I didn’t really know what to expect going into this show, except that I was pretty sure I was going to have a good time. 🙂 I’d enjoyed the recording for years, and I’d caught a bit of the CBC broadcast a couple of weeks before (I purposely didn’t watch the whole thing so that I would be surprised at the theatre!), and from all that I knew, it was going to be silly and light and fun.
And so it was. 🙂 But I don’t think I expected to laugh quite as much as I did! Everyone in the audience seemed to have a wonderful time. The Helen Hayes is a really small theatre, so it felt very intimate, aided by the fact that the actors address the audience at several points. And I was sitting close enough to make eye contact. 🙂
I was already familiar with the plot, of course, so I was expecting all that silliness, but I hadn’t realized how much of the humour comes from the sets and the “improvisation” that goes on to perform a play rather than a banjo concert. There were so many little things that made me laugh – like Gussie as a tree on the side of the road during “Travel Hopefully” and the people in the front row holding the flowers before “When Love Arrives”. Oh, and speaking of “Travel Hopefully”, I was so excited to finally understand what Bertie’s talking about when he says “Appear to be running out of cardboard”…I was always very confused by that line! But it all makes sense now. 🙂
The cast overall was really good. I especially enjoyed John Scherer and Don Stephenson. I didn’t particularly like Steve Wilson’s take on Budge, but maybe it’s just me. And Emily Loesser was good, but I thought it didn’t really go with the character that Stiffy be very obviously pregnant. 🙂 The “mega-mix” at the end was really fun, and the Wizard of Oz costumes just capped it all off perfectly!
Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon, and I was really surprised that the show closed early when the audience seemed so appreciative. I’ve since watched the CBC broadcast, which is also really fun, though not quite as much so as a live performance. I’m really glad I did get a chance to see it on stage!
The quotes:
“It’s so nice to see the young people coming back to the banjo!”
Steve Wilson (in character) to me, before the show
“How are things in partial-view?”
Steve Wilson again, before the show
“My story begins in late July…and I’ll begin it as soon as you’ve found your seats.”
John Scherer, harrassing some late-comers
“If you donate $100, I’ll come to your house and teach you to play air banjo.”
John Scherer again, during the BC/EFA speech
The cast:
|
Bertie Wooster |
JOHN SCHERER |
|
Jeeves |
MARTIN JARVIS |
|
Honoria Glossop |
DONNA LYNNE CHAMPLIN |
|
Bingo Little |
DON STEPHENSON |
|
Gussie Fink-Nottle |
JAMES KALL |
|
Sit Watkyn Bassett |
SAM TSOUTSOUVAS |
|
Madeline Bassett |
BECKY WATSON |
|
Stiffy Byng |
EMILY LOESSER |
|
Harold “Stinker” Pinker |
IAN KNAUER |
|
Cyrus Budge III (Junior) |
STEVE WILSON |
|
Other Personages |
TOM FORD |