Fringe Preview: Shows that have caught my eye...

So, I haven't gotten my Fringe Program yet, however, I did take a quick pass through the website to check things out as I want to program a wonderful Fringe for myself. In the absence of doing a show myself, this is the most excellent consolation prize!

After this first pass - here's what I am finding intriguing!

FETCH
The Description: Hannah Morgan is the youngest of six. Hannah Morgan is an only child. Hannah Morgan has a happy family. Hannah Morgan is orphaned, ignored, alone. Hannah Morgan pursues and is pursued by a small toy dog. A play about possible existences, simultaneous identities, and who becomes the real Hannah Morgan. [ Interloper Theatre ]
Why I want to see it: Um... Cat Walsh wrote it. Cat Walsh. I love her writing - always unexpected and intriguing. Also, Cat Walsh and Lora Brovold are in it. So... I plan to be there!
Click here for tickets.

SOPHIE'S WILD RIDE
The Description: Wise-cracking Golden Gal Sofie Palermo has gone to the great beyond...or so she thinks. Join Sofie's trip down memory lane with daughter Doralee (a square), best friends Brooke (a sexpot) and Rowe (a nitwit). Does Sofie learn a lesson? Maybe; maybe not. Either way, this 83-year-old is wickedly funny!
Why I want to see it: Well, I like a good comedy and I was always a Golden Girls fan. Also, Nicole English as Sophie promises to be a sure bet. It's also a new work, and I love checking out new Edmonton playwrights!
Click here for tickets.

BAD HABITS
The Description: From the 20-time award-wining company that brought you Beau & Aero and Bella Culpa. (Edmonton Best-of-Fest 2015 & 2016) Two sisters of faith struggling to find the light... and stay in it. An absurd comedy about the lives and habits of Sisters Florence and Margarine, and the temptations they face. [ A Little Bit Off ]
Why I want to see it: Well, it's from the people who did Beau and Arrow, and I missed that and always regretted it because everyone I know who saw it said it was really, really good. So I don't want to miss out this time around... Also, I was raised Catholic so I think I'll find connection in the humour...
Click here for tickets.

BOUNTIFUL
The Description: Right under our noses lies a polygamous settlement of Fundamentalist Latter Day Saints; inspired by true events, a young woman is taken in by this 'bountiful' community and soon learns of its questionable past. As time unravels, she's forced to make a life-altering decision. Will she Keep Sweet?
Why I want to see it: Well, I saw Unsyncables two years ago and Riverdale last year and I think that Rebecca Merkley is a very funny playwright. Also, I read Under the Banner of Heaven a few years ago and I find the topic intriguing.
Click here for tickets.

CULT CYCLE
The Description: There is a new spin studio in town! Welcome to Cult Cycle where you will burn fat and arise a new you from the ashes. This original musical gives a new meaning to the statement "That spin class was torture". Be prepared to "Get FIT or DIE trying!"
Why I want to see it: Well, this might be the only way you get me to a spin class... ha ha ha... It's a great cast from a company with a proven track record for presenting quality shows (Straight Edge) and I am excited about new work and especially new musicals!
Click here for tickets.

DON'T FROWN AT THE GOWN
The Description: From the award-winning duo behind Flora & Fawna's Field Trip and Puckbunnies. 1962. On the eve of Susan's wedding, a final fitting at Lady Laura Lee's Bridal Belle Boutique tightens bonds, reveals secrets and stretches loyalties - to the breaking point. A woman's duty clashes with the modern sexual revolution.
Why I want to see it: Well, I have never been disappointed by Trevor Schmidt and Darrin Hagen's collaboration. I'm a die-hard Flora and Fawna fan (and I have the selfies to prove it!), and I love how they bring a real humanity to their work. It's always hysterical, but also touching.
Click here for tickets.

Well, this was the first pass... There's a lot to filter through. I'll be adding to my list as we get closer to Fringe!

 Tickets go on sale August 8th!

Fringe Preview: SatCo and Uniform Theatre present XANADU

What do you get when you combine two phenomenal musical theatre companies, roller skates, Greek myth, and disco? Clearly, you get XANADU! Yes, I saw the original film in the theatre, likely the week it was released, and loved it, so it's got that working for it. It also is being presented by SatCo (whose previous Edmonton Fringe shows include American Idiot, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Dog Fight) and Uniform Theatre (Sterling nominated for last years' Fringe hit The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). The cast and creative team for this production are top-notch and if you add this to your list, you'll get a show that is so much more than a Fringe show. It's family friendly too, so that's a plus. I am very intrigued to find out how the roller skating is going to translate to the Strathcona High School performance space! 

