Vidalia at Teatro la Quinicina! Onions that can make you laugh instead of cry!

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 of identities and of course, there are onions! It's very silly and the cast runs full-tilt with the ridiculousness of it all. Belay is particularly charming as the unflappable Girl who seems to like to both create and solve problems. Pereira is similarly fun to watch, as he is like a pinball being bounced around with her every suggestion, many of which he is unsure of and much of which he is terrified by! Cornish is super fun, starting severe, shifting to sexy, and always underscored with insecurity, as she tries to solve her problem and maybe meet a nice guy in the process. MacDonald-Smith is the straight man in this cast - debonair and charming, with an underlying threat of violence (but only if necessary).

I don't want to give away too much of the plot because it's best that you just go in a see where it goes. It's silly and fun and full of laughs, and perfect to warm you up as we move into a chilly October!

Vidalia runs until October 12th at the Varscona Theatre
Click here for tickets!


Photo Credit:
Andrew MacDonald-Smith, Chris Pereira, Helen Belay, Belinda Cornish in Vidalia, Teatro La Quindicina. Photo by Mat Busby

Where the Wild Things Fringe - Word of Mouth - Sunday, August 18

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

Fringe Reviews: JOSEPHINE and TRAGEDY: A TRAGEDY

Josephine
Venue 1: ATB Westbury Theatre

Something drew me to this show right from the start and I am so glad because it turned out to be a real highlight of my Fringe experience this year! I knew a little about Josephine Baker before seeing the show, but I soon realized that I didn't know very much. Her life was incredible and this one-woman show performed by the engaging and charismatic Tymesha Harris leaves you wanting more! It's hard to pack so much into 75 minutes! I left wanting to find out more - searching my wikipedia for details and looking up images online... now I'm looking for a good biography. Now that's the sign of a good show! If this makes it to hold-overs, do try and catch it, because it's Sold Out for the rest of it's performances.

Click here for tickets.

Tragedy: A Tragedy
Venue 3: Walterdale Theatre

Blarney Productions does it again with this quirky, odd piece by Will Eno. A brve news team tries to capture the unfolding event in the wake of a tragedy, but nothing much is happening... still they report... making much of nothing, until that becomes too much for them. The cast captured the style perfectly and it was hard not to laugh, so I did! Thoroughly enjoyable.

Click here for tickets.

Fringe Reviews: MACBETH MUET, WELLSPRING, ESCAPED ALONE and XANADU

Macbeth Muet
lafilledulaitier.com
Venue 9: Telus Phone Museum

This show was so good. So. Good. It's better, I think, if you know Macbeth, but really even if you just know the high point of the story this show will blow you away. It's funny and inventive and so incredibly clever. I think it's the perfect way to do Shakespeare, particularly the bloodier plays. I cannot get over the cleverness of their choices. The music made it so accessible and from eggs, to paper towels, to paper plates and lots and lots of fake blood, you will be mesmerized and laughing. I recommend this to everyone!

Wellspring
Venue 13 - Old Strathcona Library

A trio of intertwining monologues from three women who live in a community affected by fracking. While it doesn't add anything new to the issue, this show serves to humanize people caught up in dynamics of health and quality of life vs. energy and economics. I did long for more action and conflict within the story, and it takes a little while for the script to get to the details of each of their journeys, but the three actors are honest and committed to telling their stories.

Escaped Alone
Venue 9 - Telus Phone Museum

I'm still thinking about Escaped Alone. It's a complicated piece that takes a bit of time to wrap your brain around. There's some wonderful acting from the four women onstage (Judy McFerran, Vivien Bosley, Alison Wells and Holly Turner) who sit in a garden discussing the items of their lives. Secrets are revealed, some bigger than others, and the most striking moments are in monologues where inner-most thoughts and feelings are revealed. Interspersed with their conversation are Cassandra-like predictions of a terrible future. This is one to ponder for a while.

Xanadu
Venue 25 - Strathcona High School

It's wonderfully fun, musical and campy, and it pulls out all the stops. I had so much fun at Xanadu. I have to admit, I saw the movie,... when it came out,... in the theatre,... probably more than once... I also clearly listened to the soundtrack and the songs from the show over and over, because I surprised myself by knowing all the words. This production is a really fun ride, and you will be swerving from laugh to laugh by their over-the-top antics. Plus, everyone in the cast can sing and dance AND Roller-skate. I'm once again blown away by the quality of production delivered by SatCo at Fringe.

