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! 

Laughing at Present Laughter at Walterdale Theatre

Last night I took in the Noël Coward play, Present Laughter, at Walterdale Theatre. I'm pleased to say that it produced much in the way of present laughter. For those of you who love Coward's plays, you will absolutely adore this production. I'm not usually a fan of his, so I was quite delighted that many of the things I don't enjoy were not there, and that it focused on things that I did enjoy. What a weird way of saying that I liked it, huh? 

Anyhow, this is a fun show and I loved the momentum that built from the first to the second and culminated in the third act. Director John Anderson did an excellent job building the pace and creating the world for this wacky crew. The third act is a lot of ridiculous chaos! Note: there is only one intermission as the company has wisely split the action in the middle of the second act in a place that totally works. At the centre of the show is Garry Essendine (Randy Brososky) who is his time's most famous actor. As such, he is stalked by super fans and many young attractive women (and men) who want to be with him. He does not object and has many flirtations and dalliances which previously lead to an estrangement from his wife Liz (Angela James-Findlay). Things come to a head when one of these affairs strike a little too close to home. Garry has a team that protects him and who his work provides for, and this is the real marriage of his life. Maintaining that means that lines need to be drawn. 

I was thinking that it would be interesting to see this re-written in the modern age as the age of digital stalking and public ownership of our superstar actors and celebrities was certainly paralleled by Garry's hi-jinks. I think it would be a little darker if set today, however, and might not have the farcical elements that we see onstage in this production. 

The cast is well suited to their roles and they embraced the craziness of Garry's world. I absolutely loved the contrast of the sane and stoic wife Liz and much put-upon personal secretary Monica (Donna Call) with the more outrageous fans like the overly-romantic Daphne (Stephanie Swensrude) and entirely kooky Roland (Andréus Wallace). I cannot decide if my favourite moment was Roland's crawl over the couch or Daphne's over-the-top audition. I did chuckle at so many of Monica's dry asides, Donna Call played her quiet moments so perfectly. There's also a femme fatale, Joanna (Kate Power) who had a fierce barracuda-like energy. At the centre is Garry, and Brososky bounces around from choice to choice like a kid in a candy store, until it all explodes and it has to be shut down. That is very satisfying, I also wanted to mention a new young actor who plays the valet Fred (Drake Seipert) - although the role was not large, he impressed me with every choice he made. I'm really interested to see what he does next. 

Anyhow, I had a great time. I can't really talk about all of it as there should be some surprises, but it was certainly a lot of fun!

Present Laughter runs to December 13th at Walterdale Theatre. Tickets start at around $25 plus fees and there is a Pay-What-You-Can Night on Wednesday, December 10th. You can purchase tickets in advance here. 

Social Issues - According to the Chorus and Wildcat

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

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

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

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

Shakespeare In Love at Walterdale Theatre - A fun ride behind the scenes of Romeo and Juliet!

Last night was Opening Night of Shakespeare in Love at Walterdale Theatre. I haven't been to an Opening Night at Walterdale for a while because I found it hard to manage when I had to teach the next morning, but summer holidays and an abundance of sunshine allowed me to make the weekday theatre trip to Verona! I also got to attend this one as proud Mama, as my youngest son, Gibson, was Music Director for the incidental music in the show (it's not a musical, but there are several times when the ensemble sing giving depth to the the soundscape of the show). 

Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images

It was a terrifically fun night of theatre! I am a big fan of the movie, and have seen the stage play previously, but it was really cool to see the show translated to the intimacy of Walterdale's stage. There are a lot of moving parts to the show and I remarked after to Director Anne Marie Szucs that it must have been like directing a musical as the scenes flit from location to location and the ensemble switches characters as they walk off and on the stage again. The flow of the show was well maintained and was aided brilliantly by the elegant and flexible set design (Brooke Emberley). I particularly loved the clever revolve that switched from balcony to bed to upper floor of the backstage rehearsal area. There was also some very funny choreography (Barbara Mah) that made the ball scene more than just a simple meet-cute for Will (Matt Boisvert) and Viola (Ren Elliot). The world is completed by the beautiful costumes (Cathy Dragon) - some of my favourite outfits were Marlowe's and Queen Elizabeth's; but the panorama and variety of costumes helped to indicate who had the power and who did not in Shakespeare's world!

Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images 

The cast is enthusiastic and committed as a whole in telling this story. Standouts for me were Boisvert as Will Shakespeare and Elliot as Viola de Lesseps. The two have a delightful chemistry. Boisvert has most of the heavy lifting in the show, but he attacks it with a true sense of purpose and recklessness that makes you wonder about the 'real' Shakespeare! I also really enjoyed Ethan Handford as Ned Alleyn and Josh Young as Richard Burbage. The energy picked up considerably when the two (playing the best actors of their generation) came into contact with each other. Each had their own brand of swagger that mixed in a 'what will happen next?' kind of way. First timers on Walterdale's stage, John Gaunce as Fennyman and Ian Hicks as Henslowe, were also great to watch and they played off each other well. I hope we see more of them on the Walterdale stage in the future! There are lots of great moments from the rest of the ensemble cast, including the dog (Rain, the night I went).

This is a fun one to watch, particularly for the Shakespeare fan, as there are many references and Easter eggs in the script alluding to famous quotes and almost quotes and situations. And while there are bits of Shakespeare's language in the play, it's all accessible as it's more about the behind the scenes story!

Shakespeare in Love runs to July 19th, with shows at 7:30 pm and a 2 pm Sunday matinee. They have already had one Sold Out performance so I recommend buying your ticket sooner rather than later. The run also features a 2for1 night (Thurs, July 10) and a Pay-What-You-Can Night (Wed, July 16). Tickets are $25-27 and can be purchased here. 

October Theatre - It's all about the Scare Factor... Isn't it?

This October has quite a few cool options for those of you who like your theatre to have a Scare Factor! I must say, the Edmonton theatre community has really risen to the challenge this year! I was happy to catch 2 of them last week!

First up is A Party to Murder at Walterdale Theatre. I quite enjoyed the unwrapping of this Agatha Christie inspired story. It's a layered story and things are not as they seem, and it channels elements of And Then There Were None, but with a more modern take.  I was reminded a bit of Knives Out in that not everyone is who they seem to be. The twists and turns really start coming in the second act and it appears that everyone has a motive for murder, but just who did it is the question. Lots of laughs in this show too, mostly from the deadpan delivery of Erwin Veugelers as former football player, Willy. The whole cast is tight and you can tell that everyone is keeping secrets. When the whole thing spills out you'll be replaying earlier moments to see what you missed!  There's some great stage violence and a bit of blood, for those who like that, and a real sense of 'what will happen next?' at the end. It runs from October 9-19 with tickets running between $20-$30.  The show is directed by Sarah Spicer and features a top-notch cast of 6! Tickets can be purchased here. 

Teatro Live! is presenting The Woman in Black running from October 10-27 with tickets running between $25-$42. In Edwardian London, a young actor helps a lawyer make sense of a long ago encounter with a mysterious apparition who invariably leaves death in her wake. Together the two men conjure the mysterious marshland of northeastern England and its population of haunted characters. The show features Julien Arnold and Geoffrey Simon Brown and is directed by Andrew Ritchie.  This show was excellently executed with jump scares eliciting screams from the audience. The woman in black appears suddenly and in a disturbing way more than once - the magic created by superb lighting.  Ritchie has directed a terrific piece of theatre  that moves (once you get past the first 15 minutes which set up the convention of telling the story). The world is created in a old empty theatre, but it is not hard to imagine that various locations from the busy London street, to the train ride, to the haunted house in question. Even the house itself is simply but powerfully created from a scrim and boxes and a door. A chest becomes a desk and through the power of expert storytelling, we believe it. The inevitability of the horrible ending creates an anguished anticipation and a hope that all will be well with our loved ones too! Tickets can be purchased here. 

