Scugog Choral Society's "Addams Family" is a zany trip down memory lane

THE ADDAMS FAMILY
Presented by SCS Musicals (Scugog Choral Society) and Port Perry Town Hall Players
Producer:  Liz Auston, Musical Director:  Alissa Smith, Director:  David Ellis

They’re finally here………. Ba da da dum (snap, snap); Ba da da dum (snap, snap) …. and …you know the rest.   ‘The Addams Family’ opened April 14 at Port Perry’s Town Hall and it’s worth checking it out if anything either to relive the zany and kooky humour from the old black and white tv show with John Astin and Carolyn Jones OR to remember reading the ghoulish Chas Addams cartoons.

A bit of history regarding the original cast of this musical comedy.  It opened in Chicago (with Nathan Lane as Gomez and Bebe Neuwirth as Morticia) to mostly panned reviews and commentaries.  Once a number of changes in the text (including book directors) were implemented the show travelled to the Great White Way with the same cast where it opened, once again, to a number of negative reviews.  But with Lane and Neuwirth at the helm (followed by a replacement cast of Roger Rees and Brooke Shields), the show played to mostly packed houses for a year before closing. There was a wonderful Equity touring production that played in Toronto a few years ago with yet another revision to the script that was to have been implemented in New York before the show closed.  From what I understand, it is this text that will be used in future professional and non-professional productions.

One final bit of history.  If you YOUTUBE ‘Clandango’, you can find the opening musical number to the Chicago production that never made it to Broadway and to the current text used. On a personal note, this musical number propels the story forward regarding Wednesday’s transition to womanhood far more than the one that is used in all productions.  Again, this is only a personal comment.

SCS is to be congratulated for producing ‘The Addams Family’ as it is one to which you can bring the entire family to enjoy.  As Gomez Addams, the tall and lanky Darren Klingenburg plays the patriarch with a wink of a caricature of all the great Latin lovers without crossing the line.  Kyffen Gaudet is slinky, slithery and sexy as the matriarch, Morticia.    In pairing these two, you have the makings of a couple that is truly hot for each other especially in the tango dance of the second act where they gaze at each other so longingly that you might have to throw cold water on them. 

Kathy Knight as the perpetually high and stoned 102-year-old grandmother (looking for some 90 year old hotties since she has one more round in her) is a hoot and provides many of the laughs.  Listen carefully, kids, as she provides Pugsley (Melissa Thornton) with some important information about reading a book.  Melissa Thornton is quite believable as the odd son, Pugsley, who loves to be tortured by his older sister, Wednesday (a lovely singing voice in Emily Tohana).  Wednesday has finally found her true love in the wholesome boy next door (a solid performance and singing voice of Richard De Jong) and wants to marry him.  She only wants one normal night for his up tight parents (convincingly played by real life couple Richard and Deborah De Jong) to meet her parents.  Normal night, you say, hah!!!!!!!  Far from it.  I don’t want to spoil the rest of the story for you.

Rounding out this cast are Uxbridge Town Crier, Bill McKee as the balding, weird of no specific sexuality Uncle Fester who narrates part of this story.  His love song to the Moon is quite hilarious.  We can’t forget the zombie butler, Lurch, (played for many laughs by David Hooker) who surprises all of us in the second act in something he does.  The company of the Addams Family Ancestors is a treat to watch as they work together as a real ensemble of players and help set the mood for specific scenes.  Not once do they ever upstage the action playing out in front of them.

A great deal of work has gone into the vocal work, set construction, costume design and make up for this production.  For the most part, I could hear the lyrics of most of the songs and I’m certain this will improve as performances continue.  I marveled at how easy set pieces were brought off and on in a matter of seconds.   The costumes were textured and layered nicely.  I can only imagine some of the cast must be called early to ensure they have time to put their make up on.   When you see the play, you’ll understand why.

Performances of ‘The Addams Family’ continue to April 23 at Port Perry’s Town Hall at 8 pm with some matinees at 2 pm.  For further information, visit their website for further information or call 905-985-8181.

Oshawa building community one piano at a time. artist submissions requested for 88 Keys Project

The City of Oshawa is seeking visual artists to transform a trio of upright pianos to be placed around the city. The 88 Keys Project will be unveiled July 2016 with pianos at Civic Square downtown, at Northview Community Centre and the South Oshawa Community Centre. The painted pianos will be available to the public for some ivory tickling of their own. Pianos as public art have been successful in many cities and places around the world. Locally pianos have been made available at The Pit at Durham College and as shown in the video below in Cobourg, Ont. Oshawa while known as the headquarters of General Motors Canada also was the site of piano making factories including R.S. Williams. Williams pianos were chosen by Queen Victoria for Windsor Palace. It would be a wonderful addition to the project if the pianos donated had been part of Oshawa’s industrial heritage. Piano donations are still welcome so if anyone has a Williams maybe, maybe? Artists have until Friday Apr. 15 to contact the city with their ideas for the project and an honorarium of $1500 will be awarded to each artist.

Rick Kerr, Joseph Lauria and John Lunman maintain pace with The Timekeepers

THE TIMEKEEPERS, Producer:  Carolyn Wilson, Director:  Phil Ireland, Performers:  Rick Kerr, Joseph Lauria, John Lunman

As theatregoers, we are acutely aware how a strong, dramatic impact of any play can leave a profound influence on us long after the curtain has come down.  We know that a play is good if we are thinking about a number of its issues in the days to follow.  This is how I felt after I had seen the London, New York and Toronto companies of Yasmina Reza’s ‘Art’ and John Patrick Shanley’s ‘Doubt, A Parable’.  Well, upon seeing Saturday night’s performance, I can count Dan Clancy’s ‘The Timekeepers’ up there as well. 

This past weekend’s performance is a clear indication that ‘The Timekeepers’ is so compelling and haunting that you will find yourself reflecting on it in the days to follow thanks to the extraordinary and moving work of three veteran performers and to the keen, sharp direction by Phil Ireland.  Staged in the intimate auditorium of Oshawa’s Arts Resource Centre by the Durham Shoestring Performers, the audience is immediately thrust into a claustrophobic cell in the concentration camp of Sachsenhausen, Germany.  The opening five-minute pre-performance is mesmerizing and simultaneously terrifying.

In his New York Times Review, Rob Kendt wrote “The Timekeepers” looks like yet another case study in concentration-camp psychodrama. Throw two contrasting characters — in this case, a Jewish artisan (Rick Kerr) and a gay hustler (Joseph Lauria) — into confinement and watch the sparks and, inevitably, their unconquerable common humanity fill the room.” Agreed, this play is a story of unconquerable common humanity, and yet, ‘The Timekeepers’ is more than this.  In his program notes, Mr. Ireland stated an interesting quote from Jane Yolen in ‘The Devil’s Arithmetic’: “fiction…can be that witness, that memory [to] remind us that the swallows still sing around the smokestacks.”  When you have three dynamic and experienced actors who continually reflect Kendt’s and Yolen’s messages throughout the production, you have the makings of a terrific night of live theatre.

Messrs. Kerr and Lauria hold the skilled acting chops to maintain the brisk, razor-edged duet of dialogue where we, as audience, never lose focus not even for a split second.   We are moved from fear to laughter and to tears in a matter of seconds in not knowing what is going to happen next.  On top of this, we never know when the brutal capo (a formidable and masterly performance by John Lunman) will arrive which heightens the tension moment by moment.   The sound of the ticking clock in each scene change to indicate the passage of time reverberates in the auditorium and in our memory.

Get to see this one before it closes!  ‘The Timekeepers’ continues at Oshawa’s Arts Resource Centre (behind Oshawa City Hall) March 30 – April 2 inclusive at 8 pm.  Tickets may be purchased at the door or visit the website for further information.

Oshawa Little Theatre's Sweeney Todd is a cut above the rest

SWEENEY TODD, Producer:  Johnny Soln, Music Director:  Lyle Corrigan, Director:  David Silvestri

Well, one of the grand daddies of all musicals opened March 23 at the Oshawa Little Theatre  in blazing glory.  ‘Sweeney Todd’ is one musical (and it’s not a comedy by any means, albeit there are some humorous moments) that most singers and actors would like to add to their resume.  Set in 19th century England, the story details the return of barber Sweeney Todd (a diabolical delivery by David Cardinal) to London after 15 years of exile in order to take revenge on the corrupt judge (an astounding performance by Tom Lynch) who banished him, by conspiring with a local baker, Mrs. Lovett (a wickedly attentive performance by Tabitha Alexis) who is in desperate need of fresh meat for her pies.  There are elements of the Parisian Grand Guignol in how Lovett and Todd conspire to turn the ‘worst pies’ in London to ones that are ‘oh, so good’.

Like a good number of Sondheim musicals, ‘Sweeney’ is one that is particularly difficult to sing because the music comprises so many harmonies and melodies. I am positive music director Lyle Corrigan would have had to work these singers and actors stringently to ensure those notes were hit.  Thank goodness the majority sported microphones as this is a show that requires every single word sung to be heard; otherwise, it is extremely easy to get lost either in the plot development or the orchestra overpowering the company.

