Another Family Adventure... Singing in the Rain at Metro Cinema - Make Mine Hollywood Film Festival!

So last Friday, Metro Cinema kicked off it's Make Mine Hollywood Film Festival in conjunction with the World Premiere show, Make Mine Love at will be opening in a couple weeks at the Citadel.  Make Mine Love is set in the Golden Age of Hollywood, so all the films in the film festival are classics from the 1930s and 40s. We took the boys to the Gala Opening to meet the cast of Make Mine Love and to watch one of my personal favorite films, Singing in the Rain.  It was funny when I told Gibson we were going to see it.  He scrunched up his face and grumbled, "Isn't that an old movie?" as though this were torture I was about subject him too.  I reassured him that, yes, it was an old movie, but that it was a very, very good movie. So, off we went.  There was an unexpected bonus for wee Gibson, too.  As we stood in the lobby waiting for the movie and event to start he looked at the big poster for Make Mine Love and whispered to me, "Does that say Mark Meer?"  He's a big fan of the Irrelevant Show and Mark Meer is his favourite so when he found out Mr. Meer was going to be there, he was doubly pleased. He didn't want to meet him, too star struck, but thought it was cool to see him so up close and personal.

I was really happy with how the boys reacted to the movie. They laughed and were mesmerized. At one point during a tap number I leaned over to Oliver and said, "Isn't that amazing?" and he replied, eyes totally glued to the screen, "Yes."  After the movie, both boys said they liked Donald O'Connor the best because he was so funny, but they found so many things to comment on afterwards. Gibson and Mark even made up songs to the tunes from the movie - Singing in the Dark, and Good Evenin'.  I was so pleased to share this favourite film with them and have them respond so positively. 

I am hoping to take them to see Make Mine Love.  It's not specifically for kids, but it has that same sensibility and slap-stick humour.  I think they will be even more impressed to see that kind of story play out onstage.  There's some pretty amazing things in the script, from a car chase, to a bus crash, to crazy costume designers, to bigger than life characters that I think they will be thoroughly entertained. I will get to check it out early in the run to make sure that it's appropriate, but I have read the script and know my kids so I think that it will be. It's definitely not for little, little ones.

The Irrelevant Show - Radio Laughs at the Arden Theatre!

Every Saturday as Gibson and I drive to his drama class at the Foote Theatre School, we listen to CBC and because of the timing, The Irrelevant Show is on.  Now, I like the show.  I know a couple of the performers and have seen the others on stage around town for quite a few years so the choice to listen was primarily mine.  But a couple of months ago I started to notice quite a few chuckles from the back seat.  One day, after a particularly funny sketch, Gibson blurted out "I love this show!" So, when I noticed that the show was going to be recorded last Friday night at the Arden Theatre (right in my backyard) I picked up a couple of tickets to surprise Gibson with.  I told Mark and he said to grab two more so Oliver and he could join.  So the four of us headed out for an evening of Radio Funny!

It was so much fun.  Gibson was very excited when I told him of the tickets and we were treated to a great night of radio/theatre.  It was very cool to see the show live.  There is a lot that happens between the recorded bits.  I particularly love watching how the sound effects are created.  Dave Clarke is a very cool artist in that regard.  I was also very impressed with how clean it is.  There were a couple of times they had to back up to re-record a line, but that was primarily due to the audience laughing too loudly, not due to any 'mess up' on the part of the actors.  I can't wait to hear the 2-3 episodes on the air.  I think it will be cool when Gib hears them too.

As an extra special cool factor to the evening, however, was that Gibson got not one, but two shout-outs form host Peter Brown.  I had tweeted earlier in the day that I was taking Gibson to the show and part way through the first act Brown called out, "Is Gibson here tonight?! Are you having a good time?"  Gibson, being 9 and not fully understanding radio, gave a thumbs up, so Mark answered for him.  He got another shout out in the second act.  Gib said to me later that he was pretty stunned when that happened.  We went down after the show so he could meet Peter Brown and although it was hard to tell since Gibson is pretty shy and quiet, he was so excited.  It pretty much made this mom's night!

Anyhow, the Irrelevant Show is going on the road so you have to be in Toronto or Winnipeg to see them tape next.  I'll be keeping an eye out next season locally so that we can take the boys back.

If you are in Toronto or Winnipeg, you can catch them on the following dates:

Wednesday March 12, 2014 - Randolph Theatre, Toronto
Tickets available at Sketchfest
Wednesday April 9, 2014 - Burton Cummings Theatre, Winnipeg
Tickets available at Winnipeg Comedy Festival

You can listen to The Irrelevant Show on CBC one at the following times:
Thursdays at 11:30 a.m. (3:30 p.m. NT) & 11 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m.