FIVE BOOKS THAT THE CENTAUR SHOULD BASE A POSSIBLE MUSICAL ABOUT...and you're welcome.
by Jessica Wei
Canadians: The Musical
Alright, Centaur. Well done. Nobody expected “Schwartz's: The Musical” would do well, and here it is, on a second run and already selling fast. Exploiting- err, I mean, commemorating a Montreal institution with song and dance, charging patrons (tourists, mostly) $50 a pop. And it's all based on a Bill Brownstein book. Genius. So where to go from here, now that you've tapped into the myriad of Canadian literature? Setting Oryx and Crake to music? Or would you rather the Montreal icon route? This week's Friday Five tackles five books one could so easily adapt onto the stage. Here's Five Books Centaur Theatre Should Turn Into Plays.
(You're welcome).
TERRY – DOUGLAS COUPLAND
I honestly have no idea why nobody has done a musical about Terry Fox before. Think about it. It's a real life hero's journey (and I mean, hero on a national level) and it deals with a disease that millions are afflicted with. Plus, by basing a play off of a Douglas Coupland coffee-table books, it lets Doug do what Doug does best – sell out in the name of patriotism (Not unlike his last venture). Throw in some uplifting music, and you've got a hit!
THE LONELY PLANET GUIDE TO MONTREAL
Picture “Before Sunset” meets drunk teenage tomfoolery in the most walkable city in the world, set to a super-indie score composed by, say, the Arcade Fire. If the Arcade Fire composed for the stage. A pair of love-lorn 18 year olds find each other in St-Sulpice (listed as one of the places to go in Montreal, for some reason), take a midnight walk through the Old Port (cool! Backdrop changes!) and talk about hot spots to visit when the cloudy haze of alcohol clears. Do they consummate their love? Does it matter? It's theatre for the indy crowd that's willing to pay upwards of $30 a ticket. They could throw in some buttons to sweeten the deal.
Picture “Before Sunset” meets drunk teenage tomfoolery in the most walkable city in the world, set to a super-indie score composed by, say, the Arcade Fire. If the Arcade Fire composed for the stage. A pair of love-lorn 18 year olds find each other in St-Sulpice (listed as one of the places to go in Montreal, for some reason), take a midnight walk through the Old Port (cool! Backdrop changes!) and talk about hot spots to visit when the cloudy haze of alcohol clears. Do they consummate their love? Does it matter? It's theatre for the indy crowd that's willing to pay upwards of $30 a ticket. They could throw in some buttons to sweeten the deal.
THE JADE PEONY – WAYSON CHOY
We love art about geographic displacement and mistaken identities! Minorities finding acceptance in a new land, isn't that the Canadian dream? Plus, it's one of the most well-known and revered pieces of Canadian literature ever. The set would be all red lights, lanterns and wooden porches. Divine!
We love art about geographic displacement and mistaken identities! Minorities finding acceptance in a new land, isn't that the Canadian dream? Plus, it's one of the most well-known and revered pieces of Canadian literature ever. The set would be all red lights, lanterns and wooden porches. Divine!
THE MONTREAL CANADIENS: 100 YEARS OF GLORY – D'ARCY JENISH
The Habs. 'Nuff said. Give some boys a few hockey sticks and an opera score and you're in business. (And you're getting these ideas for free, too).
The Habs. 'Nuff said. Give some boys a few hockey sticks and an opera score and you're in business. (And you're getting these ideas for free, too).
SWINGIN' IN PARADISE: THE STORY OF JAZZ IN MONTREAL – JOHN GILMORE
Now this is a Montreal institution. Back in the '30s to '70s, the streets of St-Antoine and Notre Dame were lined with fluorescent signs promoting jazz clubs. Montreal offered a haven for musicians who were caught in the prohibition and issues relating to racism in the States. The Oscar Peterson story, Rockhead's Paradise, even Biddle's (now House of Jazz), all of that could be adapted to the stage with the music already pre-written. Think about it.
Now this is a Montreal institution. Back in the '30s to '70s, the streets of St-Antoine and Notre Dame were lined with fluorescent signs promoting jazz clubs. Montreal offered a haven for musicians who were caught in the prohibition and issues relating to racism in the States. The Oscar Peterson story, Rockhead's Paradise, even Biddle's (now House of Jazz), all of that could be adapted to the stage with the music already pre-written. Think about it.
This is a challenge, Centaur. Let's see if you can perform the Midas Touch again.
Can you please find something else to write about other than musical theatre? Yes, we get it: you don't like it. That's fine. Now move on!
ReplyDeleteI'm gonna have to back Ms. Wei up on her dissecting/discussion of Shwartz's: The Musical. In the anglophone Montreal theatrical community, I don't think there's been a hit like this for years, and it deserves our attention... if only to decide how much we, as artists, want to invest in what is clearly a profitable market.
ReplyDeleteI agree that despite Jessica's brilliant turns of phrase and satire, she is making some very valid statements and the Habs musical and Rockhead's Paradise musical are actually goldmines waiting to happen. I have not seen Schwartz's but there is no doubt Centaur had a stroke of genius in two ways: subject and form. We like musicals! I just hope we do not go the way of the karaoke musicals in French-language theatre - half-formed ideas sung to a taped score.
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