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! 

Getting in the Spirit of the Season with THEATRE! Castle Spectre and The Vinyl Cafe Kick it all off!

I've been super busy this week because I have my sister visiting from Ontario, but I did see a couple of show son the weekend that I think you should check out. 

The first was Castle Spectre, presented by Paper Crown Theatre at the Gateway Theatre. It's an adaptation of a gothic play from long ago. It's been edited for length and some characters have been trimmed to create a tighter piece more suitable for modern audiences. The story tells of a haunted castle with a history of treachery and a long lost daughter returns, not knowing who she really is. The story leans on gothic tropes, like ghosts and a mysterious prisoner in a dungeon, as well as an isolated heroine. There's a lot of humour, particularly from Father Philip (Andrew Mcready), Motley the fool (Christian Lundgren, who also plays the villian, Lord Osmond) and a delightfully Scottish housekeeper Alice (Samantha Beck). As the heroine Angela, Irene Poole has a lovely onstage presence and a beautiful voice. She sings duets with the ghost of her mother, Evelina, the equally talented Maggie Salopek. It's a lot of fun and worth checking out, particularly if you like stories of castles and long lost royal heirs and sword fighting! It's perfectly suitable for younger audiences, but only if they are able to handle the running time as it is a two act piece - so maybe not the really little ones.  It runs to November 30th at the Gateway Theatre and tickets can be purchased here. 

Photo: Nanc Price

I also saw The Vinyl Cafe at The Citadel. I'm a big fan of the CBC program, The Vinyl Cafe and have listened to a lot of them. I was both excited and apprehensive about seeing it because I love the show but I also wanted it to live up to my expectations. I needn't have been apprehensive, it was such a  lovely and fun show! It may not look or feel exactly how you imagine it (there's a wide distance between Stuart Maclean's voice and musical theatre), but the spirit and themes of the stories are spot-on. The bulk of the show is built around the classic story, "Dave Cooks the Turkey", but there are other bits and pieces from many of the recognizable favourites from the Vinyl Cafe. There will be moments that surprise you! The music is tuneful and fun and the entire cast is terrific. They are all wonderful singers and dancers committed to selling the story, so whether there's 2 or 3 or the full cast onstage, it's really well done! The central family of Dave, Morley, Stephanie and Sam were the emotional heart of the show, as they should be. I even teared up in the last number. I left the show feeling so good. It's a  wonderful holiday theatre adventure, and for me the theme of leaving behind petty disagreements to share in the joy of the season with your friends, family and neighbours is so very timely. The show has been held over a week and now runs to December 7th and tickets can be purchased here. 

I mentioned I've been busy - I also saw How Patty and Joann Won High Gold at the Grand Christmas Cup Winter Dance Competition  at Northern Light Theatre - which was hilarious and heartbreaking and I highly recommend, and about which I will write more about later; and Carrie presented by MacEwan University Theatre program, which while it is not my kind of musical, it was excellently done - I will write more later about this, as well. 

And now I am off to Guys and Dolls presented by Foote in the Door! It's been a very busy week!

Big Stuff at the Citadel - what are you holding on to?

This weekend, my Mom and I went to Big Stuff at the Citadel Theatre. The show features improvised moments and scenes within a framework wherein actors Naomi Sniekus and Matt Baram tell stories about all their "stuff" (physical) and their "stuff" (emotional and memory). They relate their meeting and tell the stories of their parents who have now all passed away. Throughout the show (and this is the improv stuff), the audience reveals stories about their things. When you arrive at the theatre, there's a notecard on the seat that you write about an object that you have that reminds you of someone close to you. During the show, at key moments, a card is drawn and that audience member is encouraged to tell their story and this is woven into the overall narrative. They also ask questions, like who has been married the longest, which my Mom won at 62 years (she said 62 but remembered later on the way to the car that it was actually 63 years). It was such a lovely show. Very funny both in the planned story and in the quick thinking incorporation of the prompts peppered throughout the show, but is is also touching and heart warming. So it's completely fair to mention that I laughed and I cried and I loved it! As we were leaving my Mom said, "Now that is the kind of theatre I want to see!". 

