Review: Ignorance

(photo credit: Jason Strang Photography)

Ignorance is Bliss
The Old Trout Puppet Workshop amazes with its new production

by Stuart Munro

What is happiness? Is it really just a simple matter of winning or losing? These questions, and some slightly more complex ones related to them, are purportedly the subject matter of Ignorance, the new piece by the Old Trout Puppet Workshop, now playing at Canadian Stage’s Berkeley Street Theatre. Created by the Workshop, Ignorance also received input from anonymous contributors via the company’s website during its development, resulting in a uniquely collaborative piece.

Review: Jekyll and Hyde

Constantine Marouli, Deborah Cox (PHOTO CREDIT: CHRIS BENNION PHOTO)

This is the Moment . . . When Things Start to go Wrong
Like its namesake, this Jekyll & Hyde has a bit of split personality

by Stuart Munro

Jekyll & Hyde is one of those shows I’ve never been sure what to do with. The score is peppered with some of the most memorable songs that the 1990s added to the musical theatre canon, but Leslie Bricusse’s book and lyrics are so overwrought and Frank Wildhorn’s pop score is so repetitive that I’ve always found the material impossible to sift through and find something coherent enough to build a show out of. So imagine my surprise last night when the curtain came up on a somewhat subdued and restrained treatment of this famously over-the-top show. The opening mob-like scene has been replaced with an upstairs/downstairs look at London society and, along with what I’m sure are some new orchestrations, there is an almost restrained and chamber quality to the first two-thirds of Act I. Sure, some of the 90s pop-ishness still comes out in the score, but it’s not nearly as brash as previous incarnations of this piece have been.

Sadly, all that hard-earned subtlety comes to a crashing halt as soon as Mr. Hyde appears, and the show quickly descends into the over-the-top ridiculousness I tend to associate with it. The climactic confrontation between our two titular characters has been reduced from an intense battle of the wills to a 1980s Def Leppard music video, and the show’s finale is laden with enough heavy-handed Christian imagery sure to leave even the most pious among us confused.

Opinion: Stuart Munro on Reality TV Casting

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Over the Rainbow winner, Danielle Wade

The pros and cons of reality TV casting
The Case of Over the Rainbow

Stuart Munro

After eight weeks of highly entertaining television, Canada has finally picked its Dorothy for the upcoming production of The Wizard of OZ – 20 year-old Danielle Wade. This young woman will be carrying no small burden on her shoulders, as nearly everyone in the audience on opening night will have watched her progress through the competition, not to mention the millions of dollars invested in this mega production by Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Mirvish. These two men are no doubt nervous; their headliner has been picked, not through the regular casting process, but through a Canadian Idol-style competition. And while I think the viewers at home have picked a great Dorothy, the fact remains that we’re not casting directors. Which begs the question: Can this casting process be considered ‘legitimate?’ What are the pros and cons of choosing a leading lady in this fashion?

Review: Alligator Pie

Raquel Duffy (photo credit: Jason Hudson)

Tickle my Tummy, Toronto
Soulpepper’s Alligator Pie is pure unadulterated joy

Stuart Munro

About five seconds into the opening night of Soulpepper’s new production, Alligator Pie, the audience knew it was in for a treat. One by one, as each member of the five-person Creation Ensemble poked its head through the stage floor, the audience was introduced to five unique personalities. In a manner reminiscent of the “Day by day” sequence in the film version of Godspell, each performer wandered through the piles of miscellany on stage, selecting items best suited to them, before launching into the children’s poems of Dennis Lee, Toronto’s first Poet Laureate. Just as that ancient text used in Godspell has become ubiquitous, these poems are now a part of our national fabric – growing up in BC, I remember grabbing a copy of Alligator Pie during a lunch hour and reciting poems to my classmates who were all eager to hear them again. But even if you’re not familiar with Lee’s work, you’ll find that you recognize yourself and the people you love in his words. There is an undeniable truth to these poems.

