Review: Uncovered - The Music of Dolly Parton

Charms are abundantly scattered throughout Uncovered: The Music of Dolly Parton. It may essentially be a filmed concert of people covering Dolly Parton songs, but it comes well-rehearsed, pedigreed, and gussied up with very fancy threads.

The 15th edition of an annual signature concert series staged by The Musical Stage Company was performed live before a socially distanced audience over three nights earlier this fall at Toronto's Koerner Hall. It is now streaming digitally through December 11.

Uncovered: The Music of Dolly Parton seeks to locate the country singer/songwriter’s essence through music and words. Its execution is straightforward, but its impact is elevated by its seasoned cast. On stage, piano, bass, drums/percussion and violin back six performers — Jully Black, Beau Dixon, Sara Farb, Hailey Gillis, Kelly Holiff, Andrew Penner — as they vibrantly work their way through Parton’s catalogue while offering spoken-word sidebars quoting the lady herself.

The effect is a little like eavesdropping on a bunch of exceptionally talented Parton super-fans at classy karaoke bar.

There’s Black soaring to dizzying heights (as she must) on “I Will Always Love You.” Farb brings genuine pathos to “Coat of Many Colors.” Elsewhere, the entire cast gathers to belt out “Light of A Clear Blue Morning” and “Tennessee Mountain Home” while the ace band — in particular, fiddler Miranda Mulholland, best known for her work in Great Lake Swimmers — adds poignancy and playfulness, tears and twang as the moment requires.

The digital version of the show is presented in two parts. The shorter opening section or “Prologue,” is carried live via Zoom and starts with an introduction and a live performance complete with singalong. Part two features performances captured earlier this fall at Koerner Hall.

Admittedly, watching the show online lacks the sizzle that comes with being in an audience seeing skilled performers do their thing on stage without a net. And there were some tiny hiccups with the Zoom call.

But those are small nitpicks against the larger production, which is beautiful and supremely well-executed, and scans as controlled and convivial. Credit music supervisor Reza Jacobs and Fiona Sauder, who handled concept and staging.

This unique hybrid of film and theatre, live and canned performance —necessitated by COVID-19 and possibly an upside? — is also a veritable Parton hit parade, featuring the abovementioned titles as well as “9 to 5,” “Islands in the Stream,” “Here You Come Again,” and, of course, “Jolene” among its 12 tracks.

Presumably, The Musical Stage Company’s 16th annual Uncovered concert in autumn 2022 will look and feel very different than this year’s show. But the company succeeds in celebrating its eclectic and wildly dynamic subject, whose very name seems to push light into dark corners and whose inimitable, pop-ified country has inspired millions around the world for decades. Parton is truly a worthy subject for such an endeavour.

Uncovered: The Music of Dolly Parton in on now until December 11 (with a Special Holiday Viewing on December 30). Find tickets here.

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