Stratford Festival Reviews

From Abu Dhabi to San Diego

Keith — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:47:26 +0000

Give a listen to this great feature story, from KPBS Radio, about how Jesus Christ Superstar has affected people's lives in a variety of ways. It includes a Pig Latin rendition of the title song.

La Jolla Playhouse offers earplugs

Keith — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:41:16 +0000

"La Jolla Playhouse offers earplugs on your way into the theater. The pre-show announcements notes that “if you’d like to try a soothing lozenge, feel free – our band will drown you right out....don't bother [with them]”

Drains the work of its camp excesses finding balance with modesty and flash

Keith — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:24:26 +0000

"O ye of little faith. To all those who made snarky comments when it was announced that “Jesus Christ Superstar” was being resurrected by Des McAnuff, I say unto you, “Go down to La Jolla Playhouse and observe the benevolent gift of this revival, which has had the miraculous effect of turning even an Andrew Lloyd Webber denier like me into a momentary believer.”

Gifted ensemble breathes new life into Superstar

Keith — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:22:01 +0000

"McAnuff, music director Rick Fox, and choreographer Lisa Shriver guide a gifted ensemble. The cast maximizes the pleasures of the evergreen score while imbuing the portrayals of biblical characters with passion and nuance."

The best I’ve seen

Keith — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:06:20 +0000

This review looks at the The Misanthrope and Hosanna, both translated from French. "Mengesha's production is very well-paced, much the best of the four I've seen....Meanwhile the idea that Hosanna can only become a real man by crossing crossdressing off his list now seems dubious; this is a play that Sky Gilbert might consider updating"

Refreshingly uncynical love story

Keith — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 13:01:35 +0000

This review looks at the The Misanthrope and Hosanna, both translated from French. "It's plain that these two love one another, and that they both lose....Molière had more invested in Alceste than in any of his other protagonists. It's not just that he played the role himself (as actor-manager, he always starred in his own shows); it's that his much younger wife played Celimene.

Outstanding performances not enough

Keith — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:14:19 +0000

"Grindley seems content to play it safe and opt for a straight-up reading of the text with little in the way of interpretation or embellishment, perhaps as a sop to our long-suffering protagonist. Which begs the question, would not a little embellishment of, say, the setting only heighten the contrast between Alceste and his world?"

Sara Topham, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, plays Célimène to perfection

Keith — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:30:58 +0000

3 Stars: " Kelli Fox is wonderful as Arsinoé, Steve Ross and Trent Pardy make brief but memorable appearances as a pair of other suitors of Célimène,...however, as its solidness is matched by a stuffiness – and actors stuck in gorgeous, but stifling costumes that seem to wear them rather than vice versa."

Never transcends the period

Keith — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 05:12:47 +0000

"Moliere continues to speak to us because our world isn’t much different than 17th-century France. Unfortunately, you wouldn’t know it from this eye-pleasing, but ultimately vapid, production."

Smartly acted, beautifully designed and carefully staged

Keith — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 15:32:52 +0000

2 1/2 Stars: Ben Carlson’s Alceste once again proves that no one can wrap his tongue around language more splendidly and his intensity is never to be denied. Sara Topham has perhaps never been more delectable than she is here as Célimène...But too often, we feel we’re in a museum after closing time, when some very stylish ghosts come out of the display cases to stretch their limbs.