Whiskey-A-Rainbow, November 7, 2012

Week 8

by Stuart Munro

Dear friends. This is it. The week we’ve all been waiting for. The week where we find out who will be headlining Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Mirvish’s new production of The Wizard of Oz. With only three girls left, there’s a 66% chance that someone I adore will win the coveted spot, but will Canada agree with me? Let’s find out!

(As a side note, I just have to say how much I’m going to miss this Monday night ritual. It’s been the perfect wind down from a long first day of the week. In a way, I’m glad my Monday night classes for the next two weeks have been cancelled . . . I won’t have a reason to  want to come home and drink!)

But on to more serious matters . . .

This week, AJ, Danielle, and Stephanie sing to the death for their chance to play Dorothy. Daryn Jones reintroduced us to Lord Lloyd Webber (calling him Andy . . . the lord looked mad) before the girls went into a medley of songs from Oz (accompanied by a troupe of Ozian-clad back-up dancers). ALW then announced it was the American public that would be choosing Dorothy this week, which received a (well deserved) round of boos from the audience. Man...At least he seemed to think all three girls were up to the challenge of playing the role.

Whiskey-a-Rainbow, October 31, 2012

Week 7

Stuart Munro

Dear friends, seven weeks have gone by and we are almost at the end of our journey. There’s only one week left after this and we will all know who our Dorothy is! According to Mr. Lloyd Webber, it’s the eleventh hour, Canada, and it’s up to us! On this stormy night, I can’t tell you how happy I am to be safe and dry in my apartment with a nice glass of Forty Creek to warm me up.

The always dapper and dashing Daryn Jones introduced our top four as they sang Journey’s “Don’t stop believing” (sigh). Stephanie had some pitch problems off the top, whereas AJ seemed calm and comfortable with the song. Danielle showed some real rocker feistiness, while Colleen again sounded under-supported and untrained. Altogether, the four voices don’t blend well, but thankfully we only really care about how they sound individually. And who choreographed this thing? Terrible . . .

All three judges talked about how hard this penultimate episode was with four wonderful girls left. Andrew Lloyd Webber should be back with us next week, but after this week, the decision is 100% up to the voters.

Whiskey-a-Rainbow, October 24, 2012

Week 6

by Stuart Munro

Dear friends, I have to confess that this is quickly becoming one of my favourite nights of the week, though whether it’s because I love the show or enjoy having a glass after a twelve hour day is anyone’s guess. . . . Nevertheless! Here we are with the sixth week of Over the Rainbow! With only five Dorothies to go, the pressure is on. The opening performance of “Together wherever we go” sounded a tad rough, but AJ still stood out, even in the group (she’s my girl).

This week the girls all sang ballads. Danielle’s pre-song video talked about just how good she’s always been (a bit corny) and how, as a result, she has a harder time constantly improving (which is fair). She opened the show singing “At last” and sounded soulful and rich. It was a really fun performance, and she looked so comfortable and relaxed on stage. If there was a moment or two of “showiness,” or a few sour notes, they were easily overshadowed by the real honesty the majority of the performance showed. She easily kept me engaged enough to ignore all the back-up dancers, and even the handsome fellow they had as her love interest. OK. He stole my attention once or twice. But is that so wrong? Arlene was “impressed beyond belief” and loved her vocal versatility. Louise recognized the truth of the performance and bought it “100%,” and Tom wanted to throw his shoe at her and praised her story-telling abilities. Danielle’s another favourite of mine.

