” with her so that she was facing it again. This happened a few times and on the last iteration, she turned to face Darcy himself as he had unexpectedly arrived a day early. At this point, there was a sly reference to the 1995 BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice where Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy is infamously wearing a soaking wet, see-through shirt after swimming when he unexpectedly meets Elizabeth. In the play, the servants hilariously asked why Darcy was not wet, which would be totally out of context if you did not understand the reference.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHgUA4pBXgGtFU7dSW4LMshlM31Y3JTF910AfAN7ummm1NidpNTya21NTqX48sGASc5nSJrqWZ4ZOIdXD2LBVOhYi2RVsHGQmKVQP8tGvfIN5p7yu3_y64xjodd9MCGphm00HksRXtVYkmSIB8D6y7oFljI_uQmpXPeCC_QKdI2ZB_6QKX0Bp/s1521/IMG_4687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1521" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHgUA4pBXgGtFU7dSW4LMshlM31Y3JTF910AfAN7ummm1NidpNTya21NTqX48sGASc5nSJrqWZ4ZOIdXD2LBVOhYi2RVsHGQmKVQP8tGvfIN5p7yu3_y64xjodd9MCGphm00HksRXtVYkmSIB8D6y7oFljI_uQmpXPeCC_QKdI2ZB_6QKX0Bp/w640-h434/IMG_4687.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Despite the limited cast and the camp and silliness, Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort of) does an amazing job of hitting all the important plot points of the source material. It does add a few anachronisms such as the metal step ladder for mounting the horse, the doc marten boots worn by the servants, the karaoke machine and wireless microphones, but they just add to the fun. There was also some swearing (even by the ladies) thrown in for comic effect as well as a very funny recurring subplot where Lizzy’s friend Charlotte is actually gay and pines for Elizabeth while settling for marrying dull Mr. Collins. Lizzy is totally oblivious to Charlotte’s feelings and misses all the subtext behind her words. The servants had the last word and closed the show by singing a rousing rendition of “<b>Young Hearts Run Free</b>” by Candi Staton.<div><br /></div><div>This was one of the most enjoyable, entertaining and creative plays that we have watched in a long time. We laughed, we cheered, and we bopped along to the tunes. I wish that they would film a West End production like they do with so many other plays so that it will show up on a streaming service, since I would love the opportunity to watch it again.</div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-59446608654927920102023-12-19T18:06:00.098-05:002023-12-26T23:37:51.457-05:00Theatre 2023: 42nd Street<p>The musical play<b> 42nd Street</b> is an adaptation of the 1933 black and white movie of the same name, which in turn is based off of a similarly titled<b> 1933 novel</b> by Bradford Ropes. Located in the heart of Manhattan’s entertainment district, 42nd Street has become synonymous with live theatre in New York City, especially at Times Square where it intersects with Broadway Avenue. The book and the movie probably went a long way in cementing this connotation.</p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpcpTUNf9wdeGQSH4C6A3kuI5wXhH0GDnZDA7NzMOGg7RoSD4aZJOg6KZ-o7W1Fo8JPYhUXAabBFjd4jW0qj6RjzvqGaMZ3XhXKEHC8w_uYwvDPb-7DGtdHoimRU_L7CoG1BIWarKv-eaokXDd892bVU_pWcdUOp_gnb6Yx6FDYHdb9sSN0mW/s991/Book%2042nd%20St.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="718" data-original-width="991" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpcpTUNf9wdeGQSH4C6A3kuI5wXhH0GDnZDA7NzMOGg7RoSD4aZJOg6KZ-o7W1Fo8JPYhUXAabBFjd4jW0qj6RjzvqGaMZ3XhXKEHC8w_uYwvDPb-7DGtdHoimRU_L7CoG1BIWarKv-eaokXDd892bVU_pWcdUOp_gnb6Yx6FDYHdb9sSN0mW/s320/Book%2042nd%20St.jpg" width="320" /></a></b></div><b>Bradford Rope’s story </b>describes the backstage politics and power dynamics of Broadway in the roaring 20s. He writes about chorus girls (and boys) subjected to casting couch tactics, the self-proclaimed “male gigolo and man-whore” Pat Denning who accepts money from various wealthy benefactors including the past-her-prime star Dorothy Brock, who herself has an elderly sugar-daddy Abner Dillon financing her latest show, mobsters for hire to separate Pat and Dorothy, the young male lead singer Billy Lawler whose influence over his gay director and lover Julian Marsh results in the firing of any perceived competition, and the fresh-faced but hardly naïve chorus girl Peggy Sawyer who juggles several suitors but ultimately prioritizes career advancement over love and marriage. Much of the action revolves around the casting, rehearsal and performance of the Broadway show “<b>Pretty Lady</b>” which features tap dancing numbers that were extravaganzas in the vein of The Ziegfeld Follies. To simulate the sound of the tapping on the page, Ropes would write “Ticka Tack Toe .. Ticka Tack Toe”. This was not the best written book in terms of literary style or dialog but there were enough gems in the narrative to be mined to produce an Oscar nominated film that was the most profitable movie in 1933 and is now considered a classic.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqZ_1f8mlwSqxBYGltO3G34_UwlF2UUteC6Sd94gI1zmLZbt2tyfIiIaMWI-0zA5YNE1v-xh5cqm-7VgzsImvrLgal23zLY4sg1twZNbIw0nlElYmdBS9PnzAUYjAVd8QgY5Vm35T5xveLF12LqVEFEBiwWQnOCHtUIYkYqNpIamanqpAr1S7/s1600/A_42nd%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqZ_1f8mlwSqxBYGltO3G34_UwlF2UUteC6Sd94gI1zmLZbt2tyfIiIaMWI-0zA5YNE1v-xh5cqm-7VgzsImvrLgal23zLY4sg1twZNbIw0nlElYmdBS9PnzAUYjAVd8QgY5Vm35T5xveLF12LqVEFEBiwWQnOCHtUIYkYqNpIamanqpAr1S7/w640-h160/A_42nd%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>While the <b>movie version </b>of 42nd Street takes some plot points and main characters from the book, it significantly bowdlerizes the seedier elements of Ropes’ novel, replacing them with traditional wholesome Hollywood tropes of the time. The famous director Julian Marsh is still mounting the revue show “Pretty Lady”, but he is no longer gay. Instead, he is ill, and this is likely his last show, making him desperate for it to be a success in order to financially secure his retirement. The timeframe is moved to the early 1930s in the heart of the Great Depression in order to heighten the desperation of all involved for the show to be a hit. As in the book, Dorothy Brock is still the star of the production, which is financed by her rich, older benefactor Abner Dillon while secretly seeing her true love Pat Denning behind Abner’s back. Marsh sends thugs to rough up Dennings to keep him away from Brock. But in the movie, Denning is now an honorable man who is in love with Dorothy yet chafes against taking money from her and seeks to make it on his own. The main narrative follows the old standard storyline where naïve but ultra-talented ingenue Peggy Sawyer is plucked out of the chorus line to become a star and save the show when Dorothy breaks her leg and cannot perform. Billy Lawler is also no longer gay but now is Peggy’s supporter and love interest.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyrgpuHuigjZPv_rEMm0lf0vrJX72r_3mSnn2kZ2lSAs3cc1iqD7i5Y5-R-0keP47RWiOsg_tjhI4vFc3QXL9fkItHMRsIbOj_jeNmV2bOpr4uvgpfVntHogZ4qdiPQbTSeT8uOel5vEzjrWEzRVv-XB-7MnOT8mW2UM0ZIPzB-ivvWvo42ml/s4973/A_42nd%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1235" data-original-width="4973" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyrgpuHuigjZPv_rEMm0lf0vrJX72r_3mSnn2kZ2lSAs3cc1iqD7i5Y5-R-0keP47RWiOsg_tjhI4vFc3QXL9fkItHMRsIbOj_jeNmV2bOpr4uvgpfVntHogZ4qdiPQbTSeT8uOel5vEzjrWEzRVv-XB-7MnOT8mW2UM0ZIPzB-ivvWvo42ml/w640-h158/A_42nd%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Although many taboo subjects from the book were eliminated, this movie was “<b>pre-Hayes Code</b>” so there were still some racy scenes that might not have been included a few decades later. One of the experienced chorus girls named Ann Lowell is nicknamed “Anytime Annie”, about whom the male choreographer Andy Lee quips “She only said no once, and then she didn’t hear the question”. As a prank on Peggy while she is looking for the casting director at the tryouts for Pretty Lady, Ann and some other showgirls send her into Billy Lawler’s dressing room where he is semi-clad in his underwear (in the requisite “meet-cute” scene). During the tryouts, the women are called upon to lift their skirts so that the director can inspect their legs. Director Julian Marsh is physically aggressive with Peggy, grabbing her repeatedly as he tries to whip her into shape to replace Dorothy on short notice. At one point he even yanks her into a kiss to help her get in “the right mindset” for a love scene. None of this would be acceptable in today’s “Me-Too” environment! In another scene at Peggy’s rooming house, a woman in a negligee can be spotted in the background sneaking her lover out of her room. It is interesting how much sexual inuendo was allowed in movies in the 1930s compared to the puritan decades of the 50s and 60s when you could not even show a married couple sharing a bed or use the word pregnancy.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_KxwDS_3NQJzilW9sMHIXm9zg46YfrLPEc_rzG8BGkMFKZeJ5oe_WTqjs4tSy6GGs921NMypXyMM7Xy-md9v-l6tZuM1VMMw2YaEo8Qt1aP88_9ddt1aTZO4WaJbKk-v9dinJVI4VzifiOzbYDpMCfMxGBUdPB_kgFRgOFvdnEyKmFR2sl8I/s1600/A_42nd%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_KxwDS_3NQJzilW9sMHIXm9zg46YfrLPEc_rzG8BGkMFKZeJ5oe_WTqjs4tSy6GGs921NMypXyMM7Xy-md9v-l6tZuM1VMMw2YaEo8Qt1aP88_9ddt1aTZO4WaJbKk-v9dinJVI4VzifiOzbYDpMCfMxGBUdPB_kgFRgOFvdnEyKmFR2sl8I/w640-h160/A_42nd%20(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The movie 42nd Street is deemed a musical, but there are only five songs, and they are only sung as part of rehearsals or performances of Pretty Lady. There is no bursting into song with lyrics to advance the main plot. Even the “show within a show” has no real plot but is rather a series of standalone numbers meant to showcase the tunes written by <b>Harry Warren and Al Dubin</b> including “Shuffling off to Buffalo” and the eponymous finale song “42nd Street”. The main draw of the movie is the series of spectacular dance sequences choreographed by <b>Busby Berkeley</b> including a large cast of dancers creating kaleidoscope-like geometric patterns which he filmed from overhead and from below to create incredible images. Two memorable lines came out of this movie—“By tomorrow, I’ll either have a live leading lady or a dead chorus girl”, and “you’re going out a youngster, but you’ve got to come back a star!”. Up and coming stars Ruby Keeler and Dick Powell starred as Peggy and Billy respectively and would go on to be paired in many more musicals including The Golddiggers of 1933 and Dames. A young (pre-Fred Astaire pairing) Ginger Rogers plays the experienced chorus girl Ann Lowell who catches Abner’s eye after he dumps Dorothy and is first offered the starring role. She turns it down saying that she did not have the chops to carry the show but suggests Peggy instead. In light of the explosion in Rogers’ film and dance career shortly after, this statement seems so ironic.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29eYqMG2HDHupBe8QLYK33ZgujofrJiMz5xJVOXKqmVNPY4oaFL9qYFUSmeSidPJJNGqNqDHEK2hskORSTeAlRha_pg5Rm5cgvvlUoQHyR9PzOVqXcJW6__M_0mUIszWQK2UwgppetiYyN3EfM7w9dlI8AVTPc2f6X0SU5HMsRfnKyZj-BYN5/s1600/A_42nd%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="407" data-original-width="1600" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29eYqMG2HDHupBe8QLYK33ZgujofrJiMz5xJVOXKqmVNPY4oaFL9qYFUSmeSidPJJNGqNqDHEK2hskORSTeAlRha_pg5Rm5cgvvlUoQHyR9PzOVqXcJW6__M_0mUIszWQK2UwgppetiYyN3EfM7w9dlI8AVTPc2f6X0SU5HMsRfnKyZj-BYN5/w640-h162/A_42nd%20(4).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>As part of our 2023/2024 Mirvish subscription series, we watched a <b>touring production of London West End’s latest revival of the live musica</b>l 42nd Street. This show was first staged on Broadway in 1980, winning the Tony awards for Best Musical and best choreography for that year. To expand the show into a full-fledged musical, in addition to using most of the songs from the 1933 movie, popular tunes from other movies of the time including other Keeler/Powell collaborations were added. Songs including “<b>We’re in the Money</b>”, “<b>Shadow Waltz</b>”, “<b>Dames</b>” and “<b>With Plenty of Money and You</b>” were used to beef up the performances within Pretty Lady, although this show-within-a-show still has no real plot. But now, more in the fashion of contemporary "book" musicals, songs are sung by the characters of 42nd Street to advance the main storyline. When Dorothy feels like she is losing Pat, she sings the torch song “<b>Only Have Eyes For Yo</b>u”, and when the cast goes on the road to Philadelphia for pre-Broadway tryouts, they sing “<b>Getting Out of Town</b>”. In addition to more songs, changes to some of the characters and plot made the musical flow more cohesively than both the movie and the book.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOx9obFeAQoOoBdgSqjnjPdFaIT90b-bRgu5ikQ5AqWQ6kHdU-ht6NdZhuH5fNOAR8AgcYnMLdlKIykN6aqo_KtM7u3O2w2M3pCEuaZu4c12RJizdEgB5WWEad5DRaZQVog0Kh0sJCQzhqMXHplyujcYkd5-Us4_vDgsludv7fXeNV0WkVpoh/s1580/A_42nd%20(5).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="1580" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoOx9obFeAQoOoBdgSqjnjPdFaIT90b-bRgu5ikQ5AqWQ6kHdU-ht6NdZhuH5fNOAR8AgcYnMLdlKIykN6aqo_KtM7u3O2w2M3pCEuaZu4c12RJizdEgB5WWEad5DRaZQVog0Kh0sJCQzhqMXHplyujcYkd5-Us4_vDgsludv7fXeNV0WkVpoh/w640-h154/A_42nd%20(5).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Instead of two male producers for the show as in the book and movie, the musical has male and female producers, Bert and Maggie, who are also the songwriters and who act as comic relief both in 42nd Street and in Pretty Lady. Peggy is portrayed as being much more naïve and forms relationships with Maggie and chorus girls Ann, Lorraine and Phyllis, who take her under their wings. In the number “<b>Go Into Your Dance</b>”, Peggy impresses the others and proves her remarkable talent at tap dancing, which clarifies the later scene where Ann recommends Peggy for the lead to replace Dorothy. In the movie, this came out of the blue and made no sense at all. Another major plot change involves how and why Dorothy falls and breaks her leg. In the movie, Dorothy trips in a drunken stupor and jealous rage as she assumes that her beloved Pat is two-timing her with Peggy. In the musical, Peggy bumps into Dorothy during a number in Pretty Lady and causes her to fall. This results in Dorothy demanding and Julian immediately firing Peggy. To set up this scenario, Peggy is portrayed as being klutzy and always bumping into people, which didn’t make sense to me since she is supposed to be such a gifted dancer. The plot device is weak, but the firing sets up the big production number “<b>Lullaby of Broadway</b>” when Julian and the cast realize that they need Peggy to save the show and rush to the train station to convince her to return.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0upNd_tPK7m7wyWX3YF4b3I-OIeJWnHFp-N1guLF_H4ilPvpm3m1iGOhpqAHzGLJDhyYVrrK0XnxlfMMAhB1xMqRiPasEBnmN8sSkalHInhdfkt-ViVUJQHEpWYLEFvN-WGXjPD9Ni_LFTSZRvg6sCbApkE_srSYr2L31G1O0lmQQZ4DAdKg0/s1599/A_42nd%20(6).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="1599" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0upNd_tPK7m7wyWX3YF4b3I-OIeJWnHFp-N1guLF_H4ilPvpm3m1iGOhpqAHzGLJDhyYVrrK0XnxlfMMAhB1xMqRiPasEBnmN8sSkalHInhdfkt-ViVUJQHEpWYLEFvN-WGXjPD9Ni_LFTSZRvg6sCbApkE_srSYr2L31G1O0lmQQZ4DAdKg0/w640-h154/A_42nd%20(6).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>In the performance that we watched, two staircases that sat innocuously on either side of the stage during the rehearsal scenes are pushed together and with the help of some video magic, the Philadelphia Broad St. Station appears right before our eyes. In general, the set design for this show was gorgeous with its Art Deco backdrops and the costumes worn during the Pretty Lady numbers were equally spectacular. Add to that the stellar dance performances and what you get is a light-hearted, fun period musical whose sole purpose is to entertain, which was just what we needed to kick off the holiday season.<p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJiMK7b78ZtuoNY-7HadlGHst2z8OCFkKtgxvJ5jpxD30g8jyTjJhNKqzjHYLEK6eQa7vFm3zYQAs3QqGQFda2SNPN_OwfflkxzOj52A7aftoMe7nCBcwMgToUC9Aoh_u2r3myGhTPZ_HkiQrKbcjSjbPiJ-Ej8ax4xrtrJ53AwR0TldGYKPf/s1600/A_42nd%20(7).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="424" data-original-width="1600" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJiMK7b78ZtuoNY-7HadlGHst2z8OCFkKtgxvJ5jpxD30g8jyTjJhNKqzjHYLEK6eQa7vFm3zYQAs3QqGQFda2SNPN_OwfflkxzOj52A7aftoMe7nCBcwMgToUC9Aoh_u2r3myGhTPZ_HkiQrKbcjSjbPiJ-Ej8ax4xrtrJ53AwR0TldGYKPf/w640-h170/A_42nd%20(7).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>One small point of note is that being a touring road show,
the cast of this production was significantly smaller than the West End revival
that played in the Royal Drury Lane Theatre from 2017-2019 and which was filmed
for streaming access in 2018.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the Toronto
version of the show only had 5 extra chorus girls and 8 chorus boys in the ensemble,
the West End production had over 20 girls and 12 boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their ensemble alone outnumbered the entire
Toronto cast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus by necessity, the
dance numbers that we watched were on a much smaller scale than those of the
original.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the great choreography and talented performers in
our show made their presence seem so large that we did not feel lacking.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73y3LkYzAxO9IkCfQMWGoDyD14LsbHKwvfc9oSr9IwpoRusmWyFQDJBfR-R7gcIWQEX0rI3hQe1J5cGXsMcU4b_PRp6w9lhx6LW8x2_lsEiFXOSeDhKVvQ1CSYBReZdfGCFbznRzX1YzMtaIj1EjtSI72Nf0kP6mafn87YlIuMmreizHJhrK6/s1600/A_42nd%20(8).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="1600" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73y3LkYzAxO9IkCfQMWGoDyD14LsbHKwvfc9oSr9IwpoRusmWyFQDJBfR-R7gcIWQEX0rI3hQe1J5cGXsMcU4b_PRp6w9lhx6LW8x2_lsEiFXOSeDhKVvQ1CSYBReZdfGCFbznRzX1YzMtaIj1EjtSI72Nf0kP6mafn87YlIuMmreizHJhrK6/w640-h166/A_42nd%20(8).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>It is interesting to compare <b>Pretty Lady’s grand finale number</b>
<b>42<sup>nd</sup> Street</b> in the movie versus the musical. In each case, it is a big production piece featuring Peggy and Billy singing the jazzy tune although in the movie, it is sung
with a peppy cadence while in the musical, it is sung with more of a slow,
sultry jazz rhythm (which I liked better!).
The song is meant to convey the atmosphere of the iconic street where you can “Hear the beat of dancing feet”, but also “where the underworld
can meet the elite”. Both the lyrics and
the dance number show that it is not just all good times and song and dance on
the street, but that there is a seedy, dangerous side as well. In the movie version, in the middle of a
dance sequence that features all types of people on the street, a woman is physically
assaulted and murdered. In the musical
version, the shock factor of the scenario is toned down a bit as a purse snatcher is shot dead by the police. The final words of the song sum it all up – “Naughty,
bawdy, gaudy, sporty Forty-Second Street”.
Once again for this number, there are noticeably fewer people in the musical than
the movie, and even fewer people in the touring production than the revival
version.<o:p></o:p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nh_sLlhbU901DXgg4vXVqZBhSzFnPDt-cjmlZqusa0gblALxEpzPL3ASIao7c0j7n56yBDFEsBj7vVqb-NdLKc2fkVxHzN1EVGMd5FEMqKt-MsqPL2Z-85vS4T5xLPOtOocnMZQA2QSgfHpy4D6Y0mTKWws5KdehV_vwXpdEEzBOAd80598D/s934/A_42nd%20(9).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="934" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3nh_sLlhbU901DXgg4vXVqZBhSzFnPDt-cjmlZqusa0gblALxEpzPL3ASIao7c0j7n56yBDFEsBj7vVqb-NdLKc2fkVxHzN1EVGMd5FEMqKt-MsqPL2Z-85vS4T5xLPOtOocnMZQA2QSgfHpy4D6Y0mTKWws5KdehV_vwXpdEEzBOAd80598D/w533-h207/A_42nd%20(9).jpg" width="533" /></a></div>The final scenes in both the movie and the musical focus on director Julian Marsh as opposed to the book which ends on the perspective of the newly minted star Peggy Sawyer. In the movie, Marsh stands alone outside the theatre and morosely listens as patrons walk by praising Peggy while diminishing Julian’s role in the show’s success. In the musical, after Peggy gently rebuffs Julian’s mild romantic overtures and leaves to attend a celebration party with the rest of the cast, he sings the final reprise of 42nd Street. It feels like an eleven o’clock number and leads one to question who is intended to be the main protagonist of this musical—is it Peggy or Julian? The question is further complicated in the final bows. In the Toronto production that we watched, Peggy is clearly the star and gets the final bow while in the filmed West End version, it goes to the actors playing Julian and Dorothy who come out together. Maybe this is just attributed to who were the bigger named actors in each version of the show, but it is still a bit perplexing what was the actual intention of the show creators.<p></p><div>Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable and visually stunning musical that left us happily humming and tapping our feet as we went home. I always thought that it would be fun to learn to tap dance, and this just fueled my fantasy.</div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-65062192727005441582023-11-22T22:00:00.074-05:002023-12-03T09:16:59.974-05:00Theatre 2023: To Kill a Mockingbird<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8sxbtba52D5S_Oxek691SI1HZcJK6ylEW7R11pjBwSIolKBPhiqlaQOypfj36YpQPf_qmvpORFt1C7DHx0pxAPcrIaXte0UJ7TzW_HtLFyxoGjMup8YC3dpxM-yX8LEbHjiNGmKxrItNlfPhpOndH5ahJyDDd-832nLo-7vjdrNrXu8q07U6/s1600/A_Mockingbird%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="1600" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8sxbtba52D5S_Oxek691SI1HZcJK6ylEW7R11pjBwSIolKBPhiqlaQOypfj36YpQPf_qmvpORFt1C7DHx0pxAPcrIaXte0UJ7TzW_HtLFyxoGjMup8YC3dpxM-yX8LEbHjiNGmKxrItNlfPhpOndH5ahJyDDd-832nLo-7vjdrNrXu8q07U6/w640-h168/A_Mockingbird%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>It has been many years since I read the novel “<b>To Kill a Mockingbird</b>”, Harper Lee’s classic coming of age story about six-year-old Scout and her ten-year-old brother Jem, growing up in small town Alabama during the Depression. They lead a carefree existence full of childlike escapades until their widowed attorney father Atticus Finch is called upon to defend Tom Robinson, a gentle black man falsely accused of raping a 19-year-old white girl. This results in a loss of innocence for the children, as they gain first-hand experience of the deep-rooted racism that exists in the South. Told in flashbacks, an adult Scout (aka Jean Louise Finch) recalls the events of her childhood, sometimes gleaning clarity regarding situations or discussions that she could not fully comprehend at the time.<p></p><p>To Kill a Mockingbird won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature in 1961 and the character of Atticus Finch is considered one of the most beloved heroes in literary history, his name synonymous with honour, fairness and courage. Some aspects of this book are based on Lee’s own life. Her attorney father represented black defendants in a high profiled trial, while Scout and Jem’s childhood friend Dill is based on Harper’s best friend and neighbour Truman Capote. The children’s fascination with the neighbourhood recluse Boo Radley is also based on a family who lived in a boarded-up house down the street from Lee’s home.</p><p>It has also been a long time since I first watched the equally famous 1962 movie “To Kill a Mockingbird” starring Gregory Peck as attorney Atticus Finch and newcomer Mary Badham as young Scout. While cutting out many peripheral characters and storylines, the movie followed the plot of the book quite faithfully. The movie was nominated for 8 Academy Awards, winning three including Best Actor for Peck. Although it lost Best Picture to Lawrence of Arabia, it is still listed in the top 100 movies of all time.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBd469svi3Qtmk7JEgPvAJcarfh8C92e0XSp-CtVOUlOYIbpP_IaogEfIFgnzZklL7m_np7uvwH2SjWsZmA0vYUNhszHYyXylPB21V7bDt-VDBx4LLJzSXzpDfUNhp3g-6TuVe7DbQ9urHU45NQ1mNVwNZ2pKP0QUDRcst8_FStqtP8TUFMVJq/s1600/A_Mockingbird%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBd469svi3Qtmk7JEgPvAJcarfh8C92e0XSp-CtVOUlOYIbpP_IaogEfIFgnzZklL7m_np7uvwH2SjWsZmA0vYUNhszHYyXylPB21V7bDt-VDBx4LLJzSXzpDfUNhp3g-6TuVe7DbQ9urHU45NQ1mNVwNZ2pKP0QUDRcst8_FStqtP8TUFMVJq/w640-h160/A_Mockingbird%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Recently we watched a touring version of the 2018 Broadway play adaptation of “To Kill A Mockingbird”, written by acclaimed screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. By comparison, this rendition definitely does not follow the trajectory of the book. Sorkin is known for creating scripts for the TV series “The West Wing” and movies such as “A Few Good Men” (with now well-known lines such as “You can’t handle the truth!”). Coming from the Hollywood world, he is used to injecting heightened drama and big dramatic speeches into his works. It is therefore no surprise to hear that he took so many liberties with the beloved novel that the estate of Harper Lee sued lead producer Scott Rudin for contract violation for “not remaining faithful to the spirit of the book”. According to reports, the estate objected to about 80% of the script. Before the lawsuit could go to court, it was settled between the two parties with Sorkin addressing half of those issues. It was extremely interesting to see what was taken out of the original script and which deviations remained.<p></p><p>One of the biggest points of contention was Sorkin’s portrayal of Atticus Finch. In Sorkin’s mind, Atticus would be a more interesting and realistic character if he had the traditional (Hollywood trope?) character arc where he starts off as a flawed character and grows throughout the play until he ends up as the saintly hero of the book. Sorkin wanted Atticus to begin as a “naïve apologist” trying to explain away or justify the racism of the town, as well as a man who cursed, drank alcohol and kept a gun in his closet. This was such a departure from the spirit of the iconic literary character that I think the estate would have had a case in its lawsuit. At any rate, Sorkin backed off on this change for the most part, in order to trade for the changes he wanted the most.</p><p>As we settled in to watch the play, the first major difference was noticed immediately. In the book, the first 8 chapters are devoted to describing Scout and Jem’s lives in their small town. In addition to Atticus, we are introduced to their extended relatives, their black maid Calpurnia, neighbours, classmates and their friend Dill who joined them in their adventures. The case against Tom Robinson is not brought up until the 9th chapter, and while the events are seminal and significantly impactful, they serve as just one part of Scout’s recollections from her childhood, albeit a major part.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKnPhhw8kaLJXuV_01X0GFsFbevni2B8sYI1HQkQkDJjcgeGeNEgMTQ1BOkuAV9eEGsdnz0UrGBOhU-ngbsNlYPgOpe3NkSVMssZSC5UsGhA4UUMXNs5skvXi6-K4oED0MMBwua1wbWX6N_eaGJp_fF517-JlTw7EOdthfFMqJhK_lM6Dxrmh/s1238/Mockingbird%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="577" data-original-width="1238" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbKnPhhw8kaLJXuV_01X0GFsFbevni2B8sYI1HQkQkDJjcgeGeNEgMTQ1BOkuAV9eEGsdnz0UrGBOhU-ngbsNlYPgOpe3NkSVMssZSC5UsGhA4UUMXNs5skvXi6-K4oED0MMBwua1wbWX6N_eaGJp_fF517-JlTw7EOdthfFMqJhK_lM6Dxrmh/w580-h270/Mockingbird%20(2).jpg" width="580" /></a></div>By contrast Sorkin’s script made the rape trial the main event and Atticus, played by Jeff Daniels on Broadway and Richard Thomas (aka “John-Boy Walton”) in the touring production, the central character. I read that Sorkin wanted his play to be staged in an actual Federal courthouse as opposed to a traditional theatre. This did not happen. The play kicks off with a scene in the courtroom with not just Scout but also Jem and Dill acting as omniscient narrators, roaming in front of the action to provide additional exposition. Atticus is attributed lines that he did not have in the book, including the story about why it is a sin to “kill a mockingbird” (since they are totally innocent and only give pleasure with their song). Sorkin co-opted these lines from Scout’s recollections and included them in Atticus’ extended and powerful closing statements for the trial. These changes seem reasonable given that the biggest star in the cast is the actor playing Atticus, so he should have the best lines.<p></p><p>Scenes reflecting the children’s escapades are scattered throughout the play, including their relentless hunt to catch a glimpse of Boo Radley, and Jem destroying the flowers belonging to mean old Mrs. Dubose after she disparages Atticus. In a nice touch, Mrs. Dubose is played by Mary Badham, the former child actress who played Scout in the movie. Yet the driving narrative relates to the trial and the other episodes seem peripheral.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3I6HXan3IHie6jUbNQjYN7OM4J_E2HHUxwvhJvUC5yptVo5asl0LxL6EAA8z9ilL59u53IdYVCX5L6Y5EuzFtuIFkBTflxW3kkUMPMiq-P3mckD31pmJ-TunlvgkU8gcC6nj8I1fz879Apfvd8ZM1fk_Cj8JK371Ei88HBXAdPINC7i2j5Ste/s908/Mockingbird%20(7).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="601" data-original-width="908" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3I6HXan3IHie6jUbNQjYN7OM4J_E2HHUxwvhJvUC5yptVo5asl0LxL6EAA8z9ilL59u53IdYVCX5L6Y5EuzFtuIFkBTflxW3kkUMPMiq-P3mckD31pmJ-TunlvgkU8gcC6nj8I1fz879Apfvd8ZM1fk_Cj8JK371Ei88HBXAdPINC7i2j5Ste/w392-h260/Mockingbird%20(7).jpg" width="392" /></a></div>The changes that Sorkin was most adamant about keeping were in the depictions of the black characters, namely the accused Tom Robinson and the maid Calpurnia. Both characters are given more agency to speak their minds about the racism that they faced, either overtly or implicitly. Calpurnia is visibly miffed when Atticus tries to preach that there is goodness in all men, even the blatantly hateful and racist ones around town. When he espouses the need to always show respect for people, she observes that “by respecting them, you disrespect me”. In Sorkin’s version, Tom understands clearly that his chances at a winning a jury trial are slim to none and wants to accept the original court appointed lawyer’s deal of 18 years in jail if he pleads guilty. He does not want his children scarred with the thought of him being electrocuted if found guilty in a trial. Atticus convinces Tom that he can win since the facts are on his side.<p></p><p>In all versions of To Kill a Mockingbird, Tom is found guilty by 12 white men, despite overwhelming evidence proving his innocence. In the book, Atticus knows that he is taking on an unwinnable case yet does so anyway. At least he will be giving Tom a chance to tell his side of the story and as a man of high principle, Atticus has to at least try. After the trial, one of the neighbours explains to Jem that “Atticus won’t win, he can’t win, but he’s the only man in these parts who can keep a jury out so long in a case like this” and that this is a small step in the right direction. In the play, by adding the (possibly historically inaccurate) option of allowing Tom to plead guilty to avoid a trial and having Atticus talk him out of it, Sorkin is still subtly giving the attorney a “fatal flaw” that leads directly to his client’s death. Perhaps the goal was to make the death all the more tragic given that there was another option. In my mind, this alters one of the major themes of the book and dilutes Atticus’ character, portraying him as either naïve or overconfident. I’m surprised that Harper’s estate allowed this change to remain.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc688CI0HqofoVfVxTxDYmMjMP91MDuMB-0DZlmat2rqb1U9_8yQrDVNKVMlrU-d936YcsyCbGM1oRLW24NH6w3HHt41NRJbCA9eEY1YgxtgwALgxJe5GSxu6MKDeqTLEBOC1Y_bBt6Tsi37du0DmYnVhHxKK7y7hG82X_U5N0WYi6wD6RifX-/s1116/Mockingbird%20(5).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="704" data-original-width="1116" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc688CI0HqofoVfVxTxDYmMjMP91MDuMB-0DZlmat2rqb1U9_8yQrDVNKVMlrU-d936YcsyCbGM1oRLW24NH6w3HHt41NRJbCA9eEY1YgxtgwALgxJe5GSxu6MKDeqTLEBOC1Y_bBt6Tsi37du0DmYnVhHxKK7y7hG82X_U5N0WYi6wD6RifX-/w400-h253/Mockingbird%20(5).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Another major difference between the play versus the book and even the movie is that the “children” are played by youthful-looking adults who can better handle the intricacies of the heavy subject matter and provide insightful flashback commentary. In fact, Scout’s voice changes from an adult’s voice when describing her memories, to a child’s voice when acting out scenes from the past.<p></p><p>In one of the most dramatic scenes of the book, Atticus learns that Tom Robinson has been transferred to the local jail and realizes that a mob will show up to try to kill him. Armed with just a reading lamp and a book, Atticus sits in front of the jail and faces the mob. Things grow tense until the children race up and Scout diffuses the situation when she recognizes “Mr. Cunningham”, one of Atticus’ clients. In the book and movie, the mob consists of angry farmers with rifles. In the play, the men show up in hoods implying that they were part of the Ku Klux Klan. Perhaps this was yet another attempt by Sorkin to ramp up the drama, but it just made it unbelievable that young Scout could recognize a man she met only once when he is disguised by a hood. It is interesting that Sorkin chose not to depict the scene in the book where Atticus is forced to take up a rifle to shoot an approaching mad dog, thus revealing to his children that he was actually an expert marksman nicknamed “One-Shot Finch” in his youth. This occurrence made Atticus' decision not bringing a gun to the jail to protect Tom even more impactful. As he later remarked, that would have been the surest way to escalate the situation and get shot.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTgBJDOV5rRo0aZQOtoDGzj7Becs2oYrsx0vqExc2D-u9CIDulLtN33gXt_CtG0yUs-kXeZ4NAcUH2wZHRBPrhybVePZYtnkf3KJGEhHZjW_e4J36d69FqMK1FWzqMXujSaxN9aRMGG368y6IMTZaXOnEr6Phbp7BOE44PB7yyBRwX4xjuuPL/s873/Mockingbird%20(8).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="873" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTgBJDOV5rRo0aZQOtoDGzj7Becs2oYrsx0vqExc2D-u9CIDulLtN33gXt_CtG0yUs-kXeZ4NAcUH2wZHRBPrhybVePZYtnkf3KJGEhHZjW_e4J36d69FqMK1FWzqMXujSaxN9aRMGG368y6IMTZaXOnEr6Phbp7BOE44PB7yyBRwX4xjuuPL/w514-h355/Mockingbird%20(8).jpg" width="514" /></a></div>Despite my objections to some of Sorkin’s attempts to reframe a classic story in a modern lens to reflect current social mores and sensibilities and to Hollywoodize some scenes (I’m surprised he did not add a car chase!), overall I did enjoy his version of To Kill a Mockingbird. His version was fast-paced with good use of set design to move the action from the courthouse to the Finches’ porch to the outdoors. I particularly liked the initial setup where Scout debated with Jem about how it was technically and physically impossible that “Bob Ewell fell on his knife”, just to finally understand the importance of this statement by the end of the play. I thought the actors who played Scout, Jem and Dill did a fabulous job of making you believe that they were children. Richard Thomas did a credible job of portraying Atticus with the gravitas required for the role, even though I felt that his thundering summation speech was a bit over the top.. but that was more about the script than the actor.<p></p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-90231731412924343442023-11-17T14:05:00.001-05:002023-11-23T06:43:14.357-05:00Theatre 2023: Bad Roads<p><b>Crow’s Theatre</b> continues its trend of putting on intense dramas with its mounting of the play <b>Bad Roads</b>, written by Ukrainian playwright Natal’ya Vorozhbit based on verbal testimonials from victims of the initial 2014 Russo-Ukrainian war. This show is so devastating and triggering that multiple emails were sent out to ticket holders with warnings of disturbing content including “depictions of physical, emotional and sexual violence”. There were even instructions regarding how and when to exit the theatre during the 2 hour show (with no intermission) should the need arise. Given that Russia’s most recent war on Ukraine is still raging after over 600 days of fighting, this play is all the more relevant, poignant and disturbing.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjX8t9QV43EqGzwR9w2rHi1T8scGHwD2fQIZbePyjp91slnPxrc5KQQiOVFl6QEaHpxSTS97xmn9Bq7UHgp2fREa5FkXOYcvzQPIzu2Q_mZyyX6lkyTKgMRs2v3zyvBaqYyEme72UgU13fGMeIOF2MiQcj2RqeRz6hK6a0hc_30PupYouxBGgG/s1600/A_BadRoads1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="1600" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjX8t9QV43EqGzwR9w2rHi1T8scGHwD2fQIZbePyjp91slnPxrc5KQQiOVFl6QEaHpxSTS97xmn9Bq7UHgp2fREa5FkXOYcvzQPIzu2Q_mZyyX6lkyTKgMRs2v3zyvBaqYyEme72UgU13fGMeIOF2MiQcj2RqeRz6hK6a0hc_30PupYouxBGgG/w640-h194/A_BadRoads1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The one common aspect of all the shows that I have watched at Crow’s Theatre so far is the innovative staging and Bad Roads was no exception. Held in the smaller Studio Theatre with five rows of stadium seating on each side of the room, the “stage” at the centre was covered with black, ash-like particles that simulated the rubble or debris found in bombed-out war-torn areas. The sparse set consisted of a shabby wooden crate attached to a few steps on one side and a wooden bench on the other, with a bright spotlight shining in the middle. Yet the audience is totally transported into this horrific landscape, just with a few extra props, wardrobe, sound and lighting. The play consists of six vignettes, five of them depicting an aspect of the war, mostly told from the female perspective.<div><br /></div><div>The first is a lengthy monologue by a female reporter who
travels with her military escort to inspect the battle zone around the Donetsk
airport a year after its siege. Speaking
for a few seconds in total darkness before being illuminated by the central spotlight,
she describes herself, her travel companion who she is attracted to and eventually
becomes her lover, their harrowing journey, and the state of the war in general. Pacing back and forth across the performance
area, she reveals intimate details such as cleaning herself with wet naps since
there is no available water source.
