Lynn

Live and in person at the CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge St. Toronto, Ont. David Mirvish presents in association with James Seabright and Joshua Beaumont the David Pugh production. Plays until Jan. 21, 2024.

www.mirvish.com

Written by Isabel McArthur (after Jane Austen)

Directed by Isabel McArthur and Simon Harvey

Comedy director, Jos Houben

Designed by Ana Inés Jabares-Pita

Lighting by Colin Grenfell

Musical supervisor, Michael John McCarthy

Choreographer, Emily Jane Boyle

Sound designers, Michael John McCarthy and Naimh Gaffney for Autograph

Cast: Ruth Brotherton

Christina Gordon

Lucy Gray

Dannie Harris

Leah Jamieson

Brilliant, cheeky, irreverent, bristling with witty humour and the brains and talent to reference Jane Austen’s 1813 classic novel of manners and apply it to 2023.

The Story. The story is set in the 19^th century in England and all that entails for a family of five daughters. It follows Elizabeth Bennet and her family: her talkative, social climbing mother, Mrs. Bennet, her silent, newspaper-reading father, Mr. Bennet and her four sisters, Jane, Lydia, Mary and Kitty as they navigate the social mores of the times.

While Mr. Bennet has property in Hertfordshire it’s entailed which means it can only be passed down to a male heir or a male chosen to inherit. The daughters cannot inherit their father’s estate unless they marry. So, Mrs. Bennet is busy trying to arrange this.

The title refers to Elizabeth’s feelings about Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy (or just Darcy for our purposes). To Elizabeth, Darcy is an arrogant, prideful man who looks down on her family because they are ‘poor’ and have a lower social standing than he does. She in turn is prejudiced against him for his arrogance and for what she has heard about him. Both soften when they actually get to know each other. The rest of the story is a complex maneuvering of class, social order, set rules about conduct and status, finding the perfect mate and if they are lucky, love as well.   

The Production. Designer Ana Inés Jabares-Pita has created a wide, sweeping banistered staircase, with a ‘bridge’ that crosses over the upper part of the stage. That staircase says everything about the elegance and size of that house. There are various doors for surprise entrances and exists. Furniture rolls on and off with ease.

Five maids ‘a’ cleaning appear on the stage as the audience files in. They are all dressed in white long ‘work’ dresses and black ‘work boots.’ Some of the maids come into the audience and polish the armrests of the seats in the theatre. Others use long-poled dusters to reach the upper areas of the set. One wears yellow rubber gloves and holds a plunger to go off and clean the toilet(s).  When she returns, she is disheveled and holds a filthy plunger with brown-stained gloves. Brilliant. These are hardworking women who often work in filth, know all the secrets of that household and are aware of the restricted world in which they live.

In short, irreverent order the five maids tell the story, sort of, of Jane Austen’s classic novel “Pride and Prejudice” playing all the parts, including the men. They also establish the rules of inheritance, engagement and social mores of the time at the top of the production. Sidelong glances at the audience underscore points deemed ironic to today’s audiences.

Is it necessary to have read Jane Austen’s classic to be up on the story? Nope. Playwright Isabel McArthur has written a smart, laugh-out-loud funny, irreverent, pointed play that tells the story and references our modern world. The five gifted actors playing the maids and everybody else keep you up to speed. If you have read the book then you will be familiar with its first line and understand the irony dripping from it and smile knowingly:  

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

The reality is that women at the time needed to marry (and marry ‘well’) to ensure social status, class, income and inheritance, just to name a few. As some of the maids tell the story others go off to get into a simple costume over their work dress to play a character. The changes from maid to character and back to maid are done smoothly, efficiently and swiftly by the cast under the careful, inventive eyes of directors Isobel McArthur and Simon Harvey. Character changes seem like sleight of hand, they are so beautifully achieved. As one maid goes off in one direction, another character appears from somewhere else and yet another is created by the maid we saw going off originally. The comings and goings of maids to transform into other characters is beautifully achieved and exquisite in their economy.

For example, Dannie Harris in a frilly frock plays Mrs. Bennet as flighty, dithery and fussy. In a blink Dannie Harris exits as Mrs. Bennet only to appear at the top of the cross over, now dressed in a frock coat, sucked in cheeks and haughty air as Mr. Darcy. As flighty and animated as Mrs. Bennet is, Mr. Darcy is still, watchful and condescending just with a look. Both are perfectly achieved by Dannie Harris. And she isn’t alone in that wonderful achievement. Ruth Brotherton flits from innocuous maid to the feisty, poised Elizabeth Bennet who thinks she has the measure of Mr. Darcy. Leah Jamieson plays Mary Bennet with large glasses and a studious air about her playing up Mary’s plainness. Just as quickly Leah Jamieson becomes the dull, double-chinned clergyman, Mr. Collins. Christine Gordon plays (among others) Jane Bennet, kind, considerate, demure and in love with Charles Bingley. Lucy Gray gives an ache of a performance as Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth’s friend. With just a look of longing at Elizabeth, we get the clear sense that Charlotte loves Elizabeth  more than just friendship, but it’s a love that would not be tolerated then. Charlotte does what she must to protect herself from being a spinster—she marries the boring Collins when Elizabeth refuses him, so you ache for Charlotte twice. There is such economy of acting and communication in telling the story and more important, establishing the depth of characters in this production, it’s breathtaking.

The five maids comment on the goings on with wit, irreverence and impish humour and suffuse it with a modern feminism. It’s flippant and yet there is an edge.   

Comment. Pride & Prejudice (sort of) is one of the wittiest, sharpest, beautifully written and crafted productions to play here in a long time. It’s a glorious accomplishment.

David Mirvish presents in association with James Seabright and Joshua Beaumont the David Pugh production.

Plays until Jan. 21, 2024.

Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes, approx. (1 intermission)

NOTE: Respectful comments are accepted on this site as long as they are accompanied by a verifiable name and a verifiable e-mail address. Posts that are slanderous, libelous or personally derogatory will not be approved.

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Live and in person at the Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto, Ont. Plays until Jan. 21, 2024. Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and David Ian for Crossroads Live with David Mirvish present the Curve Production.

www.mirivsh.com

Music by Harry Warren

Lyrics by Al Dubin

Additional lyrics by Johnny Mercer and Mort Dixon

Book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble

Based on the novel by Bradford Ropes and the motion picture of 42^nd Street.

Musical Supervision by Jennifer Whyte

Directed by Jonathan Church

Choreography and musical staging by Bill Deamer

Set and costumes by Robert Jones

Projections by Jon Driscoll

Sound by Ian Dickson and Gareth Tucker

Lighting by Ben Cracknell

Cast: Nicole-Lily Baisden

Kevin Brewis

Josefina Gabrielle

Adam Garcia

Alyn Hawke

Ruthie Henshall

Aime Hodnett

Michael Matus

Sarah-Marie Maxwell

Sam Lips

Michael Praed

Anthony Ofoegbu

and a chorus.

Lively, full of heart and smiles but the whole thing seems pared down for a show with a reputation for being such a huge musical.

Background. The Hollywood movie of the same name came out in 1933. It was the depression and people needed a lift. What better way to do it than a lavish, huge cast of tap dancers under the brilliant eye of choreographer, Busby Berkeley. It was really a backstage story of a young actress who is catapulted into a starring role when the leading lady sustains an injury. It was a huge hit.

In 1980 producer David Merrick took a chance in taking the film and creating a musical of it for the theatre. The last time that was tried it was to put Gigi on the stage (from the movie). The result was a flop.

So, Merrick took a chance. His director/choreographer was Gower Champion. On the opening night the audience saw the curtain go up about a quarter of the way and then 40 legs appeared from the knees down and began to tap dance. That was the beginning of the huge hit known as 42^nd Street. It ran for 3,486 performances (1980-1989).

Gower Champion was not there to see his triumph. He died the morning of his opening night (Aug. 25, 1980) from a rare blood cancer. David Merrick told the family not to reveal the bad news until after the opening performance. At the curtain call Merrick told the assembled that Gower Champion had died that morning.

The Story. Julian Marsh is in financial trouble. He was/is a successful director/choreographer but he was hit hard by the Wall Street Crash of 1929. He needs a hit to shore up his savings and sustain his reputation.  Pretty Lady is a Broadway musical that he thinks will be big.  Everything is riding on the success of this show. Dorothy Brock is foisted on him as the leading lady. She is a name but can she dance or sing well? Her ‘benefactor’ Abner Dillon, a Texas millionaire, is bankrolling the show. So there is pressure to cast her. A young woman name Peggy Sawyer has just arrived by bus from Allentown, Pennsylvania and wants to be in show business but she missed the audition. Some chorus girls take pity on her and Peggy is given a chance. She’s got real talent. Dorothy Brock has an accident on stage, breaks her leg and it looks like the show will close out of town. But wait. Peggy has talent. She can learn the leading lady’s part and several dance numbers (that the leading lady didn’t have to learn) in two days, no problem, and be ready for her Broadway opening night.  

The Production and Comment.  42^nd Street is really a show with Pretty Lady imbedded in it. The dancers in the show Pretty Lady are rehearsing a number. The women are in shorts and comfortable tops, the men are in pants, shirts and ties. It does not look as if they are in costume, but in rehearsal clothes. Did American dancers in the 1930s wear ties to their rehearsals or is this a British custom, since this is a production from London, Eng.? There are more women in the chorus than men. They all dance their hearts out and smile broadly. They know how important it is to have a job during these hard times.

Julian Marsh (Adam Garcia) is dapper in a suit and tie and anxious. He is all business, matter-of-fact and ready to get this show up. Adam Garcia plays Julian Marsh with directness but with a sense of how to massage an ego such as Dorothy Brock’s (Ruthie Henshall). She is the ‘name’ that will get people in to see the show. Whether Dorothy Brock can sing and dance is another concern. And while all of Dorothy Brock’s hauteur and attitude oozes out of Ruthie Henshall’s bristling performance you are never in doubt that she earned her reputation as ‘the star’ of her shows. Still there is that little matter that she is keeping company with Abner Dillon (Anthony Ofoegbu) a Texas millionaire who is bankrolling this show for her and she can’t stand him. Dorothy is secretly seeing Pat Denning (Michael Praed) her former show-business partner and true love.

The backstage intrigues and relationships keep piling up. When fresh-faced Peggy Sawyer (Nicole-Lily Baisden) arrives straight off the bus, suitcase still in hand, ready to audition, she’s thrown into turmoil when she learns she’s too late. She’s ready to go home.  Nicole-Lily Baisden is so winning and charming as Peggy one can see the spirit that will change her mind and get her through.

The dancing continues until Dorothy Brock is injured. Peggy accidentally bangs into her. Peggy is accused of not being in the right place. Peggy says she was. Then how did the mistake happen? One of the many unanswered questions of this production of 42^nd Street/Pretty Lady, that probably didn’t bother the audiences of 1933.

What to make of it today? We don’t actually know what Pretty Lady is about, but there’s lots of dancing. There is a marriage and a divorce in the middle of it that is odd, perhaps fodder for humour. One wonders how Dorothy Brock factores into Pretty Lady, or is her backstage involvement more important? I can appreciate that Dorothy Brock is under pressure to do well, but quite often Ruthie Henshall plays her as strident and perhaps over the top when she loses her temper at her lover and her ‘benefactor.’ We all love the triumph of the underdog story. In this case it’s the unknown singer-actor-dancer who dances into the shoes of the leading lady and wins the day. And Peggy learns all the songs and the many dance routines (that Dorothy Brock never seemed to have to learn) and she does it in two days. We love stories like that.

