The Citizen, 1990-05-02, Page 25THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1990. PAGE 23.
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Theatre Review
‘Girls’ prospers on Grand scale
BY KEITH ROULSTON
One of the fascinations of seeing
a second production of a play
originated here at the Blyth Festi
val is the chance to see how the
play stands up over time, and how
a different theatre shapes the
production. The Grand Theatre’s
production of “Girls in the Gang’’
shows a big theatre can help make
a good play better.
One of the problems with the
Blyth production of the musical
about the infamous Boyd Gang of
Toronto bank robbers in 1987 was
that the tiny Blyth stage cramped
the action. The huge stage at the
Grand lets the show soar ...
literally, as the set goes 30 feet or
more in the air. The intimacy of the
Blyth theatre made it hard to
balance the orchestra with the
actors so that parts of the show
where dialogue was spoken over
music were almost unintelligible to
many patrons. The large auditor
ium at the Grand, and the fact all
the performers wore microphones,
helped balance the sound and let
people hear everything that was
going on.
The cast at the Grand is strong
across the board, just as it was in
Blyth. The women are less beauti
ful and glamorous in the Blyth
production but perhaps that’s as it
should be when you realize they are
the wives and girlfriends of real-life
criminals. Kate Hennig gets many
of the good lines as the hard-bitten
Mary Mitchell and she makes the
most of them. Bridget O’Sullivan
gives a goose-pimple raising ver
sion of “No Girls Allowed’’ at the
end of the play after two of the
Boyd gang have been hanged and
the rest are off in prison.
Mary Trainer plays Doreen, wife
of gang leader Edwin Alonzo Boyd,
who has a hilarious turnaround
from being angry when she finds
her husband is a bank robber to
defending the honour of the gang
against slanderous newspaper
coverage. Marion Adler as the
quiet Ann Jackson provides
another strong singing voice in
“Like You’re in Love’’.
The men are definitely second
ianists shows their talents
fiddle in this show even though
they get the action of robbing
banks and escaping jail cells
(there’s a spectacular jailbreak
which was marred at Friday night’s
opening when a winch used by one
actor failed to work).
Craig Elridge, David Rosser,
Clifford Saunders and Daniel Kash
were all strong as the members of
the gang but it was harder to
believe Kash as the young and
handsome Steven Suchan who had
two women fighting for him than it
was the actor who originated the
role in Blyth.
The music of John Roby and
Raymond Storey is the start of the
show. It ranges from the hog jazz of
“Can’t Stop the Heat’’ to the
rumba influence of “It’s The High
Life”. But perhaps the tone of
the show is best summed up by
“Let’s Go Home for Christmas”.
It’s a beautiful, nostalgic ballad
that could be included on any
Christmas album but the authors
undercut the sentiment by inter
rupting the song for the latest
bankrobberies of the Boyd Gang.
The Grand production puts
plenty of spectacle into the show,
Ontario’s only open competition
for traditional square and step
dancing, outside of the Royal
Winter Fair competition, is threat
ened by a lack of competitors.
This annual event will be held for
the 33rd time on June 22-24 this
year. The new committee formed to
revitalize the event is searching for
new competitors. The number of
square dance sets competing this
past year fell to a low of only 12
sets. At one time as many as 30
sets participated in the weekend
competition.
Organization spokesmen have
expressed confidence that addi
tional competitors exist. Given that
callers from Vancouver, Toronto
and Montreal square dance clubs
were recently interviewed on CBC
radio, the challenge they perceive
is to attract these unknown sets to
the Dundalk village competition.
To accomplish this, a new organ
ization has been formed to breathe
new life into this traditional week
end event.
Also new for 1990 will be the
Sunday afternoon jamboree with
live performances by various
groups and a beer garden.
To accommodate out of town
residents who intend to camp in the
local Lions Club park a strict
curtailment of parties after mid
night has been suggested.
FromJ.,S.&K.
Gotcha!
/ - . "X the
Blyth
Ipp
BY MELDA McELROY
The annual piano recital of
Shirley E. Vincent, A.R.T.C. - this
year’s recital was held on April 23
in the Blyth United Church -
affords the audience a variety of
pleasures.
Preceding the opening remarks,
they enjoy perusing the art work on
the cover, and the contents of the
programs. This year, a recital
student had skillfully pen sketched
the architecture of her home piano
and printed on its face board,
“Piano Recital 1990”. A novel idea
for the cover that was appreciated.
Too bad that it lacked the name or
even the modest artist’s initials.
Next, the audience enjoyed read
ing the intriguing titles of 32
compositions to be played in solo or
duet: titles for Juniors like “Sing
Bird Sing”, “Waltzing Ele
phants”, “Moonlight Mist”, and
more; and titles for the Classical
numbers of Senior students.
