Anything Goes
Music and lyrics by Cole Porter
Original book by PG Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, Russell Crouse, Howard Lindsay
New book by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman
Director Sarah Rodgers
Music Director Christopher King; Choreographer Dayna Tekatch
Theatre Under the Stars,
Malkin Bowl, Stanley Park
Alternating nights July 13 to August 20th, 2011
Vancouver, BC: As we sat at a window table enjoying an exceptionally good pre-show meal at the new Ensemble restaurant, we watched raindrops spattering on the pavement. It looked like the weather forecasts were correct and the opening night of Anything Goes would take place under wet skies.
By the time we walked into Malkin Bowl to find our seats the sky had temporarily cleared but before the show began the drizzle started up again and the TUTS volunteers were handing out transparent ponchos to keep everyone in the audience dry.
But not even the rain could decrease my appreciation of Cole Porter's marvelous musical. Anything Goes is one of my favorites because almost every tune is a "stick in the head" kind of melody. My IPod ballroom dance music collection has quickstep versions of "It's De-Lovely", "You're the Top" and "I Get a Kick out of You", and I think I have most of Porter's clever lyrics permanently implanted in my brain. So I sang along silently in my head, and enjoyed the show a whole lot.
Bye Bye Birdie
Book by Michael Stewart; Music by Charles Strouse; Lyrics by Lee Adams
Director Shel Piercy
Music Director Kevin Michael Cripps; Choreographer Shelley Stewart-Hunt
Theatre Under the Stars,
Malkin Bowl, Stanley Park
Alternating nights July 12 to August 20th, 2010
Vancouver, BC: It is summertime in Vancouver - sort of - and Theatre Under The Stars is back for its 65th season. After an early meal at Le Bistro de Paris, we were looking forward to the opening night of Bye Bye Birdie, which runs alternate evenings with one of my favorite musicals,Anything Goes, which is packed with songs by the fabulous Cole Porter.
It's easy to see why Bye Bye Birdie is a favorite musical for high school and college shows. Inspired by the 1958 drafting of Elvis Presley into the US army, the storyline centers around rock and roll idol Conrad Birdie (Erik Gow), who is about to go overseas to serve his time in the army. His agent Albert (Daniel White) worries that this is the end of his business. His girlfriend / secretary Rosie (Lalainia Lindbjerg) who wants Albert to give up the music business, marry her and became an English teacher, has an idea for one last publicity stunt to make them rich. Conrad will record Albert's new song, One Last Kiss, and one lucky teenage fan, Kim (Amy Jean Mcelwain) from small-town Sweet Apple, Ohio, will be kissed by Conrad on the Ed Sullivan show. Of course nothing works out as planned but everything turns out happily in the end.
Singing in the Rain
Book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green; Songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed
Director Shel Piercy; Music Director Wendy Bross-Stewart; Choreographer Shelley Stewart-Hunt
Theatre Under the Stars,
Malkin Bowl, Stanley Park
Alternating nights to August 20th, 2010
Vancouver, BC. As much as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will enchant children this summer, adult audiences will enjoy this production of Singing in the Rain. Although the words "singing in the rain" can't help but evoke the iconic image of Gene Kelly in the 1952 movie, the fun this TUTS cast has with the story managed to get the movie images out of my mind.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
Directed by Shel Piercy;
Music Director Kevin Michael Cripps;
Choreographer Keri Minty
Theatre Under the Stars,
Malkin Bowl, Stanley Park
Alternating nights to August 20th, 2010
Vancouver, BC. TUTS could not have asked for a more perfect evening to open their 2010 season. The evening air was warm, and the strong winds that blew through Vancouver yesterday had moved on to bluster across another part of the province. This year TUTS have instituted reserved seating throughout, a move that seemed to be appreciated by all.
We arrived early, after enjoying a delicious meal at the Tapastree restaurant just off Denman Street, and sat down to enjoy the lively pre-show music.
Anything Goes
By the time we walked into Malkin Bowl to find our seats the sky had temporarily cleared but before the show began the drizzle started up again and the TUTS volunteers were handing out transparent ponchos to keep everyone in the audience dry.
Bye Bye Birdie
It's easy to see why Bye Bye Birdie is a favorite musical for high school and college shows. Inspired by the 1958 drafting of Elvis Presley into the US army, the storyline centers around rock and roll idol Conrad Birdie (Erik Gow), who is about to go overseas to serve his time in the army. His agent Albert (Daniel White) worries that this is the end of his business. His girlfriend / secretary Rosie (Lalainia Lindbjerg) who wants Albert to give up the music business, marry her and became an English teacher, has an idea for one last publicity stunt to make them rich. Conrad will record Albert's new song, One Last Kiss, and one lucky teenage fan, Kim (Amy Jean Mcelwain) from small-town Sweet Apple, Ohio, will be kissed by Conrad on the Ed Sullivan show. Of course nothing works out as planned but everything turns out happily in the end. 
Singing in the Rain
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Recent comments