Achingly she conveys the difficulties of trying to find love and
intimacy in midst of a war.</div><div><br /></div><div>The lights darken during each scene interchange. These are your chances to leave although no one did. There was no clapping between scenes. It is not that type of play. The audience sat in (sometimes shocked) silence while trying to absorb what they just saw and heard.</div><div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88eAPdiZuzUVBPCYrLiMBL5PNtsORrb61o-WGaMdN1Utj2MkKBDqvSfoM9Uxen5z7K6Xt3U3oh6aqM8f7BxnfScYH6wJzvG03kElRxxDseb4GUMCeC6KQk4YEaQcFjnn4fITvIViiT4j-8lg1NzMXm3n17c_daBQOCpr_AF7QYNi4H5OdCgWk/s1552/Bad%20Roads2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="1552" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88eAPdiZuzUVBPCYrLiMBL5PNtsORrb61o-WGaMdN1Utj2MkKBDqvSfoM9Uxen5z7K6Xt3U3oh6aqM8f7BxnfScYH6wJzvG03kElRxxDseb4GUMCeC6KQk4YEaQcFjnn4fITvIViiT4j-8lg1NzMXm3n17c_daBQOCpr_AF7QYNi4H5OdCgWk/w336-h273/Bad%20Roads2.jpg" width="336" /></a></div>The second vignette starts with three young teenaged girls huddled
on a bench on a chilly night, discussing their Ukrainian “lovers” who give them
gifts. Disturbingly, the girls think they are in relationships and don’t
realize that they are being abused and used like prostitutes by the
soldiers. One of the girls is an orphan
whose grandmother shows up and tries unsuccessfully tries to convince her to go
home. It is sad to see how war has
impacted the lives of children.<o:p></o:p><p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fKFm0cPUFBBAsL0pFL9nKD0U0rIIf8EdjUv44KQTLOAH9m48-CJdPxgrC2ilxLdUuWVAapxYBrLzuFudwXX4Vi2Q1x63MMp4zsblvzb6npLoW8eqQIdY16tKbwqzNsNu3lrCOSH3-whzue6dtkzVQ_UKBshJsrVGj13QjnZC_pgdyYOMoPX3/s965/Bad%20Roads3a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="775" data-original-width="965" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4fKFm0cPUFBBAsL0pFL9nKD0U0rIIf8EdjUv44KQTLOAH9m48-CJdPxgrC2ilxLdUuWVAapxYBrLzuFudwXX4Vi2Q1x63MMp4zsblvzb6npLoW8eqQIdY16tKbwqzNsNu3lrCOSH3-whzue6dtkzVQ_UKBshJsrVGj13QjnZC_pgdyYOMoPX3/w359-h288/Bad%20Roads3a.jpg" width="359" /></a></div>The third story involves an inebriated schoolteacher who is stopped at a Ukraine checkpoint and realizes that he accidentally brought his wife’s passport instead of his own. To make matters worse, he is in possession of a fake rifle which further raises the suspicions of the border guards, a Commander and another soldier. In a tense interaction while he is pushed around and threatened with a gun, the schoolteacher tries to reason with the guards, citing patriotism and reminding that they are on the same side. But just as the soldiers are letting him go, he spots one of his female students coming out of the Commander’s tent (off stage). It is the orphaned girl from the previous scene. The teacher tries to admonish the Commander for using a child for sex and to appeal to his sympathies towards the unfortunate situation of this girl. But when the Commander grows defensive and threatens the teacher’s freedom, the ultimate instinct of self-preservation kicks in. The teacher backs down and drives away, pretending to accept the claim that he was mistaken in what he saw.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxBu5stkZrIBRUJkVXLDYx8kK9E30KIumb9KZueqe4zF8zmI8jHCFnra01nx-4lmMxip0t4ikDpNZFgPmG-ucLlZ91OwDqCkIyx9PZB-NxnO4QC9rhbESq45Tc6alohuv1ITiiJiS0SG2Ny5Mq2xYzcEks1gHHchByf8_xiaBgwDNgrvcTjw3/s967/Bad%20Roads4a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="935" data-original-width="967" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcxBu5stkZrIBRUJkVXLDYx8kK9E30KIumb9KZueqe4zF8zmI8jHCFnra01nx-4lmMxip0t4ikDpNZFgPmG-ucLlZ91OwDqCkIyx9PZB-NxnO4QC9rhbESq45Tc6alohuv1ITiiJiS0SG2Ny5Mq2xYzcEks1gHHchByf8_xiaBgwDNgrvcTjw3/w240-h232/Bad%20Roads4a.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>The fourth scene depicts a female medic riding in a jeep driven by a soldier as they traverse a dark deserted road. In an unexpected role reversal, the female is aggressive and domineering while the male is meek and subservient. By simply placing a grill with two headlights in front of the wooden crate which they sit on while jostling up and down, the illusion of the bumpy jeep ride is conveyed. As their conversation progresses, we learn that they are transporting the headless body of a senior officer in the trunk who turns out to be the soldier’s commander and the angry grieving medic’s lover. The woman is being taunted by cruel text messages sent from the dead man’s phone by the enemy who killed him. When the jeep breaks down and they are stranded without cell service, the woman’s anguish finally overflows and she explodes in a rage, thrashing around in the black debris. Towards the end of the vignette, having survived the freezing elements overnight by using the dead soldier’s body bag for cover, the medic sadly tells her companion that she won’t even get to attend her lover’s funeral—that honour will go to his wife.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFw1Yn8CQphDV0QAss2goMWaeEYkNYyRZFPDk7XzU3t674zzaLRmW-XeQnOXbEDnf6TKs39YvL7CRc3CZ-gagGgC1hKpDa9HbcY7G_EEXhX67PSf3jrYWUwfwh4xqLQYXUQmKMpBNrQ_KVsMiwS0ura-8ug8Ht4h8sgzryYDNcIky1ChKQ_RX1/s473/Bad%20Roads5a.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="473" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFw1Yn8CQphDV0QAss2goMWaeEYkNYyRZFPDk7XzU3t674zzaLRmW-XeQnOXbEDnf6TKs39YvL7CRc3CZ-gagGgC1hKpDa9HbcY7G_EEXhX67PSf3jrYWUwfwh4xqLQYXUQmKMpBNrQ_KVsMiwS0ura-8ug8Ht4h8sgzryYDNcIky1ChKQ_RX1/w264-h202/Bad%20Roads5a.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>The fifth situation is the most viscerally horrifying in its graphic depiction of both emotional and physical torture including violent rape. But it is also one of the most artfully choreographed portrayals of such acts that I have ever seen. A female reporter has been captured by an enemy soldier who has been so traumatized by all the debauchery that he has both witnessed and participated in that he now thinks of himself as an animal and acts accordingly. Two sequences at the beginning of the scene show the captor physically attacking what he sees as his prey. In the first, they are both rolling around in the rubble as he pounces, and she deflects trying to defend herself. But they each act out his or her part on separate sides of the stage, with a light alternately shining on each of them to highlight their actions. In the second sequence, he rapes her as she screams but there is actually a bench between them as he stands on top of the bench and she lays prone under it. The use of a flashlight simulates the thrusting motions as he “penetrates” her. This was all sickeningly painful to watch, but in reflection, you realize that the actors never touched. Yet the illusions they created are forever seared in your mind.</div><div><br /></div><div>Using her wits and determination to survive, the reporter talks sweetly to her captor, trying to find the humanity that she hopes still exists inside him. She asks questions about him and tells quirky anecdotes about herself, including the time that she accidentally ran over a farmer’s chicken. Slowly she works to break down his defenses as she plots her escape.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8Zi5afNzGcY3ff-qRCDK8zjV7H5FemlvQBnGDemisLhO6hiM-7uRxChK93G5TxRY7iOzMGMFJh4_wp2oPiZyx8PT5GWC3XW_l2qc7AQ1n7OD_pPgvBLCO08-4aNduO10hMgZmNCofnPTV3rg4DXBtJBjH0chWg1qX5RClZfJE3OG5hFPXMYx/s1348/Bad%20Roads6b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1348" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8Zi5afNzGcY3ff-qRCDK8zjV7H5FemlvQBnGDemisLhO6hiM-7uRxChK93G5TxRY7iOzMGMFJh4_wp2oPiZyx8PT5GWC3XW_l2qc7AQ1n7OD_pPgvBLCO08-4aNduO10hMgZmNCofnPTV3rg4DXBtJBjH0chWg1qX5RClZfJE3OG5hFPXMYx/s320/Bad%20Roads6b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>After that shocking and agonizing fifth scene, the sixth and final vignette felt jarring and out of left field in its change in tone, yet it had its own message to convey. We are told that this story happened “pre-war” as a young woman runs up to the gates of a farm and tearfully tells the farmer and his wife that she just killed their chicken. This clearly refers back to the previous scene. At first the couple are nonchalant about the occurrence and there is some humorous debate as to the value of a chicken, which reflected back on the previous scene where the prisoner and her captor debate the value of a human life. But back to this scenario, once the woman, who is obviously wealthier than them, offers to pay for the chicken, greed sets in. The demands the farmer and his wife make grow more and more outrageous as they take all of the woman’s cash, her jewelry, handbag and even want her car, threatening to lock her up and call the police if she doesn’t comply. Suddenly, shocked back into reality by the cry of a neighbouring baby, they let the woman go while admonishing her for “tempting them”. Perhaps the moral of this last story might be that it does not take war to trigger greed or evil? Or maybe there was just the need to lighten the mood a bit before sending the audience out into the night?</div><div><br /></div><div>This was an extremely difficult play to watch, but that was the whole point. As badly as we felt experiencing enactments of these situations, imagine how it was, and still is, for the Ukrainian people to actually live through them. We should be so grateful that we live in Canada where it is relatively peaceful and safe.</div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-22044989493792393692023-10-31T21:46:00.004-04:002023-11-04T22:26:35.569-04:00Theatre 2023: Jagged Little Pill<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCR_C5k9baDdxCzr5z5iumu8Q2c49vnlzukiM9lDk9OQwBypUPRyBi_1knOWsATHUkmoTsw-xudGV_kJPXjmvVekVy_rHURBpr-mw0Ticm27BQ5JJf24qXJDEYOL0jnPcD2bxamah9oGhD68ANmOgdTaMkTsyS9GSf6cmJwaOxAWpPVkb60isl/s1600/A_Jagged1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="1600" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCR_C5k9baDdxCzr5z5iumu8Q2c49vnlzukiM9lDk9OQwBypUPRyBi_1knOWsATHUkmoTsw-xudGV_kJPXjmvVekVy_rHURBpr-mw0Ticm27BQ5JJf24qXJDEYOL0jnPcD2bxamah9oGhD68ANmOgdTaMkTsyS9GSf6cmJwaOxAWpPVkb60isl/w640-h164/A_Jagged1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I have watched three musicals (two of them juke box musicals) within the span of a month, and it is interesting to compare them. While I previously complained that the plot and number of songs included in the <b><a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2023/10/theatre-2023-six-musical-heroes-of.html" target="_blank">musical “Six”</a></b> felt lightweight, it was the complete opposite with the musical “<b>Jagged Little Pill</b>”, based on the songs of Canadian grunge-pop/rock singer Alanis Morissette. Mining the lyrics primarily from her 1995 multi-platinum album of the same name, Jagged Little Pill the musical has a complex storyline that deals with dark themes including family dysfunction, anxiety, substance abuse, implicit racism, gender identities, and sexual assault.<p></p><p>In comparison to “<b><a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2023/10/theatre-2023-in-dreams.html" target="_blank">In Dreams</a></b>” which features the catalog of Roy Orbison, both Orbison and Morissette sing many sad songs about pain and loss. But where Orbison’s tunes are melancholic and regretful ballads (“Crying .. over you”), Morissette’s are angsty, angry and aggressive rock songs (“It was a slap in the face, how quickly I was replaced …”) with loud instrumentation featuring heavy bass and percussion. </p><p>While a few of the lyrics of Morissette’s songs were changed to better suit the plot, the instrumentation was not rearranged and remained loud, distorted and overwhelming. When paired with bad acoustics at the Princess of Wales Theatre and the softer voices of some of the performers, it made the poignant lyrics very difficult to hear. The background music was so loud that it drowned out much of the singing. I was particularly frustrated by the song “<b>That I Would Be Good</b>” where I could only hear that first part, but not the resolution of each sentence. All I could hear over and over again was “That I would be good, even if ..” I wanted to scream “if what????”. It was only when I got home and listened to the soundtrack while reading the lyrics that I discovered how perfectly many of the songs fit into the plot and enriched the back-stories of the characters. Once again I lamented not doing more research before watching the show.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4AC7RFrOt0md8OiH6m1pF3jxhzPeT8wmY7CtJnDjrD_oD3c4HHgw7j_5dPbZMNRhrUNCHqYVMES7Tx3erzY_vQnCgUoYodiWMpf5Ya_amf2rwTOob9fX9DV_f4dHBGis7zWG-m57yOJe29Y6IfkPz8-LGB6MDHby4DdBtoGTpMBPPvIekQSm/s577/Jagged%20(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="577" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4AC7RFrOt0md8OiH6m1pF3jxhzPeT8wmY7CtJnDjrD_oD3c4HHgw7j_5dPbZMNRhrUNCHqYVMES7Tx3erzY_vQnCgUoYodiWMpf5Ya_amf2rwTOob9fX9DV_f4dHBGis7zWG-m57yOJe29Y6IfkPz8-LGB6MDHby4DdBtoGTpMBPPvIekQSm/w333-h261/Jagged%20(2).jpg" width="333" /></a></div>The book for Jagged Little Pill was written by Diablo Cody who won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for the 2007 movie Juno. The main protagonists are the Healys, who outwardly portray the image of the perfect middle-class family unit, as described by matriarch Mary Jane (MJ) in her annual Christmas card. Behind the scenes, we see that MJ is addicted to prescription pain killers after a car accident, her estranged husband Steve is a workaholic who missed much of his childrens’ upbringing, their adopted teenaged black daughter Frankie is bisexual and searching for her racial identity within her white family, while teenaged Nick is weighed down by the expectations of being the golden child and perfect son.<p></p><p>Usually towards the beginning of a musical, you have the “I Want” song which describes the hopes, desires and motivations of the main character or characters. What better Morisette song to choose than the one titled “<b>All I Really Want</b>” with the various lines of the song portioned out to the appropriate characters. Frankie idealistically wants a better, just world where people are not apathetic. She also desires a soul mate who understands her and can talk intelligently to her. Nick wants peace from the stress of trying to be perfect while MJ and Steve want to have patience to deal with their kids (and each other?). Steve also wants more time while MJ seeks comfort. The words of this song are sung verbatim by the cast except for a one word change where Frankie asks MJ if she thinks about her “bills, pills, deadlines”? It was impressive how the lyrics of this one song could fit so aptly to the motivations of each character and made me think about the process of how a juke box musical is developed. Do they pick the songs first and fit a story within the lyrics, or have the skeleton of a story and find songs that match?</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTrRa5BEh6dHUsdUfPQ8sTDrGjzRtaiyCHJMW9TdYXANYo-Opqy6qfnC-zdIVH46iDoqBewlidY7VQ9yAS9G6YmeJW7Yc35CFzj7JflVdq_pZLDeJST9Up4L3RQpQpSs6kguxt4ImMglPKQa_2eUJdPa16RhHp7HgvwaL_shS4q0XGiiIhA_o/s275/OuttaKnow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgTrRa5BEh6dHUsdUfPQ8sTDrGjzRtaiyCHJMW9TdYXANYo-Opqy6qfnC-zdIVH46iDoqBewlidY7VQ9yAS9G6YmeJW7Yc35CFzj7JflVdq_pZLDeJST9Up4L3RQpQpSs6kguxt4ImMglPKQa_2eUJdPa16RhHp7HgvwaL_shS4q0XGiiIhA_o/w400-h266/OuttaKnow.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The gender non-conforming character Jo (not Joanne!) is in a relationship with Frankie until Frankie meets and falls in love with Phoenix, who is male. Jo’s outraged performance of “You Oughta Know”, expressing their hurt and anger at being dumped and betrayed, is a tour de force that stopped the show to rounding applause. The song starts off slowly then builds into what feels like an erupting volcano with the stage bathed in bright red light that symbolized their rage.<p></p><p>MJ’s drug abuse is illustrated in an amazingly choreographed sequence that starts with her trying to get more drugs from the pharmacy but is out of refills. She keeps up appearances when encountering other school moms at the gym, then meets a drug dealer in the alley and buys illegal drugs before going home to unpack groceries. Singing the soulful song “Smiling” that describes her world crashing around her while she has to “keep on smiling”, the entire scene that we just saw is replayed backwards with all the characters moving slowly in reverse. This was one of two songs that were written specifically for the musical.</p><p>Nick sings the song “<b>Perfect</b>” to relay his anxiety and anguish of trying to measure up to impossible expectations. When he witnesses the sexual assault of his friend Bella while she was passed out drunk at a party, Nick is reluctant to get involved. MJ also encourages him to stay silent, afraid that he might be named as an accomplice. When Nick finally decides to come forward and relays what happened, the rape scene is re-enacted with the help of an incredible dancer who acts as an avatar for Bella who sings “<b>Predator”</b>, the second haunting new song that Morissette wrote specifically for the show.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXq_xiFAJ7QewQpBz-JsjBd63M9F-c5ENUBYHP92nIZjcuCzenZPVfu-6ZhhC7w2Pwj25RscrWR71naB9peQF33lBeRpI_8pAvSQP4sgXKMqF9zNXdvKeGf4uVrmBE9tmMjgveeP_BHYNtxB69T6dKHFUEzCqr2Lk2c0LROcA50UpunV-h-LLI/s795/Jagged%20(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="795" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXq_xiFAJ7QewQpBz-JsjBd63M9F-c5ENUBYHP92nIZjcuCzenZPVfu-6ZhhC7w2Pwj25RscrWR71naB9peQF33lBeRpI_8pAvSQP4sgXKMqF9zNXdvKeGf4uVrmBE9tmMjgveeP_BHYNtxB69T6dKHFUEzCqr2Lk2c0LROcA50UpunV-h-LLI/w367-h279/Jagged%20(3).jpg" width="367" /></a></div>This same dancer is used in the scene where MJ overdoses on fentanyl-laced opioids while singing “<b>Uninvited</b>”, as if personifying the hellish turmoil that she is experiencing. As the saying goes, “when the emotion becomes too strong for speech, you sing; when it becomes too strong for song, you dance”. This certainly was showcased in these extremely emotional scenes and the impact was breathtaking. In all, the choreography was probably the best part of this musical.<p></p><p>I was so surprised to learn that the eleven o’clock number “<b>No</b>” was not written specifically for the show since it fit so perfectly. In a rally organized by Frankie to support her, Bella sings “My mind is invaded. My gates are ignored … What part of no, do you not understand?” This is the most powerful scene of the show as anti-abuse signs are held up by most of the cast.</p><p>After all that trauma, the show ends on a happier, hopeful note with the various broken relationships being mended and friends and family reconciling. The cast sings “<b>You Learn</b>” to illustrate that despite all their bad choices and decisions, they have learned to be better people (“You live, you learn; You lose, you learn…).</p><p>In considering the three musicals that I watched back-to-back-to-back, I think I liked Jagged Little Pill the best. It was the most ambitious in terms of themes and plot, did a fabulous job of matching the lyrics of Morissette’s songs to the story, and used dance to the utmost effect. I gained a greater appreciation for Alanis as well. I hope that she is happier now since that was a lot of pain and anger and disappointment that she wrote about in her younger days.</p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-37973540497621406452023-10-12T10:51:00.002-04:002023-11-18T08:21:22.782-05:00Theatre 2023: Six the Musical / Heroes of the Fourth Turning<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp0mRnuTsMrrCfAe8EZh6P-KEwTcS6EqsIi9SPJ_mCcoUjcFBV3CIc0lRM1N4wLBVWjqxKF3la55GZEnBfpqKb6vKt34lNWiUDB_EQW0ffS6J1zi1MbRki1Nw2nM6bbDhalIy6JbPQ1gu1HRktMJvFBM5gY801zEGnP7mRcrqFgFZzjFnobzI/s1599/A_Six1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="1599" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFp0mRnuTsMrrCfAe8EZh6P-KEwTcS6EqsIi9SPJ_mCcoUjcFBV3CIc0lRM1N4wLBVWjqxKF3la55GZEnBfpqKb6vKt34lNWiUDB_EQW0ffS6J1zi1MbRki1Nw2nM6bbDhalIy6JbPQ1gu1HRktMJvFBM5gY801zEGnP7mRcrqFgFZzjFnobzI/w640-h154/A_Six1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Since I am partial to “book” musicals that are mostly sung-through, I was skeptical about watching “<b>Six the Musical</b>” as it only features 9 songs and the few that I heard did not convey much of a plot. Reading the synopsis wasn’t any more reassuring since the storyline itself is pretty thin and inconsequential. Featuring the six wives of King Henry VIII in a competition to determine which of them suffered the most as his spouse, this is more of a pop concert marketed as a musical. The play started out as an entry in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017 and at a mere 80 minutes long with no intermission, the show doesn’t seem to have been expanded much beyond the original Fringe offering. After an intro number titled "<b>Ex-Wives</b>" that uses the iconic rhyme to describe the six (Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived), each character sings a song that is meant to prove how and why she is the one who should win the contest.<p></p><p>After reading the program notes and reviewing to the lyrics of each woman’s song, I have gained greater appreciation for what the musical was trying to achieve in conveying not only the historical plight of each woman, but also her thoughts and feelings about her situation. Each wife is modeled after modern-day pop stars, from the style or genre of the song that is sung and the accompanying choreography, to her attitude or demeanour, wardrobe, and hairstyle.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoVkZBLUGeD3nYMSHYUR2wozkxOTs-Z2YlaXGVXg6-55aniBX5japC3270mJWSDIPqV2_fcYSomIFRuIk1_1KQv4JUofSEk1EyNDJFQTGp0R8Fk7js3qMyOMQIy_0hDFHk6dIFmbfl4bWh15J-RyzGAxKF6mOuskNnciCcXc_b1NRiezY11gk/s335/Aragon.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="280" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcoVkZBLUGeD3nYMSHYUR2wozkxOTs-Z2YlaXGVXg6-55aniBX5japC3270mJWSDIPqV2_fcYSomIFRuIk1_1KQv4JUofSEk1EyNDJFQTGp0R8Fk7js3qMyOMQIy_0hDFHk6dIFmbfl4bWh15J-RyzGAxKF6mOuskNnciCcXc_b1NRiezY11gk/w234-h281/Aragon.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>The main “Queenspiration” of <b>Catherine of Aragon</b> was Beyonce, giving the character a mature, confident “Queen Bee” vibe. Casting a statuesque actress and dressing her in a costume reminiscent to one Beyonce wore helped to complete the comparison. The defiant anthem “<b>No Way</b>” expresses Catherine’s hurt at being cast aside after all putting up with Henry’s infidelities, her staunch Catholic faith that prohibited divorce and her refusal to meekly walk away from her marriage, which she considered “for life”.<p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri9l0dtAxKwvhfsrsKB_PVahhPU00ZSFzvn5D_gxFwdo2DG8I4J6a5zoMNw5Qlc0vx5Q7PWU2lIfyyGRRbaut_OirYmHhJdAhVP3v1iwSFVfULJ9tnxz8fD5UsBYpJ1csl3v6TcVs0krwkwNlK_yg4M0RDNo21K-TgsYspd2cziIQsWFqMtbC/s267/Boleyn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="88" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhri9l0dtAxKwvhfsrsKB_PVahhPU00ZSFzvn5D_gxFwdo2DG8I4J6a5zoMNw5Qlc0vx5Q7PWU2lIfyyGRRbaut_OirYmHhJdAhVP3v1iwSFVfULJ9tnxz8fD5UsBYpJ1csl3v6TcVs0krwkwNlK_yg4M0RDNo21K-TgsYspd2cziIQsWFqMtbC/w94-h285/Boleyn.jpg" width="94" /></a></b></div><b>Anne Boleyn</b> is portrayed as younger and more coquettish, which is ironic since Boleyn was in her late twenties to early thirties when she married Henry, while Aragon was only twenty-three. One of inspirations for Anne’s character was Avril Lavigne who sings “in-your-face” grunge- pop songs. The peppy tune “<b>Don’t Lose Your Head</b>” alludes both to Boleyn’s beheading as well as the more colloquial meaning of not losing your cool. The lyrics are peppered with modern catch phrases and slangs such as “Sorry not sorry” and “LOL”. Bopping along to the quick beat, Boleyn describes how she fought off Henry’s attentions while he was still married to Catherine. This caused him to split with the Catholic Church to form the Church of England (referred to as “C of E” in the song) so that he could marry Anne. Then came his dalliances once they were wed and her flirting with other men to make him jealous (“jel” in the lyrics), resulting in his ordering her beheading for treason. That was quite a bit of history relayed in a 4 minute song! Anne is dressed in green and there are several references to her “green sleeves”, alluding to the idea that Henry wrote the song/poem “Greensleeves” for her while they were courting.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlfjAZ1cQQuPWba9A4IGMojx7qpzNXT-wmw_SV86HymbbWEzsT4fQOAtaoxyiiQj7ki9iqtX_CbGlgpVQwBzQndHBzckqRdTv6G_1Z5wIBf68MNcynt_9OBDVX7JqDUThm-t_0KP4gS7WggFoDLQNVdJJnvg1mexl6dKGhgxyYuLRWLSd0WKr/s600/Seymour.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="600" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlfjAZ1cQQuPWba9A4IGMojx7qpzNXT-wmw_SV86HymbbWEzsT4fQOAtaoxyiiQj7ki9iqtX_CbGlgpVQwBzQndHBzckqRdTv6G_1Z5wIBf68MNcynt_9OBDVX7JqDUThm-t_0KP4gS7WggFoDLQNVdJJnvg1mexl6dKGhgxyYuLRWLSd0WKr/w320-h219/Seymour.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Next up is <b>Jane Seymour</b>, dubbed “the only woman Henry truly loved”. Inspired by Adele’s power ballads, “<b>Heart of Stone</b>” declares Seymour’s steadfast love for Henry even though she understands that he only values her because she bore him a son and heir. The lyrics continue to lament that she dies in childbirth and will never see her son grow up. Of the six songs, this one contains the least exposition and is more about imagery and emotion. The actress cast to play Seymour is made to look a bit like Adele both in terms of hairstyle and wardrobe. There was a quirky line in the intro song “Ex-Wives” where Jane sings “Stick around and you’ll suddenly see more…” which sounds like a reference to the song “Suddenly Seymour” from Little Shop of Horrors in addition to a pun on Jane's last name. If so, then how clever?!<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cYg6R6aVH3Hjztm9DdEjfp6BkBbqCShEgy0RtN2tjvc4zev-rPvOzlH5oTUQi9TirJ7a8aKrxPNWmGtvwPjfOvAefnhtN2tAwEI3vqIWCOd6yJwib3hzvlZEQPYTWfLN-i5ZhqhkxPq_5ATc9-bDmiHAVp8fLrw7nhVLn8XNsSvQZZTJ_jez/s571/Cleeves.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="571" data-original-width="388" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8cYg6R6aVH3Hjztm9DdEjfp6BkBbqCShEgy0RtN2tjvc4zev-rPvOzlH5oTUQi9TirJ7a8aKrxPNWmGtvwPjfOvAefnhtN2tAwEI3vqIWCOd6yJwib3hzvlZEQPYTWfLN-i5ZhqhkxPq_5ATc9-bDmiHAVp8fLrw7nhVLn8XNsSvQZZTJ_jez/w182-h268/Cleeves.jpg" width="182" /></a></div>Henry’s fourth marriage was for political purposes to secure an alliance with Germany in case of a war with France. <b>Anne of Cleves</b>, daughter of a German Duke, was chosen based on a portrait drawn by painter Hans Holbein the Younger. When Henry met Anne in person, he was disappointed by her “plain” appearance. After 6 months without consummating the union, he had the marriage amicably annulled with her consent and Anne was given a generous settlement. Channeling hip hop artists like Nicki Minaj and Rhianna, Anne of Cleves twerks and gyrates to the song “<b>Get Down</b>”, which describes her luxurious life after freeing herself of Henry. The lyrics subvert the old children’s nursery rhyme “I’m the King of the Castle. You’re the Dirty Rascal” by having Cleves declare herself the “Queen of the Castle” in several refrains. It is pretty clear that she did not suffer much other than the indignity of being rejected for being unattractive and at one point in the musical, she withdraws from the competition. A German phrase (“das ist gut”) and reference to Wienerschnitzel add some flavour to Cleves’ background in the song.