Tag: theatre review

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What does it mean? What is RED?

Mark Rothko (left, played by Randy Hughson) and his young new assistant, Ken (Jesse Aaron Dwyre). Press photo.
Mark Rothko (left, played by Randy Hughson) and his young new assistant, Ken (Jesse Aaron Dwyre). Press photo.

“What is red?” shouts Mark Rothko, as he begins on another of his impassioned, belligerent speeches.

Indeed RED, by Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and playwright John Logan, is riddled with so many torrential philosophical speeches that the audience nearly drowns in them. If you can follow Rothko’s vehement rants on the faceted layers of art, his own work and the work of his contemporaries, then you may walk away from RED enlightened.

However, you may also leave disappointed, as any person would who experiences as many climaxes in 96 minutes as RED presents, but no real satisfaction.

RED, directed by Governor General Award-winning actor and director Martha Henry, takes place over the two-year span in which it took abstract expressionist artist, Mark Rothko, to create a series of large scale murals for Manhattan’s Four Season’s restaurant. The play opens in 1958 as Rothko (played by Randy Hughson) is joined by a young new assistant, Ken (Jesse Aaron Dwyre). A fictionalized account of Rothko’s first attempt to create a space where one might interact and contemplate his artwork, RED portrays Rothko’s struggle with the idea that this project is an insult to his artistic integrity. Throughout the play, Rothko’s notion of art and meaning is challenged by Ken, a dilettante artist with a tragic past.

Hughson as Rothko is vivid and enigmatic. His portrayal of Rothko, the aging, frustrated artist struggling with his own significance is three-dimensional and lively. He commands the stage, shadowing the less dynamic Dwyre. Initially, this overpowering seems intentional, juxtaposing the dominant character of Rothko against the submissive character of Ken. However, when the focus shifts to Ken, as his character begins to come into his own, Dwyre’s emotional portrayal pales in comparison to Hughson and the audience is unable to engage with him as much.

The play takes place in a single location, the studio Rothko rented when he was painting the Four Season murals. Eo Sharp has constructed a set that is said to be accurate to the actual studio Rothko used. Indeed, Sharp’s set is reflective of what one would presume an artist’s studio to look like, down to the worn, dirty furniture and the amalgamation of canvases in various stages of completion.

There is no intermission and the scene changes are done in a half blackout, flowing seamlessly with the rhythm of the play. Time’s passage is marked by comments pertaining to the progress of the series of murals. Costume changes are, for the most part, done on stage, but with a naturalness that is easily accepted by the audience as organic to the world of the play.

Logan has created a philosophically heavy play that seems to serve as a biography of Rothko, an illustration of his methods and mentality. The audience is berated with speeches that preach on all manner of subjects, from the work of Nietzsche, to the reasoning of Pollock, to expostulations on the nature of Rothko’s work and the meaning of the colours red and black. These speeches are thought provoking, but the sheer number of them and the way they are angrily thrown out at the bewildered audience results in the alienation of said audience. Indeed, as the play ran on, the speeches became monotonous and some audience members were seen to be dozing off.

“You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting,” quotes Rothko from Rembrandt’s painting “Belshazzar’s Feast.” Verily, Logan’s RED has been weighed and found wanting.

RED runs until Dec. 16 at The Segal Centre. For showtimes and ticket information visit segalcentre.org

Watch the play’s trailer:

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Round of applause for Good People

L-R: Paul Hopkins, Kim Nelson, and Johanna Nutter
L-R: Paul Hopkins, Kim Nelson, and Johanna Nutter

Lights down. Without hesitation, a standing ovation sweeps everyone on their feet.

Centaur Theatre Company’s Good People, written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Lindsay-Abaire and directed by Roy Surette, is a funny and profound story that is sure to tug the heartstrings of its audience.

