Shortly before the opening night show of One Hit Wonders came to an end, I had already decided that upon its conclusion I was going to stand up and applaud, even if no one else did. A funny thing happened however. At the same time I rose to my feet, so did several others in the audience. Within moments the entire room was giving a much-deserved standing ovation to the ten incredibly talented performers.
“I am absolutely amazed by this cast. They are phenomenal performers,” director and choreographer Timothy French told GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine before the show. Of the revues that Stage West has done, this is the smallest cast. “It is harder on them because the smaller the cast the more time they have to spend on stage. It really has been a team effort.”
French was part of the team that had the task of putting together the show. It isn’t easy. Songs have to be researched for history, costuming, and how they fit into the show. Out of 160 songs first considered, the final show contains 80.
“It is difficult. The internet has made it much easier, because we can watch music videos which helps with the choreography and costumes. It is a lot of work to research the facts on various artists to present during the introductions to each segment. What is especially hard with this show is deciding where each song fits. In the past we often had groups of numbers done by one artist. You can’t do that with this show, the reason the song is in there is because it was the one hit.”
So instead, each segment focuses on genres. New Wave, for example, kicks off the second act with songs like Tainted Love, My Sharona, She Blinded Me With Science and Safety Dance. Another highlight is “Eccentric hits” featuring songs like She Drives Me Crazy, Relax, and Come On Eileen. So many instantly recognizable songs are in this show you can’t help but sing along.
A musical revue however cannot succeed without those actors cast in the performance. In this respect, the show hits on all cylinders. It is really unfair to try and single out any performer because they are all phenomenal. Personally, I found Lee Siegel’s rendition of Me and Mrs. Jones, Trevor Covelli’s All By Myself, Paula Macneill’s Total Eclipse of the Heart and Angela Pagano’s I Hope You Dance to be some of the many highlights. Covelli is especially fun to watch – keep an eye on him as Dracula in The Monster Mash to catch a few subtle character aspects that aren’t usually seen in this type of show. Andrew McGillivray plays goofy roles like Professor Boris and Right Said Fred to perfection.
Canadian Idol finalist Aaron Walpole returns for his fifth show at Stage West, and anyone who has seen him on TV or in a previous show is well aware of the personality he brings to the stage. Katrina Reynolds and Saccha Dennis add their own outstanding vocals. The incredibly charismatic Troy Adams and Danny Williams (a heck of a singer) round out the cast.
From costumes to choreography, song choice to singers, One Hit Wonders is easily one of the best, if not the best musical revue Stage West has offered. I cannot suggest highly enough that you go check out this show.
However, there was one thing missing.
Since we first started attending shows at Stage West, resident wig master Henryk Rajner was always there. Flamboyant and fun, he was often the first face we saw when we arrived. He would take us to our seats, make a bad joke, and whisk himself away to entertain other guests during the brief walk between the doors and table. He would always make a point of stopping off during dinner or intermission to crack us up with more corny jokes. While his sense of humor was a huge part of his likeability, he was an earnest person as well. Whenever I arrived he made sure to ask about my Mom, who has been a guest at shows. When she wasn’t there he would demand to know why I wasn’t bringing her.
Henryk Rajner passed away on October 14th, 2008 at the age of 59. It is ironic that this show is the first after his passing, with dozens of wigs and a creative flair that he would have loved. I don’t take anything away from the effort of those who put the wigs together for this show, they did a fantastic job, but it wasn’t Henryk’s work up there. A subtle difference, but it was there.
We here at GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine adored Henryk. The sadness we feel over his loss cannot compare to that of the staff that have worked with Henryk – some who have worked with him since Stage West’s first show more than 25 years ago. He truly was one of a kind, and he will be missed very very much.
One Hit Wonders
November 20th , 2008 – February 8th, 2009.
www.stagewestcalgary.com.