Sterling nominated companies SatCo and Uniform Theatre have teamed up to present a totally rad rock musical in the Edmonton Fringe! XANADU tells the story of Greek Muse Clio, who descends from Mount Olympus to Venice Beach in 1980 to inspire a struggling artist to create the greatest artistic creation of all time - A ROLLER DISCO! But when she falls into forbidden love with the mortal, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation, and chaos abounds! 

XANADU features the music of ELO, with a hilarious book by Douglas Carter Beane. It’s 90 minutes of rock, glitter, and 80s magic that you won’t want to miss!

Featuring the talents of: Arden Phillips, Brian Christensen, Nelson Bragg, Mackenzie Reurink, Kristin Johnston, Emi Gusdal, Victoria Suen, Ryley Tennant and Dustyn Tennessen. 

Director: Linette Smith
Musical Director: Stephanie Urquhart
Stage Manager: Kandice Laurie
Assistant Stage Manager: Logan Stefura
Lighting Designer: Freida Wang
Sound Designer: Russell Ault
Band: Stephanie Urquhart, Sam Malowney, Sam Vesely, Peter Zawalski 

Venue 25 - Strathcona High School (10450 72 Avenue)

Tickets on sale August 8 at noon through Fringe Theatre! Click here for tickets or more information. 

Photo Credit: Kaylin Schenk

Edmonton Artists - Tell me about your Fringe show!

This year, due to some family commitments at the end of August, I am not doing a Fringe show. That feels weird for me... so, I am inviting Edmonton and area theatre artists to share with me information about their fringe shows and I'll in turn tell other people about your shows here on Finster Finds! The added benefit of my not doing a fringe show is that I will also get to see more, so let me know what you are doing!

To send me the details about your show - email me at smeep22003@yahoo.ca with FRINGE 2018 - FINSTER FINDS in the subject line! I look forward to hearing all about it!

To find out about how I fringe, check out this profile from After the House Lights... There are other profiles, as well, from local artists which can give you some great ideas about how to have a wonderful fringe experience!  

Teatro la Quindicina presents one of my FAVOURITES! The Importance of Being Earnest!

When I first started teaching high school drama years and years ago I knew that one of the first plays I would do with the kids would be Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. It had long been one of my favourite plays and it was one that made me laugh aloud many times when I read it. I also had a great group of students who were up to the challenge and style of Oscar Wilde. I had so many that I double-cast the show. That was about 18-19 years ago but it still lives in my memory as one of my favourite theatre adventures.

So... when Teatro la Quindicino announced they were presenting The Importance of Being Earnest I was ever so excited! The show did not disappoint. It is wonderfully cast, with great chemistry between the four lovers. There are moments of magic between Jack (Mark Meer) and Algernon (Ron Pederson) and between Cecily (Shannon Blanchet) and Gwendolyn (Louise Lambert), and when they are in their various configurations. Miss Prism (Cathy Derkach) and Rev. Chausable (Julien Arnold) are delightful in their intellectual flirting, and Leona Brausen is an imperious Lady Bracknell. The production will please any aficionado of Wilde from the opening cucumber sandwiches, to the buttonhole to muffins and a handbag! It's quick-paced and light and although there were a few opening night fumbles, it's well worth a night out on a summer evening! Indeed, I think as this cast runs with the show I will only get better and better... perhaps I will have to go back for a second viewing!

The Importance of Being Earnest runs to July 28, 2018 at the Varscona Theatre.
Click here for tickets.

Next to Normal at Walterdale Theatre - Opening Night!

Last night we opened the final show of Walterdale Theatre's 59th Season, Next to Normal, directed by Artistic Director Bethany Hughes. It's a great show to close out this season and I was incredibly moved by the performances. Walterdale's intimacy gave the show something more than I have experienced seeing it previously in a much larger theatre and abstracted set allowed me to see it again with new eyes.

With only a cast of 6, the show itself is a huge sing and everyone onstage held their own. It's emotional and funny and powerful. The cast is terrific - Monica Roberts, Mike Harding, Mark Sinongco, Fiona Cain, Damon Pitcher, and Trevor J. Worden. They work together well and there are no weak links. Vocally they are all very strong and handle the rock score beautifully. They also tell this story of mental illness with respect and intelligence.

If you are one to tear up, I recommend bringing tissues as several people were in need of those on Opening Night!

