Reviewed by J Bruce Parker
(Pictured: Joe Pickle and Mister the Dog. Photo Ian Jackson, Epic Photography.)
Puppetry seems to be a lost art. If you remember The Friendly Giant or Howdy Doody, we are about the same age. And, of course, Puppeteer Jim Henson created a cultural legacy with his Muppets, which still live on.
A marionette takes the skill of the puppet to the next level, creating the lifeblood of the character with deft movements of their hand and fingers on their stringed or wired figure. This form of theatre has been around since the Middle Ages.
Ronnie Burkett is an award-winning Canadian puppeteer, hailing from Medicine Hat. His career was inspired at the age of seven by the puppet scene of the Lonely Goatherd in the film The Sound of Music. Again, if you recall that, we are about the same age. Burkett’s puppetry work is not new to the Grand Theatre, as previous productions of The Daisy Theatre (2017) and Little Dickens (2023) were sold-out events.
He now brings the poignant Wonderful Joe to the Grand Theatre’s Auburn Stage with a glorious score and soundscape by John Alcorn
The story explores the all-too-common urban practices of “renoviction” and gentrification. It happens to the folks in a high-rise and is viewed through the eyes of Joe Pickle and his listless dog, Mister. Joe consoles his neighbours, who, like him, will soon hit the streets as well as those who work the street. He is an endearing soul, wrapped in a veneer of positivity, and seizes the opportunity to take us on a walkabout through the fictitious Eileen Avenue.
(Pictured: Ronnie Burkette and the marionette leaning rail as playboard. Photo – Ian Jackson, Epic Photography.)
Joe foresees his beloved block, the home of various drag queens and sex workers, becoming “white and boring and clean and neutral.” He sees the beauty in this derelict neighbourhood and the goodness and worth of its inhabitants.
The denizens of Eileen Avenue all have a story to tell, told in a wickedly paced repartee. There is pathos as well as humour as we are witnesses to the local residents attempting to find identity and acceptance. It is all too real and very touching, and quite easy to relate to the struggle of Burkett’s characters.
Burkett conjures up bizarre yet hilarious meetings of Jesus, Santa Claus, and the Tooth Fairy in a gay bar, all struggling with who they are and what is expected of them.
(Pictured: Sonny, Joe, and Mister. Photo – Ian Jackson, Epic Photography.)
We end with Joe on a bench in a parkette, consoling a young, troubled schoolgirl. It is here that Joe reveals his own tragic youth, his creative ways of coping, and his dreams.
Ronnie Burkett’s dark production is honest, gritty, and convincing to the point where one often loses track of the man on the stage pulling all the strings.
Wonderful Joe is both heartfelt and heart-wrenching in defining the ability to cope in current times and transcend beyond your past.
Credits:
John Alcorn – Music Production, Arrangements, Vocals, Keyboards, and Digital Programming
Kevin Humphrey – Lighting Design
Terri Gillis – Production Manager/Artistic Associate
Crystal Salverda – Stage Manager/Technical Director
John Lambert – Associate Producer
Ronnie Burkett – Marionette and Costume Design
Kim Crossley – Costumes
Puppet Studio – Alexander Mantia, Aidan Sparks, Angela Talbot, Dina Meschkuleit, with Martin Herbert, Andy Hayward, Shanna Miller, Justin Mezzapelli, and Brigitte Sampogna
Camellia Koo – Shoes
Greg Ballora (after Luman Coad) – Marionette Controls
Marcus Jamin – Marionette Stringing
Robbie Buttinski – Majordomo
Scenic Construction by Shop Dogs, Montreal
Daniel Barkley – Scenic Painting
Aidan Sparks – Model and Drafting
Featured vocals – Coco Love Alcorn
Mixing and mastering – Jeff Wolpert, Desert Fish Studios
If You Go:
What: Ronnie Burkette’s Wonderful Joe
When: November 4 to November 23
Where: Auburn Stage at the Grand Theatre. 471 Richmond Street, London, Ontario
Tickets: Single tickets are $48, and Auburn Series Subscriptions offer a 25% discount ($71.44 for both Wonderful Joe and Mrs Krishnan’s Party). Tickets and subscriptions are available at grandtheatre.com, by phone at 519.672.8800, or at the Box Office, 471 Richmond Street.
Reviewed by J Bruce Parker
The Beat Magazine 2025 