There are other shows coming up with a high creepy factor too:

A new company, Putrid Brat, presents The Maids by Jean Genet. Two young women toiling in servitude escape into sensual fantasies of luxury, violence and revenge in Jean Genet’s masterpiece. Loosely based on the notorious and shocking case of the Papin sisters who murdered their employer’s wife and daughter, The Maids explores the line where fantasy and reality blur and the stories we weave become indistinguishable from the truth. The show runs October 24-Nov 3 and tickets are $21.69 with options for PWYC. Tickets can be purchased here. 

Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical is a hilarious ‘upside down’ take on the hit Netflix series – and all its campy 1980s glory. Mike, Eleven, Lucas, Dustin, and the whole Hawkins gang have a night of adventure, thrills, pubescent angst, heavy synth, poor parenting, convoluted love triangles, cheap effects, dancing monsters, and maybe, just maybe justice for everyone’s favorite missing ginger, Barb Holland. The show runs from October 18-26 at the Backstage Theatre. Tickets are $30-40 and can be purchased here. They are selling fast, so move quickly! 

Four Shows in One Week! Am I a Madwoman?!?! From Northern Light Theatre to The Citadel to Walterdale Theatre to Jubilations Dinner Theatre - talk about a theatrical rollercoaster!

October is my birthday month, so it is fitting that I took in four shows this past week, starting on my actual birthday! Those who know me, know that theatre is the thing I love the most (outside my friends and family)! 

Photo Credit Brianne Jang

On my actual birthday I took in Opening Night of Northern Light Theatre's A Phoenix Too Frequent by Christopher Fry. The set-up features a young widow (Julia van Dam as Dynamene) and her servant (Ellen Chorley as Doto) dramatically mourning the mistress's recently deceased husband. It takes place in his tomb as they wait to die to join him. You begin to realize very quickly that it's not all serious business. Chorley is quite funny as the servant who's there for her mistress, but not quite as committed to the whole process and easily distracted. Enter a young and handsome Legionnaire (Brennan Campbell as Tegeus) who spotted the light from the tomb while on guard and came to check things out. He's handsome, Dynamene is also young and beautifully and suddenly the whole plan to join her husband in Hades gets reevaluated. It's a very unusual and sexy rom-com with laughs and twists and turns that lead to a satisfying ending! 

Tickets for A Phoenix Too Frequent are $38.85 and available here. There is also a PWYC on Sunday, October 15th and a 2for1 night on Tuesday, October 17th. The show runs to October 21st. 

Photo Credit: Nanc Price

The Next evening, I took in The Importance of Being Earnest at The Citadel Theatre. I'm very familiar with the show - perhaps one of the best comedies ever written - since i directed it years ago and have seen it elsewhere a couple of times. Everyone should take in the show, sometime in their life because it's so well written and so funny. The Citadel production has relocated the story to the 1950s, which works and provides beautiful stage pictures and costumes. Standouts in this production are Nadien Chu as Lady Bracknell, Amelia Sargisson as Gwendolyn Fairfax and Jeff Lillico as Jack Worthington (although, I kind of wished the two young men were switched - but that might have more to do with my vision of the roles). 

Tickets for The Importance of Being Earnest are $40-130 and are available here. It runs until Sunday, October 15th. 

Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images

After all that silliness, I switched it up next with Walterdale Theatre's production of All My Sons by Arthur Miller, directed by John Anderson. It was great to see this piece onstage. I have seen Miller's Death of a Salesmen several times, The Crucible twice and A View From the Bridge and I am admirer of his work. This play also has terrific characters and tackles important questions about social responsibility, honesty, and family loyalty. Inspired by a true story about faulty materials for aircrafts being provided to the military during WW II and taking place shortly after, it centers around the family of Joe Keller (Dave Wolkowski) who was implicated but then exonerated in the case. Joe's partner Steve Deever instead takes the fall for the crime. However, it is not in the factory or a courtroom that the story takes place, but the Keller backyard, where the Keller and Deever families spent many summers together. Steve’s daughter, Ann (Jasmine Hopfe), was all but engaged to Chris’s  brother, Larry, before Larry was killed in the war. Now she has returned from exile in New York, hoping to marry the besotted Chris (Franco Correa) instead. The Keller matriarch, Kate (Ursula Pattloch) refuses to accept that Larry is dead and believes he will one day return home and that Ann is still his girl. It's complicated. The first act of the Walterdale production sets up all the pieces for a second act where it will inevitably come crashing down. It ends with an emotional bang and the last 20 minutes had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Overall it's a fine production, with an outstanding performance by Correa, and I've had several people tell me they plan to go back for a second watch. 

All My Sons runs to October 21st and tickets are $25 and are available here. There is also a PWYC evening on Wednesday, October 18th. 

And finally, a message out of the blue from an old high school friend yesterday afternoon had me taking in Old Time Rock 'N Roll at Jubilations Dinner Theatre. The show was a fun little romp as told by an older man reminiscing about his high school days and his first real love through the late 50s into the 70s. The cast of 6 (plus a few extras) were great singers and dancers and they committed 150% to the hijinks required! I really enjoyed all the song choices, and while I'm not that old, I did know ALL THE SONGS from the way back! We also had a good meal and great servers (thanks Edna and crew) and a wonderful visit. I have been to Jubilations before and it's always a lot of fun. 

Old Time Rock 'N Roll runs to November 5th and tickets start at $75.95 (and include dinner) and are available here. 

#yegtheatre #yegarts #allmysons #phoenixtoofrequent

Theatre Exceeding Expectations - Hamilton and The Realistic Joneses

This past week I saw two excellent theatrical productions, both of which I was looking forward to for very different reasons, and both of which exceeded my expectations wonderfully! 

Like many of you, I saw Hamilton this weekend as part of the Broadway Across Canada tour. Over the past few years I had become quite familiar with the soundtrack (like most musical theatre nerds) and had watched the recording of the Broadway show on Disney+ but was so happy to finally see it live in a theatre. It definitely exceeded my expectations. You are never quite sure of that, but it was marvelously delivered. I know that friends of mine who saw it in the first week mentioned some sound glitches, but they clearly got that all worked out by the time I saw it on Sunday afternoon. I laughed, I resisted singing along (so as to not annoy those sitting around me), I leaned in and I cried. The crying caught me off guard but that is the magic of live theatre - it moves you in ways that a recording will never do. 

I was so happy to have taken my music-nerd son and one of his friends. They both knew the show well from the soundtrack and his delight and surprise at seeing the show was terrific to witness. He grabbed me at one point early on, with an excited, "Mom, I've never heard the scene change transition music before!"  If you are thinking that the Disney+ version was enough, I strongly encourage you to reconsider. While that is one of the best recordings of a live show I have seen, for me, it was definitely worth it to be in the room where it really happens! 

I did try to win more tickets via the online lottery so that I could get to see it again, but to no avail. I'm entered in the lottery for some of the Calgary dates so perhaps there will be a road trip in my future!

Hamilton runs to Sunday, July 10th at the Jubilee Auditorium. However, after that the tour moves on to Calgary so if you are also up to a road trip, I think it will definitely be worth it! Tickets range from $59 to $194. I encourage you all to enter the lottery for Calgary tickets via the Hamilton app. I know several people who lucked out in Edmonton and saw the show from from amazing seats! 

