BRIGADOON - REVIEW OF 2023 SHAW FESTIVAL PRODUCTION

Reviewed by James Karas

The second offering of the Shaw Festival’s current Holiday Season is Brigadoon, that wonderful musical cum fairy  tale by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe that takes us to the Scottish highlands of our imagination and to New York City in 1946. We visit a beautiful and magical village in never-never land that is full of beauty, innocence and love. It is gorgeous.

This is a revival of the Shaw Festival’s 2019 production and it has lost none of its appeal. It uses the revised book by Brian Hill and the music, songs, humour and gorgeous sets take us to a world that exists only in the theatre and the imagination.

Brigadoon is a village that is not on the map and it appears only once every one hundred years. It appeared again in 1946 which happens to be the date when two Americans fall into it. Tommy Albright (Stewart Adam McKensy) is about to get married in New York and he has been sent with his friend Jeff Douglas (Kevin McLachlan) to Scotland on a hunting trip. The two get lost and find a picturesque village that is not on the map. It is Brigadoon.

The village is bustling with activity and the two Americans meet the colourful local people. The bonny lass Fiona and Tommy are attracted to each other and they fall in love. Jeff is pursued by Meg (Kristi Frank) a lusty lass who is rather generous with her gifts to men. Jean MacLaren (Madelyn Kriese) is getting married to Charlie (David Andrew Reid) but they are not allowed to see each other until after the wedding. Harry (Travis Seeto) is in love with Jean and bitter that she rejects him. He will come to a bad end when he tries to interfere with the happy nuptials.

David Andrew Reid as Charlie Dalrymple with the 

cast of Brigadoon. Photo by David Cooper.

The two friends return to New York and the crucial question becomes: will Tommy reject Jane (Deborah Castrilli), his American fiancée who is waiting for the wedding the next day and return to Brigadoon to find Fiona?

We have a long way to go before someone must make that decision. The delightful story of two American veterans in a magical land has some beautiful songs and spectacular dances choreographed for the original production by the inimitable Agnes DeMille and for this production by Linda Garneau. The people of Brigadoon make a great ensemble for the choral pieces, Fiona sings the beautiful and  romantic “Waiting for my Dearie” while Meg delivers the lusty “The Love of my Life” and admits that she gave many men her heart and a few other things and offers the same to Jeff.

Charlie can’t wait for the marriage to be done with and begs Jean to “Come to me, Bend to Me” and all he wants is a kiss. Meg tells the hilarious story of “My Mother’s Wedding Day” where a huge crowd got roaring drunk, her father the drunkest, until the preacher finally performed the ceremony. Meg was there, she tells us.

Stewart Adam McKensy and Alexis Gordon in

 Brigadoon (Shaw Festival, 2023). Photo by David Cooper.

Tommy and Fiona strike a different tune and sing of “Almost Like Being in Love.” The above are a few examples of the melodies composed by Loewe and Lerner’s splendid lyrics.

The set designed by Pam Johnson is surpassingly beautiful from the opening of the curtains to the end. A village with old houses in a wooded valley with mountains in the back. The people are dressed in traditional Scottish clothes designed by Sue LePage and the impression is that of a paradise.

We do see short video projections of troops and war. The two men are veterans of World War II and their sudden discovery of Brigadoon is a long way from their recent reality. We get a glimpse of Tommy’s wedding rehearsal party and the beautiful would-be bride Jane  but he cannot get Fiona out of his mind.

The dancing was of very high quality, the singing had some weaknesses and the ability to do Scottish accents was minimal. But the musical and the production are indomitable. A visit to a magical land is always welcome but a place like Brigadoon at this time of the year is especially welcome and wonderful. A deep bow to Glynis Leyshon for her superb directing and handling of the acting, singing and pacing of a great show.  
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Brigadoon by Alan Jay Lerner (book and lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music) continues until December 23, 2023, at the Festival Theatre, 10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. www.shawfest.com.

James Karas is the Senior Editor, Culture of The Greek Press