Trek 'Into The Woods' for the moral of the story
[Mark Andrew Lawrence reviews Into the Woods, April 8, 2009]
"Careful the things you say, children will listen."
The word "careful" in that lyric is the key. A great deal of care has gone into this production of the musical Into The Woods by Curtain Call Players and the cast delivers Stephen Sondheim's often-verbose lyrics with energy and precision.
James Lapines' intricate plot recounts the familiar tales of Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella. The script introduces a new tale of a baker and his wife who must undo a witch's curse to fulfill their wish to have a child. Everyone gets their wish as Act 1 ends, assuring us they all lived happily ever after. The second act shows us what really happens in happily ever after and as the show becomes darker and more sinister, Sondheim responds with some reassuring melodies.
Since Act 2 is about chaos, it is often the point in which many productions tend to bog down. Here, director Keith O'Connell makes the second half even more involving by keeping the pacing steady. It's still a long show, but never feels like it is dragging.
Credit for this is due in part to the enthusiastic performances by the ensemble cast. James Woods plays the baker, singing the complex music easily and bringing some genuine pathos to the baker's impassioned second act number, No More. He is paired with Shannon Lew as the wife who strays too far from the path and pays a tragic price. Lew really shines in her big number Moments in the Woods as she navigates a thicket of confused emotions.
Then there is Cinderella's tale of what happens On the Steps of the Palace. The lyric takes dozens of twists and turns as the character considers her situation. The listener has to run a marathon just to keep up with her, and fortunately Amy Mullin keeps the thought process perfectly clear.
She also leads the singing in the show's most touching number, No One is Alone, getting a chance to showcase her silvery soprano. Patricia Dambrosio, who makes an amusing Red Riding Hood, and Matt Bernard, who is a particular standout as Jack, join her for this number. Bernard sings with amazing clarity and plays the dim-witted giant-stalker without slipping into caricature.
The same can be said of Maria DePalma, who is a feisty witch. She gets one of the show's best numbers, Last Midnight, and she relishes every turn of phrase. The orchestra, under the direction of Michael Grieco, provides solid support, allowing the performers to shine. Into the Woods is a challenging show but when well done, as it is here, it entertains and leaves you with several morals to consider.
Into The Woods plays at Fairview Library Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall Dr., Thursday, April 9 and Friday, April 10 at 8 p.m. with a final 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, April 11. For tickets call 416-703-6181.
CATS - An Enchanting Evening to Watch.
[Mark Andrew Lawrence reviews Cats, November 4, 2008]
When I reviewed the original Broadway production of Cats in 1984 I called the show "a triumph of style over substance." In truth, there is no substance to Cats. There is no plot, and no real character development. The success of any production of this Andrew Lloyd Webber opus rests entirely with the scenic effects and the singing and dancing of the cast. The Broadway production with its multi-million dollar set and spectacular effects kept tourists happy for a phenomenal 18 years.
Even so there was a general feeling that Cats would not have much of an after-life since the scenic demands would be beyond the budget of most community theatre groups. Curtain Call Players have gone out an a (financial) limb for this one, creating a massive junkyard on the stage of Fairview Library Theatre and populating it with some three dozen performers in stunningly creative costumes. Visually this production is an eye-popping delight.
This production uses InstrumentalEase, innovative software provided by the licence holders to supply the orchestral support. It allows music director F. Darryl Burton to focus on helping the performers master the challenge of singing to pre-recorded music tracks. Opening night there were still a few signs of insecurity but the singers seemed to be adapting well to the technology.
Any production of Cats requires sensational dancing and the company executes Jon Alexander's dazzling routines with polish that would be the envy of many professionals. Alexander himself was a standout in Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer sung and danced with Kristi Woods. Paul Charbonneau was indeed magical as Mr. Mistofelees, and Glen Burgess was a lively Skimbleshanks, the railway cat.
There was also fine work from Paul Douglas as Macavity, David Wicken as Bustopher Jones and Twain Ward as the Rum Tum Tugger. Michael Harvey showed off his strong voice by introducing The Old Gumbie Cat and narrating the story of The Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles.
