Musical: Fifty Million Frenchmen/ Presented by Applause! Musicals In Concert / at the Shadbolt Centre For The Arts / Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada / February 13th - 16th

Applause! Musicals in Concert, an amateur theater company operating in Vancouver, Canada, is anything but amateur, and that was proved with the company’s wonderful performances of Hubert Fields’ Fifty Million Frenchmen, during a four day run, at Burnaby’s Shadbolt Centre For The Arts, in mid February.  The romantic comedy which features the music and lyrics of Cole Porter was originally staged in 1929, one month prior to the stock market crash. The musical is set in Paris, France, during the same year.

Unlike a lot of modern day theatrical productions which focus more on being a farce or satire, when it comes to themes of romance transcending social class, Fields’ commentary, and Porter’s lyrics, adopt a simpler theme of, American tourists invading Paris for a month, and the escapades of young men and women, eager to fall in love. Peter Forbes (played by Geoff Campbell), an American lawyer accepts a wager from two male acquaintances, Billy Baxter (Ivan Tse) and Michael Cummins (Christopher Shawn Natuik), who insist that if he were to hand over all of his money, and not secure an infusion of new capital from America, that he cannot possibly convince Looloo Carroll (Melissa Bachert) to both fall in love with him, and accept a marriage proposal. While Forbes embarks on his quest for Looloo’s love, Baxter and Cummins become smitten with two American women, Violet Hildegarde (Mandana Namazi), and Joyce Wheeler (Cathy Wilmot), respectively.

During talkback sessions with patrons, prior to, and following the performance, director Scott Ashton Swan told the audience, that from the musical company’s inception ten years ago, it had been inspired by other companies such as New York City’s Encores! Great American Musicals In Concert and London England’s Lost Musicals. The mandate for all three companies is to stage musicals which time has forgotten, and restores them as closely as is possible to their original context. For instance with the presentation of Fifty Million Frenchmen, lines which had been deleted from some of the songs, during the 1929 production, because they were considered to be too risqué or questionable, were restored, for the Burnaby performance. For instance in the “Tale of the Oyster,” (sung by Namazi), who knew that an oyster could do all that?

Musical Director Joey Minshall did a terrific job, and although there was not one weak vocal performance from this strong cast, we would be remiss in not taking time to draw special attention to the performances of Tamara Croft (as May DeVere), Namazi, Campbell and Bachert. Melissa Bachert’s singing and acting is superb, and she was well cast, with her body language, facial expressions and eyes, often evoking images of silent movie star Mary Pickford. Wilmot's saucy cabaret approach to her vocal performance was a treat to behold, as she flirted with a member of the audience, before ending one song with a seductive wink.

Splendid acting performances were turned in by the commanding Randy McCormick as Louis Pernasse, Mary Williams Marter in the role of Mrs. Carroll, and Michael Davis as Mr. Carroll.

If you are more impressed by fancy costumes, and major productions boasting pizzazz, an Applause! Musicals In Concerts production may not be your cup of tea, but if you have a greater appreciation for pure talent, and soaking in wonderful performances, then you should check out the company’s website, as this is easily one of the best values for your money, in the absolutely overflowing arts community of Greater Vancouver. I especially found the talkback sessions with the director to be not only informative, but they enriched my experience as a theatergoer, because I had a better understanding of the time period, and Porter’s approach to the music and lyrics.

Reviewed by Joe Montague

February 16th, 2008

Riveting Riffs wishes to thank the Shadbolt Centre For The Performing Arts for making it possible for us to review Fifty Million Frenchmen