This avenue is second to none

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June 22, 2012

The Suburban - June 20th, 2012
By James Gartler


One of the great things about musical theatre is the universality of the medium. You don’t have to be a feline to relate to the dancers in Cats, or live in green skin to understand Elphaba’s plight in Wicked. You also don’t need to be fluent in Yiddish to get swept up in the fun of the Segal Centre’s latest show, On Second Avenue (though the English/French subtitles certainly do help!)

This robust production — originally staged at the Segal in 1998 under the direction of Bryna Wasserman, who returns as co-director — features a talented cast of 33 performers reflecting on the history of Yiddish theatre through song, dance and even a little vaudeville-style stand-up.

In fact, one of the highlights of the show is the chemistry between Aron Gonshor and Sam Stein, who portray comedic duo “Schwartz and Siegel” with panache. As two older gents who have overcome life’s tribulations and still managed to keep their smiles, they delighted the opening-night audience with their second act number “Hu Tsa Tsa” and earned the biggest applause of the evening.

There are gems scattered throughout the show, which begins in 19th Century Romania and follows the evolution of Yiddish theatre to 1930’s New York, where it found a home on the titular Second Avenue. Each scene offers a glimpse at the stories that best played to the audiences of their time, with one of the earliest telling the tale of a young girl (Eva Petris) nearly lead to her doom by a scheming witch (Sara Zameck). While Petris’ voice cast a spell over the crowd, her charming suitor on “horseback” (Jordan Marchand) quickly had them laughing, as his steed bucked and whinnied at all the right moments. This balance between musicality and humour carries the production well through its two-hour running time, which is punctuated by the occasional bit of sound advice. Case in point: “He who digs a grave for others will himself fall in!” Words to live by.

Credit must be given to John C. Dinning for the detailed sets which slip on and off-stage in quick succession, keeping the pace brisk and giving each act its own distinct visual appeal. Add in colorful costumes by Susana Vera and some live music and Avenue makes for a truly impressive tribute to “Knish Alley”.

Though to be frank, any opportunity to enjoy locally-produced musical fare is a treat indeed. To take your own stroll On Second Avenue, be sure to secure tickets before the show ends its run on July 1.

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