Oliver! at the National Arts Centre

Cast of Oliver! photo by Andree Lanthier

Friday, December 9, I set off to the National Arts Centre (NAC) to check out the opening night of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! Ticket sales have  been doing very well and, I’m told, many performances have already sold out in advance.  This kid friendly musical adaptation of Dickens’ Oliver Twist was certainly a good choice from a marketing perspective and audiences are  buying tickets based on the title alone.

In one key way I’m sure many will be disappointed. This version of Oliver! has cast an adult (Thomas Olajide) in the title role of Oliver Twist.  Unfortunately, much of the pathos of this particular story comes from the fact that the audience is meant to sympathize with a tiny child left alone in a harsh, well Dickensian, world.  A tall adult actor simply cannot evoke this kind of sympathy the way a child actor can. More importantly, the vocal parts are clearly well out of Olajide’s vocal range. On opening night he was quite often off-key.

While Olajide’s lack of singing ability stood out, there were others in the cast who clearly were not professionally trained singers either. This is clearly problematic for a professional musical production.

That being said, there were many moments that worked in this version and some fine performances as well.  Jennifer Waiser does a nice job as the “Artful Dodger.” Julie Tamiko Manning (Nancy) has a particularly strong voice. In fact, her microphone failed on opening night and yet her voice rang true. I also enjoyed Joey Tremblay as “Fagin” and Kris Joseph as “Mr. Sowerberry.”

If you can get past a few uneven vocal performances and the unfortunate casting of the title role, there is much to like in the NAC’s version. I’m sure that many will be reasonably entertained, but I can’t help but feel an opportunity has been lost for the NAC and professional theatre in Ottawa in general. Large audiences are being attracted to this show;however, with a mediocre product on stage will they go on to see more theatre in Ottawa?

For show dates and ticket prices click here

Returning to Reviewing With a Decent Pair of Boots!

This Friday, I’ll be setting off to the opening night of Oliver! at the National Arts Centre. That’s right; my month away from theatre criticism has come to an end. I’m in the mood for something light and while I have seen the film version of this musical, I have never seen this musical staged. I’m hoping it will be a winner.  Oliver! certainly seems like a much stronger choice than last year’s Nativity by Peter Anderson, which, to be honest, was a rather lack lustre production. My hopes are high and I am really curious to see how the audience responds to  Oliver!. Will expectations be met? Or will this be another theatrical disappointment? Check out my review next week and find out.

In other news, I have finally got around to buying a quality pair of dress boots. I am fond of wearing a suit and tie to opening nights, but for the last couple of years I’ve never really had the winter footwear to match.  I am now the proud owner of these, which I purchased on sale at Wolf and Zed (519 Sussex): http://www.johnvarvatos.com/Sid_Side_Zip_Boot/pd/np/13334/p/3503.html

Looks like I will be going to this show in style!

Another Review Done

Hey Gang!

My latest review (Mrs. Dexter and Her Daily)  is up at (Cult)ure magazine.  There is also a great conversation about this show happening over at Movement. It’s worth checking out even if you haven’t seen the play. I have added some comments there as well. I think Sterling is correct to criticize Glass for taking a very simplistic examination of these characters. Yet, I feel many in the audience/community will see themselves reflected in the play and that will result in them enjoying the show despite its structural failings.

As an aside, I had to endure the inane ramblings of a middle aged couple throughout the show. Every third line was repeated out loud, questions about the action were asked, and the pair conducted themselves as if they were in front of their TV at home. Maybe I  should have spoken up and told them to be quiet. Sometimes that is more distracting than the original distraction. I did my best to ignore the talkers. This in the end was not the best solution as the chatting was grating on me and definitely hampered my enjoyment of the show. I’m sure everyone in their vicinity suffered as well. What would you have done in my place?

A review of Christopher Morris’ and Human Cargo’s Night at the NAC

I was intrigued by the description of Toronto-based multi-disciplinary theatre company Human Cargo’s approach to the creative process. They aim to “transform their life experiences into theatrical language” through a “cross cultural exchange and professional mentorship.” With this process, Human Cargo aims to “expose and discuss” social and political issues. My attention was peaked, so I set off to the National Arts Centre to see Human Cargo’s latest work, Night.

According to playwright and director Christopher Morris, Night was created by a collective of 17 individuals over three work shops — a process that took 6 years. It’s worth noting that despite a clearly collaborative approach, it is Morris who receives top billing as the writer of the play. Responsibility for the script in its final form, therefore, resides with him.

Night tells the story of a Torontonian museum worker Daniella (Linnea Swan) who at the request of an individual in a Northern community has taken it upon herself to return something of value to that community. Her effort is an attempt to reconcile a historical crime, but her naivety results in a series of culture shocks. Some of these are humorous (like her surprise at the price of a grill cheese sandwich in the far north), others result in revelations that call into question her entire project and, by extension, the reconciliation efforts of well intentioned, but equally naive, Southerners in general.

There are some strong performances in the piece. Michelle Montieth gives a subtle and understated performance as Gloria, which has a lasting impact on the audience. It’s a difficult part to play, and I was very impressed by her performance. Similarly 16 year-old Abbie Ootova’s (Piuyuq) final monologue, a defiant call to action, resonates long after the show is finished. Mike Bernier is challenged with playing five separate characters, some of which are very good — the Mayor, Piuyuq’s father, and the Candyman. Unfortunately, on opening night, his portrayals of an RCMP officer and a teenager fell flat.

The script feels very much like the product of many hands over several years and Morris, as playwright, ultimately fails to give it cohesion. Many scenes feel tacked on haphazardly (possibly the product of previous incarnations), and this results in a jarring experience for the audience… (For the full review at (Cult)ure Magazine click here)