Lorelei / Starring: Lorna Olson and Susan Skemp / Applause! Musicals In Concerts / Vancouver, Canada
Lorelei
Lee is definitely a floosie, and she seems quite adept at manipulating the
men in her life to buy her anything and everything that her heart desires,
three of those suitors being the zipper man (Josephus Gage), the button guy
(Gus Esmond) and an older gent (Lord Francis Beekman), whom she
affectionately refers to as “Beekie.” The Applause! Musicals In Concert
production of Lorelei, based on the musical comedy, Gentlemen
Prefer Blondes, with new music by Jule Styne, and lyrics from Betty
Comden and Adolph Green, is concluding its run at The Shadbolt Centre For
The Arts in Burnaby, British Columbia, on April 18th.
As is always the case with Applause!
Musicals In Concert, the cast is very strong, and we want to
particularly throw bouquets in the direction of actress Susan Skemp who was
cast in the role of the older Lorelei Lee, and who received the script
barely a week before the musical opened, due to Jayme Armstrong having to
bow out at the last minute. For those not familiar with Lorelei, the musical
opens with an older Lorelei Lee, whose husband Gus Esmond has just passed
away, and she takes us back to 1924, when the two of them first met.
Throughout the musical we view those memories through her eyes, and as her
life story unfolds before us, actress Lorna Olson takes the stage as the
younger Lorelei Lee. Skemp possesses the better vocals of the two actresses,
which is not a dissing of Olson, but a mere observation, however it is
Olson’s energy, her brilliant smile and her ability to make you both fall in
love with, and at times become frustrated with, the character of Lorelei Lee
that creates the magic so necessary for this musical to work. Yes, you
obviously have to have good ensemble, good music and a strong supporting
cast, but it is Lorna Olson’s combination of sass and charm that brings
Lorelei Lee to life.
The musical opens on the Pier of the Ile de France, as Lorelei Lee is about to depart for Paris, while her boyfriend Gus Esmond (portrayed by Tyson Coady) bids farewell to her. He has decided to remain behind in America to help his father defend their button company, against the threat of a new empire of zippers which is threatening to replace them on garments. Coady and Olson do a commendable job of singing both as a duet and in a call and response the song, “Bye, Bye Baby,” and Skemp’s strong vocals close the number.
Next to Olson, actress Tamara Vishniakoff outshines all of the other cast members, and is brilliant in her role as Dorothy Shaw. Shaw possesses a magnetism that draws her audience to her character, as she allows the lyrics of her songs tell the story, but enhances them with her facial expressions, body language and deportment. She led the cast in singing, “It’s High Time,” soloed on, “I Love What I’m Doing,” and “House On Rittenhouse Square,” and sang duets with Seth Drabinsky (as Henry Spofford), for the songs, “Sunshine,” and “You Say You Care.”
Honorable mention goes to two actresses, Carmina Bernhardt and Jennifer Suratos who were cast in the role of male characters, Louis Lemantier and Robert Lemantier, two detectives who were sporting moustaches. Both actresses get high marks for their comedic performances.
Our only regret in reviewing this production is that by the time you read the review Lorelei will have finished its brief run, but we encourage you to visit Applause! Musicals In Concerts website for future productions.
Top photo: Lorna Olson
Bottom Photo: Susan Skemp
Reviewed April 2009
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