[NEohioPAL]Berko review: SHAW FESTIVAL, 2005

[Roy Berko]

SHAW FESTIVAL’S  2005 SEASON REVIEWED!

Roy Berko

(Member, American Theatre Critics Association)

--THE TIMES NEWSPAPERS--

Lorain County Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News
Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times	

Every trip to the Shaw Festival, located in
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, convinces me
that it is the premiere theatre venue in North
America.  The plays are generally excellent, the
acting company superb, the show variety allows for
something for everyone, and the settings  and costumes
are creatively and lavishly conceived.

The Shaw Festival is conducted in three theatres.  
The shows are performed Tuesday through Sunday.  Each
day has matinee, evenings and even some lunch time
productions.  For real theatre buffs that means a
three-night/four-day  stay can result in experiencing
seven shows.  The festival is an easy four-hour trip
from Cleveland on roads which pass through the wine
countries of Ohio, New York and Canada.  Niagara
on-the-Lake is a lovely city brimming with flowers,
classical architecture and inviting shops.  This is
like going to theatre heaven.

Jackie Maxwell, Shaw’s Artistic Director, each year
chooses a focus for the plays.  This season its the
family.  It is carried out with a blend of comedies,
musicals and dramas. 


MAJOR BARBARA


George Bernard Shaw's ‘MAJOR BARBARA’ has been called
the most controversial of Shaw's works. The play,
which was first produced in 1905, is filled with
Shaw's criticism of Christianity and society as a
whole. The play was an instant success and has
remained popular because of its compelling plot and
strong philosophical statements.  Theatre critics
consider the script not only among Shaw's best  but as
one of the greatest plays in modern theatre.

The central conflict of the play is between the
extremist ideas of Andrew Undershaft , an armaments
dealer, and the thoughts of his aristocratic
relatives, representing the ideals of society. 
Undershaft’s devilish power and wit make the outcome
inevitable.  By closing curtain the audience is well
aware of Shaw’s view of the fusion of money with
morality.

One of Shaw’s most powerful statements in ‘MAJOR
BARBARA,’ is that “the greatest of our evils and the
worst of our crimes is poverty.”  Shaw is saying that
the Church and the state should eliminate poverty as
if it were a crime instead of praising it as a virtue
(i.e., “blessed are the poor”).

‘MAJOR BARBARA’ illuminates Shaw’s statement that “I
am and shall always be a revolutionary writer, because
our laws make law impossible...”.

Don’t get the idea that this is an overly abstract and
boring play.   It definitely is not.  This is a
Shavian comedy.  It is filled with irony, humor and
plot twists.  In the case of the Festival production,
under the wondrous direction of Joseph Ziegler, it is
engrossing.  Shaw uses the play to entertain his
audience, to make people laugh, while examining issues
that are as important today as they were when the play
was first written. 

Ziegler has perfectly cast and interpreted the show. 
He carries the audience along willingly on his focused
journey.  

There is not a weak acting performance.  Everyone from
leads to supporting cast are emotionally and
physically enmeshed in the happenings.  Special praise
must be given to Mary Haney, as Lady Britomart
Undershaft representing the upper class British, Diana
Donnelly as the well-intentioned Major Barbara, Evan
Buliung as the bumbling Charles Lomax, and Benedict
Campbell as the humanly demonic Andrew Undershaft.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  The production of ‘MISS BARBARA’ 
is flawless.  Everything works.  The sets, the
costumes, the musical interludes and the acting are
perfectly keyed.  This is theatre at its best!  If you
have only one production to see at Shaw this season it
is a flip-up between this and the equally superb ‘THE
CONSTANT WIFE.’


THE CONSTANT WIFE


The ingenious and creative wordsmith, Somerset
Maugham, gives great advice about love in his play
‘THE CONSTANT WIFE.’   He states, “How do you know if
you are in love?”  His answer, “If you are willing to
share your toothbrush with the person.”  Gee, and you
thought love was complicated.

‘THE CONSTANT WIFE’ is set in a 1920s drawing room. 
As the play starts, Constance Middleton, Maugham's
heroine, who is an attractive, intelligent, and
remarkably level headed woman, is confronted by a
friend who bursts into her drawing room and says, "I
thought you might like to know that your husband is my
wife's lover."  Unfazed, Constance, who has known all
along, states, “Of course, a good wife always pretends
not to know the little things her husband wishes to
keep hidden from her."  And so, starts a delightful
bonbon of theatrical delight.

Adultery has been a theme of comedy for as long as
there has been theatre in the Western world.  It
remains funny because it generates secrets, which
generate lies, and nothing is funnier than a stage
full of people lying their heads off.  And Maugham is
a master at inventing lies, discoveries, and
surprises.  His writing style and his ability to play
with words allows him to lead the audience to an
obvious conclusion.  Then, with a few well chosen
utterances he surprisingly changes the course of
action.

The success of the Shaw Festival production is not
alone.  ‘THE CONSTANT WIFE’ has been running on
Broadway with Lynn Redgrave in the starring role.  The
production has been so triumphant that its run has
just been extended.  As much as I admire Miss
Redgrave, I can’t believe that the Big Apple
production can be better than that at Shaw.

