It is easy to see why New West Theatre’s annual winter production is such a popular draw each year.
They were competing with a sold out Les Miserables across the street at Southminster United Church, so the Tuesday night crowd was understandably not as strong as I expected.
But they were an enthusiastic laughing at ever groaner pun and applauding wildly after every musical number.
The new show, Razzle Dazzle, as usual is a best of the best — favourite songs and favourite comedy.
The cast begins dressed classy in an old style club complete with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling as they launch into an exciting version of Ray Charles’ ‘Shake Your Tailfeather’
The music runs the gamut from the 1940s to more modern pop and all of it in between.
This come to the fore in the second set as Scott Carpenter talks about his love for ‘lady parts’ and wishing for a compilation of the best songs from the ladies.
The talented ladies Erica Hunt, Kathy Zaborsky, Jocelyn Haub fulfil his wish, beginning with singing wartime jazz standards like ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’ and moving through the ages through Motown and into ’80s pop with the Pointer Sisters’ ‘I’m So Excited’ and ’90s pop with the Spice Girls ‘Wannabe.’
Zaborsky takes centre stage behind a grand piano to sing a hot version of Ray Charles ‘For Once In my Life.’
They guys also sing excellent songs particularly Kyle Gruninger who leads the cast through Queen’s ‘Somebody to Love.’
The first act is mostly songs with a few jokes thrown in between them while the second half of the show is vice versa— mostly comedy bits with songs thrown in between them.
Some of the highlights are the wrong Tiny Tim sketch, which ends up with Devon Brayne, strumming a ukulele, wearing a black wig, singing Tiny Tim instead of being Charles Dickens’ Tiny Tim from the Christmas Carol. He’s the comedy guy in this show as in the second set he also sings a hilarious version of comedian Tim Minchin’s ‘If I Didn’t Have You.’
Going along with the Christmas theme, one of the highlights is the choir sketch featuring born ham Scott Carpenter getting his choir to sing ’50s and ’60s nonsense songs. They cover capable choral versions of all of them including Be Bop a Lula, Papa-oom-Mow-Mow, Rama Lama Ding Dong, Sh-Boom, Tutti Frutti and Wooly Bully.
Richie Wilcox, makes an imp
ression in his New West debut with a very pretty version of Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up.’
Throughout the show, each cast member comes to the front of the stage to share their favourite Christmas memory, which is quite touching and lets the audience get to know them a little better.
The second half of the show starts slowly with a surreal version of ‘Video Killed the Radio Star, featuring the cast wearing funky glasses.
But it is all about the comedy in this set.
Carpenter has quite a few inspirational comedic moments, particularly in a bit between him and Kathy Zaborsky in which two instructional DVDs on yoga and how to baste a turkey get switched.
Carpenter is a hoot as he does yoga to the tune of the how to baste a turkey DVD.
It would be interesting to see it from Zaborky’s side — doing yoga.
Razzle Dazzle runs at the Yates Theatre until Jan, 4. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. There are also matinees at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 28 and 1 p.m. on Jan. 4.
