Summer Theatre Season rushes in with the Rain!

I'm a teacher, so Summer for me is a glorious time! I get to read - A LOT - and luckily for me, because I live in Edmonton (the unofficial theatre-capital of Canada) I usually get to rack up a few shows right off the hop! I'm going to go in reverse order for what I have seen - so far - and let you know there are some great shows on offer in the city right now! 

Photo by Kristen M. Finlay

Most recently I took in Once at Walterdale Theatre. I've seen this show several times before (I think 3 different other companies) but it's one of those shows that you can see multiple times and still be wowed. I was definitely wowed by this one. The company does a terrific job telling the story with the actors also playing all the instruments and singing and dancing while playing them. The musicianship blew my mind. It's also a lovely show to see in the intimacy of Walterdale. As an audience there were definitely times we were all holding our breath together. It's a show that's both funny and sad, but the music is wonderful. Leasing the cast are newcomer Mark O'Reilly, as Guy, and Miriam Veugelers, as Girl. As an almost-couple they are charming and their contrasts make us root for them so much. They are both excellent musicians and singers and there's a real connection between them. The show runs to Saturday, July 18th and Tickets are available here, but I encourage you to purchase them sooner rather than later as they have Sold Out many of their performances so far. 

I almost saw Cocktails at Pam's at Teatro Live! on it's Opening Night, but a freak storm shut down the power. I will be going to see it later this week. I never miss Cocktails at Pam's - It's such a terrific script - and the Teatro Company knows exactly how to do it (it's also directed by the playwright, Stewart Lemoine, so you KNOW he's aware of how it should be done). For all the times I've seen (and done it myself) I am always surprised and delighted by the mayhem that ensues. The first 15 minutes we managed to see before the power died were hilarious, so I can't wait to see the rest! It runs until July 26 at tickets can be purchased here. 

Photo by Nanc Price

Last Tuesday, I was at the Citadel for The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Having directed the show before there was a lot of wonderful flashbacks in seeing it. But it was a long time ago, so I had totally forgotten who won and I was sooooo invested! This is one of those adorable musicals that are so fun to watch. Part of that comes from the fact that because the show requires audience participation (extra spellers are selected before the show starts) and they may or may not spell words correctly or incorrectly as anticipated, the cast has to be on top of it and roll with whatever happens! The 6 Spelling competitors are also very charming in their own way. We had an excellent audience speller the night I saw it who was just as surprised as the cast when they kept getting words right! Anyhow, the show is super fun and a terrific choice. Everyone on stage is excellent and I had a great time. I was particularly delighted to see Mark Sinongco in the show, as he was my Chip Tolentino 13 years ago when I directed the show for ELOPE. The show runs to August 2 and Tickets can be purchased here. 

I also saw two shows that have since closed... Sorry I was so busy I didn't have time to write about them earlier. 

Photo by Brianne Jang

I saw Much Ado About Nothing presented at the Freewill Shakespeare Festival. It was very funny and I had a great time. Jesse Gervais as Benedict was hilarious, as was Ron Pederson as Dogberry, but the whole company was in fine form. It was also so incredibly wonderful to be back in Hawrelak Park for the Festival. This was a great show for them to come back with, and a terrific company of players to present it. I do hope next year they return to two Shakespeare pieces in rep, but I applaud them for taking on Something Rotten this year.

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I also caught ELOPE's presentation of 42nd Street. It was such a cheerful show full of tap-dancing (like FULL OF tap-dancing!) and classic songs that are earworms that you cannot stop singing for at least a week afterwards. I knew a few of the performers but many were new to me. I was so delighted to see Madison Lalonde as ingénue Peggy Sawyer. I directed Madison last year and she is such a joy. That quality was evident onstage as she was simply wonderful. I also greatly enjoyed Katy Yachimec as the diva Dorothy Brock. So great to hear her belt some of those big songs.  The company was terrific and everyone in the theatre, both onstage and in the house, had a great time!

Next on my list is a second chance at Cocktails at Pam's and then I am seeing Once again. After that I am heading off to Ontario where I will take in a few shows at Stratford! And then... You know what's coming to Edmonton in August - The Fringe! 

A Weekend of Song and Dance! City of Angels, West Side Story (AGAIN), and Hair!

This past weekend, we took in not one, nor two, but THREE musicals all within the span of about 27 hours! We also squeezed in a meeting with a contractor and piano lessons so we really maximized our time!