Deftly directed by Neil Munro, the production proves
that Maugham has not lost his power to amuse, while
intriguing an audience and teaching them some valuable
lessons.

Laura Paton is wonderful as Constance.  She lights up
a stage.  Her long monologue concerning her husband’s
affair is mesmerizing.   Patrica Hamilton is
delightful as Ms. Culver, Constance’s mother. 
Catherine McGregor is properly uppity as Catherine’s
sister.  Blair Williams, as John, Constance’s husband,
bounces between cad and victim with delightful ease.  
Glynis Ranney makes for a perfect twit as John’s
paramour.  

William Schmuck’s gorgeous drawing room set and the
elegant costumes enhance the production.

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  ‘THE CONSTANT WIFE’ is a charming,
light hearted satirical comedy, jam-packed with the
wit for which Maugham’ is famous.  It’s a must see at
the Shaw Festival.


GYPSY


The word on the street in Niagara-on-the-Lake was that
‘GYPSY,’ the big, brash, bouncy musical was the “must
see” of the season.  It was, therefore, with great
anticipation that I went to the production.

Though commonly referred to as ‘GYPSY,’ the true name
of the show is ‘GYPSY: A MUSICAL FABLE’.  It has music
by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. and a book
by Arthur Laurents.  It is loosely based on the
memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease
artist.  

The focal point of the show centers on Gypsy’s
struggle with her mother, Mama Rose, whose name has
become synonymous with "the ultimate show business
parent."  The musical has a wonderful score which
contains such standards as "Small World,"
"Everything's Coming Up Roses," "You'll Never Get Away
from Me," and "Let Me Entertain You."

The show originally opened on Broadway on May 21, 1959
and starred Ethel Merman.  A 1962 film version starred
Rosalind Russell.  Few know that they were really
listening to Lisa Kirk dubbing Russell’s voice.  The
musical has been revived three times on Broadway,
running from 1974 to1975 with Angela Lansbury, from
1989 to1991 with Tyne Daly and in 2003 with Bernadette
Peters.  A television movie in 1993 starred Bette
Midler as Rose.

In the pre-show discussion it was revealed that Nora
McLellan, who normally plays Mamma Rose was ill and
Kate Hennig, her understudy, would stand in.  We were
assured that Hennig had played the role before.  In
fact, due to the demanding vocal requirements of the
part she is scheduled to perform more than twenty
times during the season.  The speaker’s conclusion,
“Don’t worry, she is excellent.”

Nothing could have been further from the truth.  Mamma
Rose is the center piece of the play.  Without a big,
brassy, belter with chutzpa the show sinks.  Hennig
has none of those qualities.  She has a pleasant but
not belting voice and develops a character lacking in
dynamism.  She sings words, not meanings, so many of
her songs lack clarity of purpose.  She often speaks
to the audience rather than the actors to whom the
lines are directed.  Her version of “Rose’s Turn” had
none of the heart-wrenching self discovery that should
bring the show to a climax.  This is definitely not a
stellar performance.

The rest of the cast is excellent.  Julie Martell
makes the transition from plane-Jane Louise to
seductive Gypsy Rose Lee with style.  She has a
beautiful singing voice.  Her duet “If Momma Was
Married,” as sung with Trish Lindstrom (June), is a
show highlight.  Jeff Lillico (Tulsa) lights up the
stage as he sings and dances “All I Need Is the Girl.”
 Ric Reid is a perfect nebbish as Herbie, Rose’s long
suffering suitor.  Gabrielle Jones, Patricia Vanstone
and Cathy Current stop the show with their stripper
antics in “You Gotta Get a Gimmick.” 

The sets, costumes, orchestrations and the show’s
technical aspects are excellent. 

CAPSULE JUDGEMENT:  ‘GYPSY’ could be a wonderful
production.  The version I saw wasn’t.  My advice is: 
If you are scheduled to see a performance in which Ms.
Hennig is going to be featured as Mamma Rose, or they
announce that she is replacing Ms. McLellan, run,
don’t walk to the box office and trade in your ticket!


MORE ON THE FESTIVAL


Besides the plays themselves, the Festival includes a
reading series, Sunday coffee concerts, a Village Fair
and Fete, seminars, backstage tours, pre-show chats,
Tuesday Questions and Answers and Saturday
Conversations.

For theatre information, a brochure, lodging
suggestions or tickets call 800-511-7429 or go on-line
to www.shawfest.com.  Ask about packages that include
lodging, meals and tickets.  Also be aware that the
festival offers Sunday night specials, day-of-the-show
rush tickets and senior matinee prices. 

In a forthcoming segment of my reactions to the 2005
Shaw season, I’ll discuss four more plays and make
some recommendations on things to do and places to
stay and eat.


Roy Berko's web page can be found at www.royberko.info.  His theatre and dance reviews appear on NeOHIOpal, an on-line source.   To subscribe to this free service via the World Wide Web, visit http://lists.fredsternfeld.com/mailman/listinfo/neohiopal.


	
		
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