Set in Boston’s Southie, an Irish working-class neighbourhood, where happiness is said to be a matter of luck, Margie Walsh (Johanna Nutter) is a hard-working single mother with a handicapped adult daughter. After losing her minimum-wage job at the dollar store, she decides to visit an old boyfriend she hasn’t seen in 30 years. Turns out, her old boyfriend, Mike (Paul Hopkins), got lucky.

Mike became a successful doctor and is now living in the rich suburb of Chestnut Hill with his wife Kate (Kim Nelson) and their child. Mike believes a ‘good’ life results from ‘good’ choices.

“You’re wrong,” says Margie. “Not everyone has the same choices.”

The show was praised for its quick-witted dialogue: Margie’s cynical thoughts and deadpan humour, Jean’s (Margie’s friend) foul-mouthed complaints and concern for her friends, and Mike’s outburst and frustration when his past as a Southie catches up with him. Every character has his or her own reasons for finding life unfair and seeing happiness as a luxurious privilege. But as the story unravels, it becomes clear that happiness cannot be bought.

The intricate set design added to the intimate atmosphere of the show. In the living room scenes, the audience can tilt one way or the other and peek into the hallways or through open doors. The decor is so realistic that it feels like you’re inside the character’s home and eavesdropping on their conversations.

John C. Dinning did a fabulous job with the stage as it is one of the most stunning designs in a long time. In a blink of an eye, the stage transforms itself between each scene. The audience follows the actors from a back-alley into a homey kitchen, then into a luxurious office and from there into a run-down church. The details, such as the graffiti on the walls, made the scenes that much more believable and captivating.

The props didn’t just serve a visual role — they weren’t just scattered about to visually enhance the scene. Rather, they were often used by the actors as a way to express their emotions when in silence.

Good People is one of the few plays that can pull off the ‘awkward silence’ and keep the audience holding their breath. It leaves viewers to ponder that perhaps the happiest people don’t have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything.

Good People runs until Dec. 9 at Centaur Theatre. For more information visit centaurtheatre.com

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“We are the creators of our own story”

Photo by Madelayne Hajek
Photo by Madelayne Hajek

Originally from South Africa, Jacqui Du Toit came to Canada to be a Zulu dancer as part of the Amakhosi Circus. But hours of long training and strong determination all came tumbling down when Du Toit tore a ligament during practice—an injury that left her unable to dance again.

Shortly after, the Amakhosi Circus came to an abrupt end, as the shows began drawing fewer spectators and the show eventually went bankrupt.

After this disappointing end, Du Toit had to build a new life, she yearned to discover herself, to earn a living, and to start a family. Her quest to start over brought Du Toit to Ottawa, where she struggled to get by and financially support herself.

The formation of the performance company 8th Generation, and the upcoming performance of Du Toit’s new play Eden, show just how far she has come.

“We want to cross borders and cross this invisible wall between audience and the artists,” she said. Eden sets forward an important message about believing in one’s dreams, and thriving to make them come true.

Du Toit went on to explain that all the artists who contributed to the making of Eden influenced the play and found their own connections.

Photo by Madelayne Hajek

“I don’t know where I found them,” laughs Du Toit. “I just did.” The group 8th Generation consists of eight different artists and was founded at the beginning of this year. It started off with minor performances in a local art gallery in Ottawa, combining different dance styles, theatre, music and mime, to create a masterwork of art.

The collaboration of 8th Generation is founded on equality, sharing, and a profound love for life through art. “It was magically formed, the perfect timing,” she said.

For Du Toit, this group emerged from a profound determination to create her own work. “I never had the guts to do something that speaks in my heart, because I didn’t know what was in my heart at the time,” Du Toit said.

Eden is the powerful, heart wrenching story of a young girl’s personal evolution as she searches for her silver charms, which had been taken away from her by strange creatures from a different world. Her journey takes on a psychological aspect as the various creatures she encounters on her travels open her eyes to a new way of life and a new way of thinking. Going beyond the fictional story, this production brings the audience on a journey through one’s self, a quest to understand the reality of human being and the way we work. Du Toit explained that her own adventures metaphorically mirror young Eden’s psychological quest for self discovery.

