We all dream about the perfect lover. What qualities would they have? What would they look like? Would they have a huge…? Um, never mind. Stage West explores what happens as dreams turn into nightmares in the uproariously funny Norm Foster comedy, The Love List, running until November 18th.
Bill (Don Sparks) and his best friend Leon (Kent Allen) come home from dinner for Bill’s birthday. Leon springs a surprise on his best friend – he purchased a membership to a matchmaking service run by a gypsy. All that is required to participate is a list of ten things that the customer is looking for in a partner. The two friends fill out the list together and then Leon heads off for the night. You can imagine Bill’s surprise when later that night Justine bursts into the room and into his life, acting as if she had been with him all along!
After a lengthy string of fantastic musicals, Stage West has returned to its roots with a straight up comedy. Part of it is shock value comes from things such as when the words “Oral Sex” first come out of Leon’s mouth, and from some of the more intimate displays between Bill and Justine. Aside from that, the show is simply well written and hysterically funny. While there is little doubt from early on what is happening, the show is fun and has enough twists to it that you still thoroughly enjoy yourself. While Norm Foster’s script is fantastic, under the wrong cast it would be a horrific bomb. Fortunately director Marty Fishman has assembled a stand up cast that really gives depth and heart to the characters. As star Don Sparks told GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine, the show simply is funny.
“Not to be oversimplified but it’s funny. We knew it was a funny piece. Norm Foster, who I am friends with and have acted with, is a great playwright. We have had so many laughs. This show is all about the writing and the tasteful direction. We had a wonderful director in Marty Fishman, Marty deserves a lot of credit for how good the show is. It’s adult but there is no cheap schtick in the show, it is done very intelligently and classily.’
Sparks will be seen as Larry Fine in the upcoming season of the critically acclaimed show Rescue Me with Dennis Leary, as well as films My Sassy Girl with Elisha Cuthbert and PS I Love You with Hillary Swank. With so much on his plate we asked Don, who was last seen in The Odd Couple in 2005, why he keeps coming back to Stage West to do shows.
“Because they ask me,” he replied. “I really love it in Calgary. I did my first show here 15 years ago so in some ways it is like coming home. There are so many great people that work here that it is wonderful to have in a theatre. Every actor should have a theatre they have performed in multiple times because it is kind of like coming home.”
Stage West continues to evolve having adopted a new semi-formal dress code and removed their restriction on denim. So you can feel comfortable in your dress shirt and designer jeans for a great night out. Just try not to spill any food on your outfit. Stage West’s buffet this show is quite a delicious selection. I highly suggest the stuffed cuttlefish – very tasty, even if your dinner companion is trying to guilt you by assigning names to them…telling you the various cuttlefish contributions to cuttlefish society they would have made before you ate them. But I digress.
While the theme of The Love List is along the lines of “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it,” at the same time it also speaks to our longing as human beings to find an ideal mate. We asked Don what he would do in a situation if his list came to life.
“I don’t know how I would react. I guess whenever you fall in love with someone you do feel they are the perfect person for you, and you react the same way as they do in the show.”
We then asked Don what 10 things he would have on his list.
“I would give you a picture of my wife, Claudia. She has got everything on the list and is a great great lady. I miss her a lot. She is back in New York with our dogs.”
Everyone say it together now. Awwww!
The Love List
September 13th – November 18th
www.stagewestcalgary.com
