Review of Evangeline at the Citadel Theatre

11/20/15 3:31 PM

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I was born in Windsor Nova Scotia, which happens to be situated on the Evangeline Trail. Every time we drove to church in the Valley (Kentville), we would pass Grand Pré, where this story originates. It was partly for that reason that I wanted to see the play, and partly because I knew it covered an important aspect of Canadian history that is quite overlooked. While I think much of the story of Evangeline & her husband Gabriel is fabricated (and I’ve had a hard time determining how much of it is true), many of the experiences depicted in the play representing the Great Expulsion (Le Grand Dérangement) are true. Throughout the play, we learn that les Acadiens are a peaceful group, living under British rule. When the British inform them that they are being forced to leave town, you can’t help but feel rage inside. The entire play filled me with intense emotions, which I did not mind. I really wanted to learn more about their experiences and suffering. In a way, the play is quite timely, as we consider Syrian refugees who find themselves in a situation where they cannot live peacefully in their homeland. While there are some parallels to Les Misérables as far as the production and themes are concerned, it doesn’t have the same elements comic relief, and I’m ok with that. Sure, there were some one-liners and a bit of levity, just not an entire scene to allow you to breathe in between choking back the tears and pain as one injustice after another was acted out. Just be warned that you’re in for 2 intense, emotional hours that will give you a greater sense of gratitude for the cushy life we live.

 

The performances were excellent. Singing impeccable. Sets ingenious. A real top-notch production that I hope will be shown across the country. I recall seeing Les Mis at Neptune Theatre in grade 7. That was a memorable production, and I think that any school children who were fortunate enough to have seen this will remember it for many years to come.

After the show, there was a talk back session with some of the performers. I love these-they’re like special features on a DVD, which I would usually watch before the feature presentation, because I love behind-the scenes stuff. We had insight into how characters were developed, how the performers prepared for each show and prevented burnout, night-after-night, and lots of other neat things. It was worth staying out late for.

In summary, this was an extremely good production with fantastic actors and musicians, and I highly recommend it.