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July 29, 2005
Stadnyk energizes Can-Can
New music director and good singers make show enjoyable.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
An excellent leading lady, some great voices and a new music director/conductor
combine to make Theatre Under the Stars' (TUTS') Can-Can
a rather enjoyable production.
The musical got off to a rough start, receiving some pretty harsh
reviews after its opening night. But with Jewish community member
Dewi Minden taking over at the orchestral helm, Can-Can seems
to have found its feet, so to speak.
Cailin Stadnyk leads the cast as Pistache, a daring woman –
in the context of 1890s Paris – who runs a laundry/club where
the nightly customers come to watch the can-can, a "naughty"
dance that is illegal to perform under the public morals laws of
the day. She is able to stay in business by bribing various law
enforcement officials, until a new judge, Aristide Forestier, played
by Mark Pawson, joins the bench. Despite falling in love with Pistache,
he cannot allow anything illegal to continue – he believes
that laws must be obeyed, no matter how outdated they may be. After
a tit-for-tat and other romantic bickering, both Pistache and Aristide
are out of a job. They decide to open an unlicensed establishment
together – Pistache to make money, Aristide to get arrested,
so that he can have a jury trial that will then open the door for
the morals laws to be changed.
Stadnyk is the acting, vocal and dancing stand-out of this TUTS
production. Her renditions of well-known Cole Porter tunes "C'est
Magnifique" and "I Love Paris" are very easy on the
ear, although performed, perhaps, in a more formal manner than the
genre requires. Her sensual dance as the snake in the Garden of
Eden Ballet is beautiful and her can-can is the best of the cast.
Pawson puts in a solid showing as Aristide, as does Michael Walker
as the art critic Hilaire Jussac. Peter Stainton, as a rather annoying
sculptor named Boris Adzinidzinadze, also does a great job.
Other highlights of Can-Can include the sets, which are grand,
especially the Moulin Rouge that appears in the finale. The costumes
are also impressive. Overall, the acting is very good, although
the French accents that some of the cast attempt – including
Stadnyk – could have been dropped, with beneficial results.
Most of the male cast have pleasant voices, although there are some
weak singers among the women.
Unfortunately, the dance numbers are disappointing. The Garden of
Eden Ballet is innovative, but the rest of the dances are par for
the course. There are several instances of people bumping into,
or not being in sync with, each other.
Can-Can is directed by Susan Lehmann. Jewish community members
Andrew Cohen (policeman) and Rebecca Fox (jailer) are part of the
cast, and Sarah Franks, Andrea Minden and Ian Cohen are in the orchestra.
The musical opened on July 13 and plays every second night until
its last performance on Aug 20. It alternates with Big: The Musical,
which opened July 14 and plays until Aug. 19.
The gate opens at 7 p.m. and shows start at 8 p.m. every night.
For ticket information, contact Festival box office at 604-257-0366
or via the web (www.festivalboxoffice.com).
Tickets are also available at the TUTS box office (604-687-0174)
and the ticket booth at Malkin Bowl, 1-5 p.m. Prices are $30, $25
for seniors and students, $20 for youth (six to 16), $85 for a family
(two adults plus two youth) and children under five are free.
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