[title of show]

It speaks volumes when a cast is stronger than the actual show they are part of, and when a production transcends its material. Fab Nobs prides itself on performing the more obscure musicals, and doing wonderful productions of them. But often there is a reason why a show is obscure. [title of show] is a lightweight piece full of bad puns and “in jokes” for would-be showbiz folks. It’s entertaining and naïve, and has three or four Broadway-worthy songs, but it’s a wonder that it ever got to Broadway. It is, however, the perfect vehicle for community theatre where the audience is generally made up of people who have a direct connection to amateur theatre and will appreciate what otherwise might be seen as indulgence.

Basically it’s a show written by two guys about two guys writing a show. The first act meanders around them writing down everything they say and do and deciding that is enough to form the basis for the show. Not particularly likeable, the writers (also the characters) have no desire to pay their dues or put in years of training….they just want to have fame and money out of mediocrity. The two girls who work with them go along with this because one is sick of being an understudy and the other hates her office job – and so they create a show for a festival competition as a shortcut, and wind up actually getting produced for six performances. There is form and substance and character development in the second act when Jeff and Hunter argue over Integrity versus Fame when they must decide how far they will compromise to make it to Broadway.

In lesser hands this might have been easily dismissed, but it is, as always, superbly handled by Fab Nobs. Director Ang (not Asian…it’s short for Angie, Angela) Cuy is hampered by long un-necessary blackouts which are scripted and thus part of the licensing agreement. Consequently she has to keep rebuilding momentum every time the lights come back up. Fortunately her skills allow her to do this successfully. She’s blessed with a superb cast (is there any such thing as a bad cast at Fab Nobs?) who bring special relationships to the stage and cement what might otherwise be fragmented characters.

I am an unashamed Nick Kong fan. His is a talent to die for and (as Hunter) he pulls out all the stops vocally along with some outrageous campery which makes for comedic delight. Always commanding, there’s a danger that he could swamp performers of lesser charisma. Fortunately Karl McNamara knows Nick’s work backwards, forwards and inside out! His Jeff is the more subtle performance but he knows perfectly when to back off, when to support, when to equal. Ang is so lucky with these two leading men. They’re a joy to watch. The two girls don’t make quite the same impact, but that’s the way the show is written. The two writers have given themselves the bulk of the meat in the material and the girls are left with the vegies. Emily McKenzie, as Heidi, is clearly accomplished and her second act number “A Way Back To Then” is charming and poignant. She also excels in the first act with “I Am Playing Me.” Britt Lewis is the youngest company member and still needs to do some work on diction, and not swallowing the ends of lines, but she really delivers in “Die, Vampire, Die” and I’m looking forward to seeing her again. Simon D’Aquino, the musical director, is actually on-stage throughout and even has lines as the character Larry. He’s a delight, totally convincing, and it would be a far lesser show without him. He also ensures that the singing, some harmonies of which are quite complex, is perfect throughout.

In the beautiful “Nine People’s Favourite Thing”… a terrific classic show number…these five people and their director convince me that the best musicals we can see these days come from Community Theatre productions. I can’t wait for the next one.

Coral Drouyn  

Our earlier coverage.