Little House on the Prairie: The Musical

February 1, 2010

Little House on the Prairie: The Musical

• Starring: Melissa Gilbert and Steve Blanchard
• Canon Theatre
• Address: 244 Victoria Street, Toronto, ON
• * out of 5

Wagons West with the Ingalls family

Jading by the credentials this show had every opportunity to blow our socks off or twist your knickers. Based on the hit TV show by the same name and starring Ms. Gilbert whose acting credentials are certainly worth the price of a ticket, one would assume that this show would have charm, style, musicality and more.

The cast is large boosting 24 singers and dancers; a full orchestra, a solid design team and a seasoned director. The credentials are there but the show isn’t. There is not a memorable tune throughout the evening. Members of the vast company have various levels of singing and dancing abilities but sadly they all seem to be doing their own show. It’s almost like going to a semi professional audition. Kate Loprest has a voice, but it has nothing to do with the music she is singing. Kevin Massey doesn’t seem to understand the lyrics of the songs he is belting out. And the rest of the cast appears to be auditioning for a touring Broadway show. And let’s give credit where credit is due: The choreographer, Michelle Lynch would do well to take a lesson and just watch what Agnes Demille did with Oklahoma. Or Miss Lynch might have watched one of this years’ winners from a TV Dance show. A chorus line across the stage with everyone moving in unison was a technique used to cover a set change. It’s a device that even amateur productions are staying clear of these days.

Getting into some mischief at school

Did Francesca Zambello actually plot this show or did she leave it all to chance? The wagon train is assembled "creatively" on stage using a table with loose legs to give us movement and excitement. The only excitement it provided was the anticipation as to whether or not it would collapse under the pressure of the people and props on it. Did Ms. Zambello give her cast direction or merely coach them to smile and swing their arms appropriately at the auspicious moment for emphasis? Yippee ki yey, folks.

The credentials mentioned earlier include a list of formidable producers. I can’t believe they really didn’t see that the wagon train they produced is really a train wreck.

Stephen

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