![]() But this soon becomes tiresome, since they're talking around things, and we never learn enough about either one to care about what's not being said. Hill) and Jules ( Jeremiah Sparks) talk in fragments, perhaps suggesting things they can't articulate – or aren't comfortable saying – directly to each other. Initially Woolley has Cecilia ( Jessica B. Hill and Jeremiah Sparks photographed by Cylla von Tiedemann Unfinished paint jobĪfter being separated from him for 25 years, a depressed woman suddenly hears from the father who abandoned her in Chelsey Woolley's Paint Me This House of Love (Rating: ✭✭), a thin two-act play that needs more than a couple of coats of paint to make it shine. Maggie: A New Musical runs until May 6 at Theatre Aquarius (190 King William, Hamilton). And it's a terrific vehicle for some stirring, soulful songs and talented performers. Still, Maggie: A New Musical has a big, generous heart. Some bits of the book and direction (by Mary Francis Moore) are confusing when Maggie's husband, Big Jimmy ( Jay Davis), is killed early on in the mines, we've seen several miners emerge already, unperturbed – did none of them hear the news? And some aging makeup would have made Maggie's later years more convincing. Also, many things – from Samantha McCue's costumes for Maggie's sons when they're younger to much of the book and some lyrics – simply lack subtlety. And there are some rousing and effective ensemble numbers throughout.īut stoicism isn't an easy thing to illustrate or dramatize onstage, and the show suffers from the fact that there's no clear antagonist. The musical is at its best when it shows us a group of women tirelessly doing chores in front of the intentionally drab tenements (set design is by Ken MacDonald), looking out for their kids and supporting each other through spousal abuse, feminist enlightenment and tragedy.Īs a portrait of a loving, hard-working, salt-of-the-earth matriarch, Maggie succeeds admirably it would be hard to remain unmoved by a series of heartstring-pulling songs in the second act, especially when sung by the powerhouse Bizier. ![]() Maggie's flamboyant and fearless brother-in-law, Charles ( Jeremy Legat), meanwhile, also feels stifled in this cramped place.Īs the years go on, with characters conveniently telling us how much time has elapsed ("Well that was 14 years ago, now wasn't it?"), we witness societal changes: the flare-ups between Protestants and Catholics, the massive migration to North America and, most vividly, the change in women's roles. Maggie is determined, however, to send the family's brightest, Wee Jimmy ( Aidan Burke), to university so he can become an engineer. Times are tough in the depressed town – the musical begins in the mid-1950s – and there aren't many opportunities for her boys Shug ( Lawrence Libor), an aspiring musician, and Tommy ( William Lincoln), who dreams of being a footballer. ✅ = Critic's pick / ✭ or ✭✭ = didn't work for me / ✭✭✭ = recommended / ✭✭✭✭ = excellent / ✭✭✭✭✭ = outstanding, among best of the year
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