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ARTSCEM Phone: 905-845-3824 (ext. 5559) Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: rjerred@haltonsearch.com w v a )N i-isi).\y. I)i-x:i ;.\ 11 iK i* it . 2 ( x >3 · i>age (:<-> WEST'S Cinderella pantomime offers early Christmas treat Comedy aimed at children will make everyone laugh By Craig MacBride OAKVILLE B EA V ER STAFF West End Studio Theatre (W E S T ) is bringing the British Christmas ritual of pantomimes to Oakville, and they're doing it in true pantomime style: loudly. The outfits are loud, most of the characters are loud, and, as it should be. the actors do their best to make carica tures of their parts. Overdoing a produc tion doesn't sound difficult, but there is one requisite of pantomime that is diffi cult: the comedy. The audience, which is traditionally made up largely of chil dren. needs always to be laughing, or taking part. With the storyline of Cinderella, pared down to its basics, the entire pro duction hinges on the comedy, which is best described as slapstick. Even the dialogue is slapstick, all verbal insults and light on the subtext. It is a special recipe, and it needs to be mixed perfect ly. w hich is why W E S T artistic director Yo Mustafa asked pantomime specialist Alfie Matthews, of Georgetown, to direct the cast, most of whom had never been in, let alone seen, a pantomime. Though still in rehearsal, therefore not quite polished, on Sunday when I saw the cast of 27 perform Cinderella, the show w as entertaining and just overthe-top enough. For those two or three people unaware of the basic plot of Cinderella, it's about a pretty, young girl, Cinderella, whose father marries a horri ble woman who has two similarly horri ble. ugly daughters. The horrible women make Cinderella their slave and won't let her go to Prince Charming's ball. Then, because she's a good person, a fairy godmother comes along and relieves Cinderella of her duties. The fairy godmother dresses Cinderella in a beautiful gown, provides her with a beautiful chariot and sends her off to the ball, with just one caveat -- Cinderella must leave by midnight or her chariot and dress will disappear. At the ball, the Prince falls madly in love with her. but Cinderella leaves in haste when the clock strikes midnight. She leaves behind only a shoe, which falls off as she leaves the palace. The Prince, armed with the shoe, proclaims that whoever the shoe fits he w ill marry, and then tours the town, attempting to find that woman. O f course, he finds Cinderella and they live happily ever after. For the two or three readers who did not know this story. I 'm not ruining any thing. Buttons, the main connect between the stage and the audience, tells the audience the end of the story within the first five minutes of the show. Already having the story out allows the audience to loosen up. and not worry' about the obstacles Cinderella faces, knowing she will overcome them. Tia Graham, unbelievably petite and ridiculously adorable, plays Cinderella well, not getting sappy enough to stop the crowd from laughing. Essentially, she has to be the straight man through out the play, the ordinary person in the extraordinary world of pantomime. Buttons, played by Andrew Finnigan, is the play's strong point, though. As the connect between stage and crowd, he has to be affable and just pitiful enough as he chases after Cinderella's heart while trying to help her chase the Prince's. He is also the one who best localizes the production. When he first meets Cinderella's fairy god mother, he says, "blimey, it's Ann Mulvale. How did you get in?" To which the fairy godmother replies coldly. "15 votes." Other high points are in the verbal slapstick form, usually between the two wicked stepsisters Asphyxia and Euthanasia, played by Virginia McEwen and Dianne McEwan. in posterior and bust enhanced costumes. "It was love at first sight," one says of the Prince, who she suspects is in love with her. "Looked more like indigestion to me." says the other. Then later on, one says, " he couldn't keep his eyes off me." Which gets the reply, " that's because he's never seen anything like you out side of a zoo." And then there's Prince Charming, played by Dylan Hutchins. Whoever cast this one must have been thanking the casting gods. Hutchins, with his long, blonde hair, looks like he belongs, shirtless, on the cover of a Harlequin novel. In other words, he looks like what a prince in a pantomime should look like. It should also be mentioned that all of the songs in the production, and there are about half a dozen, were written by Carmen Braund and Christie Graham specifically for the W E ST show. All in all. Cinderella is a funny show, with the slapstick for the kids, and a few naughtier jokes that should, we all hope, go over their precious little heads. Cinderella w ill be staged at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts on Dec. 19. 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. w ith matinees at 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 20 and 21. Tickets cost S 18 and can be purchased at the OCPA box office. 