TUTS set for more stage fun
Summer spectacle is ‘big, brassy’
The last time that Andy Toth played the role of Edna Turnblad in the Arts Club Theatre Company production of the musical Hairspray he had about 17 hours prep time. He received rave reviews for his performance. This year, the local actor trips the light fantastic in spikes and tight dresses in the Theatre Under the Stars (tuts.ca) production of the 2003 Broadway musical based upon director John Waters 1988 film.
“I was pinch-hitting for Jay Brazeau who took ill and I had less than a day rehearsal with the cast before curtains,” says Toth. “The dancers were, literally, leading me around by the bra straps to my next location on stage. This time, I really got to dig into the character, the history of Divine and both the Harvey Fierstein and John Travolta versions of her and it’s a real luxury.”
Toth notes that the show is a really great summer spectacle; “Big, brassy and strutting but boasting a genuine and believable storyline about everyone trying to find a place to fit in at this key moment in the early 1960s.”
There is no denying that Hairspray is a romp and ready-made for the family-friendly seasonal musicals at Malkin Bowl. A working professional, Toth says that TUTS manages to do so much with what they have because of the immense dedication to the craft, the performers and the audience. He thinks the community theatre company is committed to quality.
Steven Aberle is quick to agree. The local actor says TUTS has been key to developing his craft and is real- ly looking forward to playing the role of Fagin in Oliver this season. The last time he took on the role of Charles Dickens’ complicated Victorian era crime boss was when he was in high school.
Now, he can grow his own beard for the part.
“I can go all the way back to the seventies with TUTS when I did three years as a stagehand and carpenter,” he says. “Subsequently, I have been back about once a decade in what have all been really fine shows. There is a feeling about the place that never leaves you once you’ve done it. Fortunately, there no longer is the smell that used to begin the season when we came in around April to start clearing out the pigeons and cleaning up to begin auditions and rehearsals.”
TUTS’ two large ensemble casts are drawn from professional ranks and keen amateurs who all come together to present family entertainment that is both accessible and — comparatively speaking —— affordable. The model differs from much community theatre, says Toth, owing to the length of the run.
“Often you only get a few weeks rehearsal and then a week- or twoweek run and it’s done,” he says. “With TUTS, you get enough time to really get into the part and for the cast to jell and that makes it stand out.”
“The company also brings in directors who have vision beyond just putting on an entertainment,” says Aberle. “For Oliver, director Shel Piercy really dug down into the bigger issues of poverty and society that were in the original story. Ultimately, there is a lot going on in the Victorian London underbelly.”
New this year to TUTS is a two show subscription pack enabling ticket buyers to secure seats to both shows at a lower price. It’s one more good idea from the 75 year-old nonprofit society.
sderdeyn@theprovince.com
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