Ross Petty Productions' Snow White – Review

There's no handsome prince in this fairytale and a dearth of dwarves... but there is a debonair secret agent and a heroic giant-killer who's also something of a lady-killer. Of course, this has got to be Snow White, The Deliciously Dopey Family Musical!, the 17th annual panto from Ross Petty Productions.

Over the years, Petty and company have developed the traditional form of the British Christmas panto into something utterly Canadian, both in personality and in its references to topics dear to the hearts of its audience members of all ages, from Don Cherry  and Movember to the TTC. This year's edition was particularly packed with one-liners – both scripted and ad-libbed – including a few fairly gentle pokes at our potentially departing mayor Rob Ford. The musical numbers are a mashup of current popular hits; expect everything from Katy Perry to Psy.

This year's material is perhaps a little more adult than usual; it includes some near-the-knuckle double entendres like the evil queen's blushworthy opening remark to the audience "I do appreciate a warm hand on my opening." However, these sorts of lines soar right over the heads of the kids, like my ten-year-old niece, who said her favourite part of the show was Snow White's entourage of furry and feathery forest creatures.

Under the apt direction of Tracey Flye, who choreographed the shows for many years, the pace is fast and very funny, beginning at the palace, where the evil queen (Petty in drag, hamming it up to attract the boo-birds as usual) banishes the pure-hearted and lovely Snow White into the dark forest.

From this point on, things take a turn for the decidedly silly, with fairytale characters from other stories popping up to lend a hand to thwart the evil queen and her Eurotrash henchpeople. Among the good guys, Bryn McAuley as a cellphone-wielding Valley Girl of a Red Riding Hood who's keen to become Snowie's BFF is a near show-stealer ("You're the princess?!? Can I tweet that I know you???" she squeals.)

The professionalism and ease of Stratford veteran Graham Abbey is a pleasure to watch; his 007, diving and rolling at the slightest provocation, is a hoot, and he communicates at all times the warm sense that he's enjoying sharing the jokes with the audience. Melissa O'Neil is everything Snow White should be – with vocal chops to boot. Eddie Glen, returning in his longtime role as the heroine's pal, once again endears himself to the crowd with his hapless hilarity.

A true Toronto tradition in a beautiful theatre, this dopey musical is a real treat. Snow White runs until January 5 at the Elgin Theatre.

Photo credit: Racheal McCaig. L-R: Graham Abbey as 007, Bryn McAuley as Red Riding Hood, Billy Lake as Pinocchio, Melissa O'Neill as Snow White, Reid Janisse as Ham and Lindsay Croxall as one of Snow White's forest friends in Ross Petty Productions' Snow White, The Deliciously Dopey Family Musical!