REVIEW: “A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING” RE-IMAGINES WHAT LOVE LOOKS LIKE…

Jun 1

Whether an afternoon or evening performance, The Players Guild of Hamilton’s A Grand Night for Singing proves to be a charming, celebratory conclusion to the theatre company’s 150th season. The Tony-nominated musical revue Rodgers & Hammerstein's A Grand Night for Singing features over 30 songs from the duo’s classic musicals. The revue weaves together sweeping solos, touching duets, and beautifully harmonized ensemble numbers from Cinderella, South Pacific, Carousel, The King and I, and, of course, Oklahoma!, alongside Rogers and Hammerstein’s lesser-known shows such as Me and Juliet and Pipe Dream.

Directed by David Dayler and Randy Coutts (another artistic visionary duo), the stage at the Players Guild looks like the audience has stumbled onto an evening garden party with its flower arrangements, soft drapery and mellow, romantic lighting. Together, Dayler and Coutts direct a show that isn’t just about “the hits” but the personal stories and messages about love we can relate to through the ensemble’s incredible performances with the lyrics and music of Rogers and Hammerstein sweeping through the auditorium. Perhaps the most refreshing aspect of this revue is that despite not having a plot-beat story to follow, A Grand Night for Singing leads with its theme of romance and what love looks like to different people with all the selected songs showcasing either an expected or unexpected exploration of that central theme.

The ensemble cast features the talents of Bethany Charters, Nicole Martin, Carolyn Campbell, Steven Andrews and Doug Massey. Each brings with them impressive vocal acuity, rich harmonies and several moments of cheeky humour. They dance and weave themselves throughout the set pieces and considering they are not mic’d with four live musicians behind them showcases the strength of their performances. It’s so rewarding hearing musicals performed with live music and it aids in the impact of the performances throughout.

It is tough to narrow down the highlights as every audience member will have a song that they cherish from this vast collection of songs. I am, admittedly, not the biggest fan of Rogers and Hammerstein’s work and even I was enchanted by the performances of Nicole Martin’s “Cain’t Say No” who is captivating in every moment she’s on stage and “Wash That Man” from the trio of Martin, Chambers and Campbell. An unexpected highlight was the reinterpretation of “Maria” from The Sound of Music wherein Doug Massey questions how to solve the “problem” of loving a girl named Maria rather than it being sung by frustrated nuns about their spirited postulant.

Other highly enjoyable performances include: “Stepsisters’ Lament” from Campbell and Martin with its hilarious, petulant aspects of jealousy, “Honey Bun” with its energetic, endearing sentiments, “It’s Me,” a delightful commentary on the love of performing played to perfection by Charters and “This Nearly Was Mine” by Steven Andrews who showcases that love is also frequently about loss. While Act One focuses more on courting and romantic love, I found Act Two to have more depth with its exploration of other types of love (love of nature, love of new places, love of one’s child) and the bittersweet realities of loss within relationships.

There is something for everyone with this production. Audiences will recognize favourite songs, appreciate clever new arrangements and medleys and perhaps be intrigued enough to look into more of these classic musicals. The production is visually beautiful, keenly directed, vocally and musically impressive and is a grand celebration, not only these classic artists and their enormous catalogue of work, but also for The Players Guild itself and what they have achieved theatrically over 150 years in Hamilton.

Be sure to check out A Grand Night for Singing. It truly is a lovely night.

GRAND NIGHT TICKETS