905-815-2021. Jill Kitchener · Special to the Oakville Beaver Maggie Luxford, as Baroness H ardupp, D ianne M cEwen, as Asphyxia, and Virginia McEwen, as Euthanasia, scold Tia G rah a m , as Cinderella during a rehearsal for West Fnd Studio T h eatre's upcom ing production o f Cinderella at the Oakville C entre for the Perform ing Arts. Meet Mr. Bernard's Grade 4 class Grade 4 students at West Oak Public School got busy designing ads for sponsoring advertisers. Students and Newspapers is an initiative by the Oakville Beaver advertising department to teach students the world of newspapers and advertising. Local business owners support the project by purchasing an advertisement for the children in the dass to design. The Philthy McNasty's ad below is just one example. Reading newspapers is an important part of a child's education, as it not only encourages children to read, but also serves as an invaluable hand*on learning experience for future advertisers.reporters and business merchants. To be a part of this fun educational program contact Anne Enright at 905-845-3824, ext. 278. Chantal Ayotte · Special to the Oakville Beaver Cape Breton fiddler N atalie M cM aster plays durin g one of her two recent sold out perform ances at the Oakville C entre of the Perform ing A rts. T h a n k y o u to a ll o f o u r sp o n s o rs: Canadian Pet Connection Baskin Robbins Oakville Art Society Rona Lansing Oakville Honda Abbey Grill Oakville Hydro Black Forest Pastry Oxford Learning Mastermind Educational Toys Glenleven Chrysler Petcare Insurance Pizza Hut Honzon Tae-Kwon-Do Pick of the Crop Canadian Tire Head Over Heels Well Lite Centre Revolution Music Philthy McNasty's Oakville Nissan Subway Sandwiches MacMaster dazzles Oakville Centre audience By Craig MacBride O AKVILLE BEA V EK STAFF If the Cape Breton Tourism Board isn't paying fiddler Natalie MacMaster millions of dollars, they should be. She is a better commercial for Cape Breton, for the east in general, than any public relations company could ever concoct. She paints a picture of that neglected part of the country that is charming, warm and passionate. Especially now. Watching MacMaster, you get the feeling that you're watching a performer at the height of her career. On stage, she is confident, creative and more fun than a kitchen party and a box of Alexander Keith's. She also happens to be very attrac tive. In plaid hip huggers and a black, long-sleeved shirt, with her long blonde curls bouncing as she danced - and she danced quite a bit - she was the defini. tion of charisma. Sunday at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts (O C PA ) was MacMaster's final tour stop of her 10day southern Ontario tour, and her sec ond sell-out stop in Oakville in three nights. With a break coming up before an appearance on Late Night With Conan O'Brien and then a New Years Eve show at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. MacMaster and her band were visibly excited, and MacMaster admit ted. " I'm not sure what's going to hap pen." " Don't be shy. and just have fun," she told the audience, though that was n't necessary. The audience wasn't shy at all. and within 20 seconds of her first song, they were hollering and clapping in time with the music. The show began with two upbeat numbers that got the crowd into the show, and got MacMaster shaking her pelvis in a way that would have been considered lewd before Elvis Presley broke the hip-shaking-in-the-mainstream barrier. MacMaster and her band then went into a couple of slower, traditional Celtic numbers, and then a jazz number sung by bassist John Chiasson. The crowd loved every second of it. Even between songs, they were laughing and clapping as MacMaster talked to the audience. " Anyone from Cape Breton?" she asked, receiving a few claps from the audience. "Any cousins?" she asked, chuck ling. before someone yelled out that she was her cousin. "Oh yeah." MacMaster said, "Mom told me you guys were coming." The second half of the show began with an awe-inspiring bagpipe solo by Matt Maclsaac that alternated between Celtic sensibilities and what AC/DC would sound like if played on the pipes. The rest of the second half kept that pace, and ended with the audience on their feet, hollering for more. The encore was the highlight of the evening, as MacMaster and the band welcomed MacMaster's husband. Donnell Leahy, of the family fiddling band Leahy, on the stage. "This is the first time we've done this." MacMaster said. "W e're not quite sure what's going to happen." What happened was a game of duel ing fiddles, and some great fiddling together, with the two of them alternat ing between playing rhythm and lpad. A tap dancer, who came on during a song in the first half of the show, returned. The Oakville Centre stage was as alive as its ever been, and there was more electricity coming off the Sunday audi ence than I had ever felt at the centre. MacMaster ended the show by say ing. "have a great Christmas. See you in Cape Breton." I had never even considered going to Cape Breton, but if people like MacMaster come from there, that is where I want to be, and that's why MacMaster should have a juicy contract with the tourism board out east. Blake R. His/ Oak I'ublic school says with pride: Vie are the West Oak Wolves! Hear us HOWL! We always work and play with our 'PACK' agreements in mind! We PARTICIPATE! We are ACCEPTING! We are COOPERATIVE! We are KIND! We are also proud to be a TRIBES school! TRIBES Is a process that creates a culture that maximizes C h r i t 't n a s k i d s D c j 'j ! \z~ 2 ?^ learning and human development within our community. The Tribes process, the positive environment. agreements. and all of the cooperative learning strategies have but one overall purpose: "To assure the healthy development of every child In the school community so that each has the knowledge, skills, and resilient strengths to be successful hi a world of rapid change." Jeanne Gibbs p \q < V c iq r\ · \ris ri 210 N. Service Rd. Oakville Town Centre II 905-844-8703 PHILTHY MfNASTY'S WW. C*u£mIrl I