BCT delivers a classic
by Christopher Key

There are a few shows in the community theatre canon that never seem to grow stale no matter how many times you’ve seen them. Arsenic and Old Lace is one of the most frequently produced shows of all time and audiences never seem to get enough of it. The Bellingham Theatre Guild, for instance, has produced it no less that nine times and I had the pleasure of performing in the latest version a few years ago. And it is a pleasure, just as much for the actors as for the audience.

Blaine Community Theater is tackling the old chestnut for the first time and gives it a thoroughly delightful ride. Much of that is due to theatrical Renaissance Man and director Nick McDonald. I use the term Renaissance Man advisedly because he seems to be the entire technical and stage crew along with his directorial responsibilities.

He’s had his hands full with some cast challenges. One of the roles was performed for the first time at tonight’s preview and another had just one week to rehearse because of prior commitments. That’s what makes live theatre such a rush, but it can make directors old before their time. McDonald handles it with his usual aplomb.

Since you already know the story, I’ll use the space to hand out some props to a very talented cast. Christopher Cox delivers a manic portrayal of Mortimer, the Brewster brother who is relatively sane. Compared, that is, with the certifiable loonies in the rest of his family. Cox is strong enough to hold the show together when some of the less-rehearsed actors stumble. That is very high praise in my book.

Aunties Abby and Martha prepare a surprise for one of their gentleman callers in the Blaine Community Theater production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Photo credit - Christopher Key

The two homicidal aunties are perfectly portrayed by Julia Teichert and Linda Telfer. Both of these actors are not only gifted, but are matriarchs of enormously talented theatrical clans. Telfer’s son, Rossner Randolph, got handed his part as Officer Brophy a week ago after appearing in the Skagit River Shakespeare Festival this summer. I’ve had the pleasure of directing and acting with him before and he’s one of the gifted young actors that keep the old guys from becoming too complacent. Telfer’s hubby Jim Beckwith has become a favorite at the Bellingham Theatre Guild and his role as evil brother Jonathan gives him a chance to exercise his darker side. He does so convincingly.

Rachel Anderson delighted audiences in the recent BTG production of Guys and Dolls and gets a lot more stage time in this show. That’s a very good thing as she vamps her way through the role of Elaine with charming stage presence and a wonderfully expressive face. There is not much I can say about Leon Charbonneau that I haven’t said before and he shows his astonishing versatility as both the stuffy Reverend Doctor Harper and the somewhat squeamish Dr. Einstein.

This is a family show on several levels. It’s about the Brewsters, who accept their inherent insanity as a matter of course. Ed Marantette and his wife Julie Zavala-Marantette are another theatrical family who have become local favorites, both for their technical and their acting skills. Ed plays Teddy Brewster, who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt, with his trademark goofiness. Wife Julie delivers a very strong performance as police Lieutenant Rooney. As Officer O’Hara, Daniel Anderson is a modern-day Keystone Cop who can barely find his nightstick. BCT stalwart Don Starr performed the roles of Mr. Gibbs and Mr. Witherspoon for the first time at tonight’s preview and did a rather amazing job of jumping in at the last minute.

Those cast challenges will be smoothed out by the time the show opens because this is live theatre and magic happens. Arsenic and Old Lace performs at the wonderful Blaine Performing Arts Center August 20, 21, 27 and 28 at 7:30 p.m., August 22 and 29 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and students. Call (360) 224-1223 for reservations and information.

The Brewsters put the fun in dysfunctional.

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Dido and Aeneas enchants
by Christopher Key

English Baroque composer Henry Purcell may have composed only one opera, but that one is a corker. Based on Virgil’s Aeneid, Dido and Aeneas is a classic love story made tragic by the intervention of the gods. Some deities just can’t leave well enough alone and the unfortunate humans who attract their attention are in a world of hurt. Plus ça change…

Bellingham’s Opera Popolare was founded a couple of years ago by voice teacher Rob Viens and one of his star pupils, Celie Thomas. As the name suggests, the goal of the organization is to make opera accessible to the people and they do an admirable job of that. Viens has the musical chops to cut operas to a length that caters to our unfortunately reduced attention spans while still retaining the power of the story. Their first production, Orfeo et Eurydice, was a total sellout. That’s a subtle hint.

