![]() ![]() 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. This was indeed a highlight of our time in Florida.✅ = Critic's pick / ✭ or ✭✭ = didn't work for me / ✭✭✭ = recommended / ✭✭✭✭ = excellent / ✭✭✭✭✭ = outstanding, among best of the year You are guaranteed to see things you’ve never ever before witnessed in you life and leave with a smile on your face. This is the fifth Cirque show we have seen and they never fail to throughly satisfy. And a couple of photos I snapped during warm-up. ![]() Here is a video of the promo commercial they run on one of the LCD ad billboards. ![]() Wish I could have videoed some of the show but it was verboten. Men walking inside and OUTSIDE of crazy spinning cages 40 feet above the stage, pretzel-twisting tumbling routines, a troupe of 8 women doing mind-bending dance moves on unicycles-think Ed Sullivan routines on steroids-had me stuttering “wow” after “wow.” There was a juggler who had SEVEN balls in the air at the same time. Thematically, it blends Disney animation, music, and magic, with the magic, athleticism and wit of Cirque. Spectacularly athletic and ingenious acrobatics combined with clever slapstick humor, unique costumes and sets, and a great musical score to make the Cirque du Soliel “Dare to Dream” show at Disney Springs one of the most enjoyable pieces of entertainment we’ve seen in years. ![]()
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