“We forget that we are the creators of our own story, but we give this power away because of attachments,” Du Toit said.

Eden played on Saturday Nov. 3 as a trial run. Du Toit called it a way for the troupe to “see the vibe in Montreal.” She said 8th Generation hopes to be back in Montreal for the spring, possibly collaborating with Theatre Ste. Catherine.

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A foregone conclusion, but a new preface

Billie (left), played by Lucinda Davis and Dave LaPommeray as the iconic Othello. 

William Shakespeare’s Othello has often made people uncomfortable. As the only black male lead in all of Shakespeare’s 37 plays, this character is remembered most for the shocking act of murdering his white wife, Desdemona.

For decades, the part of Othello has been portrayed by white men with charcoaled blue-black faces (a rather unnatural shade, for any human), and eventually by black actors such as Paul Robeson. There is even an inverted version, starring Patrick Stewart as Othello, in an all-black cast.

Scholars and citizens alike have struggled with this character, who is both poet and lover as well as an insecure, crazed murderer. How does a man who has earned such a golden reputation, who loves so fully, become completely mad over a missing handkerchief?

Djanet Sears attempts to explain this in her prequel to the Othello story, Harlem Duet, which opened Oct. 24 at the Segal Centre. The story of Harlem Duet is meant to be the lead-up to the plot that takes place in Shakespeare’s Othello, however it takes place in post-civil rights America.

Directed by Mike Payette, Harlem Duet is told from the perspective of Othello’s first wife, Billie, who is black. Othello (played by Dave LaPommeray) abandons Billie in their apartment, located on the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X Street, in order to move in with, support and marry his white mistress, Mona.

To say that Harlem Duet is multi-layered is an understatement. Sears has written a play that dives into the wild ocean of race and power, and then bursts into the air, revealing even more complexity than when it began.

The intimacy of the Segal Theatre provides ample viewing of the kitchen, stairwell and Othello and Billie’s bedroom. The talented cast further transport the audience into a world of hardship, passionate love, intellectual debate, heartache, and betrayal. Billie, brilliantly played by Lucinda Davis, used her portrayal of emotions to mesmerize the audience in every scene. Every single character left an impression, but the light-hearted Magi, played by Neema Bickersteth, and the forgivable Canada, played by Jeremiah Sparks, commanded the stage, with what appeared to be an effortless presence.

Why does Othello leave Billie, the wife he loved and cherished for nine years, for Mona? It is this question that is unravelled through the use of flashback, heated discussions (revealing Billie’s sharp intelligence) and various audio narrations between scene changes. These narrations included key bits of speeches and feature everyone from Martin Luther King Jr. to Morgan Freeman to President Barack Obama.

As we start to see Othello’s need to move to a white identity, in order to be seen as a “real man,” we also see that he is still in love with Billie, making him the most difficult character to digest. It is exactly this lack of ease, combined with explosive bits of humour, that make this play so outstanding. Sears has managed to simultaneously bring forth issues of the “whitification” of black characters, and the amount of injustices faced by black Americans. The most fiery and honest discussions occur between Billie and Othello, which beautifully reveal how perfectly these two fit together. All the while, we are painfully reminded that Othello feels that this type of sincerity does not serve him as man in American society, so he marches on in his plans to marry Mona.

Mixing themes of love, history, ideologies, race and colour, Sears, Payette, and the incredibly skilled actors at the Black Theatre Workshop have forged a genuine crystal of a play. This multi-faceted jewel will provoke different reflections for each viewer. Whether you have a background in literature, a curiosity about race in North America, or a wish to experience fantastic play writing and performance, Harlem Duet is an exceptional experience that is not to be missed.

Harlem Duet plays until Nov. 11 at the Segal Centre. For showtimes and ticket information visit blacktheatreworkshop.ca

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From the headlines to the stage

Press photo for Alyson Grant's Trench Patterns
Promotional photo for Alyson Grant’s Trench Patterns

In a dramatized fashion, Trench Patterns explores the psychological state of a female soldier after her return from Afghanistan.

