Getting in the Spirit of the Season with THEATRE! Castle Spectre and The Vinyl Cafe Kick it all off!

I've been super busy this week because I have my sister visiting from Ontario, but I did see a couple of show son the weekend that I think you should check out. 

The first was Castle Spectre, presented by Paper Crown Theatre at the Gateway Theatre. It's an adaptation of a gothic play from long ago. It's been edited for length and some characters have been trimmed to create a tighter piece more suitable for modern audiences. The story tells of a haunted castle with a history of treachery and a long lost daughter returns, not knowing who she really is. The story leans on gothic tropes, like ghosts and a mysterious prisoner in a dungeon, as well as an isolated heroine. There's a lot of humour, particularly from Father Philip (Andrew Mcready), Motley the fool (Christian Lundgren, who also plays the villian, Lord Osmond) and a delightfully Scottish housekeeper Alice (Samantha Beck). As the heroine Angela, Irene Poole has a lovely onstage presence and a beautiful voice. She sings duets with the ghost of her mother, Evelina, the equally talented Maggie Salopek. It's a lot of fun and worth checking out, particularly if you like stories of castles and long lost royal heirs and sword fighting! It's perfectly suitable for younger audiences, but only if they are able to handle the running time as it is a two act piece - so maybe not the really little ones.  It runs to November 30th at the Gateway Theatre and tickets can be purchased here. 

Photo: Nanc Price

I also saw The Vinyl Cafe at The Citadel. I'm a big fan of the CBC program, The Vinyl Cafe and have listened to a lot of them. I was both excited and apprehensive about seeing it because I love the show but I also wanted it to live up to my expectations. I needn't have been apprehensive, it was such a  lovely and fun show! It may not look or feel exactly how you imagine it (there's a wide distance between Stuart Maclean's voice and musical theatre), but the spirit and themes of the stories are spot-on. The bulk of the show is built around the classic story, "Dave Cooks the Turkey", but there are other bits and pieces from many of the recognizable favourites from the Vinyl Cafe. There will be moments that surprise you! The music is tuneful and fun and the entire cast is terrific. They are all wonderful singers and dancers committed to selling the story, so whether there's 2 or 3 or the full cast onstage, it's really well done! The central family of Dave, Morley, Stephanie and Sam were the emotional heart of the show, as they should be. I even teared up in the last number. I left the show feeling so good. It's a  wonderful holiday theatre adventure, and for me the theme of leaving behind petty disagreements to share in the joy of the season with your friends, family and neighbours is so very timely. The show has been held over a week and now runs to December 7th and tickets can be purchased here. 

I mentioned I've been busy - I also saw How Patty and Joann Won High Gold at the Grand Christmas Cup Winter Dance Competition  at Northern Light Theatre - which was hilarious and heartbreaking and I highly recommend, and about which I will write more about later; and Carrie presented by MacEwan University Theatre program, which while it is not my kind of musical, it was excellently done - I will write more later about this, as well. 

And now I am off to Guys and Dolls presented by Foote in the Door! It's been a very busy week!

Ridiculous Fun and a Surreal Personal Adventure - The 39 Steps at Teatro Live!

There's something very weird about going to a new production of a show that you have been in as an actor, or have directed in the past. This first happened to me 25 odd years ago when I saw Hello Dolly! at the Citadel a few years after having being in it. I remember being very disassociated from the show because of how close I had been to the material. I couldn't get into it. A decade or so later I went to a production of Steel Magnolias only a couple of years after having played M'Lynn, and the opposite thing happened as I found myself so immersed in the story that I was body-shaking sobbing at the end of it. So I wondered how seeing The 39 Steps at Teatro Live! would affect me. I hadn't been in the show, but I had directed it 4 years previously at Walterdale Theatre across the street. It was my first show coming out of the COVID shutdown and doing it actually woke me up from the low-key malaise I was experiencing after being in lockdown for so long. 

I'm pleased to say that, while surreal, the experience of seeing Teatro's production (directed by new Artistic Director, Farren Timoteo) was quite a lot of fun! It was really interesting to see what was done differently and what was pretty much the same, and of course, what surprised me (and there were a few of those moments). Of course, I have a deep emotional attachment to my own production but this is such a hilarious piece of theatre and the room the script gives to explore and try new things means that I would likely see it again done by another company because it offers that world of  "let's see how ridiculous we can make this!" to any cast and team!

The 39 Steps, Teatro Live!. Photo by Marc J Chalifoux

So, what's it all about? The show recreates Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps, where Richard Hannay (Geoffrey Simon Brown - a youngish, and extremely flexible, Hannay with a somewhat pinched upper class accent) is swung into a spy plot by a chance encounter with femme fatale Annabella Schmidt (Priya Narine). After an unfortunate death, Hannay is forced to flee to the Scottish Highlands to evade a murder charge and hopefully foil spies (we know about as much as he does which at this point is not very much!). Along the way there are dozens of other characters played by 2 clowns, Katie Yoner and Michael Watt, and two other women of note also played by Narine. The multitude of different characters played by the 2 clowns leads to much hilarity as they swap hats and coats and accents and wigs with great fervour and often with nary a breath between one and another. This cast as a whole are obviously skilled improvisers as they had to deal with costume and hat and set malfunctions and did so with humour and quick thinking - a confession  about a moustache has likely never been so funny. This was much in the spirit of The Play that Goes Wrong - except I am not sure all or any of the mishaps were planned. There are a lot of moving parts and I did sometimes wish for a a tighter execution, perhaps thinking back to how many times I had rehearsed a particular hat, coat and wig swap when preparing my own production. It could be that this show will be a little looser and allow for those magic moments of live onstage problem-solving. Judging from the audience laughter it was certainly appreciated. 

