Written by Howard Pechet &
Timothy French
At Stage West, Mississauga
November 26, 2009-February 7, 2010
Stage West’s 113th production is a real winner for dinner-theatre patrons who appreciate Pop, Bubble Gum, Easy Listening, Hard Rock, Country, Disco, New Wave, or just plain Eccentric hits—in this case, one-hit wonders by composers who made it to the very top or to the Top Ten charts only once in their careers, never to realize the same kind of success again. And I am not talking about obscure names or titles; I am referring to great melodies and artists who should have enjoyed further success on the merits of their single hits. Unless you are from another planet, you must have heard the names of Gary Glitter, Curtis Lee, Bobby Day, Jeannie C. Riley, Lynn Anderson, Mary MacGregor, Debby Boone, Ashford and Simpson, Twisted Sister, Bonnie Tyler, the Fine Young Cannibals, Billy Ray Cyrus, and the Arrows. Well, unless you can’t keep names in your head. Then how about titles, such as “I Love Rock and Roll,” “Pretty Little Angel Eyes,” “Rockin’ Robbin,” “Sugar, Sugar,” “Venus,” Hooked on A Feeling.” “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” et cetera. The list goes on and on, because the music world has always been filled with overnight sensations with one particular song that wins them fame—if not everlastingly, then at least for a decade or so.
Howard Pechet and Timothy French have capitalized on this phenomenon and created a phenomenal show by pop standards. It isn’t exactly caviar, but it’s not cheap hamburger either. Their show premiered in Calgary but what started in Calgary doesn’t necessarily have to stay there, especially when it’s a high energy, colourful, fast paced musical homage, with enough range to win fans of almost every age and walk of life, always excepting aficionados of opera or classical music. Pechet and French are responsible for the revue concept and narrative, and though their ticker tape background filler often flies by too fast for full absorption by an audience, it does help develop a context for some of the music. The least it does is provoke curiosity, and there’s plenty to be curious about in this show that carries us back to the late Sixties and early Seventies, starting with Hard Rock before switching to Bubble Gum and garage-band stuff.
True, the lyrics are not
sophisticated, but they are heartfelt outpourings. “You are my candy girl
and you get me wanting you” won’t win over the Verdi or Wagner crowd—or even
the Sondheim set. But it isn’t aiming that high. And there is occasional
poetry—as in “I Will Follow Him” or “Torn Between Two Lovers.” Of course,
any pretence at choice diction is abandoned in the eccentric “Witch Doctor,”
“Monster Mash,” or “Wolly Bully,” that you can either take or leave,
depending on just how far you want to condescend for the occasion. No
reflection, of course, on the singers who take the wheat and the chaff
together in their nearly two-hour long performance with intermission. 
Which brings me to the production values. The lighting is nightclub showtime gaudy. The five musicians (on keyboard, guitar, bass, and drums) use both levels of the set and enter fully into the eclectic spirit of the occasion. The choreography is not always imaginative, and swings between being overly aggressive or blandly pedestrian, but, on the whole, is adequate. The singers are not world-shakers (and their body mics can act up unexpectedly) but they are competent in various song styles, and the parade of costumes is as eye-catching as their vocalizing is stirring. They are less convincing as New Wave or Hard Rock performers but they do well in other styles. Aaron Walpole is the best known of the group because of his success on Canadian Idol, and he certainly has lung-power and exuberance. Troy Adams cuts a fine presence and sings with some flair. Andrew McGillivray shows a rocker’s excess, and Trevor Covelli is a musical hunk. On the female side, Saccha Dennis and Katrina Reynolds know their Tina Turner and black funk, while Diana Planche and Ange Pagano revive memories of several wonder women. In fact, I have to confess that I prefer these women’s versions of “Rose Garden” and “O-o-h Child” to their Lynn Anderson and The Five Stairsteps originals. What’s also refreshing is the comic sense shown by the ensemble. True, the corn does grow high in this musical revue—especially with the big, fat wedding sequence that is a medley of disparate hits (from “Dance With Me” and “I’m too Sexy” to “Achy Breaky Heart,” “Macarena,” and “Hot Hot Hot”). Well, the point is surely to get everyone in the audience ready to boogie because there is dancing and a DJ after the show for those who want to work off their buffet bellies with some wild spontaneity. This is definitely a show that can shove aside your winter woes and get you ready to boogie.
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