65 years later, there’s still room for improvement. Recently presenting The Music Man, UC Follies enjoy yet another year of fun in the Hart House Theatre, but some tweaking is certainly in order.
Started back in the 1930s with producers Saul Rae and Bernard Shaffer, the UC Follies presented only original student works until the 1970s. In 1993 the company mounted the musical Merrily We Roll Along. Due to its great success, from that year on they have performed only full-length musical productions. And despite an original running time of a week per show, in 1998 the UC Follies extended their shows’ runs to two weeks, continuing that pace to today.
The Music Man tells the story of con man Harold Hill, who arrives at a small Iowa town to sell them a boy band. His plan is to create a frenzy of demand for a band, while presenting himself as a music professor, then leave town before having to teach them anything. This time, however, his plan does not come off.
The singing and dancing in this performance was excellent. From the individual numbers by the lead actors to the group numbers involving the entire ensemble, all were extraordinary. Special praise must be given for the “School Board” and “Marian and Ladies” numbers. Congratulations must go out to Nathan Brock, the musical director, and his orchestra. Performing behind the set, this group never went off-tune once.
Acting was for the most part strong, as the ensemble had terrific chemistry. There were some characters who hammed it up unnecessarily, but these instances were forgivable. Harold Hill himself was stiff and mechanical in his movements, which was unfortunate since his face and voice were very much in tune with the role.
One final note of praise must go to the set designers. The scaffold of a set was so flexible that it went from the exterior of a house to the interior of a library to city hall, to name a few of the incredible changes that took place.
Sound was an issue. Some characters could not be heard because they were without microphones, while others were plagued by mic volumes that went up and down more than an elevator at the CN Tower. Plus, a few important character voices were lost in overly thick Iowan accents. Still, these minor kinks are no reason not to check out the fine work in The Music Man.
Call the Hart House Box Office at (416) 978-8668 or visit www.ucfollies.ca for more information.
