Toronto Producers

[sabrelady]

Posted: 12/13/03 at 3:00pm

Well the show opened amid much fanfare. Good review for the show, the choreography , costumes lighting & Leo but not for Sean as Max. Is this simply the "not Nathan" curse @ work again? I like Sean Cullen & can't say as I ahven't seen the show yet but the review seemed to complain that there wasn't enough of a "character" there. Having seen the show in NY I'm not sure ther IS a real character there! What are your thoughts?

[BialyBloomInc02]

Posted: 12/13/03 at 10:52pm

Actually, I'm in the process of writing a review of the show, but here's a rough exerpt from what I thought of it (I saw it last Tuesday and Wednesday just before opening night on Thursday).

On the whole, the show holds up quite solidly acting wise. At the top of the playbill are Sean Cullen and Michael Therriault. To begin with, Sean Cullen is nothing short of a comedic mastermind. One part Jackie Gleason, another, Zero Mostel, his take on the role of the crooked Max Bialystock is both fresh and original. He performs in a way that would suggest he never saw nor heard Lane’s take on the character. His uncanny facial expressions constantly had the audience in stitches. His timing was sharp and his asides with the audience were truly entertaining. With Cullen, breaking the fourth wall simply doesn’t apply here, as he doesn’t acknowledge one being there in the first place. Those who are familiar with Cullen’s work know that he is a master of improvisation, and although it is well known that Brooks doesn’t promote ad-libbing – as the ad-libs are often funnier than what is written – Cullen dropped several on crowd both nights I viewed it. Let it also be known that Mr. Cullen is very gracious on stage to his other castmates; never does he steal another character’s moment to shine, nor does he make ad-libs for the sake of getting a cheap laugh. If I were to isolate the one major fault of Cullen, it would have to be his singing (this is very evident in his 11 O'Clock number Betrayed). Part of the problem may lay in the fact that he hasn’t found his character’s physical or even emotional voice yet. Cullen segues between a high pitched Bronx accent (which does border being annoying by the end of the first act) and that of his normal voice. There is an evident break in flow between the pitch of his character voice and that of his lower baritone register. I realize the show opened only a mere two weeks ago, however, his singing voice is simply less than stellar when compared to those of his castmates.

Michael Therriault for instance gives every cast member a run for their money when he belts the last line of his opening number, “I Wanna Be a Producer”. A regular headliner at the Stratford Festival for the past five seasons, Therriault brings his natural charisma, slapstick comedy, and a great deal of experience to the role of Leo Bloom. What was most impressive however was his ability to refrain from making the character of Bloom the overblown caricature that many previous actors have resorted to. Therriault’s Bloom was very much grounded with reality, and as a result, it allowed the relationship between his character and that of Cullen’s seem real. Both Cullen’s and Therriault’s stage chemistry is a true feat in ability. Never once did I sense superficiality in their dynamic.
Other notables in the Toronto Company included Sarah Cornell as the duo’s blonde-bombshell Swedish secretary Ulla (pronounced Ooh-la). The six foot-one actress makes the best use of her talents in her only solo number, “When You Got It, Flaunt It”, pulling out all the stops. Paul O’Sullivan as Springtime’s Nazi playwright, Franz Liebkin was a comic delight in all aspects. While O’Sullivan has an undeniably strong stage presence, what was most impressive was his strong sense of comedic timing. In fact, his brawny tenor voice was probably the best sounding of all the supporting cast. As well, his orchestra of singing German pigeons in his opening scene was a unique thrill to experience. Juan Chioran as Roger DeBris was entertaining; however, he lacked the sort of stage presence needed for this type of role. His turn as the Fuehrer in the lavishly gaudy Springtime for Hitler number seems very mechanical and lacks the flamboyant twists it needs for the scene to be effective. Mr. Chioran should be approaching this particular scene as Roger DeBris playing Hitler, who in turn is playing Judy Garland, however, we are left unsatisfied (at least those who have had the pleasure of seeing other actors perform this sequence) with Mr. Chioran instead playing Mr. Chioran as a campy Hitler. The company boasts an enthusiast and very talented ensemble, proving themselves to be true triple-threat performers.

After seeing the production 2 times in NYC, I think believe Gary Beach reigns supreme as Roger DeBris (His Heil Myself is priceless!)
BBi02 Updated On: 12/13/03 at 10:52 PM