“Get out of the cold and warm up to an intimate 90 minutes of powerhouse performances with a trio of some of Toronto’s finest vocalists. These top-of-their-game performers entertain, guide and educate through songs and storytelling as they celebrate the first instrument they’ve ever played: the voice. The musical stylings are delightful and the singers are undeniably talented; however, the performance comes off a haphazard mix of singing lessons, and proudful boasting. It all comes off a bit self-serving and hollow.”


As a singer, I learned something while enjoying some beautifully sung jazz, opera, classical, and musical theatre selections. I learned that vocal cords are now called vocal folds, and that the show’s title refers to a “wolf in the voice” (also known in the singing world as passaggio), the transition or vocal ‘break’ between the lower (chest voice) register and higher (head voice) register. Professional singers are expected to smooth out that break and make the transition imperceptible. That was the singing lesson part of the show.

What follows in ‘The Wolf in the Voice’ is a master class on how this threesome demonstrates their mastery of range, diction, and cross-generational style.

The rest of the show left me wondering about the overall purpose of its proud proclamations.

Performed in Tarragon’s Extra Space, a small black box space with tiered seating and limited performing space, the show starts with Neema, Jane, and Taurian, (their real names) onstage by a keyboard informally practicing Sondheim’s “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” from “Company”. Jane tries to hit a tricky high note while the others ponder the arrangement. When the lights go down, the trio begin singing a vocal arrangement of a song written for classical string instruments. Then the trio sing a well-known opera song. Next, they introduce each other to the audience and briefly explain their singing careers. After that, they collectively narrate stories and anecdotes about the highs and lows of their respective careers.

Clearly taking a cue from the Tom Hanks movie, ‘Big’, the three use a large light-up piano keyboard on the floor to hop on notes, play and sing more songs, and emphasize how each of their parts work together to build a song. They then share moments when their singing voices were pushed to the limits and demonstrate what they did to overcome and achieve a successful performance. This is where Jane, Taurian and Neema’s communal patting of each other’s backs comes off as self-indulgent bragging.

There are no costumes, per se. Jane, Taurian and Neema wear their everyday clothes. The informal set by Rebecca Picherack is simple and functional. It’s like we’ve been invited to a rehearsal. A piano, three stools and two high tables atop a (creaky) riser that serves as the giant keyboard. The performers make the sounds of the notes as they hop on and off the keys. Later a beautiful red curtain is drawn on the back wall for the final song. The demonstration of how the vocal cords resonate, stylized as a mock university lecture with a drop-down cutaway illustration of the human throat, is clever and informative. However, the poster could have used darker ink for greater visibility.

Top marks go to Picherack’s wonderous lighting. For a small space, she uses virtually every fixture to enhance and stimulate the mood of each song and story. Her colour selection and use of spotlights on single performers and spaces are focused and sharp, varying in intensity as the lyrics dictate. Her general wash of the entire playing area is even, without unintentional shadows. Remarkable work in a square room!

The most engaging part of the show is each singer’s reflection on their gift, and sometimes horror, of voice and singing. They blend beautifully with heavenly harmony. The single male of the trio, Taurian Teelucksingh, is a glorious counter-tenor, effortlessly slipping back and forth from the high and low male vocal ranges. He’s energetic, funny, and has a youthful charm that balances well with his more seasoned cast mates. However, there’s an honesty missing in his storytelling. Perhaps it’s the script. Perhaps it’s not his words. Oddly, I connected with him most at the end of the show when he thanked the audience (off script) for coming and encouraged them to check out Tarragon’s fine season of upcoming programming.

Jane Miller slips between classical vibrato and straight-toned wail effortlessly. She’s likeable enough but, like Taurian, there’s a lack of connection to much of her storytelling. It’s all recitative.

The most truthful of the trio is the humble and soft-spoken soprano Neema Bickersteth. She is a vocal chameleon, flawlessly switching between rich opera and jazz blues with equal precision! Her stories, about her early days as a singer, not knowing about opera, not being able to hit high notes but realizing that her university scholarship would be life-changing, are heartwarmingly truthful. She wears her joys and deep anxieties on her sleeve. She’s authentic. She takes us into her confidence, seemingly relaying her stories for the first time. She’s one to watch.

Co-directors Martin Julien and Brian Quirt have fashioned a show that speaks to the insecurities of performers. Insecurity be damned, they’re successful and talented. That’s what the audience cares about. As a testament to their vocal achievements, it would have been a nice touch to hear the trio perform at the end of the show, a polished rendition of “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” that they were plunking out in the pre-show.

“The Wolf In The Voice” takes the audience to the inner sanctum of the vocalist, revealing how the voice works and why. But what’s the takeaway for the average audience? What’s the purpose of this narrative outside the realm of other performers and perhaps vocal teachers?

I couldn’t shake the notion that I was watching talented singers proclaim how wonderfully they overcame their vocal hurdles and how great they are now.

That may be true.

But that’s for the audience to determine.

They don’t need to be told.

Running time: Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission

The production runs until February 26 at Tarragon’s Extra Space Theatre, 3o Bridgman Ave, Toronto.
For tickets call the Box Office at 416-531-1827 or email tickets.tarragontheatre.com

A Tarragon Theatre Production in association with Nightswimming Present the World Premiere
“The Wolf in the Voice ”
Created and Co-Directed by Martin Julien and Brian Quirt
Associate artist – Thom Allison
Commissioned and developed by Nightswimming with the collaboration of Thom Allison, Neema Bickersteth, Jane Miller and Taurian Teelucksingh.
Produced by Tarragon
Set and lighting design by Rebecca Picherack

Performers: Neema Bickersteth, Jane Miller and Taurian Teelucksingh.