The Gazette (Montreal), Canada
July 11 2009

Just for Laughs: Review of Pagagnini
By Pat Donnelly, Gazette Culture CriticJuly 10, 2009
At first glance, the opening of PaGAGnini at Maison
Théâtre as part of the Just for Laughs Festival looked
too posh for our casual attire. But the top hats handed out to the men
as we entered the theatre, turned out to be as plastic as the `pearls’
handed out to the women.

This is a comedy festival, after all.

And what a delightful way to begin. PaGAGnini is a diverting show that
appeals to all ages. There were a handful of children (the world’s
toughest critics) in the audience on opening night who were obviously
delighted.

PaGAGnini satirizes one of the world’s easiest targets: classical
musicians who wear black, never crack a smile and play every piece as
if it’s a funeral dirge.

This four-man clown troupe, headed by Ara Malikian, as the Maestro,
starts out sombre, with a dash of Bizet’s Carmen but they can’t keep
it straight for long.

The amazing thing is that they’re all accomplished musicians as well
as zany, Chaplinesque clowns. Three play violins, the grumpy fourth
(Gartxot Ortiz) a viola. He glares a lot.

Each one has a distinct character. Malikian, as the maestro, pretends
to be outraged when rebellion breaks out in the form of a country
hoedown as he takes an intrusive call on his cellphone. (He blames
members of the audiences for the ringing interruption, before an
assistant appears saying the call is for him.) The Maestro wanders in
and out as he’s talking, causing the rebels to shift back and forth
from Country and Western to classical. It’s a hoot.

Actually the entire show is a hoot, best appreciated, perhaps, by
those who know their Brahms from their Paganini (to whom this show is
a kind of wacky tribute). But again, if a 3-year-old gets it, chances
are you will, too.

Violinist Eduardo Ortega, whom I nicknamed Mischief in my notebook,
seems to be the kid no teacher would want in her class. He instigates
the hoedown, and continues to stir up trouble.

Highlights include a castanette-clicking, flamenco dance solo by the
aforementioned grumpy viola player and the wooing of a member of the
audience by the sweet and innocent Fernando Clemente. He can’t take
his eyes off the blonde who struck me as a likely plant. (Too
perfectly cast.) But I could be wrong. He sings to her, tells her
repeatedly, `Je t’aime!’, hands her a rose, asks for a kiss.

Marcel Marceau would be proud of this guy’s perfect, angelic deadpan.

PaGAGnini is not a show to like, it is a show to love.

The only disturbing thing about it is the instrument abuse. Violins
are turned into bongo drums here. And by the end of the performance,
broken bow strings fly like banners in the wind.

Malikian, an Armenian born in Lebanon, was a child musical prodigy who
has a classical music resumé as long as your arm. It includes
performing (straight, not funny) in important concert halls around the
world. (Check him out at )

The company behind PaGAGnini, called Yllana, is based in Madrid.

PaGAGnini continues at Maison Théâtre, 245 Ontario
St. E., until July 19, with possible extension to July 26. Call
514-845-2322 or go to