On our first date many years ago, Lyle and I drove for two and a
half hours to attend a performance of Man
of La Mancha. It was then that we discovered our mutual love of musical
live theatre.
At the beginning of this live theatre journey I had twenty-twenty
vision. Now that I have limited sight I am glad that I can still enjoy live
performances. I like musical productions because the story line obviously
incorporates sound. I might not be able to see the costumes or facial
expressions of the actors, and I can’t always see the movement on stage, but I
can certainly hear what is going on.
One of our favourite places to enjoy musical theatre is at The
Carriage House Theatre in southern Alberta. The theatre is relatively small –
audience capacity is 333 – and if we reserve early enough we can get front row
seating. All of the performances we have seen have been of very high caliber. Many
of the cast are university fine arts students. We have never been disappointed
in any show during the almost twenty years we have been attending.
This year we were treated to performances of Tarzan, the Musical, and The
Scarlet Pimpernel. Years ago I read both books. When I saw this year’s titles I found it hard
to imagine either story being performed as a musical. We were in for a surprise. Both shows were
excellent.
I especially like the shows in Cardston at The Carriage House Theatre
because after each nightly performance, the cast members usually come outside
to the street to greet the audience. This is great for me because it gives me a
chance to see the actors close up and also to see at close hand the last
costume they were wearing on stage. The
costumes for Tarzan were quite
amazing. Tarzan himself had quite a wild look about him. It was a curious
feeling to shake the gloved furry hands of the actors who played the parts of
the apes.
We saw the The Scarlet Pimpernel
on the next night and the costumes were even more amazing. After the show I spoke to Paul McGrew, who
played the part of Citizen Chauvel. His
costume was mainly black (as he was the villain) but his vest was brilliant.
Paul described the vest to me and invited me to touch the fabric. It was quite
a tactile experience with beads, buttons, ribbing and woolen tufts of material.
On this night I had remembered to take my camera. We spoke at length with the two performers
who took the lead roles. Johnny Wilson
played the part of Percy Blakeney, The Scarlet Pimpernel. Twyla Wilson played the part of Percy’s wife,
Marguerite. This was especially
appropriate as not only are they talented actors and singers, they are husband
and wife in real life.
They graciously agreed to pose with me for the following photo.
 |
| Sue with The Scarlet Pimpernel cast |
I would recommend The Carriage House Theatre to anyone, but for someone
with limited vision, the intimacy of the building and the friendliness of the performers
is an added bonus.
No comments:
Post a Comment