A Special Guest Review of The Mountaintop at the Citadel Theatre!

 I was unable to use my ticket to The Mountaintop at the Citadel this past weekend (Easter plans) and having seen the show before I passed along my ticket to my thoughtful friend, John Anderson, who had wanted to see the show. So, here is a "Special Guest Review" Post for the show!

Similar to the play itself, the Citadel’s new production of Katori Hall’s play, The Mountaintop, is deceptively simple at first glance. The story is a fictional reimagining of how Martin Luther King spent his last night alive, right after he returns from delivering his famous final sermon, I’ve Been to the Mountaintop. At his room in Lorraine Motel, King encounters an eccentric and mysterious room service attendant, Camae. With her company, MLK experiences his final moments of privacy in life.

John C. Dinning’s Set Design combines realism and abstract to tell its story. The motel room is entirely what one would expect from a real life motel room, but the borders of the stage present something else… Like all famous people, MLK was surrounded and trapped by fame. Even alone in his room, he is never allowed to be alone. All along the edges of the Maclab Theatre stage, there are strewn newspapers, letters, documents, communications, facts, opinions, and destiny. Upstage from the room, there are clouds that Jeff Osterlin’s lights dance across to effectively make it seem as though the clouds are really moving. Occasionally, Dave Clarke’s thunder booms and roars to remind MLK of the danger his life is in.

Ray Strachan is tremendous as King. His physical and vocal control seem effortlessly natural, despite clearly intentional choices in every moment. With all MLK’s fame and renown, it would be easy to fall for the wrong choice and portray King with an inhuman level of gravitas. Thankfully, the script, direction, and performance all draw the character in a more human and therefore compelling light. Once Patricia Cerra enters the motel room as the enthralling Camae, the two actors own the stage thanks to their talents, but also thanks to very strong direction from Patricia Darbasie. She has done wonders with her cast. King and Camae’s chemistry as channeled through the actors is delightfully engaging, especially when the conversations take unexpected turns.

In the finale of the play, there is a repeated phrase about contribution and progression: “The baton passes on”. With their production of The Mountaintop, Patricia Darbasie and her team have successfully passed it along to Edmonton audiences.

- John Anderson – April 1st, 2024

The Mountaintop runs to April 21st at The Citadel Theatre. Tickets range from $35.00 to $125.00 and can be purchased here. 

My thanks to John for the awesome review! I hope you all get to catch the show while it's here!

After so long, 3 shows in a month seems AMAZING! The Fiancé, The December Man and Garneau Block!

 Yep, theatre is back. Some theatres are a little more back than others, and some are more distanced than others. Some are picking up where they left off, and some are showing new things. I took in three shows in the last month and it feels so strange to once again be out and about doing what I love! I'm still cautious, but it was nice to have moments in a darkened theatre where I both laughed and cried. 

Photo Credit: Nanc Price

Most recently (yesterday afternoon) I took in the new work, The Fiancé, in the Citadel's Shoctor Theatre.  With The Fiancé , penned by Holly Lewis (wife of Artistic Director Daryl Cloran), we were treated to a brand new farce taking place at the end of WWII. It featured local Edmonton theatre artists both on and off stage and it was a fun romp as the sweet and cake-loving Lucy (Helen Belay) and her tough no-nonsense sister Rose (Patricia Cerra) managed the comings and goings of Lucy's three wartime fiancés (Farren Timoteo, Tenaj Williams and Sheldon Elter), who have all arrived home on the same day. The stakes are raised by the arrival of a new landlord, Ms. Crotch (played by a ferocious Lora Brovold), with strict rules about unmarried ladies living in the building. As with most farces, the First Act served to set up the situation as precariously as possible and the Second Act was where it all payed off. It was an enjoyable afternoon spent out at the theatre where I could laugh and anticipate who would end up with who and what ridiculous circumstance would wrap it all up. I was not disappointed! The script is new and could use a little tightening and the removal of a few anachronistic bits that bumped me out of the story, but the cast do a great job selling every moment. And although the physical comedy in the fights and business are funny, they could also use a bit of judicious editing as they don't always carry the momentum required. As I mentioned, the Second Act is where it all pays off, as more people are added and more doors start getting opened and closed. All in all, this is a nice little show that will make you feel good and get you laughing. 

The Fiancé runs to November 28 and tickets are available here. Tickets range from $30-$108.00.

COVID RATING: B+ (Guests are checked for double vaccination and masked throughout the performance, hand sanitizer is provided in the lobby and entrances, but seats are not distanced and some guests removed their masks to drink and eat in the theatre)

Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images

Last week I took in The December Man at Walterdale Theatre. It has closed but I did want to comment on the excellent production. The December Man, by Colleen Murphy, tells of the 1989 Ecole Polytechnique tragedy involving the murder of 14 women and injuring others by a lone gunman railing against feminism. The story is told in the aftermath with the effects on one male student Jean (played with sensitivity by Filip Fufezan) who survived the shootings and the guilt that he deals with for not doing more. His parents, played by Christine Gold and J. Nelson Niwa, struggle to help him and their own limitations prevent them from being able to do so successfully. The trio of actors were beautifully committed to their characters strengths and weaknesses, and together there were a believable family coping as best they could with this horrible new reality. And the story, told in reverse order, culminated in a heart-breaking emotional release. The piece was directed with a skilled hand by Alex Hawkins who allowed the cast to weave through the emotional ups and downs realistically. 

The December Man closed this past Saturday, so you can no longer see it. However, Walterdale Theatre's next production is 5@50 by Brad Fraser which runs from December 8-18. Tickets can be purchased here. $25.00

COVID RATING: A+ (Guests are checked for double vaccination and masked throughout the performance, hand sanitizer is provided at entrances, bathrooms are restricted to one person at a time, seats are socially distanced, limited tickets are sold to prevent over-crowding)

Photo Credit: Arthur Mah

Earlier this season I also caught The Garneau Block at the Citadel in the Maclab Theatre. At the time of the Shut-down I think I was about a week and a half from seeing the show, so it was nice to finally catch it on the stage! I'm so happy for these shows-interrupted who are now able to be seen. Some productions over the course of the pandemic were able to transition to online productions, but with this being a play based on a novel by Edmonton's own Todd Babiak, so close to Opening, with a set left intact, I was really happy that they were able to keep (almost) the entire original cast and get the opportunity to share it with the city. I loved the book, so it was cool to see that world recreated onstage in this adaptation by Belinda Cornish. There are differences but the spirit of the story is intact, as are the characters. It was a great afternoon of laughter for me. Stand-out performance, however, must go to Nadien Chu whose onstage melt-down was one for the ages! As a whole, however, the cast was a delightful, well-balanced ensemble. Kudos!

The Garneau Block is no longer running so tickets are not available.