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0GyfqDFsIBgUlYsvaFBtUVCp5stXVeaiyElVgaxKnXQ16MMC1ao3ukZiBQrpL7gK_HnyGvEXD3SbZA6hXC3LUsCgUH5LR0UPxgWR68HLh1epRSUHl9PdfSi3argJjJbFElmjHA4c4j9jSJwRLU-6enCG2D-e4U_7WB5zLpwt8OMOhMm2JBj2/s1409/Howard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1244" data-original-width="1409" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0GyfqDFsIBgUlYsvaFBtUVCp5stXVeaiyElVgaxKnXQ16MMC1ao3ukZiBQrpL7gK_HnyGvEXD3SbZA6hXC3LUsCgUH5LR0UPxgWR68HLh1epRSUHl9PdfSi3argJjJbFElmjHA4c4j9jSJwRLU-6enCG2D-e4U_7WB5zLpwt8OMOhMm2JBj2/w295-h261/Howard.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>The main inspiration for <b>Katherine Howard</b>’s character is the most obvious, as the actress is adorned with Ariana Grande’s signature long ponytail and pink skirt. At almost 7 minutes with 4 choruses, Howard’s song “<b>All You Wanna Do</b>” is the longest and provides the most insight into the past of a figure who has been maligned in history as a wanton harlot. Kate was only seventeen when she married Henry, and the song makes it clear that she had been sexually preyed upon by older men since she was young, starting with her music teacher Henry Mannox and Tudor courtier Francis Dereham. She sings “I was thirteen going on thirty” which seems like a reference to the famous line in The Sound of Music where Liesel sings “I am sixteen going on seventeen”. The initial refrains of the pop song are upbeat, seductive and full of sexual inuendo as Howard is initially too young to realize that she has been abused. She initially enjoys the attention and feels she is making a “connection”. By the end of the song, Katherine has wised up and is distraught at being manhandled all of her life. The choreography supports this as the other wives (acting as background dancers) grab and paw her from all sides. This song is so impactful as it gives a sympathetic depiction of Howard as a child being exploited, manipulated and molested since puberty by powerful men. Howard’s character is also inspired by Britney Spears, who has also endured abuse and toxic relationships since childhood. In fact the song All You Wanna Do is heavily influenced by Britney’s hit song “Toxic”.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZ4lQq_rqteEVtTgj_BgLQf2sPiKgQ2QUY1a7wVA378wXO789mkrbsAzkgRwMaFk3Dib4WmSPZpTX3EGRvwxjC7yzkmBXMp1RqkU-BlZnmO6DYuS-GjelaX3Yvne4vlieuwSiGVQxAU2oyrx0-Glc7PSoGwtwbu1TYmopaPY0kLaZROItzSot/s599/Parr.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="599" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZ4lQq_rqteEVtTgj_BgLQf2sPiKgQ2QUY1a7wVA378wXO789mkrbsAzkgRwMaFk3Dib4WmSPZpTX3EGRvwxjC7yzkmBXMp1RqkU-BlZnmO6DYuS-GjelaX3Yvne4vlieuwSiGVQxAU2oyrx0-Glc7PSoGwtwbu1TYmopaPY0kLaZROItzSot/w247-h242/Parr.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>Henry’s final wife, who actually survived him, was <b>Catherine Parr</b>. As soon as she started to sing her song “I Don’t Need Your Love” with its smooth R&B tones, you could tell that the inspiration was Alicia Keys since the actress sounded just like her. Parr describes how she had to give up the love of her life (Thomas Seymour) once Henry decided he wanted to marry her. She writes a goodbye letter to Thomas and ironically tells him “I don’t need your love” which clearly isn’t true. Rather in a later refrain, these are the words she would like to tell Henry, but doing so would not be wise. In Parr’s brief intro during the initial song “Ex-Wives”, she sings “I’m a survivor” in the same key and rhythm as Destiny’s Child’s song Survivor.<p></p><p>At the end of this song, Parr questions why the stories of the wives have to be tied to the King. She declares “That’s not my story.. there’s so much more” and conveys facts about herself, her interests and accomplishments separate from her ties to Henry. The women decide that they should not be in competition and the final song “Six” allows each of them to re-imagine a happier ending for themselves. Just like with so many other shows that we watched this year (&Juliet, Bad Cinderella), once again the theme of female empowerment is explored by rewriting history (which they call the “Historemix” in this musical), with the wives not just surviving, but thriving and transcending their roles as Henry’s wives. I had fun watching this show since it was full of energy with great singing and dancing. But I did not fully appreciate it until I did a deep dive into the lyrics.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVJmXUofVuRlVJoYTEFoBonhorgQp97to3-wgdx-k9iY1PSZ6oc4oBxIZPRQI4ZPgfq6wWt1SMyVLtiVYKrc_WMcDvHHFR6A4PzSnDqA2LwSFi6uPMQs3CUC0kBuWVYuZHr49sd2-wkmYvBQx5FpGjGd8QOZMq8cqR8_NnxNGWxVgA9Q3ixMF/s5011/A_Heroes1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="5011" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVJmXUofVuRlVJoYTEFoBonhorgQp97to3-wgdx-k9iY1PSZ6oc4oBxIZPRQI4ZPgfq6wWt1SMyVLtiVYKrc_WMcDvHHFR6A4PzSnDqA2LwSFi6uPMQs3CUC0kBuWVYuZHr49sd2-wkmYvBQx5FpGjGd8QOZMq8cqR8_NnxNGWxVgA9Q3ixMF/w640-h160/A_Heroes1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Two days later, my husband Rich and I went to a very intense play called “<b>Heroes of the Fourth Turning</b>” at Crow’s Theatre. We went into this show without any idea of what it was about, other than that it won several literary prizes and was a finalist for the Pulitzer. We came out a bit shell-shocked and still unsure as to what it was that we just watched. Written in 2019 by conservative American playwright Will Arbery, the play is set in 2017, eight months into the presidential term of Donald Trump, and a week after the “Unite the Right” Charlottesville riots that saw neo-Nazi white supremacists clash with counter-protesters resulting in multiple injuries and one death. Accordingly, tensions were high and division palpable between the American left vs right. The setting of the play is the backyard of a house party where four former students of a small conservative Catholic college in Wyoming reunite to celebrate a beloved professor being appointed as president.<p></p><p>Justin, Emily, Kevin and Teresa are all staunch, religious conservatives but represent different factions on the conservative political spectrum. Teresa is an alt-right, fervent supporter of Trump, who she calls “a Golem molded from the clay of mass media .. come to save us all” and a disciple of Steve Bannon. She believes that a sociological and ideological war is brewing. At the other end of the spectrum is Emily, a compassionate, moderate conservative who happens to be the daughter of Gina, the new president of the college. Emily is unfortunately afflicted with a mysterious illness that causes her debilitating pain. She does not believe in abortion but understands that there is another point of view and empathizes with those who see it as their only alternative. She works in a pregnancy crises centre and is friends with someone who works at Planned Parenthood as well as a drag queen. Justin, a former Marine Corps sniper, is a militant conservative who also believes that war is inevitable but for him it will be a violent war that requires training and arming the college’s students in preparation. Kevin is a weak, self-loathing alcoholic who craves a girlfriend but is hooked on Internet porn, tormented by the disconnect between his Catholic faith and his sexual desires. He waffles and questions his beliefs and the polarization of the wide-ranging conservative philosophies. He claims he voted for Trump (as they all did for one reason or another) but vomited right after.</p><p>The four interact with one another in the backyard, debating topics ranging from racism, homosexuality, abortion, pre-marital sex, as well as theology and politics, all in the context of conservative ideology. Eventually Gina, who is an “Old-school conservative” joins them and is appalled at Teresa’s extreme viewpoints. We did not find it particularly enjoyable to sit for over 2 hours (with no intermission), listening to a plotless play where the sole point seemed to be to highlight the mass ideological divide within the Republican party. Being in the front row of a small space where the seating was “in-the-round” and the actors were often positioned right in front of us, there was not even an opportunity to leave if we had wanted to. It felt a bit like being in the movie “A Clockwork Orange” and having your eyelids forced open while strapped down and being forced to watching Fox News on end.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The one aspect that I did find interesting was the reference
point for the title of the play, which was the 1997 book called “<b>The Fourth
Turning</b>”, detailing the Strauss-Howe Generational Theory. This theory by William Strauss and Neil Howe
prophesizes how history moves in 80-year cycles divided into four transitional
periods. The “High” is a time of
economic boom and security where institutions are strong, and individualism is
weak. “Awakening” is a phase where people rebel against institutions in hopes
of recapturing personal freedoms. This
is followed by “Unraveling” which is the opposite of the High phase. Individualism is strong, Institutions are weak
and culture wars are fought. Finally the
last phase which is Crisis, or the Fourth Turning” is the period of war and
destruction where past institutions are destroyed and rebuilt in a new
fashion. The generation who come to
adulthood during the Fourth Turning are known as “Heroes” who will lead the
revolution.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Looking at recent history, the Great Depression and World War II could be identified as a Crisis period that was followed by the economic recovery of the 1950s (High) before the 1960s and 70s led to the fight for “Peace and Free Love” (Awakening). It was during this period that the decision on Roe vs. Wade was made. Next came the culture wars of the 1980s and 90s with battlegrounds being fought over military vs social spending, gender and sexual politics including abortion rights. (Unraveling). It certainly seems that the period from the 2000s up to the current day have led the world into another Crisis period with military wars breaking out globally, the rise of nationalism and racial hatred and then the pandemic paralyzing the world. So there seems to be some merit to this generational theory, at least over the past century. Teresa explains the theory to the others, saying that they are of the Hero generation, and it is up to them to “fight bravely”. Her most illuminating statement is about what she thinks caused the latest Crisis. "... The crisis caused by Obama. Liberals think it's Trump. It almost doesn't matter." Ultimately, it all depends on your point of view.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Having watched both Six the Musical and Heroes of the Fourth Turning back to back, I would like to retract all of my prior reservations about Six. In our troubled times where I get more than my fill of serious drama, violence and traumatic events just by watching the local or global news, I appreciate the escapism of light-hearted, joyous fare whose main goal is just to entertain. As a matter of fact, as much as I have appreciated the stellar offerings from Crow’s Theatre in the past, maybe they can take note and program more “happy, feel-good” plays and musicals for their future seasons?</p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-36757503636338502042023-10-04T19:59:00.001-04:002023-10-05T10:19:10.317-04:00Theatre 2023: In Dreams<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCVSzbMVnCb78qltyD-KW2oRA1J7ZIesP0v4YLcQKTO0sNVl0a4b4rrCGINOhx-K5hg6DOn-0XYJ1KJLjrSGmXHKuCEOySzqgApCXZUamx4YhlSCKjfEw8vjLC48qmIP8n-sYxbtsAa1YGXRMTARL13zOfLMIJMhO7ZOngW-Srx3rNPW2ItMQ/s5040/A_Dreams1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="5040" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCVSzbMVnCb78qltyD-KW2oRA1J7ZIesP0v4YLcQKTO0sNVl0a4b4rrCGINOhx-K5hg6DOn-0XYJ1KJLjrSGmXHKuCEOySzqgApCXZUamx4YhlSCKjfEw8vjLC48qmIP8n-sYxbtsAa1YGXRMTARL13zOfLMIJMhO7ZOngW-Srx3rNPW2ItMQ/w640-h160/A_Dreams1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I am always a bit leery about<b> jukebox musicals </b>that try to co-opt popular songs originally written by or for well-known singing artists or groups, in an attempt to turn their lyrics into sung dialogue that fits a storyline. Mamma Mia remains the gold standard but there have been many less successful wannabes that followed. Often the lyrics don’t make sense in the context of the plot, or the plot becomes so convoluted in order to fit the lyrics. The first show of our 2023/2024 Mirvish subscription series was the new jukebox musical <b>In Dreams</b>, featuring songs by <b>Roy Orbison</b> who had a successful solo career in the 1960s and 70s and then formed the super rock group The Traveling Wilburys which also included Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty. The book for the musical was written by David West Read who successfully wrote the plot for the Tony Award nominated musical &Juliet as well as the charming TV series Schitt’s Creek, so I was cautiously optimistic before attending his new show. I am happy to report that for the most part, the storyline was cohesive, touching and occasionally humorous while the lyrics of the songs fit well in the plot and worked to advance the action as should be the case in a good musical.<p></p><p>In Dreams deals with Kenna, the lead singer of the former rock band “Heartbreak Radio” which included her best friend Jane, bassist Donovan now married to Jane, and drummer Ramsey who was Kenna’s ex. When Kenna receives a dire medical diagnosis, she decides that she needs to reunite with her estranged band members for one last party. She selects a Mexican restaurant in New Mexico that holds memorials for the deceased. The restaurant is run by Oscar, who is grieving the recent death of his parents, his pregnant wife Nicole and sassy widowed grandmother Ana Sofia.</p><p>The title of the show and the name of the rock band are both titles of Orbison songs that are in the musical’s song list. As well, it seems like the setting was inspired by the Traveling Wilbury song called “Margarita” which of course is featured during one of the scenes. As with all jukebox musicals, the songs drive the plot for better or worse. Continuing with the Mexican theme, parts of some of the songs are actually sung in Spanish by the relevant characters, perhaps to give their heritage more authenticity.</p><p>Many of Orbison’s and the Traveling Wilbury’s most famous songs are represented and weaved cleverly into the plot. After Kenna convinces Oscar, Nicole and Ana- Sofia to hold her memorial party even though she is still alive, they sing “You Got It (anything you want..)” to agree to her wishes. When describing why the band lost touch, the song “Communication Breakdown” is performed. Ramsey is now an Uber Driver and as he rushes to the party in hopes of rekindling his relationship with Kenna, he hilariously sings “I Drove All Night (to get to you)”. A sweet subplot involves Ana Sofia and fellow recently widowed George who are both lonely and miss their spouses. They connect over a beautiful mashup of the songs “Blue Bayou” and “Only the Lonely”. Eventually, George proceeds to court Ana Sofia with the iconic “Pretty Woman”, perhaps Orbison’s best known song due to the success of the Julia Roberts/Richard Gere romantic comedy. But the showstopper was Kenna’s singing “Crying” to end the first act as she laments pushing Ramsey away to spare him from learning of her illness. Tony award winner Lena Hall absolutely killed this song as well as “Love Hurts” and a solo in the second act where the group sings “Handle With Care”. Hall’s voice can start hauntingly soft and then slowly build into a powerful belt that metaphorically blows the roof off the theatre.</p><p>I did have a few reservations about this musical. I liked the first act more than the second, perhaps because more well-known songs were sung earlier on and the ones I did not know did not resonate as much with me. Also, the first act had a faster pace while the second act dragged slightly. I felt a bit indifferent to Oscar’s sub-plot with his struggles to deal with his parents being gone and his inability to share his feelings with Nicole. This allowed him to sing the titular “In Dreams” as his vehicle to communicate with them and for her to respond in a Spanish version of “Crying”. Maybe if these characters had been more richly developed, I might have cared more? I also found it interesting that yet again (just like in <a href="http://arenglishtravels.blogspot.com/2023/05/new-york-city-2023-broadway-shows.html" target="_blank">all five shows</a> which my husband Rich and I watched on Broadway in May), there was the addition of a gay character portrayed in the show, although in this case, it was a peripheral and stereotypically flamboyant one. This is starting to feel like an obligatory trope that needs to somehow be inserted into every current show. Many of Roy Orbison’s songs are based on themes of loneliness, pain and heartache perhaps fueled by the multiple personal tragedies that he faced. In Dreams did a good job of reflecting these themes in the show, but in striving for an upbeat, hopeful ending, it undercut some of the original plot points introduced at the start of the show.</p><p>But overall, I found In Dreams to be very entertaining and enjoyable. It felt like some of the songs had been written specifically for this show, as opposed to having a plot that needed to jump through illogical hoops in order to justify the lyrics. That is the mark of a good juke box musical. If tickets were not so expensive, I would consider watching this show again after carefully listening to Orbison’s or the Traveling Wilbury’s versions of the songs to become more familiar with the lyrics. I think I would appreciate the plot more the second time around.</p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-18727000143506962282023-09-26T14:16:00.003-04:002023-09-27T08:30:08.010-04:00Theatre 2023: Master Plan @ Crow's Theatre<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiROhDLiktjWi0lyMXnLSJfAb6yepHiWuBZ0j1XZqT7O86TQ9l-ZxkrVPFpCqwrLwKeedbLDmMvsqYEt4eLYLJvuoFkuCncmqjmUMoxB4wUh9dzyV-M2MIC3haj5CHW_dLMwjPd6ovIrhiE2mSJe7mshAkVnnvBLVMrL7ElNsouPBtsnhaXDc/s1600/MasterPlan0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="1600" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDiROhDLiktjWi0lyMXnLSJfAb6yepHiWuBZ0j1XZqT7O86TQ9l-ZxkrVPFpCqwrLwKeedbLDmMvsqYEt4eLYLJvuoFkuCncmqjmUMoxB4wUh9dzyV-M2MIC3haj5CHW_dLMwjPd6ovIrhiE2mSJe7mshAkVnnvBLVMrL7ElNsouPBtsnhaXDc/w640-h220/MasterPlan0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The 2023/24 season of <b>Crow’s Theatre</b> started off with a bang with the electrifying new play by acclaimed Canadian playwright Michael Healey, known for the plays Drawer Boy and Proud. This time Crow’s Theatre commissioned Healey to write about the political and economic debacle that Waterfront Toronto triggered as it tried to develop a parcel of land that it owned into an environmentally friendly, self-sustaining “smart” community that would be a “climate-change game changer” and hopefully a model for future development. To achieve this goal, the organization foolhardily partnered with Google’s urban planning division Sidewalk Labs and chaos ensued, ultimately leading to failure of the project dubbed "<b>Sidewalk Toronto</b>". Healey based his play<b> Master Plan </b>on the book “<b>Sideways – The City Google Couldn’t Buy</b>” by Josh O’Kane, investigative journalist for the Globe and Mail.<p></p><p>Waterfront Toronto’s team was led by CEO Will Fleissig, VP of Strategic Policy and Innovation Kristina Verner and Chief Development Officer Meg Davis (daughter of former Ontario Premier Bill Davis as comically referenced repeatedly throughout the play). On the Sidewalk Labs team was its force-of-nature CEO Dan Doctoroff and designer Cal Malagaam, a fictious character who represented a composite of all the earnest designers who truly believed they were helping to fight climate change and save the planet.</p><p>It was clear from the start that the partnership was doomed to fail since the goals and objectives of the two sides were so radically different. Sidewalk Labs was in it purely for profit while Waterfront Toronto dreamed of a green utopia. Waterfront Toronto only owned a small parcel of the Toronto Portlands and only had jurisdiction to allow development on this property. Doctoroff knew this going in but assumed that he could bully his way into securing access to take over the entire Portlands in order to have a project of large enough scale to reach his profitability goals. He thought that he could get his way as long as he found the right palms to grease. He did not understand that Toronto’s political landscape is mired by layers of bureaucracy and that there was no one person, not even the mayor, who had total power. The extent of this bureaucracy was humorously illustrated by the character in the play whose main role was “Tree”. Also acting as the narrator who added exposition and background facts, this character described the amount of debate it took to determine whether a single resident’s petition to remove a tree from his property would be granted. If this small matter was not easily resolved, how would a project of the magnitude and complexity of Sidewalk Toronto have a chance?</p><p>The negotiations to finalize the proposal determining the terms of this partnership were supposed to take several weeks but dragged on for over 18 months between 2018-2020. In addition to the impasse over the scope of land involved in the project, there were also issues with the amount of control Sidewalk Labs wanted, including being the sole developers (without going to tender), retaining all intellectual property produced, and getting a cut of the tax levied in the area. There was also a serious public concern about personal privacy if the project went forward with the fear that Google would retain and resell any data that it collected. The integrity of Sidewalk Labs and Doctoroff specifically was constantly questioned as he repeatedly leaked information to the press, counter to his agreement with Waterfront Toronto that only they would interact with the media.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyuBiZfFprVFnPSLTabbyVxPCcDk3g3hoi0Wpnqzh7m7TgpMNzJ9CwLrYiMKlmCCnFC77U1ffL4WhW6t_HntJNnRuvQN1zy94Ays5NZ9786NgAJtYr7CANGl0fcafSMkX8ATtqPEUk15iBP_30APrgngxrdsNL5OTEuriaBpg9guwupM3ed5Q/s1599/MasterPlan1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="1599" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIyuBiZfFprVFnPSLTabbyVxPCcDk3g3hoi0Wpnqzh7m7TgpMNzJ9CwLrYiMKlmCCnFC77U1ffL4WhW6t_HntJNnRuvQN1zy94Ays5NZ9786NgAJtYr7CANGl0fcafSMkX8ATtqPEUk15iBP_30APrgngxrdsNL5OTEuriaBpg9guwupM3ed5Q/w640-h164/MasterPlan1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Healey’s quick, animated dialogue made what could have been a dull topic interesting. But what really elevated the show was the amazing staging created by artistic director Chris Abraham which illustrated in real time the potential ramifications of having Google gain control within our city. The stage was set up “in the round” with four rows of stadium seating lining each wall of the theatre. Hung from above in the middle of the stage were projection screens that seemed to film the audience. We sat in the third row, so we were only shown from below our waists while the people in the first two rows were in full view. As the play started, instead of the usual land acknowledgement and requests to turn off your phones, an animated avatar appeared to let us know that our body movements and facial expressions were being tracked to get immediate feedback on our reactions to the play, and that we should leave our phones on for easier data collection. A QR code was then displayed allowing you to “opt out” of the data collection process. When scanned from your phone, a screen popped up indicating “Just kidding, we are not harvesting your data. Enjoy the show!” The screens were then used throughout the play to identify characters since each actor played multiple parts in addition to their main roles. These included various board members of Waterfront Toronto, Mayor Tory, other city councillors, environmentalists, protesters and more. The screen was also used to display informational details or establish timelines. At the end of the play, we got a post-mortem of what happened to each character, similar to what we see in the end credits of a movie<p></p><p>Another strange part of the set involved a slightly raised platform a few inches above the stage floor that had cut-out sections and inserted pot lights aimed towards the ceiling. The stadium seats were positioned on top of this platform so people entering the theatre had to step off it and cross the stage to get to their seats. This became a bit of a hazard as several people tripped on the lip of the platform and one man actually fell flat on his face before the ushers and even some of the actors stood guard to warn people of the step down. The reason for this unusual platform became clear in the middle of the play when Sidewalk Labs bragged to the Toronto Fire Chief about their “smart sidewalk” design that would eliminate sidewalk curbs and instead could be dynamically reconfigured, using lights to delineate the width of the sidewalks versus the roads in order to “better control traffic flow”. This was received with incredulity as any Torontonian knows how ineffective barrierless road markings are in preventing cars from driving on bike lanes, let alone being reliant on lights in the ground which would be covered by snow for parts of the year.</p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYEDk3CU0qSXGOvszg4ya-8VEJ8kPzqMUI60MsLw9OZv-Tv2Y3pWGRjuxliYhIsD6Wx4yzXXBeOwOvDL0-X4mxvhxPreqWjqSlXHcnBuA32VvYL3MQOtGYFOkPs9cU0G3E8HgHhsseHQ8paC5rxK6C2k2UfNSYY_8Jy9CM0bbBkU2lK7M2ZKi/s1600/IMG_5175.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYEDk3CU0qSXGOvszg4ya-8VEJ8kPzqMUI60MsLw9OZv-Tv2Y3pWGRjuxliYhIsD6Wx4yzXXBeOwOvDL0-X4mxvhxPreqWjqSlXHcnBuA32VvYL3MQOtGYFOkPs9cU0G3E8HgHhsseHQ8paC5rxK6C2k2UfNSYY_8Jy9CM0bbBkU2lK7M2ZKi/w400-h300/IMG_5175.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>These days it seems to be a trend in live theatre to provide
a bit of pre-show dramatics to reward those in the audience who arrived
early. Before the show, the table
centre-stage where most of the action would take place, was covered with wooden
structures that seemed to represent potential buildings that would be part of Sidewalk
Toronto. Piece by piece, each building
block was removed by an usher and taken off stage until the table was
bare. In the meantime, members of the
cast roamed around raised platform area, interacting with the audience and
asking what they knew about this project that was the topic of the play. In the second act, a few pieces of the blocks
reappeared as discussions progressed.
