In Dreams – Review of New Musical at CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre

IN DREAMS, the new musical at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto, has a sharply ironic plot that probably sounds worse than it really is. A young woman gets a call from her doctor and is told that she has cancer and she assumes that she will die. She comes across a Mexican restaurant that arranges memorial services for the living. She decides to have one for herself before she dies rather than follow the usual sequence of events.
In Dreams of the title is a moving song composed and sung by Roy Orbison about a lover who falls asleep every night and dreams of his love. In the dream they walk and talk and are together but at dawn he wakes up and the lover is gone. The encounter of the lovers takes place only in dreams.
David West Read wrote the book for the musical based on the songs that Orbison sang but most of which he did not write. Much of what Orbison sang was about love and loss, heartbreak, tenderness and dreams without machismo.
The central character of In Dreams is Kenna (Lena Hall), the lead singer in a country rock and roll band who goes to the restaurant where the owners Oscar (Manual Pacific) and his wife Nicole (Nasim Ramirez) organize memorial services for the living. Oscar’s grandmother, the wise and humane Ana Sofia (Alma Cuervo) is also in the restaurant. Oscar and Nicole have issues communicating. He prefers to communicate with nature on his own but Nicole is smart and persistent enough to break through his depression.
Kenna’s former lover Ramsey (Oliver Tompsett), a drummer, is not invited but he finds out and drops by in the middle of the night and wants to rekindle their relationship. He is persistent, energetic and attractive but she initially rebuffs him. The plot is broadened with the introduction of several other characters (the musical has more than a dozen). Donovan (Noel Sullivan) and Jane (Sian Reese-Williams) are unhappily married and have five children. George (Richard Trinder), a lawyer whose wife died three months ago appears with problems of loneliness of his own. Tom, the exuberant chef of the restaurant is an unhappy chap but he may find happiness with Officer Lee (Mark Peachey). All of them provide different plot strands and humour but the mainstay of the musical is the songs of Orbison sung by the cast members and not by Orbison.
Not all vocalists are equal but all of them are at least adequate with some delivering superb performances. Lena Hall was superb but she strayed into stridence when she attempted high notes beyond her reach. Reese-Williams was consistently good and the rest did excellent work within the bounds of their vocal range.
Luke Sheppard directs and sets the kinetic energy and guides the fine acting. The set by Arnulfo Maldonado gives a wonderful image of a lively restaurant, a bit garish but perfect for a place that offers memorial services even or perhaps especially for the living.
It is a thoroughly enjoyable musical with a well-rounded plot of human problems and resolutions, humour, energy and, of course, love. And it is something that you can see and enjoy in the real world unlike the lover in “In Dreams” who only dreams of being with his and wakes up alone.

In Dreams by David West Read (book) and Roy Orbison (music) continues until November 12, 2023, at The CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St. Toronto, Ontario. www.mirvish.com

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