A three-way romance

TOVA KORNFEELD

Anyone who has seen the Dipietro/Roberts hit musical I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, the longest-running revue on Broadway, will want to catch their follow-up production, The Thing About Men, opening this week on the North Shore for its West Coast première.

Co-sponsored by Jewish community members and husband and wife teams, Wendy and Ron Stuart and Stephen and Kathryn Aberle, this fast-paced farce is guaranteed to be an audio and visual treat.

Stuart is well known locally as a performer and musical director, with a reputation for quality productions. She was born in New York and directed her first show, South Pacific, at the Yonkers Jewish Community Centre at the age of 13. This summer, she was musical director for the Theatre Under the Stars hit Annie Get Your Gun, which starred Aberle as Buffalo Bill. A teacher as well as a performer, she is on the faculty of Gotta Sing! Gotta Dance!, the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver's training ground for musical talent. She has also ventured into the world of writing, authoring an ethnomusicological publication, Gambling Music of the Coast Salish Indians. Despite her busy professional schedule, Stuart devotes her time and skill to many Jewish organizations. She and her husband have two daughters, Fiona and Jessica, both of whom are following in their parents' musical footsteps.

Aberle has had a long career as an actor and singer but took time off to be "Mr. Mom" for 10 years to his two children. A graduate of Studio 58 and a regular member of the Vancouver Opera chorus, his repertoire extends from film to TV (21 Jump Street, Supernatural and Dark Angel) to stage (Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof). He is also very active at his synagogue, Ahavat Olam, as chair of the board of directors and as a Torah reader and he's a member of the Vancouver Jewish Folk Choir. His daughter, Rachel, is preparing to tread the boards by attending her father's alma mater, Studio 58, and is currently appearing in its production of The Merchant of Venice, which was featured in last week's Independent.

The Thing About Men is based on the 1985 German Film Men by Dorris Dorrie. Set in New York, it is the quintessential romantic triangle comedy/farce. Advertising executive Tom (Aberle) enjoys the benefits of "being a bread-winning, butt-kicking, Porsche-driving, home-owning, lawn-mowing man," and, yes, he's cheating on his wife of 15 years, Lucy (Annabel Kershaw). The thing about Lucy is that, oh, gee, she is also cheating on Tom, with artist Sebastian (Jonathan Holmes). But what is "sauce for this gander is not sauce for his goose," so Tom leaves Lucy and, in disguise, moves in to room with Sebastian to keep an eye on, and drive a wedge between, his wife and her lover. The comedy erupts. Yet despite the light-heartedness, the subterfuge and dalliances lead to deep personal epiphanies for all, with a surprise ending.

In an interview with the Independent, Stuart could not contain her enthusiasm for the show. "It is brilliantly written, superbly acted and makes you think." As musical director, she has assembled a quartet (violin, cello, keyboard and reed, with community member Jeff Finestein on the latter) to provide the accompaniment.

Aberle embraces the story behind the musical, which, he said, is all about "love, betrayal, the things we do for people we care about and our constant internal struggle to determine and do what is right." He identifies with his character who, he said, "rolls with the punches." The play is very physical and the 52-year-old recently started going to the gym in order to get in shape for his part.

The entire production is under the directorial/chorographical eye of Valerie Easton.

The show runs until Dec. 6. Performances are at 8 p.m. with 2 p.m. matinées on Nov. 29 and Dec. 6. Tuesdays are two-for-one. For tickets, call 604-990-474 or visit www.phtheatre.org.

Tova Kornfeld is a Vancouver freelance writer and theatre critic.

^TOP