Cinderella enchants audience in Arnprior
Arnprior-Chronicle Guide Review by Derek Dunn
The sold-out audience was enchanted long before Prince Christopher walked among its members, kindly requesting they try on the glass slipper he’d found. And yet at that moment on a Sunday afternoon in the Arnprior District High School the room spun into a collective swoon.
Cinderella: Enchanted Edition, the Rodgers & Hammerstein production presented by Two Rivers Musicals, was a delight on so many levels it is difficult to know where to begin. I’ll start at the start, in hope the logic of chronology will temper my enthusiasm.
From the opening song by the Fairy Godmother, played by Mary Ellen Vice, a standard was set. To the delight of the audience – reading into the hearty applause when she finished – that standard would be high. Could it be met and sustained throughout? This is community theatre, small-town at that; the budget must be paltry; the leads are mere high school kids.
“..a truly amazing theatre group who entertains and thrills with style and competence.”
We just couldn’t wait to send an email of absolute total support and praise. We attended the performance of, “Mary Poppins” on Friday, June 1, 2018 and were completely blown away with the musicality and professionalism of the entire ensemble.
We are new residents of Arnprior and this was our first, “outing” to your theatre presentations. We just loved every minute of the evening. How novel, … having a musical where everyone could sing – and beautifully. How awesome to have a live orchestra to keep us going over the entire evening with GREAT music!
We LOVED that you involved the community with a kite building contest. We loved the high school students who performed above and beyond their years.
There is NO downside to this performance. We are jaded Southern Ontario people who are used to Shaw and Stratford (and lately the NAC) – well, JUMP BACK guys – here is a truly amazing theatre group who entertains and thrills with style and competence. WE LOVED EVERY MINUTE OF YOUR PERFORMANCE. Keep up the good work. You are a hidden gem in the Upper Ottawa River Valley.
With thanks and gratitude,
Alan and Lynda Bauld
Arnprior Ontario
“I have never had so much fun (it was like being a kid again)!”
I was thrilled when I found out that Arnprior was going to start its own musical theatre company as musical theatre combines my love of acting, singing, and dancing (triple threat) and I hadn’t acted or danced since I was a child. I have been in all the musical theatre productions since Two Rivers started in 2011 (except for Seussical, which was an all child cast) – I am addicted!
I am not going to lie, auditions are nerve wracking, but the panel of decision makers are all very encouraging, and the consequences are well worth it. I have never had so much fun (it was like being a kid again). You get to behave in ways you don’t normally behave (I am not really an evil, child hating maniac) and you find talents you didn’t know you had. It is an opportunity to meet so many other talented people, not just performers but also musicians, set designers, directors, people in charge of costumes, props, and make-up and so many others. You wouldn’t believe how many people it takes to make a production happen and a lot of those are behind the scenes. I have made so many new friends through this experience, and one of the best things about it is that everyone helps everyone else to be the best they can be.
Now that I have started doing it I can’t ever imagine not doing it. It gives you such a rush when performing on stage in front of an audience, and the feedback we get both while we are on stage and afterwards makes it all worthwhile. To anyone who thinks they would like to give it a try I say “what are you waiting for?”
Johanne Penington
Multi-season performer with Two Rivers
Five out of Five STARS!
Working with Two Rivers Musical Productions is a wonderful experience from start to finish. Blending seasoned performers with ones just starting out; it makes for a great dynamic for actors as well as the audience.
It’s so important to keep the arts alive, especially in smaller communities. TRMP is doing just that with their knack for choosing musicals that bring a lot of interest and excitement to everyone involved.
Affordable ticket prices, amazing seats to choose from, dedicated volunteers, and an abundance of skilled performers… we are incredibly lucky to have a gem like this that provides many creative outlets for a variety of different talents.
Emily Waterston
Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins (2019)