We started on Friday with ELOPE's production of City of Angels.  This is one of my all-time favourite shows to sing and I was very pleased with the production I saw.  It's a show that suggests a huge proscenium with flys and trucks and revolves as it switches from real life to the story of film so I was curious how it would play on the Faculte St. Jean stage. They did marvelous job making it all work. Kudos to the cast for handling the challenging music, particularly the super tight Angel City Four and the stellar leads - Jason Hlus, Trevor J, Monica Roberts, Andrea Graham, Erin Vandermolen-Pater and James Toupin. It was great to see the show on stage again (I haven't seen it in over 20 years) and have it live up to my memory.

On Saturday afternoon, I finally made my way back for a second viewing of West Side Story at the Citadel.  I had seen it Opening Night and was blown away by it! The Singing! The Dancing! The Momentum! I cried twice and spent a good deal of the show in awe of the talent onstage.  Pamela Gordon as Anita is literally as-good-as-it-gets! Eva Tavares as Maria is both fierce and delicate with a voice that cannot be more perfect.  George Krissa as Tony has a charm that emits like a strobe light from the stage. The whole cast is incredible particularly when they dance.  The direction and choreography is flawless. Choreographer Laura Krewski has worked some true stage magic that makes you think this show should ALWAYS be done on a thrust stage, and director Bob Baker has amped the testosterone levels so that it's terrible end feels tragically inevitable. Going again on Saturday confirmed for me how fabulous the show is.  I cried, again, but in totally different places. And oh, to her Pamela Gordon and Eva Tavares sing together in their heart-breaking duet... just fabulous! Only one week left for this one as it closes on May 22nd.  You can get tickets by calling 780.425.1820 or going online to www.citadeltheatre.com.

Finally, we grabbed a bite to eat and settled in at The Mayfield for a groovy evening with Hair. The show was a lot of fun with great voices delivering the catchy, rambunctious songs of the hippie-love-in show. I am not as familiar with the show, but found the ensemble cast quite entertaining. I really liked the comic character bits, especially those portrayed by Sheldon Elter and Amber Bissonette. The show runs until June 12th at The Mayfield and you can get tickets here. 

A Trip to Runyonland... ELOPE presents GUYS AND DOLLS at the Timm's Centre

I have a fond attachment to ELOPE Musical Theatre.  When I moved to Edmonton in 2005, the first how I auditioned for (and got in) was ELOPE's Fiddler on the Roof. There I met many good friends who remain part of the core of my friends today.  A few years later I was in Baby with ELOPE which added many more terrific people to my friends list and a few years later I directed The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee which was an amazing experience.

This season, ELOPE is putting on the classic Guys and Dolls at the Timm's Centre.  It's a fun world of gansters, gamblers, showgirls and salvation army misionaries in New York in a time long past. The songs are highly recognizable from the cutsey A Bushell and a Peck, to Sue Me, to I'll Know, to the title song Guys and Dolls. This cast handled the music well, particularly the leads.  Christina O'Dell and Stephen Allred as the mismatched Salvation Army Missionary Sarah Brown and Gambler Sky Masterson both had sweeping voices well equipped to handle their soaring love ballads.  O'Dell handled the challenging If I Were a Bell terrifically with a full sounding soprano and Allred's Luck Be A Lady was similarly well delivered. James Toupin and Karin Thomas as the more comic couple Nathan Detroit and Miss Adelaide had a real chemistry.  They've appeared as a couple onstage previously (The Full Monty) and their ease with each other really worked onstage.  Thomas was a lot of fun and made some terrific character choices to great comic effect.  Toupin's Detroit was a great foil and always believable.  They were great onstage separately and even better when they shared the stage together. Another highlight for me was Joe Garreck as Nicely Nicely Johnson.  He did a fantastic job on the show stopper Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat.  

If I had one criticism, it would likely be to clip a few of the dance numbers both in length and in people onstage.  Sometimes in the big numbers like the Havana scene and Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat it got hard to know what to look at because there was just too much going on.  With a show this length some of the dances originally put in to cover scene changes could have been shortened to move it a long faster.  But that's me... I'm sure someone else has a different opinion on that.

It's a fun show and one you leave humming the songs.  A little birdie from Tix on the Square told me that it is selling really well, so this might be one to buy your tickets in advance for.  It was certainly a packed house last night!

To London and Paris by way of Sherwood Park...

