Any way you count it, the Jan. 18 variety show staged by the youth-led Playful Palette Foundation was a success.
The evening, at Oceana PARC Playhouse, brought in close to $1,800 for the foundation's primary goal – to help fund tuition in extra-curricular arts classes for young people otherwise unable to afford it.
But foundation president Sabine Lapointe, 15, and her eager and talented team of fellow Earl Marriott Secondary students (including treasurer Viola Fairbrother, social media manager Iva Popadich and photographer Daria Komarova), also proved that they know how to put on a thoroughly entertaining show – one that had a solid (if not full-capacity) crowd cheering act after act.
While they received technical help – and a free rental – from the White Rock Players Club, and the contributed talents of all the performers and other behind-the-scenes volunteers, they succeeded in creating an all-but-professional standard show with many highlights, one that would have been the envy of more mature producers.
Worthy of praise, too, are all those who appeared – demonstrating commendable commitment to a worthy goal, while providing a lineup of acts that challenged and exceeded usual expectations at every turn.
The theatrical flair of the evening was evident right from the outset in the agreeably light-hearted and confident introductory style of hosts Hanna Hakak (foundation chair) and Bella Endersby (foundation secretary) and the opening number, Seasons of Love, from Rent, which brought together most of the acts in some impressive semi-impromptu harmony.
Young singer Trinity Sullivan drew the audience in not only with vocal talent but musical theatre skills in a highly sympathetic rendition of I Can Hear The Bells from Hairspray; while foundation vice-president Lucy Prior also impressed – both with her cheerful confidence and a particularly plaintive vocal quality on two of her own original songs (including Someone, Somewhere) performed to her own electric piano accompaniment.
Accomplished young harpist Chelsea Huang's delightfully expressive solo interpretation of Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg's Somewhere Over The Rainbow, from The Wizard of Oz, brought out all the original harmonies to an audience I'm sure is more familiar with Israel Kamakawiwoʻole's catchy, but truncated, ukelele version.
Seasoned musical theatre performers Sam Silver and Dann Wilhelm brought professionalism to a well-paced and staged excerpt and a well-sung duet (Bad Idea) from the musical Waitress – suggesting to this viewer that a fully staged version of the musical featuring these performers would not be a bad idea at all.
Lauren Fisher (recently featured in the White Rock pantomime Cinderella) also used her musical theatre and staging savoir-faire to bring out the emotional core of Pink Pony Club, Chappell Roan's plea for safe spaces for all humans who don't 'conform'; while Miriah Reitmayer's stunningly well-judged, show-stopping Memory from Cats may be the best yet I have heard from this noted, popular local singer, demonstrating new levels of maturity in both performance and presentation.
Professional stand-up comedian Cliff Prang, noted for his relatable – and "clean"– family-inspired humour, adeptly tailored his very funny material to the circumstances and the cause, proving an excellent choice to fit in with such a generation-spanning event.
Young singer Nex Wendel proved well-able to realize all the dramatic potential and pathos of her piece Dead Mom from Beetlejuice – a monologue addressed to a recently deceased parent; while a duet by Page Thomson and Parker Brann, the touching All I've Ever Known from Hadestown, highlighted their appealing affinity as performers and their considerable aplomb in finishing the number a cappella, after a technical glitch silenced their backing track.
Rhys Watt-Marsh connected with the audience with a meditative original flute composition, even though the focus threatened to be stolen at every moment by the dance interpretation by charming, diminuitive Bloom Radlowksi; while budding talent Victoria Mills (also recently featured in the White Rock pantomime) provided a startlingly assured lip-synch tribute to Tim Curry's Sweet Transvestite number from the Rocky Horror Picture Show (assisted by J. Zong and Junming Zhong).
Singer-songwriter Jacob Brand, a late-in-the-day substitution for another act that had to cancel, added another infusion of professionalism to the show, bringing all of his noted, charismatic presence to a performance of his original balled Philia, self accompanied on guitar.
Speaking of sweet transvestites, Mills' dad, effervescent pantomime 'Dame' Bryce Paul Mills, added another layer of family appeal, rounding out the show with a typically cheeky and cheery monologue, while the closing number, a sing-along of Tomorrow from Annie, allowed all members of the Playful Palette Foundation to share the stage with the performers in an apt, upbeat conclusion.