The key question is how well does the Grizabella present Memory, the show's one true hit song. Ginny Metcalfe presents a touching portrait of a no-longer-glamourous glamour cat, and socks the big aria over with tremendous emotion.
The big problem with this show is that T.S. Eliot's poems do not sit well on music. Poetry is intended to be read, not sung. This result is repetition as in the opening number where the phrase Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats is repeated 18 times.
Any fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber in general or Cats in particular will enjoy this production. I am not a fan of Cats and most certainly NOT a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber, yet I still found this production enchanting to watch.
Curtain Call Players present Cats at Fairview Library Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall Drive , Nov. 6 and 7 at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Nov. 8. Call the box office at 416-703-6181.
Curtain Call Players Succeed With Joseph
[Mark Andrew Lawrence reviews Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat November 6, 2007]
Curtain Call Players has a sellout hit with their largely enjoyable production of the early Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Originally written in 1968 as a Sunday school pageant, it was eventually expanded to a full album's worth of material. Recent revivals have padded the running time by adding a prologue and an extended finale - a "megamix" reprise of most of the major songs.
The show therefore ends with a table of contents.
While there is nothing truly amazing about the show itself, it has thrived in any number of professional and amateur stagings over the years. The reason is that the score by Andrew Lloyd Webber offers plenty of toe-tapping tunes in a pleasant variety of styles. Tim Rice's lyrics are, at best, serviceable, loaded with awkward rhymes and mis-accented words and phrases, but they do carry the thrust of the story.
There is no spoken dialogue - just a series of songs. You have a sense that you have not so much seen a show as heard a cast album in concert.
What makes Curtain Call's production so successful are the performances, starting with Trent Thompson as Joseph. His rendering of Close Every Door was particularly well sung. Ted Ambrose - channelling Elvis Presley - has great fun as Pharaoh and stops the show with Song of the King.
Amongst the brothers, Mark Barrera as Benjamin makes an especially strong impression. Special mention must also be made of the children's chorus who sang with a sweetness that takes your breath away.
As the narrator, Victoria Dykeman shares special warmth with the children. I found it curious that she chose to use a head voice (light, bright singing tones that are higher in pitch) for many of the songs rather than the more traditional chesty belt one associates with this role, but it in no way detracted from the proceedings.
Jon Alexander's high-energy choreography is danced with enthusiasm and precision and director Keith O'Connell has done a fine job keeping the large ensemble on the move in a never-ending series of stage pictures. Even some sound glitches on opening night didn't seem to faze the cast, although the energy level was at times a little less than the production requires.
Energy is what drives a musical play and when the company gives it that extra boost, the production can really hit the heights. The cast seemed to be just settling into the roles on opening night. No doubt by now the show is running like a well-oiled machine.
Bar set high in Curtain Call Player's production of Beauty and the Beast
[Mark Andrew Lawrence reviews Beauty and the Beast, April, 2007.]
Disney's Beauty and the Beast arrived on Broadway in 1994 marking the film company's first foray into live theatre production. It was an elaborate spectacle, and in reviewing the show when it first opened, I commented that it would be beyond the scope of community theatre groups.
I am happy to report that Curtain Call Players have proven me wrong.
Artistic director Keith O'Connell has assembled a cast and crew that create theatrical magic. He has staged the complex production simply and effectively by focussing on story and character development rather than spectacle.
The leading performers are especially effective in this respect, starting with Chris Daniel's portrayal of The Beast. Daniel humanizes him a little, making his outbursts more childish and less menacing, which works well in the smaller confines of Fairview Library Theatre.
Andrea Pappalardo, as the winsome Belle, has a natural charm and stage presence that makes the character's motivations at all times believable. Ted Ambrose as the narcissistic Gaston plays the role with the proper egotism and sings in a strong robust voice. His sidekick, Lefou, is given a crowd-pleasingly acrobatic performance by Doug Millar.
In the enchanted castle we meet a crowd of singing plates and utensils overseen by Avi Mani in a wonderfully comic turn as Cogsworth, the prissy head butler being turned into a clock. He holds his own against two scene-stealers: the candelabra Lumiere with Stave Nadon lighting up the stage, and his saucy feather duster mistress Babette played with a coquettish sparkle by the always delightful Ngaio Potts.
