Embedded Files
April 27, 2024
Photographed by Brianna Jamieson.
Unity for Action's original musical Loverboy had it's opening night Friday April 5th at uOttawa's Alumni Auditorium. Written and directed by Ally Segreto, the show follows Cupid, a newly graduated ‘Loverboy’ set on a mission to help ‘mortals’, or humans, find love. Cupid was portrayed by Meghan Pletsch, a powerful vocalist whose stage presence kept all eyes on her during the shows’ delightful opening number, Queen’s Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy.
We learn that Cupid has been tasked with helping three pairs of humans, who are struggling to succeed in love, and in need of a trained ‘loverboy’ to guide them. The first of the three pairs is Henry and Alice, portrayed by Jacob Chhom and Kaia Bater respectively. Chhom and Bater amusingly introduce us to the ‘cool guy’ film critic Henry, and the hot mess yet loveable Alice. The two lacked real chemistry during the first scenes, although this may have been to foreshadow the pair’s fateful ending of their romance.
We’re then introduced to the next pair in need of Cupid’s love, Alexis Kuper as the thoughtful Bridgette and the nerdy Michael portrayed by Connor Overton. The two strong actors give convincing performances as Bridgette and Michael, a couple that’s been together for five years with no plans of a wedding in the foreseeable future.
Finally we meet twin siblings Val and Jason fields, a dynamic and fun duo played by the vocally gifted Claire Donnan and Jonas de Blois. De Blois and Donnan are right away highlight performers of the show delivering a bubbly rendition of Andy Grammer’s Keep Your Head Up.
Jacob Chhom as Henry proposes to Kaia Bater's Alice.
Long-term couple Michael and Bridgette, portrayed by Connor Overton and Alexis Kuper respectively.
Twin siblings Val and Jason Fields, portrayed by Claire Donnan and Jonas De Blois respectively.
In short, all six of the characters are experiencing difficulties in their love life, with Alice revealed to be cheating on Henry, just after he proposes. Bridgette in desperation of an engagement ring which eventually leads to Micheal leaving her. The hopeless romantic Jason unable to find a fairytale romance that lives up to his dreams, and finally his twin sister Val who’s struggling to feel truly fulfilled in a relationship.
Cupid works their magic and by the end of the musical Henry has found love with Jason, Bridgette and Michael rekindle their romance and Alice ends up happier alone. Val apparently misses Cupid's bow and arrow, ending the show alone with no plot development to her name.
The interwoven love stories of the characters are cleverly supported by the show's musical numbers, a mix of famous pop ballads, indie songs, and even some rock . The majority of the songs are entertaining pieces , and despite some of the actors struggling to keep up with the steps, Tegan Stassen's choreography did add deeper meaning to the show’s already well known set list.
The most notable performances of the show were the cast's stunning group number of Conan Gray’s People Watching, the karaoke bar style duet of Amy Winehouses’ famous Valerie and painfully beautiful rendition of Adele’s Remedy .
All of which are marvously carried by Claire Donnan, the undeniable Spotlight Performer of the show. Even in the largest of musical numbers, all eyes were on the talented redhead whose stage presence kept her in the limelight even in times she was just a background character.
Donnan nailed every step of the choreography and masterfully performed her songs with the level of skill few performers succeed to reach in their career. Her portrayal of the heartbreaker Val paired perfectly with Overton’s sweet Michael as the two actors playfully bantered between songs.
Photographed by Brianna Jamieson.
Overton’s Michael was another standout performance, with the actor touching the hearts of everyone in the audience as he beautifully sang Martin Garrix’s Scared to be Lonely. His unexpected vocal talents were a delightful surprise to the audience, and we got to see Michael gradually come out of his shell post break-up with Kuper’s Bridgette, becoming a more interesting character as the show went on.
Overton was essential to the show’s musical peak as him along with Donnan and Pletsch stunningly harmonized the bridge of boygenius’s Not Strong Enough, sending chills through the room.
