Getting Wiggy With It at the VPP
Reviewed by Vicki Stokes
Not everyone looks good in a wig, but Jennifer Walls and Alex Baerg can pull it off. Ba-dum tss.
One can expect a similar style of humour from David Hogan at the beginning of a D2 Entertainment show. But not everything is predictable about Dynamic Duos at Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia. It features talented, powerful twosomes, but it is not always the expected ones. They are not necessarily a couple, not necessarily human, not necessarily a male/female pair, and not necessarily from stage or screen.
We expect to see Jennifer Walls transform into Liza Minnelli and Barbra Streisand (because she is brilliant as those talented icons), but she does a great Paul Simon and racket-wielding Billy Jean King as well. Alex Baerg not only dons beards for several of his roles, but he sparkles and shines as the charismatic comedienne Carol Channing. He has a fabulous voice for Kenny Rogers and George Burns and hilariously attacks various keyboards as Richard Carpenter and Daryl Dragon.
And completely unexpected is the presence of royalty: Harry and Meghan, The Sussexes, in a car with a funny personalized licence plate.
Siegfried and Roy produce some of their magic, with a special appearance from one of their furry friends. The great Elvis Presley makes an appearance with the flaming hot Ann Margret.
The important thing is the pair of them seem to be having fun — and the audience has fun with them. It’s not meant to be a serious tribute to the duos in question. Where else could one see Juliet in Bunny slippers and her Romeo become the leads in Grease? It’s a little burlesque, it’s a little vaudeville, and it makes you forget the world for a while.
It is nice to see Alex Baerg out front after having worked behind the scenes for The Roaring Twenties. And Evans Bicum is now behind the scenes. Mark Payne does a fabulous job behind the scenes as well. All to let the two big wigs shine!
The show opens with “Let Me Entertain You” with Baerg and Walls looking exactly like their caricatures. On stage is a magic translucent ‘window’ that allows the audience to have a peek at the changing of the wigs between the scenes, which is quite amusing at times, such as between The Carpenters and Captain and Tennille. Jennifer Walls had worked with David Rogers to create their vision for these characters and Walls did a tremendous job designing the wigs to suit each individual or character represented. For the finale, we are treated to the real Baerg and Walls singing the Motown hit “It Takes Two”.
I recommend getting a ticket to this fun, entertaining show. It is a small price toupee for all the laughs and display of talent. Make it quick, because it will be hair today and gone tomorrow.
Dynamic Duos continues at Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia until June 19th. For tickets, call the box office at 1-800-717-7694 or go to www.thevpp.ca.
Photo: Jennifer Walls and Alex Baerg as Marie & Donny Osmond. Photo by Diane O’Dell.
Dynamic Duos
Conceived by D2 Entertainment
Conceived and Written by David Rogers
Directed by David Rogers
Choreographed by David Hogan
Musical Arrangements by Mark Payne
Performed by Alex Baerg and Jennifer Walls
Victoria Playhouse, Petrolia
June 7 to June 19, 2022
Reviewed by Vicki Stokes