Deb Kritzer plays the teapot, Mrs. Potts, with grandmotherly charm. Her rendition of the title song was effectively presented with her observing the main characters upstage, but this required her to be projecting away from the audiences and her voice tended to get lost against the orchestra.
Some of the supporting players could use stronger projection and an energy boost particularly in the opening number, Belle. They certainly had it by the time we got to the livelier ensemble number, Gaston, and Be Our Guest had all the requisite pizzazz. M.J. Johnson did an outstanding job of ensuring the musical underscoring was effective and that the musical values were well taken care of.
Best of all the amazing sets and costumes designed by Curtain Call Players members are far above the level usually found in community productions. This added to the magic already created by Linda Wolverton's book and the familiar score by Alan Menken, Tim Rice and Howard Ashman.
It will be interesting to see how other community groups tackle this show, but Keith O'Connell and company have already set the bar very high.
Curtain Call Players present Disney's Beauty and the Beast at Fairview Library Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall Dr., until Saturday, April 7. Evening performances are Thursdays through Saturday at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday. Tickets are available by calling 416-703-6181.
Sound of Music Rings True in Performance
[Mark Andrew Lawrence reviews The Sound of Music, December 2006.]
Of all the famous Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, the one that least impressed theatre critics when it premiered in 1959 was The Sound of Music.
Many found the story too sentimental, the children too cloyingly cute and the songs not-too-essential to the plot. The team that had blazed a trail for fully integrated musicals seemed to be reversing direction here. The public didn't care, however, and the musical became a long-running Broadway hit.
Then along came the movie version, with a better script, better positioning of the songs and the authentic Austrian landscape. It also offered a younger and far more believable Maria in Julie Andrews, replacing Mary Martin who, at 47, was way too old for the role on Broadway, but she and her husband owned the rights to the story. The film won five Academy Awards including Best Picture of 1965.
Thereafter, when community groups did the show they wanted the stage version to reflect the movie with My Favourite Things moved to the thunderstorm scene (replacing The Lonely Goatherd) and using Something Good in place of the rather lugubrious Ordinary Couple. They often went ahead and made these changes without the permission of the Rodgers and Hammerstein organization. So the company commissioned a re-write for a 1998 Broadway revival. It is that version that Curtain Call Players are presenting at Fairview Library Theatre.
They are fortunate to have an irresistibly incandescent leading lady, Gabi Epstein. She brings enough spunk to her performance as Maria to cut through the show's more saccharine moments, and creates a multi-dimensional character. Her scenes with the kids have warmth and charm and they in turn seemed more relaxed and natural in these sequences. The scene-stealer was a big kid: Jason Silzer as family friend, Max. His performance as the proverbial "funny" uncle is a major crowd pleaser.
In fact, the audience, knowing the story and most of the songs, seems quite content to let things unfold at their own leisurely pace. Sound of Music is a long show, but director Jim Soper could easily shaved minutes here and there with tighter pacing, especially with the scene changes, though Mack Flynn and Ita Pechenick's scenic designs are several notches above standard community theatre fare.
In fact, the whole production looks good and even with a pre-recorded orchestra, sounds good. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that most of the remaining performances are sold out or have limited seats available. Curtain Call is, however, now taking subscriptions for next season, which includes a return engagement of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and a first-time community theatre staging of Beauty and The Beast.
Oklahoma! is A-OK
[Mark Andrew Lawrence reviews Oklahoma! April, 2005.]
Only a few Broadway musicals have become legendary. One of those few is the 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein classic Oklahoma! Curtain Call Players opened their production at the Fairview Library Theatre last Thursday night. Directed by Keith O'Connell, it is a by-the-book staging that respects the original script ignoring the changes that were made for the recent Broadway revival.
As a result, it makes for an entertaining evening thanks to the wonderful score and the commitment of the cast.
Kathryn MacGregor dominates the stage as the feisty and fun-loving Aunt Eller in a performance that nicely balances toughness with tenderness.