If you'll recall, I directed a fabulous show for ELOPE last season and this past weekend I took a drive out to Festival Place in Sherwood Park to see what they had up on offer this season.  Due to the size and scope of the production, ELOPE and Sherard undertook co-producing the Western Canadian Premiere of the Broadway musical A Tale of Two Cities by Jill Santoriello. As I expected, knowing the standards of Music Director Sally Hunt, the music was excellent.  It's a sweeping epic score to match the story and the cast, in particular the leads, were well equipped to handle it.  I heard quite a few people I had never heard before and was very impressed.  I hope I get to work with them in future. Todd Hauck, as Sydney Carton, was a particular standout vocally, and although sometimes I felt that Santoriello's score included unnecessary songs that added little to the narrative or emotional journey of the character, they were gorgeous to hear as sung by Hauck. Also enjoyable were Molly Danko as Lucie Manette and Justin Kautz as Charles Danay.  They made for a lovely couple.  I also quite enjoyed Brad Bishop as the resurrectionist Jerry Cruncher and Randy Brososky as John Brasad.  I hadn't know that Randy could sing, having only seen him in non-musicals previously, and it was a nice surprise as he not only could sing, but could sing well.  Both Brad and Randy gave polished performances that always picked up the energy which occasionally flagged in the 3 hour long show.  The villains were villains and the heroes were heroes and the sweeping saga was supported by an earnest and committed ensemble.

I did have some challenges with the production, primarily with regards to set and some odd directorial choices. The costumes, by designer Patti Zeglen, were wonderfully detailed and seemed to do most of the work to create the world.  For a show this epic in scope, however, the set seemed too simple and bare.  Although the hanging rope cones and accompanying round discs were interesting, they failed to really fill the stage.  Perhaps if there were some more architectural pieces to ground the world and allow the cast to use more levels on the deck it would have worked for me, but it felt odd to have actors sitting low to or actually on the floor. I also didn't get the crawling that the cast engaged in to transaction from scene to scene and move the set.  It was clear to me that the ensemble was crawling around the stage purposefully and as a result of direction, but it did little to make me think they were in 1770s France and England. It just didn't work for me. I do appreciate a production taking a risk, however, in this case, I do not think it served the piece.

I was able to over-look it, and enjoy the show.  The singing and commitment of the performers onstage was enough to keep me engaged. There are some wonderful voices in this show and if you have the chance you should check it out. A Tale of Two Cities runs until March 8th at Festival Place.

Closing Night... and On to the Next Thing... But First... A Wee Break!

We closed the show last night.  It was a great show with a fabulous audience and like most closing nights it had that feeling in the air of something extra special.  Overall, it was a great experience for me as a director.  I had a couple issues with actors not trusting my vision, but it all came together. I think when people have been allowed to do whatever they feel like in the past, they have a hard time cultivating discipline when asked to.  Sometimes it takes longer for people to trust the Director and you do what you can to earn it, but you can't always compel it to happen.  All I can do is work hard and work in excellence and let my work speak for my skills. I know that the show was very good and underneath the laughter causing moments there was a real truth, so that made me very happy, and it made many people cry. An added bonus was meeting new wonderful people who I will hopefully get to work with again and working with some favorites from the past.  It's always good when you surround yourself with great people. I take a break from musicals for a little while as I move on to other projects, but I do have my ear to the ground for a good option or two that I can coerce the Magnificent Sally Hunt to work with me on!  If the Fabulous Jake Hastey joins us, I certainly won't argue against that! We ended the show in fine form, strike was remarkably fast, and then wrapped it up with a party around the campfire!  It was nice to socialize and relax and enjoy each other's company.

I do have another project on the horizon.  I will be directing Death Comes to Auntie Norma at the Edmonton Fringe this summer.  I now have to knuckle down and construct a schedule for that. I also have to do the books for From Cradle to Stage at Walterdale.  I did feel a weight lift off my shoulders when I woke up this morning, but now, thinking about the things I stall have to do, I am starting to feel it again!  Oh well, I have to get the books done today or tomorrow and same with the schedule, because on Wednesday I am off to Toronto to visit my sister!  It is a much needed trip away and it will be nice to go and not be responsible for anything!

The Lights Go Out But Not the Show!

So yesterday I wasn't feeling well, so I made the call to stay home and miss the show, and MISS THE SHOW I DID!  What happened was apparently an AMAZING Night of THEATRE!  About 15 minutes from the end of the show, the theatre lost power and the show was stopped.  When the tech determined that it was not coming back on he made the announcement that the space would have to be evacuated into the Lobby.  The audience cried out, "But how will we know who wins?!" and in less than 30 seconds the cast and band moved the show into the Lobby and performed the rest of the show there.  Luckily there was a piano in the lobby and two of the musicians had portable instruments (no drums, but our drummer air-drummed along with the rest of the show).  The audience sat on lobby chairs and stood and some even sat on the floor and they were rapt.  The cast adjusted their choreography and blocking to the new space and just went with it.  They all describe the evening as magical.  How I wish I was there!

