Last night Cokebaby and I attended the production of Neptune Theatre‘s La Cage aux Folles.

This hilarious and touching musical tells the story of Georges, the owner of a glitzy and “exotic” nightclub in the French Riviera and Albin, his romantic partner and star attraction – the glamorous chanteuse Zaza.

When Georges’ son brings his fiancée’s conservative parents home to meet the flashy pair, the bonds of family are put to the test as the feather boas fly! A tuneful tale of one family’s struggle to stay together, stay fabulous and above all else stay true to themselves.

"We Are What We Are"

There are a couple of things to keep in mind with this review. We’re not usually fans of musicals and neither one of us are Gleeks. Don’t get me wrong. I love music. I just feel that the musical sequences are often a distraction from the plot line and I dislike a lot of Disney movies for the same reason. There’s nothing worse than getting really emotionally connected with what’s going on in a scene only to stop and think, “oh, they’re singing now.” That said, I really quite enjoyed La Cage! Perhaps because it was set in a nightclub the song and dance really wasn’t a distraction to me. That’s my benchmark for a good musical.

Steven Gallagher as Albin was—not to sound cliché but he really was—absolutely fabulous! It seems like another lifetime ago that I was employed in the fashion world but it brought me back to all the silly extravagances and outright fun of it all. One of my former colleagues was a transgender performer at night and it was just entertaining to see all the costumes and backstage antics brought to this performance. Ian Simpson as Georges had, by far, the strongest voice in my opinion. There’s an incredible warmth to his voice that really comes out during his rendition of “Song on the Sand.” Props to David Lopez as Jacob. So many little quirky mannerisms and gestures that spoke volumes about the character.

My other confession is that we recently spent a week in the Italian and French Riviera so I may be biased when it comes to this point but  I have to give proper recognition to the set and props designer Geofrey Dinwiddie. There are many seaside towns in the area that still cling to a sort of faded glory of the 1950s. (One of our hotel rooms was even called the Audrey Hepburn.) The home of Georges and Albin reflected that style of the area. Additionally, the nightclub stage was decorated with paintings of faded peacocks and it was a fitting juxtaposition of imagery. There’s also a certain elegance to the French Riviera and the boardwalk setting was both sparse yet wholly captured the ambience of the area with a low stone wall, a ship mast beyond that, and the café tables where couples could speak in low voices.

Overall, I recommend checking out La Cage. It was an entertaining two hours and the bar even has special themed martinis to try out during the 20 minute intermission!

On a final, more serious, note I have to take a moment to acknowledge that I couldn’t watch this performance without thinking of the tragic news a few days ago about the death of gay activist Raymond Taavel  in Halifax. I never knew the man in person but was aware of the great work that he accomplished in this city. I mention him because, to me, art truly can be a reflection of life. La Cage aux Folles is a story about people, first and foremost: our familial obligations, our insecurities, our trials and our joys in life. Fittingly, the general manager’s message in the playbill reads:

Behind the sequins and feathers, there is an important message about inclusiveness, acceptance, and perseverance that we can all embrace because it speaks to our everyday lives…

What more can I say?

Last week I was invited to participate in the Neptune Theatre‘s Word of Mouth performance of Frankenstein. I’ve been waiting impatiently all summer for the start of their season, mostly for this play. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein has long been one of my favourite books so I have to admit to holding the performance up to a fairly high standard. Those who are only familiar with the Hollywood version (with few exceptions including Kenneth Brannagh’s 1994 production) are in for a surprise.

The Creature

The book, and the play, deal with an array of issues that go beyond the cliché “monster” and angry mob of peasants. It’s the story of a man in pursuit of science and the morality behind what he does. The themes are quite timely considering all the tinkering that’s going on in the scientific community today.

Overall, the play was bit hit and miss for me. Let’s start with the hits. The set was a combination of traditional elegance for Dr. Frankenstein’s study and chillingly creepy when the large portrait was pulled back to reveal the science lab. Lighting and sound effects all added to the ambience. Hands-down the best part of the night was Stephen Gartner’s portrayal of The Creature: intelligent, crafty, and at times primal. Robert DeNiro’s version has nothing on him. He was a believable Creature, one with whom you can almost empathize. Elizabeth Richardson was a lovely Frau Frankenstein and Charlie Rhindress added charm to the play.

Unfortunately, the weight of the performance sat on Seann Gallagher as Dr. Frankenstein and I found his performance forced. Likewise Alexis Milligan as Elizabeth. They came off as caricatures of the people they were supposed to be and I found myself neither sympathetic nor interested in their respective plights. I hate that I didn’t totally love the play because of it.

That said, if you’ve never seen the “real” Frankenstein, I think it’s still worth your while to check it out. You’ll see a side to the story that the horror movies have glossed over since Shelley  first sat down to write this tale on a dare.

As part of Word of Mouth night at the Neptune Theatre, Cokebaby and I attended The Beauty Queen of Leenane by Martin McDonagh last week. Going into it, we knew very little about the play besides the write-up. After making a date night out of the evening—dining at Pipa Restaurant first (a review coming later)—we were pleasantly thrilled by both the quality of the writing and the acting.

(Photo credit: Applehead Studio)

Martin McDonagh is best known to me for writing and directing In Bruges. The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a dark comedy in the same vein. It’s actually part of The Leenane Trilogy of plays, each one dealing with rather grim circumstances.

