Lots of Laughter in BOEING BOEING and WE'RE NOT AFRAID!

Last night I took in We're Not Afraid (part of the Made In Edmonton Series at the Citadel) presented by Rapid Fire Theatre.  The show is an improvised homage to Who's Afraid of Viriginia Woolf? (currently running on the Citadel mainstage).  It's not a sloppy copy, but rather leans on the relationships, style and themes of the show along with suggestions from the audience to produce a very funny evening of improv. The cast is the cream of the RFT Crop, featuring Amy Shostak, Matt Alden, Joleen Ballendine and Ben Gorodetsky and they were certainly up the task of delivering the deliciously biting and irreverent parody.  Armed with suggestions of a Funeral, The Moon Landing, and Ventriloquism they really went for it and man-oh-man was it funny! You don't have to have seen Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? to enjoy it either. Most of us are somewhat familiar with images of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to get us to where we need to be to 'get' what is being parodied.  At my table, I was the only one who had seen the main stage Citadel show and the other 3 people were just as entertained. There's only one more show for We're Not Afraid left tonight at 8 p.m. It's a unique and hilarious option for you, I'd encourage you to check it out!

On Wednesday, I caught Opening Night of Boeing Boeing at Walterdale Theatre. I had seen the show a few years at the Mayfield and loved it.  The Walterdale show is similarly hilarious!  It's a great date night or night out for laughs. They embraced the door-slamming farce about a Paris bachelor with three fiancees who are all flight attendants on different schedules.  A storm lands them all in the city at the same time and the hi-jinks entailed to keep his secret are very, very funny.  They cast embraces the physical and over-the-top requirements and there are many gut-busting moments!  Highlights are Carrie Candy as the uber-passionate German and Heather Patton as the beleaguered maid who has to keep the menu straight, but Director Lauren Tamke has created a terrific ensemble with the entire cast. Boeing Boeing runs to February 13th - it would make a terrific date so if you don't have Valentine's plans, this would be perfect!

George and Martha Throw one Heck of a Party! Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the Citadel

This past week I took in the Edward Albee classic, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the Citadel. It seems odd to use the word classic because the play, particularly this well-acted and well-directed production, seems so crisply current.  It was simply an amazing night at the theatre. The 3 hours whip past you at a break-neck pace and keep you engaged the whole time. The two intermissions are nice for a breath and to stretch your legs, but WOW what a show!

I've seen the play twice before - both good productions with solid casts - this production was totally worth seeing it again.  It was like seeing the play for the first time. Tom Rooney, as the bedraggled George, plays it subtle and sneaky.  Brenda Robins, as the seemingly dominant Martha, brays and plays with an electric energy.  The younger couple, Nick and Honey, played by Jay Clift and Ava Jane Markus, are wonderfully lost in the chaotic world of George and Martha's living room. All in all, it is a delightful cocktail on the stage!

I can't find anything to fault - the acting is terrific, it's funny, it's charged, the pacing and direction is sharp and smart. If you like theatre - go see it!  If you are an actor or director - go see it!  If you want to feel better about your own relationship - go see it!

If you're not sure about my opinion, here are a few others you can check out:
Liz Nicholls, Edmonton Journal
Jenna Marynowski - After the House Lights
Graham Hicks, Hicks Biz Blog

They all think you should go too!

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? runs to February 13th at the Citadel.  Tickets start at just $30+GST.

Photo: Tom Rooney and Brenda Robins
Photo Credit: EPIC Photography

Looking Ahead - What I'm Hoping to See Onstage in January 2016!

I've started my Theatre Planning for the new year.  I've already booked tickets for a few shows.

I will see my first show of 2016 tomorrow when I take in Dirty Dancing at the Jubilee Auditorium as part of the Broadway Across Canada series.  I'm not sure exactly what to expect, but I have a feeling I will know the music and that nobody will be putting Baby in the corner! No doubt I will have the time of my life! ha ha!

Then it picks up next week when Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen opens at the Citadel. I'm looking forward to getting it all rolling. This show already has terrific buzz about it as it has played to filled houses along it's tour. I'm also looking forward to the music.

