Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi -- UBC Opera

Story in 2 Sentences:
Suor Angelica kills herself. Gianni Schicchi pulls a fast one.
People Who should see this show:
Suor Angelica -- no one.
Gianni Schicchi -- everyone.


The tickets had SUOR ANGELICA in huge print, with Gianni Schicchi written underneath. Not the choice I would have made.

We entered the lobby, which was filled, it was nice to see, with a mix of ages. Lots of children and university students, middle-aged and old people. I like that in an opera audience. We found our seats, looked around us and waited.

Then came the speech, delivered by the Head of UBC voice and opera, Nancy Hermiston. God, I am sick of speeches before shows. If I want to know who the sponsors are, I will read the program.

At last, Suor Angelica. A boring story, predictably directed. Hermiston must have put a good deal of thought into how to ensure the cast always ended up in a semi-circle on stage, regardless of the action, entances, exits and narrative. Ruth Greenaway-Robbins was a convincingly distraught Suor Angelica, the only performer who played anything more than a characature. During group scenes, it was charming to see the lead actually acting, but when she played in a duet opposite Charlotte Burrage, the principessa, the juxtaposition of Greenaway-Robbins' shrieking histrionics with Burrage's confused stoicism was unbearably comic; if I had been the principessa, I would have thrown her into a convent too.

I was glad it was a one-act. I was amused to see Hermiston take the final bow.

The nuns sold 50-50 tickets in the intermission. Seriously. Now that is comedy.

Another speech preceded Gianni Schicchi. I ground my teeth a little, but it turned out to be a draw for the 50-50 tickets, and the first genuinely interesting moment of the evening, when the nun who was doing the draw discovered that she had pulled her mother's name.

Gianni Schicchi was brilliant from the first note. First of all, it's a funny story with beautiful music. Second, it was well performed and well directed. It was full of life at every moment, and I was interested to see what would happen next for the whole show. I had never heard of either opera before, but Gianni Schicchi did feature a familiar aria: "O Mio Babbino Caro," which was beautifully performed by Teresa Sedlmair.

Hermiston took a bow again, but this time I stopped clapping. Enough was enough.

Some Highlights:
Cameron McPhail's Gianni Schicchi: well acted and sung.
Teresa Sedlemair's Lauretta: brilliant aria.
Hany Janawati's Zita: I laughed every time I saw the scowl on her face. Good voice, too.
Martin Sadd'd Rinuccio: difficult to play a serious character well when you're surrounded by comedy, but he pulled it off admirably.
Stephanie Ferracane's La Ciesca: brilliant comic timing.

The Foursome -- Gateway Theatre

Story in 2 sentences:
4 friends from university meet up at a reunion and play golf. They reveal secrets and renew their friendship.
People who should see this show:
Golfers (there seemed to be a lot of inside jokes)
People who don't mind sitting through golf jokes to see a good show.


The Gateway Theatre operates a police state. We entered through the wrong door, and were indulgently allowed to continue by a manager, but the volunteers who man the entrances to the theatre itself were very diligent, as were the ushers wandering through the theatre -- demanding tickets every time you cross their paths. There was a time when I would bring my stub with me every time I left a theatre, but no one ever cares anywhere else, so I stopped. I found it endearing -- who's going to sneak into a play in Richmond? This is not a Nickleback concert, but they don't seem to realize that and feel very protective of their theatre.

The audience was a mixed bag, and I wish the balcony had been open so we could have looked at them from a better vantage point. Perfume-soaked grandes dames of Richmond, kids on their first date, entire families. Interesting.

And then the play started.

It takes place on a golf course, and you watch the foursome go through each hole.

I don't like golf. I think it's a boring waste of time, and that even watching golf is better than actually playing golf, because then you don't have to be out in the blazing sun for 5 hours. I don't understand how anyone could possibly like it, and to this day, whenever someone suggests playing golf, I think first of minigolf and smile, then realize what they meant and the smile turns uncomfortable.

The play is all about male comeradery.

If there's anything that can make my smile even more uncomfortable, it's male comeradery. Once again, I don't get it. I am uninterested in emotionally repressed conversations and ill at ease with swaggering. I don't understand why people separate themselves socially according to gender -- except that I feel a-ok when surrounded by women.

So for the first few minutes I found myself debating whether to leave at intermission or before. But then it started to be better. The performances were really good, it was funny, and, for a male-bonding-golf-show, it was pretty universal. Growing apart from old friends sucks; friendships need to be fostered. When you need support, it is the people who know you best who can offer the best support. Perhaps I'm being maudlin because I ran into a friend I've grown apart from not ten minutes before the play.

