La Cage Aux Folles
At the Playhouse until Dec. 24
Tickets: 604.873.3311
vancouverplayhouse.com
Look out! Some Broadway producer is going to see Greg Armstrong-Morris in this Playhouse production directed by Max Reimer and lure him off to the Great White Way. Not only can Armstrong-Morris sing but he can also act and, ho-ly, what he does for a skintight gown, elbow-length gloves and bushels of feathers. Costume designer Phillip Clarkson must have bought up all the red satin and red feather boas in town and put them together in a firestorm of sizzling outfits.
Based on the original 1973 play by Jean Poiret, La Cage Aux Folles was re-invented as a musical in 1983 by Jerry Herman (music and lyrics) and Harvey Fierstein (book). La Cage is the St. Tropez nightclub owned by Georges (always-excellent David Marr) whose lover and star performer is Albin (Armstrong-Morris), a female impersonator. Together they have raised Georges' son Jean-Michel (Scott Perrie), born after a brief coupling when Georges got it on with Sybil, just to see if all the fuss about heterosexuality was warranted. Apparently it wasn't.
When all-grown-up Jean-Michel falls for Anne (winsome Tracy Power), daughter of a very uptight papa (Andrew Wheeler) and repressed mama (Annabel Kershaw), he's suddenly embarrassed about his "parents."
It's fun and funny, the music is big (six piece band under the direction of Bill Sample), and the lights are bright (thanks to designers Gerald King and Julie Martens) on Pam Johnson's set. It's also a great story that's more about who loves you than about the sexual orientation of who loves you. Reimer and associate director Cameron MacKenzie were really onto something when they hired local drag queens who not only know how to strut their stuff but who have almost certainly suffered for their gift. There's a lot of joy onstage. Loads of talent, including David M. Adams and Vincent Tong in support of the leads.
And finally, you've got to love a comment in Armstrong-Morris's bio: "You were right Mom, it's better to be typecast than NOT cast." He's perfectly cast here and fantastic in this role.
THE WIZARD OF OZ
At Waterfront Theatre until Dec. 31 Tickets: 604-685-6217, carouseltheatre.ca
On a scale of one to 10, my savvy eight-yearold guest Avril gave this Carousel Theatre production a 10-and-a-half. And judging by the hush in the theatre, I think all the kids there would agree. Oh, there was a whispered-out, "No!" (from my other guest-five-year-old Sophia) and a "Look out!" emanating from some other little person sitting in the dark. That's how enraptured these kids were.
Director Carole Higgins says the show is for four-year-olds and older. The twister, which is magically realized by Jeff Harrison's lighting and costume designer Barbara Clayden's silver-clad dancers, is pretty spooky; Meghan Anderssen's green-faced Wicked Witch is nasty; and the green-eyed Wizard is enough to send you hightailing it back over the yellow brick road. So it's a bit scary and the show is 95 minutes long plus a 15-minute intermission. (Adult accompaniment is required for all those under 14.)
For grownups who already know "There's no place like home," the pleasure here is in performance and production values-both of which are excellent. Clayden outdoes herself with whimsical, colourful costumes; her Munchkins, performed on knees with tiny shoes peeping out, is absolutely hilarious.
Heidi Wilkinson's set is a Technicolor delight and lighting designer Harrison lets his imagination run wild with swirling lights, strobes and puffs of smoke. Providing all the music is Steven Greenfield on keyboard.
This is an excellent, enthusiastic cast including sweet-voiced Robyn Wallis as Dorothy, Josue Laboucane (Cowardly Lion), Mike Stack (Tinman), Darren Burkett (Scarecrow), Janet Gigliotti (Glinda) and Damon Calderwood (the Wizard).
The Wizard of Oz is not Christmassy but taking kids to the theatre at Christmas-or any time of year-is a treat they never forget.
