THIS IS PHI BULANI

I finally caught up with PHI at the Town Hall Opera House in Orangeville, Ontario. He's been performing in the world premiere of a new play by Norm Foster called Bedtime Stories. Foster's hilarious pulp fiction type piece of theatre boasts 15 or so characters, performed by 5 actors. PHI plays 3 of those 15. The play opens with PHI as Eddie the Nighthawk Nichols~ a Shock-radio DJ whose so driven and desperate for the big break, that he pays a sweet couple $5000 to have sex on the air in hopes that this will boost his ratings. The couple; the Balantynes played by Ron Gabriel and Melodee Finlay make a nice threesome with Bulani who experiences what he later refers to as an epiphany! Bulani's second offering is Nick ~a petty B&E thief who seems to be a legend in his own mind~touting his philosophy about women and the brutal truth about love to his bumbling B&E bozo in crime (Gabriel again) , this was a hilarious and unexpectingly touching scene. Third but not last, PHI plays Charlie the owner of a strip club who needs to straighten out one of his dancers... an accident prone stripper named Sandy (Melodee Finlay). Finlay and Bulani's joust of big hair set against Fosters dialogue is painfully funny. I really couldn't stop laughing, and Foster has, i think, coined a new term for a certain part of the female genitilia ~ "choncha". (though i don't know when i'll lay that one out... but you never know... made me wonder if you really could hear the ocean down there?~ So i asked my date, and apparently you can.)

Finally, speaking of epiphanies... Eddie returns in the final scene, to fight for the woman he loves, (Amy Sellors)and his chance to make things right; and hear the ocean once again. (sorry thats my thru line, not Fosters!) As Eddie, Bulani's delivery bounces and sticks poigniantly to Sellors silent strength and heartfelt, expressive face. They work well together, creating an onstage chemistry that pulls you in, wanting their love to succeed over Eddie's unbridled ambition... thus proving that love and laughter can conquer even our darkest moments. Bedtime Stories runs thru to March 5/2006.

For more on "Bedtime Stories" World Premiere, click below...

http://www.normfoster.com/bedtimereview.html