UnCovered returns to Musical Stage Company with U2 and the Rolling Stones
Musical theatre performers singing the catalogues of U2 and The Rolling Stones? In Toronto? Really?
You must be new here.
For 18 years, Toronto’s Musical Stage Company has put on UnCovered, an inventive concert that reimagines the catalogue of influential musical artists using the talents of local actors, singers, and instrumentalists. UnCovered is always a hit with audiences — last year’s edition, which featured the music of Fleetwood Mac and The Eagles, likely still lingers fresh in the minds of anyone who was there. (Confession: MSC artistic associate and UnCovered arranger, orchestrator, and music supervisor Kevin Wong’s soul-crushing “Landslide” haunts me to this day.)
This year, Wong will steer the UnCovered ship to the tune of, yes, U2 and The Rolling Stones, for four performances at Koerner Hall. Featuring performances by Wong as well as Colin Asuncion, Hailey Gillis, Kelly Holiff, Andrew Penner, Lydia Persaud, Jackie Richardson, Shaemus Swets, and Enya Watson, this year’s UnCovered once more promises to present the works of these legendary bands in unexpected ways.
“It’s a really diverse cast of voices and styles, and they’re all bringing their A-game,” shared Wong in an interview with Intermission. “It’s starting to get really exciting in the room.”
How did Musical Stage land on U2 and The Rolling Stones? Wong shared that those bands have been in the UnCovered pipeline for a few years, but he understands why people might go “Huh?” when they hear the pairing.
“I get it,” he said with a laugh. “But the more research you do, the more intuitive it becomes. There’s a lot of social commentary and reflection on humanity from both bands. And there’s a certain thread of admiration expressed by Bono for the Stones and their influence on his stuff. There’s something about their relationship to social commentary and discontent that was really interesting to me.”
Putting these concerts together requires months of preparation on the musical side. Over the years, UnCovered has built a reputation for reinventing pop and rock tracks until they sound like a completely new piece of art. That transformation demands strong working knowledge of music theory, given the songs are almost always transposed and re-orchestrated to fit the needs of a given year’s ensemble.
“What you see in the audience is really the tip of a very long collaborative iceberg,” said Wong. “We schedule two to three arrangement sessions per song with the artists, because the artists are so instrumental in determining what their vision of the song is going to be. If I chord-change something and it doesn’t fit, then that’s all part of the conversation. It takes a really long time to finesse the narrative interpretation of these songs — right before we get into the room for rehearsal, I start charting all the band parts, and then we change a bunch more in the room.”
According to Wong, the final product lies in the hands of the artists on stage, all of whom bring vast lived experience as musicians to the UnCovered process. “For example, with Penner, he has such a deep relationship to his guitar,” explained Wong, “and so his guitar figures into both of his solos this year. It’s integral to the way he expresses story as an artist. I don’t even remember who suggested first that he play on his songs — it was just one of those things that intuitively was understood.”
One year of UnCovered stands out as a favourite for Wong: 2017’s exploration of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.
“Something about the richness of their music pairs together so well,” he recalled. “It was so rich for interpretation, and it was easy to interpret the songs in a way that still felt like they were doing honour and service to the original writers. Sometimes when writing and rewriting for UnCovered, it’s about the chord shapes, the melody shapes, or the lyrics themselves. That year was kind of all three.”
And looking ahead, a few songbooks beckon to Wong as possible contenders for the UnCovered treatment.
“Phil Collins,” he shared. “George Michael. Madonna. Janet Jackson. Those are my top four. I don’t know if all of them will happen, but they’re at the top of my list for sure.”
This year, says Wong, the final stages of UnCovered are coming together quickly, with new surprises in the rehearsal room every day. He says audiences can look forward to a trio arrangement of the Stones’ “Moonlight Mile,” inspired by three-part groups like The Chicks. “There’s something about it that’s such a departure from the rest of the concert,” he explained. “It’s stunning.”
“I think we can sometimes forget with bands that are consistently prolific, that have regular output, just how incredibly edgy and counterculture their early stuff was,” said Wong. “Particularly with The Rolling Stones, but really with both bands — sometimes it’s hard to remind people that U2 had something to say about the moment they lived in before the iTunes automatic album download controversy.
“I find digging back into this early material often brings you back to feeling like these artists are new again.”
