WHAT MAKES US love theatre?
More relevant here: what makes us love musicals, flock to them, memorize their tunes and lyrics, sing them in the shower?
For millions — and this critic is inarguably one — the musical is the one true American art form: a sometimes awkward mix of decent plays sprinkled full of memorable songs that become part of the soundtrack of our lives.
Growing up in the 1950s and ’60s, I enjoyed folk music but also rhythm and blues; recognized the genius of the Beatles but knew that Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific and The King and I, for all their sentimentality and sexism, captured the optimism of North America and were bursting out all over with brilliant songs.
Cole Porter’s Kiss Me Kate, Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls, Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady and Bernstein’s On the Town and West Side Story bordered on perfection. And yes, Stephen Sondheim just could be God.
A new type of “musical,” condescendingly mocked as “juke box,” has shoved most traditional musicals into the corner, and weak, often silly plots are developed which attempt to link the earlier hit songs of various artists or groups into an evening’s entertainment.
Mamma Mia! has made more than a billion dollars from dozens of productions internationally, stringing together ABBA’s hit songs awkwardly but, for most audiences, irresistibly.
And so, I turn reluctantly to Rock of Ages, a crude and loud stringing together of best-selling rock songs of the 1980s from groups you may or may not have heard of: Journey, Night Ranger, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Whitesnake.
Any of these guys ring a bell? I found Rock of Ages to be an unpleasant experience, but maybe I slept through the 1980s and am too hoity-toity to recognize what is purportedly a fun evening.
Elicia MacKenzie — yes, Maria from the recent Mirvish production of The Sound of Music — is quite good as the Midwestern girl who longs to make it as an actress in Los Angeles; Yvan Pedneault (We Will Rock You) can blast out rock songs with the best of them. For all the Germanstake- over-and-try-to-clean-up- America jokes, gay jokes, transgender jokes, size of organ jokes, “Hooray for Boobies” Tshirts (is that really clever?), all that almost saves the evening is the ubiquitous “meta-fiction”: actors commenting on the play endlessly (“Happy ending coming up!”) and poking fun at people in the audience
Did the audience around me seem to love Rock of Ages? Most appeared to, and I’m not out to spoil the party. But, with the very rare and thrilling exception of Jersey Boys, “juke box musicals” just aren’t this critic’s cup of tea.
A dreamy evening of outdoor theatre The 2010 edition of Dream in High Park features Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, running June 25 until Sept. 5 at the High Park amphitheatre.
Last year’s Tempest was very satisfying, and while you’ll never get Stratford-level, near-perfect productions, it’s a marvellous, joyous way to introduce your children to the Bard without ruining your budget.
Chirping birds, passing planes and occasional raindrops are free, but you’ll never experience more believable trees, clouds and wind. And often highly professional productions.
For more information go to www.canstage.com.