Finster Finds

Last night, Walterdale Theatre kicked off their 61st Season with Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson, and directed by Kim Mattice Wanat. ( Full Disclosure: I am President of the Walterdale Theatre Board of Directors ). It is a lovely show, with a charming ensemble who tell the story beautifully. There is a lot of humour, music, and above-all wonder at the universe and awe in those that pursue knowledge. It's the kind of wonder that brings tears to your eyes and indeed there were a number of audience members wiping away that evidence as the lights came up. It's also quite beautiful to see - indeed magical - thanks to the set and lighting by designer Beyata Hackborn. It was a wonderful way to kick off the season! Silent Sky runs to October 12 at Walterdale Theatre. Click here for tickets. Photo Credit:  Henderson Images -  www.hendersonimages.ca

Here's what's starting onstage in Edmonton in October.  Silent Sky - Walterdale Theatre - October 2-12 The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt, Silent Sky explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications. Henrietta Leavitt and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and the Earth. Open Invitation - Saint Maggie Productions - October 2-12 Becky is an exhausted mom and her husband Sebastian is a man trapped in a soul killing day job. It’s date night and they are going to attend a “snobby” dinner party at the home of one of Becky’s old show-choir friends. Some of the guests she’s known for 20 years, some she hasn’t seen since high school. Sebastian doesn’t want to go and is convin...

I had a hoot of a time at Vidalia , the most recent production offered from Teatro la Quindicina at the Varscona Theatre . As promised in its promotional materials, it's a " ricochet romp, which ratchets things up further with three identical briefcases and a scintillating cast." The events begin in a coffee shop, where Girl in the Red Jacket (a playful and quirky Helen Belay) overhears Woman in Glasses (Belinda Cornish looking very severe - but that changes) on the phone. Spotting Man in Suit (the befuddled and confused Chris Pereira), the Girl makes contact and sets off a chain of events when Man in Trench Coat (an amused and focused Andrew MacDonald-Smith) enters the scene. The plot involves 3 identical briefcases that go through a myriad of switches in an effort to get them to the right person. There's a threat of danger - never specifically outlined, but it's there. There's a budding romance, or two. There's much changing of clothes and hiding o...

Sometimes when you are very excited for something, it fails to live up to your expectations. This is NOT the case with The Color Purple currently running at the Citadel Theatre . As I wrote earlier, I loved Alice Walker's novel and I am happy to report that the production is everything and more than I could have hoped for. From the first few seconds of the show, when Celie (Tara Jackson) and Nettie (Allison Edwards-Crewe) sing a child's rhyme together, you know that musically you are going to be treated to something magnificent. This grows as the full cast joins them onstage and the world of Celie is created. The power and beauty of this cast in their vocals is majestic. It's the kind of music sung so well that it makes you want to lift from your seat. The Citadel has done an incredible job of bringing together this cast which has no weak links, each voice expressive, joyful and strong. Kudos to the cast and to Music Director Floydd Ricketts for creating such amazing sou...

I'll be kicking off my 2019-2020 Theatre Season next week starting on Tuesday night, when I take in The Color Purple at the Citadel Theatre. It's the musical adaptation of Alice Walker's 1982 novel of the same name which was adapted into a film by Steven Spielberg in 1985 starring Whoopi Goldberg, Danny Glover, Margaret Avery and Oprah Winfrey. I'm excited to see this, as I am a great fan of the book, having read it shortly after it was published and similarly loved the movie. As I am a musical theatre fan, I think I will have hit the trifecta! There are a lot of new-to-Edmonton artists involved in the production, but it also stars Tara Jackson as Celie. Jackson was previously seen in Edmonton at the Citadel in Hadestown,   Bittergirl: The Musical and Mamma Mia! and at the Mayfield in Jesus Christ Superstar . She's one of my husband and my favourite local musical theatre performers and I can't wait to see her onstage in this show. I'm seeing the show earl...

Some new titles popped up yesterday, I think because different 'types' of shows produce different audiences. Check out yesterday's Word of Mouth recommendations: - Babble On - Hello (I heard this one A LOT yesterday) - Rose Petals and Ashes - For Science! - Muttnik - Josephine - Chase Padgett - Heart Attacks ad Other Blessings - Hotel Vortruba - Larry (I think I have heard this one every day) - Hits Like a Girl - Reality Crack - Field Zoology 101 - Promise and Promiscuity - Are You Loving It - Can of Worms - You are Happy - Merk Deux Soleil Click here for tickets! Feel free to leave your Word of Mouth Recommendations in the comments (in case I don't see YOU n the line ups!)

In fewer lines today but chatted with a few people in audiences! Here are Monday's Word of Mouth Recommendations: - Queen Lear is Dead - Juliet: A Revenge Comedy - Larry - For Science! - Mind Games: Brain Bending Magic - Dandelion - Someone Will Win a Car - Crescendo! - You are Happy - Playthings - yegDND - Hello - 13 Dead Dreams of "Eugene" Click here for tickets!