UnCovered runs at Koerner Hall from October 22 – 25. Tickets are available here.
Aisling Murphy
Aisling is Intermission's senior editor and an award-winning arts journalist with bylines including the New York Times, Toronto Star, Globe & Mail, CBC Arts, and Maclean's. She likes British playwright Sarah Kane, most songs by Taylor Swift, and her cats, Fig and June. She was a 2024 fellow at the National Critics Institute in Waterford, CT.
LEARN MORE
iPhoto caption: Photo by Trudie Lee.
A Christmas Carol makes a triumphant return to Theatre Calgary
“It brings me a lot of joy to know that the generations of Calgarians who saw this show when they were a young person are now, 37 years later, bringing their sons and daughters,” says artistic director Stafford Arima.
iPhoto caption: Photo of Mark Crawford courtesy of Theatre Aquarius.
Mark Crawford returns to Theatre Aquarius as A Christmas Story’s nostalgic narrator
“There’s a beautiful song that Ralphie’s mother, who’s played by Jamie McRoberts, sings to her boys in act two,” said Crawford. “I almost started weeping [when I first heard it] — the tenderness of a mom taking care of her kids in this moment, and [me] standing there as the adult version of one of those kids. I think that’s so identifiable for people: those moments of tenderness and love between this family.”
iPhoto caption: I Don't Even Miss You photo by Eden Graham.
Factory Theatre welcomes new audiences with shows that explore human connection
“I feel like I’m really looking to theatre for joy right now,” says artistic director Mel Hague. “I don’t mean works that are specifically funny or happy. I’m talking about something deeper where you can feel connected to the art on stage, the space that’s hosting it, the other people in the audience, and yourself.”
iPhoto caption: J. Kelly Nestruck headshot courtesy of The Globe and Mail.
An exit interview with Globe and Mail theatre critic J. Kelly Nestruck
J. Kelly Nestruck has left the building. (Or at least the aisle seat.)
iPhoto caption: Photo of Gary Reineke courtesy of Allegra Fulton.
Remembering Gary Reineke, the man who knew how to enter
Gary couldn’t abide a bad show. This was a man who looked imperiously down his nose. You knew judgment was surely there at the tip, and that it would not be forgiving. He couldn’t stand a bad actor.
iPhoto caption: The cast and creative team of Cinderella at Lighthouse Festival Theatre. Photo courtesy of Lighthouse Festival Theatre.
Lighthouse Festival’s holiday pantomime returns for a second year of family-friendly fun
As per panto tradition, Cinderella will feature audience call-and-response, topical zingers, and loving nods to the local community, framed by an irreverent retelling of a classic fairytale. Playwright Ken MacDougall will once again pen the script for the show.
iPhoto caption: A Christmas Story production still by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: A Christmas Story feels fresh at Theatre Aquarius
If you want to catch A Christmas Story before it closes, good luck — the show is close to sold out, and with the talent on that stage, it’s not hard to see why.
iPhoto caption: Madame Minister production still by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: Madame Minister is a star vehicle for actor Laura Condlln
Laura Condlln and Cyrus Lane offer performances that are worth the drive to Barrie — the two have terrific chemistry and timing.
iPhoto caption: Production still courtesy of The Bee's Knees.
REVIEW: The Bee’s Knees falls short of its timely premise
The Bee’s Knees might evolve into a stronger project down the line, but at present, the play and production feel swept away by the spangled allure of the 1920s setting.
iPhoto caption: J. Kelly Nestruck headshot courtesy of The Globe and Mail.
An exit interview with Globe and Mail theatre critic J. Kelly Nestruck
J. Kelly Nestruck has left the building. (Or at least the aisle seat.)
iPhoto caption: Photo of Annemieke Wade courtesy of TAPA.
TAPA appoints Annemieke Wade as new executive director
Wade steps into the position with an extensive background in theatre, with past roles including executive director of Roseneath Theatre and Theatre Direct and company manager of Tarragon Theatre.
iPhoto caption: Beowulf in Afghanistan graphic courtesy of GCTC.
Beowulf in Afghanistan to make world premiere at GCTC
As part of its 50th anniversary season, Ottawa’s Great Canadian Theatre Company will program the world premiere of Laurie Fyffe’s Beowulf in Afghanistan, in a production directed by Company of Fools artistic director Kate Smith.
Comments