I encourage you to check this show out - whether you've seen it or not - it's a wild ride and literally a laugh-a-minute! As we move into the colder winter days, you'll be grateful for the silliness! 

The 39 Steps runs until November 30, 2025 at the Varscona Theatre. Tickets run from $25-42 but there are also Pay-What-You-Can Tuesdays and a Free Wine and cheese Night. You can purchase your tickets Here. 

Social Issues - According to the Chorus and Wildcat

I thought I would catch up a bit and  chat about a couple of shows I saw that I didn't have time to blog about at the time. Sometimes I get busy... I still have a post to write about my last day of Fringe this summer as I usually collapse after Fringe wraps up that whatever I see on the last day gets neglected... Anyhow, I digress... 

I say two pieces this fall that were both heavy on social issues, each of them approaching them in a very different way. 

The first, According to the Chorus, was presented as the October production at Walterdale Theatre. It told the story of the backstage of a Broadway show during the mid-eighties during the height of the AIDS crisis. The show also alluded to other social issues, eating disorders and domestic violence, but these were not dealt with in as much depth. It was a clever way to talk about what was going on at the time, as Broadway was no doubt hit harder than other industries with illness and death. We heard about this from the perspectives of the chorus girls and saw the impact of the disease on the stage manager Vander (played by Josh Young) who seemed to shrink before our eyes throughout the show. The show was definitely telling this story from a new perspective - that of those observing it happen while it is not happening to them. I felt the script could have used a little more work as it seemed to want to lean into comedy and petty disputes, but I was very impressed with the actors who did the work to make the world feel real. 

The second, Wildcat, at first glance seemed to be about a former union activist searching for relevance as she ages, however, it shifted to be really about catfishing and online fraud and a unique way that elderly people might be caught up in giving away their money to unsavory people. I will admit, I feel that the activism storyline that kind of bookends the piece could have been eliminated and it would have been stronger. The clever set-up for the catfishing and how the problem is solved is the shining diamond of the play. That's where the story moves and gets entertaining and engaging, and I think it tells a story that we all need to hear to protect ourselves. I'm getting older and I could see very clearly how someone, lonely and isolated and wishing for their past could get swept up in the danger. I think the bookends about activism might have come from the inspiration for the characters and the perception of a necessary backstory, but I think it might be a case of less is more - OR - maybe there's actually two plays there - maybe there's a play about the Activist that earns the ending epilogue.  It is a fun piece of theatre and the acting is excellent (Michelle Fleiger, Maralyn Ryan, Melissa Thingelstad, & Graham Mothersill). The second act gets very funny and dangerous and there's some terrific choreography used to help support the story-telling. I'm certainly still thinking about it, & that's always what you want from theatre! 

A Nostalgic Theatre Adventure Continues with Beehive: The 60's Musical!

The Cast of Beehive: The Musical
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On Thursday night I had a wonderful time revisiting the music of the 1960s with St. Albert Dinner Theatre's Opening Night of Beehive: The 60's Musical. The show was handily directed by Caitlyn Tywoniuk with Music Direction by Dalton B. Terhorst. It featured a talented collection of 6 singer/actor/dancers who wove together a journey through the pop music of the 1960s. While I was not alive for most of the 60s (note: I say most of as I was born during the tail end of the decade) I was very familiar with most of the songs due to growing up with the radio on and absolutely loving the 60s girl group sounds! I also directed and performed in a similar show, Shout!, a number of years ago at the Fringe and there were some overlaps in song selection. Needless to say, I was quietly singing along to many of the songs in Beehive! 

The cast was very well suited to the music, both in voice and dance (choreographed by Sabrina Thieven). Their harmonies were bang-on and each of the 6 actors had moments where they could shine. Josephine Herbut as Wanda, skillfully guided us through the journey, and I loved all her songs. Her voice never falters and has such a beautiful tone which is perfect for the music of the era. Her renditions of Walking in the Rain and The Beehive Dance were simply terrific! Sika Clarke as Pattie is a powerhouse vocalist which leads to a dynamic version of You Don't Own Me. I absolutely loved everything that Renee DeSilva-Bissell (Jasmine) sang as she is remarkably vocally flexible. Her Diana Ross inspired, You Can't Hurry Love, is a showstopper. Melanie Dobos (Allison) has a bright youthfulness and elegance that is charming in her rendition of Where the Boys Are. Chrissie Palacios (Gina) stands out when she delivers the classic, (You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman, and Kelsey Hoople (Laura) channels Janis Joplin with a warm and smoky medley including Cry Baby and Me and Bobby McGee. Through all the songs, the cast works as a true team backing each other up with energetic dance and tight harmonies. They also don't limit themselves to the stage, but literally work the crowd with shout-outs and weaving through the audience to make the whole thing more immersive. It was a fun ride! 

I should also mention, that this company is a dinner theatre, so the evening starts with a buffet meal which was delicious. This was also the company's first foray into producing a musical and they've done a terrific job with an excellent piece of theatre!

Beehive: The 60's Musical runs on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until November 22nd. Tickets are $70.00 and that include dinner and the show and can be purchased here.