There’s a real sense of mystery and fairytale magic from the get-go when you walk into the Waterfront Theatre for Carousel Theatre for Young People’s holiday offering this year, Stiles & Drewe’s The 3 Little Pigs. The opening set is of a foreboding, dark, ominous woods with giant trees and eerie lighting—the kind made from fairytale magic. Once the show begins, we see the cast light up the stage with their fun energy and Nicole Rose Bond’s terrific choreography. Needless to say, the next 45 minutes are a real pleasure to watch. Audiences of all ages will be happily transfixed by this fabulous one-act musical, which is slick, sassy, creative, and features some incredibly fine voices.
The incredibly fine voices are those of the sensational Steffanie Davis as Mother Pig, and Kamyar Pazandeh as the Big Bad Wolf. Both Davis and Pazandeh are phenomenal singers, and deliver their songs with wonderful characterization and personality. The two very experienced musical theatre pros lead an energetic, talented cast that’s fun to watch: Angela Chu, Tanner Zerr, and Frankie Cottrell.
In this version of The 3 Little Pigs, the three piglets are Cha, Siu, and Bao (a play on words of the popular Chinese dish “cha siu bao” that’s always a hit at dim sum). Cha (played by Cottrell) is into sports and working out, and doesn’t care for much else, Siu (Chu) is focused on green energy and sustainability, and Bao (Zerr) is a scholar and problem solver. The three piglets have now grown to the point where Mother Pig (Davis) would like some space of her own and wants them to move out of their pigsty. In light of their different personalities and interests, the piglets each decide to build their own house and live alone. But when the Big Bad Wolf (Pazandeh) emerges, with his eye on making each piglet his dinner, the familial bond of the family is tested like never before.
Throughout the show, we’re treated to more of Bond’s choreography, which includes some soft shoe, tongue-in-cheek hip hop, and even voguing! All cast members dance and move with great style and performance quality, and Cottrell and Zerr are particularly excellent in performing the soft shoe sections.
Kamyar Pazandeh as the Big Bad Wolf. Photo credit: Tina Krueger Kulic.
There’s plenty of slapstick comedy throughout the show, with some humour that adults will particularly enjoy. Ariel Slack’s set design is inventive, with trees that are easily moveable to transform the space; and Itai Erdal’s lighting helps create an enchanted forest vision. Christopher David Gauthier’s costumes are a ton of fun, illustrating each character’s unique personality, such as Siu’s hippy-like ensemble— complete with a bandana and tassels—and the wolf’s villainous long black trench, that still sparkles so that kids won’t be too frightened. The wolf’s ears also have a plaid pattern that matches his pants – this is one stylish wolf.
Musical director Arielle Balance has done her usual magic, bringing the show’s songs (written by UK-based duo Stiles and Drewe) to life with freshness and zest. The songs are super catchy, including ensemble numbers “A Little House” and “Perfect for a Pig”. “One, Two, Three Little Pigs” is when we get to hear Davis shine, and “A Bit Misunderstood” and “I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff” are Pazandeh’s shining moments. In “A Bit Misunderstood”, we also get to see Pazandeh really work it, oozing with charisma, and slaying his choreography, including some impressive hip circles. In “I’ll Huff and I’ll Puff”, we’re treated to moments of brilliance when his operatic voice soars.
Director Chris Lam has corralled a dynamite grouping of talent and allows each cast and creative team member to contribute their unique skills to this high-energy, entertaining show. This is first and foremost children’s theatre, and it’s wonderful to know that over the holiday season, children (some of whom may be seeing theatre for the first time) will have the opportunity to experience the magic, creativity, and fun of musical theatre.
Carousel Theatre for Young People’s (CTYP) production of Stiles & Drewe’s The 3 Little Pigs plays until December 30, 2022 at the Waterfront Theatre. Visit CTYP’s website for tickets and more information.