It is a true testament to The Show Must Go On!  I know that it worked because they all knew their characters and stories so well that it didn't matter where they were when they told it, but only that they told it truthfully.  Where you might except a potential train wreck, they were graceful and fluid - going with it.  It was described to me by someone in the audience as follows:

"It was an amazing moment of "the show must go on" -- congrats to everyone involved, it was a fantastic production & a beautifully committed ending!"

They are truly inspiring to me!

"Woah! Slooooooow Down There Lady!" - What my body is telling me...

We were returned to the audience last night after our 10 day hiatus and it was a fabulous show.  The emotional energy in the space was the best and other than a few issues with mics, it was another awesome show.  So pleased and proud.  A friend of mine, who has seen almost 50 shows this season, was there and she related the following on FB:


"I just had the best experience I've had all season at the theatre. And since I've seen nearly 50 shows, that's saying something.  I laughed a tonne, I wept for the pain of childhood. And I was blown away by the incredible performances - on stage and off.  Congrats, Kristen Finlay and the rest of the 'Bee' participants - you are all T-A-L-E-N-T-E-D!!"

She's also someone who wouldn't just say that to be nice, so I was very touched by her post.

I hope that people make it out.  It has been selling really well though, so I recommend getting tickets in advance.  But I have lost count of the number of people who tell me they can't believe it's a community theatre production, and these are people who see a lot of theatre.  I think the community aspect is merely in that we are a community of players, friends as well as performers, many of whom will be life-long friends after this.  I think there are quite a few people in this cast who on the basis of their training and talent should be working in theatre. There are people in this cast that are just as good, if not better, than some professional actors I have seen over the last few years.   I feel honoured to have been able to direct them.

For my really good friends, I really do not want to hear you say to me next week or the week after that, "Oh I wanted to make it, but I missed it." Even thought I am not onstage myself, I am so very proud of this, that I will be a touch disappointed if you don't try harder.

Anyhow, tonight I must stay home.  I am glad that I went last night and saw it again with an audience, but I wasn't feeling well then and it has gotten worse today.  It's that bone-aching exhaustion thing that tells me I really need time off, and since I want to be up for Closing Night, I figure I better rest now.

Photo Credit: Janine Hodder

And Rain Will Make the Flowers Grow...

This day has been up and down for me... mostly because I finally did a few of my personal errands that I have been putting off because of a lack of time.  And these errands/tasks were both very expensive.  The first thing was arranging for Oliver's Orthodontists appointments for him to get his braces.  This will cost us between $8000-9000.00 when all is said and done.  I also had to do a little money moving from long term savings so that I would have it in place to pay for the teeth-work... ugh... It's times like these that I wish I was working for a school board somewhere with a nice dental plan and benefits instead of paying it all out of pocket... Sigh...

The second thing I did was book Summer Day Camps for the kids at the U of A.  The four weeks I booked will cost me around $1650 and those are just the sports camps.  I still want to book in a drama camp and an Art Gallery camp and those are generally more expensive. Why do I do Day Camps? I could theoretically keep them home, but then I would be fighting for them to go outside and be active and these camps are really good.  The U of A ones were phenomenal last year and I like it when my kids are worn out from a day of doing things. The Art Gallery and Drama camps are generally very good too and add diversity to their summer.

Anyhow, these are good and bad things - good because they are done and will be good for the kids in the long run, but bad because of the cost, so it was up and down.

I will end the day on an up with the Second Opening of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.  I have missed the show and look forward to seeing it again tonight with an audience! I know a lot of people coming tonight so I am excited to see what they think of the show!

Photo Credit: Janine Hodder

Over Halfway Through Hell Month! And it's not so bad...

Well, I have made it through the toughest part of the month... having both shows Open and up and running.  Spelling Bee is a resounding success so far with audiences leaving with aching ribs from laughing so hard.  I have gotten so many wonderful comments from people on the show.  I hope that you all find the time to make it out to the last part of the run (May 29th - June 1st).  It's an extremely high caliber show in terms of the talent onstage and even if you are not a musical theatre fan, I dare you not to enjoy it.  The script itself is so smart and sharp and funny. From what I have heard tickets are going fast for the remainder of the run so I would advise people to pick them up sooner rather than later. For me it's a weird feeling to be in the middle of a run but technically on a break from a show.  I miss them all!

Last Night From Cradle to Stage opened on Walterdale's stage.  All the pieces were in place and the shows themselves ran very smoothly.  It was great to have an audience there reacting and laughing.  I hadn't realized how funny the second show was until the audience came in.  But to be honest, I was worrying about my set and props and other details of the production.  The best thing for me was to see these brand new works up on our stage.  Because one play was written by three playwrights, that meant we actually helped four young playwrights get their work onstage!  It remains a point of pride for me that Walterdale continues to foster new, local playwrights in this way.  The Festival just started and there are 5 more shows (we run to Saturday, May 25th) and for those of you who wanted to know more about playwriting, there is a Playwriting Workshop on Sunday, May 26th that is free to all Walterdale Members ($25 for anyone else and we throw in a membership!).

