Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Great Things Happening at Shaw Festival this Season!

Let's put talk of lagging tourism numbers and attendance shortfalls at summer attractions on hold for the balance of the season, and simply celebrate what's great about our two major theatre festivals in Ontario: The Shaw Festival and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. We'll begin with Shaw for a couple of weeks and look at the season offerings I've had the chance to attend so far. As always, my star ratings range from one (poor) to four (excellent).

Getting Married (Royal George Theatre to November 1st) ***
This is George Bernard Shaw writing about one of his pet subjects, it seems: the convention of marriage and the pluses and minuses of said union. It premiered in the spring and summer of 1908 at London's Haymarket Theatre and coincided with the tenth anniversary of Shaw's marriage to Charlotte Payne-Townshend. Shaw's married life was unconventional, to say the least, but they remained married until her death in 1943. In those days, it would have been wiser, one would think, to remain in an unhappy marriage rather than seek a divorce, as for most Edwardian women, divorce proceedings were more onerous than they are now. This play could descend into a tedious rant if not for the talents of an all-star cast directed by Joseph Ziegler; instead, it proves to be an entertaining, biting look at the need - or desire - to be married. No doubt controversial at the time, it explores the reasons why anyone would want to get or remain married at all. Look for great performances by Michael Ball, Sharry Flett and Norman Browning, all Shaw veterans. I found Peter Krantz a little overbearing as the infatuated General "Boxer" Bridgenorth, and in spite of a bad case of laryngitis the night I attended, David Schurmann was splendid as Alfred Bridgenorth, Bishop of Chelsea. But the real star of the show doesn't arrive until the very last moment of Act One: Laurie Paton as Mrs. George Collins. Throughout the second act, Paton owns the stage and turns in a performance to savour. If you like Shaw, you'll love this show; if Shaw is not your cup of tea, you might want to bury your indifference and give it a try. After all, like a marriage, it seems, it isn't a permanent arrangement...

Wonderful Town (Festival Theatre to October 5th) ***
Some might consider this musical a bit of a gamble this season, especially since it is on the large Festival stage, and it is not a particularly well-known musical. But don't let the fact you might not have heard of Wonderful Town before deter you: embrace the fact you can discover a gem of 1950's musical theatre. Wonderful Town dates from 1953, and was part of a trio of Leonard Bernstein musicals that examined New York city from many different aspects. The first, in 1941, was On The Town, and the third, of course, was the better-known West Side Story from the latter part of the 50's. While West Side Story dealt with the grittier side of the Big Apple, what with street gangs dominated by the Sharks and the Jets, Wonderful Town suggests even in New York City, people sleep with their doors unlocked and everything is safe and secure. An unrealistic picture, to be sure, even for 1953, but it makes for some entertaining theatre. This is typical Bernstein from the 1950's: brash, vigorous rhythms and catchy tunes, although only three will likely remain with you after the curtain descends at the end of the performance. The best-known piece is "Conga" sung in the original production by Rosalind Russell, and given a great performance here by Lisa Horner. Other standout peformances include reliable Neil Barclay as Mr. Appopolous; Thom Marriott as Wreck; and Chilina Kennedy as Eileen Sherwood, one of the two girls from Ohio trying to make it big in the Big Apple. What a voice she has! Directing the production is Roger Hodgman. Some have complained this season the big musical is not a better-known show; for me, I'd rather the chance to explore a lesser-known work of great merit. Like She Loves Me a few years ago at Shaw, this production deserves a well-attended run.

The Little Foxes (Royal George Theatre to November 1st) ***
This is another in the ongoing plays by Lillian Hellman produced at the Shaw Festival, and this one will not disappoint. Hellman provides some pretty sharp-tongued dialogue for a talented cast and proves to be an earlier version of the TV series "Dallas", if you will. They follow the time-honoured tradition of backstabbing and doing whatever it takes to get ahead and make more money than anyone else you meet along the way. The play is a little slow in the first act, I find, but once it gets going, there's no stopping this cast, led again by Laurie Paton, who is having a season of a lifetime. Paton plays the pivotal role of Regina Giddens, whose husband is very ill but she won't let him die peacefully. She is the woman you don't want as your mother-in-law! She is surrounded by a strong cast that includes Sharry Flett as the lovely and sweet but drunk Birdie Hubbard, Peter Krantz as Oscar Hubbard, and David Jansen as Paton's long-suffering husband in the play, Horace Giddens. The cast is directed with a steady hand by Eda Holmes. I have not always enjoyed Hellman's productions at Shaw, but this one is right on the money.

July 30th, 2008.

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