Among them were “Chanson, Son
ata in G Major”, “Nocturn” and
“Moonlight Sonata” which was the
closing number beautifully render
ed by the only Grade X student,
Laurie Little.
The greatest pleasure for the
audience, of course, was the high
quality of the 1990 recital, to name
HP distinct aspects of this, -- the
7] feet ion of memory work which
resulted in abundant self confi
dence; and the sensitive modula
tion of tone which, when required,
produced a high degree of sweet
ness, and, when required, pro
duced a burst of energy. Never was
there a boring moment 1
Many of the audience probably
were unaware of other skills and
ambitions of the recital partici
pants. A youngster, a beginner on
piano, has made many assists and
scored often in hockey games. A
young miss was top winner at a
recent science fair. She became
interested in the research for a
solution to eradicate yellow wasps
and after painstaking work was
successful.
Another recital performer played
a major roll in a volleyball tourna
ment win with her powerful spike.
These are just a few of the skills
that the recital audience did not
know about. Had they known, their
enjoyment at what they were
hearing and seeing, might have
increased still further.
Perseverance in practicing music
lessons brings a big reward in
school courses. A grade 8 certifi
cate in piano coupled with a Grade
2 Rudiment certificate means one
fewer school subject to study to
obtain the important Grade XII
Certificate.
The audience also found this
year’s procedure for closing the
recital most interesting: the grati
tude expressed to the performers
and audience by Rev Lorenzo
Ramirez; the teacher’s high praise
for her 32 students who has
excelled themselves; the original
poem read by Diane Ferguson in
appreciation of Shirley Vincent’s
dedicated work; and the gift from
the 32 performing artists of two
handsome lawn chairs presented
by Kim Ferguson and Abigail
Ramirez. In their choice, they had
kept husband Ray Vincent in mind.
As is the custom, the entire
proceeds from the Recital went to
the U.C.W.’s Evening Unit of
which Shirley is a member.
Best wishes for great success are
extended to Mrs. Vincent’s stu
dents who are trying a Rudiment
exam in May, and a Piano exam in
June.
The following are the names of
the 1990 Vincent recital performers
and their piano grades: Grade 10,
Laurie Little; Grade 9, Sherri Lavis,
Roxanne Kernighan (guest);
Grade 8, John Ramirez, Stephanie
Lentz, Nicole Middlekamp; Grade
7, Darrell Lavis, Andrew Perrie;
Grade 5, Erica Clark, Pauline
Stewart, Kim Ferguson, Jodee
Medd, Amanda Hickey, Erin Hic
key and Dianne Hallahan; Grade 4,
Maryanne Perrie, Evan Hickey
Shawna Walker, Tammy Middle
kamp and Abigail Ramirez; Grade
2, Shawn Clark and Bradly Hickey;
Grade 1, Tammy Walker, Michael
Courtney, Jennifer Brigham, Jeff
Ferguson; Beginners, Josh Middle
kamp, Elisha Courtney, Tina Burk
holder, Kurt Lentz, Ashley How-
son, Kevin Hallahan and Rhonda
Gibbons.
Eight of these soloist performers
also played duets.
not only with its spectacular set by
Astrid Janson, but with exploding
flashpots and swirling lights. The
show deserves the kind of attention
that only a theatre with bigger
budgets and more facilities can
give it.
25t&.
MAY 1ST
Weekend
Specials
MAY4-MAY26
MMMMother’s
Day
Watch next week's paper
for details on a
FANTASTIC SALE EVENT
Blyth
523-4331
From the Jacklins&
the Rutledges
The Huron Provincial
Progressive
Conservative
Association
I Meeting
will be held on
MAY 12, 1990
at 12:00 noon
at the Stanley Township Complex
Varna, Ontario
A luncheon will be provided at 11 ;30 a.m.
(Cost: $5.00). For further information call
522-1641.
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Phone 357-1630 for 24 hour movie information
Playing from Friday to Thursday May 4th to 10th
SHOWTIMES: Friday and Saturday at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m.
Sunday to Thursday one show each evening at 8:00 p.m.
FILM
WITH
OF
Solar Imnotata ol the
tmmacutate ConcepUon
NUH
RENTAL TV V
1
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1
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1
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CHICKEN
& CHIPS
DINNER
FRIDAY&SATURDAY
5:00P.M.-8:00P.M.
BUY ONE &
GET ONE FOR
y2 PRICE
SPECIALS
APPLY
TO EAT-IN
OR TAKE OUT
ORDERS
the
Blytft Ipp
523-9381