Review: Jesus Jello - The Miraculous Confection

There's a lot I liked about this play starting with the first rate cast. They certainly delivered during the comedic scenes; but what surprised me was how they moved me when things got serious and a certain line or scene hit home. As an examination of religious hypocrisy, I found the play less convincing but the finale was hugely funny and sad when, at last, some truth breaks out. This is a good play, the actors are excellent and I enjoyed it. 



(MacRae Campbell)

News: Mary Thomas, Centaur Wardrobe Mistress, Dies

Mary Thomas worked at Centaur Theatre for over three decades and is fondly remembered. Typical of comments on social networks was Steve Galluccio's, "RIP Mary Thomas...She worked on both [my plays] Mambo Italiano and Piazza San Domenico. Thanks for dressing my children, Mary." Val Tannage, who worked at Centaur added "I had so many chats with her down in the costume room, and she dressed me in such a great costume for a fundraising event we had one year, a purple saloon dress from the wild west days, still remember her getting that corset on me....so caring and had a great caustic wit....she was my go to girl with my boy troubles. Very sad today thinking she has left us." A private memorial will be held in her honour at Centaur on Tuesday, December 7.

(Quotes with permission, additional info from CharPo contributors)

CharPo's Picture of the Week; December 3, 2010

The MECCA Party with big winner Andrew Shaver (l) and Holly Gauthier-Frankel (photo: Liesl Barrell)

Five (Immediately) Memorable Shows

By Gaëtan L. Charlebois 
As the end of the year approaches it's a wise idea to look back without anger; it helps brace one for what may come in the new year. In that spirit I'm offering a list I invite you to extend with your own "immediately" memorable productions in Montreal English-language theatre.

Woyzeck, Centaur, 1974 
Felix Mirbt and Jean Herbiet's production of the Büchner play was the first performance for which I got in people's faces. I was a first year acting student at John Abbott College and actually did something about getting people to see it: I called Pam Turpin (with whom I later worked in the PR department at Centaur) and asked her if I could get a group discount for other students. She went one better and got us a handful of free tickets. I went for a second time and was hypnotized all over again by this heart-breaking story of a weak man. Decades later, when I saw the exceptional TNM production of the Berg opera based on the play, my mind was still flooded by images of that wondrous Centaur production. (Mirbt/Herbiet followed up with a Dream Play which was nearly as haunting.)

Mosquito Man, 1992
I had gone through an endless drought writing for The Mirror—one hideous production after another—when along came Bruce Smith's moving little play about losers in a bar, one of whom was played—with extreme maturity—by a young Donovan Reiter. They saved my life as a scribe. 

First Person: A Day in the life of...Steve Galluccio

So it’s been kinda crazy these days, the way I like it. I just got back from dinner with Denise Robert at Nizza then my boyfriend and I headed off to the TNM to catch “Le dieu du carnage”. A sublime production, which is just as good as the one I saw starring Gandolfini on Broadway last year was...

So now I’m back home (my boyfriend’s and my future home) and I am about to settle down to work on Mambo 2. Denise suggested I write a sequel, I figured the time was right, I wrote a first draft which she loved and now I’m working on a second, because she wants to shoot next summer. We had lunch with Ginette (Reno) last week and she’s on board, now the question is, will the others join in too? 

Denise and I are also co-producing a Québécois version of “39 Steps”: we acquired the rights after we both fell in love with the play last year in New York and it should be up and running in 2012. We’ve secured the venue (a 900 seater no–less) we had it translated, we hired a director and now it’s all about budgets and finding our actors. But that’s easy,  my real challenge this week is to find an outfit to wear next Tuesday for my interview  I have  on Musimax to plug “Funkytown”. It’s the first of many, Funkytown has the biggest buzz of any project I was involved in since Mambo, the movie. I was told that a character on “Tout Sur Moi” mentioned the movie (I don’t know in what context as my PVR is busted).

