If you’re used to seeing long line-ups outside Schwartz’s Hebrew Delicatessen on The Main, prepare to see them at Centaur Theatre’s box office as well. The love-letter to Montreal that is Schwartz’s The Musical will surely be drawing in crowds both meat-loving and vegetarian, local and visiting, and young and old for one reason and one reason alone: this city’s long overdue for a love-in.

Leading the musical charge are Bowser and Blue, the legendary local duo who have made a career out of poking fun at our political situation and cultural quirks. Along with Director Roy Surette, they’ve adapted Bill Brownstein’s book on the beloved restaurant into a two-act celebration of everything that’s note-worthy about its on-going success. But does it all go down as easy as a smoked meat sandwich and a Cott Black Cherry Soda?

That depends on your tastes. If a riveting plot and moving character portraits are your thing, you’d best look elsewhere. Set in 1998, Schwartz’s purports to deal with the period in which the restaurant’s third owner Mme Chartrand (Felicia Shulman) was being courted by corporate types to sell out and franchise the place for big bucks. In actuality, it prefers to revel in a comedic discussion of the establishment’s aloof waiters, visual “imperfections” and unusual clientele in a variety of musical styles. As one would expect from Bowser and Blue (who appear on-stage throughout), there are quite a few toe-tappers in there (namely the opening number “One More Step”), a couple of gentle jabs at the locals (“You ask three Jews, you get four opinions!”) and cameos by Jean Chrétien and Lucien Bouchard. They even make a point of singing Toronto’s praises in “What’s Toronto Got?” in what could be a sly move to help the show’s chances of touring.

The ambitious production’s crowning achievement is undoubtedly its stunning set, which opens up like a doll house to reveal the familiar walls of the beloved eatery, complete with a mini-fridge for the soft drinks and cramped seating. It’s the hugely talented cast, though, who pull the pieces together, bringing impressive vocal talents to the table, as well as the uncanny ability to take on double or triple duty throughout the piece. Especially appreciated is the presence of Holly Gauthier-Frankel, aka renowned Burlesque Queen Miss Sugarpuss, whose Broadway-calibre pipes and comedic timing help round out the ensemble. On all accounts, it’s one impressive presentation.

As is the case with even the best smoked meat sandwich, however, it wouldn’t have hurt to trim some of the excess fat. The love story between Schwartz shopkeeper Ben (Vito DeFilippo) and Torontonian Amber (Stephanie Martin) never really makes you forget that it’s there simply to provide some structure. Their second act duet, “Like Smoked Meat and Rye”, stretches the sandwich metaphors a tad too far, and the undercooked villain of the piece, Brad (Bruce Dinsmore), couldn’t have been more ill-suited to a rock star solo like “It’s My Fault”.

Perhaps the worst criticism one could lob at the show is it’s an unabashed bit of self-promotion. One audience member even walked out of opening night calling Schwartz’s “the height of nepotism”. For a city so often overshadowed by Toronto and Vancouver – nevermind New York – could some glittery, grin-inducing navel-gazing possibly be that bad?

For tickets call the Centaur Theatre Box Office at 514-288-3161 or visit their website at www.centaurtheatre.com. Schwartz’s runs until April 24th.

Tagged as: Centaur Theatre, Montreal event, Montreal theatre, Schwartz's The Musical