Winner of Infinithéâtre’s 2011 Write-On-Q! playwriting competition and chosen as one of the six plays from over 400 submissions for the Fall 2012 Festival of Staged Readings at Chicago’s Artemisia Theatre, Trench Patterns premieres on Oct. 25 at Bain St-Michel.

Alyson Grant’s poetic play features Jacqueline, a wounded combat officer who after being wounded in a mission in Afghanistan, returns home, haunted by the violent events she witnessed there. She finds consolation in ghostlike visitations from her great-grandfather, Jacques, a French Montrealer who was executed during World War I. As she dives into his world, she also moves closer to her own.

Alyson Grant teaches at Dawson College. Press photo.

“I would like [the viewers] to feel they’ve been somewhere unsettling, but that they’ve been given a road out of it,” Grant says.

Grant started writing the play after sensing a “coverage fatigue” towards the topic. “We’re participating in a war and it’s our responsibility to be aware of what is going on and what we’re engaged [in].” Her research focused on Canada’s role in Afghanistan, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the events of World War One.

Grant’s characters, Jacqueline and Jacques, were formed out of her research. “They were just living [in my mind] for a while, not yet knowing where [they] would go play-wise, but just letting them be there was fun,” she says. After morning hikes and long writing sessions in a remote area of Ireland, she finished her first play, and now that opening night is just a few days away she says she’s “excited, nervous – but in a good way – and thrilled.”

Guy Sprung, Infinithéâtre’s artistic director as well as the director of the play, explains the play as a “moving piece of writing about an issue front and centre in the Canadian psyche.” According to him, Trench Patterns incites the audience by presenting challenging questions such as, “Is there such thing as a ‘just’ war and a ‘good’ soldier?”

The role of Jacqueline is played by Patricia Summersett. On stage with her are talented Diana Fajrajsl, Zach Fraser and James Soares-Correia, appearing in his first professional role since being a regular performer in Theatre Ste. Catherine’s Sunday Night Improv.

Trench Patterns opens on Oct. 25 at Bain St-Michel. For more information visit infinitheatre.com

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A high stress afternoon in the country, with little reward

Jean Marc Dalpé’s August, An Afternoon in the Country at Centaur Theatre. Press photo.
August, An Afternoon in the Country at Centaur Theatre. Press photo.

Who doesn’t like watching a good screaming match? They’re dramatic, tension-ridden, the stakes are high and it makes for great entertainment.

The same can be said for August, An Afternoon in the Country — Jean Marc Dalpé’s critically acclaimed play about a dysfunctional Canadian family living on a farm outside of Montreal.

Translated from Dalpé’s original French version, Août – un repas à la campagne, by his wife Maureen Labonté, and directed by Harry Standjofski, the play comes to life on the Centaur’s main stage more than six years after it first premiered in Quebec back in 2006.

“Who are these people?” asks Dalpé in the program’s ‘playwright’s notes’ section. “There are many tricks of the trade to tell a story on stage but I tried to stay away from most of them to focus on just that one question.”

With this in mind, the viewer is prepared for what follows — 80 minutes of impeccable acting, a few chuckles (mostly at Grandma, a hilariously bitter and judgmental gem, played by the very talented Clare Coulter), and the rawness that accompanies the disintegration of a seemingly normal, yet loud and abrasive, family.

The set design is stunning and effective, consisting of a white wooden porch, a swing, and a pebble-lined front lawn. To the left and right of the stage lies an imaginary apple tree, hen house, and driveway. There are no frivolities, just the necessary swinging door, allowing actors to go from the porch to the inside of the house. When it’s time for supper, a wooden plank and two-by-fours form a makeshift table, exactly like they would on a hot summer’s day up north.

