Capital Critics Circle, Author at Capital Critics' Circle / Le cercle des critiques de la capitale

New Play “In a Blue Moon” a hit in Gananoque

By Capital Critics Circle | August 20, 2016

Photo: David Cooper

Blue Moon by Lucia Frangione, directed by Daryl Cloran.

The world premiere of Canadian playwright Lucia Frangione’s new play “In a Blue Moon” is definitely worth a trip to Gananoque. It tells the story of Ava, a widow, (Anita Wittenberg), and her six-year-old daughter Frankie, (Emma Tow – Miss Wittenberg’s real-life daughter), who move to an inherited cottage. There they find Will, (Brett Christopher), a free-lance photographer and Ava’s brother-in-law, already in residence. As their relationships change and grow, we find ourselves increasingly caught up in their emotions and lives.

Drew Facey’s abstract and creative wooden cottage is backed by a giant moon. The cottage has an upper level which functions as both a bedroom and the roof. There’s also a free-standing and very slammable door. The moon is used as a screen for Conor Moore’s terrific projections and his lighting is also very good. John Gzowski’s music and sound are very effective and the costumes, designed by Marian Truscott, are just fine. I loved Frankie’s pajamas.

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Sparkling “Into the Woods” at Gananoque’s 1000 Islands Playhouse

By Capital Critics Circle | July 29, 2016

Photo:

A very good production of the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical “Into the Woods” is running at the 1000 Islands Playhouse. The cast, with a couple of exceptions, is strong and the actors can all handle the complex score. Drew Facey’s set, featuring an upper level walkway, 3 birdcage-like playing areas and, of course, woods, is excellent and his wonderful costumes cleverly fanciful. I loved the Prince’s high-top sneakers. The choreography by Shelly Stewart Hunt is good, especially for the Princes, although I felt it began a bit too early in the opening number and we lost some lyrics. Michelle Ramsay’s lighting is evocative and William Fallon’s sound first-rate and well balanced.

Speaking of sound, Musical Director Stephen Woodjetts has done an expert job with the complex vocals, especially the diction. When the show first opened in New York in 1987, the pit musicians called it “Into the Words.” He’s also done a great arrangement that allows only 5 musicians to convey the flavor and color of the original orchestration, with himself on piano, Greg Runions on percussion, David Smith on reeds, Bob Arlidge on bass, and the excellent Erin Puttee on keyboard.

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Much Ado About Nothing. A lively production set in the Jane Austin Period!

By Capital Critics Circle | July 22, 2016

Photo.David Baker

Much Ado ABout Nothing by Shakespeare. Directed by Craig Walker. A production of the St. lawrence Festival, Prescott

I recommend reading the excellent synopsis in the program, as this is one of Shakespeare’s most confusing comedies. Set by Director Craig Walker in the period of Jane Austin’s “Pride and Prejudice,” the plot twists through multiple misunderstandings, plotting, and eavesdropping.

The cast helps with the clarity, especially Michael Man as Borachio, an easily persuaded villain, and as the Friar who, in Act II, clarifies various deceptions. Sarah English gives us a nicely three-dimensional Hero, as does Audrey Clairman as the maid, Ursula, and Jesse Nerenberg is a satisfyingly nasty villain in Don John. Oddly, the broad acting style of Gabrielle Lazarovitz seems more suited to her Dogberry rather than her Beatrice. However, she sings beautifully and in the opening scene she and Melissa Morris as Balthasar sing a lovely duet of an Italian Art Song.

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Creative “Julius Caesar” at the St Lawrence Shakeskpeare Festival at Prescott.

By Capital Critics Circle | July 20, 2016

Photo by David Blake. Richard Sheridan Willis as Julius Caesar.

Julius Caesar by Shakespeare, directed by Rona Waddington.

