Finster Finds

After a fairly busy January, I've started mapping out my February theatre plans.  There are a lot of things on so it's making me choose carefully. Of course, it's time for the Chinook Series (on now).  There are quite a few shows that are on throughout the festival so you should check out the schedule and find something! I'm going to be seeing Ursa Major, for sure. It looks like a beautiful love story and it's written by Meg Dart and directed by Beth Dart, both of Catch the Keys. I've heard that ugly crying might happen so I will be bringing tissues to deal with that! After all that crying, I will be moving on to a few comedies! First up will be Boeing Boeing at Walterdale.  I saw the show at the Mayfield a few years ago and had a blast.  I'm looking forward to seeing how Walterdale handles this crazy 60's farce about a Paris bachelor who is engaged to 3 different stewardesses on different flight schedules. Trouble happens when a freak storm cau...

This past week I took in the Edward Albee classic, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the Citadel. It seems odd to use the word classic because the play, particularly this well-acted and well-directed production, seems so crisply current.  It was simply an amazing night at the theatre. The 3 hours whip past you at a break-neck pace and keep you engaged the whole time. The two intermissions are nice for a breath and to stretch your legs, but WOW what a show! I've seen the play twice before - both good productions with solid casts - this production was totally worth seeing it again.  It was like seeing the play for the first time. Tom Rooney, as the bedraggled George, plays it subtle and sneaky.  Brenda Robins, as the seemingly dominant Martha, brays and plays with an electric energy.  The younger couple, Nick and Honey, played by Jay Clift and Ava Jane Markus, are wonderfully lost in the chaotic world of George and Martha's living room. All in all, it is a del...

On Friday night, I found myself in a very comfortable place.  I was back up on the Walterdale stage reading for the Donor Voted Show Event. It was a great evening that saw a nice turn-out from the membership and raised $800 for the theatre as well as helping to select one of the shows for the 2016/17 Season.  The three shows up for consideration were Queen Milli of Galt; The Attic, The Pearls and Three Fine Girls; and The Glace Bay Miner's Museum. I had a great time reading from the second selection with Kristin Johnston and Kat Evans.  John Evans was also involved reading for the other shows. It was fun to read with some really good actors who I've been lucky enough to direct before, but not perform with. After the votes were counted, Queen Milli of Galt was declared the winner! Now Artistic Director Anne Marie Szucs has one of her shows decided for next season and she has only to select the four others to round out the roster! A fitting end to a week I spent get...

This past week I took in NLT's Flora and Fawna's Field Trip (with Fleurette) at the PCL Theatre. I'd seen the show a couple of years ago at the Fringe and was so excited to return to the Magic Fairy Ring again! I brought someone who hadn't seen it previously and she got to be the Fox and go up onstage and participate (how exciting!).  The show is so heart-warming and hilarious and although all three of the actors onstage are brilliant, I have to admit Brian Dooley as Fleurette just kills me! It's a wonderful story about being different and still finding a way to belong and be kind. The show wrapped up this weekend here in Edmonton, but it's heading to Lunchbox Theatre in Calgary and for those of you down there, you should definitely check it out!

I'm never sure what to expect for those stage shows that are constructed from popular movies so I generally just go in to them hoping for a good time.  I did have a good time at Dirty Dancing , recently presented by Broadway Across Canada at the Jubilee Auditorium, but I think that is primarily because I am a child of the 80's.  I don't mean that I was born in the 80's, I mean that I was a teenager/young adult then and as a result I probably have seen the movie Dirty Dancing upwards of 10 times.  The stage show really tried to capture the movie - particularly the iconic moments.  It does that well.  The dance montages, the classic lines (" I carried a watermelon ." and " Nobody puts Baby in the corner .") and of course The Lift and Final Dance - those were all there.  But there were a lot of unremembered moments from the movie, probably more than the stage show needed.  When moving mediums I think they needed to consider that a play/musical is just...

I've started my Theatre Planning for the new year.  I've already booked tickets for a few shows. I will see my first show of 2016 tomorrow when I take in Dirty Dancing at the Jubilee Auditorium as part of the Broadway Across Canada series.  I'm not sure exactly what to expect, but I have a feeling I will know the music and that nobody will be putting Baby in the corner! No doubt I will have the time of my life! ha ha! Then it picks up next week when Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen opens at the Citadel. I'm looking forward to getting it all rolling. This show already has terrific buzz about it as it has played to filled houses along it's tour. I'm also looking forward to the music. Next on the list is Flora and Fawna's Field Trip (With Fleurette) at the PCL Theatre presented by Northern Light Theatre. I saw this show when it was at the Fringe a couple of summers ago and it made me laugh and cry. It's such a wonderful piece about accept...

Over the holidays, I managed to take in a few shows.  Early in the season I saw A Christmas Carol and She Loves Me, which I talked about in earlier posts. To keep the momentum going, I also took in The Best Little Newfoundland Christmas Pageant Ever   presented by Whizgiggling Productions at the Backstage Theatre and then Jack and the Beanstock (a pantomime) at Capitol Theatre in Fort Edmonton Park. Both were a lot of fun.  We took the boys to The Best Little Newfoundland Pageant Ever and I was so glad we did.  They giggled and laughed and had a great time watching this show. It's a wonderful story about a Christmas Pageant taken over by a family of troublemakers.  As the pageant comes together those problem children both learn and teach in a way that is simply hilarious. It's also full of terrific live music. This was the 6th year for this show and I hope that it will be back again next year.  Definitely worth a return visit. I wished we had taken ...