Purcell’s music is glorious and Viens recruits stellar musicians to support his voice students. Those students bear vivid witness to the caliber of coaching they get from Viens. The two lead roles are sung by a couple of teenagers who will astound you with the maturity of their voices.

Lizzie Overstreet sings Dido and her youthful countenance belies a voice that sounds like that of someone far more experienced. She is a junior at Bellingham High School and involved with drama and choir. Bellingham needs to hear her one more time before we lose her, at least for a while.

The role of Aeneas is sung by high school student Alec Smith with a verve that should make everyone grateful to have him around for at least another year. His vocal control is superb and his voice, like Overstreet’s, is unexpectedly mature.

Another wondrous performer who is also leaving for warmer climes is Lauren DeLorme. She sings the role of Belinda, Dido’s handmaid and confidante. Her thrilling voice and lovely stage presence will be sorely missed in local theatres. The aforementioned Celie Thomas is not only a driving force behind Opera Popolare, but a gifted performer who will be gracing local stages for years to come. She is regally evil as the Sorceress who toys with the star-crossed lovers.

Her partners in crime are played by Wendy Donaghy and Sonia Alexis whose marvelous voices are matched by their sinuous stage presence. Heidi Roland, as Dido’s Second Woman, doesn’t get as much stage time as I would have wished given her commanding voice. Scott Fleischmann, Jeremiah O’Brine and Karen Powers round out the supporting roles with the professionalism I have come to expect from this company.

Both the orchestra and chorus pull off something that will amaze you as they sound like much larger aggregations. That’s one of the magical things that happens when superb musicians gather under the baton of a conductor/director who knows how to prestidigitate.

There are only three performances of Dido and Aeneas and if past experience is any indication, they will sell out early. Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. on August 19 and 20. The matinee is at 3:00 p.m. on August 21. The venue is Christ the Servant Lutheran Church at 2600 Lakeway. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased in advance at Piper Music and the two Community Food Co-op locations, or at the door. For more information, call (360) 733-2663 or see http://operapopolare.com/index.html.

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The End of Civilization as We Know It???
by Christopher Key

A long time ago in a theater far, far away, a nerdy little kid sat enthralled by some of the worst acting and cheesiest special effects ever inflicted on an innocent planet. Those magical Saturday afternoons were made even more special because the kid got into the matinees by collecting six RC Cola bottle caps. The kid cut a deal with the Mom and Pop grocery store up the street and didn’t even have to drink the stuff. He usually scored enough bottle caps to get most of his nerdy friends into the theater, as well.

It was the beginning of a life-long love affair with science fiction. The little kid is now 60-something and has just seen the magic recreated. Theatrical Renaissance Man Riley Penaluna is far too young to have seen these stinkers on the first go-around, but the brain-mutating radiations emitted by 1950s B-movies managed to infect him anyway. The result is Science Fiction Triple Feature Live! opening this week at the iDiOM.

This production is meticulously researched send-up of some films that were so unremittingly bad that they relegated science fiction to some celluloid toxic waste dump on the seventh planet of the star Barfatron. Even if you’ve never seen these movies, you’ll recognize the genre since it transcends science fiction. You’ll also laugh yourself into a possible medical emergency.

Riley Penaluna boldly goes where everyone has gone before in the iDiOM Theatre production of Science Fiction Triple Feature Live! Photo credit - Christopher Key

Writer/director Penaluna provides the narration that ties the three segments together. In doing so, he jump started some long-dead synapses in my aging brain. When I accused him of channeling Percy Dovetonsils, a bizarre creation of legendary comic Ernie Kovacs from the same era, he gave me a blank stare worthy of a Vulcan. Oh, well. Some of you aging Boomers will grok it.

