'Curveball' a home run for the Blyth Festival on the Harvest Stage: Stephenson

BY SCOTT STEPHENSON

From this reviewer’s seat in the grandstand, there’s precious little that can be said about the Blyth Festival’s latest outdoor offering besides, perhaps, “wow!”

 

You see, Curveball: The Fast-Pitch Ladies From The Factory Floor quite frankly, has it all. In fact, it’s the kind of show that’s best enjoyed when one knows as little as possible before the game begins, and this reviewer has no intention of tipping the signs from the dugout.

 

Instead, let’s simply say that Curveball is a winner from the opening pitch to the final out. The script, crafted by Kelly McIntosh, Stacy Smith, Severn Thompson and Andy Pogson, knocks it clean over the centre-field fence, blending humour, heart and real-life local history into a musical that doesn’t lose its footing for even a second.

 

Director Severn Thompson calls a perfect game from the bench, keeping the sprawling two-plus-hour production moving with a breezy confidence that makes the whole show just fly by.

 

Ringer Dayna Manning’s roster of original songs rounds the bases with ease, delivering more than a few memorable numbers guaranteed to keep audience members humming all the way home.

 

As veteran pitcher Honey, Madison Hayes-Crook handily delivers a towering grand slam of a performance packed to the brim with warmth, humour and star power.

 

Young festival veteran Shelayna Christante slides safely into home, bringing irresistible charm to a rookie player finding her footing both on the ball field and in matters of the heart.

 

Alyssa LeClair beats the throw by a mile with some lightning-fast, laugh-stealing turnarounds and never missing a beat when it’s time to belt out a song.

 

The rest of the Kroehler Girls are no benchwarmers, either. Shaina Silver-Bard snags every line like a highlight-reel catch, Kirstyn Russelle lays down a picture-perfect bunt with a finely observed performance that advances every scene, and Cara Hunter drives in the winning run with a character full of personality and spirit.

 

While Curveball is a fabulously female-forward production, the men in this show still make every plate appearance count.
Making their dual Blyth Festival debuts, Aiden Altow has a chance to embrace his Shakespearean side, while Geoffrey Pounsett proves that, contrary to popular opinion, sometimes there really is crying in baseball.

 

Behind the scenes, the creative team deserves its own standing ovation. George Meanwell’s musical direction keeps the lineup belting pitch after pitch, while Timothy French’s choreography steals every base in sight. From the costumes to the set design, to the props, lighting and sound turn even a routine grounder into a spectacular double play, combining seamlessly to create a rich, lived-in world that feels simultaneously theatrical and authentic. 

 

So, if you don’t already have your tickets, run, don’t walk to the Blyth Festival box office for this one, because Curveball is one heck of an out-of-the-park homerun.