Pitch Perfect
Reviewed by Debbie McClure
The year is 1953, and the women’s baseball league from the Kroehler Furniture Factory in Stratford is determined to get to the regional championships. This means everyone on the team needs to step up their game, but there’s a problem. The star batter is having trouble actually hitting the ball consistently. The team also decides to take a chance on a new pitcher whose enthusiasm and excellent fastballs are unmatched, but unpredictable.
Baseball is about more than just a game; it’s about teamwork, determination, and a willingness to step up and give your all. For women in the early 1950s, there weren’t many opportunities to demonstrate their personal strengths and be taken seriously. Both on the field and in the workplace, women were often sidelined and pigeonholed into roles and jobs that society deemed acceptable. Sports were an area where women could literally step up to the plate and show what they were capable of.
Curveball unfolds as a wonderfully written musical with songs by Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Dayna Manning that keeps the audience engaged and entertained. Adapted from the play Kroehler Girls! the characters are well-developed and likeable. The star batter, Honey (Madison Hayes-Crook), must overcome her own mental block preventing her from hitting consistently, as she’d always done in the past. The new pitcher, Georgie (Shelayna Christante), is tasked with proving her skill and becoming one of the team, while her sister Wanda (Kirstyn Russelle) just wants a shot at a prominent new job and to be taken seriously. This is a team of feisty women that must come together to stage a comeback and decide what matters most—baseball and the team, or accepting failure both on and off the field.
Curveball had the audience laughing at the quick quips and even participating in the chorus of a song or two. Held outdoors at the Blyth Harvest Stage, it was a delightfully entertaining performance that I’d highly recommend to anyone. Batter up!
Curveball runs at the Blyth Harvest Stage from July 8th to August 22nd.
Photo: Curveball Cast. Kirstyn Russelle, Shelayna Cristante, Madison Hayes-Crook, Alyssa LeClaire, Shaina Silver-Baird, Cara Hunter. Photo by Alex Franklin.
Curveball
Written By Kelly McIntosh, Andy Pogson, Stacy Smith, and Severn Thompson
Original Songs By Dayna Manning
Performed by Aiden Altow, Shelayna Christante, Madison Hayes-Crook, Cara Hunter, Alyssa LeClaire, Dayna Manning, Geoffrey Poundsett, Kirstyn Russelle, Shaina Silver-Baird
Blyth Festival, Harvest Stage at 377 Gypsy Lane. Blyth, Ontario
Reviewed by Debbie McClure