Though Overton’s character did experience the biggest misstep in the writing as Michael’s development is discarded when he disappointingly returns to Bridgette, despite their lack of chemistry and uncertainty about marriage. This gave an unfulfilling ending to Michael’s story, as the audience witnesses him develop a strong connection with the better suited ‘bad girl gone good’ Val, only to later dismiss their chemistry altogether.
While the show likely would have benefited from Alice and Bridgette ending their stories being single together and working on themselves, instead Bridgette is reduced to the dependent girlfriend who takes Michael back without hesitation, ignoring their relationship’s previous turmoil.
By the end of Loverboy, we seemed to be missing our main character: Loverboy. Pletsch’s Cupid seemed to disappear during the second act, making the value of her character questionable and despite Pletsch’s best efforts, altogether forgettable.
Instead the show let other characters take the spotlight with the show stealing Bater adorning the Loverboy's Spotlight Costume, the era-appropriate y2k clubbing outfit, as she delivered an impressive rendition of Circus by Britney Spears that fit diva Alice’s single and ready to mingle era perfectly. The pastel pink tank top also complemented the switch to Bater's cosier hot pink coloured clothing as she sang Olivia Rodrigo's Making the Bed with authentic vulnerability in her voice and breakdown.
Kaia Bater singing Britney Spears's Circus.
Kaia Bater singing Olivia Rodrigo's Making the Bed.
The simple use of props, sound effects and lighting design, led by Ky Anderson and Pheonix Knauf respectively, were cleverly interwoven into the show and gave it charm consistent with student-run shows that are focused on production rather than profit. A special mention is deserved to the movie posters held up by stage hands and cast members while Henry considered proposing to Alice, the wii remotes worked into the Keep Your Head Up choreography, and Cupid's symbolic bow and arrow.
The Alumni Auditorium stage is small, but Unity for Action took full advantage of the space, utilizing the rear projector screen theatre to play a feel-good home video acting as the show's final epilogue for the six characters.
While sometimes risky to mix film and theatre, Segreto's inclusion of the locally shot clips of the characters turned favourable, and was seemingly enjoyed by the audience. Although it didn't add much to the show's plot and could have been easily replicated on stage without the abrupt transition to screen.
Sitting at almost three hours in length, the fatal flaw of Loverboy was that it is ultimately too long of a musical, and would have benefited from at least half an hour of the show’s songs and scenes being cut from the set list. Including Henry’s emotional but ill suited solo Someone You Loved, a Lewis Capaldi heartbreak anthem that didn’t fit the mood of Henry’s character just learning he had been cheated on by Bater’s Alice.
While sung powerfully, Kuper’s Water Under the Bridge could have been exchanged for a softer Taylor Swift’ Tolerate It' or cut altogether. Lastly, while De Blois delivered an exceptional vocal performance, many of his later songs were lost on the audience, and slowed the pace of the show unfavourably.
Also leaving De Blois' talents unutilized, with Jason being one of the more likeable characters, perfectly delivering the show’s Spotlight Line: “Have a great gay—day! Day, day… day.”
Loverboy was a true he loves me, he loves me not musical for the audience with highs and lows that kept us eager but also hesitant for what was coming next. Performances from Donnan, De Blois, Overton and Bater notably carried the show musically, as the gifted actors consistently delivered strong performances keeping the show alive.
However, the show ultimately lost its focus in the second act, with too many unnecessary scenes that had audience members struggling to stay engaged. Despite some much needed edits, Segreto must be commended for her phenomenal writing and Loverboy's genuinely enjoyable storyline that made the three hour long show still worth sitting through.
The musical ran from Thursday April 4th through to Sunday April 7th, with all profits going towards the club’s chosen 2024 beneficiary: Belong Ottawa, a local organization dedicated to providing ‘safe spaces that connect people and create community’ and offers programs that ‘address basic needs and foster dignity, wellness and hope for all’, as listed on their website.
All aspects of the production set aside, it must be said that Ally Segreto and the team at Unity for Action are certified loverboy angels, for selflessly putting hours of volunteer work into this show, benefitting something bigger than themselves.
All photographs included in this review were taken by Brianna Jamieson and provided by Unity for Action.
–– E
Rating: 68/100
Read More
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse