DIARY/JOURNAL INTIME: Guest Review by Sean Allan
DIARY/JOURNAL INTIME
Choreographer: Helene Blackburn
Vancouver East Cultural Centre
A Cas Public Production
September 29th to October 3rd
Vancouver, BC: BLUE JEANS AND POINT SHOES
This is dance theatre that you can take your husband to….and your teens…and anyone else you can think of. The opening offering of the Cultch Family Series is a knock-out. The re-furbished Cultch main stage was bathed in the light of a thousand candles being arranged and moved about by the seven members of the company, the men in jeans and the women in point shoes, as the audience entered the theatre.
Via Beatrice
Via Beatrice
Written by Jenn Griffin
Composed and musically directed by Peggy Lee
Directed by Matthew Bisset
Fugue Theatre
Playwrights Theatre Centre, Granville Island
13th - 22nd August, 2009
Vancouver, BC: Almost exactly a year ago I watched a staged reading of an early version of Via Beatrice at the Playwrights Theatre Centre. At the time I commented on my Works in Progress page commentary that " It is always a privilege to get a peek into the creation of a new work, and then, hopefully, to see a full production of the finished version." And it really was exciting to see the polished production that this work has become in a year.
Often workshopped plays will have a totally different cast in final production but the original cast at the staged reading, Laura Di Cicco (Beatrice /Nicole), Lucia Frangione (Diana/Lucrezia) and Marco Soriano (Alessandro/Francesco/Amato), and musicians, Peggy Lee and Rob Samworth form the ensemble that has lived with this work for the year, and it shows in the smoothness and ease of their interactions. Di Cicco was utterly charming as the waitress/Beatrice character and Frangione played Diane's emotional fragility very well. Soriano, was equally charming as mercurial tour guide Alessandro who has problems of his own.
Thoroughly Modern Millie
Thoroughly Modern Millie Book by Richard Morris and Richard Scanlan
New music by Jeanine Tesori and new lyrics by Richard Scanlan
Directed by Shel Piercy
Choreographer Shelley Stewart Hunt
Music director Christopher King
Vancouver BC: The stage musical of Thoroughly Modern Millie was adapted from the 1967 film musical movie with Julie Andrews in the title role. In the stage version Millie is from Kansas and has come to New York to find herself a millionaire to marry. New music was added for the stage version and other changes made but for fresh-into-town Millie, a modern woman in the Prohibition era, it is still money not love that matters.
There are two interwoven story lines, both rather thin in content. Millie Dillmount (Diana Kaarina) , a naive new arrival in the Big Apple, encounters Jimmy Smith (Danny Balkwill), erstwhile paper clip salesman, who sends her to the Hotel Priscilla, a boarding house filled with young would-be actresses who can't pay their rent. Presiding over this seedy place is Mrs. Meers (Sarah Rodgers) who unbeknownst to the girls or Jimmy, is a kidnapper for a white slavery ring, and has just "disappeared" one of her residents. In the meanwhile Millie is determined to win the heart of her new boss, Trevor Graydon (Seth Drabinsky) and marry him, whether she loves him or not. Into the picture comes rich girl Miss Dorothy Brown (Meghan Anderssen) to learn about how the not-so rich live. Graydon falls for her - but so does one of two brothers from Hong Hong, working as laundry men for Mrs. Meers. Well, I did say the story lines are weak.
However the performances are not. This is an excellent production. The standout performance of Diana Kaarina as Millie is well supported by the excellent singing and dancing of the ensemble as a whole. I loved Shelley Hunt's choreography. The tap numbers made me wish I hadn't switched to ballet when I was five!
Richard II
Richard II by William ShakespeareDirected by Christopher Weddell
Studio Stage at Vanier Park
Bard on the Beach
till September 18, 2009
Vancouver, BC:
Vancouver's Bard on the Beach Company has undertaken as a "noble goal" to stage Shakespeare's entire dramatic canon by the 25th anniversary of the company, five years hence. As part of this ambitious objective, Bard will be presenting a cycle of Shakespeare's History Plays through the 2009 to 2011 seasons as discussed in my How They See It Chat with Bard Artistic Director, Christopher Gaze.This year's staging of Richard II starts this series of plays. While most people have some familiarity with the more frequently produced story of Shakespeare's twisted, malevolent, murdering Richard III, I suspect that, like I until recently, they don't know too much about where Richard II fits into the whole English kings / Wars of the Roses saga.
Here is a bit of the pre-history.
King Edward III had five sons who survived to adulthood. The oldest , Edward the Black Prince was the father of Richard. When the Black Prince died, Richard became the heir apparent and a year later, on the death of Edward III, the 10 year old Richard succeeded his grandfather as King of England. The country was governed by councils until Richard was old enough to rule. Two of Richard's uncles, John of Gaunt, a man of influence and power, and Edmund, Duke of York, and their sons also play important parts in Shakespeare's version of events. The murder of a third uncle, the Duke of Gloucester is the trigger that initiates the events in Richrd II.
