DANCING QUEEN by Sky Gilbert (Cabaret Company). At Buddies in Bad Times (12 Alexander). To April 29. Pwyc-$30. 416-975-8555. See Continuing. Rating: NNN
A clever design and smart choreography add lots of eye candy to Dancing Queen, Sky Gilbert’s amusing look at queer love both real and imagined.[biefbreak]
In a present-day nightclub, naive twink Alan (Nick Green) gets obsessed with a detached older hookup, Bart (David-Benjamin Tomlinson). Later on, at a mall, Alan becomes the object of older novelist Calder’s (Ryan Kelly) unreciprocated love.
Gilbert punctuates the contemporary sections with scenes set against a romantic rural backdrop where the actors, clad now in period costumes, wordlessly play out these relationship dynamics via stylized dancing, jousting and – in one hilarious sequence – chases involving cardboard trains, planes and automobiles.
Andy Moro’s sets – which include video projections and a glamorous curved staircase – and Sheree Tams’s costumes add lots to the production, while Keith Cole’s choreography, especially in the period scenes, is a delight.
There’s also cleverness in Gilbert’s script, which repeats some dialogue about character insecurity and suggests a communication gap between the generations. The piece could be 20 minutes shorter, however, and more shading in the older characters would provide a bigger emotional payoff.
The performances are generally fine (and kudos to the stage manager for the quick clothing changes), but the standout is Kelly, who digs deep into his character and seems unafraid of what he’ll find there.
