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Local Guides
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SUNAMABEACH
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by
Robin Pittis
April 2 - 8, 2009 |
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In every industry and endeavour there are artists whose talent and ability get recognition beyond their hometown and circle of friends. That isn't to say that there’s anything wrong with entertaining friends, family and neighbours; far from it. Charly Chiarelli, though, is the rarest of things in Hamilton theatre — an export. So it’s nice that this high calibre talent has returned and given us a reverently irreverent theatrical homage to his hometown.
Chiarelli is a prodigiously talented raconteur, musician and comedian. You might well have heard or seen his shows Cufu or Mangiacake, either in their theatrical forms or in broadcast media like Bravo TV. They are one man shows where he shares stories and music from his life and days growing up a Sicilian immigrant in Hamilton's North End directly with the audience. He’s toured nationwide and appeared in feature films.
Not too big to return home, though, his newest show, Sunamabeach, the third of his Hamilton–based trilogy, opened last weekend at the Pearl Company. Working with his long-time collaborators, Ron Weihs and Judith Sandiford of the Artword Theatre, Chiarelli has delivered another raucously funny, wryly observed and touchingly intimate evening of theatre.
From the gymnastic blues riffs of the opening song and leitmotiv “Life is a sunamabeach”, Charly, or Carogelo, is intensely committed to his performance, physically and emotionally. He's got a lot of natural charisma and tightly wound up Italian spontaneity, which he uses to grab and hold his audience.
As a playwright too, this is a generous performance. Writing from life, and in this case drawing particularly from experiences gleaned in his day job as a high level administrator orchestrating governmental efforts to confront addictions and mental health issues, Chiarelli gives his audience flirtatious glimpses of his naked life. He gives up little gems about his own successes and failures, his family, friends, and fellow musicians.
Particularly interesting are his reminiscences of Hamilton past: Mayor Vic Copps, street fights with bikers on Locke Street, and what the city was like before the wrecking balls and the malls reconfigured the downtown core.
With a minimal set, projected images of Chiarelli's own photographs of the downtown core taken from his Market Street apartment, and his office in the Ellen Fairclough building add an important layer of metaphor. This is a portrait of our city his from his particular perspective. Paradoxically, this particularity makes it accessible to everyone.
The story of his meeting with the late Hamilton blues and harmonica legend King Biscuit Boy was particularly memorable, and a terrific addition to Hamilton music lore. Given how impressive Chiarelli's work on the mouth organ is, it beggars the imagination how good this King guy must have been.
If there are any complaints about the evening at all, it is only that this is a new work, and there were certainly a couple of rough transitions, or slightly misremembered wordings. This is not unusual as artists gain confidence with new works. There's also a lot of F–bombs. While it’s totally believable north end speak, it does mean this show isn't destined for Bravo, which is a pity. Chiarelli's perspectives on our city and the ongoing worldwide battle with addiction and mental health, sharpened to a point could make a powerful point beyond — and because of — the entertainment value of this piece.
All in all, this is an impressive performance by a skilled and talented performer, and a loving look at our troubled but still beautiful times and city. This is locally engaged theatre at it's best.
For future reference, Wednesday night tickets for Artword performances are $10, half the usual going price. V
[ROBIN PITTIS]
Sunamabeach
April 2 – 4 : 8pm
April 5 : 3pm
@ Pearl Company
16 Steven, Hamilton
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