But towards the end of the play, they were flipped over and used as
chairs by Verner and Davis. Whether
intentional or not, to me this visually signified that the project was doomed,
and the end was near.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BZH8BSEvcLmMVz-6FgJESkc8ko36OZh4GByZzr9fsq5B7KjSmlHzu3pf8a0TLoKVg92UNRNdfml9sT0h9zZRxE0-yhhsNmrzChX8jULFHJU7onuBiAj2VuUY1jLGKOPrh8xcxwFv0aKaBvVO2XcVgXyRkAuzQli7_sXezn2VSk47a87Dp4p0/s1600/IMG_5186.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BZH8BSEvcLmMVz-6FgJESkc8ko36OZh4GByZzr9fsq5B7KjSmlHzu3pf8a0TLoKVg92UNRNdfml9sT0h9zZRxE0-yhhsNmrzChX8jULFHJU7onuBiAj2VuUY1jLGKOPrh8xcxwFv0aKaBvVO2XcVgXyRkAuzQli7_sXezn2VSk47a87Dp4p0/w400-h300/IMG_5186.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Although providing a bit of information overload, albeit in a clever manner, Master Plan did a great job of explaining the frustrating time spent by both Waterfront Toronto and Google in a tussle that wasted a lot of money and provided no results. Even sadder is the lost opportunity of fulfilling a lofty and worthwhile goal since the land in question still sits barren and unoccupied many years later.<p></p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-89318475110972590872023-07-31T20:30:00.042-04:002023-08-02T09:46:43.565-04:00Theatre 2023: Fringe Festival<p>My husband Rich and I watched four performances at the Toronto Fringe Festival this year and enjoyed three of them. This is an acceptable success rate given the adhoc, open-access nature of the selection process for Fringe shows and the lack of reviews for the most part when we choose which ones to watch. It has always been hit and miss what we end up with.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UEf15P-ziDS1eC_qI46iMpSGF3zdzsg1OFro_UM2S0Rg56_OK9_3VhMmTqauCAqtBBExzXVTrxAGX0Mj9jRK7b1sFFHXRAc-PpSR8ZTw15bqLg6uE9XVBXOpm8fubtRVdr-SBRuIxWMY2l7iN1KVDtOH8v8ZeY0Xi-MFqK102mrJLVnWBI-6/s1600/C_Fringe1_AbsoluteMagic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="508" data-original-width="1600" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_UEf15P-ziDS1eC_qI46iMpSGF3zdzsg1OFro_UM2S0Rg56_OK9_3VhMmTqauCAqtBBExzXVTrxAGX0Mj9jRK7b1sFFHXRAc-PpSR8ZTw15bqLg6uE9XVBXOpm8fubtRVdr-SBRuIxWMY2l7iN1KVDtOH8v8ZeY0Xi-MFqK102mrJLVnWBI-6/w640-h204/C_Fringe1_AbsoluteMagic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Our first show was a relatively safe magic act called “<b>Absolute Magic With Keith Brown</b>”. This was Rich’s pick since he likes magic shows. The magician performed the typical slight-of-hand card tricks and telepathy/mind-reading routines. Rich participated in one of the mindreading tricks where he was one of four people who secretly drew a picture and Brown guessed which one Rich drew (a wristwatch .. I could have figured that out!). In the finale of that trick, the magician actually reproduced what the last person had drawn. None of this was particularly novel for a magic show. But what made the act interesting was the running story-telling narrative that Brown gave with his smooth, hypnotic (and distracting?) voice while performing his tricks, which actually resulted in a life lesson. Through hutzpah and sheer determination, when he was able to wrangle a visit from the wife of the President of Iceland when he did a show in that country. The lesson was that you will never succeed if you don’t at least try.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctPeVwlwxBlhEsgr7iZzUl22R4oT4HIWx73xxJgX6eOr6438bAuV1CqENT2sBjFlSaeiSwVd0qtkhATHgfZU6V7SquY2E_l913lyuPDTl62QYaUzGCpXtpfbIEglJTMBPAxqwdrnHFwHkpbxzF1ltjqSEFVRfUGDlhAvDZ43r8Pc7TQWJMjxy/s1600/C_Fringe2_Choir.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="1600" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctPeVwlwxBlhEsgr7iZzUl22R4oT4HIWx73xxJgX6eOr6438bAuV1CqENT2sBjFlSaeiSwVd0qtkhATHgfZU6V7SquY2E_l913lyuPDTl62QYaUzGCpXtpfbIEglJTMBPAxqwdrnHFwHkpbxzF1ltjqSEFVRfUGDlhAvDZ43r8Pc7TQWJMjxy/w640-h164/C_Fringe2_Choir.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Next we watched a musical comedy called<b> Choir </b>by Barbara Johnston and Anika Johnson (sister of Britta Johnson who wrote <a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2023/07/theatre-2023-good-hadestown-prairie.html" target="_blank">Kelly vs Kelly</a>). This team wrote the musical <a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/search?q=Blood+ties" target="_blank">Blood Ties</a>, another Fringe show that then had a snippet featured in an episode of the SciFi drama Orphan Black. Through small vignettes, Choir follows a year in the lives of a group of teenagers who are part of the “Tierce de Picardie Children's Chorus". This is not a pop music or show choir like Glee, but rather a youth choir that sings Classical music by composers such as Bach, Handel and Mozart. They are led by conductor Mary Dean, played hilariously and with the utmost camp by actor Dean Deffet. The cast is comprised of over 30+ singers ranging from ages 11-18 and their voices blend in beautiful harmony although the singing abilities of the individual soloists are not quite as strong and belie their young ages. The short scenes range from funny to touching as the youngsters deal with cliques and social status (being choir cool vs school cool), singing exercises and performances as they prepare for a big competition in Sudbury, and of course peer pressure, crushes and dating. This was our favourite of the four shows that we watched.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1EEj9KGn_DRl71dCELFMafC2w5OHj7hnyVNUjmSXOmIRPnFygVJCq4nrhccoUBZRnReW2PoMWyeP6MwCCtpZ1kCClegX0Yh6pyzzY9YwAuiN5RKrUVmIJ8vcXiTBbzfvQiBHHnJgyaOt7w6LlcTpZ2R5aU0uJ2nY_HzLVDNKHixvoeIC1r3d/s1600/C_Fringe3_FamilyCrowMurder.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="1600" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1EEj9KGn_DRl71dCELFMafC2w5OHj7hnyVNUjmSXOmIRPnFygVJCq4nrhccoUBZRnReW2PoMWyeP6MwCCtpZ1kCClegX0Yh6pyzzY9YwAuiN5RKrUVmIJ8vcXiTBbzfvQiBHHnJgyaOt7w6LlcTpZ2R5aU0uJ2nY_HzLVDNKHixvoeIC1r3d/w640-h182/C_Fringe3_FamilyCrowMurder.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Our third show was a one-man puppet show called <b>The Family Crow: A Murder Mystery</b> where all the characters are crows including the detective Horatio P.Corvus who shows up at the Crow family mansion to investigate the murder of the eldest son “Russell Crow”. Puppeteer extraordinaire Adam Francis Proulx provides the voices of the detective, who is also the narrator of the story, as well as each of the suspects within the Crow family including daughter “Sheryl Crow”. Before the actual mystery part of the show starts, Proulx walks around the stage and explains that we are about to endure an hour of really bad puns and invites anyone who wants to leave to do so now. We can’t say that we were not warned as the puns come fast and furious and are mostly groaners, starting with the play on the word murder which is also the term for a group of crows. Proulx spins an exciting tale as his detective prances across the stage interviewing each suspect who one by one also are found dead. He has 5 lamps pointed inwards that illuminate the stage which he turns on and off with foot switches as he traverses back and forth. This was an extremely entertaining play to watch.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfEgwsnu6szMuccLNlIjscltySb1ay9XepHVJhz5xpmj41_yFX0QRP-6TU18vKGMma6TtDnVRuZmMee6ZUKLK77V8bYm4DCZvSu1arzr2UD47rR0W6fOwFLYbZGfI-Jp5dx2uqG4jJNHsWbAqBG20OG-Hlr6zWCWR5MioVqiIFmjzIxKzNUmL/s1600/C_Fringe4_KillingTimeGameShowMurder.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfEgwsnu6szMuccLNlIjscltySb1ay9XepHVJhz5xpmj41_yFX0QRP-6TU18vKGMma6TtDnVRuZmMee6ZUKLK77V8bYm4DCZvSu1arzr2UD47rR0W6fOwFLYbZGfI-Jp5dx2uqG4jJNHsWbAqBG20OG-Hlr6zWCWR5MioVqiIFmjzIxKzNUmL/w640-h180/C_Fringe4_KillingTimeGameShowMurder.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Unfortunately, our last play <b>Killing Time: A Game Show Musical </b>was the one that Rich and I did not like. Surprisingly we are in the minority since the rest of the audience seemed to love it. This show was actually selected Patron’s Pick over all the other shows playing at its theatre and got rave reviews. The plot was straightforward with a smarmy game show host being murdered and the police arrive to question the suspects including a producer, stagehand, Vanna White-esque show girl and two contestants. Loving musicals, we did enjoy all the songs but found the acting to be so hammy and overwrought that it was cringeworthy for us as opposed to humorous. The rest of the audience obviously disagreed based on all the laughter around us. Maybe we just didn’t have the right sense of humour for the show and its intentional overacting. Too bad this was not a sung-through musical with all songs and no dialogue because the musical numbers were quite good.<p></p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-89467331378245802422023-07-31T19:30:00.000-04:002023-07-31T19:30:39.393-04:00Theatre 2023: Good, Hadestown, Prairie Nurses, The Chinese Lady, Kelly vs Kelly<p>I had been so behind in writing about my <a href="http://arenglishtravels.blogspot.com/2022/08/east-coast-2022-road-trip.html" target="_blank">2022 vacation to Nova Scotia and Cape Breton</a> that I decided to devote all of my time to my travel blog until I caught up. As a result, I then fell behind on writing about all the theatre that my husband Rich and I watched over the past few months. This is a catch-all blog of some of the shows that we watched between May and July 2023.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMh63NYNMhIw_mY9baWbSXxKfdEL23hIejpn99OgdwrS9yEkRGMBHJ9tqo76bnF8ccek6eug0LWeaAq2u-dYQDFzpF5BVbm8bczcn1WyyE3l9U2TmSy4dsSdjFkNtIrY0i37UMMh098M31DESX1m_TK6qKy6ke8r31xtT-_WlUf7kyvdpg9im/s1600/B_Good.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="1600" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMh63NYNMhIw_mY9baWbSXxKfdEL23hIejpn99OgdwrS9yEkRGMBHJ9tqo76bnF8ccek6eug0LWeaAq2u-dYQDFzpF5BVbm8bczcn1WyyE3l9U2TmSy4dsSdjFkNtIrY0i37UMMh098M31DESX1m_TK6qKy6ke8r31xtT-_WlUf7kyvdpg9im/w640-h230/B_Good.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Having watched several other National Theatre plays that were filmed and then screened at Cineplex movie theatres including <a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2023/04/theatre-2023-life-of-pi-national.html" target="_blank">Life of Pi</a>, <a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2023/03/theatre-2023-crucible-national-theatre.html" target="_blank">The Crucible</a>, and <a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2023/01/theatre-2023-jack-absolute-flies-again.html" target="_blank">Jack Absolute Flies Again</a>, our next one was the 1982 drama “<b>Good</b>” starring David Tennant, known for playing Doctor Who. It tells the fictional story of John Halder, a German literary professor who is initially forced to join the Nazi party, but eventually ends up embracing fascist beliefs as a high-ranking officer in the SS, Hitler’s paramilitary group. The play acts as a cautionary tale of how an intelligent and basically moral family man can end up rationalizing and fostering acts of pure evil. In effect, it uses Halder’s arc as an example of how Nazism was able to spread through Germany and illustrate how easy it is to be led astray by the seduction of power. It is horrific to watch through the course of the play as Halder systematically betrays his Jewish best friend, his depressed wife and his mother who is suffering from dementia, justifying his changes in stance along the way as he participates in book burnings, experiments in euthanasia and finally the genocide in Auschwitz. While this was not the most enjoyable play to watch, its themes were definitely profound and all the more important and relevant today when radicalization and far-right extremism is on the rise around the world.<p></p><p>As much as we enjoy watching these filmed versions of National Theatre plays on the big screen, they get to be expensive for a movie experience at $19+tax per person, (although a bargain in live-theatre-going terms). However, a much better deal is to get a subscription to <a href="https://www.ntathome.com/" target="_blank">National Theatre At Home</a> which costs just $18 per month or $180 per year and will give both Rich and I unlimited access to an archive of past plays. I think we will try this for a month and see how it goes.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16pP_p8RSxYzLdNVJFSgrClZzn-y_ml-yl2n3fQIWxf9fqPjczllIZUuKR8hPOiukm4cQP7NltQBosVhUK1UjpYUI4M2wgZDXt8W_SOoR1Nolg8ueGZA1GGDN3wCzqPusSrQ0TQWYboYrw-bVNUk8wJU2T-0sPtWe0kAen_h0KoXxMLErWQba/s1260/IMG_2791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="847" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi16pP_p8RSxYzLdNVJFSgrClZzn-y_ml-yl2n3fQIWxf9fqPjczllIZUuKR8hPOiukm4cQP7NltQBosVhUK1UjpYUI4M2wgZDXt8W_SOoR1Nolg8ueGZA1GGDN3wCzqPusSrQ0TQWYboYrw-bVNUk8wJU2T-0sPtWe0kAen_h0KoXxMLErWQba/w134-h200/IMG_2791.JPG" width="134" /></a></div>We watched the Tony award winning musical <b>Hadestown</b> for a second time as a <b>road show production</b> that is part of our 2022/23 Mirvish Subscription Series. Rich and I watched this show for the first time on Broadway in 2019 on our last trip to New York City, just before COVID hit. We loved the jazzy songs, innovative sets and staging, and great choreography. I won’t describe the show again since <a href="http://arenglishtravels.blogspot.com/2019/12/manhattan-2019-broadway-musicals.html" target="_blank">I wrote about it the first time</a>, but it is always interesting to see how a road show adapts the original production, often with a new cast and a scaled down version of the set. I always think back to the first production of Les Miserables where the barricade was so enormous that when revolution leader Enjolras is shot, his entire body hangs upside down from the top of the barricade. On the road show version, the barricade was merely chest height and Enjolras just slumped over it.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZmQLvpKvgyA5zKMZB4zYRKyvOqwkoxtJVYgGnbtqT_i3UtHUTTVjyw082-H1okF9QKRruE22wn_MEv3sM41-lE6Mrh3XiHn9upjBj-l_PPvNOy9mD2KEKdd2jlmoCbHJh1WpIU0S1R2HSiXX8kYn65Y5mozWyayiFey9iziQO44dj2rdqgU3/s5040/B_Hadestown1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="5040" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZZmQLvpKvgyA5zKMZB4zYRKyvOqwkoxtJVYgGnbtqT_i3UtHUTTVjyw082-H1okF9QKRruE22wn_MEv3sM41-lE6Mrh3XiHn9upjBj-l_PPvNOy9mD2KEKdd2jlmoCbHJh1WpIU0S1R2HSiXX8kYn65Y5mozWyayiFey9iziQO44dj2rdqgU3/w640-h160/B_Hadestown1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The <b>set </b>for the Hadestown Toronto road show differed from the Broadway version in a major way. On Broadway, the stage had a <b>circular lift</b> that lowered down to reveal a large hole, signifying the descent into the Underworld. Eurydice first descends when she accepts Hades offer of food and shelter, and then is tragically sucked down again for the last time when Orpheus fails the test set out for him as he tries to lead her back to Earth. Since the stage of the Royal Alexandra Theatre could not accommodate such a contraption, the path to Hell became a big metal gate at the back of the stage that opened and closed like the “<b>Jaws of Hell</b>”. This did not have the same dramatic effect as the Broadway version but was still a good interpretation.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOltHW1jquStyFMU_xqiNWzRUqBQeYMTgPQ26JedPF458FqzfrAAAna4It4kSofWShb31Y40ZrtzKlnW9eKHZBhkPgpb66JdCuX5AmRqwitQnNJj-lS8dEuuqqxwrFVLOGpAY1Z33d-wlt8o6W4qYvUj0GZDQxOYPCCn6cctJlYiGIo8yhYHE0/s1600/B_Hadestown2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="1600" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOltHW1jquStyFMU_xqiNWzRUqBQeYMTgPQ26JedPF458FqzfrAAAna4It4kSofWShb31Y40ZrtzKlnW9eKHZBhkPgpb66JdCuX5AmRqwitQnNJj-lS8dEuuqqxwrFVLOGpAY1Z33d-wlt8o6W4qYvUj0GZDQxOYPCCn6cctJlYiGIo8yhYHE0/w640-h176/B_Hadestown2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The other major difference was the<b> appearances and performances of the casts</b> from the two productions. Having seen the Broadway one first, that is the lasting impression for me of what the characters should look like. On Broadway, Hades and Persephone were both tall and slender while Eurydice was petite compared to Orpheus, making her seem more vulnerable. The statures of the female leads were reversed in the Toronto version with Eurydice being tall and lean and just about the same height as Orpheus, while the actress playing Persephone was much shorter and curvier. None of that mattered in the context of the musical but because I had such a vivid image in my mind of the original cast, the differences felt jolting to me.<p></p><p>The more significant difference in my mind was the performances by a few key roles. On Broadway, Patrick Page who played Hades is an accomplished baritone who was able to sustain the extremely low notes required for the role throughout the performance. In Toronto, Matthew Patrick Quinn only seemed to sing in the really low notes for short periods of time and therefore felt much less menacing. Comparing the two actors who played Hermes, André de Shields (who won a Tony award for his performance) played the role with more gravitas while Toronto’s Nathan Lee Graham played it with more camp. I also found the actor who portrayed Broadway’s Orpheus exuded more of the required innocence, earnestness and naivety than Toronto’s version. All this might be a bit biased only because I saw the Broadway version first. Judged on its own merit, the Toronto production was very good, and the musical was just as entertaining as the first time. In fact, Maria-Christina Oliveras who played Persephone had a voice that blew the roof off of the theatre!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhov-jDfL5u-cqln7-fNI3qQPN9MtimdGzxcwaqjxCeytM70sPv7wgT_jh4oI4IX_VYirI-4Cfu44QDJdSWceKCeG-_MlFIsH0MVfSMDQf4isbNvD7uPPLMvhv_W-cuvE-A5A5UW-1ZDWCuLAQRxshKxkho41fRouonDq8h0_3n8alZ2BJnkn/s1600/B_PrairieNurses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="395" data-original-width="1600" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNhov-jDfL5u-cqln7-fNI3qQPN9MtimdGzxcwaqjxCeytM70sPv7wgT_jh4oI4IX_VYirI-4Cfu44QDJdSWceKCeG-_MlFIsH0MVfSMDQf4isbNvD7uPPLMvhv_W-cuvE-A5A5UW-1ZDWCuLAQRxshKxkho41fRouonDq8h0_3n8alZ2BJnkn/w640-h158/B_PrairieNurses.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>We went to <b>Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre</b> to watch a delightful comedy written in 2013 called <b>Prairie Nurses</b> about two nurses named Penny and Puring who arrive from the Philippines to work in a community hospital in small town in Saskatchewan. Hilarious misunderstandings ensue when most of the employees at the hospital including the Scottish doctor Miles, hot-tempered head nurse Marie-Anne and hockey-playing lab technician Wilf cannot tell the two young women apart. Wilf falls in love at first sight with Puring, then inadvertently proceeds to woo both nurses thinking they are the same person because he never sees them at the same time until the end of the play. Only candy-stripper Patsy can tell the difference but makes things worse as she tries to play matchmaker for Wilf and Puring, since her efforts get directed towards the wrong nurse.<p></p><p>The action takes place in the common room of the hospital which has a door centre stage leading to the rest of the hospital and one stage left that leads outside the building. The play includes elements of farce as the two nurses alternately enter and exit through the doors, causing confusion when they are mistaken for one another. There are also tropes found in Restoration comedies with the plot devices of misdirected letters and mistaken identities. One may almost consider this a variation on “Comedy of Manners”, but gently lampooning race and cultural differences instead of the usual target of the upper class. Although they could not visually tell the two nurses apart, Marie-Anne and Miles would deliberately curse, knowing that the more religious Puring would react to this while Penny would not care.</p><p>In today’s overly politically correct landscape, Prairie Nurses could have been considered racist if it were not so charming and inoffensive. This is probably because the play is written by Toronto-based Filipino playwright Marie Beath Badian who based the plot of this fictional story on real-life experiences. Her mother worked as a nurse in a small hospital in Arborfield, Saskatchewan (population 300) and was frequently mistaken for “the other one”—another Filipino nurse named Penny. In fact, the most racist thought conveyed in the play is spoken by Penny (short for Indepencia) when she was appalled by the news that another Filipino nurse had married a white man, commenting that “their poor children .. will be sadly unattractive.. giants with enormous feet and mismatched eyes”. Badian occasionally tosses in Tagalog (Filipino) dialect when the nurses speak to one another, which adds to the authenticity but makes it more a bit more difficult to follow the dialogue, especially when they are engaged in a heated argument. I’m not sure if the casting was intentional to add to the humour, but the two actresses who played Puring and Penny looked nothing alike (even from a distance) and one was noticeably talker than the other, making the confusion all the more ridiculous and funnier.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkylcIAC3AYfIR1EtOQMNa3AOALPTqEo41LbIqR8uoyho3tygLk8lIqyWWpdhOlQeuEAEtXjUOviFXERx5SoTLhJf5zLTcKkX_VGLUZYK3D8QQMCV_H-ZOKVXtfoBlNlmohwfT_DgNc949WAS87iQmZsZEc-DgG9CiGpcU5S6UqVJ2bSkG1VIF/s1600/B_Chinese%20Lady1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="392" data-original-width="1600" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkylcIAC3AYfIR1EtOQMNa3AOALPTqEo41LbIqR8uoyho3tygLk8lIqyWWpdhOlQeuEAEtXjUOviFXERx5SoTLhJf5zLTcKkX_VGLUZYK3D8QQMCV_H-ZOKVXtfoBlNlmohwfT_DgNc949WAS87iQmZsZEc-DgG9CiGpcU5S6UqVJ2bSkG1VIF/w640-h156/B_Chinese%20Lady1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>While Prairie Nurses was really more about culture clash, the show that we watched at <b>Crows Theatre</b> definitely dealt with themes of racism against the Chinese population in the early part of the 19th Century. <b>The Chinese Lady,</b> a play<b> </b>by Lloyd Suh, is based on the true story of Afong Moy, who was brought into the United States from Guangzhou, China and is supposedly the first Chinese woman to set foot on American soil in 1834. Based on sketchy records, she was somewhere between 14-19 years old and was probably sold by her family to American traders who wanted to use her to promote interest in and help sell their Chinese furniture and wares. This play imagines what her life might have been like as she spent decades on display like a circus attraction, feeding Western desire for glimpses of the “exotic East”. Tickets were sold (25 cents for adults, 10 cents for children) for people to watch Afong as she poured tea, ate with chopsticks and walked around on her 4-inch feet that were a result of having them repeatedly broken and bound when she was a child as per the Chinese customs of the time.<p></p><p>As we entered the theatre, the actress playing Afong Moy was already seated silent and motionless in her chair, allowing herself to be gawked at by the audience in the matter that Afong would be watched during her “performances”. This stagecraft device has been frequently used in recent plays. In The Dollhouse, Jessica Chastain’s Nora sits quietly spinning her chair for twenty minutes before the play starts, signifying how she feels trapped in her life and is spinning out of control. In the musical Parade, Ben Platt stays silently on stage during the 15-minute intermission as his character Frank is isolated and trapped in his prison cell awaiting his fate.</p><p>When The Chinese Lady finally starts, Afong Moy introduces herself in a perky, cheerful manner and explains that she is in the United States as an ambassador to promote relationships between America and China. It is 1834, she is 14-years old and will only be here for two years before her father comes to bring her home. She proceeds to pour the tea, eat a bowl of rice and gingerly walk on her tiny feet around the boxed enclosure that is her stage. This scene repeats with time jumps every few years and it eventually becomes apparent to her that no one is coming to retrieve her. The year and her age increases, the rituals remain the same, but Afong gets more jaded and it becomes harder and harder for her to maintain the façade of happiness. As her fame and notoriety grows, she is taken to tour other cities and even gets to meet President Andrew Jackson. The most heartbreaking scene occurs when she visits a Zoo and while looking at the animals in captivity, finally fully grasps the reality of her own situation.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhnv5KhUe-JaKaM-zfLx1OlYMLKWAS605Lqvhw_oZwcnm8NQPYqqEb-vLQfKSuhmggtPKDcp7IUUZ2RKx3zWBz-Qxu_S2DVIYAejISXfepgw9D6-r1_IeLD9N5c0pM_mLGceH7z97s8rVfpHq-JSfoJhug3ukXIdN2orITCSlgQnF-AnclST_/s1600/B_Chinese%20Lady2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="1600" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAhnv5KhUe-JaKaM-zfLx1OlYMLKWAS605Lqvhw_oZwcnm8NQPYqqEb-vLQfKSuhmggtPKDcp7IUUZ2RKx3zWBz-Qxu_S2DVIYAejISXfepgw9D6-r1_IeLD9N5c0pM_mLGceH7z97s8rVfpHq-JSfoJhug3ukXIdN2orITCSlgQnF-AnclST_/w640-h176/B_Chinese%20Lady2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Throughout the play, Afong is accompanied by the manservant Atung who acts as her translator, brings out her tea and food and sweeps up after each show. Atung has a more skeptical view of the world and has no illusions about his role as a slave to the masters who brought him from China when he was a boy. He acts as Afong’s confidant but cannot save her from her fate, anymore than he can save himself. On top of the historical aspects of the story, this play asks us to look beyond the cultural curiosities to see the human behind the performance. Afong Moy’s final lines are “Are you looking at me? Can you see me?”. Just like the play Good, The Chinese Lady has become more relevant since its first performance in 2018 given the rise of xenophobia and anti-Asian sentiments brought on by the pandemic and a demented American president who deemed it “The Asian Flu”.<p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuoYu_H_IxaYudxbdk1sMUykEAuXUKV-nRG9KmR-o_QLLDv5QP3PTz1EWU7r5rNZRdOTwQqy_rndAUhQ6_5_k2GtJ8iInU5TyHPzLki4ObIRuc9ZnH75ktxw91y-sSe0IdNcp5GdhNLpKmx86Zi1G2J4I_IyOCiQoHmAlNqajJSaU8a6VB7yv/s1599/B_KellyVsKelly1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="1599" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuoYu_H_IxaYudxbdk1sMUykEAuXUKV-nRG9KmR-o_QLLDv5QP3PTz1EWU7r5rNZRdOTwQqy_rndAUhQ6_5_k2GtJ8iInU5TyHPzLki4ObIRuc9ZnH75ktxw91y-sSe0IdNcp5GdhNLpKmx86Zi1G2J4I_IyOCiQoHmAlNqajJSaU8a6VB7yv/w640-h156/B_KellyVsKelly1.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><b>Kelly vs Kelly</b> is also based on a true story. In 1915, Eugenia Kelly, a 19-year-old wealthy socialite was sued by her mother Helen Kelly and threatened with jail for being “incorrigible”, which apparently was a crime back then? Chafing under her strict and proper mother’s smothering rules, Eugenia rebelled by visiting tango bars to pay suave, charming professional dancers known as “tango pirates” to dance with her. She fell in love with dancer Al Davis, who was already married. When she refused to end the affair, her mother took her to court in a case that scandalized the nation.<p></p><p>This story is the basis for a new Canadian musical by composer and lyricist<b> Britta Johnson</b>, the first winner of a 3-year residency with the charitable musical theatre group Musical Stage Company (MSC), whose mission is to help develop and produce new Canadian musicals. Johnson has been dubbed “Canadian musical theatre’s next great hope”. Being a huge supporter of MSC’s mission, we watched Johnson’s other two productions written during her residency with MSC—<a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2017/10/theatre-picture-this-north-by-northwest.html" target="_blank">Life After</a> and the immersive musical <a href="https://musicalstagecompany.com/shows/dr-silver-a-celebration-of-life/" target="_blank">Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life</a>, about a cult where the audience literally got to “drink the Kool-Aid”.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvbKmueuQAB7EGagfdGQHGZg7Llm6tzA8mQIVSfd2wvyrXzLG_dMfkRGNRljwBT0bz4F4thB8-w1I6_-VeDJiYNMytPi1SfXMPZ2o8h6J7eLQlP7BfTfHW9WlgXfM9O_WJQoX7YapmG4eJYYbksiNNmoyhT463zcis_02SuVcwbLVGZHbk544/s4824/B_KellyVsKelly2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="4824" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgvbKmueuQAB7EGagfdGQHGZg7Llm6tzA8mQIVSfd2wvyrXzLG_dMfkRGNRljwBT0bz4F4thB8-w1I6_-VeDJiYNMytPi1SfXMPZ2o8h6J7eLQlP7BfTfHW9WlgXfM9O_WJQoX7YapmG4eJYYbksiNNmoyhT463zcis_02SuVcwbLVGZHbk544/w640-h168/B_KellyVsKelly2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Performed at <b>Canstage’s Berkley Theatre,</b> Kelly vs Kelly starts in the court room where the infamous trial takes place. As the court waits for Eugenie’s arrival, Helen explains her case. Approaching belated while flocked by reporters, Eugenia is flighty and defiant and dressed relatively flamboyantly with her flowing hair and lacy dress, in contrast to the tight bun and prim gown wore by Helen. Through flashback scenes, we see Eugenia's sheltered childhood spent playing cards with her mother in the garden and her desire to break free from the safe, comfortable but passionless life that her mother led and now wants her to lead. Further flashbacks show Helen as a young woman, entered into a disappointing loveless marriage of political convenience. <p></p><p>Some of Johnson’s songs are hauntingly beautiful and lamenting, while songs sung during the tango scenes are sensual and seductive. One hilarious number highlights the misogyny of the times as the male members of the court including the lawyers and the judge despair about the irreverent “New Woman”. The book for this musical is by Johnson’s frequent collaborator Sara Farb, who we know more for her acting roles in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and the musical Fun Home. While the plot does a good job of showing Helen’s youth and why Eugenie wants to escape from repeating it, in general it felt a bit rushed and could have provided more depth into the back stories of the dancer Al or Helen’s husband Edward. The costumes are sumptuous and accentuated by the lighting. The choreography is superb and makes good use of the two tiers including the catwalk on the Berkley stage. Overall this has the makings of a great new musical that could use a few more songs and a bit more plot.</p><p>After watching this play, I googled to find out more about the original history of the Kelly vs. Kelly case and came across New York Times archival articles from 1915 about it, with headlines such as “Eugenia Kelly is a Victim of a Plot” and “Eugenia Kelly Says She Will Marry Davis”. How cool is that?