However, the most impressive part of the setting was the sunny yellow lights and summer sounds, used to create the swelteringly hot atmosphere that is essential to August’s drama and denouement. How else can Josée, the feisty teenage daughter (played by a very confident and promising Arielle Palik), scream about having to move the car and lose her temper about having to go to the dry cleaners if it weren’t for the intolerable heat? How could Monique (an enchanting and funny Danette Mackay), the sophisticated family member who plays golf with her new husband and lives in the city, fan herself constantly if it weren’t for the humid summer air? In other words, the set and costume design for a play such as this requires a fabulous magician. James Lavoie deserves all the praise he has received thus far, and being a five-time recipient of the Montreal English Critics Circle Award, his skill comes as no surprise.

The only downside to August is the ending. It is a running gag in theatre to say that “if you don’t like the ending, then you don’t like the play.” Sadly, in this case, ‘I didn’t like the play.’

The entire length of the play, the tension rises and rises and rises, as the audience sits through an emotionally draining but realistic break down. There is so much screaming, and cringe-worthy heartbreak that you expect a great pay-off the end, you want something (anything, even if it’s bad) to come from all of this difficulty and despair!

Instead, the situation is left opened-ended and somewhat unresolved — the main characters all standing stock-still on the stage as the lights dim. The audience does have the opportunity to experience the trials and tribulations of this family. They learn that even in the country, where we sometimes believe life to be beautiful and carefree, there is real life and real problems. Yet, it seems, that we only have one afternoon… and perhaps one afternoon is simply not enough.

August, An Afternoon in the Country runs until Oct. 28. For ticket and showtime information visit centaurtheatre.com

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Who is the audience and who are the actors?

Actors rehearse in the D.B. Clarke theatre. Photo by writer.
Actors rehearse in the D.B. Clarke theatre. Photo by writer.

Forget the 3D glasses — The Seventh Seal will have you on the edge of your seat, swivelling your head in every direction. No need for a backstage pass or binoculars when you are literally sitting on stage, an arm’s length away from the actors.

“You are so close,” says Brefny Caribou-Curtin, the theatre student playing the part of Lady Death. “The people there are within spitting distance.”

From Oct. 18 to 21 in the D.B Clarke theatre, Concordia’s theatre students will perform an adaptation, written and directed by Jennifer H. Capraru, of Ingmar Bergman’s well-known film The Seventh Seal.

After fighting for so long in the crusade, a noble knight named Antonius Block questions the existence of God and his own humanity. The protagonist, played by Marc-Antoine Kelertas, encounters Lady Death on his return home. He challenges her to a game of chess in order that he might have more time, as he isn’t ready to die. With his life at stake, every move can be fatal.

“As an actor you try to be faithful to the character and put yourself aside,” says Kelertas. “But I wanted to step away from the stereotype. I wanted to play his torment.” The interpretation is a success as Kelertas inserts his own sensitivity into the character.

In this journey, accompanied by his squire, Antonius Block discovers that his country has been hit by the plague. In a race against time, he encounters many memorable characters, such as a circus company, a witch about to be burned, and a jolly couple. They guide him home as well as help him find the answers to his doubts.

Usually it’s just the actors under the spotlight — now it’s you. Rather than passively sitting in the audience, you are engaged and involved in this story. You can literally see the actor’s joy, anger and misery as they frolic and fight, embrace and cry right in front of you.

The actors off-stage are behind and beside you, still performing and participating in the sonic effects, along with the live music carried out by students of Concordia’s music department. The immense energy of this will bring chills up and down your spine.

Theatre-in-the-round heightens the action and emotion on stage, creating an intimate and at times uncomfortable experience. Not only are you watching the actors, but the audience as well.

“It creates a whole new sense of being in the story. The actors can’t just pretend. The audience is all around,” says Caribou-Curtin. “It’s the best and most enthralling challenge I have experienced so far.”

The Seventh Seal opens Oct. 18-21 at the D.B. Clarke Theatre, 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W. $10 regular, $5 for seniors and students

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“A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!”

