There’s not much point in a review that is posted in the final week of the run. However, I saw the show and I loved it, and my grandkids loved it, so I give credit where credit is due. And there’s always next year.
The old-fashioned English Pantomime has been showing for decades, and I’m sure it will keep on for many more. It’s that sort of whole-family entertainment. Every show is new, so it is completely up to date, and the whole genre changes with the changing audience, so the ideas always appeal.
A pantomime is the takeoff of all takeoffs. This year’s East Vancouver Cultural Centre’s show, for example, is a modernization of “Beauty and the Beast,” in which the conflict is a mishmash of modern urban problems mostly caused by people’s inability to accept change. The musical numbers are all rewrites of the songs and styles of the last thirty years or so.
One element of the pantomime that this production excels at is appeal to a broad audience. There are lots of furry little animals for the kids (the residents of East Vancouver don’t have a skunk problem; they share their habitat with skunks), but the script and the song lyrics teem with topical comments that have the parents in stitches as well.
Another wonderful fixture of the pantomime is audience participation, and again, these writers have it nailed. Chase scenes through the theatre, traditional “Look out behind you” schticks, and plenty of asides keep us continually on our toes.
But the pantomime hinges on the quality of the cast, and in this production, leads Steffanie Davis as Belle and Jason Sakaki as Beast carry the show. Miss Davis has wonderful range and particularly emotive singing style and portrays an engaging personality. Munish Sharma adds a nice personal touch in her supporting roles as Maurice and Salman Roe. The rest of the cast filled in behind beautifully, especially the dancers.
This production does not let itself be confined to tradition. For example, a whole new main character (the king of the skunks) and thus a whole new conflict, does not appear until the second act. No problem.
Unfortunately, the only weak point in the production comes from stepping a little too far outside the box. A pantomime often begins with a review of the “house rules,” to tune the kids into what’s expected of them. In this production, that section is beautifully blended in with the opening of the story. However, when it comes to the end, the writers thought in necessary to again step out of the pantomime, and the final song isn’t (I don’t think) about the story, it’s all about pantomimes. It’s also very wordy and explanatory, and because of the whole-cast nature of the finale, I couldn’t understand most of the lyrics.
But it was performed with the same enthusiasm and skill as the rest of the show, so the energy level was maintained, and the performance ended on a high note.
Pantomimes, and specifically the Culch’s annual offerings, are highly recommended for all families and everyone else celebrating the season.
(5 / 5)