Do You Need to Know a Secret? The Beatles Meet The Bard at The Grand Theatre, London Ontario ~ DownshiftingPRO
If you happen to may mash up two nice artists and make it a memorable musical, would you do it? That’s exactly what Daryl Cloran and Bard on the Seaside Shakespeare Competition (Vancouver) did, mashing up As You Like It, Shakespeare’s 400-year-old comedy, and 23 Beatles tunes. This musical comedy set within the Nineteen Sixties Okanagan Valley combines about fifty % of the Bard’s prose with Twentieth-century Beatles lyrics to maneuver the plot alongside.
The primary within the subscription collection, The Grand Theatre in London, Ontario, begins its 2024-2025 season with a winner of gifted singers, dancers, and a really groovy set. The band performs tucked away upstage (I might have liked to have seen extra of those versatile musicians/dancers/actors). The colourful set and groovy costumes simply place the theatergoer in a distinct period.
“I can’t consider a extra pure match than Shakespeare and The Beatles,” says Grand Theatre Inventive Director Rachel Peake. “Each modern artists, whose works have stood the take a look at of time and proceed to resonate throughout generations, [Shakespeare and The Beatles] are revealed to us in an thrilling new mild with As You Like It.”
While you go, get there early to take pleasure in 20 minutes of pre-show leisure—a wrestling match. We understood the task, as many others did, and arrived to see the antics unfold. Tyler Examine was hilarious as one of many wrestlers (moreover being a band member all through the efficiency). It was nice to see one of many stars of final yr’s very profitable Million Greenback Quartet. I might have liked to have seen him because the lead!
That half—Orlando de Boys—went to Jeff Irving, who was making his Grand Theatre debut. He’s higher often known as the lead in The Citadel Theatre’s manufacturing of As You Like It, plus many different Shaw Competition and regional theatre productions.
Rosalind, Orlando’s love curiosity, was performed by Daniela Fernandez, who additionally made her Grand Theatre debut. She sang with confidence and had a big presence on stage. The Latin-Canadian expertise has lower her enamel in productions on the Citadel (Edmonton), the Arts Membership (Vancouver), and Theatre Calgary. It’s a pleasure to see Ms. Fernandez in her Jap Canada debut. I hope to see her in different productions at The Grand Theatre or the Stratford Competition.
A giant shout out to Ben Elliott as Silvius—his over-the-top portrayal of a lovesick hippy was genius. You often discover him working because the Music Director/Supervisor, however we have been fortunate sufficient to have him on the efficiency final Friday night time (he was a stand-in for Anton Lipovetsky).
Grand audiences shall be handled to the multi-talents of an ensemble solid consisting of firm members each authentic to, and new to this manufacturing of As You Like It. Native audiences will acknowledge acquainted faces, resembling Jan Alexandra Smith as Jaques/Le Beau (who brilliantly directed final yr’s Chrismas present Charlie and The Chocolate Manufacturing facility).
This manufacturing of As You Like It brings collectively a gifted solid from London, Ontario, and former productions. That is the ninth iteration since its debut in 2018 at Bard on the Seaside in Vancouver. The depth of actors, musicians, and dancers made this manufacturing enjoyable to observe (and sing alongside to). The viewers was engaged and loved each the buffoonery and the music.
“Typically in musicals, you discuss actors being ‘triple-threats’, which means they’ll sing, dance, and act,” explains Director and Co-Adaptor, Daryl Cloran. “In As You Like It, we want quadruple, and typically quintuple threats, as a result of not solely have they got to be nice at Shakespeare, nice singers, musicians, and nice dancers, however a variety of them must be nice wrestlers as nicely. The virtuosity on show by these actors is superb.”
The magical thriller mash-up performs from October 15 to November 2 on the Grand’s historic Spriet Stage.
IF YOU GO
When: October 15 – November 2nd – Opening night time October 18th
Value: Single tickets vary from $24 – $96 (topic to availability)
The place: The Grand Theatre Spriet Stage, Grand Theatre, London, ON
Operating Time: Two hours and half-hour, together with a 20-minute intermission.
Tea Discuss: Be part of Inventive Director Rachel Peake and particular visitors for a dialog pre-show. Tea Talks start at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October thirtieth, earlier than the 1:00 p.m. matinée.
Open Caption Efficiency: shall be introduced on Saturday, October 26 at 2:00 p.m.
AfterWORDS: On choose Wednesday evenings, instantly after the efficiency, be a part of host Breanne Ritchie within the theatre’s lounge for a quick guided dialogue with visitor artists, inventive staff members, and Grand employees members.
Margarita Ibbott is a journey and way of life blogger. She blogs about journey in Canada, america and Europe giving sensible recommendation by restaurant, lodge and attraction opinions. She writes for DownshiftingPRO.com and different on-line media shops.
