Blazing Bibles – Blue Bridge’s Fire sizzles and pops, but never really ignites – John Threlfall
Zachary Stevenson and Jacob Richmond in Fire. Photo: David Bukach
Praise the lord and pass the Jack Daniels—the twin forces of early rock ‘n’ roll and evangelical Christianity have transformed the stage at the Mac into a combination nightclub and church in Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre’s production of Fire.
The final show of their third season, Fire fits into the now-standard musical slot (filled in previous seasons by Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave and The Fantasticks) and offers us all we’ve come to expect from a Blue Bridge production: good performances, great design, a compelling script and a snappy band, as well as a three-hour run time and strong participation by the crazily talented Richmond family. (This time, we get the fourth father/son pairing of producing artistic director Brian Richmond and actor Jacob Richmond, who have previously—and successfully—collaborated on Blue Bridge’s Death of a Salesman, A Streetcar Named Desire and It’s A Wonderful Life.) Yet despite ticking every box on that “good show” checklist and offering an entertaining night at the theatre, there’s something about Fire that kind of fizzles when it should all sizzle.
Loosely based on the relationship between real-life first-cousins Jerry Lee Lewis and Jimmy Swaggart, this 1986 play by Paul Ledoux and David Young instead presents us with a pair of brothers circa 1957—rocker Cale Blackwell (Zachary Stevenson, Hank Williams) and preacher Herchel Blackwell (Jacob Richmond, Ride the Cyclone)—raised by a domineering Pentecostal preacher (nicely played by Andrew Rhodes) who only sees a future for them in his Assembly of God Church in Razorback, Arkansas. But while Herchel seems content to toe the Jesus line, Cale prefers the seduction of the burgeoning rock ‘n’ roll scene and quickly sets off to make a name for himself as a god-fearing sinner. Along for the ride is 14-year-old Molly (Celine Stubel,Virginia Woolf), the girl both brothers desire and the daughter of Cale’s opportunistic manager (Brian Linds, Blithe Spirit). And since pretty much anyone over 40 is at least passingly familiar with the headline ups-and-downs faced by both Lewis and Swaggart, it’s not giving anything away to say the Blackwell boys end up paying a hard price for the success they both achieve.
No question, this Fire is filled with strong performances, from Stevenson’s sexy rockabilly skill and swagger to Richmond’s dramatic transformation from Bible nerd to evangelical political manipulator. And Stubel’s Molly is a sweet blend of hot-blooded innocence and intuitive righteousness, who has obvious chemistry with both brothers; it’s worth seeing this production just to watch three such accomplished young actors share a stage together. Also worth noting is multi-talented local comedian Wes Borg (Atomic Vaudeville), who livens things up immensely in his series of charmingly quirky small roles; and as Cale’s hypocritical manager-cum-politico, Linds is definitely playing against his usual comedic type here, giving us a truly disagreeable character instead.
Set & Costumes by Patrick Du Wors. Photo: David Bukach
Blue Bridge’s production design is a standard highlight and here we have the return of some company faces. Patrick Du Wors (Streetcar, Salesman) creates a stark white skeleton set that manages to evoke churches, concert halls, country buildings and a spartan game show all at once, while also offering a ready palette for imaginatively keen lighting by Giles Hogya (As You Like It, Hank Williams); Du Wors also serves up some mighty fine costumes here, which are kept hopping thanks to the powerful music direction by Bruce Ruddell (Beyond Eden)—although it should be noted that this is more a play with music than a musical play.
But what’s lacking amidst all this preaching and polish is the story’s emotional centre; sure, it’s there in the script, but somehow fails to register on stage. Take, for instance, the scene where a drunken Cale starts slapping Molly around—but rather than linger long enough to spark a moment of sadness or horror, we’re given a sudden set change instead. Or the show’s admittedly dark final scene, which is then unnecessarily lightened by a rousing encore of “Great Balls of Fire”. Given the dramatic highs and lows faced by the characters, and the fine line they walk between salvation and hypocrisy, I would expect to feel some empathy or sympathy or even antipathy toward them; instead, I found myself merely interested.
Granted, as the play’s debut director back in 1986 and with this being his eighth production of Fire, director Brian Richmond clearly knows the material well, and there are moments that feel quite fresh—the cast passing collection plates through the house, using recorded voice-overs to simulate a broadcast environment. But all too often the proceedings seemed too hurried, too perfunctory to really hit home (“this is the moment of redemption, this is the big rejection, here’s the revelation and now a peppy song”), and while I appreciate the razzle-dazzle that only a fluorescent crucifix and glitter cannon can bring, I was hoping for more of that emotional intensity we’ve come to expect from productions like Streetcar and Salesman. I also had trouble accepting the show’s 23-year story arc; no one seemed to age enough, and only Jacob Richmond effectively captured the crisp bitterness that can come with years of sacrifice and compromise.
Yet despite occasionally dated material (Herchel’s evangelical preoccupation with communism, King’s metaphorical Dixie-flag waving), Fire still has what it takes to heat up a 21st century audience, given its themes of pride, faith and media manipulation—if only the flames are given enough time to build. After all, it takes more than a spark to ignite a congregation into a conflagration.
- JT (read more about John Threlfall HERE)
Fire
Until August 14
McPherson Playhouse
Tickets $24-$42.75
250-386-6121 or rmts.bc.ca
http://bluebridgetheatre.ca
