Review: Mid Life! The Crisis Musical

As it turns out, Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical created by Bob and Jim Walton has a number of amusing moments side by side with some that never quite develop into true comic gems and a few that fall flat.

Welcome to the world of revues.  There was a time when this sort of show would be seen as a TV special, but the medium that is rarely well done has abandoned the format.

So, the Walton brothers premiered their show at a dinner theatre in Minneapolis in 2004, and after opening in a number of other U.S. cities it is just now receiving its Canadian premiere at Stage West.

Director Bob Walton has assembled a top-notch sextet of performers. Individually and collectively the performers bring energetic enthusiasm to the proceedings, enunciating the lyrics flawlessly. They are aided by James Weir's precise sound design and Anthony Bastianon's lively keyboard accompaniment.

The ability to hear the lyrics helps Liz Gilroy, Racheal McCaig and Rennie Wilkinson shine in the second act show-stopper "He Got What He Deserves." In addition to the funny words it also offers up a catchy refrain. Larry Mannell gets his moment in the first half with "My Lost Love" while Brett McCaig and Mark Weatherly point up the humour, all too real, in "What Did I Come In Here For?"

Not everything works. A couple of tasteless sketches document trips to the doctor for painful procedures like mammograms and digital rectal exams, and a sequence parodying Botox injections is never quite as funny as it is supposed to be. Although the emphasis is on light-hearted humour there are a few touching moments notably "The Long Goodbye."

Moments like this and the six-part counterpoint of the first act finale "I Quit" make one hope that Bob and Jim Walton will come back with a more substantial piece at some point in the future.

Mid-Life! The Crisis Musical is playing at Stage West Dinner theatre until November 18.  Performances are Tuesday thru Sunday evenings with matinees Wednesdays and Sundays. For dinner/show packages visit www.stagewest.com or call the box office at 905-238-0042.

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