William Shakespeare’s historical dramas aren’t known for their humour, but perhaps they should be. What’s funny about a man so evil he kills half his extended family to gain power? Nothing. But nonetheless it’s a bloody barrel of laughs.

Metachroma is a new theatre company in Montreal which seeks to transcend issues of race within the theatre. Mike Payette, a graduate of Concordia and one of Metachroma’s founders said that the company would provide “an opportunity for actors of colour to come together on the same stage, without needing a reason.”

For their debut, Metachroma put on a production of Shakespeare’s Richard III, directed by Concordia theatre professor Joel Miller, which runs until Sept. 30.

Historical dramas are not for everyone because they can be dense and hard to swallow even when performed by such a lively and engaging cast of actors. In this case, the team at Metachroma did admirably, tackling a challenging show, keeping it light-hearted, and managing to hold the audience’s attention for the majority of the two and a half hour production.

Richard III tells the story of a man, deformed at birth and in line for the throne of England, who uses devious means and unsavory underlings to eliminate those who stand between himself and the crown. Richard, it seems, is bad to the core and has zero problems ordering the violent murders of his brothers, his wife, his nephews and pretty much anyone else who challenges him.

Jamie Robinson, another Concordia graduate, was an absolute highlight as King Richard. He managed to be extremely likable even while scheming, plotting and murdering. His delivery was very funny and fast-paced, giving a refreshing twist to the complex language. He had an incredible energy about him which really helped the audience connect with him during his performance.

Lucinda Davis, who played – among other things – Lady Anne, was also a hit. She displayed a level of conviction which can be difficult to achieve with Shakespeare and displayed a remarkable range of emotions and characters from start to finish.

The overall feel of the play was positive though some of the design aspects could have used more attention to detail. The plain yellow-washed backdrop was at once conveniently neutral and overly plain. There was a beautiful golden wire sculpture of a castle suspended from the ceiling of the theatre, which I appreciated very much, but it would have been nice to see that level of creativity throughout the set.

The same applies to the costumes. King Richard’s multiple costumes, and the Duke of Buckingham’s clothing, were well-chosen and fitting for the part. Other costumes, however, such as those which appeared on more minor characters were ill-fitting. It felt like a hodge podge which lacked adequate funding and esthetic design overall.

In the end, Metachroma’s mission was to create a piece of theatre that would make the audience forget about issues of race and just take in the performance as it is. Payette said they wanted to put forward a “very honest portrayal of the play,” that would “challenge the perception of race onstage,” and that they did. The diversity of the cast proved only a strength in assembling such a talented group, and though the visuals may have been bare-bones, the quality of performance exceeded my expectations.

Richard III runs Sept. 19-30 at the Segal Centre with tickets starting at $18.

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Take a chance on La Traviata


Watching an opera is like being on another planet; like putting a magnifying glass to emotion.

So says Artistic Director for the Montreal Opera, Michel Beaulac. Though he has been with the company for over 20 years, Beaulac is clearly still as passionate about his art as he was two decades ago.

“La Traviata, beyond the story itself, is about love, the discovery of love when you least expect it, the hopes of that love’s fulfillment and the tragic ending.”

Set to open September 15, Montreal will boast four performances of one of the greatest operas ever.

Written in the 1850s by Giuseppe Verdi with libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, the opera was based off the novel La dame aux Camélias by Alexandre Dumas. It is set in Paris in the 1700s  and follows the story of a beautiful courtesan with a delicate constitution, Violetta, who sacrifices her own happiness for the man she loves. Moulin Rouge, anyone?

Within the first act of the opera, Violetta has been convinced to turn away from a life of prostitution by her newfound lover, Alfredo, a young nobleman. They move to the country together and seem to leave all traces of scandal behind them, until concerns are raised by his family who do not approve of the match.