The other show I saw this week was very different, but also extremely satisfying. I took in The Realistic Joneses at Walterdale Theatre last night and it was simply terrific. I'd been looking forward to seeing this show since the moment it was announced. I had seen a production of the play a few years ago and was delighted by the very quirky script which at the time I called "unexpectedly and unpredictably funny". I wondered if I would have the same reaction having seen an excellent production of it before and I am very glad to say that I did. A different, but equally skilled cast, captured the four very real characters that make up the neighboring Joneses. The humour is handled with subtlety and surprise and for much of the first act I found myself laughing, caught off-guard by the dry wit. Director John Anderson and his cast of four (Zack Siezmagraff, Colleen Allen, Christoff Lundgren, and Brooke Hodgson) have created a real world tilted askew by illness and bravery, and infused with humour and hope. 

The Realistic Joneses runs at Walterdale Theatre until July 16th. Tickets are $25 and are available here. There are also some special nights with deals at the door - Tonight (Thursday, July 7) is 2 for 1 Night (bring a friend!) and Wednesday, July 13th is a Pay-What-You-Will Night. 

Photo Credit (The Realistic Joneses): Scott Henderson, Henderson Images

Now that it's all over... The 39 Steps at Walterdale and my grateful return to the rehearsal room...

This past Saturday we closed the show, The 39 Steps, at Walterdale Theatre. I was director. It's a role I have taken on many times before and one I truly enjoy. This one was extra special for me. 

You may be aware that something happened over the last two years. I refer to it as The Great Pause and for those in theatre it definitely was a pause. For me, as both and artist and audience member it meant a radical shift in what I was doing. Now, I have mostly been doing community theatre for the last few years. I had already shifted away from ambitions of professional theatre for personal reasons, but it didn't really slow my pace. It was rare for me not to be in rehearsal or mentoring other artists at any given moment and my theatre-watching pace was easily 2-4 shows per week. When the Pause happened, I had just finished playing Great Aunt March in Little Women and was mentoring a director whose show was 2 weeks from opening (fortunately we were able to see this onstage only a year and a half later). I'd just been approved to direct a show in the upcoming Walterdale season. And then it all stopped. I felt numb - in limbo - unable to move forward on anything because there was not indication of when or what it could be. 

At the time and in retrospect, I knew that first year could have been a great opportunity. I could have worked on the half dozen unfinished scripts on my lap-top, except I couldn't. In the vacuum too many voices were telling me that my stories were not the ones we needed to hear and inertia set in and I was literally unable to write anything. So I didn't. I did think a lot. And I thought, gee, this lack of 'stuff to do' isn't so bad... maybe I don't ever have to do theatre again... I thought that it was over and that was okay. I was very likely depressed. I don't do stagnation very well. 

But in the second year, something changed. I think I can owe part of it to moving - physically moving in an intentional way  - 5 days a week - as opposed to sitting at the computer all day and then shifting to the couch. And then I found this funny "little" show. I just felt that we needed to be silly. We needed it in the rehearsal hall and we needed it in the audience. I needed a small cast comedy to propose to the Artistic Director and The 39 Steps was perfect! And she liked it and thought it was a good fit. And the Board liked it and thought it was a good fit. So, with very little build up, we were off! 

And here I am at the end of it, so very glad. I did a lot of firsts with this one. Zoom auditions! Would those 6 actors have chemistry? They did! The first month of this very physical show was also on Zoom - would it work? It did! We met in person with the majority of the script off-book - a delight to block with no scripts in hand! And one thing I did more than I ever had before was I let them play! I think I always let my casts play, but I felt I was doing it even more for this one. There were a couple of other firsts on the production side - first time Sound Designer who rose spectacularly to the challenge with this not-so-little show when it came to sound; a first time Costume Designer who game me so much more than the 'hats' I was expecting; a Stage Manager new to Walterdale and me who was an absolute gem; and many more. I also had some trusted returnees on my team who also came to have fun, and we did! I went into the theatre every rehearsal and felt so grateful to be there. Grateful to be creating, but mostly grateful to be creating with those generous and ridiculous people. I love them all!