The Show, October 22, 2012

Sweeney MacArthur (photo by Riyad Mustapha)

Bloodless
Celebrating a new work, a new company
by Stuart Munro

There are many reasons to celebrate Theatre 20’s new production of Bloodless. First and foremost, I think it is entirely appropriate to cheer on any new theatrical venture, especially one of Theatre 20’s size. The calibre of the assembled artists is truly staggering, and the company’s mandate is smart, lofty, and challenging – all things worth paying attention to. In short, Theatre 20 wants not only to re-imagine existing repertoire, but also showcase new Canadian works (and hopefully resurrect some older forgotten ones . . . do we really need any more productions of Anne of Green Gables?), and always with a focus on story. Some of the country’s best actors will be performing classic musicals we maybe haven’t seen in town for a while (like their upcoming production of Company), and these established shows will, in theory, provide something of a financial groundwork that will let them experiment and produce new homegrown works, giving our Canadian writers a much needed place to showcase their material. It’s a model that, on paper at least, sounds fantastic.

Now, before you go accusing me of praising Bloodless because I admire the company’s mandate, I’d like to admit freely that the show is not perfect. The material doesn’t always find the right blend of macabre and more light-hearted humour, and there’s a patch in Act II that drags on a little. Joseph Aragon’s score is good with a few moments of brilliance. What made the night so vastly enjoyable was the sheer quality of the performances which had been so clearly and carefully honed by director, Adam Brazier, who is a force to be reckoned with – rarely do we get a chance to see a musical on our stages that has been so carefully thought out, and treated so seriously. Too often musicals get thrown away as nothing more than light entertainment. It’s exciting and refreshing to see a company committed to changing that and giving the artform the dignity it deserves.

Read Stuart Munro's complete review of the opening night of Bloodless

Whiskey-a-Rainbow, October 17, 2012

Week 5
by Stuart Munro

Dear friends... After what felt like the longest day I’ve had in ages (which is saying something), I can’t tell you what a relief it is to come home, pour myself a glass of Forty Creek, and tune in to my favourite reality TV show (OK. Second favourite after RuPaul’s Drag Race, amiright?), CBC’s Over the Rainbow! Who will we lose this week? Who will shine? Who will blunder? I’m here to answer all these questions for you, and more.

Daryn Jones (who let’s face it, is the object of my affection these days) introduced our six remaining Dorothies as they launched into a high-spirited performance of “Don’t rain on my parade” from Funny Girl (I guess they finally ran out of songs from Oz). The girls sounded huge! I want to suggest there were some off-stage singers, but I think they’ve simply brought out the big guns. All three judges were looking in top form, and we learned that, not only will Andrew Lloyd Webber be back on the panel soon, but the show’s director, Jeremy Sams, is in town this week as well. But no pressure!

Review: La Cages Aux Folles

Hamilton (l) and Sieber (photo credit: Paul Kohlnik)

La Cage So-So
La Cage Aux Folles is entertaining, if inconsistent
by Stuart Munro

At the end of Act I, when Christopher Sieber as Zaza (Albin) ended his outstanding interpretation of “I Am What I Am,” the audience burst into applause in a way I haven’t heard in a long time, more than a few folks had jumped to their feet, and I had goosebumps up and down my legs. It was a sublime and utterly captivating moment. If only the rest of the act had been of similar calibre.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot about the National Tour of La Cage Aux Folles, currently at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, to enjoy. But too often it feels thin and uninspired, as if everyone is simply going through the motions. Considering the tour is a year old this is not entirely surprising, but it is a bit disappointing.

Review: Bloodless

Jeff Irving (photo credit: Riyad Mustapha)

Brimming With Potential
Theatre 20 bursts onto the Toronto stage with a Tour de Force
by Stuart Munro

When Theatre 20 announced they would be opening their inaugural season with a Canadian musical I had never heard of, I admit I was perplexed. It seemed an awful risk to launch a company with such untested material. But at the same time I was forced to ask: what was it about this musical that convinced Artistic Director, Adam Brazier, to take a chance on an unknown property? Thursday night gave me, and Toronto, an answer to this question. A harrowing story told with passion and conviction, crafted by a director unafraid to take risks, have made for a difficult and challenging, but ultimately rewarding and extraordinary night at the theatre.

