Inside American Pie - the anatomy of an anthem

★★★★★

Inside American Pie is, at its basic level, an autopsy of an all-American anthem.

Inside American Pie at Curve, photo by Manuel Harlan

But it's so much more than that. Mike Ross is our knowing "Joker". As a master of ceremonies of sorts, he created the show with his wife Sarah Wilson, which is performed at their theatre, Harmony House on Prince Edward Island, Canada. In it, he ties together theories, unpicks riddles and dissects the intricacies of Don McLean's hit, commemorating the tragic 1959 plane crash that took three musical icons: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Booper, better known as "The day the music died".

The pair describe their show as a "docu-concert", which feels somewhat of an injustice in its simplicity, but I cannot think of a better descriptor, other than masterpiece. This loss for words closely represents much of what is discussed in the song: lives cut short, wars, and politics, all eerily close to today's headlines, where black print on white paper feels too small and too sadly familiar. A star-spangled banner falls as a backdrop to the show, lined with bulb lights and a classy red velvet curtain. The set, designed by Lorenzo Savoini, is the picture of patriotism.

Spotlights highlight the five PEI-native musicians as they deliver hits from the era of rock and roll. The new arrangements (from the masterful mind of Ross) feature everything from glockenspiels to kazoos and tambourines, and give new and thrilling context to songs that we thought we knew. Musicians Alicia Toner, Brielle Ansems, Greg Gale and Kirk White deliver a damn swell "The Times They Are A-Changin'" and "Dark Moon Rising", in particular, and embody the very soul of everyone from Janis Joplin to John Lennon (not Lenin, which lyric websites lead us to believe). Dare I say, some of the songs sound the best I have ever heard them - revived, a-new.

As they perform, excitement escapes Ross, in his Canadian tuxedo, as he serenades the keys of his upright piano. Suitably, the anatomy of his instrument is exposed, the keys and hammers, transfixing to watch. He rises enthusiastically from his seat, in awe and admiration of the cast of his fellow musicians, who move seamlessly between instruments and icons, as the verses progress.

Between these songs, Ross addresses the audience, sharing his thought process behind McLean's puzzle. The assassination of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King Junior, Charles Manson, the Altamont Free Concert and the Kent State massacre are all highlighted in a whistlestop 90-minute tour of US history. At times, the It's Always Sunny Pepe Silvia meme is conjured in my mind, but it's difficult, nor would you want to, deny the connections - instead, you root for Ross, eagerly anticipating the next lightbulb moment. And they come in spades.

You'll leave the theatre with enough new knowledge to impress your friends and potentially win a pub quiz, and with a new way of singing the line: "Drinking whiskey in Rye."