STAGE: CINDERELLA PANTO A PERFECT FIT IN EAST VAN
Shamelessly left- leaning production pokes fun at Vancouver’s yoga moms and hipsters Cinderella: An East Van Panto
Until Dec 28 | York Theatre Tickets and info: $ 19 from thecultch. com or 604- 251- 1363
Following on the heels of last year’s wildly successful production of Jack & the Beanstalk, Cinderella: An East Van Panto has some enormous shoes to fill. Thankfully, this particular glass slipper fits just right.
For those who missed last year’s co- production from Theatre Replacement and the Cultch or aren’t familiar with the panto style, it has roots in 16th and 17th- century Europe, a time when theatre was the biggest entertainment game in town. Audiences from all walks of life — educated and otherwise — would crowd into candlelit theatres to enjoy the spectacle of a live production.
Over time, as highbrow theatre rose up on a pedestal, pantos stayed close to their roots, mugging for laughter and encouraging raucous audience participation. These musical takes on classic fairy tales became Christmas traditions for families in small communities around Britain.
But the East Van Panto has a somewhat different meaning than its British predecessors. In a time when passive viewership of glowing screens is the norm, the panto invites audiences into the story and revels in the sometimes- bizarre results of that conversation. And in a time when culture grows increasingly homogeneous through global communications and satellite feeds from London theatres, it feels refreshing rather than cheesy that this production remains happily local.
This year’s East Van Panto is a remix of the Disneyfied classic Cinderella, re- imagined by comedian and author Charles Demers to take place in a little house on Fraser Street. The cast of characters will be familiar to anyone who’s spent time east of Main, from Cinderella’s yoga mom to her plaid- wearing hipster stepsisters. The hilarious Allan Zinyk is back from last year’s production, this time as the wicked stepmother and a wild- haired millionaire. But his antics are almost eclipsed by James Long’s very B. C. version of the fairy godmother.
Whether memorializing a list of defunct cultural icons lost to our city’s relentless drive to rebuild or gently lampooning the city’s trash collection system, the script stays close to the hearts of Vancouverites. It’s shamelessly
Whether memorializing a list of defunct cultural icons lost to our city’s relentless drive to rebuild or gently lampooning the city’s trash collection system, the script stays close to the hearts of Vancouverites.
left- leaning in that particularly East Van way — there’s even an appearance by a certain hard hat wearing premier.
The danger of a show for the whole family is that the jokes will appeal to one age range and not others. The production’s political gags may or may not fly over the head of the young ones in the audience ( this is East Van, after all), but there’s enough silly physical humour to keep everyone occupied. And the references pile up so quickly, if you miss one, you’re sure to catch the next.
The audience for Friday night’s opening was clearly on board, fighting through the city’s usual reticence to cheer, boo, and shout, “It’s behind you” mostly on cue. You know you’re in East Van when a charming prince’s sudden marriage proposal draws cries of dismay.
The score from local musical treasure Veda Hille features some charmingly energetic reimagining of pop hits both recent and classic, including a particularly adorable running tribute to Taylor Swift’s Shake it Off
In the end, the intimacy of the York Theatre and the relative simplicity of Cinderella: An East Van Panto makes it a much more entertaining production than some glitzier seasonal offerings.
Here’s hoping this truly is the beginning of a homegrown tradition.