Whiskey-a-Rainbow, October 11, 2012

Week 4
by Stuart Munro

Hello again, friends. It’s time once more to travel with me to Oz as we watch seven talented young ladies duke it out for the chance to play Dorothy! This holiday weekend’s episode opened with “If I only had the part,” a clever little play on “If I only had a heart” from the Wizard of Oz. (As a side note, CBC’s on line video player makes it extremely difficult to watch the episodes sometimes, often forcing me to reload the page two or three times an episode . . .). Daryn Jones was chipper and dapper as always, and the panel of judges also looked particularly stunning. Tom Allison, apparently, is starring in Jones’s dreams, whether Tom likes it or not! And in response to some questions from viewers, Arlene Phillips explained that the girls are singing pop songs because some of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new music for the show is more pop inspired, and Dorothy needs to have a bit of today’s attitude to pull them off.

In order to kill time (now that there are fewer girls), each girl is now getting a little montage where all the other girls talk about how wonderful their new friends are. It’s all a bit saccharine for my tastes. . . . Cassandra opened the show with confidence and verve. Singing “Mercy,” she was able to show off her movement abilities and, again, made it clear that her strong voice and personality are forces to be reckoned with. She seemed to tire physically and vocally pretty quickly though, and her back-up dancers stole a bit of focus. And please, Cassandra, take off the glasses! Arlene thought she dug deep into the soul of the song, but Tom and Louise both worried that she wasn’t digging deep enough. Jennifer followed with a pitchy and uninspired version of “Crazy little thing called love,” though I put some of the blame on the absurd diner scenario they placed her in. Still, this wound up being one of the weakest performances of the night for me. Tom, Louise, and Arlene all felt the pitch problems wouldn’t be so noticeable if her acting was stronger, but sadly that’s not the case.

Review: Sister Act

(Photo Credit Joan Marcus)

Like the Stations of the Cross—But Without the Humour
Sister Act on stage is anything but Heavenly

by Stuart Munro

Philadelphia, PA. Christmas Eve, 1977. Deloris Van Cartier (Ta’rea Campbell) is auditioning for a chance to perform in her boyfriend Curtis’s club. At the end of her number, Curtis (Kingsley Leggs) says she’s not ready and she doesn’t understand why. I can tell you. Despite having a stellar voice and killer moves, when Ms. Campbell starts to sing, her face goes completely blank and the last thing anyone wants to do is watch her. Ten seconds after the curtain came up on her and her back-up singers, I was more interested in both of the back-up singers. This is understandably problematic, having a star who is boring to watch. But this is what we’re left with on Sister Act’s national tour, currently at the Ed Mirvish Theatre.

Based on the 1992 film of the same name, Sister Act is the story of a wannabe club singer who, after seeing her gang leader boyfriend shoot a man in the head, is sent into witness protection at the local convent, the last place anyone would think to look for her. In many ways the film seems like an obvious choice for a musical adaptation; music was a large part of its plot, and its slightly over the top nature would seem well placed on the Broadway stage. Sadly, none of the memorable music from the film has been transferred to the musical, and the joy of the film has been completely lost.

There are other problems. 

Whiskey-a-Rainbow, October 3, 2012

Week 3
by Stuart Munro

It’s Sunday night (though I suspect you’re reading this in the future) and, with glass in hand, it’s once again time for Over the Rainbow! This week kicked off with a somewhat lacklustre//// performance of “The merry old land of Oz.” Down to eight girls, the ensemble sounded a bit thin and tired, making me wonder if two of the strongest voices have already been booted off . . . but I digress. Finally, and much to my relief, the girls are singing show tunes this week! Why the girls ever sing pop songs is a bit beyond me. With us again are the handsome Daryn Jones; the “silver spitfire,” Louise Pitre; Daryn’s World of Warcraft avatar, Thom Allison; and Webber’s longtime yoga buddy, Arlene Phillips.