Before long, Alfredo’s father goes to Violetta and begs her to break off the romance before her ruined reputation can threaten marriage prospects of Alfredo’s young sister. Overcome with grief and guilt, Violetta agrees to the plan. She heads for Paris that very day, leaving a farewell note for Alfredo. When he receives it, he becomes angry and consumed with jealousy, imagining that she has left him for her former lover, the Count. After that, well, we won’t spoil the ending here.

The greatest challenge of the production, according to Beaulac, was the choice of the show itself, as it is one of the most performed and famous operas in the world.

“The challenge is finding the level of artist that will give the company the authority to perform such a show,” he said. This year, Beaulac said he feels confident that they have found just such talent.

The female lead, Myrtò Papatanasiu, who plays the role of Violetta, is Greek and made her North American debut only a short time ago. Beaulac said she has often been compared to Maria Callas, an American-born Greek singer who is widely considered one of the most renowned voices of the 20th century.

According to Beaulac, it is Papatanasiu’s “stage intensity and presence” that makes her such a “great artist.”

The leading man, Roberto De Biasio is described by Beaulac as “an elegant man, both physically and musically. He is one of the best tenors I’ve heard in all my life.”

Another point worth noting is that the version they have chosen to do is not the traditional one. The opera has been transposed to take place around the same time period as that of the Titanic. Beaulac said that this early 20th century take on the famous story promises to be visually very stately and grandiose.

Beaulac has high hopes for the production, saying that “audiences will have the chance to hear a Traviata which is in line with what Verdi really intended in the first place.”

Though not the stereotypical pastime of the average University or high school student, Beaulac said that whenever the company opens up dress rehearsals to students, “they all go crazy over opera.”

“It is a type of entertainment that young people can really relate to,” he said. “It’s the storytelling, it’s surreal, and it has an edge stylistically.”

For Beaulac, it’s just another day at the opera, but for audiences, he has this to say: “One must allow oneself the privilege of seeing an opera at least once. It’s addictive.”

The show runs September 15, 18, 20, and 22. Student tickets can be as low as $25, and can be purchased online or in person at 260 Blvd. de Maisonneuve W.

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Wicked finishes its run on a high note

The standing ovation seemed to go on forever. It felt as though all of Place des Arts was on its feet, genuinely thrilled and grateful to the immensely talented actors and production team who had made the evening a truly magical experience.

The beloved story, The Wizard of Oz, was given new life in writer Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West and has since been adapted for the theatre by Winnie Holzman with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. The musical follows the story of The Wizard of Oz’s Wicked Witch of the West, before she was villainized and was still known by her birth name, Elphaba.

Elphaba is a feisty young woman, who has been misunderstood all her life because of the unfortunate green tinge of her skin and wants only to be like everyone else. At Shiz academy, where she is sent to study, she finds an unlikely friend in Gallinda Upland, a popular blonde queen bee, who later becomes known as Glinda the Good.

Elphaba has always dreamed of meeting the revered leader of Oz, the Wizard, but when she finally gets the opportunity she discovers things are not as they seem. Determined to save Oz from the corrupt Wizard, Elphaba vows to fight the injustice being done and is forced to flee the city. Painted as a rebel and a threat in the press, it is not long before everyone is forced to choose, are they with her, or against her.

At its heart, Wicked is a touching story about friendship and loss, and choosing a path in life before one is chosen for you.

The songs by Schwartz, which have become so iconic in the world of musical theatre in such a short time, were the best part of the musical, standing out above the stunning set, excellent choreography and fast paced and clever script. Big dance numbers like ‘Dancing Through Life’ were executed perfectly with practiced ease while touching ballads like ‘For Good’ really drove home the core messages and themes of the show.

The moment I arrived and took my seat in the balcony, I was shocked by the lavish set. I expected a lot from a show as celebrated as Wicked, but this was something else. There was an enormous dragon sculpture perched at the top of the elaborate set which spanned the stage with its wings. As the show began I was amazed to see its eyes begin to glow and its head to move menacingly along with the action. It was simply awesome to see how much work was put into this detail which had no actual bearing on the plot.