</p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-24685658513276938532023-04-07T14:44:00.000-04:002023-04-07T14:44:45.491-04:00Theatre 2023: Life of Pi - National Theatre @ Cineplex<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44LrDCRcsLvXEPvZPcxTH6y3qZbbKXtBNrH9l_1BLMiDntGiU4DdjleY0iemZuIBEwr5xd-eUkvwSd31-P5sb-T3q3bKcBvQZ2-Xpa54ZLr3LmZ3louBvEOMz6YvVIfvJ2PcBHw0JQpdBWtYhFCMbjo6-NTan0nm6igpvokR2zqGuP9BW9w/s809/A_LifeOfPi%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="809" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj44LrDCRcsLvXEPvZPcxTH6y3qZbbKXtBNrH9l_1BLMiDntGiU4DdjleY0iemZuIBEwr5xd-eUkvwSd31-P5sb-T3q3bKcBvQZ2-Xpa54ZLr3LmZ3louBvEOMz6YvVIfvJ2PcBHw0JQpdBWtYhFCMbjo6-NTan0nm6igpvokR2zqGuP9BW9w/w400-h204/A_LifeOfPi%20(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Lately, with each new play filmed by London’s National Theatre that we watch at Cineplex, I marvel at how good the production is and think that it will be difficult to top, only to be proven wrong by the next show. After watching “Life of Pi”, the stage adaptation of Canadian author Yann Martel’s 2001 philosophical, religious allegorical novel, I can confidently say that this one will be tough to beat.<p></p><div>In the book, Piscine Molitor Patel, named after the French word for swimming pool and nicknamed Pi (as in 3.14159…), lived in Pondicherry, India with his brother Ravi and his parents who ran a zoo with an array of wild animals. The first part of the book details Pi’s happy childhood in India and at the zoo. We learn of Pi’s quest for spirituality when he practices not one, but three religions, as a Catholic, a Muslim and a Hindu. When challenged with the need to pick one, Pi disagrees, indicating that each religion believes in a God.. they just tell a different version of the same story. Pi’s reluctance to pick one religion ties directly into one of the main themes of the novel.</div><div><br /></div><div>Due to political issues in India, Pi’s father closes the zoo, sells off the animals to various zoos in America and makes plans to emigrate his family to Canada aboard the Japanese cargo ship Tsimtsum. “The ship sank.” With those three stark little words, we are thrown into the second part of book when the ship bringing his family to Canada is lost and Pi is the only human survivor sitting in a lifeboat. He is joined by a zebra who broke its leg jumping overboard, a vicious hyena, a maternal orangutan named Orange Juice, and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Over the course of some weeks, the hyena kills and eats the defenseless zebra and then beheads the weaker orangutan in gory fashion, before being killed by the tiger. This leaves Pi alone, trying to survive not only the elements and scarcity of food or drinkable water, but also being trapped in a small space with a wild tiger for the remaining of his 227-day ordeal. In the end, Pi is able to partially tame and learn to co-exist with Richard Parker, whose presence actually keeps Pi sane and gives him the will to survive before finally hitting land and being rescued.</div><div><br /></div><div>The third and final part of the book deals with Pi in the hospital, telling his tale to insurance claim adjusters who are trying to determine how and why the ship sank. When they challenge the story of Pi and the animals as fantastical and unbelievable, Pi offers an alternate and even more horrific tale. In this version, the zebra is an injured sailor, the orangutan is Pi’s mother, and the vicious hyena who brutally kills and cannibalizes the others is the merciless, amoral cook of the Tsimtsum. That leaves Richard Parker to represent the savage will to survive in Pi himself. The insurance adjustors are asked which of the two is the more palatable story and which one is more likely to be allowed by an all merciful God?</div><div><br /></div><div>I read Yann Martel’s novel when it first came out to critical acclaim. I found the story interesting and the themes of search for spirituality and surviving horrific adversity through storytelling by changing the narrative or perspective, to be admirable. But I cannot say that I enjoyed the book that much. I found it a bit too mystical, ethereal, and unrelatable for my taste. I also thought the interspersed short chapters narrated by some unidentified, third person interviewing an adult Pi to glean his story, to be distracting from the main “flashback” storyline.</div><div><br /></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMEkgGfhRk4a4mN-rlSbCXPNAfmiLFCYHaZQulPApKXmXM5dw8Xr8ii-m6WzcV6uqizyBMYHUOFq7AJg5yJh_EXDYtUnobojlOvwIyot01bHtllvNspCTfUz2BXPncwVhdcCiCW0zVar5FFgO_dSMXR0vU8ZO72NO_GtK9AtHZf2fpeRkHg/s1600/A_LifeOfPi%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="479" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMEkgGfhRk4a4mN-rlSbCXPNAfmiLFCYHaZQulPApKXmXM5dw8Xr8ii-m6WzcV6uqizyBMYHUOFq7AJg5yJh_EXDYtUnobojlOvwIyot01bHtllvNspCTfUz2BXPncwVhdcCiCW0zVar5FFgO_dSMXR0vU8ZO72NO_GtK9AtHZf2fpeRkHg/w640-h192/A_LifeOfPi%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>It was therefore with a bit of skepticism that I went to see the live production of Life of Pi. But the notion of using puppetry to represent the animals intrigued me, especially after enjoyng the productions of War Horse and The Lion King. As it turns out, while I was ambivalent about the book, I loved the staged version. The staging of this show as amazing. The manipulation of the puppets was so skillful that although you clearly see the puppeteers (sometimes multiple ones required to move one animal), you soon forget them and only see the extremely lifelike beasts. At the 2022 Olivier Awards (Britain’s version of the Tonys), Life of Pi won 5 awards including best play and Hiran Abeysekera for best actor in his role of Pi. But best of all, the seven puppeteers who manipulated the tiger Richard Parker won the award for best supporting actor.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Pl42yzTDMNQfllmaWoS0nQg4wQEyH2vnJP46ao0Ltt7Y4jK0cqdrMEpfLhkFxhZmqmCm-8xPmDaIKR98MFHiT199xOdbPLBEC1Q9yQk6JQXIFiZZw1_gZ6tC7GJNZni8rFNNE-8K9y-ZzmuIwMjxEYAuhDMKzc_HoqO7LVLaQQb6Z98fzQ/s1600/A_LifeOfPi%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="394" data-original-width="1600" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Pl42yzTDMNQfllmaWoS0nQg4wQEyH2vnJP46ao0Ltt7Y4jK0cqdrMEpfLhkFxhZmqmCm-8xPmDaIKR98MFHiT199xOdbPLBEC1Q9yQk6JQXIFiZZw1_gZ6tC7GJNZni8rFNNE-8K9y-ZzmuIwMjxEYAuhDMKzc_HoqO7LVLaQQb6Z98fzQ/w640-h158/A_LifeOfPi%20(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Being able to see the animals in motion during the zoo scenes, aboard the Tsimtsum and on the lifeboat was thrilling and made what felt unrelatable in text absolutely magical. In addition to the larger animal puppets, there were also birds soaring through the sky, a giant sea turtle, and fish that glow as they swarm around the boat in the water (created through the use of video). During the early scenes at the zoo, sets of gates are lifted in the air, shifted around in an almost dance-like movement and reconfigured to form different views of the cage enclosures. In one such scene where Pi’s father is trying to teach his children how dangerous the wild animals are, a goat that the kids lovingly named Buckingham is fed to Richard Parker, who pounces upon and devours it. Even though you know that these are puppets and that no actual animals are being harmed, the action feels so real that the powerful emotions invoked are palpable.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXZ0ne_BFqNO2iMQRhYgWPoISHAXO7kQvAN4aVWZFnHqiUXMcwy87ELsh57M7hTn1oMp_2WMNVL0CrxHA2hXI-lh7YSdbc0Sduw6o0ZZoOAVaQfd7Mj8iFTqdPTc7MPRtaxWHIxQ1VvQZOAo1nmego85d6nYf93w7-FrX8IuF2yaSnW7pcA/s1600/A_LifeOfPi%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXZ0ne_BFqNO2iMQRhYgWPoISHAXO7kQvAN4aVWZFnHqiUXMcwy87ELsh57M7hTn1oMp_2WMNVL0CrxHA2hXI-lh7YSdbc0Sduw6o0ZZoOAVaQfd7Mj8iFTqdPTc7MPRtaxWHIxQ1VvQZOAo1nmego85d6nYf93w7-FrX8IuF2yaSnW7pcA/w640-h160/A_LifeOfPi%20(4).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The stagecraft was also excellent in representing Pi’s time at sea. Although it is may not have been noticed in the earlier scenes, the stage is shaped like the bow or front of a boat. Use of video projected on the background and floor of the stage helps to create different settings. When Pi is at sea, water appears to crash and swirl during stormy weather but shimmers during calmer times. A physical lifeboat rises up from the stage during the scenes at sea, allowing Pi and the animals on board to jump acrobatically back and forth and even wage battles with each other. But the cleverest piece of staging occurs at one point where Pi falls out of the boat while trying to escape Richard Parker. The stage was created with a flexible floor with slits cut into it. When Pi "falls into the water", he goes right through the floor, submerging “under water”, and then pops his head up again at another part of the stage, before climbing back on the boat. This effect of this sequence was absolutely amazing.</div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to the breathtaking visuals, I think the reason the stage play works better because it uses a more concise framing device. The play foregoes the anonymous current-day narrator who is interviewing an adult Pi. Instead, the play starts with a newly rescued and still traumatized teenage Pi, who is compelled to tell his story (or stories) solely to the insurance adjusters, thus concentrating on the main action. With the masterful puppetry and amazing staging, this was one of the best plays that I’ve seen in a long time.</div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-35688642454682763072023-03-10T19:14:00.001-05:002023-03-10T20:15:20.792-05:00Theatre 2023: The Crucible - National Theatre @ Cineplex<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgrgNlHP-3DCS_0QECAhev7XurXusPeYr6Urr0rkHGzkzE13seWF2B7pIuFV6I_gbfnFU582NOqfifMHtdqX2e9TPL_iEaLeujIJ-NiFZJcVBPmJ9fuNoH3ezqYJXWgaXLygHUAqep1LBTk3ENneVAurhrSbGNKiyw6IcHwry_WYklVfCuQ/s1600/A_Crucible1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="1600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgrgNlHP-3DCS_0QECAhev7XurXusPeYr6Urr0rkHGzkzE13seWF2B7pIuFV6I_gbfnFU582NOqfifMHtdqX2e9TPL_iEaLeujIJ-NiFZJcVBPmJ9fuNoH3ezqYJXWgaXLygHUAqep1LBTk3ENneVAurhrSbGNKiyw6IcHwry_WYklVfCuQ/w640-h226/A_Crucible1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>We love watching filmed versions of London’s National Theatre plays because the quality of the productions always seems to impress. This was certainly the case with Arthur Miller’s iconic 1950’s play “<b>The Crucible</b>” which at face value is about the Salem Witch Trials. But on a deeper level, it is also an allegory that comments on the <b>McCarthy era</b> where instead of witches, the hunt was for Communists.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuHTDcPUR_GNBZm8uIADRVvMKSJkCakIB2ur1U9svcLATxVknayd5Ecvuq-TMmX5CT5-fejQVpy1o7rAS41wSgXR4clxr0jhs-ngExsf8et1SOVEwEXcQSSsx5-Ih35FS3kj7RtIBgycBFzTeuQtghmgzRogy2y6_DynpDiusbT-QFGgl6g/s1200/salem-witch-trial-scene_8962df3c2c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuuHTDcPUR_GNBZm8uIADRVvMKSJkCakIB2ur1U9svcLATxVknayd5Ecvuq-TMmX5CT5-fejQVpy1o7rAS41wSgXR4clxr0jhs-ngExsf8et1SOVEwEXcQSSsx5-Ih35FS3kj7RtIBgycBFzTeuQtghmgzRogy2y6_DynpDiusbT-QFGgl6g/s320/salem-witch-trial-scene_8962df3c2c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The <b>Witch Trials</b> occurred between February 1692 through May 1693 in Salem, Massachusetts. This was a strict, cloistered, ultra-pious and superstitious Puritan community who feared the unknown and were suspicious of anyone who did not conform to, and therefore threatened their prescribed way of life. They used the doctrines of religion and blind faith to justify oppression towards anyone that they considered to be “the other”. Belief in witches was substantiated by quoting from the Old Testament, such as “Exodus 22:18 Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live” or “Leviticus 19:26 “Ye shall not … use enchantment…”. Mix this in with resentments between neighbours caused by rivalries and conflicts over property lines or other slights and this was a powder keg situation just waiting for a match. Claiming “witchcraft” became a convenient answer for any inexplicable occurrence or a spiteful way to settle scores and put one over on your enemies.<p></p><p>The spark that led to the first accusation of witchcraft in Salem arose when multiple children around the village had unexplained fits that could not be attributed to any known medical science of the time. Girls including Abigail Williams (age 11) and Betty Parris (age 9) started to shake and contort into weird positions, uttering strange sounds, screaming, and throwing objects. They claimed they were being pinched and pricked by pins. Without any logical explanation, it was concluded that they had been “possessed by the devil” and the search was on for witches (i.e. scapegoats) who were afflicting the poor children.</p><p>Pressured to name their attackers, the children accused three social outcasts--Tituba, an enslaved woman from Barbados who told tales about voodoo and spirits, Sarah Good (an ironic last name for someone accused of dallying with the devil), a lower classed woman of ill temperament who was disliked by her neighbours and Sarah Osbourne who had not been to church for 3 years (due to illness) and was in land disputes with the powerful Putnam family.</p><div>Once the accusations started to fly, a mass hysteria took over the community and people were being accused spuriously. Some of the accused such as Tituba randomly threw out other names in order to save themselves, since confessing to witchcraft and identifying the person who bewitched you was seen as a road to salvation. Other accusers selected their targets in order to settle scores or usurp land. Those who maintained their innocence (with no way to prove it) were found guilty and sentenced to hang. During this period over 200 people were accused of witchcraft with 30 people found guilty and 19 were hanged. Among those executed was farmer John Proctor, an outspoken man whose challenge of the veracity of witchcraft claims likely led to him and his wife Elizabeth being accused. While both the Proctors were found guilty, Elizabeth was given a temporary stay because she was pregnant. By the time she gave birth, the trials had ended, and she was spared.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pwreuHSXWV71KXrE5hLWQMkOFhvEuehRh1VR70dyfAN_XWkb9SfzenX08RGuw7KT8dycafhEusaWKz1oLvs42BnbqY2qj08jA8P_SlGuOglID_fxSJuLJwGvGJTZtSwFUdj2V6-YoKfnLGbVU6sMoQTTN0R04-AnUSmgi0qXGipKa_atNg/s599/McCarthyism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="369" data-original-width="599" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pwreuHSXWV71KXrE5hLWQMkOFhvEuehRh1VR70dyfAN_XWkb9SfzenX08RGuw7KT8dycafhEusaWKz1oLvs42BnbqY2qj08jA8P_SlGuOglID_fxSJuLJwGvGJTZtSwFUdj2V6-YoKfnLGbVU6sMoQTTN0R04-AnUSmgi0qXGipKa_atNg/s320/McCarthyism.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The parallels between the Salem Witch Trials and the <b>McCarthy Hearings</b> are significant and proof of the adage “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. Shortly after the second World War, with Russia amassing power and developing nuclear weapons, the mass hysteria and fear gripping America was about Communism and the “Red Scare”. Whether taking advantage of this sentiment for his own political gain, or truly believing that he was protecting his nation, Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy began his own version of the witch hunts in his search for subversive or treasonous people who had Communist leanings. </div><p>In 1950, McCarthy claimed to hold a list of 205 names of employees in the State Department who were known Communists. By 1953, he was presiding over Senate committees that allowed him and his chief counsel Roy Cohn to hold closed-door hearings where alleged Communists or Communist sympathizers were questioned without the right to have an attorney present or to cross-examine their accusers. McCarthy even tried to discredit his critics and political opponents by accusing them of having Communist allegiances. Those found guilty of Communism were jailed, fired from their jobs, or had their employment prospects severely limited.</p><div>Even before McCarthy’s political run, the House of UnAmerican Activities (HUAC) employed “blacklists” which prevented members of the entertainment industry from being hired for work in Hollywood, often ruining their careers. To save themselves from being blacklisted, the accused were encouraged to name other Communists who they conspired with or who tried to enlist them. Arthur Miller landed on the blacklist in late 1940s for refusing to cooperate and name others in Hollywood who engaged in Communist activities.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>In addition to Communists, McCarthy’s group targeted homosexuals, reflecting “the fear of the other” or prejudice against those not conforming to social norms. Although the actual crimes and punishments were different, the motivations behind and persecution tactics used by 1950s McCarthy Hearings are alarmingly similar to the 17th Century Salem Witch Trials—so much so that the Crucible was immediately recognized as a direct attack on McCarthyism and had a relatively short initial run on Broadway as a result. The term “McCarthyism” is now known as “the practice of making reckless and unsubstantiated accusations”. But given the recent hysteria about the U.S. 2020 “Election Steal”, has anything really been learnt?</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP69DGVt8BuirPcuPS1NWjjVU4nZULVPmFmrzMNODLVRoAg4yYI_ZRKFHEclmBoKkaSi-4D1nqujpAy0jikstlhEcsw1OM0AYEQlfsT3rkVL0AERJpcs3NdtJ2inU0mwkMFeTLQP-yPmtIhEEmpZb9ukT3nHg5FC6aGIz5tIumQEB9IQqmcg/s1600/A_Crucible2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="1600" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP69DGVt8BuirPcuPS1NWjjVU4nZULVPmFmrzMNODLVRoAg4yYI_ZRKFHEclmBoKkaSi-4D1nqujpAy0jikstlhEcsw1OM0AYEQlfsT3rkVL0AERJpcs3NdtJ2inU0mwkMFeTLQP-yPmtIhEEmpZb9ukT3nHg5FC6aGIz5tIumQEB9IQqmcg/w640-h218/A_Crucible2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>In his play <b>The Crucible</b> (meaning “severe test”), Arthur Miller referenced historical facts and actual people from the Salem Witch Trials but changed some salient facts for dramatic purposes. He did ensure that each of his characters met the same fate as their real-life counterparts. Miller chose John and Elizabeth Proctor to be his protagonists, using the tragedy of their fate to personify the ordeals suffered by all who were persecuted. The age of Abigail Williams was increased from eleven to seventeen, as she was depicted as a servant of the Proctors, who had an affair with John and was fired after his wife became suspicious of the dalliance. Out of spite and vengeance, Abigail accused Elizabeth of witchcraft in hopes of eliminating her rival and securing John for herself. The play highlights the absurdity and capriciousness of the accusations, the helplessness of the accused who are considered guilty once the accusations were made, with no way to prove innocence, and the “holier than thou” attitudes of the judges who spout scripture to justify their verdicts.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSo5mMve3VmGpHhOvZa9oywqT6DVpAVvj3GAoF6VFdN_mWK2plF3gIa2WFZ44qah7uuIgUDEIHnzaErIYx80kQSAX6WrsDefN2m0fE0qbKffYIrJVqdr4Wh_nn4FKB2SeFt4mw-T3O2AETdyU-F4l_QDS5zhJ1yl0v1NSehTTqmlKDobOxug/s1600/A_Crucible3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSo5mMve3VmGpHhOvZa9oywqT6DVpAVvj3GAoF6VFdN_mWK2plF3gIa2WFZ44qah7uuIgUDEIHnzaErIYx80kQSAX6WrsDefN2m0fE0qbKffYIrJVqdr4Wh_nn4FKB2SeFt4mw-T3O2AETdyU-F4l_QDS5zhJ1yl0v1NSehTTqmlKDobOxug/w640-h196/A_Crucible3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The <b>National Theatre’s version of the play</b> stars Erin Doherty (Princess Anne in the TV series The Crown) in the critical role of Abigail and she gave an impressive performance. Her duplicity was conveyed not only by her words and actions, but by the slouchy way that she carried her body, her shifty eyes and conniving expressions. It was clear right from the start that this woman-child would say or do anything to save herself and to cast dispersions on others. Australian actor Brendan Cowell portrays John Proctor as a flawed (adulterous) but ultimately honorable character, while Irish actress Eileen Walsh exudes a quiet strength and dignity as the falsely accused Elizabeth, aka “Goody Proctor”. The women in Miller’s play are often called by the title “Goody” which is a shortform for the archaic term “Goodwife” and used for the lower class (as opposed to “Mistress” for the upper class). Once again, I found the prefix “Goody” to be ironic when applied to women accused of being witches.</div><div><br /></div><div>The set design for the play is dark and oppressive with a deluge of rain falling at the start and end of each act that adds to the tense atmosphere. It felt like the stage was crying because of the tragedy that was happening upon it. When the group of children, who form the core accusers of witches, are not centre stage simulating their fits, they stand or sit in the background like watching, vengeful spirits while eerie choral sounds can be heard. I thought this play was enthralling and the double layer of meaning behind the historic tale and its modern-day counterpart to be fascinating.</div><div><br /></div><div>The next filmed play from National Theatre Live will be based on Yann Martel’s novel <b>Life of Pi</b>, with large-scaled puppets representing the various beasts.</div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-44708599394967301082023-02-07T07:48:00.001-05:002023-02-18T13:26:38.643-05:00Theatre 2023: Mirvish - Pressure<p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eI4mWfSaV65IqDx2VD-KT5e3olOCvqLwAf7v-1uOEfcfQyaZU0Gq7gp3l_gh3mE_SyLuJVnzWDx48HQXYyWRYupYYXd_KaDkR2VHIofdQ0YmyH918lvb--8bC6oO-_mQsa0tGUi8qktkxcCMvHaQZQrNoEfMKdKYWqcsxiZ7t_Z5Ss2y7Q/s300/Pressure_(play).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4eI4mWfSaV65IqDx2VD-KT5e3olOCvqLwAf7v-1uOEfcfQyaZU0Gq7gp3l_gh3mE_SyLuJVnzWDx48HQXYyWRYupYYXd_KaDkR2VHIofdQ0YmyH918lvb--8bC6oO-_mQsa0tGUi8qktkxcCMvHaQZQrNoEfMKdKYWqcsxiZ7t_Z5Ss2y7Q/w400-h200/Pressure_(play).jpg" width="400" /></a></b></div><b>Pressure</b> is a Scottish play which deals with an unlikely Scottish World War II war hero who never fired a shot, but whose actions saved the lives of over 300,000 men and affected the outcome of the war. The play was first performed in 2014 at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh before moving to London’s West-End in 2018 and now to Toronto in 2023, delayed by several years due to the COVID shutdowns.<p></p><p><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_WPWXoRBeWylLaHzp49f9ENonevl1W_xTZ-NAGbLf7q4MnFwQ411O_IC0lo3c1RGiOJqxP-uwShQX7Q2JGzZIjwOV0topckGWBzC9CVLVQWDny-E0_437D8H55gF-UlpEec6MXs-IQ8JDZ-w_cEOsca3aDe_8bZJfFFQ8KW-7Cn9ZEi_rw/s2011/A_Pressure2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="2011" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv_WPWXoRBeWylLaHzp49f9ENonevl1W_xTZ-NAGbLf7q4MnFwQ411O_IC0lo3c1RGiOJqxP-uwShQX7Q2JGzZIjwOV0topckGWBzC9CVLVQWDny-E0_437D8H55gF-UlpEec6MXs-IQ8JDZ-w_cEOsca3aDe_8bZJfFFQ8KW-7Cn9ZEi_rw/w640-h170/A_Pressure2.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><b>James Martin Stagg</b> (1900-1971) was a senior meteorologist with the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force who was tasked with leading a team of 6 who had to predict what the weather would be like over a period of 3 days between June 5 to June 7, 1944. The Battle of Normandy, a massive military campaign codenamed “Operation Overload”, was planned to take place some time during this narrow window, based on predictions of favourable tides and the phase of the moon. The assault would begin with air bombardment by 1200 planes to take out German airfields and fuel supplies, followed by the approach of 5000 warships carrying soldiers for ground battle. <p></p><p> The allied forces led by American general <b>Dwight D. Eisenhower</b> had tentatively scheduled “D-Day”, or the first day of a major military operation, to be on June 5. It was up to Stagg to confirm if the weather would cooperate. A successful mission depended on clear skies and a full moon so that the air operations would have good visibility to see their targets, low winds and calm seas so that the fleet could safely approach the shore, and low tides so that the descending ground troops could see German mines and other obstacles. </p><p>Stagg, who was native to the area and familiar with the capricious nature of the English Channel, predicted a huge storm would descend on the scheduled D-Day, despite the weather being sunny and pleasant several days before. His American counterpart, commercial meteorologist <b>Irving Krick</b>, strongly disagreed and predicted good weather. While Stagg used both experience and technical measurements of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloud cover and wind patterns for his forecast, Krick used a misguided and since debunked method of predicting future weather based on similar historical patterns and cycles.</p><p>Stagg was correct in his predictions and luckily convinced Eisenhower to postpone the original D-Day, thus avoiding catastrophe since a major storm did blow in. His heroics went even further when he then spotted a brief window of improving weather for the next day, which allowed D-Day to go forward on the early morning of June 6, 1944. Although the conditions were not ideal, they were good enough for a successful operation and the rest is history, as the saying goes. Stagg was awarded the Legion of Merit and appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his invaluable war efforts.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3jhKwopMxDQgINKgw9TTQOIjNYd_e_3NskBDNK-64pLw8imQKlsp8iEs1AhiPcdREetJ-DkoK5TbEHCJGNWbHFQ9kzu1jvjVj9LsN0ShHSF-b5hH-KNXXLFsQbWDUllJOxepWIGc2ACuGSY_hPgyDW9TabDeCSxCeJxgHDaoa3yJXX7Htw/s1600/A_Pressure1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="1600" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3jhKwopMxDQgINKgw9TTQOIjNYd_e_3NskBDNK-64pLw8imQKlsp8iEs1AhiPcdREetJ-DkoK5TbEHCJGNWbHFQ9kzu1jvjVj9LsN0ShHSF-b5hH-KNXXLFsQbWDUllJOxepWIGc2ACuGSY_hPgyDW9TabDeCSxCeJxgHDaoa3yJXX7Htw/w640-h162/A_Pressure1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Haig's play <b>Pressure </b>focuses on the big decision of whether to proceed with the scheduled D-Day with a secondary plot exploring the rumoured war-time affair between Eisenhower and his secretary/personal chauffeur <b>Kay Summersby</b>. In the first act which sets up the scenario, we are a bit overwhelmed by weather-forecasting lingo and statistics as Stagg analyzes information from maps and data that are gathered remotely from off-shore observers and weather balloons. There were no satellites to aid him back in 1944. To help with our understanding, the large weather maps that are delivered intermittently throughout the play are covered with large swirly weather patterns with storms identified in large red letters named L1, L2 .. L8, and a big red H representing a high-pressure system which theoretically would bring good weather. As each new map is rolled out, we could see the markers for the storms shift and grow as Stagg explains the meaning of the movements. <p></p><p>The role of James Stagg is played by Kevin Doyle (known for playing the butler turned schoolteacher Joseph Molesley from the TV show Downton Abbey). The name of the play cleverly alludes to both the atmospheric pressure that Stagg measured, as well as the extreme pressure that he was under to come to the right conclusion about the weather on June 5. Adding further to the drama was his concern over his wife’s difficult pregnancy and impending child-birth. This may or may not have been added for dramatic purposes, but Stagg’s second child was indeed born in 1944. As the antagonist in the play, Irving Krick is portrayed (perhaps excessively or stereotypically) as a loudmouthed, overbearing American who spouts his misconceptions as facts, living up to his reputation as being more of a showman than a scientist.</p><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZXFYqkSoVSZBZvUgTZG9uq4YTXA2L4hC5DqWLAney-ErRjuvlK_NVCSFPMaXZ39-i87BzYnIFZvheLxX_uhsfNUk8qx6AjhBc-9O5_ju6H1ZNqQt8JmNl6-guBlb8eCKVMgAFJqZ55WVcTVyf-1iKxwZPzoU28fc4LS6fi3tMkycUr3jZA/s1600/A_Pressure3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="1600" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZXFYqkSoVSZBZvUgTZG9uq4YTXA2L4hC5DqWLAney-ErRjuvlK_NVCSFPMaXZ39-i87BzYnIFZvheLxX_uhsfNUk8qx6AjhBc-9O5_ju6H1ZNqQt8JmNl6-guBlb8eCKVMgAFJqZ55WVcTVyf-1iKxwZPzoU28fc4LS6fi3tMkycUr3jZA/w640-h208/A_Pressure3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Although all the action took place in the single room where Stagg performed his analysis, a clever piece of staging helped to accentuate the problem that he faced. To the right of the stage were a set of double doors that opened up to reveal the "weather outside”. Through use of lighting to simulate bright sunshine, it was clear that the weather was fine for days leading up to D-Day. This made Stagg’s prediction of the impending storm even more difficult to accept. The harbinger of the big storm that finally arrived was conveyed by a gust of wind that caused the curtains around the doors to flap and some papers to fly around. Then the skies darkened as pelting rain, thunder and lightning could be seen and heard, all through these doors.</div><div><br /></div><div>Rounding out the play are multiple tender interactions between Eisenhower and Summersby that left no doubt as to their emotional (and perhaps physical?) connection. It was also made clear that with the success of Operation Overload and the impending end of the war, this relationship, borne out of extreme and heightened circumstances, would also be coming to an end. Sadly for Summersby, she would be left behind as collateral damage.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Considering how often weather predictions are wrong today, even with all our modern technology, the feat achieved by James Stagg and his team was remarkable, especially given the dire importance of getting it right. This was a gripping piece of history, but having said that, it still was quite the accomplishment for this play to make weather sound exciting.</div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-33574775671878534492023-02-01T21:25:00.000-05:002023-02-18T14:43:37.668-05:00Theatre 2023: Fifteen Dogs @ Crow's Theatre<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNbf6ovqUi61WXv7XcVLtjnfnSa_NxRfHh8h06JXpFYj-TYheK57FmkAOTdJk_yEz-93UGqi9gbGhgb-Z5bCV9R1THLRVbLKJW4e1XcKDwlOoUxbsxPsL6x6SVzmyckeKdCO-sltDceT0eE_NHoFAgMdHTuXQCmXi-rLoj0fsLLs5IwuE1g/s1600/A_15Dogs%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="1600" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixNbf6ovqUi61WXv7XcVLtjnfnSa_NxRfHh8h06JXpFYj-TYheK57FmkAOTdJk_yEz-93UGqi9gbGhgb-Z5bCV9R1THLRVbLKJW4e1XcKDwlOoUxbsxPsL6x6SVzmyckeKdCO-sltDceT0eE_NHoFAgMdHTuXQCmXi-rLoj0fsLLs5IwuE1g/w640-h210/A_15Dogs%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>On stage at Crow’s Theatre, the play <b>Fifteen Dogs</b> is based a novel by Canadian author <b>André Alexis</b>, which my husband Rich and I both read and enjoyed a few years back. The premise revolves around a wager between the Greek Gods Apollo and Hermes as to whether animals would be unhappy if they were given human intelligence. Passing a veterinary clinic where 15 dogs were being kept, the Gods decided to pick these animals as the test subjects to settle their bet. Apollo wagered that burdened with human qualities, all the dogs would die unhappy. Hermes bet that at least one of the 15 dogs would benefit from the additional awareness and would feel happiness at the point of death.