Up first was AJ with “One night only” from Dreamgirls. Despite the ridiculous audition scenario they placed her in, AJ sounded pretty fierce, especially when the song moved into the disco version. I wish they’d given her a little more choreography to rock out with, but this was a pretty strong start to the episode. Louise and Thom both wanted a bit more of a story arch from the song, but Arlene appreciated her commitment. Casandra didn’t really use her crooner abilities to her best on “Maybe this time” from Cabaret, and the performance fell a little flat for me. A bit disappointing from someone I’ve adored so much up to this point. Louise suggested Cassandra be less afraid to be something other than happy, a sentiment I completely agree with. 

Whiskey-a-Rainbow, September 26, 2012

Week 2
by Stuart Munro

It’s a school night and I have a glass of whiskey in hand. It must be time for week two of Over the Rainbow!

Daryn Jones (looking rather sharp I might add) introduced our top nine Dorothys who went into a rousing rendition of “Munchkin Land/Ding Dong the Witch is Dead” from The Wizard of Oz (and sounding great I might add!). Sadly Andrew Lloyd Webber (ALW) was missing this week so there was no awkward flirting between him and Jones. Thankfully, it seems Jones’s sights are now set on Thom Allison (the handsomest man on the planet), who was wearing a diamond necklace Sunday night and apparently took a helicopter to get to Toronto from Niagara-on-the-Lake where he’s currently starring in Ragtime. Director/choreographer Arlene Phillips was looking stunning and, with ALW’s absence, will be making the final decisions on who gets eliminated.

Cut to a rehearsal session where the girls are singing “Defying Gravity,” and who should show up but Kristen Chenowith! The girls were all, understandably, shocked and amazed by the sudden appearance of this megastar. Cheno is here this week to mentor the star-struck girls. No pressure, right?

Review: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Merely Competent

Hart House presents an uninspired opener to their new season

by Stuart Munro

At one point towards the end of Tom Stoppard’s 1966 play, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead, one of the titular characters looks at the other and asks, “What’s the point?” As members of the audience at the opening night of Hart House’s new production of this classic piece, fellow CharPo writer Dave Ross and I were forced to answer this question with “Yes, exactly.” It’s not that this production is a disaster (though that might’ve been more entertaining). Rather it too often falls flat, allowing neither the absurdity to shine nor the questions surrounding what it means to be a character in a play vs. a person with free will to be clearly examined.

Whiskey-a-Rainbow, September 18, 2012

Week 1
by Stuart Munro

[Ed: Yup, we're following the CBC series Over the Rainbow, and who better to tackle this cataclysmically important subject than our musical theatre pundit, Stuart Munro. Enjoy!]

Sunday night, in a whiskey fueled fervor, a friend and I watched the premiere of CBC’s Over The Rainbow, the reality television show that lets you (yes you!) pick the girl who will get to star as Dorothy in the Mirvish/Andrew Lloyd Webber production of The Wizard of Oz, opening this December at the Ed Mirvish Theatre (formerly the Canon, formerly the Pantages, formerly the Imperial, formerly the Pantages). This show follows the, admittedly, successful presentation of 2008’s How do you Solve a Problem Like Maria? which cast the lead for Toronto’s The Sound of Music (a gorgeous production I saw six times. Yup. Six. I’ve got no shame.) Ten girls from across the country have been flown to Toronto for a Canadian Idol style sing-off while Canadian viewers slowly vote down to one lucky girl.

