REVIEW: The Man That Got Away (A Special Appearance) at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
So, who is this man who got away, anyhow?
Well. That’s a complex question.
Martin Julien is an actor and theatre scholar whose growing-up was anything but normal. His father was gay, his mother lesbian, two queer folks in a straight marriage with a straight kid. Julien practically grew up with a third parent, given his father’s love for Judy Garland, and that love survived the generational gap — even now, Julien internalizes Garland’s legacy, and in The Man That Got Away (A Special Appearance), Garland appears as a ghost, armed with sage advice and the occasional song.
The Man That Got Away is, by and large, a solo show, in which Julien walks us through the complications of his coming-of-age, introducing us to his parents through storytelling and recorded interview snippets. Occasionally, the solo-ness of the show dissipates, giving way to Tat Austrie’s take on Garland. Austrie’s a commendable stand-in — with a similar smoky voice and boisterous presence — and designer Sean Mulcahy’s costumes further cement Austrie as Garland, clad in a sequin suit which echoes the late actress’.
Julien’s a captivating storyteller, and the convergence of the interview excerpts with his monologue creates a varied, layered narrative that never feels like an extended game of “remember when?.” But even at its most engaging, The Man That Got Away runs a long two-and-a-bit hours. Julien’s storytelling is poignant, raw, and ultimately touching, but it feels like there’s room for further trims of repeated motifs. A tighter script doesn’t feel so far off — and the show’s heart is so big that it more than deserves further polish.
As well, Julien’s engagement with the ghost of Garland is fascinating — and opens up questions on the ethics of putting words in her mouth. Julien masterfully approximates Garland’s cadence and lexicon, and has made the choice to appoint Austrie-as-Garland as a sort of confidant. Peter Hinton-Davis has directed this choice well, drawing the audience’s gaze towards Austrie when needed and diverting it back towards Julien as his life story gets closer and closer to the present moment. But dramaturgically, I’m not sure where I stand on Garland-as-conscience. As she quite rightly says in The Man That Got Away, she was used for others’ narrative gain plenty when she was alive — Julien’s words on her behalf point out that problem, but arguably contribute to it, too.
What prevails, however, are the three knockout performances which anchor the show: Julien as himself, Austrie as Garland, and Ben Page on the twinkling piano keys. The chemistry between the three performers is charming and friendly, familiar and jovial, and contrasts some of the emotional awkwardness we come to recognize as typical between Julien’s parents. The story of his parents and their eventual deaths is heavy; the music shared between the three artists onstage never is.
This is a solid outing for what could be a gem of a solo show with further workshopping and disciplined cuts. Julien has an intriguing and potentially appealing project here — I hope he keeps at it as the material continues to settle.
The Man That Got Away (A Special Appearance) closed at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre on December 18. More information can be found here.
Aisling Murphy
Aisling is Intermission's former senior editor and the theatre reporter for the Globe and Mail. She likes British playwright Sarah Kane, most songs by Taylor Swift, and her cats, Fig and June. She was a 2024 fellow at the National Critics Institute in Waterford, CT.
LEARN MORE
iPhoto caption: Adam Francis Proulx, Elm Reyes, Kay-Ann Ward in a Fringe promo photo by Joy Adeola.
REVIEWS: Toronto Fringe Festival 2025
This collection of Toronto Fringe Festival capsule reviews will be updated throughout the festival with writing from 20 different critics.
iPhoto caption: Masae Day, Landon Doak, and Michelle Fisk in 'The Wind Coming Over the Sea.' Photo by Lyon Smith.
REVIEW: A new Emma Donoghue musical takes root at the Blyth Festival
As a resident of southwestern Ontario, what struck me most is how deeply rooted in the region The Wind Coming Over the Sea feels. It's a lively reminder of the cultural inheritances that continue to shape the area today.
iPhoto caption: The cast of 'Major Barbara.' Photo by David Cooper.
REVIEW: Shaw Festival’s metatheatrical Major Barbara is sharp and subversive
Director Peter Hinton-Davis draws on a light smattering of Brechtian techniques — acknowledgements of artifice that enrich and vivify Major Barbara’s clash of morals.
iPhoto caption: The company of 'The Frogs.' Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Staged inches from the audience by director Griffin Hewitt, the show commendably captures the free-wheeling, anarchic spirit of the text. It’s a toad-ally great opportunity to see this rarity in the froggy flesh.
iPhoto caption: Jeff Lillico as Ralph with Yoshie Bancroft as Mitsue in 'Forgiveness.' Photo by David Hou.
REVIEW: Stratford Festival’s Forgiveness tells a deeply personal story on a sprawling scale
Presented in an increasingly tense political moment, Forgiveness resonates on a level that is part reflection, part warning.
iPhoto caption: Photo courtesy of Luminato Festival.
REVIEW: Is Tim Crouch’s An Oak Tree worth seeing twice at Luminato?
Crouch tests the limits of theatrical representation, improvisation, and authorship. While I’m usually a sucker for exactly those types of experiments, I ultimately found An Oak Tree a bit underwhelming.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Aisling Murphy.
In the darkest months of Yukon winter, it’s all about the Sun Room
I’m here for a week in January as a guest of Nakai Theatre, a hub for theatrical experimentation and outside-the-box programming in Canada’s westernmost territory.
Armchairs, tattoos, and an online theatre magazine
When I started at Intermission, my world was limited to the confines of an armchair. Arts journalism was a high it felt dangerously fruitless to chase. The life stretched ahead of me was amorphous and frightening, a chasm filled with hand sanitizer and immigration concerns. It was worth crying over a spilled kombucha and scrubbing at the stain.
iPhoto caption: Liz Appel headshot courtesy of Liz Appel.
Five questions with Wights playwright Liz Appel
Intermission spoke with Appel over email for a brief Q&A about Wights, now playing at Crow’s Theatre until February 9.
Call for applications: Publishing and editorial assistant
Intermission Magazine is seeking a dynamic and collaborative individual to join our team.
iPhoto caption: What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab
Announcing What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab
What Writing Can Do is timed to coincide with the Grand and Theatre Aquarius’ co-production of Waitress, which will serve as a jumping-off point for discussions throughout the Lab.
iPhoto caption: A Christmas Story production still by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: A Christmas Story feels fresh at Theatre Aquarius
If you want to catch A Christmas Story before it closes, good luck — the show is close to sold out, and with the talent on that stage, it’s not hard to see why.
Comments