The toe-tapping, shameless humming, sing-along-like-you-just-don’t-care hits of the 1950s are given new life in Drayton Entertainment’s Red Rock Diner.
From the moment patrons enter the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre they travel to a time where poodle skirts are in and parents have no use for foul rock ‘n’ roll music.
The production takes place in 1957, when disc jockey Red Robinson, portrayed by Daniel Abrahamson, was one of the first broadcasters in Canada to play Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly and other rock ‘n’ roll legends.
The first act takes the audience through one of Robinson’s CJOR radio shows broadcast in Vancouver.
Robinson is situated stage left in a DJ booth while the remainder of the set is filled with the Red Rock Diner. Company members Brittany Banks, Jeremy Carver-James, Kristen Pottle, Sayer Roberts and Josh Wiles play double duty, taking on the roles of teens in 1957 as well as singing and performing the songs and advertisements Robinson announces during his radio show.
In a production that could easily have followed a monotonous song after song pattern, writer Dean Regan found a way to weave a compelling story between the 41 songs performed throughout the show.
In the second act the production takes on a different feel as the stage is transformed into a high school dance hosted by none other than Robinson himself.
For those wanting extra value for their ticket, stick around in the theatre during intermission and watch the crew seamlessly put together the stage jigsaw puzzle, transforming diner to dance.
In the second half company members take on the high school student roles exclusively. Song after song is integrated into the plot with the help of the live band, consisting of Nico Rhodes, Kevin Dempsey and Julian Jayme.
While the majority of the action happens on stage cast members occasionally venture out into the audience and look for a helping hand from willing patrons.
Daniel Abrahamson does a superb job as DJ Red Robinson. In the first act he stays in character even when his spotlight is turned off and the company takes centre stage to perform a song or advertisement. However, his true talent shows in the second half when he directly interacts with the audience, telling jokes and making comments about audience reactions. He’s so natural that it leaves the audience thinking Abrahamson just might be a full-time DJ when he’s not on stage.
And despite Robinson’s hosting role, Abrahamson is given the opportunity to showcase his vocal range in hits like Little Star, Rockin’ Robin and Johnny B. Goode.
Brittany Banks shows her vocal range throughout the production while playing Venus, the blonde bombshell, with a show stopping number towards the beginning of the second act.
Kristen Pottle shows the sweeter side of a 1950s high school girl in the role of Connie. Though Pottle’s vocal performance is slightly quieter than the rest of the cast, her dance skills more than make up for the slight lack of vocal power. She undergoes numerous shoe changes and pulls out a tap performance in each half of the production. It’s clear to the audience why she is deemed dance captain when she brings flare and pizzazz to all of her movements, big or small.
The women show their range of talents in songs like Where The Boys Are and A Teenager in Love among others.
Jeremy Carver-James takes on the role of Richard and shows his vocal range and dancing prowess in versions of Tutti Frutti, Good Golly Miss Molly, and Stand By Me.
Sawyer Roberts takes on the role of Johnny B., the soda jerk who wins the hearts of everyone in the audience. Roberts constantly remains in character with sporadic winks to the audience and significant looks that seem to encompass everything the audience is feeling at that moment. He performs fun hits like Get A Job! and The Hucklebuck. However, it’s his performance of Johnnie Ray’s Cry that really leaves an impression with the audience.
Josh Wiles takes on the role of Val and shows the audience his musicality often, playing guitar, singing and dancing all at once. Some of his standout performances include Hound Dog, Jailhouse Rock, Don’t Be Cruel and Are You Lonesome Tonight.
The entire production was filled with movement and dancing from start to finish. Apart from the rise and fall of chests and slick foreheads after a dance member, the performers showed no strain, with their voices maintaining power throughout the entire performance, despite the physical exertion.
While director and choreographer David Connolly did a superb job in orchestrating the dance numbers, there was a disconnect between the way Robinson described each of the characters in the second half and the way they acted in the first half.
For example, Johnny B. was described as a shy boy who wasn’t ready to perform in front of an audience in the second act; however he never showed any shyness while working at the Red Rock Diner in the first half.
Continuity between the characters’ personalities in the first and second halves would have helped the audience more easily understand their emotions during the dance.
Costume designer Michelle Vanderhayden kept the wardrobe for each character consistent with the time period and also consistent with the description of each character’s personality.
Set designer Jeff JohnstonCollins takes the audience into a ‘50s diner set that has them forgetting what era they’re actually living in.
With the lighting design by Kevin Fraser the audience is never left guessing about where to see the most action and the mood is always abundantly clear.
Though the songs may not be immediately recognizable to younger audience members, they are sure to have every toe taping and voice itching to join in with the catchy tunes. Red Rock Diner is a must see show for the young and old, male and female alike.
Red Rock Diner runs at the St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre until Dec. 24. Tickets are $44 for adults and $26 for youths under 20 years of age.
Tickets may be purchased at www.draytonentertainment.com, in person at any Drayton Entertainment box office or by calling toll free 1-855-DRAYTON (372-9866).