I really enjoyed the play. The fist act was fairly quick, and cute, laying the groundwork. The intermission was too long -- 20 minutes? Come on, Gateway, we're not here to socialize. The second act had the apparently-obligatory Norm Foster epiphany, which was brief, poignant and passed in time to let us enjoy the humour, and the final twist was very enjoyable. Interestingly, the lighter the humour, the more belly-laughs it got, which has been my experience with Richmond audiences. Also, several people seemed to think they were watching t.v. at home -- seriously, people, use a whisper voice when commenting.

You should go. It was good, and got better as I thought more about it. Plays until October 24.

Some highlights:
David Thomson's Cameron: great physicality and great voice
The scene changes: excellent use of golf cart and bad rock
The song (December '63): the build up made it inevitable, and it was a crowd-pleaser.

Black Comedy -- Arts Club Theatre Company

Story in two Sentences:
A fuse blows on the most important night of Brindsley Miller's life. Everything goes wrong, and yet he somehow finds love.

People who should see this show:
People who only go to theatre to impress dates (like the guy beside us who ended up enjoying himself)
People who actually enjoy theatre

photo by Emily Cooper

This was an excellent evening.

What they didn't say (or not in print big enough for me to notice, anyway), was that it was a double bill. The main event was, of course, Peter Shaffer's one-act Black Comedy, but prior to that we were treated to a Chekov play, The Marriage Proposal. Probably a good thing they didn't advertise it too much -- who wants to go to a Chekov play?

Well, I do. This one, anyway. He wrote it before he got all depressing. It was short, only about 20 minutes -- an amuse-bouche, if you will, and my bouche was amused. It's a story of a wealthy landowner asking his neighbour for his daughter's hand, and a few fights they go through (she's feisty) before he gets around to it and she agrees. Kind of a stilted, dated story, wouldn't you say? Something to bear in mind for later if you're the type of person who does that.

Then, after a brief intermission ("Can we go now" asks the guy sitting on my right to his date, who is wearing an evening gown. "She's dressed up," the hag behind me points out to her gay. "It's not like I'm naked here," he protests.), comes the entree (if you will allow me to extend the metaphor a little more than it deserves).

Black Comedy is a brilliant farce, and Dean Paul Gibson has assembled a brilliant cast. The main gag of the show (the blackout) is funny enough, and the justifications for sustaining it are oddly believable. The real beauty, however, lies in the secrets we find out about people when they think no one can see them. The lighting convention we are introduced to early in the show helped considerably: knowing that everything I saw was intended to be kept secret from the other characters made it easier to accept peculiarities that would have been over the top otherwise.

Interestingly, although the actors are lit, I found myself paying much more attention to the nuances of their voices than I normally would, as though it truly were a blackout.

The play is a farce, and many characters are painted with broad strokes, as one would expect. However, first performed in 1965, the strokes are quite dated, and a little uncomfortable to watch: the philandering protagonist, Brindsley Miller, is much more likeable than he ought to be; the necessity of asking his fiancee's father for her hand is not even questioned. The only truly redeemable and fully realized charater is Clea, Brindsley's ex-girlfriend. She is charismatic, knows her mind, and gives back to Brindsley everything he gives to her. With the Madmen-era mores, we understand why he has asked a more compliant woman to marry him. Certainly it was easier on his chauvanism. Carol, a mod girl, is a whitewashed version of Clea, mocking conventions such as engagement, but still demanding they be upheld traditionally. Why, then, after Brindsley has revealed his true character in the dark, does Carol try to beat him and Clea protect him? I just don't know, but it was very funny getting to that point.

See it, especially if you're taking someone who doesn't want to go -- you may convert him. Plays until October 11.

Some highlights:
Ted Roberts' set design: really cool, trashy yet mod, exactly what you want a struggling artist's flat from the 60s to look like
Nicola Lipman's Miss Furnival: dazzling and hilarious, her final monologue is inspired
Charlie Gallant's Brindsley Miller: delightful acrobatics and convincingly immature
Sean Devine's Schuppanzigh: an excellent intellectual foil to the undercurrents of classism in the play

All's Well That Ends Well -- Bard on the Beach

The story in 2 sentences:
Helena saves the king's life and for a reward, gets to choose a husband: Bertram. Bertram isn't into the idea, but she tricks him into having sex with her.

People who should see this show:
Everyone. It's really good.


This was an almost-perfect show. When we saw Richard II earlier, we wondered why Lois Anderson, the best part of the show, didn't have a bigger part. Now we know -- this show revolved around her, and she deserved it. Her Helena was intelligent, vivacious, determined, interesting to watch and easy to get onside with.

All's Well That Ends Well is one of Shakespeare's problem plays, marked by dark overtones even thought the heroes get married and nobody dies. It's funny, but it's an uneasy funny.

The main story element that is difficult to for the audience to accept about this play as written is that Helena is so determined to be with Bertram, a lout who clearly doesn't deserve her. Director Rachel Ditor helps to resolve this contradiction by a cunningly introduced silent pre-scene wherein Bertram, winningly played by Craig Erikson, flirts with Helena and wins her affection through the same capriciousness and irresponsibility that he later uses to victimize her. There are two or three of these scenes, expanding on what Shakespeare wrote and taking a closer look at troublesome questions in the play. Parolles, a loathsome character that we want to like anyway, benefits from another silent moment on stage: having been entrapped by his comrades, we find out just how loathsome he is -- and it is difficult to find a satisfactory answer in our minds: does he deserve this humiliation? How is he any worse than Bertram, who ends up married to our heroine? It would be more convenient to step back from this moment, but Ditor forces us to examine it closely.

The direction is brilliant: the action never seems forced, and there are subtle finishing touches that surround each scene: scene changes by frolicking butlers, background business that perfectly walks the fine line so that everyone is interesting to watch but no one detracts from the scene at hand. The design is good -- set in the Victorian period, the costumes are beautiful and appropriate for a play involving such a physical and emotional segregation of gender.

And it turns out I was wrong. Unfortunately, Haig Sutherland in a dress isn't as funny as I would have predicted, and he mars a few scenes in this show as well. Thankfully, his role is much smaller. Otherwise, each performance is top-notch.

Bonus#1: Season sponsor Starbucks was giving away gift cards the day we went-- sweet!
Bonus#2: The guy sitting in the front row opposite us who was listening to every word with an expression of ecstasy, and gesticulating as though he were conducting an orchestra, beside his perplexed-looking wife. Two shows in one!

See the show. It's great. You may even get free coffee. Plays Until September 26.

Some Highlights:
Lois Anderson's Helena: the shining star of my Bard on the Beach experience this year
Craig Erikson's Bertram: a character written to be hated, Erikson makes him likeable enough to understand why Helena is attracted to him
Gaelan Beatty's scene changes: fun
Celine Stubel's Diana: funny, innocent and intelligent at the same time
Scott Bellis' Parolles: a thoughtful interpretation of what could easily be a two-dimensional character
Duncan Fraser's King of France: another solid job, Fraser works the text masterfully

Richard II -- Bard on the Beach

Story in 2 Sentences:
King Richard banishes his cousin Henry, who kinda deserves it. Henry comes back, revolts, and becomes king.

People who should see this show:
Haig Sutherland's grandmother
People who want to look like they like Shakespeare but don't actually


Haig Sutherland ruined this show. Every scene without him was great, but, unfortunately, he was playing the title role, so there weren't many. He spoke like William Shatner in drag. Except that would be kinda funny. He was so entranced with the words and his own voice that he forgot the words were meant to convey a story to the audience. He was horrible. After a scene or two of his droning, I thought "well, they won't make the mistake of hiring him again," but Hubby (who likes to flip through programs during shows) pointed out that this was his ninth season. I just don't get it.

Hubby liked him in Robson Arms. I never watched it.

He was so awful that he made his queen, played by Celine Stubel, look bad (she was great when he wasn't on stage). David Marr, another questionable Bard veteran, wasn't all that great either -- he spat through his lines so quickly it was hard to believe he even understood what he was saying, and painful to hear his gasp for air at the end -- but at least his performance didn't affect the people around him.

And it's a pity, because this is just the type of story I'm interested in: a humanizing look at a sweeping history, with interesting political overtones (Shakespeare could have gotten killed over this play, they tell me). We went on chatterbox Tuesday, so got a great introduction to the play. We also went when an understudy was going on with script in hand (Christopher Gaze, artistic director), which I always love. Could've been so beautiful. I really need to see a good version.

Don't go. Spend the money on a gift to yourself instead. Plays until September 26.

Some Highlights:
Duncan Fraser's John of Gaunt: Solid performance, with an incredible soliloquy
Lois Anderson's Duchess of York: Easily the best performance of the show
Gaelan Beatty's Duke of Aumerle: good performance, and acted well with Anderson

Rent -- Fighting Chance Productions

Story in 2 Sentences:
New York's gay/artistic community is devastated by AIDS and gentrification. They all find love anyway.

People who should see this show:
People who love Rent. You know you will anyway, no matter if it's good or bad.