The first segment thoroughly roasts a turkey called Cat-Women of the Moon. Intellectually-challenged astronauts from planet Earth discover that there is a breathable atmosphere in caves on the far side of Luna. That’s because a bunch of hotties in black tights have preserved their man-free civilization through some unfathomable technology. One of them predictably falls in love with the most Australopithecine of the spaceship crew and I don’t remember what happens after that because I was laughing too hard.

The wonderfully cheesy props are created by Eric Bute. Photo credit - Christopher Key

Penaluna demonstrates his true affection for the genre in the second segment, It Conquered the World. The plot is equally ridiculous, but Penaluna doesn’t play this one for laughs. Instead, he shows us what could happen to a lousy script if some seriously fine actors were cast. It’s a riveting demonstration, if not as uproariously funny.

That’s just as well, because the final segment, Robot Monster, will make you wish you had brought along a change of Depends. Having done his homework very well, Penaluna costumes his Ro-Man with the same low-budget sleaziness as the original. This beauty has consistently made the all-time worst lists and Penaluna transmogrifies it into an all-time best.

Ro-Man pronounces doom on the few remaining Hu-Mans of Planet Earth. Photo credit - Christopher Key

Since my eyes are still blurred by tears of laughter and nostalgia, I won’t try to see the fine print in my thesaurus and will simply say that the cast brings Penaluna’s vision to life with total commitment and terrific enthusiasm. In no particular order, they are Pete Crandall, Kari Severns, Rosie Guarino, Emily Lester, Josh Mcrae, Tim Greger, Oliver Ross and Wes Davis.

Science Fiction Triple Feature Live! plays August 5 – 7 and 12 – 14 at the iDiOM Theatre, 1418 Cornwall Street in Bellingham. Tickets are $10 and may be reserved by calling (360) 201-5464. Curtain time is 8:00 p.m.

Please do yourself a favor and reserve your tickets right now because this is a sure sell-out. If you don’t, the cast has threatened to feed me (and other drama critics) to the beastly Blarg on the planet Nyaarrh. We may be a despicable race, but no one deserves a fate like that.

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Japanese festival comes home
by Christopher Key

For 34 years, the Japanese community in Vancouver, B. C., has celebrated its culture with the Powell Street Festival in Oppenheimer Park. Last year the park was undergoing an extensive renovation as part of the city’s efforts to spruce up its downtown East Side for the Olympics and the festival had to be held in Woodland Park. The festival came back home this weekend and it was a joyous homecoming.

Vancouver has a huge Japanese community and this festival is, in part, a way of keeping their younger members cognizant of their history and culture. It’s also a way to introduce the gaijin (strangers, foreigners) to one of the oldest and most fascinating cultures in the world. The Japanese themselves were gaijin in Canada and suffered some of the same inhumane treatment their American counterparts did in World War II. That experience has led them to be extraordinarily inclusive in their celebrations and made this gaijin feel most welcome.

My attendance at the festival was supposed to be a time of relaxation and I hadn’t anticipated writing a review. So I left my camera at home so you’ll have to settle for word pictures of the event. Except, of course, for a photo of me in my summer kimono called jinbei san. Frankly, the only thing that might make me look remotely authentic in Japanese costuming might be a sumo diaper and we seriously don’t want to go there.

Photo credit - Reiko Kawakami

One of the reasons Oppenheimer Park is home for the festival is because the Japanese community planted cherry trees there years ago to help cement relations with their new homeland. The cherry trees are still there thanks to the sensitivity of the city and I was appreciative of their shade on this sunny weekend.

There are so many things to see and do that it is difficult to decide where to focus your attention. The musical and dancing acts on the mainstage occupied most of my attention partly because I’m a huge fan of taiko, the Japanese art of drumming. This festival is inclusive enough that the taiko groups incorporated some Brazilian and First Nations influences.

The music focused on Japanese performers, but they ranged from heavy metal to folk to electronic. One band channeled Led Zeppelin to perfection and featured a Japanese guitarist who is one of the best I’ve ever heard or seen anywhere. The dancers were amazing, ranging from traditional to modern and thoroughly professional.