But the hardest part of this was getting to Opening Night.  It's opened and it was well received and now I can relax a bit before Strike and the next Opening of Spelling Bee! I don't know if I will pile as much into one month again, but it is nice to know I can handle it!

Final Dress for Cradle to Stage and a Flight Around Europe with a Viscount... All in a Saturday's Work!

I had a take a break from the Bee to handle some things at Walterdale as we had our last Dress Rehearsal and Theatre Clean before Preview and Opening for From Cradle to Stage. Things went remarkably smoothly and the only thing I didn't like was that it meant I had to find parking in the area on a Saturday.  For those of you who know the Strathcona Farmer's Market traffic situation you know why this was irksome.  I made it work and it only cost me $4.00! I have been so happy with how things have gone with Cradle this year.  I was upfront with the level of my busyness so I did a tonne of work to try and be super organized and everyone stepped up to the plate and we are in great shape with very low stress! Huzzah!  Today is the Artist's/Director's/Students' Preview and it will be nice to show the work to some people outside the team. Show is at 2 p.m. and students with ID can see it for FREE! We open tomorrow night at 8 p.m. The shows this year are lovely and strangely thematically linked.  Each deals with seeking healing and forgiveness after a traumatic event and coincidence/fate causes the people to meet the right people to allow that to happen. Some nice, strong work from these new playwrights.  After we ran the dress we cleaned the theatre and then celebrated with pizza! It's a nice group of people and it was great to visit with them all in a more social atmosphere.

Following the pizza I took my friend Heather to see Flight of the Viscount by David Belke at Shadow Theatre. The show was tonnes of fun as we followed the escaping Viscount James Westerly (Jamie Cavanaugh) across Europe as he is pursued by the relentless maid Maggie (Caley Suliak).  Along the way we encounter many strange and hilarious locals all played with much hilarity by Nathan Cuckow. Cuckow was a delight to watch, his accents more outrageously funny than strictly accurate and a variety in facial hair that added greatly to the comedy.  Cavanaugh and Suliak were fun to watch, playing off each other deftly.  I was fascinated by the main set piece which became a myriad of items in a Rubiks Cube-like fashion, but I was disappointed with the projections which provided the backbone of setting the scene.  I liked the use of maps, but to use a projection to represent so much, it meant that some of the other lighting was compromised and there were many a dark spot here and there on the remainder of the deck. I am being picky, but I have a pet peeve with projections in theatre - I only like them when they work perfectly. However, It was a nice light evening full of laughter and I did enjoy myself.  I think they close today, so if you want to catch this fun show you have to act fast!

So today, I return to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at La Cite.  We have a matinee today, then we pack up for a week and return on May 29th for four more shows. I missed it last night so I am excited to see it again and see what today's audience does with it!

Two Shows Down! Happy Director Dance!

I just got home from the second show in the run.  I took Mark to Opening Night yesterday and he was up onstage as one of the audience volunteers.  It was fun to see him up there as he knew very little about the show despite being my husband and because he is very competitive so he REALLY wanted to get the words right.  The show was wonderfully received.  I so enjoy how much the audience laughs.  The best post show comment for me, however, was from a friend who said:

"I knew I would be laughing, but I wasn't expecting to cry."  

I felt like I had succeeded because I really wanted it to be more than just another fun musical.  It is that, but I also wanted it to have heart and a sense of realness under the quirky exteriors of the competitors.

Tonight I took Oliver, who is almost 12, to see the second performance. I was concerned about the "inappropriate for young children song" (not it's real name), but I needn't have worried.  Oliver was more concerned about the candy than actually paying attention to the song.  He has fun and I was very, very pleased as the show was even better than Opening.  The first night had a wonderful electricity as Opening Nights often do, but tonight was clean and sharp and still so very, very present.  Happy Director Dance for me!

And then I came home to this brilliant review from the St. Albert Gazette.  So pleased with the analysis and assessment of the show as a whole and of the individual performances.  A very nice end to a long week!

Selected Quotes from the Review:


"The talented cast has attacked William Finn’s score with tons of energy and are fearless in taking risks. They immediately establish their characters without straying into caricature.

Kudos to director Kristin Finlay for channelling the energies of an engaging cast of adults playing children.

