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He admits that he often can’t remember names, but Darrin Hagen has a ton of songs lodged in his brain.
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The playwright, actor, director, and composer has been engaged in music since he was a curious preteen, picking out the notes from On Top of Old Smokey on his grandmother’s organ. Unlike other children who are forced to sit on the piano bench for lessons, Hagen did not need to be asked to put his hands on the keyboard. From traditional folk and accordion polka numbers to Bach, Fleetwood Mac and Diana Ross in the ’88s, the Rocky Mountain House trailer park boy covers it all in Metronome, Heather Inglis’ production for Workshop West Playwright’s Theater that is It will run until November 21.
They fall into melodic snippets throughout Jason Kodie’s score, accentuating Hagin’s reminiscences of growing up gay and music-obsessed in the small town Alberta of the 1970s. They mostly stem from Hagen’s memories of his piano. Ennis & Sons, gifted to her at the age of 10 when Ms. Bonde, her first music teacher, realized she needed to drop her initial accordion training. It takes a beating throughout the decades, but it’s also the one constant in a life marked by intimidating classmates and small-town boredom.
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Rest assured, the deconstructed guts of a piano arching over Hagen and plummeting over an accordion on the floor are not the Ennis & Sons mentioned in the monologue. That’s the invention of designer Beyata Hackborn; it’s a stunning and shocking image to see upon entering the theater, working wonderfully with the video design by Ian Jackson and lighting by Adam Turnbull. Presumably, a working piano on set would have been a bad idea, given Hagen’s comment that he would inevitably start playing one.
That wouldn’t be surprising given that Hagen’s entire life seemed to revolve around that. Stuck in an RV park growing up, playing the piano was Hagen’s way of making money, whether at weddings or community halls, and how he met his first set of friends. Music is also where sexuality and desire intersect for him, in ways that longtime Hagen watchers may find surprising.
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Most of the Metronome follows the rhythms of small-town life, where a visit to Red Deer is considered a trip to the big city. There are drugs, holy rolls in church, metalheads nodding to hammered guitar riffs, country car rides, the shared experience of untold numbers of children, whether gay or straight. Decades later, it’s clear that Hagen still has those moments in his head, and not all of them are bleak. Some are wildly hilarious, like his account of taking the Royal Conservatory exams, while others are sardonic, sweet, and sometimes even poignant.
The first night of Metronome saw Hagen recovering his stride, the narrative speeding up through an occasional stumble or reduced to a wry observation. As the night progressed, he found his groove, occasionally throwing out hilarious improvisations, delving into the moment like a jazz musician finding space in a solo. As the race continues, it will certainly soften the performance, but there is something special about watching Hagen fight the trickier lines with such enthusiasm.
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We all know Hagen best from what happens next, of course, and that’s part of the point of this show. Hagen, a staple of the Edmonton theater scene for more than four decades in various capacities, now seems to have emerged fully formed in the ’80s, and Metronome gives us a piece of the puzzle before that era. Metronome also makes clear what any child involved in the arts, whether in a small town or a big city, instinctively knows: that music can save lives.
Metronome
Where Backstage Theater, ATB Financial Arts Barns, 10330 84 Ave.
When Until November 21.
Tickets Starting at $ 25, available online at workshopwest.org
Reference-edmontonjournal.com