Review: BLITHE SPIRIT, Starring Angela Lansbury, is Perfection

5 out of 5 stars

Last night, Blithe Spirit, starring Angela Lansbury opened in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Noël Coward's witty and charming play has stood the test of time and had the opening night audience laughing out loud at the brilliant performances on stage.

Researching for his new novel, Charles Condomine invites the implausible medium Madame Arcati to his house for a séance. While consumed in a trance, Madame Arcati unwittingly summons the ghost of Charles' dead wife Elvira. Appearing only to Charles, Elvira soon makes a play to reclaim her husband, much to the chagrin of Charles' new wife Ruth. Now if he wants his latest marriage to stand a ghost of a chance, he'd better conjure up a solution quickly.

I must confess that I am a huge fan of Angela Lansbury. Her stage work is legendary, as are her TV and movie roles. Leading up to last night's performance I was a little concerned that at 89 years old, her performance might not live up to the hype associated with the legend. I am pleased to report that the Lansbury performing on stage in Blithe Spirit is indeed the one I recognize from her most famous works.

Her comedic timing is better than that which you'll find on SNL, at the Second City, or on any late night HBO special. She recites Coward's quick and witty dialogue with ease, and never looks as though she's working - but that she's having the time of her life. Lansbury also shows off some of her physical comedy skills, dancing and prancing about the stage in "trances" as the medium, Madame Arcati.

Needless to say, her performance (for which she won her 5th Tony Award in 2009) is perfection and I doubt anyone has seen better, anywhere.

Another worry of mine going into this performance was that beside the legendary Angela Lansbury, the supporting cast might seem rather ordinary. My fears were unfounded, as each member of the ensemble is perfectly cast and holds their own.

Jemima Rooper is deliciously wicked as the dead wife of the protagonist, Charles Condomine (played by Charles Edwards.) She commands attention and knows how to make the most out of every moment.

Charlotte Parry as Ruth, Condomine's second wife, is enchanting. She makes her shrewd character likeable and sympathetic - despite her unwavering convictions that her husband has gone utterly mad. She perfectly fits the archetype of the maternal British homemaker.

Sandra Shipley and Simon Jones adequately portray the town doctor and his wife. Both are veterans of the theatre, but don't have much to do in their supporting roles. Neither get to fully display the acting chops I suspect they possess, though they provide an excellent sounding board for the lead characters.

(One might note that Shipley, according to the program, is the understudy for Ms. Lansbury.)

Susan Louise O'Connor plays the house servant who breaks up the tension with her incapability to perform simple tasks. Between scenes, Christine Ebersole's recorded voice performs lovely tunes by Coward which help to set the mood.

The standout performance is that of Charles Edwards as the husband. His performance is marvelous with spot on comedic timing that rivals even Ms. Lansbury's, ravishing physicality, and profound emotional depth.

I urge Toronto audiences to see this brilliant production of one of Coward's finest plays. It's truly rare that you get to experience a performance by a legend, let alone one that still performs as well as (if not better than) she did during the Broadway "golden age."

To put this performance in perspective, it's interesting to note that in 1946 Lansbury performed in the MGM movie The Harvey Girls, co-starring with Judy Garland - back when both were still under "studio contracts." (Cyd Charisse, one of the greatest dancers to ever grace film, also appeared in that picture in her first speaking role.) Garland's daughter, Liza Minnelli, rarely performs anymore - while Lansbury is still touring.

Blithe Spirit plays Toronto through March 15th as a part of a strictly limited engagement. The production is touring North America and visits only four cities: Los Angeles, San Francisco, Toronto, and Washington. Tickets for the Toronto engagement are available now at Mirvish.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.