<p></p><p>Imbued with human consciousness and intelligence, the dogs quickly figured out how to unlock the doors of their cages. Twelve of the dogs fled their captivity while three decided to remain and were unfortunately put down once the escape was discovered. The rest of the book follows the twelve dogs for the durations of their lives as they grappled with their unnatural new traits and skills, occasionally with further intervention from the two Gods, as well as from their peeved father Zeus, King of the Greek Gods.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbULqXA86xCw5Q3oT3d-XGMoT2nOSNhnbdGP0LO2Wbj8Po3etwmARrsIHPUkWbVfh0VpyyizGKS4Q6tfJfTnXKOSAn27FbVcrM3UOdjBqThkPXjGK7MSt4rltoGADjH9ZPSKuYpntOqQlZX5aS9UAx8az3YeIofum77DUAayyWeocD1ByUQ/s1600/A_15Dogs%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="460" data-original-width="1600" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbULqXA86xCw5Q3oT3d-XGMoT2nOSNhnbdGP0LO2Wbj8Po3etwmARrsIHPUkWbVfh0VpyyizGKS4Q6tfJfTnXKOSAn27FbVcrM3UOdjBqThkPXjGK7MSt4rltoGADjH9ZPSKuYpntOqQlZX5aS9UAx8az3YeIofum77DUAayyWeocD1ByUQ/w640-h184/A_15Dogs%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Of different breeds, temperaments, sizes and ages, the dogs reacted differently to the new thoughts and feelings that befell them. <b>Atticus</b>, a grey Neapolitan Mastiff abhorred the changes and was determined to suppress them and only display “normal and natural” canine traits. As one of the largest and most powerful dogs in the group, he assumed the role of leader and demanded that all who wanted to remain in his pack would follow suit in acting like “real” dogs. Joining him were Rosie, a female German Shepherd, Frick and Frack, two Labrador Retrievers,<b> Benjy</b>, a cunning self-serving Beagle and a few others.<p></p><p>Any dog who did not readily obey Atticus or fit into his plans would be killed by his gang. While they were successful in eliminating several dogs including the Great Dane Bella and little Teacup Poodle Athena, two dogs managed to survive. Of all the dogs, the mutt named <b>Prince</b> embraced his new powers of thought the most. He became a poet, speaking in flowery, abstract terms that drove Atticus to distraction. But before he could be killed, Prince<b> </b>was given a warning by Hermes and escaped into exile. The large black Poodle<b> Majnoun</b> was a threat to Atticus’ leadership status and therefore was attacked en masse by the group. He was left for dead but managed to survive when he was rescued by Nira and Miguel, two humans who adopted him. Much of the book follows the exploits of Majnoun (renamed Jim by his new owners) and Prince.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqq_c2unt7jmYkHsTpUyBgbxFtXmH1yVCII2hzxrY3VApC0uOSgi2jMyvf_SU3woCEEAbyzb7fNKMSvpWsdfekRdPju8buCJTEpXBKNi5jN7HHbe3BEi052A1Jw0DLE9OhP-JPabdlhy3L46ogVlV7dDqiEUG3G_Tfo40jJGO0Z1B_XEqC3w/s1600/A_15Dogs%20(3).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="497" data-original-width="1600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqq_c2unt7jmYkHsTpUyBgbxFtXmH1yVCII2hzxrY3VApC0uOSgi2jMyvf_SU3woCEEAbyzb7fNKMSvpWsdfekRdPju8buCJTEpXBKNi5jN7HHbe3BEi052A1Jw0DLE9OhP-JPabdlhy3L46ogVlV7dDqiEUG3G_Tfo40jJGO0Z1B_XEqC3w/w640-h198/A_15Dogs%20(3).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>André Alexis set this fable in Toronto, his hometown, focusing on <b>High Park</b> where the dogs made their new home after their escape, and the <b>Beach</b> where Prince spent much of his time after his exile. The printed version of the novel even contains maps of these two areas. On Bloor Street, Bella was hit by a car after being tricked into racing across it by Frick and Frack. Alexis also name-checks many other well-known streets including Kingston Road, Glen Stewart Park, Trinity-Bellwoods, Parkdale, and even St. Clair and Avenue Road which is close to where we live! These specific Toronto-based settings made this fantasy a bit more grounded as we could imagine all the places where these dogs roamed.<p></p><p>While reading this book, I was reminded of the classic novel<b> Lord of the Flies</b> where an isolated group of boys struggled for dominance, formed cliques and empowered by groupthink, lost their sense of morality and performed unspeakable acts as a collective that might never have occurred if each acted individually. I found it interesting that in Lord of the Flies, the boys turned into “depraved animals” while in Fifteen Dogs, the innocent, inherently loyal creatures turned into “depraved humanoids”. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9ciO6YTk6WUdpXtciZtNq4bG51oG726uLpQtvqMk79XyGRoanx-zwaxZzEZ_PAi8pAGgKb5tDgJjHo4AEjITM96Sa1hFK-iN8zSciPXIZL0VauqIUVoJwYscBqeYfn6Pk7wzQz71mPN6h9JqYFHUP4956Bty3iEQpgop4VZUTaAUFK60zw/s1600/A_15Dogs%20(4).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="1600" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR9ciO6YTk6WUdpXtciZtNq4bG51oG726uLpQtvqMk79XyGRoanx-zwaxZzEZ_PAi8pAGgKb5tDgJjHo4AEjITM96Sa1hFK-iN8zSciPXIZL0VauqIUVoJwYscBqeYfn6Pk7wzQz71mPN6h9JqYFHUP4956Bty3iEQpgop4VZUTaAUFK60zw/w640-h154/A_15Dogs%20(4).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Given its subject matter, Fifteen Dogs is not an easy novel to perform in live theatre, but Crow’s Theatre is known for its creative staging and Marie Farsi who adapted and directed this play did a fantastic job. The Guloien Theatre, Crow’s main stage, can be configured in all sorts of arrangements. This time, the audience sat in “the round” with 5 rows of tiered stadium seating surrounding the “stage”. Six stellar actors each played the roles of multiple dogs, as well as the Greek Gods, humans who interacted with the dogs, and narrators who would convey the parts of the book that involved lyrical exposition.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf4EvHDKthvYU3QAYsvlNDY68HqPxZ9NsgVCOu42JobOKne1qzeisqyb-5yahJz1qtyBzdrltp0sN3LkjNxYLFumPX9fik7axyH5HICaN23gZLZTspZVCL2DFE7GVhmIkR8d4UrJdGHqKbXVYi6Do34Eir5eF2z4Z8Ha_4rRrhP9E4ZNtCg/s1600/A_15Dogs%20(5).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="1600" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCf4EvHDKthvYU3QAYsvlNDY68HqPxZ9NsgVCOu42JobOKne1qzeisqyb-5yahJz1qtyBzdrltp0sN3LkjNxYLFumPX9fik7axyH5HICaN23gZLZTspZVCL2DFE7GVhmIkR8d4UrJdGHqKbXVYi6Do34Eir5eF2z4Z8Ha_4rRrhP9E4ZNtCg/w640-h182/A_15Dogs%20(5).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>We wondered with some trepidation about whether we would see actors prance around in “full-body dog suits” like the creepy movie version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats. Wisely, for this production the costumes were much more subtle, merely hinting at the breed by the colour of clothing and the occasional scarf or hat. The wrinkly ridges of skin on the Mastiff, Atticus, were represented by layers of grey scarf wrapped around the neck of the actor portraying him. Rosie, the German shepherd had a piece of sleek fur draped over her shoulder. The tall slender actor playing Majnoun was dressed all in black, while the loopy, free-spirited poet Prince had wild, curly hair and was dressed in dark brown tones, with a fur-lined vest and boa-like scarf. The sly Beagle Benjy had on a beige-toned checkered jacket and fedora hat, resulting in a look that channeled Nicely-Nicely Johnson from the musical Guys and Dolls.<p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Xe_oQDwaZW7lX9iN6JeVkjfqjmVPsD79ER27BRSabTHV3LOryEkHx8pC-_zcgCINhrmMY4ANCfVn0_FNOOg4EI4UaF2MijjxOUwBJYScqwL2x8oNup__fDLbbDC3oNNafHbFzkfkRMiyHaKRvv3d-V7JzxS6xyunX8QrbJ3OeiYtexdJFQ/s1600/Plastic%20Dogs.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="1600" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Xe_oQDwaZW7lX9iN6JeVkjfqjmVPsD79ER27BRSabTHV3LOryEkHx8pC-_zcgCINhrmMY4ANCfVn0_FNOOg4EI4UaF2MijjxOUwBJYScqwL2x8oNup__fDLbbDC3oNNafHbFzkfkRMiyHaKRvv3d-V7JzxS6xyunX8QrbJ3OeiYtexdJFQ/w640-h258/Plastic%20Dogs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>While the clothing helped, the essence of each dog was conveyed more by the sounds, body movements and facial expressions produced by the actors’ performances. In a stroke of stage-craft genius, fifteen plastic models were used to visually represent each of the dogs in the story. They were first brought out in a tray during the scene in the veterinary clinic and then moved to one of the rocks on stage. Being able to see the breed of each dog really helped to augment the performances of the actors. Then one by one as the dogs died, their corresponding figure was carried off stage as the circumstances of their death was explained. It felt like we were watching Agatha Christie’s classic mystery Ten Little Indians (aka And Then There Were None).</div><p>This was a terrific and creative interpretation of a difficult novel to adapt into a play. We thoroughly enjoyed watching <b>Fifteen Dog</b>s at Crow’s Theatre.</p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-25105369242525856292023-01-29T15:48:00.003-05:002023-01-30T07:57:52.641-05:00Theatre 2023: Jack Absolute Flies Again<p> With all the streaming options on TV, my husband Rich and I don’t often go to a cinema to watch mainstream movies, although in December 2021 we did head out to watch the Jets and the Sharks battle on a large screen in Steven Spielberg’s remake of the iconic musical West Side Story.</p><p>However, we do love going to watch London’s<b> National Theatre </b>plays, which are filmed live performances that are then shown at movie theatres across North America. This gives us the chance to watch West-End plays and musicals that might never make it to Toronto, with the original (often all-star) cast. Watching a filmed version of a play always gives you the best seat in the house, with both closeups and long shots when appropriate, as well as behind-the-scenes interview segments shown before the play starts or at intermission. Past filmed plays often show up as rentals on <a href="http://www.ntathome.com" target="_blank">National Theatre At Home</a> in case you miss the limited screenings (usually two per play).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHTMWK1mCJL10sCZPPtzu3yOuD9GgmIojfiSegtaygU_m72C6CgnNhzphmJTJuMlsBMf_Rt9cU45_z24aXyQMlbzxghWLnz0IwcLZB5TQSHEEpnzvqI0_tr7UqUzkcRnsAgGthAUlg91ULQT4Kmx6U392rHAt4-2HxVbGwjGlLxnmQ5JGlw/s1600/A_NationalTheatre0.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="1600" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKHTMWK1mCJL10sCZPPtzu3yOuD9GgmIojfiSegtaygU_m72C6CgnNhzphmJTJuMlsBMf_Rt9cU45_z24aXyQMlbzxghWLnz0IwcLZB5TQSHEEpnzvqI0_tr7UqUzkcRnsAgGthAUlg91ULQT4Kmx6U392rHAt4-2HxVbGwjGlLxnmQ5JGlw/w640-h162/A_NationalTheatre0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>Last year we saw Jodie Comer’s tour-de-force performance in <b>Prima Facie</b> (Latin for “burden of proof”) where she held us breathlessly enthralled for almost 2 hours with no intermission. The one-woman play deals with a brash, intelligent, and successful defense attorney whose views on the fairness of the legal system related to sexual assault radically changes when she herself is date-raped and seeks justice. Less to our liking was <b>Straight Line Crazy</b>, the biographical play about Robert Moses (1888-1981), New York’s head urban planner and Parks Commissioner between 1934-1960. Moses’ bullying personality and undeterrable drive led to the construction of highways and bridges across New York City. This happened often at the expense and displacement of poor, under-privileged and predominantly black residents who resided in the path of the construction. Ralph Fiennes did a fine job portraying Moses, but perhaps because the character came across as so obnoxious and unsympathetic, we just did not enjoy this play as much.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3R52ElC0f088HUOr_MQtj59nJTOHS5STto3QNt8soTQzOrarkvoEOaeGPrJC1GnCoaMeEhYpqPAIA_jjXsn_8wysV96Y_m0Pl6RJMTyjDUGPSL2Uph3vZ3aSpey2kIrj4HwYbHDe4fvDBim8rB4RxbCH41H4reo818DQaK4UZZPmEN2wvg/s1600/JackAbsolute_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO3R52ElC0f088HUOr_MQtj59nJTOHS5STto3QNt8soTQzOrarkvoEOaeGPrJC1GnCoaMeEhYpqPAIA_jjXsn_8wysV96Y_m0Pl6RJMTyjDUGPSL2Uph3vZ3aSpey2kIrj4HwYbHDe4fvDBim8rB4RxbCH41H4reo818DQaK4UZZPmEN2wvg/w640-h178/JackAbsolute_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The first National Theatre play that we watched in 2023 was a delightful comedy called <b>Jack Absolute Flies Again</b>, co-written by Richard Bean, the playwright behind the comedy One Man Two Guvnors, and actor Oliver Chris who we have seen in several other National Theatre plays. Jack Absolute Flies Again is a modernized reimagining of a famous 1775 “Comedy of Manners” play called “<b>The Rivals</b>” by Richard Brinsley Sheridan.<p></p><p><b>Comedy of Manners</b> plays were popular during the Restoration period (1660-1710) and were witty comedies that mocked behaviour, speech patterns and manners of various social groups, especially the upper class. They usually featured bawdy, sexually explicit (for the times) dialogue, rakish behaviour, gossip, intrigue, scandals, rivalry, as well as romance, love and marriage. Stock characters included pretentious fops or dandies, clever but duplicitous maids who mishandle letters and messages, schemers, jealous lovers, and rivals for the affection of the female lead.</p><p>Although a bit past its heyday, Richard Sheridan wrote The Rivals in the Comedy of Manners style with all its expected tropes. The heroine is <b>Lydia Languish</b>, a young heiress who feels it would be romantic to give up her fortune and marry a poor man for the sake of love alone. To pursue her, wealthy army <b>Captain Jack Absolute</b> pretends to be the penniless foot soldier Ensign Beverley. At the same time, Jack’s uncle <b>Sir Anthony Absolute</b> and Lydia’s aunt <b>Mrs. Malaprop</b> try to force a financially beneficial arranged union between Jack and Lydia, which Lydia adamantly resists. Two other rivals (unsophisticated landowner <b>Bob Acres</b> and Irish baronet <b>Lucius O’Trigger</b>) vie for Lydia’s affections. A secondary romantic pairing involves Lydia’s cousin and Sir Anthony’s ward <b>Julia Melville</b>, who is engaged to Jack’s best friend, the insecure and unreasonably jealous <b>Roy Faulkland</b>. A final romantic complication is introduced when Mrs. Malaprop writes anonymous loves letters to O’Trigger, the object of her infatuation, but Lucius believes the letters are from Lydia. Mistaken identifies and hijinks ensue with the mischievous <b>maid Lucy</b> adding to the confusion.</p><p>Sheridan infuses humour in the character of Mrs. Malaprop by having her misuse words in a failed attempt to sound intelligent. When trying to get Lydia to forget about Beverley, Malaprop says “you must illiterate him from your memory” (instead of saying “eliminate” or “obliterate”?). Mrs. Malaprop’s mangling of words became so popular that the terms “<b>malaprop</b>” and “<b>malapropism</b>” are now valid words in the dictionary. If you search for the etymology of these terms, you will see a reference to The Rivals.</p><p>In addition to Malaprop, Sheridan’s choice of surnames for his characters invokes interesting connotations. The name “Absolute” makes Jack seem like a strong, solid heroic protagonist while the name "Languish" portrays Lydia as the impressionable ingenue who pines for the type of romance found in books. Acres is an appropriate name for the landowner while “O’Trigger” alludes to the impulsive, hot-headedness of the baronet who is quick to challenge perceived opponents to duels.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38bVYdSUi7ax4rl-Tvred28oJoy_VYqsfZrbeeHfRBQu-S3nIF5RKw3mQ_ni3EKlakc9aJtk8gYK_dJVjYYSJJ9tnLw9TSYBsBsVHnVVqhbo0jfWqEHgFxPaElvSTitZs4SCFwXvOmAwr58606bJbjbPOqk2vyuRlqvaLGS2MKJjZeQfRbw/s1600/JackAbsolute_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="471" data-original-width="1600" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38bVYdSUi7ax4rl-Tvred28oJoy_VYqsfZrbeeHfRBQu-S3nIF5RKw3mQ_ni3EKlakc9aJtk8gYK_dJVjYYSJJ9tnLw9TSYBsBsVHnVVqhbo0jfWqEHgFxPaElvSTitZs4SCFwXvOmAwr58606bJbjbPOqk2vyuRlqvaLGS2MKJjZeQfRbw/w640-h188/JackAbsolute_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div>Moving the basic premise of The Rivals to more contemporary times, <b>Jack Absolute Flies Again</b> is set amidst the Battle of Britain in August 1940, and was written to commemorate the 80th anniversary of that event. The action takes place on the property of Mrs. Malaprop’s estate, which has been converted into an RAF air base. Jack Absolute is a brash, cocky fighter pilot and squadron leader in the RAF. Heiress Lydia Languish is an aircraft delivery pilot, who is a feisty feminist and more than Jack’s intellectual equal. Jack’s attempts to woo Lydia are thwarted by her socialist ideals which dictate that she should love a “common man” rather than a “gentleman”. </div><div><br /></div><div>Lydia throws her attentions towards the grease-covered head mechanic <b>Dudley Scunthorpe</b>, who in turn is in love with Mrs. Malaprop’s maid Lucy. In keeping with the main story line of The Rivals, Jack decides to impersonate Dudley to continue his pursuit of Lydia. But instead of merely creating a persona of lower status and income, Jack pretends to be another character within the play, leading to hilarious scenes of mistaken identity in the mode of a bedroom farce, but without the bedrooms. The character of Bob Acres remains but is now a comical Australian pilot in the same squadron, while the O’Trigger character is now Sikh pilot Bikram Khattri (nicknamed Tony as "no one can pronounce his name"). While Acres vies for Lydia’s affections through ludicrous actions and gestures, Tony struggles to write love letters, both to hilarious effect.</div><div><p></p><p>The sub-plot of Mrs. Malaprop and Sir Anthony trying to set up the young couple remains in this new version, as well as the malapropisms which are delivered in rapid succession. Just within one scene, Mrs. Malaprop talks about employing a little centrifuge (i.e. subterfuge), training the mammary to forget (memory), falling in love with the gardener’s appendage (apprentice) and making an involuntary emission (admission). Some of the mistakes are subtly suggestive and some are outright lewd. With the O'Trigger character no longer in this version, the romantic pairing becomes one between Mrs. Malaprop and Sir Anthony, leading to many more humorous interactions. The relationship between Julia and Roy remains the same as in The Rivals.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsARTUqMNYpo4II6m58KzdxqYcm3VnaVoEU4p1MTBvWnATM_tVfbIfktBFvzbkSPnlbCCG_JLvvCwXVij0S5nnHx53pHpBeL7pvyPRQha_bHv-HX4uZZtEa4kDlBXvfyBcVteYMFOblqrFPPNqmKVZoXw0gHyEW_IWAqO8Ir6fGf3ppbCNA/s1296/JackAbsolute_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="1296" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsARTUqMNYpo4II6m58KzdxqYcm3VnaVoEU4p1MTBvWnATM_tVfbIfktBFvzbkSPnlbCCG_JLvvCwXVij0S5nnHx53pHpBeL7pvyPRQha_bHv-HX4uZZtEa4kDlBXvfyBcVteYMFOblqrFPPNqmKVZoXw0gHyEW_IWAqO8Ir6fGf3ppbCNA/w640-h224/JackAbsolute_3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>In both versions of this comedy, Lydia’s various rivals gather for what is equivalent to “a duel”. In the Rivals, the duels are to be fought with swords with Bob Acres being goaded into challenging who he thinks is Ensign Beverley and O’Trigger wanting to fight Jack Absolute. Playwright Richard Sheridan had firsthand knowledge about duels, since he fought two of them himself over the honour of his fiancée, suffering serious injuries in the second duel. The newer version of the play cleverly turns this scene into a laugh-out-loud boxing match where the real Dudley turns out to be a champion boxer who doesn’t really understand why he needs to fight but is up for the challenge against the three hapless rivals. Jack Absolute Flies Again also throws in a dance interlude, as Jack and Lydia reminisce about when they first met and won a dance contest together.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Jack Absolute Flies Again makes some interesting use of the “<b>Breaking of the 4th Wall</b>” trope. In the very first scene of the play, the actress portraying Mrs. Malaprop addresses the audience directly. She intimates that she only got the part because Imelda Staunton was not available and Helen Mirren thought she was too young for the role, but that Kristen Scott Thomas would be her understudy on Wednesdays. The maid Lucy also speaks to the audience with asides that indicate her actions are to be expected in a Comedy of Manners play. And at one point when Jack is in total distress over an argument with Lydia, Lucy quips “Relax, it’s a comedy .. you’re going to get the girl!” These little interactions draw in the audience and makes us feel like we are part of the fun.</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNU3iyBYbXGVeX0cIPna6enyr2rE50sqJ8Rxt754tj2muH6EMqFVMSqPTmSBEBuUUbJSCmYBLLG7vlGNt4-6FyDhbYJdP5fCzazTeDRBEgj5D5B26BJ_o4xhH7o18HQiVvtVJ64QTRGweP2I-wmfk5mIqd5syKhRDzYbQUnswi1nlcCLFRYg/s1600/JackAbsolute_4.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="1600" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNU3iyBYbXGVeX0cIPna6enyr2rE50sqJ8Rxt754tj2muH6EMqFVMSqPTmSBEBuUUbJSCmYBLLG7vlGNt4-6FyDhbYJdP5fCzazTeDRBEgj5D5B26BJ_o4xhH7o18HQiVvtVJ64QTRGweP2I-wmfk5mIqd5syKhRDzYbQUnswi1nlcCLFRYg/w640-h156/JackAbsolute_4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Despite being a comedy and a very funny one at that, Jack Absolute Flies Again never lets you forget that the action is taking place in midst of a war. Whether it is the sound of airplanes buzzing overhead, the military uniforms worn by characters for many scenes, or discussions about the war and air battles in the dialogue, the serious subject is always lurking underneath the laughter and frivolity. To close off Act 1, the members of the RAF squadron race to their planes (off stage) and then an aerial battle is shown via video with sound and images of the pilots in their cockpits as they fight off a German air attack. By Act 2, the mood has lightened again as all the misunderstandings and mistaken identities are eventually resolved and the various sets of lovers are properly paired up again, as would be expected from a traditional romantic comedy.<p></p><p>Surprisingly though, this was not the end of the play. A second German attack sends the boys back to the skies and this time, tragedy occurs. The play ends on a sad note, reminding the audience that war is not a matter of fun and games. I felt a bit cheated by this ending, as I had come to watch a comedy and was not prepared for the abrupt change in tone, which felt tacked on and a case of “bait and switch”.</p><p>Despite my ambivalence towards the ending, in general I was happy that we were able to watch the filming of this play. I would love to rent it to watch again if it shows up on National Theatre At Home, in order to catch more of the malapropisms that flew by so quickly. Next up for National Theatre at Cineplex will be The <b>Crucible</b>, showing in March.</p></div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-84311063395958742712022-12-13T21:48:00.111-05:002022-12-22T13:17:10.975-05:00Theatre 2022: Mirvish - Shark is Broken, Mean Girls, Fisherman's Friends<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">The 2021/2022 Mirvish subscription
season ended with a bang with the stellar musical </span><b><a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2022/10/theatre-2022-fall-season-has-started.html" target="_blank">Singing in the Rain</a></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif">.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> My husband </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Rich and I looked forward to the start of the
new 2022/2023 season since the lineup sounded fantastic. We have finally
upgraded our subscription seats to the second price tier in the Dress Circle
and will be sitting next to our friends for the entire season. No more looking jealously at their seats two rows ahead of us!</span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSlm9XqH8u4FVVurxY6a_3IEpyA9W7WwZdv94AunG75XL5sWneTDML-ZFjzovfJEithAXr0GzTnSwgO0G4lnZcxjQiI5KHtYb_JwOU7u3ycSLmubbwKme1QF8cUyG4PJXGDDylmO4Wn9ToaFKu0H4cn-vtNAT6FW5CCovLLZhIMkaycGADw/s1600/A_BlogShark.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="1600" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSlm9XqH8u4FVVurxY6a_3IEpyA9W7WwZdv94AunG75XL5sWneTDML-ZFjzovfJEithAXr0GzTnSwgO0G4lnZcxjQiI5KHtYb_JwOU7u3ycSLmubbwKme1QF8cUyG4PJXGDDylmO4Wn9ToaFKu0H4cn-vtNAT6FW5CCovLLZhIMkaycGADw/w640-h190/A_BlogShark.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Unfortunately, the first show of the new
Mirvish season started with a whimper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>The
Shark Is Broken </b>is a play about the troubles that arose during the making
of the 1975 hit movie Jaws that starred Robert Shaw as Quint, a professional
shark fisherman, Richard Dreyfuss as Hooper, an oceanographer and Rob Schneider
as Brody, the police chief. Shaw’s son Ian co-wrote and is also cast as his
father in the play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The lengthy show
with no intermission depicts the three actors bickering for 90 minutes while
sitting in a bobbing boat, waiting for the mechanical shark (which is never
shown) to be repaired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I read that the best part of the show was the set design, which included a real boat
that appears to be sitting on actual water, thanks to some brilliant video
effects.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sadly, the rest of the show did not fare
as well, as we had heard negative reviews from various sources. My brother-in-law returned from the
performance and promptly messaged me with “Well that was 90 minutes that I will
never get back again”. The headline of the review from Now Toronto was “The
Shark is Broken, and so is this play”.
The Globe and Mail called it a “performance piece by the son of Quint”
rather than a fleshed-out play.
Nevertheless, I wanted to watch this play and come to my own conclusions
about it. I also wanted to sit in and
experience the view from our new seats! Alas,
the theatre gods were not with me since I caught COVID just before we were
supposed to go to the show. The only
bright side of this is that if I had to miss a show from our subscription
series, this is the one that I would least regret. Our friends who we gave our
tickets told me that we didn’t miss much.
The closest I got to the eponymous shark was when I posed in front of
the giant plastic one positioned in front of the Royal Alexandra Theatre. But given that no shark was ever seen in the
play, I guess this is the closest that anyone else got as well.</span><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3f9c3s4SCyh9FxppghoREtB1EthngJEwUQ541fooYleSIFAFnN9uo1EFdiXPBHWTqDZI-wMoG3xlg92NMU6YfTHayJKtmFaRKMSeeUf7BetOv_erQ4WeE5qXcSpr-g0mGVsdjA3I_ofLyxXdbBgCvsqQuygxpGtobnHbF80gmurFPh5YpqQ/s1600/A_MeanGirlsBlog1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="1600" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3f9c3s4SCyh9FxppghoREtB1EthngJEwUQ541fooYleSIFAFnN9uo1EFdiXPBHWTqDZI-wMoG3xlg92NMU6YfTHayJKtmFaRKMSeeUf7BetOv_erQ4WeE5qXcSpr-g0mGVsdjA3I_ofLyxXdbBgCvsqQuygxpGtobnHbF80gmurFPh5YpqQ/w640-h178/A_MeanGirlsBlog1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">I would have been much more disappointed
if I had to miss <b>Mean Girls the Musical</b>, since I love musicals in
general and have fond memories of watching the 2004 movie starring Lindsay
Lohan, Rachel McAdams, Amanda Seyfried and Tina Fey that this show is based
upon. Luckily, I recovered in time to watch this Mean Girls the Musical and was delighted by the
wonderful job that was done in adapting the movie into the musical.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Like the movie, the musical deals with
the coming-of-age story of Cady, an intelligent but naïve teenager who goes to
an American public school for the first time after growing up and being
homeschooled in Africa. Cady initially
makes friends with outcasts Janis and Damian, who teach her about navigating
high school politics, cliques and social hierarchy. Janis encourages Cady to
infiltrate and try to bring down “the Plastics”, a trio of popular “mean girls”
considered to be school royalty, led by Queen Bee Regina George along with her
minions, Gretchen, who is desperate to be liked, and Karen, who is not the
sharpest knife in the drawer. Cady is on board with the plan, especially after
Regina cruelly and deliberately thwarts Cady’s attempts to connect with her
love interest, Aaron, who is Regina’s ex-boyfriend. But soon Cady loses her way and is seduced by
the power and popularity of being one of the Plastics.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The initial song “<b>A Cautionary Tale</b>”
sung by Janis and Damian, foreshadows the plot with the telling lines “How far
would you go to be popular and hot”, and “Mean is easier than nice”. Regina is
introduced with my favourite song on the musical, “<b>Apex Predator</b>” which
compares her to a wild beast like the ones Cady would be familiar with in
Africa. Janis starts the song by conveying
warnings such as “She’s the queen of beasts, she can smell your fear” while
Cady realizes the advantages of being associated with Regina by singing “I’m in
her pride, I have hitched a ride, with the apex predator”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HpMrxOYU0DEaB2D04exiwtxUBN6-gCOZmA2_4EKsZdCaefP4YDNOAL5plw_0U4ohbNh7xrZrBDwFuGv7Ioq-3ijntqCwsmsIkGr8kB6c_NIt9tPAyNi4sa_pwEVbhQB12Vww9HfjVCcp7xETt1F7Wois2UbKK1jWsXYo3Wxtgwv_aL7gUg/s3757/A_MeanGirlsBlog2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">While the plot of the musical follows
the movie quite closely, there have been some not-too-subtle changes which
modernize a few scenarios and address current sensibilities and political-correctness touchpoints. The most
obvious change between the <b>2004 movie</b> and the <b>2018 Broadway musical</b> is the
advancement of the Internet, social media and the use of cell phones where
phone calls have evolved into texting. In the movie, to bully a rival, Regina
(played by a young Rachel McAdams) uses her cell phone to call and speak to the girl’s
mother. This scene obviously did not
make it into the musical.</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: courier;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p><span style="font-family: courier;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1195" data-original-width="3757" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1HpMrxOYU0DEaB2D04exiwtxUBN6-gCOZmA2_4EKsZdCaefP4YDNOAL5plw_0U4ohbNh7xrZrBDwFuGv7Ioq-3ijntqCwsmsIkGr8kB6c_NIt9tPAyNi4sa_pwEVbhQB12Vww9HfjVCcp7xETt1F7Wois2UbKK1jWsXYo3Wxtgwv_aL7gUg/w640-h204/A_MeanGirlsBlog2.jpg" width="640" /></span></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet, one anachronistic element of the
movie that is retained in the musical is the “burn book”, a pink-covered
scrapbook of nasty slurs, rumours and disses that the Plastics use to disparage
their enemies or those they consider beneath them. Having an actual physical
book seems out of place in our online world.