Is it churlish to say, “I want more?” The chorus of four men and six women seems chintzy for the various dance numbers. Only in the finale does almost every one dance to suggest a big finish. Bill Deamer’s choreography seems rather repetitive no matter the scene—only the costumes change. There might be a budding relationship between Peggy Sawyer and Julian Marsh but director Jonathan Church doesn’t clearly establish what that is. Adam Garcia as Julian Marsh is sophisticated but certainly not a father figure; more an attractive ‘older’ man to the 19 year-old-Peggy. But what is that relationship? It’s muddy and not clear.    

Yes 42^nd Street is fun, bursting with classic songs: “You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me,” “I Only Have Eyes For You,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “We’re In the Money,” Forty-Second Street.” And of course all the opportunities for dancing. It’s got a happy ending (no spoiler alert, please), and it’s got a charmer in Peggy to cheer for. Perhaps one should ignore the questions; revel in the holiday spirit of the piece and tap one’s toe to the dancing.

Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and David Ian for Crossroads Live with David Mirvish present the Curve Production:

Runs until: Jan. 21, 2024

Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes (1 intermission)

www.mirvish.com

NOTE: Respectful comments are accepted on this site as long as they are accompanied by a verifiable name and a verifiable e-mail address. Posts that are slanderous, libelous or personally derogatory will not be approved.

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Live and in person at the Tarragon Theatre, Extra Space. Produced by The Howland Company. Playing until Dec. 17, 2023.

https://tickets.tarragontheatre.com

Written and performed by Rachel Cairns

Directed by Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster

A deeply personal and intellectually rigorous exploration of the many issues surrounding the choice to have a baby or not and all the existential, societal and ethical questions surrounding it.  

In 2019, actor Rachel Cairns learned she was pregnant. She was careful but the IUD device slipped and that compromised her protection. She wanted a baby eventually but not now. Her reasons were many: not the right time; she didn’t make enough money as an actor to bring a child into the world; what kind of a world would that be; what about the issues of climate change, etc. Her boyfriend did not voice a strong opinion. It was her choice.  

What followed was Cairns doing copious Google searches about the various questions that bothered her. At times the bombardment of facts, screens and information projected on the back wall of the set was like information overload. But that is the point. Cairns and Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, her rigorous, gifted director put the audience right in the middle of Cairns’ experience.

When Cairns went to the claustrophobic doctor’s office with her mother as support, the audience felt the closeness of the room. When Cairns took the pills that would begin the purging process the audience got a hint of the gut-wrenching pain, discomfort, emotional upheaval and the multitude of feelings she experienced.

While Cairns began her solo show by focusing on the personal, she then broadened the scope of her observations by noting how lucky she was to have health-care and the means to make the decision while others: Indigenous women, disadvantaged women; women from other countries not as prosperous as Canada, do not have that advantage.

Cairns explored the question of when life begins by having a kind of imagined debate with an on-line guru on abortion. It was extended, thought-provoking and even had the guru question Cairns about why she gave this person so much credence. Cairns’ show is serious but it’s got moments of wonderful humour. Cairns knows how to shape an argument and a joke in equal measure.

And she’s not afraid to make herself look privileged when she least expects it. She notes an evening she and her boyfriend had when they went out with a Pakistani couple who were friends of her boyfriend. The couple had children. Cairns, taking on the voice of the Pakistani wife, calmly yet pointedly explained how culture and societal dictates present an entirely different situation for women. They don’t have a choice about having children; are under the thumb of their husbands, or might be abused. The speech was chilling. It was one of several that made you sit up and suck air.

Hypothetical Baby is a sobering, deep look at a question many women ponder. Rachel Cairns gives her audience a lot to think about. She’s a terrific writer and actor.

The Howland Company presents:

Plays until Dec. 17, 2023.

Running time: 85 minutes.

https://tickets.tarragontheatre.com

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Live and in person at Theatre Aquarius, Hamilton, Ont. Playing until Dec. 23, 2023.

www.theatreaquarius.org

Book and lyrics by Steven Gallagher

Based on the novel by Eleanor H. Porter

Music by Linda Barnett

Directed by Robert McQueen

Supervising music direction and orchestrations by Mark Camilleri

Choreography by Julie Tomaino

Set and costumes by Cory Sincennes

Lighting by Jareth Li

Sound by Brian Kenny

Cast: Miles Avery

Adam Brazier

Joel Cumber

Peter Fernandes

Athan Giazitzidis

Sofie Greenspoon

Arinea Hermans

Linda Kash

Fin Kirk

Ha’Keena Maneso

Alexa Meixner

Charlotte Moore

Keith Savage

Jessica Sherman

Adam Stevenson

Henry Tiller

Shaadee Vahdat

Kelsey Verzotti

Emily Watt

Jenny Weisz

Pollyanna The Musical is about the power of goodness, finding optimism when you least expect it and changing the world through it. This world premiere is buoyant, lively and Pollyanna’s cheerfulness, no matter what, is infectious.

NOTE: Since Eleanor H. Porter’s children’s novel, “Pollyanna” was first published in 1913 it has become hugely successful, selling over one million copies. However, to be called a “Pollyanna” is to be considered ‘blindly optimistic’ to look at the world through rose-coloured glasses. Hardly a compliment. That’s why the book and now this musical is a revelation of nuance, subtext and depth.

The Story. At the beginning of the story, Pollyanna Whittier is 11 years old and an orphan. She is going to live with her Aunt Polly Harrington (her Mother Jennie’s sister) in Beldingville, Vermont.

Pollyanna is cheerful, always sees the good in a situation no matter how dire and tries to pass on that goodness to others. Her Aunt Polly is dour, rigidly proper and unsmiling. She takes in Pollyanna out of duty.  When Pollyanna arrives she begins to charm the townsfolk, much to the horror of her proper Aunt. Slowly but surely Pollyanna’s good nature begins to have an effect on everybody, including her Aunt Polly.