No festival of this kind would be complete without horticultural exhibits. The Vancouver Buddhist Temple, immediately adjacent to the park, hosted bonsai clinics and ikebana demonstrations. The Japanese art of flower arranging may be esoteric to many, but it is an art form of exquisite beauty and deceptive simplicity.

This is perhaps the place to explain that my headline for this post is my feeble attempt at a multi-lingual pun. Japanese festivals are usually centered on a ceremony called Omikashi, which features an intricate gilded portable shrine. It’s mounted on heavy timbers and transported throughout the grounds by a hardworking group of true believers who rock the heavy shrine from side to side with a lot of evocative sound effects. A couple of lovely young ladies are stationed on top of this edifice and urge the carriers on with loud cheers.

Food. There are no words to describe the culinary delights available at this festival. Most of them involve standing in long lines because everyone who comes to this festival wants to sample everything. It’s worth the wait and it helps offset the calories obtained. From yakitori to okonomiyaki to kakigori, it’s a veritable feast. The only thing that proved too daunting to my appetite was Spam sushi. Even Monty Python would probably pass that up.

I should make it clear that the reason that I am so enamored of Japanese culture is because of a lovely lady named Reiko who has shared her joie de vivre with me for 12 wonderful years. Kampei!

Photo credit - Christopher Key

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Tony and Cleo get it on
by Christopher Key

Those of us of a certain vintage may still bear the scars of a disastrous movie called Cleopatra that nearly destroyed the reputations of some fine actors in the name of sheer Hollywood spectacle. Fortunately, there are some Shakespeare companies here in the Northwest that help heal those wounds by presenting more authentic versions of the original, Antony and Cleopatra.

Skagit River Shakespeare Festival director Trey Hatch freely admits that he has trouble categorizing this play. It takes a pretty big codpiece to let go of some directorial control and let the audience decide. Hatch does that and it makes this production at Skagit Valley College a rewarding experience.

Festival veteran Carolyn Hatch is nothing short of magnificent as the Queen of Denial. She is tempestuous, sensual and will make you forget you ever saw Liz Whatsername in the role. If you pay attention to the script, it’s quite clear that Cleo is a woman who has been around the pyramids a few times. Hatch made a wise choice by casting Marc Antony as a much younger man. That’s a factor that most directors seem to ignore and it helps put both characters in perspective.

Bjorn A. Whitney and Carolyn Travis play the title roles in the Skagit River Shakespeare Festival production of Antony and Cleopatra. Photo credit - Christopher Key

Bjorn A. Whitney portrays Marc Antony with a charming naïveté that reinforces the question Shakespeare asks: how can a man who is on the brink of conquering most of the western world throw it all away for a bang on a barge? That dilemma, so central to the plot, is wasted when an older actor is cast.

Historically, the events of this play follow hot on the heels of Julius Caesar and it helps to keep that context in mind. Rome is now ruled by the triumvirate of Antony, Octavius Caesar and Lepidus. Only Lepidus is immune to the tangled web woven by the Egyptian hottie. The wily David Cox not only gives Lepidus a vivid characterization, but also plays the Soothsayer and a Clown with obvious relish.

Another festival regular, Rob Slater, plays Octavius with his trademark intensity and swagger despite a bizarre wig that made me wonder if the Emperor had some gender identity issues. The thorn in the side of the triumvirate is Pompey, whose relationship with the executive branch is problematic. Miles McGillivray brings a blustering, macho presence to the role that is a delight to behold.

Enobarbus, the good soldier who agonizes over the idiocies of his commanders-in-chief, is played to perfection by Angus McLane and his sheer versatility never fails to astound me. I have not had the pleasure of seeing Adrien Gamache before. He brings a profound dignity and sensitivity to the role of Agrippa.

Tonja Myers doesn’t get much stage time as Octavia, the Emperor’s sister, who is a pawn in the political chess game. That’s a shame because she has a regal stage presence and a wounded dignity that makes this character sing. Alice Despopoulos and Shelby Ford are both delightful as Cleo’s handmaids.