Here’s the blurb for this first play in the series:

Trapped by her old cantankerous mother, 40-year-old Maureen finds an opportunity to escape when a chance comes along to find love and make a new life for herself. Her mother however has other ideas, and her interference sets in motion a chain of deceptions and betrayals, heart-breaking tragedy, and savage irony.

The acting on the part of the entire four-person cast was really superb but particular props go to the mother Mag, played by Mary Colin Chisholm. The role could have easily been portrayed as over-the-top but she was able to keep that instinct in check and instead present a wholly believable, fully irritating villainess.

Even the set design was brilliant in its simplicity. The whole play takes place within a shabby little kitchen giving the illusion of being trapped within that house with the mean old woman. Tricks of light established different moods and times of day seamlessly.

The play itself is signature McDonagh: darkly funny and at times tragic with unexpected twists. I highly recommend checking it out although it’s definitely not for the feint of heart. The Beauty Queen of Leenane is playing at the Neptune Theatre until March 20.

Every year Cokebaby and I try to get out to see at least one play at the Neptune Theatre. We’re not really ones for musicals so we tend to skip the performances of shows like High School Musical. For the most part we’ve been catching shows at the smaller Studio Theatre.

Fountain Hall | September 22 – October 18, 2009

Due to the e-newsletter that they send out, I caught a great two for the price of one special for the final performance of their first play of the season: The Game of Love and Chance.

Going into the theatre, I had only the brief description of the play to go by but it seemed like it would be quite fun.

Dreading the prospects of an arranged marriage, and desperate to know more about her anonymous groom to-be, a wealthy Parisian mademoiselle trades identities with her maid prior to the introductory rendezvous. When the monsieur in question also has the same brilliant idea, romance, comedy and mayhem unfold.

Contemporary language and magnificent period décor will blend as Marivaux’s 18th century masterpiece comes to life – let the games begin!

I have to say this opening play really bodes well for what looks like an amazing season. The acting was brilliant, costumes and set design stunning. Even the choreography of movements across the stage between scenes was wonderful.

Here’s a list of What’s on Stage this season:

Fountain Hall
No Great Mischief: October 27 to November 15, 2009
Sexy Laundry: January 19 to February 14, 2010
Rabbit Hole: March 2 to 28, 2010
Peter Pan: April 13 to May 30, 2010

Holiday Show
A Christmas Carol, the Musical: November 28, 2009 to January 3, 2010

Studio Theatre
A Beautiful View: October 13 to 31, 2009
Mesa: February 16 to March 6, 2010
Bigger than Jesus: April 6 to 24, 2010

If you’ve never been or rarely go to see a play check out my tips on theatre etiquette to which I’d like to add one more point: would it kill people to not wear a sweatshirt? I’m not saying theatre going needs to be some elitist kind of thing. Far from it. I just think that sweatshirts are made for a single purpose: sweating in. Not exactly theatre attire. You know?

For more information about shows, tickets and and subscriptions check out the Neptune Theatre website, Twitter, Facebook, or sign up for their online newsletter.

Cokebaby and I went to see Doubt: A Parable at the Neptune Theatre this past weekend. It was a fantastic show, well-acted, and with a really cool stage design. The play was wonderful and I’m looking forward to checking out the film when it comes out on DVD.

Now, I don’t consider myself a hoighty-toighty kind of person even if I have, in fact, been to the opera. TWICE. Three times if you include the 10 minutes Measha Brueggergosman performed at the Royal Nova Scotia Tattoo one year. But that’s besides the point.

I was floored by the astounding number of people who had no clue about theatre etiquette. To be honest, I think many of these people thought they were going to see Doubt in the movie theatre rather than, you know, the theatre theatre.

Photo credit: Darren Hester from Flickr

So, for those people who are wondering, here are some clues to help figure out the difference:

• Are the floors sticky?
• Did you receive 3D glasses at the door?
• Is there a concession stand where you can purchase popcorn?
• Are movie and other ads playing while you wait for the lights to dim?
• For that matter, is there even a movie screen in front of you?

If you answered no to any of the above, then you’re actually in a theatre with live actors. Yes, this would explain how “real” the experience feels in the absence of those 3D glasses.

Now that we’ve established that you’re in a theatre for plays, here are some tips on etiquette:

Just because someone in the house coughs does not give you license to do the same. That goes for the next person, and the person after that, and so forth. In fact, try to stifle your cough altogether. And if you’ve got a dry heaving cough that you haven’t been able to get rid of for days, you’re better off seeing a doctor about it than attending the play at all.

Furthermore, if someone does happen to cough this should not also be considered the prime opportunity to open your box of candies, bottle of pop, packets of gum, or whatever other food items you brought with you.

For that matter, you should keep your food items and resultant belching in until you’re back at home or in another suitable environment.

And bathroom breaks? In most cities you’re not permitted to leave until intermission unless you’ve got some kind of personal emergency. Once those lights dim, consider yourself in prison lock-down. Come on, it’s only an hour and a half people. Plan your bowel movements like the rest of us and use the facilities beforehand.

And for goodness sake, don’t snap your gum throughout the performance (or ever really, but in this scenario in particular) or try to take notes (!) on loose leaf paper.

No word of a lie, all of these things happened to the point of distraction. And if I was hearing it, how do you think the actors were feeling? Yes, maybe they’re trained to ignore it all. But frankly, these people weren’t invited to watch their friends perform in their living room. We all paid money to see and hear a live play, not the sounds we’re most accustomed to hearing in a dining room.

Kthxby.