Writer Anthony Palermo Defends (!) Critics

(Ed: Anthony Palermo responded to David Allan King's post and we thought it was so interesting it deserved article status)


I believe the role of the critic has lost its place and the art of criticism has lost its meaning. The critic is just as much a part of any production as the director, the actors, the stage manager and the audience. It’s foolish to reject this notion. 

I think a lot of people shit on critics. They hate them. Personally, I love them. I love them because everyone hates them. Like I love Simon Cowell. The dude is a total prick. But he’s often right for being a prick. I don’t always agree with his opinion but I agree with his ‘way’. He’s got a way of telling it like it is. He’s telling the truth. He’s trying to guide the artist towards or away from the limelight. He definitely wants the talented ones to succeed. And that’s why artists hate critics. Because they hate to hear someone say anything else than ‘that was great’ or ‘you were awesome’. Again, personally, I can’t stand comments like that, they don’t mean anything. 


They work for actors. Actors that crave validation. But it never meant anything to me. If you wanted to say something that I would appreciate: point out a moment that touched you in the play; an action that frightened you or a line that made you think.

News: Geordie Productions new GM

Lyndee Hansen takes over as Geordie Productions' general manager November 29.

(Source: Twitter @GeordieProd)

Discussion: 10 Things Artists Are Sure They Know About Critics

By David Allan King

1.    Critics are failed artists.
2.    Critics are failed journalists.
3.    All critics are bad. All critics are bad.
4.    If you don't make it sexy for them, they won't come.
5.    They didn't even research this before writing about it.
6.    All critics have a personal vendetta.
7.    Never piss off a critic.
7.    They just didn't understand the interpretation.
8.    All critics are single, lurking in the shadows of a dark room.
10.   They didn't even see the same show I did, or why would they say that?

Review: Blithe Spirit (Segal)

By Richard Burnett, from Hour (with permission)

Noel Coward’s 1941 play Blithe Spirit – written to lift the morale of Londoners during The Blitz – is the archetypal British sophisticates comedy that’s been pleasing audiences for decades. Its 2009 run at NYC’s Schubert Theatre (starring a dashing Rupert Everett and Angela Lansbury, who won a 2009 Tony Award for her performance) was widely considered a definitive remounting (and this reporter enjoyed it very much). So could Montreal’s Segal Theatre – with decidedly less cash and star-power – be up to the task? Well, I’m happy to report, they are. The Segal set is really beautiful, worthy of a Broadway stage, and the cast – especially Kelli Fox as Ruth Condomine and Gemme James Smith as the ghostly Elvira – are excellent in a sparkling, booze-soaked comedy about life and the afterlife – and, of course, murder. This production would make Noel Coward himself proud.

Blithe Spirit plays at the Segal Theatre until Dec 12. Surf to www.segalcentre.org

News: MECCA Winners announced

The Montreal English Critics Circle announced their awards for the 2009 - 2010 season:

(Source: toronto.broadwayworld.com)

2009-10 Winners

Best Production: Haunted Hillbilly (SideMart Theatrical Grocery)

Best Actor: Chip Chuipka for A Line in the Sand

Best Actress: Glenda Braganza for A Line in the Sand

Best Director: Andrew Shaver for Haunted Hillbilly

Best Text (tie): Amy Lee Lavoie for Rabbit, Rabbit; Joanna Nutter for My Pregnant Brother

Best Ensemble: My Christmas in New York (Le Nouveau Théâtre Sainte-Catherine)

Best Visiting Production: Icaro by Daniele Finzi Pasca

Best Set Design: Lara Kaluza for A Line in the Sand

Best Costume Design: Catherine Allan, Holly Gauthier-Frankel, and Paul Van Dyck for Miss Sugarpuss Must Die

Best Lighting: Eric Mongerson for Swan Song of Maria

Best Sound: Benoit Brunet-Poirier for 4.48 Psychosis

Revelation Award: Amy Lee Lavoie

Myron Galloway Award for Distinction: Annabel Soutar & Porte Parole

Congratulations to all the winners!

(Gaëtan L. Charlebois)