Fringe Reviews: LET'S TALK ABOUT YOUR DEATH, DON'T FROWN AT THE GOWN, SIRENS, and CONTRACTIONS

Let's Talk About Your Death
Allspice Theatre
Venue 11 - Nordic Studio Theatre

A show that's both silly and serious, Let's Talk About Your Death, is set in a world where a machine exists that can tell you how you will die. Capitalizing on that is a Dr. Phil-like TV personality who interviews those from the audience who have just found out 'how they will die'. Complete with thematic advertisements and spontaneous moments that neither the actor nor the audience know where they will go, this show turned out to be both hilarious and touching. Knowing about your death turns out to be much more about how you choose to live.

Don't Frown at the Gown (by Darrin Hagen and Trevor Schmidt)
Guys in Disguise
Venue 12 - Varscona Theatre

Another terrific play from the Guys in Disguise, this time tackling the shifting values of the 1960s with regards to the feminist movement as young bride-to-be Susan (Trevor Schmidt) goes to the bridal shop with her domineering mother (Darrin Hagen) and her best friend maid-of-honour Frankie (Jason Hardwick). There they meet the bridal shop owner, Lady Laura Lee (Jake Tkaczyk) who seems to have a few secrets of her own. Filled with laugh-out-loud moments fueled by excellent writing and fine acting, this play serves to be much more as it touches on the restrictions of both following what's prescribed and breaking free from the expectations of society. What works especially well is that it could easily be played by actors of either gender and it would still be funny and moving. In fact, there's a monologue or two in this that I personally want to get my hands on.

Sirens
Atlas Theatre Company
Venue 12 - Varscona Theatre

Billed as a story about a myth-life crisis, this show had a lot of potential - fun premise and strong cast - however, the script itself was not quite up to the challenge. There are funny bits, primarily coming from Louise Lambert in a variety of roles (from solitaire-obsessed Siren, to perky travel agent, to acerbic waitress) and Mat Busby in a small but memorable role. As a couple celebrating their 25th anniversary, Adele and Sam, Stephanie Wolfe and Julien Arnold work hard to push the piece, but the writing just doesn't feel worth it. It's an interesting premise, but relies a bit too much on cliches and generalizations to make you care.

Contractions
Dogheart Theatre
Venue 13 - Strathcona Library

Just how much does your employer get to say about your life? That's the question this show seems to ask. In more and more ridiculous ways, the Manager (April Banigan) demands information and action from her employee Emma (Kristi Hansen). It's sharp and funny and many people will relate to Emma's need to stay compliant and positive despite unreasonable demands from the Manager. Hopefully no-one relates too much, as some of the demands are truly horrific. A solid piece where office politics have severe consequences.

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

The Best Romances are Tragic... Eugene Onegin presented by Edmonton Opera at the Jubilee

Yesterday I took in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin presented by Edmonton Opera at the Jubilee Auditorium.  It was beautiful to watch and hear. The production captured all the expectations of a Russian story.  I am currently reading Anna Karenina and in watching this opera I felt transported.  Everything looked and sounded and felt just right.  The costumes are delightful.  The opera moves from the rustic country outdoors, to a country ball and then finally to a more formal ball.  As it progresses, the costumes get more and more opulent, reminding us where we are and who these people are. I must comment on the Lighting by Designer Geoff George. It is some of the best lighting I have ever seen and I see a lot of theatre.  Act II, Scene 2 in the woods is absolutely breath-taking.  I actually gasped out the words "how gorgeous" at one point. The sets are simple but at the same time lush and atmospheric.  Kudos to the cast for managing the rake of the deck so well.  I hope they know how beautiful it looks, giving the stage the appearance of being even bigger than it already is. 

I really appreciated the incorporating of the Shumka dancers to the piece - the chorus dances too, but Director Tom Diamond and Choreographer Brian Webb have used the skills appropriately to build the sequences so that the moments of dance and celebration contrast the impending tragedy of the story arc.  Diamond's direction suited the piece well.  There is a simplicity and minimalism to some scenes that heightened the emotions and holding those against those moments where the stage is full seemed to underscore the doomed trajectory.  