Next on the list is Flora and Fawna's Field Trip (With Fleurette) at the PCL Theatre presented by Northern Light Theatre. I saw this show when it was at the Fringe a couple of summers ago and it made me laugh and cry. It's such a wonderful piece about acceptance and friendship and being unique and different and that's okay. I've heard that Opening Night is already Sold Out so I'd advise getting tickets in advance.

Following that I will be taking in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the Citadel.  A fitting selection for the 50th Anniversary Season as it was the premiere performance when the Citadel opened it's doors. It's one of my favorite plays and I am looking forward to seeing the sparring between George and Martha!

Then, it's on to a new work with Bravo at the Backstage Theatre presented by Shadow Theatre. Bravo is written by Lethbridge playwright Blaine Newton who I served with on the APN Board of Directors.  I am looking forward to seeing this new Alberta play on stage!

Finally, I will be taking in Krystle Dos Santos 'Blak as part of the Made In Edmonton Cabaret Premiere Series at the Citadel.  I've been reading so much about the need for diversity in theatre, this one has me intrigued. It's billed as an artistic exploration of black culture in Alberta and created by those diverse voices themselves. I am looking forward to this, as well as hearing the music.  I missed Dos Santos last season when her Beyond the Stage show Sold Out but I heard nothing but amazing things about her show.

There's also Workshop West Playwright's Theatre Chinook Series at the end of the month.  I'll be seeing Ursa Major for sure and also checking out the offerings for a few other options.  There is definitely no shortage of good things to see this month!

A Little Theatrical Reflection...

Although the past few weeks have been busy I have managed to sneak in quite a bit of theatre (for me). Over the last little while I saw Mo and Jess Kill Suzie (Northern Light Theatre), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Studio Theatre - U of A), and Pride and Prejudice (Citadel Theatre). So here is my reflection on each of the productions...

Mo and Jess Kill Suzie (NLT)
I worked the bar and saw the show for free. It was an intense 90 minutes but would have been even more intense and stronger as a whole if it had been the promised 80 minutes. I guess the pacing had been slowing down over the course of the run. I had some problems with the script. I felt that it could have been several pages shorter to tighten it up and take out the multiple repetitions, however it had some great writing mixed in there. The performers were as a whole competent. I wished for more blood thirstiness from Jess (? - Amy Matysio) and more drive from Mo (? - Amanda Bergen). I think that's who played who... go by the actor's names, because I am not exactly sure which one was which. The strongest performance was definitely Lora Brovold as Suzie. Sad in a way, because the story is the other two women's story and for 2/3 of the play Suzie is lying inert on the floor in a pool of blood, but even this had intensity.

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Studio Theatre)
I had to see this as part of my homework for Drama Class. It is coloured by the fact that I had already seen a phenomenal production of the show in Fort McMurray and it would be hard to beat that one, particularly the performance of Julie Brown as Martha. Anyhow, the show was alright. Major pacing issues in act one (the longest act) and I dozed a bit (sorry). The 2nd and 3rd act picked up, but there was never quite the right manic energy the show needed. I felt the blocking was static and any of the physical fight scenes seem choreographed and unbelievable. It was okay, not great.

Pride and Prejudice (Citadel Theatre)
I went to see this last night and I was worried because it had been a long weekend and I was very tired and a bit sick (still sick today - sniff sniff). The show was 3 1/2 hours long. Yikes, but not really. This show was delightful. The pace was quick and the acting well done and it moved along so briskly that you hardly noticed the time. Elizabeth and Darcy were wonderful, but so was the whole cast. I thought it was really good. It is not even 'my kind of show'... I think the choice of this show reflects the tastes of the Artistic Director and you can see that in the season choices, but it was very entertaining. My only disappointment was that there were not many Edmonton Actors in it. I would have hoped for more of our local actors to be in the Citadel Young Professional Company. This was also a good choice for the women's roles as there were really the heart of the play. Lally Cadeau was amazing and she should get a Sterling nomination for that performance. So much better than she was in Noises Off.