Oct. 17, 2012 - Issue #887: Dedfest
Poof! The Musical
Until Sun, Oct 21 (8 pm)Directed by Amanda Bergen
Capitol Theatre, Fort Edmonton Park,
$20 – $28
Poppy Brumschtic comes from a long line of Ice Witches, and now, her mother wants her to commit one truly evil deed to induct her into the family legacy. However, true to teenage form, Poppy has other dreams about the life she wants to lead. Poof! The Musical tracks the spooky and comical tale of young love, parental meddling and one desperate teen's fake plot to kill her love interest to please her evil mother.
This original musical—written by Nick Green and composed by Darrin Hagen—hosts three endearing characters and one very charming plot. Madelaine Knight as Poppy and Eric Wigston as her love interest, Mike, are a fantastic duo in their awkward and adorable roles as young lovers who have "fallen in like." Garett Ross plays Poppy's eccentric mother, Awanda, in drag. While the opening scene fell somewhat flat, Ross's performance only climbed from there. Characteristically transitory, Awanda is not only a mother but a narrator to the audience through the fourth wall. This accompanying method of storytelling yields some incredibly entertaining results. The songs and dialogue are stuffed with hilariously contemporary witticisms. The local references throughout—such as the explanation of how Ice Witches derive their evil power from the oil sands, and use sinful ingredients from Calgary—received many appreciative chuckles from the audience.
The music in the show, while never reaching for anything particularly risky, added the necessary punch that's required of the audio accompaniment to a haunted tale. While some longer songs could have had tighter endings to make the musical sharper, there were others that were absolute in their entertainment and plot value. The shamelessly charming homage to D&D—"Dungeons and Dwarves," here—is a perfect example of the latter.
The technical components to this show are fantastic. Using all that the wonderful Capitol Theatre has to offer, the projections for the backdrop are played with in order to add a dynamic layer of visual stimulation. It certainly stands to say that the show probably has something for everyone. Adults will appreciate the dialogue, teens will appreciate the storyline, and, if you're willing to let the few minor moments of coarse language slide, younger viewers will love the special effects in this seasonably spooky musical. vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus
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