But the book is so integral to the plot and so prominently visible to a
live audience that I guess it was important to keep it.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zxWfpO3Oe4Cby4aKqkR2kXefIsAtyWyqk0TpnqXRa1eUG2qn7suXviAvGJ08z0gwjoQ682Z0vW_yrbXFk85lDmYHulW08AbcloVWJcdGaU91rIsZQp8ch_1OpaSGJENTWJHzOD1R32Ho43Io35L8X3jtuGTEoiuJMy0Wf4k_A1C-px-Iow/s1600/A_MeanGirlsBlog3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2zxWfpO3Oe4Cby4aKqkR2kXefIsAtyWyqk0TpnqXRa1eUG2qn7suXviAvGJ08z0gwjoQ682Z0vW_yrbXFk85lDmYHulW08AbcloVWJcdGaU91rIsZQp8ch_1OpaSGJENTWJHzOD1R32Ho43Io35L8X3jtuGTEoiuJMy0Wf4k_A1C-px-Iow/w640-h180/A_MeanGirlsBlog3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The musical further pushes the movie’s
themes of female empowerment and anti-bullying rather heavy-handedly by invoking
references to #MeToo. At one point in the musical number “<b>Stop</b>”, Karen sings
about being convinced by a boy she liked to send him nude photos which he then posted
on the Internet. Stopping the song (pun
intended), she awkwardly throws in the comment that “Someone should teach boys
to not do that in the first place”. This elicits the obligatory cheer from the
audience but totally takes you out of the flow of the song. The initial set design at the start of the
show mimics pages from the Burn Book (or they could be interpreted as Instagram
posts) with mean comments like “Saggy Boobs”, “Carol & Lucas Still Virgins”,
“Masturbated with a Frozen Hot Dog”. By
the curtain call, after lessons were learned by all, the pages take on
affirming messages like “Teen Female Power”, “Respect”, “Dignity”.<br />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mean Girls is a fun musical with great,
upbeat songs that propel the plotline and good choreography. I found the sound
to be too loud which muffled the lyrics being a sung and the words being spoken. Good thing I listened to the
soundtrack before watching the show, so I had an idea of what to listen for.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWYORfrLB_S_67oALg6Y4lgFClPKjNyphWBTNCvFxIQO7ugzehCwkDZy34Ixo2z67GFf9KOYjNIiuI_iuOw9eaKrIDBFDZA47FGSVxIy2VbYmEeqksvptEPr0fp8q0kEJD9ZGgR1_X6CsI-LPYgHja9UHRDpvhR0a_c5FGYZrHXj2OwYKfg/s5000/Fishermen's%20Friends%20Blog%20(0)%20-%20Real1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="5000" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWYORfrLB_S_67oALg6Y4lgFClPKjNyphWBTNCvFxIQO7ugzehCwkDZy34Ixo2z67GFf9KOYjNIiuI_iuOw9eaKrIDBFDZA47FGSVxIy2VbYmEeqksvptEPr0fp8q0kEJD9ZGgR1_X6CsI-LPYgHja9UHRDpvhR0a_c5FGYZrHXj2OwYKfg/w640-h152/Fishermen's%20Friends%20Blog%20(0)%20-%20Real1.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span>Our final Mirvish show to wrap up 2022 is another musical based on a movie, which in turn is based on a true story. <b>Fisherman’s Friends</b> is a f<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C0iUIle2UA" target="_blank">olk music group</a> hailing from Port Isaac, Cornwall, England, who sing traditional songs of the sea. The group is comprised mostly of fishermen, coast guards and lifeboat-men whose voices blend in beautiful harmony. Starting in 1995, ten friends sang together as an a cappella group, regularly performing on the Port Isaac Platt (harbour) with the waves of the Atlantic Ocean crashing behind them. In 2010, they were discovered while singing on the Platt and were signed to a million-pound contract with Universal Music Group, a major record label. Their first album debuted at #9 on the UK charts, going gold by selling over 500,0000 units. They have since released four more albums, sang for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and toured both at home and abroad. In the intervening years, band members have come and gone, and the number of members in the group has fluctuated. With the addition of new members who play guitar and accordion, the group has added instrumentation to their performances.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2_C9eZablRjQN3dPO8b864QQaaau9iJRtI6QB0DqrQBznq3vOIdiUCL_81jX-ABrQsjdy3bzCSQfkeFqnEQDqPAB4Z338LYthCvB3XasfQS_XCLDD0-GpqmLrJc9aBCXdYCVrRTmrUq_iOM8qbcTlyw2A0xmMhrXHt37fxpfzUdat1X7gg/s4574/Fishermen's%20Friends%20Blog%20(1)%20-%20Real2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="4574" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH2_C9eZablRjQN3dPO8b864QQaaau9iJRtI6QB0DqrQBznq3vOIdiUCL_81jX-ABrQsjdy3bzCSQfkeFqnEQDqPAB4Z338LYthCvB3XasfQS_XCLDD0-GpqmLrJc9aBCXdYCVrRTmrUq_iOM8qbcTlyw2A0xmMhrXHt37fxpfzUdat1X7gg/w640-h168/Fishermen's%20Friends%20Blog%20(1)%20-%20Real2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span>The earlier albums consisted mostly of famous old sea shanties. A sea shanty follows a pattern of call and response, where the shanty man or lead singer belts out the main lyrics of the song, to which the remaining members sing a repeated chorus in unison. The group seems to rotate the role of shanty man from song to song. Some of the more popular shanties and the ones I like the best include Drunken Sailor, Nelson’s Blood, Wellerman, John Kanaka and Keep Hauling. Most of these shanties are lively, foot-stomping jigs, sometimes with humorous lines such as all the suggestions about “What will we do with a drunken sailor?”. The Cornish accent is also prominently heard in the songs, such as when they sing the word “early” and it is pronounced as “er-lie”.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Fisherman’s Friends also sing slower, soulful songs that describe hard times in Cornish history and the dangers of the sea. The folk song <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FT8pD4DQoc" target="_blank">Cousin Jack</a></b>, written by English folk-rock performer Steve Knightley, is based on an 1860 poem describing the 19th century Cornish miners who were known as “Cousin Jacks” who emigrated abroad looking for work. Proportionately, Cornwall lost more of its population to this emigration than Scotland or Ireland. Wistful lyrics describing this loss include “Where there’s a mine or a hole in the ground, that’s where I’m headed, that’s where I’m bound ... I’ll leave my country behind, I’m not coming back”.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">A beautiful, haunting song called <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5HjpxjfNC8" target="_blank">Widow Woman</a></b> was written by Fisherman’s Friend members Bill Hawkins, Jon Cleave. It describes the local legend of a tragedy that occurred in Port Quinn, a neighbouring cove near Port Isaac. As the story goes, all the men of Port Quinn were out at sea herring fishing when a huge storm blew in, drowning the entire fleet and making widows of every woman in the village. In some tellings there were 24 widows while in others, there were 32. The song Widow Woman starts with the lyrics “Why do you sit widow woman? Why do you stare out at me?” as if the sea itself is posing the question.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4WsaMXTW2BiFZAwJRqIWD215HN8k464mpe2HCGPymlCm18esfwUmEvJhYk-o04A_3Ja3e9Es2PdfIkPSQYh9GRUOn_EjEFIFtXJur9Ue84LDxkJXqB8V-KHT1liCB5qJfXZw02uBy2UxWJG9vRm6MQ_Q5YhYpjCfADLQS8z7YxhQKq2F0Q/s1600/Fishermen's%20Friends%20Blog%20(2)%20-%20Movie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="1600" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4WsaMXTW2BiFZAwJRqIWD215HN8k464mpe2HCGPymlCm18esfwUmEvJhYk-o04A_3Ja3e9Es2PdfIkPSQYh9GRUOn_EjEFIFtXJur9Ue84LDxkJXqB8V-KHT1liCB5qJfXZw02uBy2UxWJG9vRm6MQ_Q5YhYpjCfADLQS8z7YxhQKq2F0Q/w640-h198/Fishermen's%20Friends%20Blog%20(2)%20-%20Movie.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>In 2019, a U.K. <b>movie also called Fisherman’s Friends</b> was released, loosely based on the group’s rise to fame. To add drama and romance to the plot, the movie adds a slick, cynical London music executive named Danny who discovers the group and becomes their manager. It then throws in a love interest for him in Alwyn, a feisty fisherman’s daughter and mother to her own a cute young daughter. The movie follows the traditional romantic comedy clichés of the “meet cute”, and the “boy meets girl, boy loses girl and boy gets girl back” trope. Amidst the romance were a few other fictional plotlines including the local bar being deep in debt, Danny’s struggles to get a record company to give the group a chance, and the death of one of the elder members of the band.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Throughout the movie, songs are sung by the Fisherman’s Friends, with the real members augmenting the singing of the actors. It depicts the group singing on their lobster trawlers, on the Platt, in the Port Isaac church while recording a demo and in various locations in London while trying to secure their big break. The film was well received, and a sequel subtitled “One And All” has just been released in November, 2022. The saying “One And All” (perhaps a riff on “All For One and One for All” from the Three Musketeers?) is a tenet that the group stands by and is the title of their second commercial album.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQPUnbseLekAcWt8jnqHB_M79E0_hImW-CZgBgdzUvMhEl8MQfib7qU1Yey7fOZeojD8fJC7SZlpgfLdW_YxHPunPwX4velLuvZW2UQwh1yx9wO8kW4v1_CtQ7h0xhhxFvxMMbF66uokgHMe-Rec3h4-TPy4gu6CpyAdtmf1-be122uXjoA/s1600/Fishermen's%20Friends%20Blog%20(3)%20-%20Musical.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="1600" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIQPUnbseLekAcWt8jnqHB_M79E0_hImW-CZgBgdzUvMhEl8MQfib7qU1Yey7fOZeojD8fJC7SZlpgfLdW_YxHPunPwX4velLuvZW2UQwh1yx9wO8kW4v1_CtQ7h0xhhxFvxMMbF66uokgHMe-Rec3h4-TPy4gu6CpyAdtmf1-be122uXjoA/w640-h184/Fishermen's%20Friends%20Blog%20(3)%20-%20Musical.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>In 2021,<b>a live musical of Fisherman’s Friends</b> debuted in Truro, Cornwall before heading to Toronto to play at the Mirvish Theatre in 2022. It is of note that the show has come to Toronto without first debuting on London’s West End. The musical closely follows the general plot and characters in the movie with a few differences. The role of Alwyn’s daughter has been dropped, since it did not make sense to have a child actor in the cast for eight shows a week when her character did not really contribute to the storyline. The reason for Danny coming to Cornwall has been extremely simplified for the musical (arriving on vacation) compared to the movie (attending a stag party where he is pranked into trying to sign the Fisherman’s Friends to a record deal). In both cases, Alwyn’s father Jim is initially against trying for a record deal, but the motivations are different. In the movie, it is merely suspicion of outsiders and a desire for to maintain the status quo of their simple but content life, while the musical alludes to Alwyn’s wayward mother who deserted the family in search of fame and fortune as a singer in London.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The musical opens up with some creative staging using ropes and pulleys to simulate a fishing boat swaying through rough waters while the shanty "Keep Hauling" is sung. It is interesting to note that along with The Shark is Broken, this is the second show of the 2022/23 Mirvish season that involves staging of a boat on water. In Fisherman's Friend The Musical, the boats return for two more scenes including a thrilling sea search and rescue sequence that involved fog and search lights.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">As with any adaptation from film to live musical, there are many more songs and sea shanties to fill out the show, and it is not just the Fisherman’s Friends members who are singing. The main female characters including the bar owner’s pregnant wife, Alwyn’s grandmother, and especially Alwyn (who is now an accomplished guitar-strumming singer in her own right), get to perform a few numbers. Not quite the typical musical or even the typical jukebox musical, the lyrics of songs make no attempt to advance the plot, which usually is a must for me to enjoy a musical. But as a "bio-pic" musical, the shanties are integral to lives of the Fisherman's Friends and so joyful to listen to, that it didn’t matter.</p><div><br /></div><div><div>Given the feel-good origin story of the real group, it is not a surprise that both the movie and the musical are fun to watch and leave you with a warm, happy feeling while you exit the theatre humming or singing the words to catchy sea shanty tunes.</div></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span><p></p></div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-23081953817582161362022-12-07T21:07:00.111-05:002022-12-14T23:00:54.084-05:00Theatre 2022: CanStage - Choir Boy, Little Dickens<div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyyltzcvj9bVztD59CjIzrm-9HkfFH3sthdySuNxmVoRc3xv3jpNx-6buqxeUi49bfom5ZvsbQeAA2325XCuMglh3HYzcEjwsBJ1qhu_6jxoYOnJSrQhg3L0LeMG6DpDrAiy58oalR9GxcIKo6w2JkCSGNJIlrAs_NPONlJwplYynyoqVrw/s1350/CanstageTheatres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="1350" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyyltzcvj9bVztD59CjIzrm-9HkfFH3sthdySuNxmVoRc3xv3jpNx-6buqxeUi49bfom5ZvsbQeAA2325XCuMglh3HYzcEjwsBJ1qhu_6jxoYOnJSrQhg3L0LeMG6DpDrAiy58oalR9GxcIKo6w2JkCSGNJIlrAs_NPONlJwplYynyoqVrw/w400-h188/CanstageTheatres.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Towards the end of 2022, we watched two shows at the theatres owned by the Canadian Stage Company. We always need to take care to check which theatre our shows are playing at, since the Bluma Appel Theatre (on Front St. between Yonge St. and Church St.) and the Berkeley Theatre (near Front Street and Parliament St.) are a good 13 to 15 minutes' walk apart. Showing up at the wrong theatre would not be an easy mistake to recover from.<p></p><br /></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHc1zkZhwl-KxvMfaGXFNt_eVjAQgolkPBw7ZBVo6atXfDJmgZLnKrQUOweOPNFCE1LOac1jLHpHnZ6tExHvczDReaokh_XFRk2Yf7ZsI-rwhXXO6xrfL2zMGc_aqDaJHW_D4VbHeKzy3jy8vTdZl4rwAQTx--FeTTDphEKmFfahuC-j36w/s1600/Choir%20Boy%20(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="1600" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTHc1zkZhwl-KxvMfaGXFNt_eVjAQgolkPBw7ZBVo6atXfDJmgZLnKrQUOweOPNFCE1LOac1jLHpHnZ6tExHvczDReaokh_XFRk2Yf7ZsI-rwhXXO6xrfL2zMGc_aqDaJHW_D4VbHeKzy3jy8vTdZl4rwAQTx--FeTTDphEKmFfahuC-j36w/w640-h146/Choir%20Boy%20(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>Choir Boy</b> is a play first performed in 2012 in London, England and then on Broadway in 2018. It is a coming-of-age story revolving around five members of a prominent gospel choir at a prestigious all-black school for boys. Pharus, the self-proclaimed best singer and leader of the choir is an effeminate, gay senior whose brash and sassy façade hides a hurt and vulnerable young man who has battled homophobic slurs ever since he was a child. Bobby, the headmaster’s nephew, is Pharus’ rival for the choir lead, and never misses an opportunity to harass and denigrate his nemesis. But Pharus finds refuge in the “healing power of music” and takes solace in his belief in his own talent amidst the pressures to conform to social norms. He is not afraid to push buttons to promote his own ambitious agenda, even when it invokes jealousy and pushback from others like Bobby.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">The other members of the choir include
“Junior”, who is Bobby’s sidekick and acts as comic relief, David, who intends
to become a priest but struggles with his own demons as well as with issues
trying to please a strict father, and Anthony, Pharus’ athletic and
self-confident roommate, who is generous and accepting of Pharus’ queerness, in
strict contrast to Bobby’s reactions. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">In
the current cast of this show, each of the five choir boys is a well-defined
character with very distinctive personality traits and even physical appearance.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">It is interesting to note that in an original
2013 staging of the show for Manhattan Theatre Club, there were more boys in
the cast. Based on what I saw in Youtube clips, the extra boys were more backup
singers and dancers for the musical numbers as opposed to additional characters
who contributed to the plot.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">I like that
the current version of the show focuses on just the five main characters, as I would
have found the extra ones to be distracting.</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Integrated between dramatic discussions
and arguments about identity, ambition, privilege, racism, slavery, and
homophobia are beautiful performances of spiritual hymns, sung a capella by the
choir in perfect harmony. The only song that sounded familiar to me was “Motherless
Child”, and only because John Legend released a jazzy, pop version of it. In
Choir Boy, this haunting slave song that laments being taken “a long, long way
from home” is sung by the boys while they are in the showers of their dormitory.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">In a feat of superb staging, the boys are
shown seemingly nude, each behind a frosted shower door, with actual water
coming out of the faucets and a horizontal strip of tiles strategically
obscuring their private regions. Both symbolically and physically stripped
naked of their defenses, this powerful song conveys an extra sense of
vulnerability, sorrow and suffering. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">This setting plays an important role in a climactic scene towards the end of the show. This is a deep and thought-provoking play, made even more special by the glorious, soulful choral singing.</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1U7wUNWolOdAu4jNhpOtrZ44lGCgxOFSaHqeecxp7lccyVK_sLu5c0MacS0fIVd9BiXeB7ZAB-u6GGp4ggLjmK8OsXfYgRTWYrCWIUEoAiB7Rg-X20o9N7OkOe2HMwkC44iOK9VdcKnsOwO9pHngAaxF3p-8pcI9KzlsFxr2k9FDrtFMuCg/s1292/Little%20Dickens1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="405" data-original-width="1292" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1U7wUNWolOdAu4jNhpOtrZ44lGCgxOFSaHqeecxp7lccyVK_sLu5c0MacS0fIVd9BiXeB7ZAB-u6GGp4ggLjmK8OsXfYgRTWYrCWIUEoAiB7Rg-X20o9N7OkOe2HMwkC44iOK9VdcKnsOwO9pHngAaxF3p-8pcI9KzlsFxr2k9FDrtFMuCg/w643-h201/Little%20Dickens1.jpg" width="643" /></a></div>We have wanted to watch a marionette show by the renowned Canadian puppeteer <b>Ronnie Burkett</b> for quite some time now. We finally got our wish with <b>Little Dickens</b>, a raunchy re-telling of The Christmas Carol which comes with the warning that children under age 16 will not be admitted! </span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">For over 40 years, Burkett has been designing and building his intricate marionettes, as well as writing and performing his own shows that are designated for “adults only”. Burkett provides all the speaking and singing voices and controls the marionettes while in plain sight, hovering above the “puppet stage” on “the bridge”. We had the perfect seats to watch Little Dickens, in the centre of the third row from the stage. We could clearly see Burkett's spread-out fingers manipulating the strings of up to two marionettes at a time. More puppets could be on stage but the ones he was not actively moving were hung loosely from stands protruding from the bridge. It was amazing to watch his dexterity as he could make the head, limbs and occasionally even props move separately or simultaneously, all while providing dialogue for the puppets that propelled the storyline. It was incredible to witness the energy and stamina that he exerted in singlehandedly carrying on the show for almost two hours without intermission.</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSxJo_6CuYh2CxSN0_Ts6XNb5wKXQPPFYSQQF4CRSGQBNVMTSs5-uwiYF-QQJbGu5RsZSmqFBhoyQHvJASDFm0K44gEuvcjwfXLjZP7dqw8JgKUt4CIyyi0Df5ff1seHoOo_GVVlvmXslFtwjmenkKJSJLX3POHCix1K4_FqbvB3O9K_-QA/s898/the-lonely-goatherd-sound-of-music-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="898" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSxJo_6CuYh2CxSN0_Ts6XNb5wKXQPPFYSQQF4CRSGQBNVMTSs5-uwiYF-QQJbGu5RsZSmqFBhoyQHvJASDFm0K44gEuvcjwfXLjZP7dqw8JgKUt4CIyyi0Df5ff1seHoOo_GVVlvmXslFtwjmenkKJSJLX3POHCix1K4_FqbvB3O9K_-QA/w400-h166/the-lonely-goatherd-sound-of-music-02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Recipient of many awards and honours including the Order of Canada, Ronnie Burkett became fascinated with puppets at an early age. He was inspired by the puppet show in classic 1965 movie musical <b>The Sound of Music</b> and idolized Bill Baird, the puppeteer behind that iconic scene. Ronnie confessed in an <a href="https://theatremuseum.ca/cpt_videos/ronnie-burkett/" target="_blank">interview for the Theatre Museum Canada</a> that as a child, he had written to Baird several times offering to move in with him in order to learn from him. Baird never responded. Burkett laughed ruefully and said that if some random kid wrote to him today offering to come live with him, he would not respond either! Ronnie eventually did get to perform in New York with Baird’s puppet theatre company.</span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Earlier in his career, Burkett would write shows with fixed scripts and plots while creating the puppets that would animate each story. In 2013, he came up with a new concept called “<b>The Daisy Theatre</b>” which involved a set up over 50 marionettes who would perform a show that included vaudeville, burlesque and cabaret acts, but was largely improvised and included audience participation. Each performance would be different and partially dictated by the reactions of the crowd.</div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9JN7E_vf_1dW-4NBvgfQY54Z2lZvZ4rdeUTNI9EcqXuMp8CO9xZiWRyDPx2KFI7zou-qtIHmsJrHReW06YdKkv_YNw02qobk2LiftHewTejQhiSj5_1yEE4Eaqp53IBC5wjYUhMCVQrj8sa8xVGDhXFN8XM7YFN79qk5eOrKsvzmQruI8g/s1600/Little%20Dickens2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju9JN7E_vf_1dW-4NBvgfQY54Z2lZvZ4rdeUTNI9EcqXuMp8CO9xZiWRyDPx2KFI7zou-qtIHmsJrHReW06YdKkv_YNw02qobk2LiftHewTejQhiSj5_1yEE4Eaqp53IBC5wjYUhMCVQrj8sa8xVGDhXFN8XM7YFN79qk5eOrKsvzmQruI8g/w640-h180/Little%20Dickens2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Little Dickens</b> combined his two concepts, using the basic outline of Charles Dickens’ <b>A Christmas Carol</b>, but casting his Daisy Theatre puppets to play the main characters of the classic tale, as well as some periphery roles that went beyond the well-known story. To set the tone, the first scene of the show featured a mainstay marionette act of the Daisy Theatre. The sultry striptease artist <b>Dolly Wiggler</b> performed a burlesque act while singing the highly sexually suggestive song “Santa Got Stuck in my Chimney”. As she strutted back and forth across the stage, she would peel off another layer of clothing until she was down to her underwear and pasties. Getting on with the Christmas Carol storyline, another stock puppet character, <b>Esme Massengill</b>, the selfish, self-aggrandizing has-been actress, took on the role of Scrooge. Other members of the Daisy Theatre entourage played roles such as the alms collectors, Bob Cratchit and the ghosts of Christmas past and present. Other than Esme, the star of Little Dickens is also the star of the Daisy Theatre. It is <b>Schnitze</b>l, the tiny elfin fairy-child, playing the role of Tiny Tim complete with a limp and a crutch. Burkett’s skill was on full display as he manipulated the marionette across the stage, working the arms, legs and crutch with perfect timing.</div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwhcPZ1VXuF_GY9DUpHuWhSDcllNurGAc3FctXUBSnHszxwTiHBtwO0eficHuz9JMlZob9BfsC25fzxHLQDfQhRV59whMIUVdN756dyoUtPEoMZ2ijzvBYth0eP7_8zfGAcCT9d6Xpj411R28VTuqsFALhb1QVpXzkuWlT_ndvon3cJve7A/s1600/Little%20Dickens3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="1600" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwhcPZ1VXuF_GY9DUpHuWhSDcllNurGAc3FctXUBSnHszxwTiHBtwO0eficHuz9JMlZob9BfsC25fzxHLQDfQhRV59whMIUVdN756dyoUtPEoMZ2ijzvBYth0eP7_8zfGAcCT9d6Xpj411R28VTuqsFALhb1QVpXzkuWlT_ndvon3cJve7A/w640-h160/Little%20Dickens3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Supplementing the characters from the main story were various vaudeville acts including a ventriloquist, a Frank Sinatra impersonator, a song by grandmotherly, small-town Alberta redneck Edna Rural dressed up as a Christmas Tree, and even a comedy schtick by no other than Jesus! There are no boundaries that Burkett does not dare cross! Interlaced between the dialogue are curse words and lewd jokes such as listing all the Christmas carols with the words “come” in the lyrics (All Come all Ye Faithful, Here Comes Santa Claus, Baby Please Come Home for Christmas …). “I could go on all night”, Burkett quips.</div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">As is common in the Daisy Theatre, there was scenes requiring audience participation. One woman sitting on the front row was asked to come on stage to wind the box that would make a series of “orchestra puppets” pop up and play the background music to Jingle Bells while the rest of the crowd was encouraged to loudly sing along. In that same skit, a socialite puppet waxed poetically about her shirtless pool-boy Ray. A man on the aisle was persuaded to come on stage to play the part of Ray while wearing a Santa hat and jingling sleigh bells. Burkett teasingly instructed him to take his sweater off to properly play the role and incredibly, he did (probably to the horror of his wife!). Being a great sport, this man pranced around shirtless, ringing his bells while we continued to lustily sing the last verses of Jingle Bells. Afterwards, I leaned over to my husband Rich and whispered, “This is why you never sit in accessible seats and never make eye contact to avoid being picked”. In another scene, a witch puppet tried to take on the part of one of the Christmas Carol ghosts and was told that the audience would not go for this and would swear at her. Then en masse, the audience was instructed to yell “F***-you Debbie” at the puppet. This was probably a common routine of the Daisy Theatre improv shows but it was not clear if our crowd would participate. When the time came, our entire group yelled out the curse and then roared with laughter as the puppet slunk back off stage. Another man came on stage to flip lyric cards that prompted us to sing along to the carol "Deck the Halls". Burkett feigned disappointment when this new volunteer declined to take off his shirt. After his stint, Ronnie asked the man's wife to come up to play the non-speaking role of the Ghost of Christmas Future, giving her a black robe and a skeletal arm as props. Her job was to point "over here" and "over there" based on verbal cues from Esme, but being sure not to block the puppet with her arm.</div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Attending and participating in this show in English pantomime style was so much fun and such a unique experience. After the initial fascination in watching Burkett manipulate the puppets, you eventually get immersed in the show and just watch the marionettes as they act out the story. For most of the show, the action was fast-paced and joyful and hilarious. It was a good thing that we picked a show that was at least partially based on a well-known story like A Christmas Carol, since it gave us some familiarity and structure to follow as we took in the rest of the craziness that accompanied it.</div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></div><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><div style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The only part that didn’t work that well for me was the finale where the Christmas Carol part of the story was wrapped up too quickly and unsatisfactorily and then the show slowed right down to try to deliver an “emotional” ending. Schnitzel delivered a speech thanking the audience and then was joined by Esme and Edna to sing a final inspirational song. The ending zapped the energy out of the show and felt like a bit of a letdown to me after everything that came before. Still, overall I loved the puppetry and would like to see another Ronnie Burkett production.</div></div></span></div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-30822079645730272022-12-02T15:25:00.000-05:002022-12-02T15:25:52.857-05:00Theatre 2022: Crow's Theatre - Red Velvet<p> <b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-CA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Crow’s Theatre</span></b><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"> is located in the east end of Toronto, at Carlaw St.and Dundas St.
East, far away from the downtown theatre district that is dominated by
Mirvish-owned theatres. Crow’s Theatre
seems to specialize in avant-garde productions, often with very innovative
staging set up in its two performance spaces. In 2019, when we watched <b><a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2020/01/theatre-highlights-and-lowlights-in-2019.html" target="_blank">The Flick</a></b>
about ushers in a movie cinema, we walked into Crow’s main space to find
stadium seating where the stage would normally be, mirroring the stadium
seating that represented our seats for the show. In 2020 when we watched <b><a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2020/02/theatre-2020-january-february-shows-and.html" target="_blank">Julius Caesar</a></b>
(just before everything shut down for the pandemic), we were in that same
theatre but sat in stadium seating in the round while the action took place at
floor level. We watched <b>Red Velvet</b>,
as the final production of 2022 and found a traditional stage setup. We plan to
watch two other shows next year and are interested to find out how they will be
presented.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5v0irXt_TUBQigxkI0lHqO4yN1JAYuR2YqC-Y8j5jGt020Lpp1h33T24Dm1IScCTa_55rLWZ7Ge8XFdFjWlTnlmETG0M8lNmf3NJ4Ph41EiXNW1FVThiLfDNneS67oHAyAjc4lIz_4M8msFbMgaGBCpmc7SXSc-v4gXuglWnv9Y9IHuFupA/s1600/RedVelvet%20(1)%20-%20Kean-Aldridge.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="1600" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5v0irXt_TUBQigxkI0lHqO4yN1JAYuR2YqC-Y8j5jGt020Lpp1h33T24Dm1IScCTa_55rLWZ7Ge8XFdFjWlTnlmETG0M8lNmf3NJ4Ph41EiXNW1FVThiLfDNneS67oHAyAjc4lIz_4M8msFbMgaGBCpmc7SXSc-v4gXuglWnv9Y9IHuFupA/w640-h184/RedVelvet%20(1)%20-%20Kean-Aldridge.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">The play <b>Red Velvet</b> is based on real-life events that led a black
man to take on the titular role in Shakespeare’s Othello at London’s prestigious
Theatre Royal, Covent Gardens in 1833. The part of the Moorish military
commander was originally played, in blackface, by British actor Edmund Kean
(1787-1833), considered the most famous stage actor of the time. Kean was starring in the play alongside his
son Charles, who was cast as his duplicitous advisor and nemesis Iago. When Edmund suddenly fell collapsed on stage
during a performance and died shortly after, Theatre Royal’s manager Pierre Laporte controversially hired African American thespian and noted Shakespearean actor
Ira Aldrige (1807-1867) as Kean’s replacement.</span><p></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Aldridge started acting at age 15 in New
York City but since black actors were not well-received in the United States,
he moved to England.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He played
Othello in a small London Theatre when he was 17, becoming the first black
actor to take on the role. He was also an abolitionist who often spoke out
against slavery. Aldrige continued to star in abolitionist dramas as well as
Shakespearean plays across Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the
time of his death in 1867 in Lodz, Poland, Ira had become an acclaimed and
award-winning stage actor who acted alongside white actresses, despite facing
racism throughout his career. Both Edmund and Charles had met Aldridge and
supported his career, prior to Aldrige filling in as Othello following Edmund’s
passing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, the British
press were not as generous and Ira only lasted for two performances before the
show was canceled, receiving undeservedly scathing and racist reviews.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p><p></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSlxSbVLDtsZOP6FJBa4S7mpkMbTlL67xgpWW-i8gyAvsfKaSFYkXMMn8pL8mdJEQZfzBncx7QhCeJeciZDfQ1sfNuGkO6EWrH5Y391OvWsa5fFvD_I6xSUaI3B4XrJs3nhmQs9PsZsDl4f-z-Ok9_75j28jG50F3kVjUXo-ifD_b9fUZug/s1600/RedVelvet%20(2)%20-%20No%20stay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdSlxSbVLDtsZOP6FJBa4S7mpkMbTlL67xgpWW-i8gyAvsfKaSFYkXMMn8pL8mdJEQZfzBncx7QhCeJeciZDfQ1sfNuGkO6EWrH5Y391OvWsa5fFvD_I6xSUaI3B4XrJs3nhmQs9PsZsDl4f-z-Ok9_75j28jG50F3kVjUXo-ifD_b9fUZug/w640-h214/RedVelvet%20(2)%20-%20No%20stay.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Not many details have been documented
about this brief period when Aldrige stepped in as Othello at Covent Gardens. Playwright
Lolita Chakrabarti’s work <b>Red Velvet</b> takes the basic facts and re-imagines
what might have happened during this time. In her play, Aldridge joins an all-white
cast who regard him with varying degrees of unease, fear, and even racist
hate. Using dramatic license to add conflict to the situation, Edmund Kean is
merely ill, not dead, Charles Kean now plays Cassius instead of Iago, and his fiancé
Ellen Tree has the role of Desdemona. Charles assumed that he would take over
the role of Othello and is appalled and aghast that it was assigned to a black
man instead! In real life, Charles and Ellen Tree did act together and eventually married but there is no indication that she was in the play with Ira.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">Ira Aldridge comes across as a
confident, talented actor who espouses realism in his style of acting. In a
scene where Othello confronts Desdemona about her supposed affair with Cassius,
Aldrige roughly manhandles Ellen (with her permission). Having a black man touch a white woman in
this way, even if it is just acting, is not well received. The reviews by the
British Press are damning and lead to Aldridge’s termination after a bitter argument
with Laporte, who had championed Ira’s hiring in the first place. It is
strongly implied that Pierre Laporte is a closeted homosexual and there is a
distinct homoerotic feel to the interactions between the two men. I’m not sure if this was also added in for
dramatic purposes, as nothing that I have read supports this. In their argument leading to Aldridge’s
firing, Laporte hints at his own burdens in overcoming the stigma of his
sexuality in order to succeed in his field.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">One interesting character is the black servant
Connie, whose job it is to serve tea to the actors. Although she is prominently
positioned at the back but smack-dab in the centre of the stage, she does not
speak through most of the show. Connie
silently fulfills her duty as tea-lady, but visibly reacts to discussions about
slavery and abolition, and the overt bigotry shown to Ira by some of the other
cast members. Even the more liberal characters who claim to support the end of
slavery basically treat her as a slave who is at their beck and call. Her reactions are magnified as she listens to
the horribly racist theatre reviews that are read aloud by the cast, and she
doggedly tries to protect Ira and hide the newspapers from him when he demands
to see them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;">The events of 1833 in Covent Gardens are
told in flashback and are bookmarked by scenes of an aged Aldrige in Poland, 1867,
just prior to his death. He is getting ready to play King Lear and it is ironic
that he is shown putting on white makeup and white gloves to hide his dark skin,
doing the opposite of what Kean did to play Othello. The show starts off with two characters
speaking German(?) for several minutes before Aldrige appears and we learn that
the woman is a female reporter who has barged her way into his dressing room in
hopes of an interview. The misogyny that
she deals with in trying to gain respect from her male colleagues is set up as
a parallel to the racism that Aldridge has endured. In answering her questions, Ira reminisces
about the events of Covent Garden, setting the crux of the play into motion.</p><p></p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">This was an interesting and enjoyable play
that taught us about an important time in theatrical history, while addressing
racism, homophobia and misogyny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is