The St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival has opened their season with a strong and creative production of “Julius Caesar.” Director Rona Waddington, with special permission from Actors Equity, has recruited 18 volunteers to play soldiers, senators, and citizens along with the 12 professional actors. These volunteers do a fine job with the complex staging, as well as making some very nippy costume changes.

There are two real stand-outs in this generally strong cast. Ash Knight as a wonderfully nuanced Brutus and Richard Sheridan Willis as the complex Caesar are both expert at handling the language. My companion said for once she didn’t have to translate in her head. Jesse Nerenberg’s Cassius tends to be on a single note of anger till Act II, when we see more of his wiliness. As Octavius Michael Man does a nice job, also doubling as the timid Cinna.

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“Assassinating Thomson”: A Unique Perspective at 1000 Islands Playhouse (Firehall Theatre)

By Capital Critics Circle | July 8, 2016

Photo. Stephen Wild

The Firehall at the 1000 Islands Playhouse has opened their season with the fascinating solo show, “Assassinating Thomson,” created and performed by Bruce Horak. Those of you who saw him play three characters, sing, and play the guitar in last season’s “Dear Johnny Deere” will be surprised to learn the Mr. Horak is legally blind. Due to a childhood illness, he has only 9% vision – what he describes as extreme tunnel vision.

Mr. Horak appears in brown pants and a brown paint-spattered t-shirt on a simple platform covered by a drop cloth and backed by a black curtain and three of his large painting. (There are others on display in the lobby.) There’s also an easel and a small table with paints, brushes, and water.

Unlike most solo shows, “Assassinating Thomson” is basically a conversation between Mr. Horak and the audience. The house lights remain on, since during the performance he paints a picture of the audience. I loved it, since I could take notes without mistakenly writing on my white pants. His personality is charming as he weaves together his personal story, with how he sees shapes, and his theories about the death of Tom Thomson.

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“Blithe Spirit” Sparkles at 1000 Islands Playhouse

By Capital Critics Circle | June 27, 2016

Photo: Stephen Wild. Anita Wittenberg as Mme Arcati

I f you enjoy Noel Coward’s comedies as much as I do, get over to the 1000 Islands Playhouse and see their terrific production of “Blithe Spirit.” Director Ashlie Corcoran and her uniformly strong cast hit all the right notes of both Coward’s style and humor. Ms. Corcoran has made a wise decision in bringing in Alison Deon as Dialect Coach. For once Coward’s dialogue and “airy persiflage” sound authentic.

This is partly due to the excellent cast, including Christopher Weddell and Janet Michael as Dr. and Mrs. Bradman. Kelsey Gilker has great fun with the inexperienced maid Edith, particularly the opening of Scene 2 when her mishaps are accompanied by percussion. Speaking of percussion, Christopher Stanton’s music and sound are first rate. I love the scene change music that sometimes sounds like drums and kazoo, as well as the perfectly timed sound in the final scene.

Krista Colosimo does a fine job as Ruth, Charles’s rather unsympathetic second wife, as does Stephen Gartner as Charles, from the use of his perfect period haircut to his final declaration of independence. As for Shannon Currie’s mischievous Elvira, she’s well-nigh perfect, especially her wonderful body language which is enhanced by Dana Osborne’s lovely costume and wig.

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Cirque du Soleil coming to Ottawa!! Performance inspired by Avatar- watch for it….

By Capital Critics Circle | June 23, 2016

Inspired by James Cameron’s Oscar-winning film, Avatar, TORUK – The First Flight is a live action multimedia spectacle that jumps from the movie screen to bring the visually stunning world of Pandora to life through cutting-edge video technology (using 40 projectors) and large-scale puppetry mixed with Cirque’s stunning performers. TORUK follows the adventurous quest of two young Na’vi men as they encounter strange creatures and characters in ever-changing landscapes including a virtual flood cascading from waterfalls across the arena floor.

TORUK – The First Flight, at the Canadian Tire Centre from June 29 to July 3, 2016. Since its world premiere in December 2015, TORUK has been performing to sold out audiences as part of its world tour.

