HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1993-06-23, Page 31Open House
The families of Allan and
Mary McTaggart cordially
Invite you to their
75th Birthday Celebration
Saturday, July 3, 1993.
Open House from 2 - 4 p.m.
In the
North Street United Church
56 North Street, Goderich
SATURDAY NIGHT
SINGLE BINGO
AT THE GODERICH COLUMBUS CENTRE
'4,250 TOTAL PRIZE
MONEY
Doors Open 5:30 p.m. BINGO 7:00 PM SHARP
'1,500 JACKPOT MUST GO!
71" -
-44Fir
:AV • PARK THEATRE ..All :or. ,ffs&- GOOERICH 524-7811 —,-.
Fri. - Tues
June 25 - 29
7 p.m. NITELY
"DRAGON' DEFINITELY DELIVERS!"
• Ilrokr111111.wm,1,AVII,IT MAGVINE
Il
THE BRUCE LEE STORY 4141,11.11111111'
*111/L4 011011/177NA1IL"
Fri. - Tues
TUOPIi4
-Brian Linehan. CFRB/STANDARD BROADCASTING
WHOOPI GOLDBERG TED DANSON
MERICA
June 25 - 29 9:15 p.m. PARENTAL
I GUIDANCE
COMING
SOON
5-3438 FOR TOLL FREE MOVIE INFO LONG DISTANCE? CALL 1-800-
THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1993. PAGE 31.
E ntertainment
`A Word or Two from Christopher
Plummer' at Stratford Festival
`Gypsy' entertains you
Eye catching
Monique Lund as the infamous stripper Gypsy Rose Lee
gives a new twist to the "Red, White and Blue" from this
scene in the Stratford Festival production of Gypsy.
By Bonnie Gropp
And if you're real good, make
you feel good.
I want your spirits to climb.
So let me entertain you, and we'll
have a real good time, yes sir.
We'll have a real good time.
That was exactly what I expected
when I attended the Stratford Festi-
val production of Gypsy recently,
and for the most part that's what I
The costumes, lighting and set
lesign were outstanding; produc-
ion large and lavish. The cast was
good, and with the book by Arthur
Laments, music by Jules Styne and
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim how
could it miss?
Unfortunately, perhaps I was too
Continued from page 1
season it puts us on budget and on
mark. Last year we didn't record a
sell-out until August," says Mr.
Peacock.
Noting the high quality produc-
tion for the remainder of the sea-
son, Mr. Peacock says the task now
is to "keep momentum going."
Pete (Artistic Director Peter
Smith) has put together unequivo-
cally one of the best seasons ever.
It fits together well. We are looking
at the season on a week to week
basis. We're being cautious in
tired, but the spark just wasn't there
for me, at least not in the first act.
I perked up, however, in the sec-
ond act when the play's focus shifts
a little more to Gypsy than on her
mother Rose. The deceptive thing
about Gypsy is that the main char-
acter is not the title role. "Mama"
Rose Hovick, portrayed in the orig-
inal by the inimitable Ethel Mer-
man, is a backstage mom who
pushes her girls, June and Louise,
into the vaudeville circuit.
June, the effervescent blonde, is
eager for the bright lights, but
eventually tires of Rose's manipula-
tions. She elopes at the age of 13
with Tulsa, a hoofer in the family's
act.
Her older sister, Louise, is the
ugly duckling, shy and pleased to
terms of cost control."
Looking at the financial woes the
theatre experienced last year, Mr.
Peacock says though the festival is
"not out of the woods, yet", thanks
to the success of Many Hands
things are in good shape. "We
couldn't have had a better start," he
said.
Give your old toys, clothes
and furniture to charity
instead of throwing
them away.
walk in her sister's shadow. How-
ever, when June runs off, Rose
focuses her suffocating energies on
Louise. The road to success eventu-
ally leads the introvert to become
the infamous stripper Gypsy Rose
Lee.
When the word brazen comes to
mind, it should be beside a picture
of Rose. Brassy and brash, she is a
woman who in her own words,
"was born too soon." Confident and
assertive, she would have been a
natural on the stage, as natural as
her portrayal must have been to
Merman.
In the Stratford production, San-
dra O'Neill, with a voice that raises
the roof, is a worthy successor, but
its Monique Lund as Louise who
demands attention. Ms Lund has a
voice that is clear, pure and confi-
dent. Her transformation from
ingenue to burlesque queen was as
smooth as a shot of Kentucky bour-
bon.
The rest of the cast, including tal-
ented moppets Becky Shanks and
Stacey Wheal, who played the
young Louise and June, respective-
ly, did an able job in the energetic
production. Peter Donaldson,
played the role of Herbie, the act's
agent and Rose's long-suffering
love interest, with a natural ease.
Karen K. Edissi as Mazepa, Mary
Pitt as Tessie Tura and Mari Train-
or as Electra, were a trio of
overblown strippers, whose gim-
micks were the highlight of the
show.
Director Brian MacDonald's
choreography was simple, yet ener-
getic enough to keep the pace live-
ly.
Though the humour at times
lacks sophistication, there was
enough suggestion thrown in to
please today's modern audiences.
The music, with such gems as
"Everything's Coming up Roses",
"Small World" and Together,
Wherever We Go", are familiar
favourites that continue to lift spir-
its on their own.
Stratford's Gypsy is entertaining,
visually and vocally, with few
weak moments. Unfortunately, my
high expectations buoyed perhaps
by the mesmerizing examples of
recent musical productions at Strat-
ford such as Guys and Dolls in
1990, were flattened just a little.
However, as I couldn't pinpoint
anything in particular I'll blame my
mood and assume that had it been a
different evening my spirits would
have climbed.
The Stratford Festival is proud to
announce that Christopher
Plummer will return to the
Stratford stage for the first time in
26 years in a benefit performance
of his one-man show A Word or
Two, Before You Go.
The performance will take place
on Tuesday, July 13, which is the
40th Anniversary of the first
performance in the original
Stratford Festival Tent on July 13,
1953.
Since he began his professional
career at the age of 17, Christopher
Plummer has portrayed most of the
great classic roles, on both sides of
the Atlantic. He debuted at
Stratford as Henry V in Michael
Langham's 1956 production, and
played the title role in Hamlet and
Aguecheek in Twelfth Night in
1957, the first season in the
permanent theatre.
Tickets for this unique benefit
performance are $150 for Gala
seating, (which includes a post-
performance reception and tax
receipt for the maximum amount
allowable), $75, $60 and $50, and
can be purchased through the
Stratford Festival Box Office.
Happy 16th Dauph
Love, your Best Buds
BLYTH LIONS
50's & 60's
DANCE
Eddie &
the Edsels
SAT. JUNE 26TH
8:00 to 1:00
BLYTH COMMUNITY
CENTRE
LUNCH AVAILABLE
BUCK & DOE
for
Dave Vantyghem
and
Darlene Buffinga
Saturday June 26, 1993
Stanley Twp. Complex
For more Information
call 233-5022
Happy 18th
Birthday Rob
From the Gang
Theatre review
Community Play on budget