The Musical Stage Company is back at the historic Winter Garden Theatre with their Marquee Festival production of Take the Moment. A beautifully woven tapestry of song and story starring Canadian theatre legend Cynthia Dale, Take the Moment is pure delight from beginning to end.

            I loved that the story opened with Cynthia talking about looking up at the stars; it’s such a universal feeling of wonderment that it put the audience immediately at ease and ready to go on the emotional journey of the piece. And what a journey it was! Cynthia spoke about everything from her early days in show biz to her family’s best-kept secrets, all in an effort to answer the age-old question: “who am I?” The passion with which she told these stories was captivating, I even heard her voice catch a couple of times talking about her parents and it made my heart just break. Yet there was humor too, some laugh-out-loud stories reminding us just how bizarre life can be. At its core, Take the Moment is about the moments in life, both big and small, which make us human. These moments tie us together and sharing them creates a sense of togetherness that I think we’ve all really been missing.

            Her choice of songs from Steven Sondheim’s catalogue fit flawlessly into the flow of the narratives. She tackled everything from “Somethig’s Coming” to “Rose’s Turn” and lots of favourites in between. Her voice is absolutely impeccable and there’s an easy grace to everything she sings; a true master of her craft. Accompanied only by two pianos (beautifully played by David Terriault and Benjamin Kersey) there was a certain flare and charm which she gave to the songs which really made them feel like her own. The simplicity of the stage, her costume, and the fact that it was just the pianists to accompany her allows the audience to focus on the music and storytelling. Truly, it is phenomenal.

            One moment in particular had me in tears: towards the end of the show Cynthia talks about how watching the filmed version of Hamilton last year reawakened her passion for theatre. I cried because I went through a very similar epiphany watching the same musical. To hear her talk about the times when she’s had doubts and fears about the industry and how to continue was really inspiring. I feel grateful that I got to witness the fruit of that rekindling of her passion; it was certainly worth the wait.

Take the Moment only has 3 performances left so get your tickets fast! You’ll laugh, cry, and be reminded of the things that tie us all together has humans. Visit TAKE THE MOMENT | The Musical Stage CompanyThe Musical Stage Company for tickets.

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Photo by Dahlia Katz