I've seen Sniekus and Baram before in Toronto in 2013. They are just as quick and in sync today and in a city like Edmonton with such good Improv, they are holding their own with this phenomenal show. It's a must-see!

Big Stuff runs at the Citadel Theatre in the Rice until November 9th. Tickets are $40-$69 and can be purchased here. 

A Special Guest Review of The Mountaintop at the Citadel Theatre!

 I was unable to use my ticket to The Mountaintop at the Citadel this past weekend (Easter plans) and having seen the show before I passed along my ticket to my thoughtful friend, John Anderson, who had wanted to see the show. So, here is a "Special Guest Review" Post for the show!

Similar to the play itself, the Citadel’s new production of Katori Hall’s play, The Mountaintop, is deceptively simple at first glance. The story is a fictional reimagining of how Martin Luther King spent his last night alive, right after he returns from delivering his famous final sermon, I’ve Been to the Mountaintop. At his room in Lorraine Motel, King encounters an eccentric and mysterious room service attendant, Camae. With her company, MLK experiences his final moments of privacy in life.

John C. Dinning’s Set Design combines realism and abstract to tell its story. The motel room is entirely what one would expect from a real life motel room, but the borders of the stage present something else… Like all famous people, MLK was surrounded and trapped by fame. Even alone in his room, he is never allowed to be alone. All along the edges of the Maclab Theatre stage, there are strewn newspapers, letters, documents, communications, facts, opinions, and destiny. Upstage from the room, there are clouds that Jeff Osterlin’s lights dance across to effectively make it seem as though the clouds are really moving. Occasionally, Dave Clarke’s thunder booms and roars to remind MLK of the danger his life is in.

Ray Strachan is tremendous as King. His physical and vocal control seem effortlessly natural, despite clearly intentional choices in every moment. With all MLK’s fame and renown, it would be easy to fall for the wrong choice and portray King with an inhuman level of gravitas. Thankfully, the script, direction, and performance all draw the character in a more human and therefore compelling light. Once Patricia Cerra enters the motel room as the enthralling Camae, the two actors own the stage thanks to their talents, but also thanks to very strong direction from Patricia Darbasie. She has done wonders with her cast. King and Camae’s chemistry as channeled through the actors is delightfully engaging, especially when the conversations take unexpected turns.

In the finale of the play, there is a repeated phrase about contribution and progression: “The baton passes on”. With their production of The Mountaintop, Patricia Darbasie and her team have successfully passed it along to Edmonton audiences.

- John Anderson – April 1st, 2024

The Mountaintop runs to April 21st at The Citadel Theatre. Tickets range from $35.00 to $125.00 and can be purchased here. 

My thanks to John for the awesome review! I hope you all get to catch the show while it's here!

Little Shop of Horrors gets me in the mood for Hallowe'en!

I spent a fun afternoon out at The Citadel Theatre watching Little Shop of Horrors. I’ve never seen it onstage before and while some things were different than what I was expecting (having only the move for reference) I had a great time! I forgot how it ended, so that was a surprise! Ha ha ha! I loved hearing Suddenly Seymour and Somewhere that's Green (two of my favourite musical theatre songs) and both were delivered excellently! Tenaj Williams was a terrific Seymour, and John Ullyatt was hilarious in his many identities! Great to groove to the doo-wop! Audrey Two was also a hi-light (both the vocals and the puppetry!)! Only drawbacks were that the band was occasionally too loud and it was hard to hear lyrics in some of the bigger energy songs, and some of the lighting was oddly dark and even though I was in row B, I had trouble seeing all of the production numbers when there was a spotlight on a featured singer.

I guess Hallowe’en is a “come in costume” night. Definitely the right show for this time of year!

Little Shop of Horrors runs until November 19th in the Shoctor Theatre at the Citadel. Tickets range from $40-130 and are available here.