April Fools is a very sexy, crazy, uninhibited musical journey of a woman’s walk on the wild side. It takes the audience inside her head with all of her desires, turmoil, how her impulses contradict against her and clash with reality. It is a jam-packed rock show done cabaret-style. It is at times thrilling, funny, chaotic, infuriating, and uncomfortable. But its engaging songs, dynamite cast, and interactive effects make it an exciting experience.
Eva (Eva Foote) is a successful singer/songwriter with a family. She meets Daniel (Daniel Murphy) and her intense sexual attraction to him propels her into a self-destructive affair. However, she is accompanied by the Voices Inside Her Head, personified as Confidence, Doubt, Morality, Libido, Poet, and Music. Each Voice steps in to either encourage, inspire, or put the brakes on Eva in the pursuit of her compulsions. At various times, some Voices are stronger and more flamboyant than the others, such as Libido who openly celebrates her- Eva’s- sexuality. Doubt, while present at first, becomes less active as Eva is determined to dive into this new energy in her life. Nevertheless, each Voice has a say in Eva’s choices. In spite of her recklessness and selfishness, the Voices ultimately save Eva from complete destruction. It is fascinating to watch Eva’s dark, messy story with all of these complicated points of view. But it never feels bogged down. The energy of the cast and the songs move the show at a brisk and entertaining pace.
The sensational cast is multi-talented: singing, dancing, playing musical instruments, and acting. Ms. Foote has the right emotional vulnerability of a woman torn apart by her desires. Mr. Murphy nicely achieves the fine line of a very attractive guy who is both a jerk and a man who wants love but flees from it. The Voices are showstoppers! They bring very distinct personalities to each character and build their strengths as Eva’s journey progresses. Bravo!
The musical features modern communication technology such as texts and social media. There are excellent projections visualizing Eva’s experiences, especially the sexy stuff. It gives the show the full package.
Before the show, the audience is encouraged to download an app in which they can interact with the events on stage. It can draw in the audience as another Voice in Eva’s head…
18+
Photo credit: Leslie Schachter
April Fools. Created by Keren Peles. Directed by Moshe Kepten. Show continues until May 22, at Segal Centre, 5170 Chemin de la Côte-Ste-Catherine, Montreal. Call the box office 514-739-7944 or go to www.segalcentre.org .
For COVID Protocols, please go to https://segalcentre.org/en/coronavirus