This post is really for me. To remind me that I love theatre and that this production reawakened for me feelings about creating theatre with a generous group of people and how much I love that and how much I need that. I have made friends for life and strengthened friendships already there. I got to guide the ship and make many people laugh, and unlike I thought a year ago, I will still be making theatre moving forward. I call that a win!

Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images
Featuring: Lucas Anders, Lauren Tamke, Bradley Bishop, Samantha Beck, Rico Pisco and Liam McKinnon

Reviews: 

BWW Review: THE 39 STEPS is A Rollicking Comedy-Thriller

Review: The 39 Steps is good medicine

Festive Theatre Offerings! What's Onstage in #yeg in December!

Seeing as it's opening night for the return of the Citadel's in-person A Christmas Carol, I thought I would highlight some of the shows that are available to Edmonton audiences this month. There are a few different things to entertain you and get you in the holiday mood! 

First is the aforementioned A Christmas Carol onstage in the Citadel's Maclab Theatre. It's a relatively new adaptation from Alberta playwright David van Belle set mid-century with Ted Dykstra playing the curmudgeon Scrooge. It features many local theatre favourites, with Julian Arnold as Marley and Patricia Zentilli as Emily (not Bob) Cratchit. It's filled with live performances of music from the era and shakes up the traditional story. Carol is a family favourite and is recommended for children 6+ to adults of all ages.  Remember to bring your donation for the Food Bank as this is an opportunity to give while you get a great night at the theatre! A Christmas Carol is onstage now until December 23rd and tickets range from $68.00 to $128.00 and can be purchased here. 

Also in December, Shumka is back onstage for three shows at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, December 17 & 18, for Shumka's Nutcracker.  A luxurious Christmas performance loved by everyone, but Shumka's Nutcracker is also a true Edmonton production, created and performed by local artists. Featuring ballet, folk dance, and character dance, the show is a celebration of Tchaikovsky's beloved Christmas classic which blends the grace and lyrical nature of classical movement with the strength and power of Ukrainian character dance. Tickets are on sale now starting at $25 and can be purchased here.

Opening next week at Walterdale Theatre is 5@50 by Brad Fraser. This one is not for the kids. Billed as a raw and darkly comedic portrayal of turning fifty in contemporary society, and of the friendships we can’t live without. Acclaimed playwright and Edmonton native Brad Fraser (Kill Me Now, Love and Human Remains) wrote 5@50 for all the “excellent middle-aged actresses who were having trouble finding parts.” This production was slated to go onstage shortly after the shut down in March 2020 and was put on hold until now. It also marks the Edmonton and Albertan Premiere of the play! 5@50 runs from December 8-18, with tickets at $25.00 which can be purchased here. Please note: There is reduced capacity due to Covid and tickets must be purchased in advance. 

Another Edmonton favourite is also returning, Whizgiggling Productions' The Best Little Newfoundland Christmas Pageant... Ever! I've seen this show in previous incarnations and it is both hilarious and touching. Silliness abounds and it is terrific for kids! Trouble is on the horizon when the Herdmans show up for auditions for the annual Christmas Pageant, after all they are the "worst kids in the world". You can catch the show live onstage at the Backstage Theatre December 17-19 with tickets ranging from $24-$30 each. Tickets are also available for an online performance on December 22-23. You can purchase your tickets here. 

I hope that you will be able to catch one or more of these shows over the next month and that it helps you celebrate the season! 

After so long, 3 shows in a month seems AMAZING! The Fiancé, The December Man and Garneau Block!

 Yep, theatre is back. Some theatres are a little more back than others, and some are more distanced than others. Some are picking up where they left off, and some are showing new things. I took in three shows in the last month and it feels so strange to once again be out and about doing what I love! I'm still cautious, but it was nice to have moments in a darkened theatre where I both laughed and cried. 

