A First-Rate Panto
Reviewed by Vicki Stokes
Time is running out to see Snow White and the Seven Tenors, now on the South Huron Stage at Huron Country Playhouse. There is very limited availability to this fun, talent-filled Panto. In a delightful twist, Snow White encounters seven Tenors instead of dwarfs. You will hear beautiful harmonies, boy-band hits and the quintessential golden chord.
As the story goes, the ecstatically happy king and queen welcome a beautiful baby princess, Snow White. When the queen passes away from illness, the lonely king remarries.
What a panto does is delectably change the story to entertain children and adults simultaneously in different ways, employing cross-dressing actors, innuendos and topical humour. In this first-rate Caroline Smith version, it’s Queen Diabolica who peers into the magic mirror to learn that she is no longer the fairest and most beautiful of all. Also, Snow White has a few new friends. There’s Woody, who brings children from the audience onto the stage to participate in an action song, and Nurse Tickle, a “woman” who has blown through multiple husbands and provides assistance to Snow at the home of all the lonely tenors. Throw in a tap-dancing horse, a brilliantly timed slapstick routine and an enthusiastic youth chorus, and you’ve got a winning panto that takes the apple!
Clea McCaffrey, as the Blues Fairy, sets up the scene with her powerful vocals. She impresses as the voice of the magic mirror and her diva-like presence throughout the show. Emma Rudy is a stronger, more confident Snow White than in the past, who only wants to marry the prince for love. With a strong, clear voice, she charms the forest animal friends and the tenors alike.
Billy Lake is a natural as the drag Queen Diabolica. I’ve seen Billy Lake in a dress more often than not on the stage over the years. The same goes for Justin Bott, who is a hoot as the German-accent speaking Nurse Tickle. Ms. Tickle wears unique dirndls (traditional German dresses) and skillfully turns a phrase.
Eddie Glen is a fan-favourite as the charming Woody, whom we are expected to greet a certain way. Though he isn’t birdlike at all, the Woody Woodpecker call is used whenever he appears. (Likewise, the prince’s horse dances to the William Tell overture.)
The tenors sing and perform exceptionally well with a mix of music under the choreography of David Connolly, Artistic Director and choreographer, and George Absi, whose sneezing is the stuff of legends. Luciano Decicco stuns with his ability to croon smoothly in Italian.
The music is an unexpected yet delightful mix of songs. The tenors are in their element singing hits from boy bands such as “I Want It That Way” while Michael Hughes as Prince Justin of Timberlake belts out the Tom Jones hit “It’s Not That Unusual.” There’s the hit from Grease, “You’re The One that I Want,” and of course, a sweetly sung 1937 animated Snow White movie song, “Whistle While You Work.” The Woodland creatures sing “Happy,” and there is even a little rap from Nurse Tickle.
The relatively simple costumes and sets take you back a few centuries. Snow White’s classic gown and wedding gown, as well as Nurse Tickle’s outfits, are outstanding. The framed mirror does indeed seem to work magically, displaying the Blues Fairy when a moment before it reflected the evil queen. A merch table outside the theatre offers tiaras, shiny apples and such, a fun way to become a part of the spectacle.
I’m not certain that the children in the audience understand the calibre of the performances, but they know what they like, and this show has proven to be a hit. I think it is one of Caroline Smith’s best pantos, reworked from the 2015 version. (See the Entertain This Thought website for Mary Alderson’s review.) With such a great cast, now is the time to grab one of the last tickets if you can, or wait and make the drive to Penetanguishene or St. Jacobs.
Snow White and the Seven Tenors: A Panto continues until June 27th at Huron Country Playhouse, South Huron Stage. It moves to Kings Wharf Theatre, Penetanguishene, from October 21st to November 14th, then to St. Jacobs Country Playhouse from November 19th to December 27th. Tickets are available by calling the Box Office at 519-238-6000, or Toll-Free at 1-855-372-9866, or by checking www.huroncountryplayhouse.com for availability.
Photo: Emma Rudy and Billy Lake. Photo by Cassidy Clemmer
Snow White and the Seven Tenors: A Panto
Written by Caroline Smith
Directed and choreographed by David Connolly
Music Director – Steve Thomas
Performed by Emma Rudy, Eddie Glen, Michael Hughes, Billy Lake, Clea McCaffrey, Justin Bott, et al.
Produced by Drayton Entertainment
South Huron Stage, Huron Country Playhouse, Grand Bend
June 10 to June 27, 2025
(This show moves to King’s Wharf Theatre, Penetanguishene Oct. 21 to Nov. 14, and then to St. Jacobs Country Playhouse Nov. 19 to Dec. 27)
Reviewed by Vicki Stokes