There's only one word to describe Scarborough Music Theatre's production of the musical Gigi, and that's beautiful.
The entire show from the set and costumes to the music and songs made for a delightful theatre experience for audiences of all ages.
This classic musical, with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, is a funny and entertaining story about a boy and a girl who unexpectedly fall for each other, and a testament to the simple pleasures of life and love.
Set in early 1900s Paris, the show opens with the audience meeting Honore (Barry Flynn), a rich middle-aged bachelor who lives a life of leisure. His nephew Gaston (Dan MacEachern) is following in his footsteps but reveals he's bored of the frivolous women, parties and excessive living.
His only solace is visiting Mamita (Marion Hirschberg) and her granddaughter Gigi (Natasha Negovanlis), simple folk who are old friends of the family.
Gigi is a feisty and full of life, but also a tomboy, so Mamita and her sister, rich Aunt Alicia (Karen Brown), decide Gigi needs to learn how to become a lady.
Between learning how to waltz and wear jewels, Gigi lives vicariously through Gaston's dramatic love life that's constantly strewn in the gossip columns. Gaston, while he likes Gigi, sees her more like his little sister.
But that changes after a trip to the seaside as Gaston begins to see Gigi in a different light. He suddenly realizes with Gigi, he isn't bored with women anymore and so begins the pursuit of love.
There were several lovely musical numbers in this show, as well as familiar tunes, such as Thank Heavens for Little Girls and It's a Bore. Crowd-pleasers included I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore, and She's Not Thinking of Me.
The characters in this show were both charming and likeable, especially Flynn's portrayal of Honore. He kept the show moving by narrating the story and his constant interaction with the audience was a great touch.
Brown, as the rude and rich Aunt Alicia, was fantastic and devilishly funny. She especially shone in the comical number The Contract in whcih she was negotiating how much Gaston would pay to "have" Gigi.
Negovanlis was the perfect choice to play Gigi. She was a pleasure to watch and her singing was beautiful, especially in her solo number In The Wide, Wide World.
Newcomer MacEachern, as Gaston, proved to be the perfect match for Gigi and he truly shone in his solo Gigi, as well as in scenes with Uncle Honore.
The costumes in this show were stunning. There's something nice about seeing men in top hats and tails and women in beautiful ball gowns of lace and satin. The set design was superb, complete with the Eiffel Tower and scenes of Parisian landmarks.
Overall, this show was entertaining and enjoyable to watch. It was a great season opener!
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Gigi runs until Nov. 17, 8 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee show on Nov. 11, at the Scarborough Village Theatre, 3600 Kingston Rd. Tickets are $24 and $20 for students and seniors on Thursdays and Sundays. For tickets, call 416-396-4049.