New West Theatre’s “Heatwave,” A Summer Must-See

During each group song, actors strive to tell their story through bold and polished gestures and expressions.

With a mix of NWT veterans and fresh faces from southern Alberta, audiences are treated to skilled acts that blend comedy and musical numbers very well.

Working with the company for over two decades, Erica Hunt plays-up her powerhouse vocals with songs such as Heart’s “Crazy on you” and captivates audience nostalgia as she croons out songs such as Mama Cass’ “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”

Returning from performing in the South Pacific with Carnival Cruise Lines, Kyle Gruninger takes the audience by surprise with his immense talent. One minute he is throwing his voice in a complex vocal-heavy rock song and the next minute he nails the over-the-top awkward happy-go-lucky millennial in a comedy sketch.

Alongside Gruninger, newcomer Tenaj Williams, of Calgary, shines onstage delivering a soulful version of John Mellencamp’s “Jack and Diane.” Williams is a well-rounded performer that Lethbridge theatre is all-too fortunate to acquire.

AJ Baragar of “Jukebox,” returns to New West and rises to the challenge of performing some difficult numbers by artists such as: April Wine, Vampire Weekend and Mungo Jerry.

Baragar is a performer to watch out for on the local scene and beyond. He has a natural ability to make audiences laugh, especially when he is playing a Grandfather who gives his perspective on things such as smartphone apps.

The current, localized observational comedy works well with returning bright star Alexa Elser. “Heatwave” gives Elser the flexibility to be the cute yet spunky in her comedic puns.

Camille Pavlenko, who has performed on the New West stage in the past, was also a pleasure to watch onstage. Where her confidence in her vocal abilities might have lacked slightly, her ability to deliver a range of comedic characters was impressive.

The type of comedy performed in “Heatwave” is less predictable than typical comedy-review shows. For instance, the company takes some risks with their Farmer’s Market Gossip jokes, but in the end the risk pays off. This is the quality comedy that resonates with loyal fans.

As always, NWT delivers amazing harmonies in their group songs. A huge credit goes towards Kathy Zaborsky as the vocal director.

New West has the audience in mind as they add in a “Stump the Band” portion. In this act the public contributes music trivia questions for band members to answer. The second gift to audiences is from Stage Manager, Benton Neufeld who performs a successful magic trick.

Musicals would not be the same without the help of talented musicians. For this production, there is a four piece band comprised of: musical arranger Paul Walker on drums, Bente Hansen on keyboards, Scott Mezei on guitar and Greg Paskuski on bass keep the songs light-hearted and are a pleasure to listen to.

In addition to the fine work of the cast, Andrew Legg’s set design, a patio-like backyard arrangement, was simple enough to work with all of the comedy sketches yet swift enough to create levels across the stage. Performers were able to sing move freely around the set without appearing over-crowded. The Muskoka chairs and use of summer props were a nice added touch and elevated the summer theme.

Also notable, Aaron Collier’s exceptional lighting and sound makes for some excellent female solo performances that play up the acoustics of the theatre leave the audience full of applause.

In closing, fun-filled seasonal show is packed with summertime savvy and makes a great statement to the thrill of live theatre.

This type of musical will leave you wanting to return home from the theatre and revisit all of these summer favourites.

“Heatwave” runs until August 27. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, with two Saturday matinees at 1 p.m. on August 13 and 20.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 403-329-SEAT (7328), online at http://www.lethbridge.ca/tickets, or in person at the Yates Theatre or ENMAX Centre.

by Charlotte Morritt-Jacobs - (@morrittjacobs on Twitter)

New West Theatre’s “Heatwave,” A Summer Must-See

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