And it's both. Ryan Mooney has directed a low-budget version that's fairly true to what we're all familiar with. It's interesting to see the show in a smaller venue, and the band isn't bad. Some effects (Maureen's entrance, for example) are compromised, but otherwise the direction is fine, although it tends to fall apart toward the end ("What You Own" was a badly carried-out pseudo-original version).

Most of the cast is terrific, and the ensemble vocal work is very good.

The problem is the leads. Craig Decarlo has a fine voice, but he seems to think he's on the movie soundtrack rather than in a small theatre. That is, he has memorized every nuance of the original Roger's performance without adding in anything of his own, and he's just not acting. At all. Christine Quintana as Mimi was worse. Much worse. When she first came out and I heard her croak out "Light my Candle", I thought "clearly she's not a singer" -- her one good note was so overpowering her mic couldn't pick it up -- "Well, she'll be a terrific actor, then." By the time it became clear that her acting was only slightly more inspired than DeCarlo's, I decided "her dancing must be phenomenal -- Mimi should be a good dancer. That's why they cast her." Wrong again. "Out Tonight," Mimi's big dance number, was embarrassing to watch. She clearly did not feel comfortable on stage, making the audience feel uncomfortable as well. By the second act, watching the two of them on stage was making me cringe.

Which is a pity, because the ensemble was generally great. Question: why not cast the "Seasons of Love" soloist as Mimi? She was excellent, both as a singer and an actor.

Don't see this if you've never seen Rent before or aren't a fan; you won't enjoy it. If you're hardcore, you've already got tickets. If you're undecided, you might as well go. Plays Until August 30.

Some Highlights:
Jaqueline Breakwall's Maureen: inspired. Well sung, well acted, a joy to watch. "Take me or Leave me" with Jenn Suratos was fantastic
Cesar Erba's Angel: beautiful voice and touching performance
Anton Lipovetsky's Mark: engaging and earnest, with excellent comic timing
Nick Fontaine's Tom Collins: wonderful voice
Cathy Wilmot's solo: Amazing, and her work in small ensemble parts showed she could act as well
Rielle Braid's Alexi Darling: funny, oddly realistic, and a great voice

Thoroughly Modern Millie -- Theatre Under the Stars

Story in 2 Sentences:
Millie moves to New York in order to marry rich. After stopping a white slavery ring being run by her Chinese landlady, she does.

People who should see this show:
People who like musicals

Ok, there's some light (heavy) racism, and some ridiculous plot elements. But it's all there for humour, and as it actually is funny, I don't mind it.

The singing and dancing are quite well done, and the acting is as realistic as you want farce to be. Shell Piercey knows how to direct a musical. Nothing is over- or under-done, and the cast is up to the challenge of allowing the audience to buy in to the ridiculous nature of the show. The night I went to see it, there were a few mic glitches, and a bonus scene: Diana Kaarina, playing Millie, forgot to change into her tap shoes before a scene they were necessary for. She ran away (with her mic still on), leaving an amused Laura Koberstein and a befuddled Seth Drabinski to cover for her for what must have seemed to them like an eternity. Drakinski's next line happened to be a compliment on Millie's quick pace in walking down the hall, which he noticed only halfway through saying it. After another eternity they got back on track. I love it when stuff like that happens.

The musical itself is well-written: the pace is quick, taking only as much time as necessary for the story to be told; the songs are catchy and evoke the spirit of the times (did they ever really exist?) of flappers, moderns and speakeasies. I was surprised to discover how recently the stage show was written -- it opened on Broadway in 2002. Both the score and the light racism helped to create the effect of a musical written much earlier.

Speaking of which, is it easier or harder to forgive racism when you know the play is less than 10 years old? I can't decide. The plot does hinge on it, but one can just as easily imagine it hinging on a criminal conspiracy involving shipping young women to Italy. . . of course that brings the sexual slave aspect further into the light. Maybe it's best not to look too deeply into this.

See it. It's fun. Bring an asian friend. Plays until August 22.

Some Highlights:
Diana Kaarina's Millie: an engaging performer with an amazing voice, Kaarina has appeared on Broadway and it shows -- she must enjoy being a big fish in a small pond
Meghan Anderssen's Miss Dorothy Brown: scene-stealing, hilarious, with a lovely voice. Her love scene with Drabinski is heaven to watch
Laura Koberstein's Miss Flannery: funny
Aaron Lau's Ching Ho: great voice, great comic love lead, and half of a fun duo
The Subtitles: I love a gimmick like that
Sarah Rodgers' Mrs Meers: Hilarious and quite likeable, given that she's the villain and the centre of the racist plot elements
Nancy Herb's Muzzy Van Hossmere: killer voice and good comic timing
Seth Drabinski's Trevor Grayden: an excellent classical voice, and very funny