In their newest production Raising the Barn, Globus Theatre invites you to Bobcaygeon’s social event of the year: the marriage of Shannon McGee to Brandon Jones.
Tearing down the wall between fantasy and reality, Raising the Barn is a brand new comedy written by Globus Theatre founders James Barrett and Sarah Quick, and features the largest cast ever assembled for a Globus production. What makes the show even more special is that it’s a tribute to the Lakefield Arts Barn and its special place in the Bobcaygeon community.
This year, the Lakeview Arts Barn celebrates 50 years as a community space for the town of Bobcaygeon. Originally a working cattle barn, in 1967 owner Fabien O’Neil transformed the barn into a dance hall to host local events. Since then the barn has been used as a hall for celebrations of all sorts, but most notably for weddings.
When James and Sarah purchased the space in 2006 they transformed it into a theatre, although they still have continued its tradition of hosting weddings, dances, and other events.
Raising the Barn is a loving tribute to the Lakeview Arts Barn itself, as much as it is about the zany small-town characters and celebratory shenanigans of a local wedding gone awry.
While Verona had the Montagues and Capulets and Tug River Valley had the Hatfields and the McCoys, Bobcaygeon has the McGees and the Joneses. For generations, the McGees and the Joneses have owned the two grocery stores in Bobcaygeon: Food-Mart and Valueland.
Despite a long history of animosity towards each other, the two families are putting aside their feud (albeit badly) on the wedding day of the youngest members of their clans: Brandon (Brandon Swann) and Shannon (Shannon McCracken). Their wedding, of course, takes place at the Lakeview Arts Barn.
However, while the day should be all about the bride and groom, the tension between Brandon’s mother Jolene Jones (Jennine Profeta) and Shannon’s father Mayor Randy McGee (Dave Pearce) seeps through the celebrations, creating havoc and shenanigans to the dismay of the bride and groom and the amusement of the wedding guests assembled at the barn.
The term “guests” is dubious because the Lakeview Arts Barn has a double booking that night. Local director Jim Barnett (James Barrett — see what they did there?) was to stage his production of Romeo and Juliet before Mayor McGee bought out the owners of the barn for his daughter’s wedding. So, instead of wedding guests, the people in attendance (which is the actual audience for Raising the Barn) are there for the show rather than for the wedding.
The only person who doesn’t know this is the bride, and the entire cast of characters decides to keep this from her. The result is a night of fun, games, secrets, reveals, romance, music, and laughter in Globus’ biggest and most experimental theatrical production to date.
James and Sarah have called Raising the Barn “a dinner theatre experience” which is the perfect way to describe it. The entire performance takes place around the audience within the special dining area at the Lakeview Arts Barn before, during, and after the dinner. The show is a play set in reality, with a wedding taking place just as if it really were taking place, and with the audience very much becoming part of the set itself. There is a bit of audience participation, and lots of improvisation alongside the actual performance.
But what is most unique about the show is that the cast is made up of many of past performers who have become Globus Theatre regulars. Just as you are reunited with old friends and family at a wedding, in Raising the Barn you are reunited with many of the theatre’s most familiar faces.
Alongside James, Jennine, and Dave are other members of the Globus family of performers including Anna Black as Randy’s wife and town lush Flossie McGee, Mark Whelan as cousin Adrian O’Keel, Sarah Quick and Kevin Sepaul as Globus actors Sara Click and Kevin Sopeal, Shelby Camman as Lexi the photographer, and Chris Gibbs as the master of ceremonies and wedding officiant Keely O’Keel. It’s a virtual reunion of Globus favourites in a huge show full of surprises.
As in an actual wedding, while bride and groom Shannon and Brandon should be the centerpiece of the play, Jennine Profeta and Dave Pierce steal the show as feuding grocers Jolene Jones and Mayor Randy McGee. A real-life married couple, the two have a natural chemistry with each other and bounce quips off one another with a quick and believable rapport. Their wild conflict and growing tension become the comedy of the piece; each time they interact, hilarity ensues.
Another dimension of their characters is that they become a parody of small-town elitism and politics, with Jolene as the tough businesswoman and Randy as the local political power (and he will remind you he is the mayor every chance he gets). Jolene and Randy are the typical big fishes in a small pond who would probably get buried outside of Bobcaygeon. Their own self-importance is hilarious to watch, making them the true stars of the show. Their performances are priceless.
But let’s not forget the bride and groom. Brandon Swann brings a sort of sweetness to the show as hapless groom Brandon, who finds himself in over his head marrying his sweetheart Shannon. A nice kid with an overbearing ambitious mother, Brandon just wants the day to go right and wants his bride to be happy.
I’ll admit I kind of fell for Shannon McCracken as Shannon. A true product of her parents, Shannon is pretty and proper and knows how to work a room and exactly what to say. However, as the mayor’s daughter, she is also spoiled, explosive, and lacking in emotional maturity, which also creates a lot of the most memorable moments of the show. Shannon is a delight to watch as the bride and became my favourite character.
Together Brandon and Shannon are fantastic, especially for their musical finale that moved audience members to tears. Gifted singers, Brandon and Shannon do make wonderful music together.
A shout out to Chris Gibb as Keely O’Keel who is easily the audience favourite. As the master of ceremonies at the wedding, Keely is filled with small-town wit and good humour, and keeps the other characters and the audience engaged with one another. It’s a fun performance glueing together the pieces of the play.
Although Globus normally allows the audience to pick between two tickets options — one that includes dinner and the show and one for the show only — Raising the Barn is only available as dinner theatre due to the nature of the show. However, it’s totally worth every penny. The buffet-style three-course meal is decadent and is finished off with Sarah Quick’s famous Sticky Toffee Pudding for dessert.
Raising the Barn is a unique evening of theatre unlike anything I’ve experienced in the Kawarthas in the time I’ve been writing theatre reviews. There is much more to the show I am not allowed to reveal, only to say that you need to experience it for yourself. But promise me when I say that it is something you need to see.
I’d even go one step further to say that Raising the Barn is one of the highlights of the 2017 theatrical year, a phenomenal show and the best I have seen so far all summer. Another hit for James and Sarah, it’s a great reason to visit Globus Theatre at the Lakeview Arts Barn in Bobcaygeon this summer.
Raising the Barn runs until August 5th at the Lakeview Arts Barn (2300 Pigeon Lake Road, Bobcaygeon). Tickets are $65.50 ($54 for students) and include a three-course buffet dinner. The show starts at 6 p.m., with a special noon performance on August 3rd. For tickets, call the Globus box office toll free at 1-800-304-7897 or or 705-738-2037.