But throughout this frothy fun there are some important lessons to learn. Family isn’t always right, and it’s all right to win and just as okay to lose."

- Anna Borowiecki, St. Albert Gazette

Meet Mark Sinongco - Chip Tolentino in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

What is your role in this show? 

I play Chip Tolentino, last year's winner of the Putnam County Spelling Bee. All he wants is to win again this year … However, puberty has some other plans for him.

What is your background in theatre? 
I was first introduced to Theatre at M.E LaZerte under the instruction of Pamela Schmunk. After graduating, I moved to Victoria, BC and trained at the Canadian College of Performing Arts, receiving a Diploma in Performing Arts. In those years, some of my favourite roles include Ren (Footloose: The Musical), Reverend Hightower (Bat Boy: The Musical), and Prince Amir (The Ash Girl).

What is your favourite word to spell, and why? 
ICUP
Definition: A lame joke told by 3rd Graders, and apparently recent college graduates.
Sentence use: Hey man, how do you spell ICUP?

Photo Credit: Janine Hodder
Kate Wylie as Mitch and Mark Sinongco as Chip Tolentino

I Really Should Be Sleeping... But I'm not... We Open T-O-M-O-R-R-O-W

What a fun night!  We had the ELOPE Board of Directors come and watch the show tonight and some of them participated as audience volunteers so we would have a practice run before Opening and it was so much fun.  The energy give and take from them allowed me to see the show through new eyes, which is not easy to do after living with it for so long. I spent a bit of time tweaking light cues so that they were as good as what was happening onstage, but for the most part I just enjoyed it.  It was great to have four volunteers onstage who didn't know what was coming and a good 8-10 people in the house enjoying the Bee!  It's why you do Previews.  I think it was really good for the actors to hear the laughs and feel what that felt like before we face our first ticketed audience tomorrow night.

TOMORROW...

Goodbye! Goodbye!

I have wisely left myself time tomorrow to rest and get ready.  I do have to do a little shopping.  For those of you who know me, I am a bit of a show gift weirdo (in a good way) and I have a few more to get.  I was going to do this dictionary theme, but I think because everyone has a computer now it is actually very hard to find many pocket dictionaries.  Why buy a book when you can type a word into Google?  Anyhow, I have rebooted my show gift plans and it will all be lovely!  So I can sleep in a bit, write cards and do a little shopping.  My mom is watching the boys so Mark will be in attendance so that is nice!  

Anyhow, here are a couple more fabulous photos from Janine Hodder from our Tuesday night Dress Rehearsal!

Barfee (Curtis Knecht) at the Mic!

Pandemonium - The Best Speller won't necessarily win!

Of Souls and Spelling Bees...

I have been so knee deep in Spelling Bee this last little while that I feel bad that I haven't taken a moment until now to write about Catalyst Theatre's production of The Soul Collector.  As it was, I was very fortunate to find a night when I could actually take in the show.  I actually booked the tickets over a month prior as I missed Frankenstein due to it's being Sold Out and I vowed that would not happen this time (especially after I heard so much about what I had missed from all my friends!).  So, on Friday night I met up with AM and we took in a bite and a show.  We had great fun at the lobby Photo Booth. Very cool to try on the show inspired costume pieces and since we are both theatre performers we could not resist the tickle trunk! It is good to be able to just be silly! It was also cool to run into a few people from Spelling Bee there that night.  I guess we all had the night off!