Trent Thompson makes a fine Curly. Often in productions of Oklahoma! we see actors who can't sing or singers who can't act. Thompson covers all bases nicely, though his proposal scene suffers from rushed direction that steals some of its emotion.
Shannon Lew is the recipient of that proposal. She gives a spunky performance displaying Laury's conflicted feelings. Her conflict is between the two key men in her life: Curly, whom she loves and Jud whom she finds attractive in a dangerous way.
While Barry Flynn gives a menacing performance as Jud, it does make Laury's confusion rather ... well, confusing since she would have no reason to be attracted to this thug.
There's no mistaking what the character of Ado Annie is attracted to. Ngaio Potts gives a wonderfully comic performance, bewildered by the attention she is suddenly receiving from the men, but thoroughly enjoying it.
Avi Mani matches her comic timing as the Peddler who shies away from marriage, while Jon Alexander sings and dances well as the man who wants to marry her, Will Parker. Alexander also choreographs the dances keeping with the style and period of the show, particularly the lively barn dance that opens Act 2.
The pacing of the performance was leisurely. The scenic transition into and out of Jud's smokehouse was handled awkwardly but fortunately the performers are strong and the orchestra, under the firm control of M.J. Johnson is kept in good balance with the singers allowing Hammerstein's homespun lyrics to come through clearly. The homespun nature of the show has come under attack in recent years. Oklahoma! originally opened in the middle of the Second World War and its love of land, love of home and love of life was reassuring to audiences then.
The techniques that Rodgers and Hammerstein pioneered with this musical have been used and developed successfully ever since, so the unique freshness that made the show such a winner 62 years ago has faded somewhat. Still, audiences love Oklahoma! and that is why it remains legendary.
Curtain Call brings Follies to Fairview
[Mark Andrew Laurence reviews Will Rogers Follies, November, 2004.]
An actor is somebody with a little more monkey in him than the next fellow.- Will Rogers (1879-1935)
Will Rogers was more than an actor and comedian. He was what we now call a multimedia star. His life is the focus of The Will Rogers Follies being presented by Curtain Call Players at the Fairview Library Theatre.
There was very little drama in Will Rogers' life, so author Peter Stone presents America's great humorist as the star of a Ziegfeldian revue.
Though the concept is interesting, the book awkwardly tries to cram a few biographical details between the musical numbers. Cy Coleman's music has variety, but without a strong book to draw upon, Betty Comden and Adolph Green's lyrics are weak.
For the show to work, it needs some dynamic performers. On this front, Curtain Call Players has come up with several aces. For starters, Karen Brown as the love of Will's life, Betty Blake, balances straightforward acting with a strong singing voice.
Barry Flynn as Will's father is amusingly cantankerous and Harvey Earle is fun to watch performing a variety of rope tricks.
No one on stage is having more fun than Keith O'Connell in the title role.
His easygoing style is perfectly in keeping with the Rogers' persona. He also delivers a moving re-creation of the radio speech Rogers gave at the height of the depression.
It is not usually a good idea for performers to direct themselves in a production, but O'Connell has done a solid job here. There are a few areas in need of attention.
For example, the show's final number, never met a man I didn't like is upstaged by silent film footage at odds with the emotional content of the song. It might have been more effective to use newsreels or newspaper headlines chronicling Rogers' fatal plane crash in Alaska.
Ron Warner as Wiley Post needs genuine enthusiasm rather than casual detachment for his lines. Mack Flynn lacks authority as producer Ziegfeld. The role called Ziegfeld's favourite is really a one-joke part.
Kim Danton's performance weakens the joke because she plays it cute rather than sexy. She is, however, a strong dancer leading several of the production numbers.
The ensemble works hard to put across choreographer Jon Alexander's routines. The highlight was the Favourite Son number, a dazzling showstopper performed with crisp precision.
This is exactly the kind of precision and energy needed for all the other numbers. The cast has mastered all the steps and hopefully after a few performances, confidence will replace tentativeness. Opening night it was very close, but not quite there: it was wow when it really needs to be WOW.
The evening belongs to O'Connell, whose folksy charm brings to life the man best remembered for the quote "All I know is what I read in the papers".