Upon entering the auditorium, we are treated immediately to a veritable feast for the eyes.  Ian Handscomb and team’s spectacular set design combined with Colin Hughes’ stunning lighting effects transport us immediately to the London of long ago.   Once again, the costume team at OLT must be recognized for its painstaking work involved in selecting materials, textures and fabrics to complement each player whether he or she is a central character, supporting character or ensemble member.

As SWEENEY is a three-hour production with intermission, the pacing and staging are of utmost importance to director David Silvestri and, for the most part, the cast works diligently to maintain the momentum in propelling the story forward.  Some of those set pieces look extremely hard to manoeuver and, as performances continue, I’m sure all the marks will be hit quickly and safely.  There are some outstanding moments that need to be highlighted.  As the simpleton Tobias, Sheldon Suepaul tugs at our hearts as he sings “Not While I’m Around” to Mrs. Lovett.  I wondered how the murders would have been committed once the infamous barber’s chair was revealed – with the use of lights, each one is chilling to watch.  As lovebirds Johanna and Anthony, Taylor Rodkin and Jason Butler Burns convincingly juxtapose that goodness can and tries to exist in the dark underbelly of London.  Alison Braley-Rattai’s Beggar Woman captures beautifully the life of the poor and just that final element of sadness that sends Todd over the edge.  Jeremy Cook as Beadle continually senses how following the law is of utmost importance even though the world around him is crumbling.  Johnny Soln offers much needed laughter as the shyster, Pirelli, before the carnage begins.

What is most outstanding in this production, nevertheless, is the vocal work of the entire ensemble, and this would include when the principal players join in.  Once again, it is encouraging to see how many of these performers range from extensive work on other shows to those who are just beginning their involvement in community theatre.   Kudos to Lyle Corrigan as the singing in this production is comparable to what one would pay big bucks to see on the Mirvish stages in downtown Toronto.   

‘Sweeney Todd’ continues at the Oshawa Little Theatre March 25 – 31 and April 1 – 9 at 8 pm with some matinee performances at 2 pm.  Contact the box office at (905) 723-0282 or for further information.

Joe Szek: Dancyn Productions puts the best in Best Friends by Daryl Marks

BEST FRIENDS by Daryl Marks
Dancyn Productions
Produced by Linda Lyons and Zac Mansfield and Directed by Daryl Marks

by Joe Szek

The autobiographical ‘Best Friends’ opened Thursday February 25 as a labour of love for its playwright and director, Daryl Marks.  In the Program End notes, he tells us how the death of his dog, Shakespeare, had such a profound impact on him.  As anyone who has ever lost a pet can attest, we become attached to these ‘critters’ so much as they have become members of our family.  Although I have never owned a pet, I can recall how the death of the dog of my best friend, his wife and two boys left me with some emptiness for awhile each time I visited their home.

The premise of Marks’ play is interesting.  Shoe salesman/part time actor Turner (Paul Kit) is struggling in the aftermath of losing his dog, Dickens.  In a pub where people gather who have lost their pets, Turner meets troubled, free-lance photographer, Alice (Stephanie Koktan) whose own pooch, Daytona, is ill.  These two lost souls begin a slow, intimate connection dance on many levels.  As the story continues, we see how other people connected to Turner and Alice’s lives are interwoven into this story of laughter and hope.  A number of seasoned performers from Durham Region (Zade O’Blenes, Heather Sessions, Dave Drennan, Glenn Ottaway and Daniel Wyse) have assumed a variety of supporting roles to help propel the story forward.

Congratulations must be extended to DANCYN PRODUCTIONS, the newest live theatrical based company in the Durham Region.  It is to be highly commended for taking risks in showcasing original and, sometimes, unrecognized works.  Executive Producer and Company Director Joan Mansfield validates the plethora of talent within Durham and wants to extend as many opportunities as possible for local performing artists to be a part of DANCYN’S season.  The number of astonishing hours of work that DANCYN puts forward to transform a community events hall into a performance space is absolutely incredible.  As Arthur Miller once wrote in ‘Death of a Salesman’ that ‘attention must be paid to such a person’, audience attention and recognition must be paid to DANCYN for its selfless professionalism in wanting to promote and mount quality live theatrical productions.

‘Best Friends’ continues until March 5, 2016 at 8 pm with some matinee performances at 2 pm.  Tickets may be purchased at the door.