The Production. We meet Polly Harrington (Jessica Sherman) at the top of the production. She is a prim, self-contained woman who is constantly concerned about propriety and doing her duty. Her clothes are respectable, subdued in colour, not flashy and give the impression of Polly being buttoned up. (Kudos to costume designer, Cory Sincennes). Polly lives according to a set time for getting up in the morning, for eating meals and for doing chores. There is little variation in her routine until her niece Pollyanna, arrives.  

Polly feels it is her duty to take in the child, much as Polly does not want to. Polly has resented her sister for ‘abandoning’ her in this town. Years before both sisters planned on moving away and living their lives travelling and seeking adventure. Then Jennie met and fell in love with a man and went off to marry him, leaving Polly in that town. Her dreams dashed. Polly has carried that resentment all those years.

Jessica Sherman, as Aunt Polly, has that ram-rod straight-backed demeanor that sends out warning signals to anyone who dares to get close to her. Sherman sings in a beautiful clear voice, full of bottled emotion. But over time, living with that irrepressible spirit known as Pollyanna, Aunt Polly slowly, begins to soften. Her clothes become brighter in colour. There are stylish but tasteful flourishes. She has a long journey to finally say “I love you” to Pollyanna.

Linda Barnett (music) and Steven Gallagher (lyrics) give Pollyanna (Emily Watt) a beautiful song at the top of the production that sets up Pollyanna’s philosophy of life. And director Robert McQueen establishes it beautifully. Pollyanna sits on a bench at the train station waiting to be picked up. She sings about how her mother carefully taught her to find the good in people and situations. She even makes a game of it. She remembers those life lessons as a way to hold her mother close. Robert McQueen has Pollyanna sit still on that bench, no one else is in the scene, our attention is focused only on her. Emily Watt as Pollyanna gives a performance that is assured, committed and beautifully sung and acted. Emily Watt is so accomplished in the role one has to shake one’s head in wonder: “how old is this kid?” This kid is in fact 11. Astonishing.

Director Robert McQueen has been meticulous in his casting of the production. The townsfolk of Beldingville are refreshing because they look like real people of a town and not people from ‘central casting. They are all shapes, sizes, ethnicities and attitudes. While Pollyanna is ‘at sea’ about what will happen in this new town she sets about bolstering herself by remembering her mother’s advice. She is always cheerful to her unsmiling  aunt and to whomever she meets.

She hears that Mrs. Snow (played wonderfully by Linda Kash, as prickly, ill-tempered and frustrated) is a shut-in, bedridden, irritable and hates opening the curtains to her room, so naturally Pollyanna visits her bringing an assortment of meat pies. And Pollyanna keeps visiting Mrs. Show until Pollyanna’s kindness and good nature melts Mrs. Snow’s heart.

Pollyanna does the same for Mr. Pendelton (Adam Brazier), also an irritated man who does not like being bothered by children etc. made worse because he injured his left leg (note: I believe the cane should be in Pendelton’s right hand and not the left to alleviate the pressure on the injured leg). Adam Brazier gives a lovely performance as Mr. Pendelton—a man wounded by disappointment in love and life. Pollyanna sees through that too.  

There is a great sweep to Pollyanna The Musical. The music and lyrics establish character, attitude and tone. Robert McQueen and his gifted choreographer, Julie Tomaino,  establish a growing exuberance of the characters and townsfolk as they change from being solitary and insulated to being considerate of others and communal, all because of Pollyanna.

Some might have called the story of “Pollyanna” ‘saccharine.’ That would be incorrect. Saccharine is an artificial sweetener made of chemicals that are not good for you. “Pollyanna” is about the power of goodness to change people and situations; to give people the resolve to carry on under depressing circumstances, to be better and not just because it’s one’s duty. Pollyanna The Musical will change your mind about what you think the story is. And then you will read the book. And then you might see the musical again because it’s pure joy.

I do have some concerns and I hope constructive suggestions to strengthen the piece as it undergoes further development for future productions:

• The balance of the sound of musicals is a frequent concern. The band is covered in this production and Mark Camilleri is a find conductor. But at times it sounda as if the band is coming close to overpowering the singers. Perhaps more attention to the balance is in order.

• The characters of Widow Benton (an exuberantly vocal Charlotte Moore) and Mrs. Snow (played by Linda Kash as wonderfully prickly and ill-tempered) seem too similar in nature. It’s Mrs. Snow who has the transformation from her behaviour and situation and should be the focus of the two characters. I think the part of Widow Benton should be rethought (not cut, because Charlotte Moore is so useful in the show. And while I realize she is the understudy for Mrs. Snow, that doesn’t mean her part should be so similar in nature to Mrs. Snow.)

• The song “Lucky Day” takes place in Miss Pearl’s dress shop. Aunt Polly is taking Pollyanna there for some new clothes (a small step in Aunt Polly’s softening). The shop staff are abuzz with excitement and clothes and coats are brought out for Pollyanna to try on. But Mrs. Snow and Millie, Mrs. Snow’s daughter, are also there for clothes (a large step in Mrs. Snow’s softening). The scene seems too cluttered with both Pollyanna and Millie ‘transforming.’ Millie is already a woman inching towards independence and love, all on her own. I think Mrs. Snow and Millie should be cut from the scene—but give Millie a song later on with Frank her ‘intended’ perhaps?

• At the end of that song the whole shop empties because the train is coming in and that’s exciting for them. Pollyanna rushes out to see it. Aunt Polly, always afraid of looking bad or embarrassed, chases after her. The next scene has the townsfolk and I believe Pollyanna dancing. Where is Aunt Polly? Where did she go? She’s not in that scene, not even observing, where is she? She didn’t go home. I think this needs to be reviewed.

