Could You Wait?

 September 21 to October 15, 2006

A War-time Romance Told in Song

World Premiere

Written by W. J. Matheson
Directed by David Nairn

Original Lyrics by W.J. Matheson, Louise Pitre, and Diane Leah

 Music Arranged by Diane Leah

A sailor meets the girl of his dreams just before shipping overseas in World War II, the play's title being the implied question on his departure -- Could You Wait?  Many weeks and letters later, he decides she's 'the one'.  Wanting to pop the question while on leave, he ends up taking her for a spectacular meal in the sumptuous Imperial Room at The Royal York Hotel.  What ensues is an enchanted evening of entertainment where the sweet awkwardness of young love will crack the toughest heart with knowing grins.

Starring
Louise Pitre
W.J. Matheson

Musical Direction by Diane Leah
Choreography by Glen Kerr and Janet Kelly
Stage Managed by Laura-Lynn Reid

Review;

Inspired by his parents' own war-time experiences, Joe Matheson has collaborated with Louise Pitre and Musical Director, Diane Leah, to create four original songs.  Could You Wait? also features familiar forties tunes like I'll Be Seeing You and I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now, sung as you've never heard them before by the incomparable Louise Pitre.

When David Nairn got on stage to introduce Theatre Orangeville's first offering of the season, the world premiere of Could You Wait?, he said in a few years everyone would claim they were there to see it. Although the artistic director was joking, I will be bragging that I was there to see it at the beginning -- because this play is a good one and will have long legs on Canadian stages for years to come.

Could You Wait? is a love story of a couple who find each other at a time of war. The play revives the time and music of 1940s Canada during the Second World War.

A sailor, Matt, meets the girl of his dreams, Mary, just before shipping overseas to fight "the good fight." The play's title is the implied question on his departure -- Could You Wait? Many weeks and letters later, he decides Mary's "the one." Wanting to pop the question while on leave, he ends up taking her for a spectacular meal in the Imperial Room at The Royal York Hotel. What ensues is an enchanted evening of entertainment where the sweet awkwardness of young love will crack the toughest heart with knowing grins.

Though the play is set over 60 years ago, it has a strikingly relevance to our current age. Just as Mary (played by Louise Pitre of Mama Mia fame), pines for her lover at sea, many young men and women are anxiously waiting for their loved ones to return safely from Afghanistan.

Pitre and her husband, Joe Matheson, who with musical director Diane Leah wrote the play, do a beautiful job of capturing both the exuberance of young love and the confident affection of mature love.They revive a romance that is both realistic in its awkward infancy and electric as they toil over revealing their affection. I especially enjoyed the high energy dances that had Matt spinning Mary around while she squealed in delight.

But what really drives this production is Pitre's voice. Just as she stole the stage on the Tony award winning Mama Mia, Pitre's voice is commanding in this production.When she belted out classics like I'll Be Seeing You and White Cliffs of Dover, I shivered with pleasure. As Could You Wait? builds up to a climax, which you know is coming, you can't help but think -- what a wonderful journey.