Photo Credit: Nanc Price

Most recently (yesterday afternoon) I took in the new work, The Fiancé, in the Citadel's Shoctor Theatre.  With The Fiancé , penned by Holly Lewis (wife of Artistic Director Daryl Cloran), we were treated to a brand new farce taking place at the end of WWII. It featured local Edmonton theatre artists both on and off stage and it was a fun romp as the sweet and cake-loving Lucy (Helen Belay) and her tough no-nonsense sister Rose (Patricia Cerra) managed the comings and goings of Lucy's three wartime fiancés (Farren Timoteo, Tenaj Williams and Sheldon Elter), who have all arrived home on the same day. The stakes are raised by the arrival of a new landlord, Ms. Crotch (played by a ferocious Lora Brovold), with strict rules about unmarried ladies living in the building. As with most farces, the First Act served to set up the situation as precariously as possible and the Second Act was where it all payed off. It was an enjoyable afternoon spent out at the theatre where I could laugh and anticipate who would end up with who and what ridiculous circumstance would wrap it all up. I was not disappointed! The script is new and could use a little tightening and the removal of a few anachronistic bits that bumped me out of the story, but the cast do a great job selling every moment. And although the physical comedy in the fights and business are funny, they could also use a bit of judicious editing as they don't always carry the momentum required. As I mentioned, the Second Act is where it all pays off, as more people are added and more doors start getting opened and closed. All in all, this is a nice little show that will make you feel good and get you laughing. 

The Fiancé runs to November 28 and tickets are available here. Tickets range from $30-$108.00.

COVID RATING: B+ (Guests are checked for double vaccination and masked throughout the performance, hand sanitizer is provided in the lobby and entrances, but seats are not distanced and some guests removed their masks to drink and eat in the theatre)

Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images

Last week I took in The December Man at Walterdale Theatre. It has closed but I did want to comment on the excellent production. The December Man, by Colleen Murphy, tells of the 1989 Ecole Polytechnique tragedy involving the murder of 14 women and injuring others by a lone gunman railing against feminism. The story is told in the aftermath with the effects on one male student Jean (played with sensitivity by Filip Fufezan) who survived the shootings and the guilt that he deals with for not doing more. His parents, played by Christine Gold and J. Nelson Niwa, struggle to help him and their own limitations prevent them from being able to do so successfully. The trio of actors were beautifully committed to their characters strengths and weaknesses, and together there were a believable family coping as best they could with this horrible new reality. And the story, told in reverse order, culminated in a heart-breaking emotional release. The piece was directed with a skilled hand by Alex Hawkins who allowed the cast to weave through the emotional ups and downs realistically. 

The December Man closed this past Saturday, so you can no longer see it. However, Walterdale Theatre's next production is 5@50 by Brad Fraser which runs from December 8-18. Tickets can be purchased here. $25.00

COVID RATING: A+ (Guests are checked for double vaccination and masked throughout the performance, hand sanitizer is provided at entrances, bathrooms are restricted to one person at a time, seats are socially distanced, limited tickets are sold to prevent over-crowding)

Photo Credit: Arthur Mah

Earlier this season I also caught The Garneau Block at the Citadel in the Maclab Theatre. At the time of the Shut-down I think I was about a week and a half from seeing the show, so it was nice to finally catch it on the stage! I'm so happy for these shows-interrupted who are now able to be seen. Some productions over the course of the pandemic were able to transition to online productions, but with this being a play based on a novel by Edmonton's own Todd Babiak, so close to Opening, with a set left intact, I was really happy that they were able to keep (almost) the entire original cast and get the opportunity to share it with the city. I loved the book, so it was cool to see that world recreated onstage in this adaptation by Belinda Cornish. There are differences but the spirit of the story is intact, as are the characters. It was a great afternoon of laughter for me. Stand-out performance, however, must go to Nadien Chu whose onstage melt-down was one for the ages! As a whole, however, the cast was a delightful, well-balanced ensemble. Kudos!

The Garneau Block is no longer running so tickets are not available.