The show, the show, the show... First I have to talk about the design and concept.  It was a visually stunning piece.  From the costumes, to the alley set, with everything labelled and outlined very intentionally, to the toboggan race, to the accountants, to the ballroom dance, to the many incarnations of snow it was one of the most conceptually complete pieces I have ever seen.  It is not so much that it was all black and white and grey, but more that everything had the right off-kilter feel and Tim Burton/Gothic kind of aesthetic.  It's not just a black coat - it's the 'perfect' black coat with the 'perfect' detailing.  This show is why I think Scenographer Brette Gerecke is a genius.  It's absolute proof of it.  This was matched with the choreography and the tone of the script.  So complete.  Watching this show is like taking a masterclass in design.  The cast itself was outstanding.  It's hard to single people out since they worked so well as an ensemble, however, I felt Karyn Mott was lovely in the lead as Memory McQuaid.  Her bright hair and textured voice made her very compelling. Opposite her, Benjamin Wardle as Gideon Glumb was delightful.  Because the stage was in an alley arrangement, it created a bit of a detachment effect for me, however, Wardle seemed to easily reach beyond that wall.  Similarly did Garett Ross as Popcorn Pete. Ross was fun to watch in his many incarnations - always drawings us in.  It is hard, though, to single people out - From Elinor Holt as the Icy Soul Collector whose vocal range was truly impressive, to Nancy McAlear as Anemone Knight whose dance was as elegant as her sadness. I thought Eric Wigston as tortured, love-struck, composer Thorvald Jesperson was note perfect, his record-skipping solo amazing.  I saw no flaws from anyone as they were all committed and strong in their performances. The script... hmmm... I am a bit torn on this.  I left the play really liking it, however, for the first 1/3 of the show I found it hard to get into.  I struggle with heavily-narrated shows and I think the narration off the top combined with the alley stage made it difficult for me to immerse myself right away.  There were also some balance issues with the sound so I couldn't really make out many of the lyrics of the first song the ensemble sang.  It was tightly and terrifically choreographed, but without knowing what they were saying I felt like I was reaching to understand what it was about.  Solos were always clear and those are what brought me into the show.  So, like I said, the first third I was disconnected, the last 2/3 thirds I was there and really captivated. It may also be that this is more of a show that is about the concept and style.  The narration automatically removes the audience so that you know it is in the realm of story-telling.  It is not until we start to hear the characters own voices that we start to care about them.  I am still pondering the message of the show.  I think this would have been a good one to see more than once and from different vantage points.  If they remount it, I would definitely try to catch it again.

And so, I was glad for the night out in my busy week! This weekend after Spelling Bee opens I will be catching The Flight of the Viscount at Shadow Theatre. Wish me luck for a good opening on Thursday night!  I was very excited to see our huge photo in the Edmonton Journal this week and to hear that tickets have been moving fast at Tix on the Square.  I am so pleased with the show.  I'm tickled because our SM frequently says to me following a run,  "This is NOT a Community Theatre show..." I think so too, but it is nice to hear it from someone else!

Meet Matt Graham - Carl Dad in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Matt Graham - Carl Dad


What role do you play in the show?

I play Carl Dad- one of Schwartzy's two fathers. He is an extremely competitive coach, and will stop at nothing to see his daughter take the Putnam Bee!

What is your background in theatre? 

I did a few shows for my high schools drama club, but some recent highlights include playing Horton in festival place's "Seussical the Musical" as well as getting the chance to work as assistant music director on the Walterdale Playhouse's production of "Nine" last summer!
This is my first production with ELOPE, and I'm SO excited to be involved in this show!

What is your favourite word to spell?

Mamihlapinatapai- "a look shared by two people, each wishing that the other will offer something that they both desire but are unwilling to suggest or offer themselves". So wonderfully succinct!

Matt Graham and Dean McQuay as Carl Dad and Dan Dad in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Photo Credit: Janine Hodder

Homestretch! Feels Like We Need An Audience!

The ensemble cleaning arms for I Speak Six Languages (featured in picture: Kelly Webber and Meredith Honda) 

So, there are only two more rehearsals for Spelling Bee before we install in the space on Monday.  We have Sitz Probe tonight.  This is where we add the other instruments to the music with the cast.  It can be complicated because very often a note played on piano will sound very different played on a Cello and it is nice to have a rehearsal solely devoted to the music at this stage.  We know all the parts, we need to put them together.  I am excited to hear the sound with the orchestra! Usually I do a theme night for Sitz Probe because it is a great cast/orchestra bonding time.  I like Pyjama day, but it is too warm for my Snuggie, so we are going with "Beach Party"!

Then on Sunday night we have a run through and then we are in the space! A big shift for me after doing Walterdale shows.  My fabulous Stage Manager, Kim, and I have meticulously planned out the time on Monday so that we maximize what we get to do in the space before Opening Night. It's crunch time, but there isn't much crunchy about the show so I am far more relaxed than I expected to be.  All the fixes required are tiny tweaks.  It is great for me to see the actors still playing and keeping it present and real.

Here are a few more rehearsal pictures from the amazing Janine Hodder:

Amanda Neufeld as Rona Lisa Perretti

Nadien Veroba as Olive and Curtis Knecht as Barfee

Nadine Veroba, Curtis Knecht, Meredith Honda, John Evans, Kristin Johnston and Mark Sinongco as the Spellers!

Pieces Falling Into Place... Walterdale One Acts and ELOPE Spelling Bee...

Both of the productions that I am working on are getting close.  I like this time, for the most part, especially when things are running smoothly. This afternoon, I watched the rehearsal for both of the One Acts in Walterdale's From Cradle to Stage today so I could see what the set looked like under the lights to check on colours and such and I was delighted on more than one front.  First, the way lighting designer, Brad Melrose, has lit both shows really works to transform the space into two distinct environments.  This is not easy when one place takes place outside in a wooded ravine and the other is inside a mental health facility.  I was very happy with what he did.  I was also so pleased to see where each of the shows were at in terms of the acting and such.  I think that the playwrights will be pleased with how the directors have served their work.  I haven't had any contact with the shows since the first read through, although I have spoken to the directors with regards to set and props, so it was great to see that the plays were clearly in good hands!