The rest of the cast is a bit uneven at times and one hopes that will smooth out as the production progresses. Hatch has chosen to use an unornamented set with a thrust stage and it works very well along with the stark lighting.

Antony and Cleopatra plays July 29 through August 15 in the Philip Tarro Theatre at Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon. There are both evening and matinee performances. See www.shakesnw.org for schedules and ticket pricing.

Did I mention that Cleo’s viper is very much alive and nearly steals the final scene?

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Joseph sparkles at Claire vg
by Christopher Key

Chutzpah. That wonderful Yiddish word perfectly describes the biblical character Joseph. It can also be applied to theatrical legend Andrew Lloyd Webber for updating the story and to Claire vg Thomas Theatre director Cindy Henninger for tackling a massive musical with a rather short rehearsal schedule.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat opens this week at the Lynden theatre and it’s as full of wonder and delight as anyone could wish. This production involved a theatrical summer camp for kids and they are obviously happy campers. Audiences will be, as well.

The cast of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat gives a dynamite performance of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Photo credit - Christopher Key

Laura Henninger plays the Narrator who helps tie the story together. She has an engaging stage presence and a lovely voice, but is often unintelligible. I reviewed a pre-dress rehearsal and suspect that the problem will be ironed out by the time opening night rolls around.

The role of Joseph is a daunting challenge, both because of the mercurial nature of the character and because the actor must carry the show. Jeremy Loween rises to the challenge with a superb voice and a stage presence that shines with innocence. I’ve not had the pleasure of seeing him before and hope I will see him again. Often.

Joseph’s multitudinous brothers are all well-played, but several of them get to strut their stuff in musical numbers. Forrest Crouse earns his chaps in the country number “One More Angel in Heaven.” One of the older kids in the show, Mark Miller, not only nails a French accent, but closes the deal with his wildly funny take on “Those Canaan Days.”

Kaleb Van Rijswijck shows off the expert training he received at Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth. I have seen him in a couple of shows there and all that hard work pays off big time as he rocks “Benjamin Calypso.”

The irrepressible Larrin Weidenaar plays the Pharoah who thinks he is Elvis with his usual flair. That means he channels Elvis to perfection and doubles as one of the brothers with seeming ease despite some frantic costume and facial hair changes.

Bellingham physician Chris Covert Bowlds shows another side of his multi-talented self as Potiphar. His wife doesn’t get many lines, but Olivia Shrum can say more with her face and body than most actors can with a two-page monologue.

It’s hard to say enough about Musical Director Rick Lysen. He has taken an astonishingly diverse group of voices and melded them into a very polished whole. The choral numbers are rock-solid, especially the angelic voices of the young singers. And he assembled a dynamic band that easily handles the myriad genres that Webber incorporates into the score.

Choreographers Jen Buchanan and Laura Henninger work wonders with the kids of all ages. Christy Ham serves as Assistant Director and also coordinated the evocative costuming. Stage Manager Carole May does a stellar job of keeping the potential chaos of this production under firm control.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat plays July 29 – 31 at 7:30 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2:00 p.m. There will also be a Bellingham performance on August 1 at 7:30 p.m. That takes place at Christ the Servant Lutheran Church, 2600 Lakeway. Tickets are $12 and can be reserved by calling the box office at (360) 354-4425.

There are only a few performances of this marvelous production. A word to the wise is sufficient, yes?

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Summer Youth Theatre Institute rocks!
by Christopher Key

It’s somehow fitting that I’m finishing off this current reviewing marathon with a mindless musical where a lot of talented kids get to have some fun and I don’t have to worry about analyzing a complex plot. High School Musical isn’t exactly the pinnacle of American theatre, but it does demonstrate that a dynamic director like Deb Currier and a bunch of actors fueled by Red Bull can make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

The show first crawled out of the swamp as a Disney Channel Original Movie and that should explain a lot. I’d give credit to the writers and composers, but they’d probably just as soon forget their involvement. The fact that the show-within-a-show involves one of Shakespeare’s weaker efforts, Romeo and Juliet, is also somehow fitting. There! I’ve vented my spleen a bit and can get on with the review.