quite the accomplishment for one evening of entertainment.</span></p><p></p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-32240160642223647262022-10-19T19:20:00.001-04:002022-10-24T23:14:28.844-04:00Theatre 2022: Soulpepper - Bad Parent, My Ex-Boyfriend's Yard Sale<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3z4375oMfbpIMD3f_qG0Ms3SjuQ3KgRiRIz9DN4Yy9hJe7rWNMcsWkVMobcURdRwO_ff84DqBe-IYXlpqDfaZitVG51vAf3qbXNGiXBfSTKa5UieIdmVGwFHJmHzuK0QSzTB2Hh94Az6yaVkT7bPPT7xXb9j7pCAB0jIfP3F-kUBERQlvA/s1600/Kims1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="1600" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl3z4375oMfbpIMD3f_qG0Ms3SjuQ3KgRiRIz9DN4Yy9hJe7rWNMcsWkVMobcURdRwO_ff84DqBe-IYXlpqDfaZitVG51vAf3qbXNGiXBfSTKa5UieIdmVGwFHJmHzuK0QSzTB2Hh94Az6yaVkT7bPPT7xXb9j7pCAB0jIfP3F-kUBERQlvA/w640-h184/Kims1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>My husband Rich and I were amongst one of the first theatre lovers to discover and enjoy Ins Choi’s now famous play <b>Kim’s Convenience</b>. We stumbled upon it quite by accident during the <a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2011/07/toronto-fringe-festival-2011-first-week.html" target="_blank">2011 Toronto Fringe Festival</a> where it had its theatrical debut. That year, we had purchased a 10-pack of tickets that we could redeem at the location of each show that we selected to watch. Usually, we could stroll up about 15-20 minutes before the start of the show, get our tickets, join the line and be ushered in shortly after. For the Kim’s Convenience showing, we misread the time of the show and ended up getting there over an hour before the start. To our surprise, there was already a long lineup waiting to get in and when we went to redeem our tickets, we found out that we had scored the last two tickets for the show and that it was sold out for the rest of the run! Word of mouth had made this the hottest ticket of the festival and we were lucky enough to be a part of that.<p></p><p>The play Kim’s Convenience is Choi’s sweet, semi-autobiographical comedy about a Korean immigrant family that owns and runs a convenience store in Moss Park, Toronto. The cast for the Fringe show included Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as “Appa”, the fierce head of the family, Jean Yoon as the matriarch “Umma”, Esther Jun as daughter Janet and Ins Choi himself playing the estranged son Jung. After its success at the Fringe Festival, the play got picked up and remounted in<a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2015/01/theatre-kims-convenience.html" target="_blank"> 2012 by Soulpepper</a> with all the main actors reprising their roles. The show continued to be part of the Soulpepper repertoire for several more years. We watched this version in 2014 and enjoyed it just as much the second time, even though only Paul Sun-Hyung remained in the role of Appa at that point.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMKQ5zhDEKwDrjXc6qFS-rsOqEpy4QskJou_3gRSDHzPTudexN87J8pH3amgv-g0ZvXJFQ5jXbZeAseQxIhtpq37PyDWcyssNyDEdcmsYuunrwU1oRacTivDqzON30zHWcY9L13IOn4DvIpLcXvOoU7ydTevAXId1noqtn57OLWP1-ddc0w/s1600/Kim's%20Convenience2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1600" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMMKQ5zhDEKwDrjXc6qFS-rsOqEpy4QskJou_3gRSDHzPTudexN87J8pH3amgv-g0ZvXJFQ5jXbZeAseQxIhtpq37PyDWcyssNyDEdcmsYuunrwU1oRacTivDqzON30zHWcY9L13IOn4DvIpLcXvOoU7ydTevAXId1noqtn57OLWP1-ddc0w/w400-h250/Kim's%20Convenience2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In 2016, the play was further adapted into a Canadian TV sitcom running on CBC for 5 seasons. The show was filmed in Toronto and the storefront, decked out with the “Kim’s Convenience” sign could be found at 252 Queen East during its run. Even more exciting for us was the fact that our good friend's brother had a recurring, supporting role on the show, as one of Appa's friends who would frequent the store. We watched all the seasons of the TV series until it was unceremoniously canceled in 2021. Unfortunately, it ended without being able to properly resolve all the plotlines, including the reconciliation between Jung and Appa that gave the original play its heart.<p></p><p>Thus, we were quite excited to hear that <b>Ins Choi</b> had written a new play that is on the Soulpepper lineup for their 2022 season. We were prepared to buy tickets to watch this play when Soulpepper made an announcement about their ticket price policies. Probably due to a slow post-COVID return to live theatre for many regular patrons, the company has decided to slash all its ticket prices almost by half. Now tickets will range from $65 down to $25 for the season. For those people (like us) who had already purchased tickets at full price, Soulpepper was offering either a refund, or two free tickets to another show. We happily converted this offer into tickets to see Choi’s new endeavour.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TcJGHSPagPWgOqWhCfggb60a-bIXI6ZdRkHeZn6m7Ya7rSS6Nj-cqOEc9EMUFxLMfikhzxQnh1wh7dNSpa0JRSGCXadNcBQbiewD4MuXfS8X1qV1y8s_ckhwIrjw14ZUOqz838phap_vaCbcyh20My-jCVmaN6lP3L1I7djkKmrpssagcw/s1823/BadParent1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="1823" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5TcJGHSPagPWgOqWhCfggb60a-bIXI6ZdRkHeZn6m7Ya7rSS6Nj-cqOEc9EMUFxLMfikhzxQnh1wh7dNSpa0JRSGCXadNcBQbiewD4MuXfS8X1qV1y8s_ckhwIrjw14ZUOqz838phap_vaCbcyh20My-jCVmaN6lP3L1I7djkKmrpssagcw/s320/BadParent1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><div>Continuing with the old adage to “write what you know”, Choi’s new play <b>Bad Parent</b> is a two-hander dealing with a married couple’s struggles adjusting to life with their first child, now a 24-month-old toddler. It draws heavily from Ins and wife Mari’s own past experiences and difficulties raising their children. The actors Josette Jorge and Raugi Yu portray the harried new parents, Nora, a proficient career woman and Charles, an unsettled man-child and wannabe rock star. It is probably pure coincidence, but hearing these names immediately brought to my mind the characters from the classic movie “The Thin Man” who were named Nick and Nora Charles. The baby, named “Mountain”, (symbolizing strength to Charles, but sounding like a wrestler to Nora) is never seen on stage but his loud, anguished wails are heard from off-stage throughout the show.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Jorge and Yu each also play a second role, acting as a character foil to the original character as well as a sounding board for the other parent. Norah, (with an “h”), is the Filipino nanny hired to look after Mountain so that Nora can return to work. Norah is the perfect housewife, mother and cook, having no problems with coaxing little Mountain to sleep in his own bed. This is a feat that has so far eluded Nora, who feels much more comfortable and competent in her professional job than she does as a mother. At the office, Nora confides her troubles to co-worker Dale, questioning why it is so much easier to deal with and to talk to him than to Charles. Dale sagely replies that since they are just colleagues, they can present their best versions of themselves to each other, and that their relationship is easier since they don’t love each other and if things get tense, they can always just leave and return to their mutual offices.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJqqiX3_Vk8lE8DnKsB10oG4mfRjHtuvI-eLbRyjh78-ecnoZsL2mNsHXwbRIY1AR5KYqMeJjiZpF4lmJO3K9gMXI2yIUohj3PxgsWVai8AlAKJ_T76NJu5RivDMnlrLMxgGaXFgomy7ZD6nu3r7t8PdYFX70x43OTuFpPX9yJHXjNV3atw/s4427/BadParent2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="4427" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJqqiX3_Vk8lE8DnKsB10oG4mfRjHtuvI-eLbRyjh78-ecnoZsL2mNsHXwbRIY1AR5KYqMeJjiZpF4lmJO3K9gMXI2yIUohj3PxgsWVai8AlAKJ_T76NJu5RivDMnlrLMxgGaXFgomy7ZD6nu3r7t8PdYFX70x43OTuFpPX9yJHXjNV3atw/w640-h182/BadParent2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Bad parent uses the common theatre device of “breaking the 4th wall” by having the main characters address the audience. But as Rich put it, they don’t just break the 4th wall, they demolish it. Nora and Charles start the show by bringing microphones up to the front of the stage as if they were doing a stand-up comedy act, and speaking in turn, they describe how they first met, fell in love, got married and had their baby. From there, the arguments between the pair escalate as the pressures of their lives mount and the cracks in their marriage start to show. Through it all, they continue to lobby the audience for support as each is trying to gain our approval for their position. This is taken the extreme when at one point Nora pointedly asks anyone in the audience who thinks she is wrong to raise his or her hand. One brave man in the row in front of us does so and she disparages him in her rant. You are left to wonder whether he is a plant, or what would have happened if no one had raised their hand (although Rich told me later that he was tempted to do so himself).</div><div><br /></div><div><div>After a while, you realize that the audience is a stand-in for society as a whole, and what Nora and Charles crave is external affirmation, whether from friends, family, strangers, or even from the audience, that they are not the bad parents they each fear they are. Nora recalls the incident where she is bottle-feeding Mountain in the park and is chastised by a stranger for not breast-feeding, which she could not for physiological reasons, but Charles did not step up to defend her. It is clear that they are each deeply affected by what others might think of them. Towards the end of the play, they even accuse each other of pandering to the audience, and then both admit that this is exactly what they are doing. When they finally take off their “public persona masks” and get real with each other, we hear the real version of how they actually met, and it is much less glamorous than what was initially described.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Bad Parent is a very relatable play with a few comedic moments, presented in a smart, interesting way that led to some good discussions and analysis after Rich and I watched it. But it is not the feel-good comedic gem that Kim’s Convenience was. There is only so long that you can listen to two people yell at each other before it begins to feel a bit oppressive and depressing. As they battle over child-rearing techniques, division of labour, unpreparedness to be parents, loss of self-worth and identity, and whether their own bad parents make them doomed to be bad parents themselves, it becomes clear that parenthood is difficult and there is no manual on how to make it work. </div><div>It is really great that Ins Choi’s plays have provided much needed work for Asian actors. Unlike Kim’s Convenience which was specifically representing a Korean immigrant family, Bad Parent’s tale is universal and can be recognized by everyone, so to have two Asian actors play the roles in a Soulpepper production is all the more gratifying.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHy93u6NpB73mG5Cp8xETz-p5pTAPy0M5MlpBaSyt-sp9O5OJNm0XKDB-Hci2Ds7w4KYbt3b8xGHCjkuxqbpaGLA8h0gioChClh_4HUP22h1lZcTnTsGLp0j_HqxI0pohkogzpg9LYWivVEDGnceWyVZNIDwvucxQy7fdrgBds406w94fJA/s1600/ExBF1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="1600" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHHy93u6NpB73mG5Cp8xETz-p5pTAPy0M5MlpBaSyt-sp9O5OJNm0XKDB-Hci2Ds7w4KYbt3b8xGHCjkuxqbpaGLA8h0gioChClh_4HUP22h1lZcTnTsGLp0j_HqxI0pohkogzpg9LYWivVEDGnceWyVZNIDwvucxQy7fdrgBds406w94fJA/w640-h248/ExBF1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The show that we had already purchased tickets at full price was the one-woman show called “<b>The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale</b>”. We first bought tickets to watch this comedy in May 2020, but then the pandemic forced the entire run to be canceled before it even started, and our money was refunded. Over 2 years later, we are finally able to watch it. I mistakenly thought the title was “My Ex-Boyfriend’s Yard Sale”, implying the protagonist was selling items from a single ex-boyfriend. I imagined a comedic rant about a relationship gone sour, and the cathartic rite of dumping his stuff (at a profit, no less). The concept of purging remnants of a former romantic relationship reminds me of a previous piece of performance art that we saw during <b>Nuit Blanche 2008</b>. Titled “<b>Smash It</b>”, the artist tossed items from a past love affair down to the ground from atop a raised cherry picker, then came down and smashed them further with a sledgehammer, all while giving running commentary about what she was destroying and why.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMHXlhNUGYmJ9Nq8wdSHkjUp_8BoBWapPOH0TL-KyBvNzxgGByM5l0L09nk3kMgxoM9QQGPniKdvV51DBplpOPUCVZQp2IpRUx3qWxBxCw4FQtxrTrmcn-F6krD04YcJVuC9Aownnh0Jk4_-h5cgb0DBam8eaPYcAqO4fPCG6hoBgAzdYbg/s1600/ExBF2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="608" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMHXlhNUGYmJ9Nq8wdSHkjUp_8BoBWapPOH0TL-KyBvNzxgGByM5l0L09nk3kMgxoM9QQGPniKdvV51DBplpOPUCVZQp2IpRUx3qWxBxCw4FQtxrTrmcn-F6krD04YcJVuC9Aownnh0Jk4_-h5cgb0DBam8eaPYcAqO4fPCG6hoBgAzdYbg/w640-h244/ExBF2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>As it turns out, The Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale refers to eight items that the show’s author and performer Haley McGee retained from eight different relationships that she had from age 16 to 32. As an unemployed Canadian actress in major debt while living in London, England, Haley was desperate to generate income while still being able to ply her trade as a working theatrical performer. She thought of holding a yard sale but realized that all items in her possession that had any monetary value were given to her by ex-boyfriends. These included a “mixed tape”, necklace, jewelry box, ukulele, vintage typewriter, t-shirt, backpack and bicycle. But selling these mementos would only result in one-time income and would probably not fetch amounts that reflect her own sentimental valuations of them. Instead, she came up with the idea of developing a show about selling her exes’ gifts, in which she explains how she developed a mathematical formula to put a price tag on each item, and by extension, allowed her to assign a monetary value on the relationship that each article symbolized. In short, this show tries to create a formula to evaluate “the cost of love”.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmhmUy2j4h5btuMJJYrW6c4URhK41ZUkCYNUUN_yOfCVKGFaztDlf6HRHH0v_nBBKlSQmF9cltHFp9TQJlJIDtepTCD78mpM4Eq4HHxNtlo_t7uJzIR99Qin9n6xC-MTyozhV3Medu9pipgYLL-bxvgjHEJ2qFTAZ2P65ltrexR7YqHg3xw/s1600/ExBF3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="1600" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhmhmUy2j4h5btuMJJYrW6c4URhK41ZUkCYNUUN_yOfCVKGFaztDlf6HRHH0v_nBBKlSQmF9cltHFp9TQJlJIDtepTCD78mpM4Eq4HHxNtlo_t7uJzIR99Qin9n6xC-MTyozhV3Medu9pipgYLL-bxvgjHEJ2qFTAZ2P65ltrexR7YqHg3xw/w640-h196/ExBF3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>McGee’s formula is complex with many variables that fall into the following main categories: Market Value, Time Invested, Narrative Impact, Relationship Index and Wild Cards. Two factors within the Market Value category required audience participation. As people wandered into the theatre, they were given the opportunity to go up on stage and provide estimates of how much they would spend on each object if it were offered at a yard sale. The estimates were tallied and later in the show, it was revealed what the average audience estimate was for each item, ranked from lowest to highest. Haley then provided narratives for the items, explaining how and why she received them, polling the audience afterwards to determine whether an item rose or declined in value after being presented in context.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVQy0aDK03YyqIAns6-r95elTrYmy66DRfwB1RyuFmimyhzCEODLcMd0bnLTRgBDJTWh3_KTidtGh8O3ZLuppx3-h2POyEKg6xlqF7RSya9iMTA15CyGyBz6GHxJTkq5PuX4XQrZLCx2enw-ZOYrF3qqFg1nvCB4UzjA1k6yrJJdfJH8YRg/s1600/Ex-BF4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="1600" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVQy0aDK03YyqIAns6-r95elTrYmy66DRfwB1RyuFmimyhzCEODLcMd0bnLTRgBDJTWh3_KTidtGh8O3ZLuppx3-h2POyEKg6xlqF7RSya9iMTA15CyGyBz6GHxJTkq5PuX4XQrZLCx2enw-ZOYrF3qqFg1nvCB4UzjA1k6yrJJdfJH8YRg/w640-h188/Ex-BF4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Speaking non-stop in rapid succession while racing around at a frantic pace, McGee built up and presented her formula with the use of some innovative staging that included scrawling notes on large sheets of brown parcel paper hung on the back wall of the stage, triggering charts to drop from the rafters, opening side and trap doors to reveal more lists, and having special delivery envelopes traverse down a zip line from the back of the theatre onto the stage. After completing her explanations of the various parts, Haley’s grand finale involves writing out the entire lengthy formula from start to finish, seemingly without needing to take a breath.</div><div><br /></div><div>Overall, this was an impressive tour de force performance of a memorable show with a very interesting premise. A few gimmicks did not quite work well though. Part of the narratives of the items included recorded interviews with the actual ex-boyfriends, which were played aloud on stage. Unfortunately, some of the voices were muffled and it was difficult to hear. As Haley’s explanations grew more and more complex and frenzied, she matched this with her actions which included wrapping herself up with the paper on the wall and a big sheet of bubble wrap, holding it all together with masking tape. There might have been a point to this, but if so, I missed it. The craziness took my attention away from the ideas that she was trying to convey. McGee has <a href="https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM4164018&R=4164018" target="_blank">published a book</a> by the same name as the play (available at the Toronto Public Library), which gives more insight into her life, relationships and the development of the formula and this show.</div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-30775768114104651852022-10-03T22:48:00.002-04:002022-10-04T10:11:31.897-04:00Theatre 2022: Fall Season Has Started / Singing in the Rain<p>Live theatre is a back with a vengeance in the fall of 2022, as there are so many interesting shows to watch from all the major theatres throughout Toronto! My husband Rich and I have enthusiastically jumped back into the theatre scene with upcoming shows at Canstage (Bad Parent, My Ex-Boyfriend’s Yard Sale) and Soulpepper (Little Dickens) in addition to our Mirvish subscription series. In addition, we plan to watch some plays at Crow Theatre in the new year and have our eyes out for the offerings at some of the smaller venues around the city. We will also be looking at some regional theatre around Ontario, as we continue to take mini vacations a few hours away from our home. We currently have a comedy lined up for Brighton, Ontario, during an upcoming 3-day vacation to the Cobourg/Port Hope area.</p><p>Our 2021/2022 Mirvish subscription season is winding down but already the shows from the 2022/2023 season are ramping up. For the new season, my husband Rich and I have upgraded our seats so that we will be in the dress circle for the first time, after years of sitting in the back of the theatre. Hopefully I will finally be able to see the expressions on the actors’ faces without the use of my binoculars.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_iVRP_ASvFaJnqLbpZq507pCAbNVmhjLqf2VUsa8HoI3BiZJfOuERZQX4JfgVeeyxayYTDrOGfdbkcU-Mi3BiMCVIWrIQE27Fn98Zheuf0Lfo5YAVATfbNOmkqJz2v7znu_yEhFVgbY25Io0rELp8LoQHjvtC9xa18p0611kEtMVuP8Bbw/s4659/A_Singing1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="4659" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe_iVRP_ASvFaJnqLbpZq507pCAbNVmhjLqf2VUsa8HoI3BiZJfOuERZQX4JfgVeeyxayYTDrOGfdbkcU-Mi3BiMCVIWrIQE27Fn98Zheuf0Lfo5YAVATfbNOmkqJz2v7znu_yEhFVgbY25Io0rELp8LoQHjvtC9xa18p0611kEtMVuP8Bbw/w640-h174/A_Singing1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The last show of the 2021/22 Mirvish subscription season was <b>Singing in The Rain</b>, based on the 2012 musical adaptation of the iconic 1952 movie classic about silent screen stars in the 1920s dealing with the invention of sound on film. The movie’s cast of Gene Kelly as movie heartthrob Don Lockwood, Donald O’Connor as his comedic sidekick Cosmo Brown, Jean Hagen as Lina Lamont, Lockwood’s leading lady with the face of an angel but the voice of a crow, and a very young Debbie Reynolds as the plucky ingénue and love interest Kathy Seldon is so ubiquitous that it is difficult to picture anyone else in any of the roles.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeCjR--qft9u9R8s_UsoEIkFLV3vxcvlIYyohN3Yz9cZ7jUek9QMe4tSsQhFEnK4_SVi3opE0xmhqZcz5sWchtYaDRjgFS9Wr92ZEsP0WJjjrwv4Qx0JziTkWXHJ8-9MdZdVP12CGb7883hwkSdKg3cYCt3Cn7_KPOvGUlaaQXMxhoN_fLg/s3026/A_Singing2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="3026" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYeCjR--qft9u9R8s_UsoEIkFLV3vxcvlIYyohN3Yz9cZ7jUek9QMe4tSsQhFEnK4_SVi3opE0xmhqZcz5sWchtYaDRjgFS9Wr92ZEsP0WJjjrwv4Qx0JziTkWXHJ8-9MdZdVP12CGb7883hwkSdKg3cYCt3Cn7_KPOvGUlaaQXMxhoN_fLg/w640-h266/A_Singing2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>With that in mind, the Mirvish show was well cast for the most part with the actors playing Cosmo and Lina looking like doppelgangers of their movie counterparts, at least from where we sat, and had the comedic talents required for their roles. The actor playing Don Lockwood had long graceful legs and the singing/dancing chops to do justice to the Gene Kelly role, although he looked like a clone of Don Draper (aka Jon Hamm) of Mad Men. The casting I had most trouble with was the actress who played Kathy Seldon. While Debbie Reynolds was brunette and petite in contrast with Jean Hagen’s statuesque, blond bombshell physique, giving their interactions a David vs Goliath-like feel, the actress playing Kathy in the musical was also a tall blond that looked too much like the Lina character. On top of that, when she was not singing songs that required her to adapt a deep, sultry voice, her natural speaking voice raised to a higher pitch that was not that different from what was supposed to be the problem with Lina’s voice. This took away from some of the intended comedy.<p></p><p>While I recall most of the movie vividly, I had forgotten what happens at the very beginning. It was only after re-watching it on Crave TV that I realized how closely the musical mirrors the scenes from the film. Starting with the red-carpet premiere of Lockwood and Lamont’s new film at the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, to the flashback recollections of how Don and Cosmo got started on Vaudeville, to the online screening of “The Royal Rascal”, the musical did an excellent job of recreating what we saw in the movie.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3aOEoIHhaPgsRpAc_-ymDaa0rCQ7ijCqpxht_dQITaiYz5eUDV8G_BqJQ9KjQA5xjH-Ewkm8jELjmXwqtjyWkvs7B481evInxavlB7SPCn3N_ybIJDR6j5hFXXbBZWJbR8mf0-OFWczJHZZ6ITHFoWo-TJb3RuWEM1b-_kfuJPC2Nivpgw/s5003/A_Singing3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="5003" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3aOEoIHhaPgsRpAc_-ymDaa0rCQ7ijCqpxht_dQITaiYz5eUDV8G_BqJQ9KjQA5xjH-Ewkm8jELjmXwqtjyWkvs7B481evInxavlB7SPCn3N_ybIJDR6j5hFXXbBZWJbR8mf0-OFWczJHZZ6ITHFoWo-TJb3RuWEM1b-_kfuJPC2Nivpgw/w640-h162/A_Singing3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>The musical also did an amazing job recreating the Broadway Melody dance interlude, both in terms of choreography, wardrobe, set, design and colour schemes. A couple of subtle changes were noticed in the two ballet sequences where Lockwood’s character first performed a sensual dance with a sexy seductress, and then a dreamy, elegant ballet with a young innocent. The two dances mirrored Don’s relationships with Lina and Kathy. <p></p><p>In the movie, both dances were performed by the incomparable actress/dancer Cyd Charisse, who was dressed in tight, shimmering green dress for the first dance and a white, flowing dress in the second. In the musical, the Charisse look-a-like was dressed all in black for the first dance, further accentuating the metaphor of good vs evil, or in terms of Don’s career, maintaining the integrity of his craft vs. selling out for the glitz and glamor of fame. The second dance was performed not by the same dancer, but by the actress playing Kathy Seldon. I tend to think there were several reasons for this change. First, Debbie Reynolds probably could not execute the ballet as well as Cyd Charisse. Also, in the musical, there would be no way for the same actress to make the costume change, as the dances happened in quick succession. Finally, having the Kathy Seldon character perform that last dance goes further to reflect on Lockwood’s own circumstances, so it made much more sense to me. I wonder if they would have used Reynolds in the movie if she was capable of performing that ballet.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYxsjScLG9PwQG2EHIUHk6Dz_BHF0KGv2e8260QPjthMT-pC8FVYVEEPDNTEvFw6D1sp0kMk7thBG8j4-XG6bUq9R1FkrQmBV-NQLOZ5PqEyqYV4sNdt2WpESvFhy5K2UdWcQEp5jXx5X16wwYhp0Uok3o8weahYp1NT5ytN6MWjMQoulCA/s4791/A_Singing4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="4791" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYxsjScLG9PwQG2EHIUHk6Dz_BHF0KGv2e8260QPjthMT-pC8FVYVEEPDNTEvFw6D1sp0kMk7thBG8j4-XG6bUq9R1FkrQmBV-NQLOZ5PqEyqYV4sNdt2WpESvFhy5K2UdWcQEp5jXx5X16wwYhp0Uok3o8weahYp1NT5ytN6MWjMQoulCA/w640-h168/A_Singing4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Because I do know the movie so well, it becomes jarring when there is a noticeable change, especially when it is not for the better (in my not-so-humble opinion). This happened in the climatic finale when Kathy was forced to sing behind a curtain while Lina lip-syncs, only to have Don, Cosmo, and movie producer R.F.Simpson raise the curtain to reveal the charade. In the movie, the song sung was a reprisal of the upbeat theme song Singing in the Rain. The sequence extended for quite a while before Lina caught on to what was happening and Kathy dashed off stage in mortification. The three conspirators did a jaunty little strut as they cheerfully pulled on the ropes in exaggerated fashion to raise the curtain, and then Cosmo did a hilarious bit of replacing Kathy in the singing while mimicking Lina’s arm gestures. There were shots of the audience howling with laughter after the reveal.<p></p><p>In the musical, they replaced the song sung with a reprisal of “You Are My Lucky Star”, one of the slower love ballads, which immediately made the scene less funny. Then they rushed through the raising of the curtain and Lina caught on right away, causing the scene to end abruptly. This totally robbed the ending of its buildup and the poignancy of Don pronouncing that Kathy was the real star of the show and singing the final love song. This was too bad since up until this point, the show was humming along, perfectly recapturing the magic of the movie. The only improvement made by the musical came when Lina had to ask Kathy what key she would be singing in and Kathy replied “A-Flat” which Lina repeats to the conductor. In the musical, Lina misinterpreted the answer and replies “a flat” instead. This elicited a big laugh from the audience.</p><p>It is understandable that a stage musical needs to be longer with more songs than the movie, which is why so many of the best-known songs from the movie were reprised in new scenes. In the 2012 musical revival, a hilarious new comedic song was written by Katherine Kingsley specifically for Lina Lamont to sing. Called “What’s Wrong With Me?”, that extra song works really well, highlighting Lina’s shrill, shrieky voice as she laments with incomprehension about why Don is not in love with her her. An extra ballad called “You Stepped Out of a Dream” was also added to the musical, but this one is actually an old Jazz standard that was originally featured in the 1941 musical Ziegfield Girl.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AqBaqHGYcsGqo8vQHMMoKCmoUXSK8i_eDLDNVVyuoHKz0hAt9xGbrr_JNWw1Z9jyzKXjLs69IYoqoT_6fEvVbj2yeGDn1KKTwM_d4WjZ5HoM6RPY29sqYgS7MaoYw64RMDQG-nfwMf1K9N3yh6yO8sYli0LaZRHIT1HpIm6KqgzUqVbduw/s4907/A_Singing5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="4907" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6AqBaqHGYcsGqo8vQHMMoKCmoUXSK8i_eDLDNVVyuoHKz0hAt9xGbrr_JNWw1Z9jyzKXjLs69IYoqoT_6fEvVbj2yeGDn1KKTwM_d4WjZ5HoM6RPY29sqYgS7MaoYw64RMDQG-nfwMf1K9N3yh6yO8sYli0LaZRHIT1HpIm6KqgzUqVbduw/w640-h164/A_Singing5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>This stage musical version of Singing in the Rain was so much fun to watch and brought back so many good memories. The acting, singing and dancing were all excellent for the most part, and the bright colour-scheme of the sets and costumes channeled the Techno-colour craze of the movie. But the main star of the show was the rain, or the staging of the iconic “singing and dancing in the rain” scene. This was not a drizzle that fell on the stage but a deluge. As Don Lockwood stomped, splashed, twirled and kicked at puddles in the downpour, I’m sure that a few patrons in the front rows got a bit damp. The scene ended the first act and during the intermission, we stayed in our seats and were thoroughly entertained watching the stagehands work hard to clear the water and dry up the stage with brooms that swept the bulk of it into holes on the floor boards, and then by dragging towels around to address the final dampness.<p></p><p>We thoroughly enjoyed watching this live musical version of Singing in the Rain. To quote a line from the eponymous song, “What a glorious feeling, I’m happy again” that live theatre is back and thriving in Toronto.</p>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17229541.post-23304619389397197382022-09-23T10:04:00.001-04:002022-09-23T10:04:40.003-04:00TIFF 2022 - Digital TIFF<p>Although TIFF 2022 saw the return of in-person screenings with the arrival of directors and stars to participate in Q&A sessions, a very small number (less than 20?) of the 200+ TIFF films were also available for digital rental. It is not surprising that most of the festival's movies were not offered for online rental, since the loss of revenue for this distribution method is significant. Not only is the price of the rental ($18.95+tax) less expensive than that of an in-person ticket ($20-$80+ per person), but the digital movie can be viewed at home by more than one person. Also, there are significantly fewer pre-movie ads (which can be bypassed via fast-forwarding), making it less attractive to sponsors. This means that the rental provides much less sponsor revenue as well. </p><p>As a result, the options were limited when we decided to rent a few digital movies to augment our <a href="http://torontohappenings.blogspot.com/2022/09/tiff-2022-return-after-pandemic-and.html" target="_blank">two in-person viewings</a>. TIFF digital rentals were available for a fixed 48-hour window and once you started watching, you had 24 hours to complete the viewing, although you could re-watch as many times as you wanted during that period.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2FpKELvcsymZrG0bJjgM_Fo1G-h_W88FVvMrwqRHpeVrOyR3NAVxj26MsADnxhUfjCgT7kfhEGwrSB2vx2DYm1H5cISy1iGkjpPXakxGHCcUx1BbJ38UfswDZAdL5Uvheh8D7Uhowz1xZw_oUkWDcWaumNXxaENLmUfIgQRdoDvdYruSpQ/s4135/ATIFF2022_Digital1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="4135" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2FpKELvcsymZrG0bJjgM_Fo1G-h_W88FVvMrwqRHpeVrOyR3NAVxj26MsADnxhUfjCgT7kfhEGwrSB2vx2DYm1H5cISy1iGkjpPXakxGHCcUx1BbJ38UfswDZAdL5Uvheh8D7Uhowz1xZw_oUkWDcWaumNXxaENLmUfIgQRdoDvdYruSpQ/w640-h196/ATIFF2022_Digital1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Our first digital film selection was the Canadian comedy "<b>The End of Sex</b>", starring Emily Hampshire (of Schitt's Creek fame) and Jonas Chernick as a married couple looking to revitalize their sex life while their two children were away at camp for a week. Hijinks and hilarity ensue as they try various ways to spice up their marriage including an awkward, lopsided attempt at a threesome, and checking out a sex club, all while fending off infatuations from colleagues and a former schoolmate. A running joke involves counting down the days before the kids come home by knocking over one of 7 garden gnomes each day. This is an excellent, old-fashioned, feel-good, laugh-out-loud comedy, which is a rarity in movies these days, let alone at TIFF. It is a reunion for the two lead actors plus their director/script writer. Back in 2012, they are worked on "My Awkward Sexual Adventure" where Jonas' character tries to improve his sexual prowess through lessons from Emily's exotic dancer with a heart of gold.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OlRfuDCd-f3ulUdWfnymmPTIRm4qyag6kq-wzN31J_wwfjkbwv0y9HmXR4LUqmnlPGyJnN2bgkulUbNwU3_AoczzxmHX-LVcE84wlMz8MVoi-lkxB6Toc0hQWfP_bppnPlbyrfi0oCRdfSJfFKh3-5HZPqblyGhf18jieis75i2AHlioPg/s5413/ATIFF2022_Digital2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="5413" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OlRfuDCd-f3ulUdWfnymmPTIRm4qyag6kq-wzN31J_wwfjkbwv0y9HmXR4LUqmnlPGyJnN2bgkulUbNwU3_AoczzxmHX-LVcE84wlMz8MVoi-lkxB6Toc0hQWfP_bppnPlbyrfi0oCRdfSJfFKh3-5HZPqblyGhf18jieis75i2AHlioPg/w640-h148/ATIFF2022_Digital2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Our second film was the documentary <b>Casa Susanna</b>, about a popular weekend and vacation destination in the Catskills in the early 1960s that catered to cross-dressing men and transgendered people. The resort provided them with a sanctuary where they could be themselves without the fear of persecution or prosecution, since cross-dressing in public was a criminal offense back then. Consisting of a series of bungalow camps set on 150 acres of land, Casa Susanna (originally named Chevalier D'Eon Resort) was run by Susanna Valenti, who was originally a male named Tito with a wife Maria before transitioning into a transgendered woman. Surprisingly, Maria stayed married to and lived with Susanna even after her transitioning. In fact, it was mentioned that many other wives would actually drive their mates to Casa Susanna each weekend or would occasionally stay there as well. I am not sure that wives today would be as understanding or accommodating.<p></p><p>The documentary focused on the memories of two transgendered women (Katherine who came all the way from Australia and Diana from Indiana) as they recalled their childhoods as males, what they went through to transition and their fond memories of staying at Casa Susanna. Also featured was Betsy, the daughter of a Science Fiction writer Don Wolheim who was a cross-dresser, and Gregory, the grandson of Susanna and Maria. Gregory recalls the early days of the resort when drag shows would be hosted and as a child, he would peek through the windows at the action. This was a fascinating look at a part of American history that I knew nothing about, and now I have a totally different image of the Catskills than I had after watching the movie "Dirty Dancing".</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVm6eafeLCAxmXFN1cKleJe05tjh_7moD6s2keBhT78MZSOwoUdQ-kLrQ3WQoTXAwNvGzgIj5P6BbAMJOCthb_JjLflCRzANFehFi5inecL7mgCaPPSIg1A0eKZnl3LbqEMAaGdFeRnwKWMEmpbgnNs48Ob9qHC1orEtxRglWszeI52HQESQ/s5004/ATIFF2022_Digital3%20-%20Lux.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="5004" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVm6eafeLCAxmXFN1cKleJe05tjh_7moD6s2keBhT78MZSOwoUdQ-kLrQ3WQoTXAwNvGzgIj5P6BbAMJOCthb_JjLflCRzANFehFi5inecL7mgCaPPSIg1A0eKZnl3LbqEMAaGdFeRnwKWMEmpbgnNs48Ob9qHC1orEtxRglWszeI52HQESQ/w640-h170/ATIFF2022_Digital3%20-%20Lux.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Our final movie was<b> Luxembourg, Luxembourg</b>, about twin brothers Vasily and Kolya who live in Ukraine. Vasily is an upstanding, stable young man who works hard to join and rise in the ranks of the police force, while Kolya is a ne'er-do-well who still lives with their mother, drives a bus and secretly deals drugs. The movie opens with the twins as children, with Vasily dressed in blue and Kolya in red. This colour scheme is maintained throughout the entire movie, which was a good thing since the real-life twin brothers who play the characters as adults look so alike that it was difficult to tell them apart without the clothing cues. Even as children, Vasily was the brave, decisive one who needs to look after and help his brother. As adults, Kolya is constantly getting into trouble, which adversely impacts Vasily's trajectory in the police force. When they get word that their estranged gangster father, who deserted them as children, is dying in Luxemboug, they need to decide whether to travel there to pay their final respects. In the end, the trip to find their father is really a Macguffin, as the real crux of the story is the relationship of the two brothers.<div><br /></div><div>It was really interesting to watch this film with our Ukrainian friend, since she could understand the dialogue, commented on the veracity (or lack thereof) of the translation as well as pointing out locations other points of reference that brought back memories for her. The wallpaper and decor in one setting reminded her of her grandmother's house, while an image on a book made reference to her hometown. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlWYZmzItOA5kqe3sLj_rmNcG5Y-5TaGvTqE79_Rrz3GpuuzhgfkU_YsK4q4dzXdVEHo2i80QnJ0BRxsDrzj7rzTK3HGpuvisETZOgBXi7Msvqa03mJ6FsC-x8UR7RlqlGuDOOXh0qibgwx_RYMimf9_IkpVaRgU8EtbJl-TAK2mI_X0uwA/s1180/luxembourg-luxembourg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="790" data-original-width="1180" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAlWYZmzItOA5kqe3sLj_rmNcG5Y-5TaGvTqE79_Rrz3GpuuzhgfkU_YsK4q4dzXdVEHo2i80QnJ0BRxsDrzj7rzTK3HGpuvisETZOgBXi7Msvqa03mJ6FsC-x8UR7RlqlGuDOOXh0qibgwx_RYMimf9_IkpVaRgU8EtbJl-TAK2mI_X0uwA/s320/luxembourg-luxembourg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>This movie set in Ukraine takes on extra poignancy given the real-life horrors of the war raging there. In an interview, the director describes how the Russian invasion caused the filming to pause as cast and crew had to scatter to find shelter or to join the fighting. Somehow, they were able to get to post-production of the film, but still had to race around Kviv to retrieve portions of it that were stored on different hard drives while bombing was occurring in the city. Miraculously, the film was completed in time for the Venice Film Festival, and the stars, Amil and Ramil Nasirov (who are also rappers) appeared there proudly holding the Ukranian flag.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>Watching these smaller movies that lack major movie stars or buzz, that are often foreign language films or documentaries, and which may or may not secure theatrical distribution, was once the main draw of the Toronto International Film Festival. In the past, the festival would be our only chance of ever encountering most of these films. Now with the saturation of streaming service content that comes in all languages and forms, TIFF has lost some of its cache and importance in our movie viewing agenda. It is becoming more difficult to justify paying continually steeper prices to watch each film at the festival, when high quality fare such as Squid Game (Korean), Money Heist (Spanish) and Call My Agent (French) are so readily available on our streaming services. We shall see how this all plays out in the future.</div></div>A.R. Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01658604333506067829noreply@blogger.com0