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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1996-03-13, Page 23THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13, 1996 PAGE 23. E ntertainment gets 'Crazy' Centre stage Grand performance From left: Patricia Collins, Marion Gilsenan and Howard Jackson help bring to life A Little Night Music at London's Grand Theatre. The Broadway play, written by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler, is a certified hit to end this Grand season. Theatre review By Keith Roulston Beautiful music, witty lyrics, sumptuous costumes and a univer- sally talented cast, the Grand The- atre production of A Little Night Music has everything one would expect in a musical — except per- haps elaborate sets. Although A Little Night Music won six Tony Awards for compos- er and lyricist Stephen Sondheim and playwright Hugh Wheeler when it opened on Broadway in 1973, and although it contains one famous, haunting song (Send in the Clowns), the show remains some- thing of an unknown compared to more high profile hits like the mod- ern Phantom of the Opera. Ask anyone but Broadway musical con- noisseurs for a summary of the plot line and they'll be hard pressed to tell you. The story involves inter- connected couples and their loves and jealousies set early in the cen- tury in a vaguely Scandinavian country. But the strength of the piece is not in the plot but in the music and lyrics. Sondheim uses his witty lyrics to develop characters, advance the plot and provide humorous insights into human behaviour. Director Michael Shamata, artis- tic director at The Grand, has assembled a tremendously talented cast for this, the final production of the season. The performers show both acting and singing skills to bring the show to life. Benedict Campbell performs well both as a singer and actor as the aging Fredrik Egerman, who has married a teenaged wife (but hasn't consum- mated the marriage after nearly a year) but is still infatuated with an old flame, the actress Desiree Ann- feldt, played by Patricia Collins. Although Collins, alone among the cast, is no singer, there's only once in an early Song where the lack of vocal talent grates. Otherwise her acting strengths make the songs work, particularly in Send in the Clowns, her solo late in the perfor- mance. Mary Ellen Mahoney, who was in Blyth several years ago for the filming of the movie Blue City Slammers, provides one of the highlights of the evening as Count- ess Charlotte Malcolm who, despite humiliation from her husband's infidelities, continues to love her husband even to the point of help- ing in his assignations. She is so devastatingly funny that she becomes a sympathetic character instead of a fool. Bruce Clayton as her pompous husband, Kristin Gauthier as teenage wife, Marion Gilsenan as Desiree's mother and John Ullyatt as Fredrik's troubled son, all give strong performances, both acting and singing. CAPITOL THEATRE 291-3070 All Seats $4.25 LISTOWEL . Dolby Surround Sound Stereo . • STARTS FRIDAY • March 15 - 21 7 p.m. MR. WRONG (PG) 9 p.m. CITY HALL (Al Pacino) (AA) 2 p.m. Matinee Saturday - Free Paddyfest Matinee BALTO (F) Return Engagement Friday, Sunday - Thursday TOY STORY (F) Shamata may have introduced a new talent to Canadian audiences. Trish O'Brien, a recent immigrant from Ireland, is fine as the maid Petra but stunning when she sings her solo The Miller's Son. Backed by a 10-piece orchestra under the direction of Don Hors- burgh, the musical has a lush sound. The costumes by Susan Benson are gorgeous. John Fergu- son's set is inventive, a mostly-bare stage that makes use of a turntable to transform the scene quickly from on room to another, dropping tree silhouettes from the fly gallery to create a country atmosphere, but those looking for something elabo- rate will be disappointed. Shamata keeps the whole produc- tion moving with seldom a lapse, drawing strong performances from everyone in his cast of 17. The production has already been held over until March 30 giving Shamata a certified hit to end his first season at the helm of The Grand. BLYTH FESTIVAL SEASON ANNOUNCEMENT PARTY Thursday, March 14, 1996 5 p.m. Bainton Gallery Come and join in the fun, bring a potluck dish or Just drop by to get the news of the 1996 season first-hand from Artistic Director Janet Amos. Crazy For You, the Tony Award winning musical-comedy which has been bringing audiences to their feet around the world, comes to Kitchener's The Centre In The Square this June 4 to 9. This is a sparkling new produc- tion of the "All Singing! All Dancing! All Gershwin! hit that first wowed Broadway audiences in 1992. With its combination of classic songs by George and Ira Gershwin, wildly inventive tap-dancing and an Clinton hosts Dutch play The Woodstock Dutch Theatre will be coming to Clinton to present De Kerkestraat Is Een Keurige Straat, a Dutch language comedy. The Woodstock Dutch Theatre is the only Dutch-language theatre in Canada. The play, which translates to, Church Street is a Beautiful Street, is about a family which tries to fit in to their new upscale neighbourhood. The performance of the plan will be held at the Clinton Town Hall on Saturday, March 23 at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are available for $8 and are available until March 12. The price at the door is $10. To purchase tickets contact Sue Guetter at 482-9257 or Cory Haak at 482-7190. Proceeds from this event will be divided among the Children's Hospital of Ontario and the Clinton and District Christian School. Richard Dreyfuss Mr. Holland's Opus Fri. - Thurs. Mar. 15-21 8 PM Nitely LONG DISTANCE hilarious story of old-fashioned romance this is entertainment that the whole family will enjoy. Crazy For You includes 16 Gershwin standards such as Embraceable You, I Got Rhythm, But Not For Me, Things Are Looking Up, and Someone To Watch Over Me. The story, by Ken Ludwig (author of the hit comedy Lend Me A Tenor), is a dizzy romp that stretches from glamourous New York in the 1930s to Deadrock, Nevada, a worn-out mining town with 157 men and one girl. Small town hicks meet high-class glitz in a raucous display of mistaken identity, show-biz know-how and the triumph of true love. Tickets went on sale Saturday, March 9 at The Centre In The Square Box Office. To order contact The Centre In The Square Box Office at 519-578- 1570 or toll free 1-800-265-8977. HAPPY SWEET 16 ON MARCH 15 ERIN jetigtifiri Ta V1Fit Tit ont 4 13X41?-110toto Sat. & Sun. Mat. March 16 & 17 2 PM All Seats 54.00 `Night Music' has it all ACADEMY AWARD' NOMINEE BEST ACTOR - Richard Dreyfuss .44r • Ark Arr- • PARK THEATRE • 4r; MN: . :p MUNICH 524-7811 4111t- CALL 1-800-2654I4 FOR TOLL FREE MOVIE INFO