Our Country's Good

July 14/13 – Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story – a great way to spend 80 minutes for an afternoon or evening is Red Sandcastle Theatre's production of the off broadway hit. The two stars Oscar Moreno as Nathan and Sergio Caldron make it very worthwhile, and the direction by Larry Westlake is very taut and makes use of every nuance. The score by Stephen Dolginoff gives the men a chance to show off their splendid voices, and numbers like “Thrill Me,” “Way Too Far,” and “Keep Your Deal With Me,” work well and help to further the plot. These real people, whom many remember from the powerful film Compulsion, make for a very sinister love story. Try to catch it July 12-27th!

Blithe Spirit

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June 26/13 – Blithe Spirit – to me Noel Coward's 2^nd greatest play, next to Private Lives, and Stratford's Avon Theatre gave it a tremendous performance, with Ben Carlson as Charles, Michelle Giroux as Elvira, Sara Topham as Ruth, and Seana McKenna as Madame Arcati (the most underplayed I have seen her done), and the performances all worked well, and the magnificent set by Simon Higlett, and the costuming, especially those from the other side on Elvira and Ruth were most stunning. I first saw Blithe Spirit at the Red Barn Theatre, Jackson's Point in the 1950s when I was in High School, and was most impressed at the writing, and it still holds well in 2013, having seen such greats as Tammy Grimes and Maggie Smith in this classic play, and one will always remember Beryl Reid as Madame Arcati in 1971 with Patrick Cargill at the Royal Alexandra.

The Book of Mormon

May 8, 2013 – The Book of Mormon – I feel fortunate to have seen this show originally in previews in New York before the opening, and thought it was the funniest musical ever! The touring production does not disappoint. In fact the principals are perhaps better. Mark Evans, and the brilliant Christopher John O'Neill bring just the right combination to this black comedy musical. To me, it is even funnier than Spamalot with its great opening number. The plot is simplistic to say the least, it is the performances and the songs (which for some reason are not listed in the programme) which create the havoc on stage. Like South Park, the show is definitely not for the easily offended. Personally I cannot wait to see what Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone come up with next, as the show has sold out basically every performance in New York, London and now the touring production. There should be a sit down version for Toronto, six weeks is definitely not long enough. The songs are catchy, from 'Hello', 'Two by Two', 'You and Me (But Mostly Me)', 'Turn Off', 'I Believe' and 'Tomorrow is a Latter Day' as well as clever, and you leave the theatre on a high note!

Our Betters

April 11/13 – Our Betters – for some reason the Shaw Festival's production of Somerset Maugham's “Our Betters,” comes off like a very early dress rehearsal. None in the cast seems comfortable in their role, or are at all believable in the parts they are playing. Not once did they feel like real people in genuine situations. When the sets and costumes steal the show, there is something wrong. The Art Deco sets by Ken MacDonald are a sight to behold, nothing has been spared, and also the wonderful art deco costumes which look like they are original Erte sketches, by Charlotte Dean are quite spectacular and very real looking, even from the third row. To me the great problem is Morris Panych, a darling of Canadian stage, but he and I have never seen eye to eye, I was bored silly by The Overcoat, in spite of the critical acclaim, and most of his other productions seem to have lacked “spark,” at least for me. But I also must admit I have no great memory of either of Shaw's presentations of Maugham's “The Constant Wife,” or “The Circle,” so obviously was not that impressed by them either. Drawing room comedies need the great wit of a Noel Coward, or a George Bernard Shaw. This play is certainly no Private Lives or Blithe Spirit. I also do not feel there will be any improvement as the actors mature in these quite unbelievable roles.

The Wizard of Oz

February 6, 2013 – The Wizard of Oz – Having seen the film many, many times, the West End stage production of Wizard of Oz, with an enthusiastic Canadian cast, can only be somewhat disappointing in the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice version. After having seen the brilliant Wicked, many times. The use of the orginal score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg always tend to stir one's emotions, but the additional or new score by Webber/Rice leaves much to the imagination, other than the funny “Red Shoes Blues,” belted out by Lisa Horner as the Wicked Witch of the West. The sets, costumes and effects are a delight, and there are great performances, especially by Danielle Wade, who is a perfect Dorothy, and the great talents of Mike Jackson, Lee MacDougall, and Jamie McKnight, who bring the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow to life, and the three Totos which added to the audience's amusement.

Return to Grace and Songs in the Key of Oz

January 19/13 – Catalpa – a one man show based on the true story of the rescue of six Irish freedom fighters from the penal colony of Fremantle, Australia, 1876. Written by Donal O'Kelly, Andrew Musselman plays all the characters, as well as whales, seagulls, as well as a storm, with an incredible accuracy. It is a tour de force for this multi-talented actor, who throughout the 90 minutes, with a brief intermission, holds the audience captive. I had only one drawback and that was the rather vague ending to the drama. If the theatre had not darkened, one would not have known the play was over.