The tragic love story would not be so wonderfully told if it weren't for the outstanding performances by Aleksey Bogdanov as Onegin and Dina Kuznetsova as Tatiana.  A strong and dashing figure onstage, I was reminded of Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice, but this is no Austen novel.  This is a Russian love story where no one gets a happy ending.  Bogdanov has a rich full voice that makes you understand why Tatiana loves him and Olga loves to flirt with him.  He plays his moments of bravado just as well as and as convincingly as those of sorrow and loss.  Kuznetsova is a performer with great depth and layers.  She  makes her transformation from shyness to passion to sadness with her whole being.  Even when she just sits, listening to Triquet (the french fop played with great humour by James McLennan),  her emotions are raw and revealed.  Her voice is gorgeous - I could listen to her sing all night long.  Andrej Dunnaev as Lenski and Maria Kateava as Olga each bring excellent characterization to their roles.  She is bright and flirtatious and charming and his anger is palpable. A smart choice was made to cast Russian singers - they are all so wonderfully connected to their text.  It is not difficult to ascertain the intrinsic emotions of any of the scenes. 

Like everything Russian, it has a feeling of being epic, even though it is just a story of 4 people who lose at love and friendship where they might have won everything if they had made different choices.  Perhaps that is why it works so well as an opera. 

Of Women and Women - Gender Politics in The Penelopiad at The Citadel

Contrary to the title, I am not going to spend a great deal of time talking about gender politics other than to say that because of recent events in the world like this and this and this there is something so relevant and current about it.  You wouldn't necessarily think so since it tells a story that is ages old, but it tells it through the eyes of Penelope, the patient and faithful and clever wife of Odysseus.  Over the past few years, when studying drama at the University of Alberta and in working on my own plays a common question was "Why this play now?" and it makes me look at the theatre I see through that filter.  The Penelopiad has relevance now, because there are many, many situations in the world, and not just far away from us in the world, where women are relatively powerless in the world of men.  Something to think about...

And now, about the play and the production...

I read Margaret Atwood's play four years ago and loved it. It is a play that reads remarkably well on the page.  There is a reason for this - it's very much a story told through narration.  And I would say, that if you are going to have a play with this much narration, get Beth Graham to do it.  She was so strong as Penelope and she never failed to engage the audience.  You sympathize and connect to her and Graham makes Penelope likable and compelling and funny.  The world is created by the ensemble of maids who double as the many characters in Penelope's life from the arrogant and beautiful Helen of Troy (Mary Hulbert) to the clever and strong Odysseus (Lisa Norton) to the fawning and sniping nursemaid Eurycleia (Catherine McNally).  It's hard to single people out because what is truly lovely about this production is the strength and the evenness of the ensemble.  It was refreshing to see the stage filled with 13 strong women actors and see no weaknesses.  All the women, save Graham, flip effortlessly from maid to suitor to king or queen.  Some transitions taking place onstage with a simple addition of a costume piece and all of them flowed perfectly from one character to the next.  They sing and dance as a chorus carrying the story along and Don Horsburgh's music is used well to create the feelings of the moment as required. Director, Brenda Bazinet, deftly uses humour (more so in the first act) to engage us but she does so with the right amount of reserve so as to not take away from the drama of the piece. It all takes place on the gorgeous set created and lit brilliantly by designer Brette Gerecke. It is beautiful to watch and look at.

I like this idea of the modern and accessible re-telling of the old stories.  I like that you can understand every word and be drawn in and not feel like you have just read some dry and dusty book about mythology and legend.  I especially like that it re-invents the story and tells it from the point of view of a dis-empowered character and in that way empowers her. Why this play now?  Well, it's about time...

DUST Gets in Your Eyes and Minds... NLT at the PCL

Tonight I went to Northern Light Theatre's DUST at the PCL Theatre.  It's setting is harsh - Abu Ghraib Prison - and we walk in knowing how the story ends because we have seen it play out in the media. So it is not about the typical beginning, middle and end.  It is mostly about the middle - the ugly middle of torture and abuse of prisoners and the justification and shame in committing that abuse. It's not an easy play to watch.  We see the pictures (the famous pictures), well, parts of them for a few moments here and there.  Perhaps it's better that we cannot see all of them and not for very long.  As I said, it's not an easy play to watch but it tries to give insight as to how people could do the things that were done.  We are consoled (?) that one of them clearly does not like doing what is done while the other seems to feel justified because "it is allowed". An interesting and frightening question - What will people do when they are simply allowed to do anything? Will they choose a higher moral path? Or will they descend to the levels that the pictures show?

I loved the set design - it's stunning and elegant.  Mirrors line the upstage wall wherein the audience occasionally sees themselves watching passively, much like the Army Commanders and the world did at the time. An added benefit is that you see two versions of the play - the real and the reflection and in that reflection an upstage expression cannot hide.  It was fascinating.