Before getting into a re-cap and my impressions, I just want to say how confusing I find this casting process for a Toronto production (let alone casting at all, but that’s another discussion altogether). For the respective English productions where this format has been used (Sound of Music, Joseph, Oliver!, Wizard of Oz . . .) I can understand why getting a nation wrapped up in the process might make sense. Given its relative size and amazing commuter rail network, a family from the north could conceivably make a day trip (or at the very least an over nighter) to London to take in the show they’ve had a say in casting. I’m not saying it would be cheap, but it would be possible. (It reminds me a bit of the day trips we would take from Victoria or Vancouver to see the big tours that used to come through. I remember my mum once telling me it was a $1000 day for the family and we were all tired and grumpy by the end of it, but damn if we didn’t have a good time!) But here in Canada, the idea of a family hopping on a plane from Victoria to Toronto to only see a show seems a bit less likely. A day trip could be possible (but awful), and to really make the trip worth it, you’d want to start factoring in things like a trip to Niagara Falls and other tourist traps. The price tag rises quickly. But hey, the 2008 Sound of Music ran for well over a year which, in this day and age, ain’t that bad.

But on with the show!

Op-Ed: Stuart Munro on Iconography (SummerWorks)

(screen grab from SummerWorks promo .pdf - see below for link)

The Iconography of Censorship
A consideration of the images used by SummerWorks
by Stuart Munro

When you receive your ticket for a SummerWorks show you’re greeted with an interesting image: a giant eye (not unlike the all-seeing eye) with beams of what appears to be light flowing from it. On top of the beams is a black bar with the name of the play. The suggestion is simply that we, the audience, are here to see a play, and in the most literal way possible, the art implies that the play is being placed within our line of sight, thanks to the festival. But anyone walking around a festival venue or looking at the festival’s program will notice three other images in the series in addition to the eye: a speech bubble with a black bar across it, a computer with a black bar across its screen, and a piece of writing obscured by yet another black bar. Other than on the ticket, all four of these images lack the name of a play. Instead, it appears as though the black bar is hiding some kind of information. Something else is being suggested here and I’m forced to ask, “What is the festival trying to hide?”

The Story On Sunday: In defence of Legally Blonde

In defence of Legally Blonde and the contemporary musical

by Stuart Munro

Legally Blonde: The Musical is, I think, one of the most misunderstood musicals to have been written in the last decade or so. Its Broadway run was entirely too brief (roughly18 months), and failed to win any awards. However, its London run did significantly better, running for over two years and even winning the Olivier (the West End’s equivalent to the Tony) for best new musical. It seems the British were able to understand what the Americans weren’t: Legally Blonde is a musical worth noting. Back in March I saw the Lower Ossington Theatre’s production of Legally Blonde. My review was unkind, and at one point the theatre actually asked the editors at CharPo to remove the names of some of the people whose work I had spoken so harshly about. Looking back, I think my tone may have been a bit mean, but it was an honest reaction to a complete disappointment. You see, Legally Blonde is one of my favourite shows and I had seen it butchered in front of my eyes. In the weeks that followed, I listened to the Broadway and London cast recordings a lot, and found myself wondering why I loved this show so much. Had it simply been that the production and the performances from the MTV broadcast had captivated me? Possibly, but I’d enjoyed the tour of the show when it made its way through Toronto in 2010 just as much, even with its brutally pared-down design. No. What I love about Legally Blonde is how strong the material actually is, how gleefully it gently mocks the fact it’s a musical, and yet how perfectly it uses the genre to tell its story.

Review: My Granny The Goldfish

Sincerity Wins The Day

The script is uneven, but the cast is superb

by Stuart Munro

“Yes, you may die. But are you happy with the life you have lived?”

These words are spoken early on in Act II by a loving grandmother to her grandson as they wait to hear the results of his biopsy. In many ways, this simple question is at the heart of Anosh Irani’s play “My Granny the Goldfish,” on stage now at The Factory Theatre.

Set primarily in a Vancouver hospital room, “My Granny the Goldfish” is the story of Nico (Kawa Ada), a recent arrival from Mumbai, India, who may or may not have cancer. His granny (Yolande Bavan) shows up unexpectedly in order to comfort him. Eventually, his parents Farzeen and Dara (Veena Sood and Sanjay Talwar) arrive as well, and the stage is set for an awkward family reunion; old grievances are brought up, and ultimately some wounds begin to heal.