Teatro La Quindicina: “Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s!”

Last Wednesday, Mack and I attended the last Teatro La Quindicina performance of the season, a spirited musical comedy titled Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s! As with the last few years, the final play of their season highlights other local playwrights.

Mitzi’s was written as a tribute to the Edmonton supper club scene in the 1960s, cataloguing the romantic hijinx of staff in one particular establishment. The cast, made up of Teatro regulars and one recent graduate (Robyn Wallis) was solid, and the group definitely looked like they were having fun.

A band was up on stage and played through most of the production, which really helped to set the lighthearted tone. The songs were catchy and upbeat, and instead of simply being musical interludes, actually helped move the plot forward. My favourite was the duet featuring Tippi (Wallis) and Jack (Ryan Parker), if not only because it was the song most pleasing to my ear. The clever will-they-or-won’t-they duet between Mitzi’s staff Mitch (Andrew MacDonald Smith) and ‘Numbers’ (Jocelyn Ahlf) was also enjoyable.

The 60s-inspired costumes deserve a special mention as well <insert ubiquitous Mad Men reference here>, and in particular I thought Tippi’s wardrobe stole the show (she seemed to change outfits after every scene).

The play ended on a very optimistic note – one that sees the characters adopt a forward-looking stance on the city’s development, which is not unlike the outlook many citizens have on the current state of Edmonton. It was a fitting ending, and left me smiling as I left the theatre.

Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s runs until October 24.