Both actors (Monice Peter and Paul Sutherland) are strong, playing very different characters - one awkward and unsure, the other full of confidence and bravado.  Peter, in particular, as Jenny gives one of the most natural stage performances I have ever seen.  She is magnificent even in owning the abhorrent qualities of her character.  She makes the character so likable you feel conflicted about how you feel about her.  I really hope to see her in more things.  Sutherland, as Jonathan, does a fine job contrasting her performance. You feel for him and his need to escape.

It was a thought provoking night.  I think about the ending, or the lack of one and it feels ominous.  If there is no ending, does that mean this kind of abuse will always happen? Does that mean that otherwise good people will become abusers if it is allowed? We must not let it be allowed... I guess that's it. We must be better than that.

The Kite Runner - A Chance to be Good Again...

Last night I took my Mom to see The Kite Runner at The Citadel Theatre. Based on the novel by Khaled Hosseini it tells the story of two young boys in Afghanistan during the 1970s and the impact of the events of the country's history on their friendship.  It is also a story about making amends and forgiving yourself for past wrongs.

The production is beautiful and rich in sensory elements.  It has the right feel for part of the world it portrays and rather than go with a very concrete realistic stage Director Eric Rose's production has instead wisely chosen a more abstract and flexible design (Set and Lighting Design - Kerem Cetinel).   It works well as the scenes shift quickly from place to place and time to time in Amir's (Anousha Alamian) memory as he narrates. Sound also plays an important role in the production - with a live musician onstage (Salar Nader) complimenting the Sound Design of Matthew Waddell.  It is stunning to both see and hear and the repeated images of the kites are simply gorgeous.

Since I have read the book, I did have to adjust to the stage production from the novel, but once I let go of the expectations I came in with, I was able to immerse myself in it.  Alamian acts primarily as narrator in the first act - committed to his memories with the retrospection and self-doubt of an adult looking back - and he and his younger counter-part, Conor Wylie, are well-matched.  They even stand the same way.  When the story shifts to the adult Amir immersed in the action of the second act it is smooth and feels right in the transition.  Overall the ensemble is very strong.  Alamian runs his marathon of a show with good pace and sensitivity.  You believe that this is his story. Additional stand-outs for me are Michael Peng as Baba and Norman Yeung as Hassan.  There are a few times when the background action from the supporting characters gets a little too broad (Was everyone in 1980s San Fransisco a crazy character? Do men really play with their mustaches that much?) and these distracted me from what I should be watching.  Perhaps it was just the desire to be committed to the action onstage, but I really felt some of the background needed to blend in more instead of standing out and distracting from the main action. Despite that minor issue, I was emotionally caught up in the piece, tearing up in the final scene and taking joy in the spirit of forgiveness and hope for the future.

Ride the Cyclone - A Loop-de-loop of a Show! WOW!

When the Citadel announced their season last spring and Ride the Cyclone was on the list, I have to admit I over-looked it.  It's description referenced the tragic deaths of 6 teens at an amusement park in a small town in Saskatchewan and I thought it was probably a sad piece about the loss of young lives.  However, in January, I started to read things in my twitter and FB feed from friends in Calgary about the show.  Few specific details were mentioned, but the overwhelming response was WOW.  So I reread the description:

"Ride the Cyclone spotlights a teenage chamber choir from Uranium, Saskatchewan who died in a roller coaster accident at a traveling fair. Karnack, a mechanized fortune-telling machine, feels responsible for the young choir’s demise, and gives the teens a chance to express themselves to the world after death. Ride the Cyclone is their final recital, where they celebrate their individuality while coming to terms with their untimely demise."

Hmmmm... Maybe there was something more there? Well, tonight I was lucky enough to see the first Preview of the show at The Citadel Theatre and was blown away.  This is no sad recollection.  This was a riotous, irreverent, musically wow-filled show.  I totally understand the description.  I don't even want to say too much in this post, because I think it is better to just experience it, but it was outstanding.  The music, performed excellently by the six member cast and band, demonstrates a wide variety of musical influences, from Rocky Horror Show, to Spring Awakening, to traditional Broadway belt, Rap, a touch of David Bowie, classical and even the recorder.  I am missing more - but even with all these styles it is wonderfully cohesive.  Each song has it's own surprises.  You can tell they have been touring with this show for a little while because it is sharp and tight.  Like a real roller-coaster it swings you from side to side and up and down and is full of twists and turns.  Nothing is predictable and it's magic comes from it's low-tech simplicity with a hint of nostalgia.  It is truly laugh out loud and yet it has these moments of real sadness and quiet emotion. It's also irreverent and saucy.  I am happy to be going back to see it a second time. I was not alone in my appreciation.  The audience gave it one of the fastest standing ovations I have ever seen.  A truly magical Canadian musical!