When the play begins King Richard II (Haig Sutherland) has a problem. His cousin Henry Bolingbroke (John Murphy) has accused Sir Thomas Mowbray (Craig Erickson) of murdering Riichard's uncle the Duke of Gloucester. Rumour has it that Richard had secretly ordered the murder. The king decides that Bolingbroke and Gloucester may duel it out, but before the fight begins, Richard exiles Bolingbroke for ten years and banishes Mowbray for life. Bolingbroke leaves, and shortly thereafter his father, John of Gaunt (Duncan Fraser), dies. The King needs money to suppress a rebellion in Ireland so he disinherits Bolingbroke, grabs the estate and takes off to Ireland, leaving his uncle, Duke of York (David Marr) in charge. Bolingbroke comes back to England to demand his inheritance be restored. The populace support Bolingbroke and not Richard. The king's pals, Sir John Bushy (Craig Erickson) and Sir Henry Green (Ashley O'Connell) wont defend him. Having screwed up royally, so to speak, in Ireland, Richard arrives back in England with no army and no support. He cedes his crown to Bolingbroke who becomes King Henry IV. Bolingbroke expresses concern about his son, Henry, who is running wild in bad company - setting the storyline up for Henry IV parts 1 and 2. Richard goes to prison to reflect on his life and folly but is murdered there by Exton (Craig Erickson).. The new king is "horrified" when told of the murder, exiles Exton, and decides to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to atone. All's Well that Ends Well
All's Well that Ends Well by William ShakespeareDirected by Rachel Ditor
Douglas Campbell Studio Stage at Vanier Park
Bard on the Beach
till September 19, 2009
Vancouver, BC: All's Well that Ends Well is all about Helena, a young woman, in love with a man who is above her social class and can't see beyond her lower status to appreciate her many virtues. With a plot that incorporates common theatrical devices of disguised identities, token rings, and a buffoonish braggart who gets his come-uppance, Lois Anderson's vibrant portrayal of the intelligent, resourceful, though lovesick Helena provides the tensile strength that holds the play together. With every emotion, from adoration to pain, expressed with subtlety through eyes and voice, she brings an innate dignity to Helena that makes it clear why she is adored by everyone except the foolish Bertram.
The Jessies 2009: Vancouver's theatre awards
Last night I made my way gingerly along a dusty, construction-damaged Granville Street, to the Commodore Ballroom where Vancouver's theatre community gathered to celebrate another year of amazing theatre. It is always interesting to see how the nominations and the final award winners stack up against what I thought during the year of play-going, and what details I can remember of the many productions. As well, the productions nominated are only a portion of the many shows staged here - Vancouver has a great theatre scene, and often I find that there are more things available to see than hours to see them in. Any way here is the list of finalists with links to those plays I managed to review during the year and featured pictures. Congratulations to all the nominees, and of course to the Jessie winners
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role
Jay Brazeau, The Drowsy Chaperone, Playhouse Theatre Company
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Lead Role
Jennifer Lines, The Tempest, Bard on the Beach
Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Simon Bradbury, Titus Andronicus, Bard on the Beach
Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting RoleMargo Kane, Where the Blood Mixes, Playhouse Theatre Company & The Savage Society
Outstanding Lighting Design
Alan Brodie, Miss Julie: Freedom Summer, Playhouse Theatre Company
Outstanding Set Design
Ken MacDonald, The Constant Wife, Arts Club Theatre Company
Outstanding Costume Design
Nancy Bryant, The Constant Wife, Arts Club Theatre Company
Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition
Alessandro Juliani, The Tempest, Bard on the Beach
Outstanding Direction Max Reimer, The Drowsy Chaperone, Playhouse Theatre Company
Outstanding Production
The Drowsy Chaperone,Playhouse Theatre Company
Significant Artistic Achievement
Alan Brodie, Patrick Clark, Jamie Nesbitt,
Exceptional Integration of Visual Design,
Frost/Nixon, Playhouse Theatre Company
The Comedy of Errors
The Comedy of Errors by William ShakespeareDirected by David Mackay
Mainstage at Vanier Park
Bard on the Beach
until September 26th, 2009
Vancouver, BC: It's probably the quarter of a decade that I spent at the BC Childen's and Women's Hospitals that had me wondering what sort of whacky comedy the Bard could have constructed in today's obstetrical environment where twin births are old hat compared to the birth of sextuplets, septuplets or even octuplets! Imagine the complications of mistaken identity that could ensue with sextuplets farmed out at birth - and they don't even have to be identical for their closest friends and lovers to be confused. Think of it. Folks couldn't even distinguish Viola from her twin brother Sebastian in Twelfth Night!
Review From The House: Palace of the End
Palace of the End by Judith Thompson
Directed by David Bloom, Katrina Dunn, Mindy Parfitt
PAL Theatre, Cardero Street
Touchstone Theatre with Felix Culpa and Horsehoes & Hand Grenades Theatre
May 21 to June 6, 2009
Vancouver, BC: This production of Palace of the End is a simply stunning theatrical experience. Thompson has crafted three powerful monologues based on three real people each with a connection to contemporary Iraq and all three monologues are superbly performed. Although based on news stories and research, as Thompson remarks in the playwright's notes - "the persona ...of each speaker has been created by me." And of course the words they speak spring from her imagination. Yet for me the authentic voices of these three characters ring out in a compelling and utterly believable way.
My Pyramids portrays Lynndie England, the young American soldier who justly or not, became the media symbol of the soldiers charged with abusing Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison. Thompson imagines her on office duty, awaiting trial, after fellow reservist Charles Graner the man who impregnated her, (later to marry another fellow soldier), has been jailed for his part in the abuse.