• The show does not conclude, it seems to end on an uncertain note for the audience. The book gives a hint, but Steve Gallagher doesn’t use that. Pollyanna has some health issues at the end of the show. She is going away for treatment that may or may not work. The finale, as is, has the whole town gather to see her off, hopeful. And it ends, of course with the town changed to be a caring community. But the audience needs some assurance that this treatment will work out, since they have fallen in love with this indomitable spirit known as Pollyanna. Why can’t the scene and song remain, but the intention be changed? Instead of Pollyanna going away for treatment, why can’t the finale be her returning to them after treatment, still in the wheelchair, but then she does something to show that everything will be ok, as per that small final scene in the book? Just a few thoughts of a smart, joyful, uplifting show.  

Comment. The similarity between “Anne of Green Gables” by Canada’s own Lucy Maud Montgomery, published in 1908 and “Pollyanna” by American writer Eleanor H. Porter published in 1913, is marked. One story made me think of the other story.  Both are about orphans with distinct personalities. Anne is curious and spirited. Pollyanna always tries to see the good in people and to see the good in bad situations. Both have to win over a ‘rigid’ presence in their lives: Anne has to win over Marilla Cuthbert, Pollyanna has to win over her Aunt Polly. By dint of their indomitable personalities, they both succeed.

We live in fractious, angry times. Pollyanna’s philosophy of finding good in prickly people and bad situations is heartening and uplifting. Pollyanna The Musical is perfect for the holidays and every single day after that. It has a message, an attitude, a philosophy that is more effective in changing the world, or at least an obstreperous person, than anything else.

Theatre Aquarius Presents:

Runs until Dec. 23, 2023

Running time: 2 hours 15 minutes, (1 intermission)

www.theatreaquarius.org

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Live and in person at the Winter Garden Theatre, Toronto, Ont. Presented by Boldly Productions and the Winter Garden Theatre. Playing until Dec. 31, 2023.

www.ChrisMrs.com

Music, book and lyrics by Matthew Stodolak and Katie Kerr

Directed by Katie Kerr

Musical director, Matthew Stodolak

Choreographer, Sarah Vance

Set and Costumes by Cory Sincennes

Lighting by Mikael Kangas

Sound by Ranil Sonnadara

Cast: Eric Abel

George Absi

Carla Bennett

AJ Bridel

Andrew Broderick

Devon Michael Brown

Lucien Duncan-Reid

Henry Firmston

Shelley Kenney

Heather Kosik

Kale Penny

Jason Sermonia

Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane

Sarah Lynn Strange

Liam Tobin

Danielle Wade

Addison Wagman

Mark Weatherley

A world premiere of a Hallmark Christmas type story on stage full of cheer, exuberance, a thorny story that is in need of a happy ending and this being the festive season, needs are fulfilled. Now if the band didn’t drown out the singers and we could actually hear the lyrics, that would be swell.

The Story. We’re all familiar with those formulaic Hallmark Christmas movie/television shows: harried, lonely, good-looking people, travel home etc. for the holidays, sometimes reluctantly, meet someone, sparks fly and romance blooms.  The world premiere of Chris, Mrs.-A New Holiday Musical is like that, only it’s on stage at the Winter Garden Theatre.

Sometimes it’s best to let the show’s website explain the story, or at least start there:

“Our story begins in the city, where festiveless father Ben Chris leverages his late parents’ lodge in exchange for a promotion. The only problem is, his brother Charlie still runs it. Ben reluctantly decides to head there to convince him to sell, packing up his socialite girlfriend Vicki, and his children – teenage daughter Claire and troublemaking twins Samuel and Samantha. 

After discovering a ring in their father’s suitcase, the twins write to Santa for assistance, which seems to appear in the form of Holly, a seasonal employee at the lodge. Between Charlie’s nostalgic nature and Holly’s Christmas cheer, it soon becomes a holiday no one will forget.”

Some added information: Ben Chris is a widower. His wife got sick and died a few years before. He misses her and has not been back to the lodge because his wife loved the place and it brought back too many painful memories. He threw himself into work as a high-end advertising executive.  Ben’s brother Charlie misses Ben too. They are distant. Vicki seems a driven person in the advertising game as the face of an ad campaign. There is Ben’s assistance, Candace, a buoyant, thoughtful, smart woman who sees what is going on around her.

The Production. Corry Sincennes has designed a festive set of the outline of the lodge with lovely holiday touches. Set pieces roll on and off with ease and efficiency. Corry Sincennes’s costumes are also first rate. They are corporate-spiffy for the dress-for-success types like Ben Chris (Liam Tobin) and his ambitious girlfriend Vicki (Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane). Vicki’s cloths are black, form-fitting and indicate “don’t get too close or I’ll claw you.” For those working at the lodge Corry Sincennes’s costumes are rustic and well worn. Candace (Sarah Lynn Strange) is created as an easy target for comedy. She is loud and boisterous, has no fashion sense and so Corry Sincennes has a field day creating garish clothes for her: colours that clash; a dress that is layered and looks like a Christmas Tree that sways when she walks. Sarah Lynn Strange as Candace plays it up, but Candace is also wily and clever when it counts.

The production begins with a bang, at a raucous Christmas-bonus-celebratory party. “Just Another Jingle” is sung by a whole host of corporate types, lead by a dashing man with a chiseled jaw, who is all swagger. I have no idea who he is or why he is singing this song. I also don’t have a sense of many of the lyrics because the band is playing so loudly it’s drowning out the lyrics. Choreographer Sarah Vance makes her mark at the get-go as well. The dancers jump, pirouette at a dizzying rate and do the splits in that first number. Again, I’m asking why are they doing all that flashy stuff without a supporting reason. And if they are standouts in these attention-pulling gyrations, why are they not consistently attention-grabbing throughout the show? A bit of an imbalance there.