SEE IT!

Shots Go Wild... Evie's Waltz at Shadow Theatre

Yesterday I took in Evie's Waltz at Shadow Theatre.  It's a difficult play about a challenging topic and left me with much to think about - too much really.  The script (by Carter Lewis) is rhetoric filled with comments on parenting (good and bad), judgement, bullying, gun control, kids with guns, school shootings, dancing, vegetarianism, infidelity and a few other things.  I think it did a lot in terms of leaving you things to think about, but by focusing so much on the 'issues' it also had a lot of unbelievable dialogue which challenged the actors. They rose to the occasion, with Coralie Cairns (Gloria) being the most successful at consistently making the jargon sound like something a real person might say.  She also has the biggest journey and she is worth the price of admission as she moves from frustrated, angry and disengaged to regretful and desperate.  Doug Mertz (Clay) and Karen Mott (Evie) do their best with it, but are not as successful.  Clay is written as a bit of a one-note character and Evie seems so contradictory so that they just don't work as well.  Still, it was an interesting show and my date Kara and I talked a great deal about it afterwards. It would have been better to rely more on more basic wants and needs than on the philosophical arguments.  If that were the case it would have been easier for them to sustain the tension required under the circumstances.  As it is, the imminent threat ebbs and flows with the rhetoric which I think lets the audience off too easy. I would have far preferred to leave with my abs aching from the tension of what will happen?  instead of my brain aching from sorting through the points it was trying to make.

What if The Three Stooges told the story of Robin Hood?

Well, that's basically what I saw today at The Snow Globe Festival.  The four person cast of Evan Hall, Caley Suliak, Paul Sutherland and Brendan Thompson In Robin Hood deliver a fast paced, physical and very, very silly rendition of the classic story of the archery expert who stole from the rich to give to the poor in the England of Prince John and the absent King Richard the Lion-Hearted.  The boys loved it.  They are suckers for slapstick and extreme silliness. The ensemble is tight and the action fast paced.  They incorporate audience participation and Oliver even got to go up on stage to compete in the archery contest (he hammed it up his own way).  Highlights included a very funny chase sequence to Gibson's favorite Yakety Sax and I would tell you who both boys' favorite character was, but then there would be a major spoiler, so I can't.  For those who have seen the show, it was the character with the most hair... I loved Caley Suliak as the somewhat Jewish Friar Tuck and Paul Sutherland's Prince John was priceless!  One more show tonight at 7:00 p.m.

Getting in the Spirit of the Season With Bells and Snow Globes and a couple of School Concerts!

You would think I would take a rest after a 2 week run, but no, not me.  I had a brief pause on Monday night (which I used to start some baking) and then dived into two nights of School Concerts (my kids are three years apart so I always get to go twice), then I caught With Bells On at The Roxy (Guys in Disguise) and last night I took the boys to Babes in Toyland at C103 (formerly The Catalyst Theatre) as part of The Snow Globe Festival.

I wrote about Snow Globe last year when Impresario Extraordinaire Ellen Chorley created it. I took the boys last year and once the commitments of the season wrapped up we headed off to see what was happening onstage this year. We bundled up and headed out to catch Babes in Toyland and had a great time.  The boys are the target audience so I will translate their responses.  My kids are 8 and 11 so that can give you an idea of the source.  From the first moment the lights when down Gibson (8) was mesmerized and sitting on the edge of his seat.  He is fascinated by anything musical so once the 3 piece band started playing he was hooked in.  Oliver (11) is a little more laid back - he's an almost teenager, and it's killing me - but he was delighted to actually get a cup of water when Jack and Jill entered selling it. I heard many a laugh from both of them throughout the show and they particularly enjoyed the 3 villains - Barnaby (Devin Bruce), Rodrigo (Rebecca Merkley) and Gonzago (Corben Kushneryk) - who were ridiculously silly/stupid.  The best moment was when Merkley did something particularly silly, Gibson pointed at the stage and yelled to me under the applause, "I LIKE that Girl!  She's funny!" (He also kept saying 'Alan' all the way home). As Oliver declared on the ride home, "It is always better when the villains are dumb!". When I asked for particulars about the show, the two boys declared everything "Really good!". Mission Accomplished!  We return this afternoon for another show (Robin Hood) and there is a third show (Birdie on the Wrong Bus). I encourage you to check them out if you can.