Speaking of snark, the delightful Becca Orlowski gets it on in fine style as Sharpay Evans, the despotic ruler of the Drama Clique. Imagine Sarah Palin in high school and you’ll instantly grasp this character. Sharpay’s reluctant partner in thespic crime is her twin, Ryan. Andy Reinhardt is stunning in this role and has a stage presence reminiscent of the young Joel Grey. I don’t hand out comparisons like that lightly.

Colin Weiss, Rachael Chapman, Becca Orlowski and Andy Reinhardt are among the many stars that make High School Musical rock.

Matt Frye shines as Troy Bolton, the leader of the jock contingent. The hoop star discovers that he may have brains as well as balls and Frye conveys the torture of high school peer pressure convincingly. His love interest is Gabriella Montez, a new kid in school who discovers she may have balls as well as brains. Rachel Chapman plays the character with winsome charm. Both of the star-crossed lovers have good voices, but their duets are a convincing argument for the concept of synergy.

Drama queen…uhh…teacher Mr. Darbus is given a wildly campy interpretation by Mario Orallo-Molinaro and pretty much owns the stage when he is on. His faculty nemesis is Coach Bolton. Jason Huff portrays every nerd’s worst nightmare with a military precision that is frightening for those of us once cowed by this martinet.

The leader of the Brainiacs, Taylor McKessie, is portrayed by Ashley Hanson with typical passion and style. Her second in command, Jack Scott, is also the school’s ultra-cool PA announcer and Truxtun McCoy is perfect in the role. Dale Sharp leads a cheerleading squad that has enough renewable energy to put BP out of business and wouldn’t that be a good thing?

There are a couple of younger actors in this show who have already made an impression on local audiences. It’s gratifying to see the continuing development of Aaron Helms and Daniel Spero.

Director Currier and Becca Orlowski collaborated on the sensational choreography and Costume Designer Allison Dawe deserves a standing O. Musical Director Andy Davison has done an amazing job making these kids sound better than any Disney show deserves.

High School Musical would be nothing without a rockin’ band. This one has the chops to play anywhere and consists of Marcel Ardras, Alex Eby, Scott Davis and Stephanie Straight. Yes, THAT Stephanie Straight. The virtuosic Whatcom Symphony Orchestra percussionist demonstrates that there is much more than classical music in her repertoire.

Performances take place in the black box theatre of Western Washington University’s Performing Arts Building. July 22 – 24, 29 – 31 and August 5 – 7, the curtain goes up at 7:30 p.m. There are matinees on July 25, August 1 and 8 at 2:00 p.m. Call the box office at (360) 650-6146 for tickets.

Oh, c’mon. It’s summer. Time for trashy beach novels and Bellingham’s answer to Beach Blanket Babylon. Check your pretensions at the door.

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Raucous romp from Shakespeare NW
by Christopher Key

One of the things that Shakespeare Northwest has done to expand its audience is to perform in a variety of venues throughout Skagit and Whatcom Counties. That’s a very good thing for Bard buffs who want to keep their carbon footprint relatively low. It also makes Shakespeare performances more accessible to more people and that’s a recipe for success.

The Taming of the Shrew has often been described as a battle of the sexes. In the capable hands of Whatcom Community College director Gerry Large, it’s more like full-scale war. We’re talking shock and awe here.

Many of the performances will be at WCC and that gives Large the chance to show off his new performance space. It’s a remodeling project that has melded the old black box into the larger auditorium of the Syre Student Center. Despite my fondness for the black box, I have to admit the new space is more versatile and can accommodate a larger audience. That will be needed for this production.

This Shrew appeals both to purists who dislike non-traditional settings and radicals who want a fresh approach. The time and location are traditional. The interpretation is not.

Large gives Kate and Petruchio plenty of room to sizzle, but also gives more room for the other characters to flesh out. I’ve had the pleasure of working with Sarah Mickelson many times and it’s high time she had the chance to play the role she was obviously born for. Her Kate is pitch-perfect, volatile and sexy.