The dashing man is Ben Chris. He’s just created an important ad campaign (I think—those drowned out lyrics might give a clue). He has to convince his brother to sell the lodge (again those lost lyrics may have the key).

In that first scene, Vicki, a really forceful Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane is all over Ben, commandeering him as her ‘love interest.’ He almost never looks at her because their relationship is a public relations ploy. Vicki is playing it for real as a stepping stone.

Holly Carmichael (Danielle Wade) always helps out at the lodge but then flies off to be with some new boyfriend at inopportune times until she is disappointed and comes back. She is now at the lodge when she meets Ben and his three children: teenager Claire Criss (AJ Bridel) and the twin pre-teens: Samantha (Addison Wagman) and Samuel Chris (Lucien Duncan-Reid). I must confess that I thought Claire was looking after the younger kids because AJ Bridel looks more mature than a teenager. (And later when she and Holly (Danielle Wade) meet, they look about the same age). Both are gifted, it’s just that they look to be the same age.

There is also a rather mysterious white bearded man named Nick (Mark Weatherley) who is very sophisticated, very charming and beautifully dressed in a tailored red blazer. He helps move the story forward by dispensing wise advice to confused people.

The cast is a powerhouse of talent. Liam Tobin as Ben has a strong singing voice and is a charmer as Ben when he realizes where his heart is. Danielle Wade as Holly is down to earth, fun-loving with the two pre-teens and is flirty and sensible with Ben. Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane as Vicki is ambitious and won’t let anything get in her way. She sings “These boots are made for walking but these heels are made for climbing.” Brilliant lyrics that say everything about Vicki. Wonderfully played by Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane.

The driving force behind Chris, Mrs. is the dynamic duo of Matthew Stodolak and Katie Kerr. They wrote the music, books and lyrics. The music sounds generic and up-tempo. The lyrics, when I could make them out, are very clever.

Matthew Stodolak is the Musical Director. Perhaps if the band was not playing in the open in one of the side balconies and was in a covered orchestra pit the level of loudness of the band could be regulated better. As it is, the singers are often drowned out, even though they are all microphoned. Katie Kerr also directs the cast and she is efficient with her staging and keeping the pace going.

Comment. Chris, Mrs. -A New Holiday Musical is based on an old formula of the Hallmark Christmas movies. It’s sweet and funny with few surprises, and sometimes that’s not a bad thing. The whole enterprise is committed and engaging. Just right for the holidays.

Boldly Productions and the Winter Garden Theatre Present:

Plays until Dec. 31, 2023.

Running Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes (1 intermission)

www.ChrisMrs.com

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Live and in person at the Factory Theatre, Mainspace, Toronto, Ont. plays until Dec. 17, 2023.

www.factorytheatre.ca

Written by Daniel MacIvor

Directed by Tawiah M’Carthy

Set, props and lighting by Andre Du Toit

Sound by Olivia Wheeler

Wardrobe stylist

Cast: Damien Atkins

Stylish, bracing, mysterious and beautifully realized.

Playwright Daniel MacIvor has updated his 2006 masterful monologue to reflect changes in our modern world. What has not changed is that Henry (Damien Atkins) is still a man alone in a room on a mission to tell us something we don’t already know. That can be almost anything.

Damien Atkins as Henry, appears in a blinding rectangle of light—bravo to Andre Du Toit for the precise lighting. Henry wears a grey suit, white shirt, no tie and is barefoot. Perhaps the bare feet is showing theatre respect for the stage.   And while Henry is charming, disarming, wide-eyed, curious about the world and who is out there, Henry admits he is a self-confessed liar. He’s a man who tries to improve. He took a public speaking course and inadvertently displays some of the things to avoid. Uttering “uhm” when at a lost for words. Saying “Sorry” when an apology is not necessary. He then gets into a frenzied loop of saying: “Uhm. Sorry, Uhm” etc.

Henry tells us of his early boyhood days, he mentions he is homosexual and says it as a matter of course. It’s a life full of incident, relationships etc. He mentions “the body in the other room.” Who is it, one wonders? Its it someone Henry knows? Is it a stranger?” Did Henry kill the person? Is it a lie in order to look with wonder and intrigue at Henry? It’s to the acting ability of Damien Atkins and director Tawiah M’Carthy that we are always suckered onto the story and the play and almost as an afterthought remember that Henry said he was a liar.

Damien Atkins is so focused, compelling, seemingly lost in a moment, perhaps anxious that he just wins over the audience to like him, believe him and feel he’s telling the truth, until he reminds us he’s a liar. Or so he says. He notices the shirt of a person in the audience. He notices another person in the audience for another innocuous reason. Again, Damien Atkins makes Henry so likeable, even with a little barb here or there.

Tawiah M’Carthy’s direction is detailed, meticulous and intricate. Andre Du Toit’s evocative lighting is almost another character in the show. It’s stark and arresting. Masterful work.  

Ant the title is a delicious pun.

Factory Theatre presents:

Plays until Dec. 17, 2023.

Running time: 80 minutes (no intermission)

www.factorytheatre.ca

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Live and in person at Theatre Orangeville, Orangeville, Ont. Produced by Theatre Orangeville. Playing until Dec. 23.

www.theatreorangeville.ca

Written by Debbie Collins and David Nairn

Directed by David Nairn

Choreography by Candace Jennings

Set design by Beckie Morris

Costume Design by Wendi Speck

Lighting design by Chris Malkowski

Cast: Debbie Collins

Jillian Mitsuko Cooper

Billy Lake

William Lincoln

Connor Meek

Ben Skipper

Musicians: Ryan Avery (Guitar)

Nicholas Mustapha (Musical director-keyboards)

Cinderella like you have never seen her before: smart, contemporary, environmentally responsible. A panto that’s perfect to start off the holiday season with plenty of laughs and appropriate booing.