Thursday Night I took a friend to With Bells On at The Roxy.  It was fabulous!  A drag show that was more about conquering loneliness and finding friendship in an usual place and person and while that sounds kind of mushy, it was also HILARIOUS!  I had so many big belly laughs.  I was impressed with both actors (Paul Welch and James Hamilton) as they each brought so much depth to what easily could be stereo-typical roles. They also both have great comic timing.  Darrin Hagen's script is sharp and witty and although there are the prerequisite sparkles, tinsel and 6 inch heels needed for every drag show, it also had a lot of substance behind the flash.

Next to Normal at The Citadel: More Extraordinary Than Normal

Last night, after a lot of anticipation, I went to Next to Normal at The Citadel.  It was their final night of previews (they open tonight - Thursday, October 25) and it was all I hoped it would be and maybe a bit more.  I am going to avoid giving too many details about the actual plot because I do not want to give away spoilers.  I think the show is good even if you know about it, but I imagine it is even more spectacular when you don't know all the details.

This is a ground-breaking Pulitzer Prize winning musical.  It is in no way traditional, being that it is about 95-99% sung and the music itself is rock influenced and incredibly challenging.  All six performers onstage handle the challenge of the vocals well.  None of them have an easy job, but they all seem to make it look that way. Robert Markus as the son, Gabe, is a stand-out vocally hitting unbelievable high note after high note with an ease that suggests he finds singing as easy as breathing. Kathryn Akin is also brilliant as the bi-polar mother, Diana, as she balances the vocals with an intense emotional journey filled with manic highs and darkest lows. If I had one issue with the music, it is only that on occasion the band is a little too loud and with the rapid fire lyrics that most of the audience is unfamiliar with, you have to really work hard to catch every word.  However, it was the last preview and they are likely still working on get that balance perfect.

The show is ground-breaking in other ways as it's topics of grief and mental-illness are not your typical fare for a musical.  However, once you see it, the linking makes perfect sense.  How better to demonstrate the challenges of having or living with someone with a mental illness than by using the heightened emotionality of music to support those roller-coaster emotions.  This cast is totally committed in both song and emotion.  Director Ron Jenkins has carefully balanced the character arcs with fast pacing and shifts in colour and light and position so that we ride the roller coaster with each of them.  Despite being warned to bring tissues, I was caught off-guard when I found myself crying during  Maybe (Next to Normal) sung beautifully and heart-breakingly by Diana and daughter Natalie (Sarah Farb).  The tears returned in a waterfall when this was followed by the reprise of I Am The One sung by dad Dan (Réjean Cournoyer) and Gabe. I don't often cry at musicals, but these moments were so emotionally connected and real that I couldn't help it.

This is the kind of show that The Citadel should be doing more of.  I understand the need for traditional shows that everyone can sing along to, but this kind of piece - the kind that challenges audiences both emotionally and artistically - is definitely the kind of risk the theatre should be taking. I am so glad they did and that they rose so brilliantly to the challenge. It's not easy, but if it was, it wouldn't be worth doing. This is the show to see in Edmonton this season.  I have already bought tickets to see it again in two weeks.  

Poof! There is is!

A few years ago I was lucky enough to be in a 20th Street Production (Fort Edmonton Park) called On the Wire.  It was directed by Amanda Bergen and written by Nick Green and I had a blast working on it.  Last night, I returned to the Park for Nick and Amanda's production of Poof! The Musical.  It was my first time in Capitol Theatre which was only a plan when I performed in the Park.  The Theatre is lovely - a nice vintage inspired space that looks perfect in it's location and which also really suited the production.  There are some special features to the space that were used very well - I loved how they created a complete world using the projections and when the seats literally shook I was giddy with glee!  I often get worried about the reliance on projections in productions, but T. Erin Gruber's design worked delightfully so much so that you often forget those weren't real walls and paintings behind the action.

The show itself was a fun, spooky, campy piece which was performed and sung excellently by the three actors onstage. Green's script is tight and sassy.  The script merged well with the actors onstage, and Bergen's direction creates some wonderful moments including a side-busting chase sequence. Garrett Ross as Awanda Brumschtic (complete with 3 inch heels and mini-skirt) attacked his role with such finesse that it almost felt like he was improvising, but the banter was so sharp I am pretty sure it is exactly what was on the page.  Eric Wigston and Madelaine Knight hold their own in the comedy and singing department and it was an excellently balanced show - no weak links!  It's a very silly play, but filled with fun, clever jokes, biting sarcasm and well-sung, well-written songs.  It's got a nice spooky element (the 'ladies' are witches after all) for this time of year.  It's not really for kids, but I would say that it would have been perfect for my 11 year old.  He would have been howling. 

I also wanted to note that it was really great to see an original musical on an Edmonton stage.  I love all the Broadway shows that people do, but there is something cool about seeing something brand new and to see a company take a risk like that.  To also have it tuneful, well-written and well-performed is a testament to our local talent. As well, this company has worked hard to make the show affordable, with tickets starting at $20.00 for students/seniors to $28.00 for adults.  A pretty sweet deal for a great gut-busting night of entertainment!

*#46 in my Theatre Goal for the Year.  BBoyism was #45 and A Few Good Men was #44.

Enjoying the Kudos...

We are halfway through the run of Nine and it has been a blessed experience.  This gang is such a good group to work with, not just the cast, but the crew and the Production Team - everyone is lovely.  There are a few who verge on crazy, but it's a good spirited crazy and it makes for more fun.  I am enjoying the kudos.  I have gotten quite a few emails and messages from people about how much they like the show.  Some of them complete strangers! It is gratifying to know that you are putting something out there that people respond to.  I don't want to have people leave thinking they didn't get what they deserved as an audience member.

The reviews we have received have been extremely ego flattering - there's one in the St. Albert Gazette and one on Sound and Noise online.  I expect we will have one in Vue Weekly sometime this week and the Journal had both a photog. at media call and media comps on Opening Night so I'm waiting to see if anything shows up there. We are doing quite well in the run - being SOLD OUT for 3 of the shows so far and fairly large houses for the remainder.  We are Sold Out tonight and it's a Tuesday, so you have to be happy about that!  Between the reviews and word of mouth we can be sure the news is good!

I know it will be a bit sad when it's over, but like Guido, I tend to live some of my time in memory so I am pretty sure I can call it all back if I need to.  For now, we shall enjoy the second half of the run and try to keep cool.  The theatre proper is Air Conditioned for the audience, but the actors are upstairs in a furnace (some of them camp out in the shop where it is cooler). I think that generous souls have brought Popsicles and other cool treats to beat the heat!

* photo of Kate Holley, Mama Maddellena in Nine, by Janine Hodder

More Daniel MacIvor for a Certified Fan - In On It at Theatre Network!

I caught Opening Night of In On It at Theatre Network on Thursday night.  I am a true MacIvor fan so this is written with prejudice.  I really, really, really, really liked this play and production.  A deftly written and well-performed two hander, directed by Bradley Moss and starring Frank Zotter and Nathan Cuckow, it was full on laughs and little magic moments and sadness.  As a playwright, I came away with so many ideas about how to put together a narrative which features many more than two characters but is performed by only two.  As a director, I saw possibility for shifting staging out of realism using lighting and sound and only 2 chairs in a simple black box. I was impressed by it's fluidity and it's humour and the way these two guys switched from character to character, from now to 'the play', to the past, to the present.  It wasn't easy to follow all the time.  I don't think it's supposed to be.  You get the information in non-sequential bits and pieces, so you have to put it together.  My friend who was with me said that she sometimes had trouble figuring out where and when and who they were, however, based on her follow-up statement, I don't think that's a bad thing, because she said she wanted to go see it again to figure it out.  She wanted to be 'in on it' from the beginning.  Can't be a bad thing if you want to go see it again, can it?

By the way, the theatre was absolutely packed - I would suggest getting your tickets earlier rather than later.  It's one to see!

* In On It marks #20 in my 2012 theatre goal - halfway there and it's only May!

Midsummer Night's Dream: Watching with Oliver...

Last night I took my 10 year old son, Oliver, to see A Midsummer Night's Dream at The Citadel Theatre. He's almost 11 and is getting more mature and I felt that he was at a good age to expose him to Shakespeare.  I knew that he wasn't going to 'get it all' but hopefully he would 'get' some of it and from what I heard about this production it would be a great first exposure. 

