The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt
The definitions of “charm” include magic, allure and something that captivates and enchants. Kitty’s Bound for Broadway embodies the definition. The question raised here is “what is wrong with optimism and hope?” The response, a resounding “absolutely nothing.”
It might be noted that many of those involved in this Canadian production have their roots in community theatre. A milieu which often provides its audiences with a kinder and more gentle theatrical experience, offering a bit more comedy and light heartedness and a bit less of the sex, violence and grit to which we have become so accustomed.
Kerry Miller is writer, composer and performer of the work and is equally talented at all three. In addition she possesses a lovely, melodious singing voice. The songs are an integral part of the whole, the lyrics providing perceptive additions to Kitty’s thoughts and moods (referring to self-sabotage she sings “…holding me back, making me small.”)
It is a deceptively simple story of undying (though often threatened) dreams told in 40 very enjoyable minutes. Kitty’s dreams are of Broadway. She wins a lottery making her a finalist in a small group competing for the prize of having their play presented on Broadway.
Miller adds a wig and glasses to portray the image consultant who presents Kitty with a large bag in which each item represents a character trait which Kitty might find helpful in her meeting with the panel of esteemed judges. These include a funky glittering bra for power, white gloves for social strata and cowboy boots for freedom and independence. She tries them all on in an effort to determine how they might work for her and, most importantly, boost her self-esteem.
We follow her through the excitement of arriving in New York for the first time, giving her presentation to the judges, the routine “thank you, we’ll get back to you,” and the stressful wait for the eventual outcome.
All those contributing to the success of the production are excellent in their respective fields. Susie Keating directs with a clear understanding of both material and performer. The musical arrangements of Stephen Brown perfectly compliment the mood of each song and its relationship to the moment. Ian Macdermid’s staging works well in the limited space surrounding a single chair. Given a somewhat larger space a bit more variety of movement might be an option. Jessie Marshall has designed a charming and altogether appropriate poster.
Kitty’s Bound for Broadway is part of the 59E59 Theaters Festival giving the productions soon to take off to perform in Scotland at the East of Edinburgh Festival, August 7 through 31, an opportunity to present and fine tune their work, as well as providing audiences a chance to see a wide variety of innovative theatre in a short period of time.
We wish all who are a part of the Festival, the world’s largest arts festival (a statistic supported by the fact that in 2014 there were 49,497 performances of 3,193 shows) a wonderful experience and we look forward to seeing many of the shows again in the future and knowing that we were in at the very beginning of something special.
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