Cinderella with a twist. Cinderella (Jillian Mitsuko Cooper) is trying to save the family farm. She sells her produce at the local market where she meets Prince William, busking. He gives her a fake name. He does not want to go into the family development business. He wants to be a musician.

Cinderella’s dastardly Evil Stepmother (Debbie Collins) is trying to sell the farm to a greedy development corporation, run by Prince William’s father, even though they can’t find the deed. Then there are Stella (Billy Lake) and Blanche (William Lincoln), Cinderella’s Silly Stepsisters (and the Evil Stepmother’s daughters). I figure if the daughters are named Stella and Blanche then perhaps the Evil Stepmother was literary and was reading A Streetcar Named Desire at one time.

Our guide in merriment is Buttons (a joyful Ben Skipper). He says through the show he will enter, wave, say “Hi, Kids” and we are to wave back and yell, “Hi, Buttons.” He also says that when the Evil Stepmother arrives, we are to boo her roundly every single time. I think we even rehearsed it. However, my audience was a bit hazy on the instructions. When Stella and Blanche arrive, the audience boo them too, so much so that Stella (a very forthright and hair flipping Billy Lake) chastises the audience for not following instructions. They boo harder and do so every time the Silly Sisters appear.

We wait impatiently for the Evil Stepmother (Debbie Collins). She arrives bellowing insults at every person she sees. She incites the audience to boo more. She flings rude remarks, like confetti. Is she ad libbing? Are those comments on the Greenbelt and Doug Ford scripted? Does it matter? As the Evil Stepmother, Debbie Collins is a master of meanness, the well-placed retort, funny, even impish. She owns the stage and it’s impressive to witness.

Cinderella goes to the ball but not as you expect and even the slipper has been given the modern treatment by co-writers Debbie Collins and David Nairn. This is a fairy tale for the modern age and it’s dandy.

As Cinderella, Jillian Mitsuko Cooper is pure charm. She is a smiling, buoyant young woman with integrity, spirit, an optimism that is infectious and a beautiful singing voice. As Prince William, Connor Meek is sweet and shy. Cinderella’s influence makes him stand up for himself with his father. As Buttons, Ben Skipper is always engaging with his “Hi, Kids!” and our reply “Hi, Buttons.” I must confess, I thought that ‘shtick’ went on a bit too long.

David Nairn directs with a good sense of pace and good humour. A few entrances seemed draggy on opening, but I’m sure will be worked out as the run progresses. The set by Beckie Morris is simple, colourful and efficient. Wendi Speck’s costumes are terrific in encapsulating each character, for example, the Silly Stepsisters are a poem of bad taste, no style and they make the most of it. The Evil Stepmother is all in black frills.  The music played by Nicholas Mustapha and Ryan Avery is unobtrusive and always supports the singers.

Cinderella…if the Shoe Fits is a fresh take on a beloved fairy tale, is modern, funny and great family fare. Let the laughing and booing begin.

Theatre Orangeville Presents:

Plays until Dec. 23, 2023.

Running time: 2 hours approx. (1 intermission).

www.theatreorangeville.ca

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Live and in person at the Aki Studio, 585 Dundas St. East, Toronto, Ont. A Cahoots Theatre Production in association with Roseneath Theatre. Plays until Dec. 17.

Photo: l-R: Daren Herbert, Alicia Plummer

https://www.cahoots.ca/programming/tickets

Written by Alicia Richardson

Directed by Tanisha Taitt

Set by Sim Suzer

Costumes by A.W. Nadine Grant

Lighting by Shawn Henry

Sound by Miquelon Rodriguez

Cast: Uche Ama

Daren Herbert

Sébastien Heins

Alicia Plummer

Emerjade Simms

Amaka Umeh

A beautifully created story and production for both children and adults. It’s heartfelt, perceptive and wise.  

The Story. We are in Eatonville, Florida after emancipation. (Note: Eatonville was founded in 1887 by a group of newly freed Black men—the first in US history, according to the research of playwright Alicia Richardson.)

Ralph, a freed Black man and his young daughter, Sweet Pea, have arrived at the Zucker Farm looking for work. Ralph has dreams of owning a plot of land and growing his own crops. Zucker, who owns the farm—he inherited it from his father—will sell Ralph a small plot of land for $5. Ralph doesn’t have the money. Zucker suggests Ralph work for the money. They shake on the deal.

Sweet Pea notices a plant, languishing. It’s a Mango Tree. Sweet Pea tends the plant with care and love. Ralph says the secret to nurturing plants is to listen to them as well as care for them and Sweet Pea does. The result is that The Mango Tree flourishes, bears fruit and talks to Sweet Pea. The Sun (named Dee) shines light and warmth on the plants and the earth. Dee, The Sun also talks to Sweet Pea. She is a magical child, loving, caring, smart and resourceful.

Ralph works hard on the crops and sells some produce at the market to make some money. But Zucker keeps the money it as his right as the owner of the farm. His word and handshake meant nothing. Ralph and Sweet Pea have to be clever in solving the dilemma of how to make money in order to deal with the unscrupulous Zucker.

The Production. Set designer Sim Suzer has designed a set that is enchanting. There is a structure stage right that seems to be the Zucker house. A sign says: “Zucker Farms.” Above that is a panel on which captions of what is being said are projected. A short picket fence is festooned with flowers. There is a ladder structure up stage with The Mango Tree (Emerjade Simms in a leotard) bent over part of the ladder. When The Mango Tree flowers and bears fruit more ladders are arranged around the initial one with fruit vines floating down. Off to the left is a fenced in parcel of land that Ralph (Daren Herbert) would love to buy.

