ENTERTAINMENT
      ©
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Blue
      Castle
      renovated
     
     
      Revamped
      Stinson
      show
      a
      successful
      but
      inconsistent
      pastiche
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BY
      SEAN
      MCQUAID
     
    

    
     
      YOU
      GOTTA
      LOVE
      PRINCE
      EDWARD
     
     
      Island.
      Where
      else
      can
      you
      get
      so
      much
      Lucy
     
     
      Maud
      Montgomery
      fare
      so
      often?
      With
      the
     
     
      Anne
      of
      Green
      Gables
      license
      plates
      in
     
     
      circulation,
      Lucy
      Maud
      probably
      even
      beats
     
     
      out
      the
      ubiquitous
      potato
      as
      a
      pervasive
     
     
      provincial
      presence.
      The
      latest
      Lucy
      Maud
     
     
      labour
      of
      love
      is
      Hank
      Stinson’s
      Blue
      Castle,
      a
     
     
      musical
      stage
      adaptation
      of
      the
      beloved
     
     
      Montgomery
      novel
      by
      that
      name.
      The
      usual
     
     
      Montgomerian
      sentimental
      escapism
      prevails,
     
     
      complete
      with
      the
      mandatory
      starry-eyed
     
     
      heroine,
      but
      it’s
      a
      nice
      little
      show
      with
      some
     
     
      catchy
      tunes,
      creditable
      performances,
      and
      a
     
     
      heart-string-plucking
      plot
      that
      even
      some
      of
      us
     
     
      crustier
      curmudgeons
      may
      get
      an
      inkling
      of
      a
     
     
      warm,
      rosy
      glow
      from.
     
    

    
     
      For
      those
      unfamiliar
      with
      the
      story,
      the
     
     
      heroine
      this
      time
      is
      Valancy
      Sterling
      (a
      name
     
     
      Anne
      of
      Green
      Gables
      would
      have
      killed
      for),
     
     
      played
      by
      Kelti
      MacMillan.
      Valancy
      (whose
     
     
      family
      has
      nicknamed
      her
      Dos)
      smothers
      under
     
     
      her
      family's
      efforts
      to
      run
      her
      life
      and
      marry
     
     
      her
      off
      while
      remaining
      blissfully
      oblivious
      to
     
     
      her
      feelings.
      The
      crisis
      comes
      when
      Valancy's
     
     
      doctor
      informs
      her
      she
      has
      only
      about
      a
      year
     
     
      to
      live.
      Determined
      to
      make
      the
      most
      of
      the
     
     
      time
      she
      has
      left,
      Valancy
      leaves
      the
      bosom
      of
     
     
      her
      stifling,
      snobbish,
      upper-crust
      family
      to
     
     
      find
      independence
      and
      gainful
      employment
      as
     
    
   
   
    
     
      nurse
      to
      Cissy
      Gay
      (played
      by
      Nancy
      McLure),
     
     
      the
      seriously
      ill
      daughter
      of
      notorious
      town
     
     
      drunkard
      “Roaring”
      Abel
      (played
      by
      Sandy
     
     
      Clark).
      Despite
      her
      scandalized
      relatives’
     
     
      denunciation
      of
      her,
      and
      their
      efforts
      to
      force
     
     
      her
      back
      into
      their
      home,
      Valancy
      clings
      to
      her
     
     
      newfound
      freedom
      by
      marrying
      infamous
      town
     
     
      outcast
      Barney
      Snaith
     
     
      (played
      by
      Doug
      Buell),
     
     
      finding
      unexpected
     
     
      happiness,
      love,
      herself,
     
     
      and
      more
      than
      a
      few
     
     
      surprises.
     
    

    
     
      Performances
      are,
      for
     
     
      the
      most
      part,
      good.
      Kelti
     
     
      MacMillan
      sings
      and
      acts
     
     
      her
      way
      into
      the
      crowd’s
     
     
      hearts
      capably,
      and
      is
     
     
      much
      more
      genuine
      than
     
     
      her
      predecessor
      in
      the
     
     
      original
      Blue
      Castle
      production
      last
      year.
      Clark
     
     
      and
      Buell,
      if
      somewhat
      lacking
      in
      polish,
      bring
     
     
      an
      endearingly
      folksy
      charm
      to
      their
      respective
     
     
      roles.
      Buell,
      particularly,
      is
      compellingly
      earnest
     
     
      and
      likeable
      in
      his
      roleas
      Barney
      Snaith
      (though
     
     
      he
      and
      Clark
      still
      have
      problems
      with
      clearly
     
     
      and
      audibly
      performing
      the
      dauntingly
      long-
     
     
      winded
      “Getting
      the
      Lead
      out
      of
      Lizzy”
      tune).
     
