PLAY REVIEW: Bugsy Malone – Don’t miss it!

November 21, 2013 · 0 Comments

Midst silhouettes and strobe lights, Bugsy Malone Junior takes to the stage. Shelburne’s Tipling Hall is filled with light, sound and action when a troupe of wonderfully youthful gangsters hit the stage.

You will see the smooth-talking ever-loving Bugsy (Jameson Saleta) who joins up with suave and fancy Dandy Dan (Harry Russell) and the power-hungry Fat Sam (Thomas Lynch/Hannah Hamilton). The riotously entertaining performance features a fast-paced song and dance chorus starring a misty-eyed Blousy Brown (Jocelyn Glenday), the wistfully sweet Tallulah (Rejean Ghanem), sultry and sensuous Louella (Julia Herzberg) and an aptly named Fizzy (Kyra Seymour) and Razzamataz (Carleah Rose), brimming with fun. The roles are well-played, and sparkle with talent; each character claims the spotlight in enthusiastic song and dance, stunning solos, and mad scrambles with silly string and pie fights as two rival gangs compete for top spot on the streets of New York. When the gangs gather, be they a chorus line or in animated small grouping, they set the scene for an exciting evening offering the lights, sounds, and the fast-paced action of the Roaring Twenties.

With an amazing energy, Knuckles (Hope Petican), Snake Eyes (Walker Rae), Shake Down Louis (Megan Hamilton), Ritzy and Roxy (Kayla Dollimore and Molly Russell) line up behind Fat Sam and give it their all. With equal enthusiasm and talent, Dandy Dan’s Gang, Bronx Charlie (Darcy Baker), Doodle (Gabriella Iusi), Benny Lee (Sarah Dos Santos), Yonkers (Farrah Ghanem), and Laughing Boy (Hannah Hamilton) match up against them. The result is a show that transforms their full-blown talents and energy into a highly entertaining evening well worth the visit to Shelburne’s Tipling Hall. They all deserve a huge round of applause.

Kudos also go to the backstage cast that brought out the best in the young actors. Under the direction of Alison Port and Josh Priess, choreography by Kristen Gamache and Alison Port, and in Dale Lundy’s delightfully complex setting where bookcases becoming entryways to speakeasies the cast plays out a story that will delight young and old alike. Sarah Scroggie’s flickering lighting calls for split second timing as quick as the actor’s lines and antics that punctuate each scene. The costumes chosen by Alison Port, Ang Hamilton and Michelle Steele are as authentic as the Roaring Twenties, brought to life midst a chorus line of Grand Slam girls.

For tickets to the razzle dazzle show, call the box office at 519-925-2600 or 519-939-1038. It’s an evening you won’t want to miss! Bugsy Malone Junior plays at Shelburne’s Tipling Hall, situated in the town hall, November 14–17 and 22–24. Be there if you know what’s good for ya’!

By Anne Ritchie