A.W. Nadine Grant’s costumes are also enchanting and whimsical. Ralph and Sweet Pea (Alicia Plummer) wear colourful work clothes. Dee, The Sun (Uche Ama) wears a beautiful full yellow gown with sun ‘bursts’ in their hair, and carries a yellow parasol. Zucker (Sébastien Heins) wears a form-fitting maroon vest and fitted rust pants. The ‘look’ says ‘success’. Miquelon Rodriguez has created a wonderful soundscape of guitar music and other sound that gives a light, ethereal feel to the work. Shawn Henry’s lighting creates the warmth of Dee, The Sun and the sense of cold and foreboding when The Sun is down. The technical aspects of this production work as a cohesive whole to create a wonderful, thoughtful production.

The relationship of Ralph and Sweet Pea is at the center of Sweeter. As Ralph, Daren Herbert brings out all the love and care of this father for his young daughter. He is playful but firm when he has to be. Sweet Pea learns from him as a matter of course. But Sweet Pea as played by Alicia Plummer, is also a good teacher. When money to buy supplies is scarce, Sweet Pea finds a solution that is thoughtful and smart. Ralph sees it too.

As Sweet Pea, Alicia Plummer is pure sunlight, buoyant, always cheerful and optimistic. She can read a situation and react accordingly. And she spreads her love around, especially to The Mango Tree.

Daren Herbert as Ralph adds so many layers to his performance. When Ralph is given the chance to buy the parcel of land, Daren Herbert as Ralph is terribly moving when he says with a quivery voice, “It’s the first time I had options—work or buy.” There is a piece of business in director Tanisha Taitt’s production that takes the breath away. When Ralph is negotiating with Zucker, played smoothly but with a shiftiness by Sébastien Heins, Zucker wants to shake on it. Ralph hesitates, confused. One sucks air. He’s never been in this position before, that someone would consider him an equal to shake hands with him. Ralph has always been treated as lesser because he was a slave. Now he is a free man. Shaking hands on a business deal is his right. It’s a moving moment right down to the ground.

At one point Ralph looks at Zucker and says something like “we coloured men” including Zucker in the conversation. Zucker seems confused by that, as if he doesn’t consider himself a man of colour, or he wants to ignore it. Alicia Richardson has written a feather of a line that just floats in the air establishing all sorts of possibilities. The matter is not addressed until later in the play and it’s addressed beautifully.

The Mango Tree is played with a winking humour by Emerjade Simms. She is as fragile as a plant that needs water and as fearless as a plant that is loved and watered and listened to by the child who loves her. As Dee, The Sun, Uche Ama crosses the stage, languidly, as The Sun makes the passage from sunrise to sunset; spreading light, warmth and good humour in their own way.  Amaka Umeh plays Jedadiah, a kindly merchant, in an uncredited part. Umeh is pure grace in the part.

Every relationship, both loving and not, between a person, a plant, the sun or the dark is directed with care, sensitivity and compassion by Tanisha Taitt. The production is a gift.  

Comment. Alicia Richardson is a gifted writer. She says in her programme note that “I made this play to give my whimsical, big-hearted 10-year-old self the story she has always deserved.” Alicia Richardson has created a bracing, moving love letter to her 10-year-old self and to all of the rest of the people fortunate enough to experience it, no matter how old they are or where they come from, as long as they listen hard and love what they hear. More please, soon.

A Cahoots Theatre Production in association with Roseneath Theatre

Plays until Dec. 17, 2023.

Running time: 2 hour, 15 minutes (1 intermission)

https://www.cahoots.ca/programming/tickets

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Live and in person at Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre, Waterloo, Ont. Plays until Dec. 3.

www.kwlt.org

Written by Steven Ellott Jackson

Directed by Todd Davies

Lighting by Noah Snow

Sound by Thomas Humpries

Cast: Andre Furlong

Zivy Hardy

Inese Hill

Ashley King

Lia Mendonca

Katherine Schill

Jackie Wray

This is a “comment” and not a review because the show has closed after a short run.

Playwright Steven Elliott Jackson is fascinated with creating plays about real people in imagined situations. In The Seat Next to the King he wrote about a chance encounter in a men’s washroom between Bayard Rustin (a close friend of Martin Luther King) and Walter Jenkins (a top aide to President Lyndon B. Johnson). In The Garden of Alla he wrote about noted actress, Alla Nazimova.

In his latest play The Funeral to End All Funerals Steven Elliott Jackson tackles the formidable, literary Mitford siblings: Tom, Unity, Nancy, Pamela, Jessica, Diana and Deborah. All were writers in varying degrees of ability and fame. They came into their own from the 1930s into this century.  Politics factored highly to some. Some had questionable ‘friends’—Unity was close to Adolph Hitler and thought his ideas were swell. Another sibling was a Fascist. Nancy was probably the most notable of the Mitford siblings with her many books and references to her by other literary titans of the time.

The siblings arrive at a funeral home for a funeral. A shiny casket with a rose on top commands the space. Each sibling signs the guest book and greets his/her sibling, usually with disdain, contempt, etc. They generally didn’t like each other. Past hurts and insults are revived.

I found Steven Elliott Jackson’s play fascinating, not just because the Mitfords were so interesting, but also because of the way Jackson handled the information about each of them. One sibling chides Unity because she is the close friend “of the greatest murder in history.” Steven Elliott Jackson just leaves that fact there, unexplained until Act II when we learn that man was Adolph Hitler. There is reference to some trouble in Tom’s life in Act I and again it’s fleshed out in Act II that he was gay and that was something that was not discussed.

I thought Steven Elliott Jackson’s subtle handling of the information was refreshing. The siblings knew the background of the information mentioned, while the audience might not (if they weren’t familiar with the Mitfords), but Jackson wasn’t going to let the audience flounder with lack of information. He deftly referenced what happened in Act I and fleshed it out in Act II.  The title is a play on words and Steven Elliott Jackson’s words are dandy.

Director Todd Davies maneuvered the cast around the set with ease. Relationships and reactions were firmly established. And while the acting varied in accomplishment the cast was committed to the work.

Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre presents:

Played until Dec. 3, 2023.

Running time: 90 minutes (1 intermission)

www.kwlt.org

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