The show was lovely, the actors were quite comfortable in dealing with the language and Tom Wood's production wisely approaches the play in a very physical way.  Everything looks beautiful and there is a bit of real magic evoked with the fairies.  Oliver loved Puck (Jonathan Purvis) for his leaping and tumbling and flying around the space.  He also loved the gorgeous swing that Titania and Bottom sail over the audience on. With the lovers in the woods, Oliver was a little bored by the kissing and arguing, however he was totally invested in the fight scene (which was excellently executed) and he loved the mischievous Puck's replacing and magicking swords as he led Lysander (Eric Morin) and Demetrius (Partick Lundeen) about the woods. Oliver's favorite part, however, was hands-down the Pyramus and Thisbe play within a play performed by the Mechanicals for the royal court.  On the ride home he recounted much of the silliness that ensued, listing Thisbe's butt, Thisbe's screaming, the missing sword and the Moon's dog as his favorite parts.  As a mother it is simply fabulous to sit next to your child hearing them laugh as they are truly engaged with something you love.  I was worried, because a 2 1/2 hour long Shakespearean piece is tough to sit through, and at the end of the first act I don't think he was convinced that this was for him.  However, the second act was full of physical comedy and that's what you need when you are 10.

For me, the stand out performances were Shannon Taylor as Helena (who was fiery and funny and who possesses an amazing physicality) and the Mechanicals as a group.  I thought the show, as a whole, was well-executed and in particular the second act. This production was especially strong with the physical aspects, but engagement dropped a bit whenever the language was not supported by action. Personally I would have cut the dancing at the end and shorted the dancing fairies bit, as the show is long enough without that and although fun and/or pretty, those bits did nothing to move it along.  Overall I enjoyed myself, but I was not blown out of the water.  It is a challenge to sell Shakespeare at Citadel prices when we in Edmonton have Freewill Players doing such high quality productions every summer.  With ticket prices 2-3 times higher at The Citadel I wanted the experience to be that much more incredible. It's hard to reach that when the bar is set so high already.

Those Darn Cute Kids! Sound of Music at The Citadel...

Last night I saw a Preview performance of The Sound of Music at the Citadel.  I saw the show the last time they did it and loved it.  I have to admit, I am a bit of a fan of the show - having watched the movie over 30 times I am sure. I restrained myself, and although I mouthed the words to the well-known songs, I did not make any sound.  They really should do a sing-a-long night though...

Anyhow, I digress...

The show was lovely.  There are two things you have to do well to get Sound of Music right - get the iconography correct and get all the 'kid-stuff' right.  This production does well on both those fronts.  With such a well-known show, the fans demand certain standards for the stage production.  They do not want a re-invention of it.  It's historical and since so many are familiar with the movie, they do not want shows to steer too far from what they already know.  This production wisely included I Have Confidence and Something Good (two songs not in the original stage production, but well known from the movie) - it is always jarring when they are omitted and both actually serve a purpose in the show that I was glad to see them. The children are also quite strong. They sing and act well and stay in the scene always.  In fact, when they are on stage they usually steal the show from anyone else onstage with them.  The entire family unit of Maria, Captain Von Trapp and the children feels cohesive and I think Director Bob Baker did well to use the creation of the family as the focus of his production.  You can see why this might be a terrifying show for professional companies to attempt, as there are no guarantees when it comes to children who can act, sing and dance, but there are no worries with this production in that regard. As Maria, Josee Boudreau is in fine voice and full of enthusiasm.  She deals well with the somewhat dated script, infusing it with the conviction and spunk that Maria needs.  Rejean Cournoyer is also quite good as Captain Von Trapp.  You wish he had more to sing, but the script does not provide for that, but it was quite nice to watch his journey, as he changes more throughout the play than Maria does and he manages to play it all with a nice subtly.

There were a few things that bothered me.  I do know, however, that it was a Preview and perhaps that was the reason for some of them.  I was a bit disappointed with Climb Every Mountain as I felt it was under sung and lacked the gravitas it needed to anchor it.  The tone was lovely but Climb Every Mountain should shake everyone in the theatre a little bit and I was left wanting more.  I kept hoping the small start was leading to a big crescendo, but it never came. I would have preferred to see Susan Gilmour (Elsa) sing it as she would have knocked that song out of the park.  As it was, Gilmour was strong as Elsa, but felt a little mature in comparison to Cournoyer's Captain Von Trapp.

All in all, it was a nice night at the theatre.  It's not edgy, ground-breaking theatre, but it does wonderful service to an iconic show and is a great production for the whole family.

* Sound of Music is #18 in my 2012 Theatre Goal - almost halfway there and it's only April!