Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Whether or not Niagara-on-the-Lake is the prettiest town in North America is up for debate, but if you ask Marian Markarian, trip advisor at Niagara Wine Tours International, you’ll get a resounding “Absolutely.”  With its stately homes, pristine lawns and manicured gardens, a Main Street to rival any quaint New England village and a sit back and relax atmosphere that’s hard to argue with, it’s the conduit for a visit to Niagara Falls and Ontario’s wine country. It’s also the home of the prestigious Shaw Theater Festival.  I was fortunate enough to be there at the perfect time of year to discover some of the cultural offerings in the province of Ontario, Canada, as well as nature at its’ finest, it being a sunny and warm June. I wisely made the choice to start at the Shaw, for me the main draw for my visit here, as summer was upon us and their season hit, Ragtime, had picked up considerable speed since its early April opening.  I had a mind to see the Falls for the first time, too, as well as tour the top drawer wineries and drink some delectable wines, including Icewine, the region’s stellar offering.

There’s something about the month of June that makes coping with a weekend traffic jam out of Toronto en route to Niagara-on-the-Lake that much easier and (to borrow a line from another musical) when it’s “busting out all over” as it was all throughout the days I spent once I arrived in this idyllic area, there’s almost no tearing yourself away.  The sun shone high in the sky on those long days, perfect for bicycling verdant paths through the wineries, down winding country lanes in the picture perfect village, past historic Fort George and around glass-like Lake Ontario.  It also provided the fuel for those stunning rainbows over amazing Niagara Falls just a twenty minute drive by car from town.

The plan was to start with the Shaw and I admit I had mixed feelings about seeing Ragtime again, especially at a “festival” house. While the Shaw is way more than a seasonal venue for first-rate theater, I had already seen the Tony award winning musical version of E.L. Doctorow’s seminal novel (loosely based on the life of Scott Joplin) twice on Broadway, knew all the songs and intricacies of the plot and had been fortunate to catch a few major stars in several of the roles.  So, let’s just say that this venerable Canadian institution for the arts known for presenting provocative theater was really going to be put to the test.  I may be crazy for live theater but if you’ve sat through something twice and loved it, you know that the third time can easily end your love affair.

But little did I know that the Shaw had one-upped me in its choice of Thom Allison for the lead role of Coalhouse Walker, Jr.  I think it’s safe to say at this point that what makes the Shaw so special deserves some telling. Having established itself in 1961 as an alternative summer theater with an impressive repertory company and roster of plays by its namesake George Bernard Shaw, it is renowned for thinking out of the box.  Fast forward to the year 2000 when the theater expanded its mandate to include contemporary plays written about the period of Mr. Shaw’s life, then even one-upped itself in 2009 to include works by writers whose work (like Shaw’s) questioned the status quo.  It’s a theatrical enterprise that is continually evolving and that, my friends, brings us to the present day and the brilliant choice of Mr. Doctorow’s Ragtime, an epic commentary on life in the U.S. in the early 20^th century during the great immigration, no doubt influenced by the Shaw’s talented artistic director, Jackie Maxwell. Jackie planned to re-tell the show’s poignant story of a black musician, his relationship with an American family and society at large during a tumultuous time (in her words) “with a fresh perspective, exploring a whole new set of resonances.” Mounting Ragtime is no walk in the park, from its monolithic set and intricate period costumes to a huge cast that at times is entirely on stage together to the use of an oversized prop in the form of a working Model T, a key element in the telling of the story of Henry Ford and the invention of the assembly line.

Emotion ran high as the crowd gathered inside the lobby of the splendid Festival Theater as well as outside on the impeccable grounds plotted with vivid summer annuals and sprays in full bloom. I read up a little on the building’s beautifully understated contemporary architecture while nervously sipping my martini and learned that the rose colored bricks and natural woods were chosen to harmonize with the bucolic setting.  I hoped the harmony would continue when the curtain rose, too, and wondered how the production would fare technically with the show’s famous “prop” as well as full-on fireworks.  I had an ace in my back pocket, however, just in case.

If there’s one good thing about a journalist’s gig, it’s that every now and again the deck is stacked in your favor. To insure that my third time seeing Ragtime would surpass both my first and second, I’d made a plea to the public relations director to let me interview one of the cast or the director afterward.  I wanted to hear how the powerful and great Ragtime had influenced them and whether change really is for the better, as the show’s driving theme struggles with.  I also wanted to draw a parallel between an all Canadian cast telling a story of American history. When she revealed shortly before curtain time that she had arranged a lunch with the star of the show the next day, I didn’t believe it.  The curtain rose on the familiar piano tinkling and plot set-up of the author’s words …“In 1902 father built a house at the crest of the Broadview Ave. hill in New Rochelle, New York” … with completely new costumes designed by Sue LePage, similar to the graphic black and white originals, but subtler. From the opening number until the final scene, I was riveted and really impressed with how the Shaw’s cast and crew nailed it. Later, I found myself asking questions about what makes someone rise out of complacency and change.

Next day seated across from Thom, his big eyes and infectious laugh mesmerizing me, he said that his character’s desire to evolve was ingrained in him. Maybe it was his creative genes that influenced him? Still impressed with how the whole production had gelled into a solid mass of fascinating theater, we talked casually about his role at the Shaw and the ins and outs of playing multiple roles in a season. It was an hour I won’t forget anytime soon.  Thom Allison was definitely one of the feathers in the Shaw’s cap this 2012 season which included 11 plays on 4 stages including productions at two historic stages in town, the Court House Theater (1840) and the Royal George Theater (1915) as well as at the Studio Theater where more challenging works outside the mandate are presented.

The days that followed lulled me into a kind of relaxed state of mind (blame it on the wine I guess).  While I knew a little bit about Ontario’s “wine country” and just enough about ice wine to pique my curiosity, I hadn’t really processed the commercial relevance of the region and how the local wine has gained an important place in Ontario’s cultural landscape.  That these wines have an appellation of origin has become increasingly important to wine drinkers especially as Niagara-on-the-Lake is a place that combines climate, topography, geology and even local heritage.

All of the wineries I visited, particularly Reif Estates, Inniskillin and Peller Estates, interpret and elaborate the terroir similarly yet with subtle nuances unique to each.  While all of them produce excellent Icewine and are especially proud of the accomplishment, Inniskillin seems to have put its stamp on this category (especially in its notable sparkling version) where Reif has identified an emotional side of wine drinking with its Sensory Wine Bar, essentially a flight of specific vintages paired with chocolate, artisan cheese and charcuterie.  Skip lunch and have this instead.  Finally, Peller has chosen fine cuisine to buttress their expertise and their in-house restaurant, helmed by Chef Jason Parsons, is the ultimate dining experience (what gets better than practically sitting in the vineyards while tasting Chef Jason’s inspired dishes that marry perfectly with Peller’s wines). If you love wine, perhaps Ontario wine country is going to be your new altar.

Then there is the atmosphere itself – a town whose history goes back a thousand years, where history is alive and the townsfolk are happy to fill in the blanks.  If not, another glass of wine will definitely get Marian on it!

www.ontariotravel.net

Wine Country Information – www.winecountryontario.ca

Visitor information – Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce, 905-468-1950