Review: SUDS-The Rockin' 60's musical soap opera

When you scan the list of 48 pop standards from the 1960s that are heard in the show, you can understand why community groups would be interested in presenting Suds.  Unfortunately you have to put up with a story that is insultingly stupid. Compared to Suds, Mamma Mia looks like Shakespeare!

 

The show has achieved its greatest success playing regional playhouses and dinner theatres where audiences seem to respond to the musical nostalgia and the silliness of the slender story about two guardian angels sent to prevent an unhappy Laundromat owner from committing suicide.

 

It's silly all right, but it's not a lot of fun. What works best are the songs though many are presented as mere fragments offering punch lines to dialogue scenes.

 

Fortunately, Music Theater Mississauga has assembled a terrific team of performers to offset the weak book. Ginny Metcalfe, Cyndy MacFarlane and Gillian Rodrigue belt out those sixties pop songs with exuberance. A great orchestra led by Triz Remedios aids them. Thanks to a good sound mix the performers are always in the forefront so the lyrics come through clearly.

 

The unit set depicting a small mid-town laundry is fine and the sight gags are well executed.

 

Although most productions of Suds cast one actor to handle all the male roles, director David Charchalis brings three guys to the stage to balance the three ladies. It's a bright idea that certainly helps fill the large Meadowvale stage for the show's lively finale. It helps that Dave Martin, Rob MacFarlane and Gary Darlington each offer up a totally different personality. Still, it's the ladies who get the chance to shine here in the songs, and indeed they do shine.

 

When it sings Suds is quite enjoyable. Maybe it would have worked better as a plot-less revue.

 

  

Suds plays at the Meadowvale Theatre, 6315 Montevideo Rd. until Saturday February 3. Evening performances are at 8 PM with matinees on Sunday January 28 and Saturday February 3. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 905-615-4720.

Ostensibly a "musical soap opera" the show really has little to do with musical theatre conventions and its plot is not standard soap opera fare.

 

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