The Who’s Tommy at Centrepoint: Great Album but overrated theatre!

By Capital Critics Circle | June 7, 2016

Poster from Orpheus musical theatre. Guest reviewer Jim Murchisson

Tommy is one of the preeminent musical scores of my generation. It was composed as a theme album and as such it is a fine example of epic rock and roll story telling. The Who though are not playwrights: What they are is Rock and Roll.

I don’t believe Tommy is a great play. To work as musical theatre Tommy needs all the extras working for it… lighting effects, complex choreography usually aided by a big budget to fill in for the sparse dialogue and thin story line… and it needs to rock. Sometimes great community theatre can get around the budget limitations with personality and innovation. If they have a great play they can. From what I have seen of the Broadway production they didn’t completely overcome the challenges of a weak play although they won technical awards for lighting, choreography and direction.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying the Who aren’t great nor that Orpheus can’t rock. What I am saying is that the combination of rock and Theatre did not work on this night. You don’t get to know the characters on an intimate human level in songs of the Who the same way you do in a play like Titanic or Rent. The characters in Tommy are larger than life and like rock and roll exaggerated as if in a dream or a nightmare. They are meant to be shocking, ridiculous or grotesque and they weren’t. At times it felt like a series of songs rather than a narrative and it seemed people were moving from spot to spot rather than needing to be there.

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Festival TransAmérique – the Italian shows: Reality and Ce ne andiamo per non darvi altre preoccupazioni

By Capital Critics Circle | June 6, 2016

Photo: Reality by Silvia Gelli. Guest reviewer Martin Morrow (Globe and Mail, CBC )

Produced by A.D.Written, directed and performed by Daria Deflorian and Antonio Tagliarini. Presented by Festival TransAmériques

The morning after seeing Reality and Ce ne andiamo per non darvi altre preoccupazioni, two works by Italy’s Daria Deflorian and Antonio Tagliarini at this year’s Festival TransAmériques in Montreal, I bumped into the festival’s artistic director, Martin Faucher, at the popular Pikolo espresso bar near Place des Arts.

As we waited for our coffees, we shared our similar thoughts on the two shows – how they were full of warmth and intimacy, and enticing in their apparent lack of artifice and their direct engagement with the audience. I called them post-theatre. Faucher, perhaps more accurately, referred to them as post-Pirandellian. After all, Deflorian and Tagliarini go beyond their great Italian forerunner, Luigi Pirandello, in turning the creative process into the play itself.

Reality begins with Deflorian and Tagliarini taking turns trying to act out the death by heart attack of an elderly woman on the street – each absurd attempt showing just how difficult it is to pin down that elusive quality, “realism.” And the woman whose demise they are trying to imagine is Janina Turek, a prolific diarist from Krakow, Poland, who had a magnificent obsession with the real.

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Festival TransAmérique: Une île flottante /Das Weisse vom Ei (Floating Island/Egg White), a “bizarre riff” of an uproarously funny French farce.

By Capital Critics Circle | June 3, 2016

Guest reviewer Martin Morrow. (Globe and Mail, CBC)

Photo: Simon Halström. Une île flottante, produced by Theater Basel and Théâtre Vidy-Lausanne. Directed by Christoph Marthaler. Adapted from La Poudre aux yeux by Eugène Labiche

Montreal’s Festival TransAmériques, that showcase of the daring and the avant garde, opened its 10th edition last week with a classic French farce.

But wait for it: this was a French farce as deconstructed by Christoph Marthaler, the celebrated Swiss director who turned the Broadway musical on its ear a few years ago with his Meine Faire Dame, ein Sprachlabor – a bizarre riff on Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady, set in a language lab. So his new touring production, Une île flottante/Das Weisse vom Ei (Floating Island/Egg White), which kicked off the FTA at Place des Arts, is no traditional slice of boulevard theatre – although, like the best farces, it’s uproariously funny.

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