What’s more fun than a musical or a comedy? How about a musical comedy? Throw in the elements of a pretty credible whodunit and you’ve got Drayton Entertainment’s production of The Last Resort, which opened March 5 at the St. Jacob’s Country Playhouse.
The Last Resort is a collaboration between Norm Foster, Canada’s most produced playwright, and composer Leslie Arden, who provides music and lyrics.
Foster fans should not expect the playwright’s trademark mixture of wry humour with a touch of social commentary. Last Resort is a full-on farce with an unapologetically cornball tone. Given the target is broad comedy, the show hits the mark with ease.
Set in a remote lodge in rural Saskatchewan, the plot spoofs the whodunit genre as it follows the trail of Nick Galeazzo, a New York restaurateur on the run from the mob. Accompanied by his alluring FBI escort, Galeazzo spends his time avoiding perceived threats from other quirky denizens of the hotel and the machinations of its oddball proprietor.
Newcomer Justin Bott is strong as Galeazzo. While he plays straight man to much of the humor, he gets in some licks of his own and displays the best male singing voice in the cast. Bott’s numbers with Kristen Peace, as his easy-on-the-eyes but tough-as-nails bodyguard, are among the most polished in the show.
Still, if people are going to leave the theatre humming anything, it will probably be A Day with Julia, a jazzy number performed with a cabaret strut by Jayme Armstrong, who is excellent in the challenging dual role of sweet and sour twin sisters Jessica and Julia.
Eddie Glen and Susan JohnstonCollins are well cast as Sid Barzini, a grumpy carpet salesman and his outgoing wife, who come to the hotel for their 24th anniversary and end up caught up in the mayhem.
Dan Payne is smooth as a womanizing poet seeking relief from writer’s block, and perhaps some female companionship at the inn.
While dressing a man in drag, complete with a stuffed Triple E bra usually seems a tired device, Wade Lynch is a skilled scene-stealer and takes full advantage of his opportunities as the lonely proprietor of The Last Resort. Foster’s script even manages to make the character integral to the plot, rather than just a cheap way to buy a few laughs.
Audience favorite Keith Savage takes over the stage from the moment he makes his appearance as the bumbling Inspector Kenneth Closely. Savage employs his trademark physical comedy and elasto-plastic facial expressions to wind the audience up to full farce frenzy.
All that, and some pretty stylish musical numbers, both solo and full cast efforts, make The Last Resort a fun night at the theatre. Director and Choreographer Marc Richard and musical director Steve Thomas has the cast delivering lines and lyrics on cue and seamlessly moving between dialogue and dance.
A show like The Last Resort relies heavily on a atmosphere and Eric Summerley’s set is entirely appropriate for a clearly Canadian backwater hotel. Jessica Bray’s work on costume cuts down on exposition as you can tell a great deal about all the characters instantly, just by their attire. Drayton Entertainment lighting wizard Simon Day effectively completes the look in an effects-heavy production.
The Last Resort runs through March 22. Tickets can be purchased in person at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, online at www.stjacobscountryplayhouse.com or by calling the Box Office at (519) 747-7788 or toll free at 1-855-drayton (372-9866).