The cast was led by Stephanie Torns as Elphaba, and Jeanna De Waal as Glinda. Both actresses were incredibly energetic and lively, considering the show has been running since Aug. 1.

Torns was listed in the program as a standby for Christine Dwyer the usual lead, and it was announced just before the show that Torns would be taking the stage. If there was any doubt in my mind beforehand at having to watch the standby instead of the original casting choice, it was erased as soon as she opened her mouth. She was amazing. Torns definitely blew everyone away with her fantastic voice. She drew out her low melancholy notes, she belted her fierce high ones. She was by far the highlight.

It is always so refreshing to see songs which are so well known like ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘Popular’, be given new life. A new twist or turn in the melody or in the way the actors deliver a certain line. Both female leads did a great job of this, staying very close to the cast recording that has been played over and over while still giving the songs personality.

The only major downside of the production was the character of Fiyero, who was played by Billy Harrigan Tighe. His singing was plain awful. Thankfully he only had two songs, but being the main romantic lead that eventually drives a wedge between Glinda and Elphaba, he was a let-down. He sang flat most of the time, which proved painfully noticeable and lacked the breath control to make it through the challenging songs gracefully. It’s possible that towards the end of the run, he simply threw out his voice, but he ruined one of my favourite songs, and that is unforgivable for a professional.

The supporting cast however, a group of about 28 actors, who played Ozian officials, students, flying monkeys, as well as larger characters like the wizard, were very strong. They all knew exactly what they were supposed to be doing and made it look easy.

Overall, the entire production quality was through the roof. The show far surpassed my expectations for a touring show! It was well worth the sixty-some dollar ticket.

When I was leaving, I heard one little girl say, “I would come see this musical everyday if I could.” I think that says it all.

Categories
Arts

A Hybrid of Magic and Theatre

"Now and at the Hour" at the Rialto Theatre

Making my way to the elegant and historic Rialto Theater, I had no idea what to expect from Christian Cagigal’s Now and At the Hour, which made the experience that much more intriguing. I first heard about the production at the launch party for Beyond The Mountain Productions, last July. Now And At The Hour is Cagigal’s latest show, which is in the process of being turned into a documentary film. It was described as combining storytelling, magic and mentalism; not knowing exactly what to expect, I had a feeling I was in for a treat.

The audience was seated on stage, which was kind of unusual but it set the tone for an intimate experience. After the lights dimmed, a stocky and anxious character stumbled onto the stage, carrying a rolled up carpet under one arm and a suitcase in the other. Throughout the next hour, Cagigal recalled what it felt like growing up with his father: a Vietnam war veteran who suffered from PTSD. Cagigal coped with the realities of living with a mentally ill parent through magic, and he shared his experience through the telling of his own memories and by getting the audience to recall their own.

This interaction created a real atmosphere of empathy. In between narrations, Cagigal engaged the audience with some basic sleight of hand tricks, but it was with the mindreading element that I was really taken aback. At one point, Cagigal got the audience emotionally involved by handing every person a blank sheet of paper. He instructed everyone to think about a special person in their lives, past or present, and to imagine that person standing right there in front of them while holding up that piece of paper. Cagigal then pulled out one of his magic instruments, a vintage viewfinder, which he used to read into the audience and analyze their memories.

Audience members sat on stage during the performance.

He then, quite accurately, scribbled down the key elements of each individual memory on the blank sheets of paper. It was startling and moving all at once. While describing his own very personal, and at times painful memories, Cagigal’s Now and at the Hour weaves together impeccably the topics of time, relationships, memory and imagination and it is captivating from beginning to end.

For those of you who are skeptical of magicians and their trade – this show is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. Now and at the Hour is definitely worth it, even more so because of the beautiful location and because the money that is raised through programme sales are donated to the Montreal Children’s hospital.

The show will continue running from May 24 through the 26 at the Rialto Theatre.

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