Many of these Word of Mouth recommendations come from the North Beer Tent - always a great place to pick up suggestions for 'what to see'! Check out some these shows that were recommended to me as I visited in the Beer Tent, waited in lines, and sat in shows (all discussion was before the show started!)... Word of Mouth - Sunday, Aug 18: - Boy Trouble - Zach Adams - Kevin, King of Egypt - Killing Jar - Larry - 7 Days - Juliet: A Revenge Comedy - Colin Mochrie and Friends - Eye Candy - Jung and Crazy - Playthings - Chase Breyer - Didn't Hurt - Flora and Fawna Have Beaver Fever (and so does Fleurette) - Hack - Queen Lear is Dead - TWO - Triassic Park

I'm having a wonderful time at the Fringe this year! It's a great benefit to have the time off to really deep dive into a wide variety of shows and it has made for a nice little roller coaster so far! I kicked off the Fringe on Thursday night with 2 shows at the Varscona Hotel. The Big Bright is a new musical which combines musical theatre with clowning tropes and explores the impact of advertising and media on self-esteem. Whimsical costumes and biting humour are highlights of this show. Be warned, despite the costume aesthetic, it is not for kids! It was an interesting and out-of-the-box way to explore the issues of self and media. I followed that up with Never Swim Alone - a Canadian classic by Daniel MacIvor. This is a perfect script, and if you haven't seen it, I recommend checking out this tightly directed and well-performed piece. Friday was another great grab-bag of shows for me. I started with World's Wife featuring a trio of excellent actresses perform...

One of the benefits of seeing such a wide variety of shows at the Fringe is that I talk to very different people who like different things. It was cool to hear so many shows as I asked people in the line ups and in audiences about what they'd seen and what they'd recommend (Note: they are not allowed to tell me a show that they are personally involved in!). Here's today's Word of Mouth Recommendations: - Josephine - Second City Presents ... She the People - Martin Dockery (You Belong Here) - Gordon's Big Bald Head - Two - The World's Wife - The Walk in the Snow - The Legend of White Woman Creek - Colin Mochrie and Friends - The Thin Grey Line - Larry - Check Me Out - She's Not Him and He's Not Her - Pack Animals - Martin Dockery (The Surprise) - The Bald Soprano - Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me but Banjos Saved My Life - Chase Padgett Link to the Fringe website for tickets.

We wrapped up The Light in the Piazza this weekend and that opened up for me a bit of time to check out some of the theatre going on in the city this summer. Many companies are quiet or busy getting ready for Fringe, but July is great for shows from Teatro la Qundicina and the Freewill Shakespeare Company (River city Shakespeare Festival). I took in The Bad Seed at Teatro last Friday. Capturing the style and tone of 1950s movie thrillers, this was an excellent adventure in creepiness. There were many moments of shoulder shuddering resulting from a look or phrase from Rhoda, the child in question, played by Lila Solymos. The entire cast embraced the stylized tone of the piece and it was picture perfect. Nicole Elbro’s journey as a mother learning more about her child than she can handle is excellent, as is Cathy Derkach as Monica, the neighbour who talks too much (it’s a good thing). It’s the whole nature vs. nurture question brought to life onstage, unwrapping clues and buildin...

Sometimes you get busy with your life and you have to cut back on things. That happened to me this year. The return to teaching was AWESOME but also very time consuming because I wanted to do it right. It was primarily a junior high drama position and it was splendid - great kids, great projects and a fabulous school! Now, the thing is, I also had committed to a number of theatre projects over the year (prior to deciding to return to teaching) and not being one to quit anything if drastically cut into my theatre-going and theatre-blogging. I did see some terrific shows that I managed to squeeze in, but based on the Sterlings, I also managed to miss some good ones. Now that school is out, and Fringe looms in the near future, I will be getting back to theatre going and blogging all about it! First up is actually a show I have been directing for the past few months - The Light in the Piazza at Walterdale Theatre. It runs July 3-13 (there is a Student Preview on Tuesday, July 2nd). ...

It doesn't really ever quiet down in the #yegtheatre scene. It's a great thing for those of us who love to see a lot of varied shows!  Here's what is onstage in Edmonton in January of 2019 aka " Time to fill in the brand new Calendar "! Malachite Theatre presents Macbeth - January 4-19 at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church. Last year they served up Twelfth Night and created a cozy atmosphere in the church. This year it's a little darker, so I am really wondering what the decor will be as it stays up throughout most of January! Click here for more details or to purchase tickets. Sweat at the Citadel Theatre - January 12 - February 3 in the Shoctor Theatre. It was part of my former job at the Citadel to read all the scripts in advance of the new season. When I read this one, I cried. It's raw and very honest and will break your heart when you least suspect it. In the current economic climate of Alberta, with many laid off and struggling to find wo...

How to kick off 2019 in a big way? Attend the Broadway Across Canada production of The Illusionists on New Year's Day like I did! Well, it's here until January 6th, so you can still start the year off in a really magical way! I took Gibson as he has always been intrigued by magic (we often watch Penn & Teller's Fool Us ) and there were so many times during the show where we would turn to each other and say "HOW?!?!?". There are five illuisonists and the show moves briskly from one outstanding trick to the next. two of the performers, Colin Cloud (The Mentalist) and Andrew Trent (The Futurist), have a bit of the stand up comedian in them so there is also quite a bit of laughter. Trent was particularly fun with the close-up magic (it's all filmed and projected so you can see it very clearly) and Cloud's Sherlock Holmes mind-reading tricks blew my mind! Jonathan Goodwin (The Daredevil) was more of a physical extremes guy, escaping from a straight...