Kate (Sarah Mickelson) and Petruchio (Matt Riggins) negotiate a temporary cease fire in Shakespeare Northwest's production of The Taming of the Shrew. Photo credit - Christopher Key

Matt Riggins and I have also shared the stage a few times and it is gratifying to watch him mature as an actor. He is the ultimate Male Chauvinist Petruchio, snorting, barking and howling in a truly primitive performance. That’s high praise in this instance.

I’m told that the astounding Ben Stahl is leaving for greener pastures and that’s a shame because he brings such energy and originality to every character he plays. He’s the elderly Gremio in this show and flaunts his physicality and expressive face. As Hortensio, Guy Smith delivers a flamboyant performance that nearly steals the show.

Rossner Randolph and Patrick Holahan switch back and forth in their roles as Tranio and Lucentio with an ease that belies the difficulty of that challenge. I’ve never had the pleasure of seeing William Walker before and he delivers a high-camp take on Grumio that is a total delight.

Kate’s sister Bianca is often eclipsed by the larger role, but Lydia Randall gives the character a life of its own. Sandy Brewer exemplifies exasperation as Baptista Minola, the put-upon father of two difficult daughters. As the much-abused servant Biondello, Jill Likkel wins by a nose.

The rest of the cast deserves more of a mention that I have space for, but Shu-Ling Zhao, Nathan Dodge, Selena Flannery, John Malone, Debra Smith, Sophie Weatherby and Colleen Ames more than meet the standards that I expect from this festival.

The Taming of the Shrew plays at Whatcom Community College July 21 – 24 and 29 – 31 at 8:00 p.m. and July 24 and 31 at 2:00 p.m. The production moves to Skagit Valley College for performances August 6, 7, and 12 at 8:00 p.m. and August 14 at 2:00 p.m. For tickets, call (360) 201-6893 or see the site: www.shakesnw.org.

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BFOM wraps season
by Dr. Mitchell Kahn

The final performance of the 17th Bellingham Festival of Music continued the extraordinary virtuosity that has been the hallmark of this season.

The concert opened with Vaughn William’s Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis for string orchestra. As with Aaron Kernis’ Musica Celestis performed last week, the string playing was ethereal with a rich tonal tapestry produced by the juxtaposition of the octet of muted instruments seamlessly woven into the fabric of the piece. Solos by concertmaster Richard Roberts and violist Brant Bayless were eloquent. Incredible though it may seem, I really enjoyed hearing two 20th century pieces for string orchestra in less than a week.

This was followed by an absolutely stupendous performance by violinist Stefan Jackiw, playing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, one of the most popular and most performed violin concertos of all time. For the second time in less than a week, “virtuoso” seems too mundane a word to apply to the performance. Like Joshua Roman, the wunderkind cellist who performed at the festival last week, Mr. Jackiw has had a well-justified and meteoric rise to the top of the international music scene. Still in his mid-twenties, he has performed with almost every major orchestra in the world and has been compared to Issac Stern and Itzhak Perlman.

Although this may lead to picketing outside my house, I felt he was channeling Jascha Heifetz. His playing, more emotional and introspective than Mr. Roman’s easy brilliant flamboyance, combined flawless technique with impeccable musicianship and an incredible sense of musical line. Although lithe and fluid in his movements on stage, he had the intensity of a Rodin sculpture come to life.

The opening movement of the Mendelssohn, Allegro molto appasionato, was indeed molto allegro and appassionato from the sweetness of opening theme to bravura ricochet bowing in the cadenza. The second movement continued the sweet legato lyricism of the opening theme of the first movement but with dramatic depth. The final movement, Allegro Molto Vivace, was a total show-stopper. While often played as look-at-me show-off piece, Mr. Jackiw used his amazing technical prowess to honestly present the emotional excitement of the music. He performed a single encore, the Largo from J. S. Bach’s Violin Sonata in C major. Absolutely exquisite.

