for Canada8 Grey geldings pulled

re of John Pennoyer’s set, in surprise disguise; either he’s vintage style bridesmaid dresses been getting some spying in early, or his taste for dress-up is already well developed, or the cynical Lucio was more right about the Duke’s non-ducal habits than even he might have guessed.Talking (again) of habits: along with his friar’s uniform, Geraint Wyn Davies’ Duke borrows a Welsh accent (which to this actor, of course, comes naturally) from one member of his host order and a pair of spectacles from another.This gives him charm, along with his natural unforced authority, but it’s sometimes hard to tell whether it’s the actor or the character who most enjoys exerting it.moral force or heartless manipulator?and this production and performance, intentionally or not, leave him ambiguous.A crowd of good performances cover all the play’s bases.On the streets there’s Stephen Ouimette’s raddled Lucio, an irrepressible hard case, Randy Hughson’s pockmarked pimp, and Brian Tree for whom the role of Elbow the indignant constable was probably written.On the bench there’s Peter Hutt’s Escalus, finding a remarkable range of magisterial gradations.In prison, there are Stephen Russell’s properly gentle Provost, Robert Persichini huge and hairy as the unregenerate Barnadine, and Ruby Joy bringing unwonted pride to the pregnant Juliet.In the moated grange, here equipped with its own ferry, there’s Sarah Afful’s Mariana who sings her own song.The list goes right down to the First and Second Gentlemen, the latter of whom (E.Smith) doubles as the executioner Abhorson, a true professional.The last scene, in which they all (except the dog) foregather, is very well-ordered, tense and exciting.The production is both riveting and perplexing: like the play.Is there a better-constructed scene in any musical than the wedding in Fiddler on the Roof?There’s the joy of the ceremony itself, accompanied by the infallibly moving Sunrise, Sunset; then the celebration, including the immortal Bottle Dance; then the squabbling domestic comedy, centred around the unsuccessful suitor; then more dancing, with the joyous breaking down long bridesmaid dresses of barriers between men and women advancing the political plot; then its brutal interruption by the Czarist police; finally Tevye’s brusque instructions to clear up, followed by the desperate shrug of his silent, questioning appeal to heaven.Donna Feore’s Stratford production makes the pogrom scarier than the usual carefully choreographedfurniture-smashing; this time, people get hurt.She also, as choreographer, blesses us with some spectacular Cossack leaps and splits in To Life, though the earlier parts of this number aren’t as incandescent as they were in the previous, unforgettable Stratford production.Nor is the show as a whole, and not just because Scott Wentworth’s Tevye can hardly hope to be as supernaturally moving as was Brent Carver’s.He’s still good: fine in his singing and, in his acting, increasingly powerful the more rugged the character and the situation become.It’s also a tickle to see him, the night after his Capulet in Romeo, playing another father with disobedient daughter troubles; maybe Juliet’s marital problems could have been solved if her dad had had the right dream.The design incorporates a number of portable dollhouses, which don’t do much to suggest Anatevka or anywhere else, and some motifs hanging from the ceiling too crude to be the Chagallian homage that must have been intended.superbly crafted book, Jerry Bock’s lovely stirring music, and Sheldon Harnick’s lyrics, even if they tend to explain things too earnestly for the benefit of the Gentiles.It isn’t quite indestructible (Harvey Fierstein proved that a few years ago) but it’s the next best thing.Measure for Measure is in repertory at the Tom Patterson Theatre, Stratford, through Sept.Fiddler on the Roof at the Festival Theatre through Oct.Queen Elizabeth II: The Coronation, by the numbersHad the modern media been around back at the dawn of the Second Elizabethan Era, these might have been the headlines:Exclusive!Gifts on the day include an orb, sceptre, jewelled swordis, bracelets and golden spurs!to purple bridesmaid dresses fit into the Norman Hartnell gown!Pharmacy that mixes traditional Anointing Oil out of business, but recipe found just in time to save the day!Cinnamon and musk are the scents Lizzie chose to make her special day complete!A dress fit for a princess!The ceremonial Supertunica is cut from cloth made of pure woven gold!the lavish gown was hidden under a ceremonial gown called the Colobium, a simple pleated white linen dress symbolic of a monarch’s rejection of vanity4 Pounds, 12 ounces: The weight of the solid gold St.Edward’s Crown, made in 1661 and placed on HRH’s head during the service5 Different types of flowers in the all-white Coronation Bouquet created by the Worshipful Company of Gardeners: orchids from Wales and England, stephanotis from Scotland, carnations from Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man, and English lilies-of-the-valley6 Times the Queen has shopped her closet and re-worn the Hartnell gown since the Coronation, the last occasion of which was the Opening of Parliament in Canada in 19577 Ladies including 6 Coronation Maids in attendance to Her Majesty: two Ladies of the Bedchamber, four Women of the Bedchamber, and the Mistress of the Robes8 Months for royal dressmaker Norman Hartnell to execute the dress, chosen of the eighth design sketch he submitted, in white satin with a fitted bodice, embroidered with gold and silver thread, seed pearls and crystals with emblems of the Commonwealth, including gold maple leaves for Canada8 Grey geldings pulled the Gold State Coach from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey11 Million Britons listened to the ceremony on the radio20 Yards of purple velvet train27 Million Britons watched the ceremony on television38 British sovereigns crowned at Westminster Abbey before Queen Elizabeth81 Age of the Queen’s grandmother, Queen Mary, when she became the first Queen to see a grandchild accede the throne