Queen of the Mist, Unexpected Beauty in Performance

Written by Carol Cain on 22 November 2011

Niagara Falls is pretty this time of year – cold, but pretty. I personally have loved visiting Buffalo during warmer weather, like for their Buffalo Wing Festival, or to take a ferry ride into the falls.

But with all there is to see at the falls and learn, what I didn’t know was what I learned while enjoying a production of Queen of The Mist, by Transport Group. Queen of the Mist tells the story of Annie Edson Taylor, the first woman to jump off the falls, in a barrel, and survive. She was 63 years old. It was 1901.

One would think that such a feat, by an older woman no less, would lead to a response so remarkable, so unforgettable, that people would know about it for centuries to come. But in the story of Queen of The Mist theater goers will learn that neither life, nor human nature often has much compassion or kindness to give to courage or adventure.

Walking into Judson Memorial Church Gymnasium on Washington Square, one is not sure what to expect when viewing the simple set up of the makeshift stage and the rows of bleachers on each side.

However, the presence and powerful voice of Mary Testa (who plays the role Annie) is captivating as she performs five-time Tony Award nominee composer Michael John LaChiusa’s various musical creations.

Photo Credit: Hannah Oren

The fabulous cast of Queen of the Mist is D.C. Anderson (The Phantom of the Opera, The Life Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby); Stanley Bahorek (See Rock City & Other Destinations, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee); Theresa McCarthy (Titanic, Floyd Collins); Julia Murney (Wicked, The Wild Party, First Lady Suite); Andrew Samonsky (South Pacific, Tales of the City); Tally Sessions (The House of Blue Leaves, Yank!); and Mary Testa (On The Town, Marie Chrtistine, Xanadu, 42nd Street).

I walked away from the show interested and curious, informed and enlightened by the story. I both loved and resented Annie. I found her arrogant and desperate. Lonely and bitter, but lacking in love and understanding. She’s not easy to warm up to, yet I didn’t completely dislike her and admired her courage, though it is clear her intentions had more to do with money than anything else.

The bleachers where we sat were a bit uncomfortable after awhile, but I did enjoy having the actors so close (even closer on the first row) and they did amazing with the very few props they had. It was a beautiful show overall and it is clear that so many others agree as Queen of the Mist performances have been extended to Dec. 4th to meet audience demand.
I hope you get a chance to go out and see it.

For more blog posts on Queen of the Mist, visit MamaDrama and please make sure to take advantage of the discount code TGMAMA $10 off your tickets.

General admission tickets start at $58; premium reserved seating tickets start at $65; opening night tickets are $65; gala fundraiser tickets are $95. For tickets and information, visit www.transportgroup.org or phone 866-811-4111.

Disclosure: I attended this performance, with complimentary tickets provided, as a reviewer and contributor on behalf of MamaDrama. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.