HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1989-08-02, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1989.
Theatre review
‘Dreamland’ recreates 1930’s magic with style
BY BONNIE GROPP
As the house lights dim and the
stage brightens, ‘Dreamland’
transports you to the thirties, the
romantic era of Gatsby, big bands,
and summer dance halls. A superb
Dreamy
Patricia Vanstone and Greg Ellwand as Rose and Linden Russell are just two of the 30-some
performers involved in Blyth Festival’s musical extravaganza ‘Dreamland’. This impressive
production is appearing at Blyth until August 29.
Entertainment
cast, excellent original score and
exciting choreography highlight
this Blyth Festival production
which premiered on Wednesday,
July 26.
This musical extravaganza writ
ten by Raymond Storey and John
Roby focuses around the memories
of Rose Russell’s days at the
Dreamland, a crystal palace owned
by the Russels. Following the death
of her husband, Linday, Mrs.
Russell is forced to sell the once
popular dance pavillion. While she
stands in the delapidated struc
ture, watching her family prepare
for the auction, she is confronted
by nostalgic recollections that take
her back to 1933.
The cast of Dreamland is large,
involving up to 33 people on stage
and the polished performers give
solid portrayals throughout. While
none of the major characters stands
out noticeably above the rest in his
performance, all are worthy of
mention.
Patricia Vanstone appeared in
1987’s ‘Girls In The Gang’, for
which she received a Dora nomina
tion in the Toronto production. Her
portrayal of Young Rose is a
poignant demonstration of inner
beauty and strength. As she dis
covers her husband Lindy’s flirta
tion with femme fatale, Arlene
Daly - portrayed superbly by pretty
Blyth newcommer Melissa Bell -
she handles the situation with class
and forceful determination.
The role of the devastatingly
charming Lindy Russell is played
with alacrity by handsome Greg
Ellwand.
Jerry Franken and David Storch
in the characters of Wes Legatt and
Young Wes, respectively, did a fine
job of playing the same person at
two stages of his life, managing to
keep similar traits of Wes’s charac
ter, like his optimism and simpli
city, in both portrayals.
Denise Kennedy and Michelle
Fisk as the effervescent Brush
Twins, Bea and Margie, were
delightful. Both actresses have
excellent comedic ability, espe
cially Ms. Kennedy with her mar
velously expressive face.
Diane Belshaw gave a forceful
portrayal of Rose Russell, a woman
who must come to terms with the
death of her husband, her memor
ies and the loss of Dreamland.
Penny Russell, played by the
well-known Laurel Paetz, and
award-winning Kevin Bundy as her
brother Ricky, aptly depict young
adults faced with a grieving parent.
And Kerry Dorey as the wealthy,
Loren Packet is good as a spoilt,
disturbed young man.
Finally, while young Jeneanne
Smith, who makes her professional
acting debut as Lynette Forman,
may not be an accomplished ac
tress as yet her rendition of the
ballad “Away from Home’’ is
hauntingly beautiful. She may pos
sibly have the best voice in the
production.
The musical score by John Roby
is original, yet remains in keeping
with the style and rhythm of the
time. Mr. Roby claims to have used
famous composers Fats Waller,
Duke Ellington, and Hogey Car
michael as his inspirations and the
result is accurate, inspired, and
entertaining.
Choreography by Susan McKen
zie is energetic and fun, without
being too intricate for the able
dancers to execute smoothly on the
tiny Blyth stage.
Charlotte Dean’s set design is
understated and effectively utilizes
the minimal space.
The costumes for those involved
in the thirties scenes were stark
hues of grey, black and white,
giving the appearance of an early
photograph.
Dreamland really only has two
tiny flaws. The music that imagina
tively interacts at various times
with the action makes it hard to
watch all that is happening. Were
this not such a good production that
wouldn’t be a problem. As it is,
however, you don’t want to miss
anything.
Also, the script has an aesthetic
Continued on page 23
Another
crop of plays
workshopped
During the month of August,
theatre lovers will be able to sit in
on some of the six new plays that
the Blyth Festival is revising
during their summer workshop.
Peter Smith, Associate Art Dir
ector at the Festival said “Our
workshops ... offer playwrights an
opportunity vo try out their work
with professional actors and direc
tors to create the best piece of
writing possible.’’ The Festival
receives hundreds of scripts to be
workshopped every year he added.
Some of the playwrights to
receive this opportunity are Lorna
Wilson who with Terry Tweed and
Diana Belshaw who wrote “Mid
Term Break’’ Lorna Wilson will
star in the play while her co-writers
direct the piece. The play tells the
story of a woman teacher at a crisis
in her career and will be presented
on August 8 and 9 at the Dinsley
Street Garage.
Robert Clinton (author of the
‘Mail Order Bride’) also has a new
play, “The Hometown Boy’’. The
play “Waves”, which will appear
in the 1989/90 season of Theatre
Network, was written by Alberta
based Vic Albert and will be
presented in Blyth’s Blue room.
The other play open to the public
was written by Diego Matamoros of
Theatre Columbus and will be
workshopped under the direction of
Leah Cherniak, the Artistic Direc
tor of Theatre Columbus.
Other plays that won’t receive a
public reading are “Dorian” by
Ted Dykstra and Steven Mayoff
and “Falling Back Home” by
Winnipeg based playwright, Sean
Dixon.
CLASSIFIED - FAST - DEPENDABLE - HIGHLY VISIBLE
Call Blyth 523-4792 or Brussels 887-9114
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