     
      Valancy’s
      meddling
      relatives
      have
      their
     
     
      moments,
      too:
      Valerie
      C.
      Moore
      is
      coldly
     
     
      imperious
      as
      Valancy’s
      domineering
      mother;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It’s
      a
      nice
      little
      show
     
     
      with
      some
      catchy
     
     
      tunes,
      creditable
     
    

    
     
      performances,
      and
      a
     
    

    
     
      heart-string-plucking
     
    

    
     
      plot.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mae
      Ames
      (as
      Cousin
      Stickles)
      is
      one
      of
      those
     
     
      Road
      to
      Avonlea-surplus
      gossips
      that
      you
      love
     
     
      to
      hate;
      and
      Raymond
      Moore
      starts
      slow
      but
     
     
      picks
      up
      steam
      (and
      laughs)
      throughout
      in
      the
     
     
      role
      of
      Valancy’s
      pompous,
      meddlesome
     
     
      humbug
      of
      an
      uncle,
      Benjamin
      (who's
      as
      stiff
      as
     
     
      Star
      Wars's
      C-3PO,
      and
      twice
      as
      annoying).
     
     
      Rounding
      out
      the
      family
     
     
      is
      the
      promising
      Kelly
     
     
      O'Neill,
      who
      plays
     
     
      Valency’s
      attention-
     
     
      starved
      cousin,
      Olive,
     
     
      with
      relish.
     
    

    
     
      The
      Confederation
     
     
      Centre’s
      Main
      Stage
     
     
      production
      opens
      up
      new
     
     
      possibilities
      for
      the
     
     
      musical
      in
      this
      revival
     
     
      production--
      a
      more
     
     
      impressive
      set
      and
     
     
      expanded
      musicalaccompaniment
      are
      the
      most
     
     
      obvious
      benefits--
      but
      the
      revamped
      and
     
     
      rewritten
      production
      is
      in
      some
      ways
      inferior
     
     
      to
      the
      original
      show.
      Songs
      and
      scenes
      have
     
     
      been
      added,
      dropped,
      and
      rearranged,
      and
      not
     
     
      always
      for
      the
      better.
      The
      title
      song
      (“Blue
     
     
      Castle”)
      is
      Valancy’s
      theme
      and
      was
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      first
      numbers
      in
      the
      original
      production,
     
     
      providing
      a
      common
      thread
      with
      the
      song's
     
     
      repetition
      later
      in
      the
      play,
      but
      it’s
      cut
      from
      the
     
     
      opening
      scenes
      in
      this
      version
      and
      comes
      out
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      left
      field
      later
      on.
      The
      current
      production
     
    

    
     
      opens
      with
      a
      big
      ensemble
      production
      number
     
    

    
     
      depicting
      the
      town’s
      springtime
      celebrations;
     
    

    
     
      it’s
      certainly
      more
      lively
      than
      the
      old
      opening,
     
    

    
     
      but
      it’s
      insubstantial
      filler,
      made
      worse
      by
      the
     
    

    
     
      fact
      that
      the
      chorus
      and
      musicians
      were
      (at
     
     
      least
      on
      Saturday
      night)
      so
      unsynchronous
      and
     
    

    
     
      cacophonic
      as
      to
      be
      almost
      completely
     
     
      incomprehensible
      in
      terms
      of
      whatever
      the
     
     
      lyrics
      might
      have
      been
      or
      who
      any
      of
      the
     
     
      characters
      were
      (the
      only
      thing
      that
      can
      be
     
     
      taken
      from
      it
      with
      any
      certainty
      after
      the
      dust
     
     
      settles
      is
      that
      it’s
      springtime).
      In
      other
      spots,
     
     
      the
      rearranging
      of
      scenes
      and
      situations
      is
     
     
      conspicuous.
      The
      increased
      emphasis
      on
     
     
      Olive’s
       scene-stealing
      engagement
     
     
      announcement
      during
      Valancy's
      birthday
      party
     
     
      is
      an
      effective
      device,
      but
      the
      attempt
      to
     
     
      remodel
      the
      birthday
      song
      into
      a
      generic
      well-
     
     
      wishes
      tune
      is
      awkward
      and
      forced.
      Similarly,
     
     
      the
      scene
      in
      which
      Barney
      and
      Abel
      formally
     
     
      introduce
      themselves
      to
      Valancy
      is
      pushed
      up
     
     
      to
      a
      later
      time
      in
      the
      show
      after
      they
      and
     
     
      Valancy
      have
      already
      met,
      making
      it
      seem
      out-
     
     
      of-place
      and
      a
      bit
      less
      natural.
     
    

    
     
      While
      the
      modifications
      of
      Stinson’s
      work
     
     
      were
      often
      unsatisfying,
      the
      musical
      as
      a
      whole
     
     
      remains
      a
      pleasant
      and
      satisfying
      affair
      with
      a
     
     
      lot
      of
      fun
      singing
      and
      dancing
      and
      more
      than
      a
     
     
      few
      catchy
      numbers.
      If
      it’s
      revived
      again,
      in
     
     
      whatever
      form,
      it'll
      probably
      be
      worth
      a
      look
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      T
      hope
      you
      realize
      that
      your
      heterosexuality
      will
      not
      necessaril,
     
     
      prejudice
      my
      eventual
      affectional-preference
      choice.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      1
      AND
      oot
      !
     
    

    
     
      WW
      ANB
      out
      |
     
     
      ANAND
      ouT!
     
     
      ANAND
      ouT?
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _|__X.press
      march
      fifteenth
      1994
      page
      20
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ARE
      You
      bowe?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Il
      I'M
      Purtwic
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WY
      STICK
      IN
     
     
      “Swe
      WT
      WOLe...
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a