Volume 23 Issue 3 - November 2017

Could you tell us about your decision to sometimes cast female
performers as male singer-songwriters, for example, Maev Beaty as
David Bowie last year, and this year, Sara Farb as Bob Dylan?
Ultimately we want to pay tribute to the spirit of the artists and
share their words and music with an audience, without – in any way
– trying to emulate or impersonate them. As such, the key criteria –
whether it’s for delivering text from the songwriter, or singing their
songs – is that the artist capture their spirit and intention, both of
which transcend gender or age!
There also seems to be a core group of performers who return to
take part. Is that just by chance or because they have become part of
an Uncovered rep company, so to speak?
Over time we have realized that being a successful Uncovered
performer is harder than it looks! Koerner Hall is spectacular, but its
acoustics are so good that any imperfections are amplified tenfold. So
we need fabulous singers who are also really, really good actors and
who collaborate very well in the rehearsal process, since we start with
a blank slate and build the arrangements together. We also need a very
diverse group of performers so that we can tackle a broad spectrum of
songs and styles.
So we try to find the balance between introducing new artists,
showcasing returning artists who weren’t in the show the previous
year, and bringing back some of the artists from the year prior. Each
artist who has ever worked on Uncovered has brought something so
unique and special to it. So it’s also a case of just trying to find the
group who are interesting as a unit and also right for that particular
songwriter.
Do either or both of you find that working regularly on the
Uncovered series together has changed the way you work together, or
with other collaborators, on other projects?
It has certainly built a very meaningful friendship for the two of
us, and a shorthand which I think comes in handy on other shows
that we do together. It’s also led to a lot of lessons when it comes to
developing our new musicals. Looking at good songwriting from the
perspective of narrative arc has come in handy when looking at new
musical theatre songs.
Do you see the Uncovered series leading in turn to further experimentation
with popular music, perhaps extending to exploring
staging – or do you see it staying at the simpler level of song – words
and music presented/sung live to the audience with the revelations in
the new musical arrangements?
I think Uncovered is meant to stay simple in its concert format, with
an emphasis on teasing out stories while just focusing on the words
of the songwriter. But I think it has illuminated the power of pop
music and so who knows what is possible as we continue to develop
new musicals and new musical projects. We wouldn’t want to create
a Mamma Mia per se, but I think it’s a very interesting exploration to
examine how else pop music can be used to create contemporary and
important musical works.
Elsewhere
This month there is a wide range of music theatre to choose from.
Music is the medium that transforms Shakespeare’s romance of
forgiveness The Winter’s Tale into one of the most effective recent
story ballets, through the choreography of Christopher Wheeldon
combined with the score of Joby Talbot (the same team who brought
us the popular Alice in Wonderland ballet). Winter’s Tale returns to
the National Ballet of Canada November 10 to 19, only two years after
its debut, because of its great initial success.
On the opposite side of the spectrum the record-breaking Canadian
Evil Dead the Musical returns to Toronto yet again (to the Randolph
Theatre November 9 to 19), proving that a cult classic musical version
of a horror movie can have, perhaps, even greater staying power
than the movie itself. Tickets are already selling quickly but at the
time of writing there is still room in the “Splatter Zone” for the most
ardent fans.
QUICK PICKS
Nov 6 to Dec 31:Young People’s Theatre presents a streamlined
(85-minute) Beauty and the Beast, giving fans of one of Disney’s best
musicals the chance to catch their favourite story live.
Nov 10 to 12/16 to 18: Word has just come in about another new
Canadian musical, Riding Off In All Directions . . . . the telling of
lies, about the relationship between Mazo de la Roche and Stephen
Leacock at Mississauga’s Maja Prentice Theatre. It will be directed by
the well-known stage and screen star Colin Fox, who also plays the
part of Leacock. The cast includes Bó Bardós as de la Roche; James
McLean as Timothy Findley, and Marion Samuel-Stevens as de la
Roche’s cousin and lifelong companion, Caroline Clement.
For more information—call 529-846-2552 or go online to: bit.ly/
TellingLies.
Nov 11 to Dec 3, at Factory Theatre: Trace is a one-man show that
follows three generations of mothers and sons from occupied Japan to
21st-century Canada combining virtuoso original piano compositions
with lyrical text.
Nov 20 to Dec 8: At Crow’s Theatre (345 Carlaw) rock ’n’ roll takes
centre stage in the world premiere of a new rock fable, A&R Angels, by
Kevin Drew of Broken Social Scene, directed by Chris Abraham.
Nov 10 to 25, at Hart House Theatre, the first of two musical offerings:
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Nov 29 to Dec 1: Also at Hart House Theatre, the now-classic
Canadian musical inspired by the old Astaire-Rogers films, The
Drowsy Chaperone, arrives in a production by the Victoria College
Musical Society.
Toronto-based “lifelong theatre person” Jennifer (Jenny) Parr
works as a director, fight director, stage manager and coach, and is
equally crazy about movies and musicals.
presents
DECEMBER DIARIES
A Choral Drama
Shackleton at the South Pole, Champlain in New France, the
Christmas Truce of 1914... A journey in words and music to
three remarkable Christmases past.
December 9 & 10, 2017
Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts
www.annexsingers.com
featuring:
Roger Honeywell, tenor
Cheryl MacInnis, actor
Anne Lindsay, violin
Alejandro Céspedes, percussion
Maria Case, Artistic Director
thewholenote.com November 2017 | 35