Cinderella and the Ice Slipper: The fun-filled family Panto lives up to expectations!

Cinderella and the Ice Slipper: The fun-filled family Panto lives up to expectations!

What a moment!  Glossy Steppe (alias Réjean Dinelle-Mayer as the “Dame”) in her huge curly  purple wig,  one of the two ‘step-sisters’ tormenting Cinderella,  belted out his/her  own ferocious version of We Will Survive’ from Priscilla Queen of the Desert, just as the step -sisters  battle for the favours of the new  Prince  ‘charms’ .   Prince is  seeking  the mysterious owner of that glass slipper while  both ugly sisters choke in their drool of desperation.  Emotions run very high  because they  both want to get their hands on the handsome  business man  played by the very charming Panto newcomer  Andy Allen- McCarthy (who insists he is not a prince)  whereas the sweet and talented little Cinderella (Emilie O’Brien)  is already tucked away in the kitchen  cleaning  pots and washing the floors of the family restaurant, warbling about her  dreams with  her buddy Buttons (Brady Van Vaerenbergh).  It’s at that moment that Dinelle-Mayer reveals his true nature as a great voice of Orpheus musical theatre and for a few minutes steals the show.!!!! And such a show it was!!!

Emilie O’Brien as Cinderella.  Photo  Dominique Gibbons

 

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Yes indeed!  Ottawa Musicals is back at the Gladstone for the  fifth  straight year of their  own special brand of Christmas Panto adapted to the Ottawa area  where the company is based. With a professional cast and production team, these shows are  becoming an important  Ottawa tradition  to the extent that the young ones recognize the panto Dame, the “ice monster”,  the little selfie Elf  (Declan Cassidy …its all in the family!!) the nasty Mama who assumes  various forms, the musicians, the video romps through local businesses  and the clever musical adaptations.

This new panto version of Cinderella has many twists and turns but it remained on track so that the original was always in view and did not seem to  confuse the youngsters.   You see,   Sarah  Cassidy(producer) Matt Cassidy (director), writer Ken MacDougal ,and choreographer Jessica Vandenberg have all taken unexpected liberties with this old  Grimm’s fairy tale to get the little ones involved  and the interplay came to its most heightened moments in ACT II where there was much dashing about in the audience to the delight of all .

Fairy Godfather Chad Connell, with Thompson Simon Photo: Andy Simon

How about  the  kind Fairy Godfather (Chad Connell)  with a twinge  of a crime boss Brando accent and a physical manner owing much to the Corleone family.  Or what about  the important  and creepy but oh so talented  character played by  Shelley Simester as Mama Steppe the monstrously ambitious step-mom of those two  uncontrollable daughters (Flossy and Glossy) with the flashy underwear and slippery stockings,  drooling over that handsome new man in town. Dinelle-Mayer (Glossy) and Cara Pantalone  (Flossy)  interacted in  perfect rhythm as the model of nasty, slovenly , unacceptable  behaviour which definitely  titillated the young ones. All that which is  not allowed at home was there  before their eyes…on stage!!  How marvellous!

Much of the interaction with the young ones in the theatre was in fact  provoked by  Mama Steppe when the  children were told to “boo” as soon as she appeared. She was a smashing creature whose snake-like eyes and slithering movements corresponded to  her  resoundingly powerful voice that had the audience terribly conflicted  between booing and clapping  – such was the strength of her performance.

The first  part  of the show did lack  a bit of energy on opening night but it all picked up enormously in Act II when  the  on screen visuals  became more active,  such as the orchestration of a huge invasion of the Fun Haven by the whole cast running breathlessly though those installations in the west end of the city .

Also  some excellent collective choreography by Jesssica Vandenberg came into play.  The catchy dancing and  lovely  arrangements  of many well known songs by arranger , director and pianist Wendy Berkelaar  – (with percussionist Pierre Huneault and  Gabe Leury on the electiric bass)  provided a new level of irony and playfulness that helped the actors carry on their own level of tongue in cheek humour which included some good jabs at Ford and Trump and all the politicians we love to hate in these troubled times. .

A local hockey game that took us back to a recent musical as well as a chorus of young local singers even got into the spirit  of the panto , a gesture that brought the show closer to the  Ottawa community  and that obviously pleased the kiddies and their parents.

And  then,  with all the hate  in the world these days, a final  touch of schmaltzy redemption was not out of place  especially given the way the show kept distancing itself from the obvious.  Tongue in cheek was the word here and the enormous talent involved  in this show made it all work beautifully.  This Cinderella is exactly the kind of entertainment that we all need  at the moment.

“Cinderella and the Ice Slipper”  plays at the Gladstone Theatre until January  6. There are several matinees. For tickets and info all 613-233-4523

For more details see their site:        OttawaMusicals@gmail.com

Director / producer     Matt Cassidy

Writer  Ken MacDougall

Musical director  Wendy Berkelaar

Original music  Jonathan Evans  (“Dreamin” and  “Cold Hands Warm Heart”)

Choreographer  Jessic Vandenberg

Artistic director/ producer       Sarah Cassidy

Lightingand sound design  Matt Cassidy

Costumes, props and set design  Lu-Anne Connell

Graphic design, and video     Matt Connell



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