In the evening we had a  cleaning and spacing rehearsal for Spelling Bee.  Choreographer Jake Hastey was back with us to see where we were at with the dance numbers.  I was very happy that we were able to show him some really clean numbers that he didnt' have to do much more with.  I always want the dance in my shows to be top-notch, so I made sure that we worked them a lot in Jake's absence.  Kudos to our two Dance Captains, Kelly Webber and Cleo Halls, for leading that over the last few weeks.  I was very proud of my cast tonight!

I was also tickled to get a phone call from my Mom, saying she went to Let the Light of Day Through at Theatre Network because she read about it in my blog.  She said she wouldn't have gone if not for the write up I did as she couldn't really tell much about it from the advertisements.  She loved it. So I am glad that I helped get her there.

Photo: Director Eric Rice on the Exposure set... setting lights.

Meet the Music Master of Spelling Bee - Sally Hunt, Music Director

Sally Hunt:  Music Director

What is your role on this show? I am responsible for the music in this show.  This one is particularly fun -- the lyrics are really fantastic.  How many shows rhyme "exuberance" with "protuberance".  So much fun!

Tell us about you experience with ELOPE: My first outing with ELOPE was their production of South Pacific, circa 1988.  I was a singing and dancing nurse.  My most recent project with ELOPE was music director for I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.  And I'll be back as music director for next season's A Tale of Two Cities.

What is you favourite word to spell? Favourite word to spell:  loquacious.  It's a great word, and is a more grown-up way of saying "chatterbox" (which I definitely am!)


photo credit: Janine Hodder

Overlap! Knee deep in two major projects, attending read-thorugh for the next one tonight!

So, despite my desire to slow down this season, I did not... clearly... I am directing The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for ELOPE which runs May 16 - June 1 at La Cite Francophone and I am Coordinating and am Production Manager (and set-designing and painting) for Walterdale's Annual From Cradle to Stage festival of new one act plays which runs May 20 - 25 at Walterdale with a Playwright Workshop on the 26th.  So if you look at those dates you can probably figure out why I might get cranky over the next few weeks... So far so good. I think I have managed to hold myself together despite numerous hiccups primarily concerning ridiculous arising scheduling conflicts with the first one and some minor communication issues with the second.  Everything is delightfully on track and barring any further complications I should survive May! With my set painting I am ahead of schedule due to some terrific volunteers who came out to help me and that is very nice as it meant I could do a few other things today instead of going in to the theatre.

Anyhow, tonight I get to dip my toe in the waters of my next project.  I have been asked to direct a Fringe show - Death Comes to Auntie Norma!  Tonight we have a read-through so that I can hear the play aloud and so that the playwright (Zack Siezmagraff) can revisit it before he writes his next draft.  I am looking forward to meeting the entire cast and hearing the play so that I can let it percolate in my brain under the surface before we start really working on it in June. Should be fun!

Meet the Cast of Spelling Bee - Rolando and Erin!

Rolando Bautista

What is your role in this show? I play Paul Coneybear, one of Leafs siblings.

What is your background in theatre? When I was in high school I did Pippin, Urinetown, and Babes in Arms. But that was kind of it, haha. I’ve never taken any singing lessons, most of the techniques that I use now (which isn’t very much) when I sing is mostly self-taught, but I think I’ve gotten pretty far considering! This is my very first ELOPE production, actually my very first production outside of high school and I’m extremely happy to be a part it!

What is your favourite word to spell? My favourite word to spell  is Awkward because it just has a weird vibe to it when you’re spelling it as compared to saying it, not quite sure how to explain it but it’s a weird word to spell but I like it.


Erin Foster-O'Riordan


What is your role in this show? Olive's mother, or more precisely, Olive's dream version of her mother--a dream where her mom is longing to be with her as much as she longs to be with her mom.

What is your background in theatre?  After years of being far too serious for my own good, I re-connected with my love of theatre, and am so grateful for the experiences I've had, and the people I've met. With ELOPE, I appeared in Baby as part of the ensemble of crazy mamas, and as Irene Malloy in Hello, Dolly!  Favourite roles elsewhere include Truvy in Steel Magnolias, the Wife in Putting it Together, and Cathy in The Last Five Years.  

What is your favourite word to spell? Chimerical. So beautiful yet so melancholy!