Next to Normal runs to July 14.
Click here for tickets.

Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images.

The Epic Appeal of Les Miserables (Broadway Across Canada)!

One thing that I am really enjoying lately is being able to share my love of musical theatre with my 13 year old son. I am thankful to Hamilton and the many years of piano lessons we’ve invested in, as I think the combination has really been the catalyst for his appreciation. This week I was able to share my all-time favourite musical, Les Miserables, with him and it was a wonderful night out!

This week, we saw Les Mis as part of the Broadway Across Canada tour at the Northern Jubilee Auditorium. It’s a wonderful production using projections and trucks to create a myriad of locations. The lighting, if occasionally dimmer than I would like, is striking. The stage pictures - from the prison ship, to the Thenardier’s Inn, to the barricade, to the sewers - are stunning and atmospheric.

                

But it’s Les Mis, isn’t it, so it’s really all about Jean Valjean’s journey and the music. From those first few iconic chords I was in the world. Nick Cartell as Valjean has a beautiful voice, and his performance holds up through the decades of Valjean’s life. His Bring Him Home was gorgeous and layered and uncluttered – a simple prayer that grows and changes with the intensity of his need.

                

There are strong performances from all of the leads, Mary Kate Moore is a lovely and fragile Fantine; Josh Davis as the relentless Javert earns his ending; The Thénardiers (Allison Guinn and J. Anthony Crane) are perfectly crass and mercenary; and Enjolras (Matt Shingledecker) is a passionate leader of the students. Marius (Joshua Grosso) was a personal favourite of mine. His performance is engaging and charming when we first meet him falling in love with Cosette (Jillian Butler) and joking around with Eponine (Emily Bautista), and his rendition of Empty Chairs and Empty Tables is heartbreaking. The three young lovers create a beautiful triangle, each with excellent vocal instruments well-suited to their roles, and the ability to tell the story in song.

                

Overall, the production manages to tell the story in a way that would please those of us who remember the original production from the 1980s and those that discovered it with the recent movie adaptation. For me, it hit all the required notes to appease my expectations, and for Gibson it created a new fan. He quickly uploaded the soundtrack at intermission, so impressed by the music. His favourites were the Thénardiers for the humour, but he also noted, “it was sad, really sad, but the music was also really, really good.”

                

If there is one criticism, it’s that some of the quicker vocal sections are a bit too fast, with words clipped, making those unfamiliar with the score challenged to understand exactly what was being sung. I had to do some quick explaining to Gib so that he knew what was going on, but even in that he said that he could follow the story enough and he was glad to have a conversation about it afterwards.

Les Miserables runs until July 8, 2018 at the Jubilee Auditoriam.

Click here for tickets.

Forever Plaid at the Mayfield - Fabulous Harmony!

Last night, the boys and I took Mark to the Mayfield Dinner Theatre to take in Forever Plaid, one of his favourite musicals. Lucky us that the timing was right to make for a terrific Father's Day present!

We had a great time! It's always interesting to revisit shows that you've seen before and hard not to reflect on the differences and just enjoy what the new production brings to it. This production had amazingly tight harmonies that showcased the superior vocal blend of it's four performers (Kaymar Pazandeh, Andrew MacDonald-Smith, Farren Timoteo, and Steven Greenfield). I've never seen Pazandeh onstage before and I have to say, his voice was a real treat, a beautiful bass-baritone that was incredibly smooth! I'm a big fan of  both Timoteo (Peter and the Starcatcher - Citadel) and MacDonald-Smith (Crazy For You - Citadel) so it was great to see them onstage together. The four of them worked together well to set up the jokes, and the show had a nice smooth flow. My favourite numbers were Chain Gang/Sixteen Tons and the Carribean (Kingston Town, Matilda, Jamaica Farewell) section. I also really liked Perfidia, because I love that song and these guys rocked it!

Here's what Mark and Gibson had to say... 

"The harmonies reminded me what I love about that style of singing and got me thinking about singing again." - Mark

"I liked the singing. I really liked the songs." - Gibson

The show is a wonderfully fun and nostalgic trip (I indicated to Gibson that you could tell who the older people in the audience were because they were laughing the most at the Ed Sullivan Show jokes), but also has the ability to create new fans as evidenced by Gibson downloading the soundtrack from Apple Music immediately following the show. 

Forever Plaid runs until July 29, 2018 at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre. It's a nice 90 minute show (no intermission) with a fabulous meal - perfect for a summer evening out!

You can purchase tickets here.