20 - Wednesday, December 20, 1995 -- North Shore News Island life revisited From page 19 ing offers little, the odds are that someone in this irrepressible gang of Cavendish, Leslie Jones, Allan Morgan, Denis Simpson, Beatrice Zeilinger and Allan Zinyk is doing something so outrageously funny that it doesn’t matter. There are some moments in the- atre that you never forget and | am sure 1 will stil! be smiling 20 years from now when I recall Leslie Jones being upstaged by the back end of a pantomime camel. Gales of laughter rocked the theatre on opening night after the poor creature inadvertently split in two components and then hung around while Jones tried sever- al times to continue. Realizing there was no way she was going to quieten those of us who by this time were rolling on the floor with laughter, Jones calmly turned to the offending pair of bipeds and whispered “Get off!" in a tone that even pantomime camels had to respect. Even with talking ravens, the aforementioned camel and a stock- ing full of sight gags, I'm not sure the younger members of your family will get all the humor. But otherwise it’s Blowin’, Growin’ and Glowin' on Bowen is guaranteed to put a smile on the face of Scrooge. Speaking of which.... By the time you read this there will be only four performances left of Mavor Moore’s adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Carousel Theatre once again tell the story of Uncie Scrooge’s conver- sion from skinflint to saintliness. It’s a can't-miss piece of seasonal fre- gramming that has the advantage of being fairly short for young attention 8. Lots of colorful costumes (Marlene Comeau), a Victorian christmas card set (Doug Welch) and a lovable curmudgeon of a Scrooge (Bernard Cuffling) all helo to keep this venerable turkey in the air. If your youngsters haven't secn it before they'll enjoy it. Lf you've seen it before you may wonder, as I do, whether there is any real commit- ment to misery to set up the need for salvation. A tip of the top hat to Ellen Kennedy, Annabel Kershaw, David Lovgren, Christopher Weddeli and West Vancouver’s bright little eight- yeat-old Keisey Fry. Closer to home, the Deep Cove Stage Gang is presenting The Photo submitted ACTORS’ NICOLA Cavendish, Leslie Jones, Allan Morgan, Denis Simpson, Beatrice Zeilinger and Allan Zinyk up to their typical hilarity in the Arts Club's /t’s Blowin’, Growin’ and Glowin' on Bowen. Grand Old Duke of York at the Shaw Theatre until Saturday, Jan. 6. The annual Cove pantomime is a tradition that already spans two gen- erations and will doubtless span many more. Which pantomime is never the issue. There’s always a villain and henchmen (generally useless), a man dressed up as a woman, a woman dressed up as a man, a love story, magic and a happy ending. The amount of song and dance varies from year to year and, to be frank, so does the talent. But from the eyes of a child this rarely mat- ters. Booing and hissing is fun, shrieking “Behind you!” at dozy adults is empowering and talking back to the actors occasionally wins acknowledgement from the cast. Fans of Deep Cov: Stage will be pleased to note that Ken Turner is back once again doing the wild thing as Martha Muffet. His costume and humor are as reliably outrageous as ever and I'm-still having nightmares about green chiffon. The gomnless sidekick this year is Kasper Michaels since veteran Gordon McInnis has donned the black garb of the mean, but coward- ly, Baron Snatcher, while Barbara Whiting dons the black nose of Maleficent the witch. Other notables include Michelle Brezinski as a handsome cross- dresser called Colin and Robbin Ward as a wonderfully fuddy-duddy Duke. However, | missed the technical excellence of last year’s panto (thank-you Jim Hebb) and I'm not just talking misplaced rocks and spi- ders. Enchantment ard dangerous dun- geons would go som. way towards holding interest that begins to flag about two hours into the show. However, it really doesn't matter what I think. The Cove has already voted and the show is sold out until January. The biggest stocking-stuffer of the theatrical season has to be the long-promoted opening of Show Boat. If you are lucky enough to receive your tickets from Santa you'll have = great time. Buy them yourself and I wonder if, because of the price, you'll feel you have to have a good time. I marvelled at director Harold Prince’s and designer Eugene Lee's use of stagecraft and went home humming Can't Help Lovin’ Dat Man. But the story, blend of produc- tions or not, has little emotional weight and cries out for a few less scenes and a lot more texture in some of the characters. Should we really care about Magnolia’s fate if her husband and downfall remains an unkaown cipher? That said, Stow Boat is undoubt- edly the most spectacular musical to ever hit Vancouver and if you've been good this year... Stocking Stuffer by Robert Bateman Limited stocks af Robert Bateman’: soft covered books. Suge Retail $22.95 Xmaa Special $12.00. BILTON’S ART CENTRE Hours of Business at atts Students only *6.00 1ouo cur mine Dr. with valid Student Card AN. Vane utiver Ee 920-0699 9 am -5:30 pm 985-1033 109 East Ist Street 1-800-761-1195 (14 Years) at 9:10 pm ends Thursday HELD OVER 47H WEEK! AT REGULAR PRICES OF $4,001 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS ends Thursda (Gencral) $4.00 Matinees Sat & aan at 2:05 pm conan $4.00 GET SHORTY (14 years) at 7: 3) at 7:10 pm & 9:20 pm matinees Sat & Sun at 2:00 pm THE CROSSING GUARD (Restricted) at 7:05 & 9:25 pm (Mature) at at 7:00 pin ends nds Thursday In celebration of the holiday season, Caprice Park Royal Cinemas will be showing matinees daily starting Dec. 231d. Please call 926-6699 for details on titles and showtimes. Our staff and management would like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. Aatinees Sat & Sun at 2:10 pm ; :Premtere Prices. :: _.. 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