It would be hard to follow that performance: anything would just seem pedestrian. Perhaps that’s why Beethoven’s Symphony No 4, despite its sterling performance, made me think of Macbeth: “Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” But unlike with Macbeth, there were no poor players here. Worthy of note were clarinetist Laura Arden’s melancholic song in the adagio and the wicked lick to open the finale by bassoonist Robert Williams. As well played as it was, it just wasn’t an adequate coda for the Mendelssohn performance.

Thus ends the 17th Bellingham Festival of Music. The performances by Joshua Roman and Stefan Jackiw were unforgettable and will be spoken of in hushed tones by Bellingham classical music lovers in years to come. This festival was truly a celebration of classical music of the highest caliber: night after night of magnificent and magical performances. Those of you that attended can attest it is no hyperbole. Those of you who didn’t missed something very special.

(Note to Bellingham concert goers: why does every piece get a standing ovation? What do you do for a really stupendous performance? Tear down the goal posts? Let’s save the standing ovation for the real thing. It might add years to my knees.)

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Bard show best ever
by Christopher Key

As I’ve noted in previous years, the shows presented on the Douglas Campbell Studio Stage at Bard on the Beach are invariably my favorites among the four annual productions. Part of it is because these are always the less-frequently produced plays among the canon and part is because of the intimate proportions of the theatre. Often, it’s because that’s where the best acting takes place. Henry V is the hands-down winner this year and may be the best production I’ve ever seen at Bard. That’s saying a lot.

Director Meg Roe is in her sixth season at Bard and let’s hope she sticks around for 60 more. This is a uniformly stellar production and if you can only get to one Bard show a year, this is the one. The story follows hot on the heels of the fabulous Falstaff and many of the actors return in the same roles.

Chief among these is Alessandro Juliani as King Henry V. He delivered a remarkable performance in Falstaff and this time, the show is his. He responds with an Olympian portrayal of the man who almost wouldn’t be king. The passion he brings to this role is stunning as he switches from high drama to low comedy with seeming ease.

Alessandro Juliani delivers a definitive performance as Henry V at Bard on the Beach. Photo credit - David Blue

Colleen Wheeler also returns as Mistress Quickly and the Chorus. Her commanding voice and stage presence easily dominate the theatre, even considering an astonishing cast. Playing three roles, Andrew McNee returns to the Bard stage after far too long an absence. All of his roles are well-done, but as the Welshman Fluellen, he is absolutely leekproof. Duncan Fraser brings an unassailable dignity to any role he plays, especially in this show as the King’s uncle, the Duke of Exeter.

Kevin McNulty plays both King Charles VI of France and the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is riotously funny as the dauntingly verbose clergyman. Bard newcomer Kevin K. James got my attention as Poins in Falstaff, but truly comes into his own with a blustering portrayal of Pistol. Louis the Dauphin is portrayed with sneering Gallic superiority by Charlie Gallant.

Princess Katherine of France is played to the regal hilt by Amber Lewis, who delivers a star comic turn when her maid tries to teach her English. That maid is played by Kayla Deorksen and the scene between the two is a thing of beauty. There is a young actor making his theatrical debut in this show who is frighteningly talented. His name is Joseph Gustafson and his stage presence is that of an actor two or three times his age. He gets to show off his fluency in French and his career will be fascinating to follow.

You couldn’t find a weak spot in this cast with an MRI, but I have a few technical raves I want to hand out. There’s no real way to discern between the choreography of Rob Kitsos and the fight direction of Nicholas Harrison because the two specialties are merged so seamlessly. The result is pure magic. The portentous soundtrack by Owen Belton is powerful, especially the almost subsonic rumblings before the play begins.

It’s something of a risk for any Shakespeare company to take on the historical plays, but this one has paid off magnificently. It’s almost enough to make me forget the pain of trying to learn English history from textbooks.

Henry V plays through September 24 at Bard on the Beach, Vanier Park, Vancouver, B.C. Consult the Bard site, www.bardonthebeach.org, for scheduling and ticket prices. This show got the quickest and most unanimous standing ovation I’ve ever seen at Bard. Enough said.

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