Tag: theatre reviews

Teatro La Quindicina: “Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s!”

Last Wednesday, Mack and I attended the last Teatro La Quindicina performance of the season, a spirited musical comedy titled Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s! As with the last few years, the final play of their season highlights other local playwrights.

Mitzi’s was written as a tribute to the Edmonton supper club scene in the 1960s, cataloguing the romantic hijinx of staff in one particular establishment. The cast, made up of Teatro regulars and one recent graduate (Robyn Wallis) was solid, and the group definitely looked like they were having fun.

A band was up on stage and played through most of the production, which really helped to set the lighthearted tone. The songs were catchy and upbeat, and instead of simply being musical interludes, actually helped move the plot forward. My favourite was the duet featuring Tippi (Wallis) and Jack (Ryan Parker), if not only because it was the song most pleasing to my ear. The clever will-they-or-won’t-they duet between Mitzi’s staff Mitch (Andrew MacDonald Smith) and ‘Numbers’ (Jocelyn Ahlf) was also enjoyable.

The 60s-inspired costumes deserve a special mention as well <insert ubiquitous Mad Men reference here>, and in particular I thought Tippi’s wardrobe stole the show (she seemed to change outfits after every scene).

The play ended on a very optimistic note – one that sees the characters adopt a forward-looking stance on the city’s development, which is not unlike the outlook many citizens have on the current state of Edmonton. It was a fitting ending, and left me smiling as I left the theatre.

Everybody Goes to Mitzi’s runs until October 24.

Stage a Revolution: Day 11

Our last day at this year’s Fringe was short and sweet – two plays nearly back-to-back, which, given that the skies threatened rain all day, meant that the prospect of getting drenched waiting in line was somewhat lessened.

We started the afternoon off at a new Fringe venue – The Laugh Shop – to see The Art of Being a Bastard. Set-up cabaret style not unlike the Yardbird Suite (which I similarly don’t like), the hodgepodge of chairs and tables wasn’t an ideal theatre. The play, one of two written by Matt Alden this year, was another very contemporary look at life, this time out of the lens of three shy twenty-somethings who wished they had more luck with the ladies. It was an enjoyable hour, though it did take a while to get going. The three actors kept up with the fast-paced production very well, juggling multiple characters and visibly sweating after a few of the frantic side-scenes (Mack in particular enjoyed the rap number, while I loved the Saturday Night Fever nod). It was another light, fun play that I imagine was written specifically for the Fringe, but of the two I watched in this category, Space was better.

Our last play this year was David Belke’s A Final Whimsy. Watching Belke’s yearly offering (this year marked his twentieth festival) has become a tradition for me. Whimsy focused on two sisters rehearsing a song for their father’s upcoming wedding, and needing to hash out some of the mysteries surrounding their mother’s departure from their young lives. Although the church setting was appropriate given the context of the play, the echoing acoustics made the dialogue hard to follow sometimes, particularly when the conversations were heated. That said, the vaulted ceilings worked for the musical portions of the show, with Andrea House’s rendition of “All I Have to Do is Dream” being the delightful standout. In all, it was a sweet story about family and what people will do to protect each other from painful truths.

Because the shows I wanted to see all scheduled themselves so well this year I didn’t end up spending that many days on the grounds. For that reason, it felt like I could have seen twice as many productions as I did. Of course, although the Fringe ended today, there are still opportunities to catch several popular shows that have been held over – check out the schedule here.

Thanks for a great Fringe! I am looking forward to next year already.

Stage a Revolution: Day 7

The food at the Fringe has been disappointing so far this year – Funky Pickle’s booth is nowhere to be seen, and the vendors we have visited on site have not been very good. Mack’s mini doughnuts were a little sad, and sweet potato fries from The Punky Potato only resembled its namesake in colour.

As a result, we’ve been hitting up Whyte Ave for sustenance – Fat Franks, and on Wednesday, the take-out window at Origin India. We both had a butter chicken wrap ($8.95, including a can of pop). The naan is, dare I say, the best in the city, and contained within was some rice, red peppers, and saucy butter chicken. Mack was impressed with the ingenious bag it was contained in, to help avoid sauce-on-clothes contact. I wished for some fresh herbs, and maybe some more prominent onion goodness, but as a whole the wrap made for a pretty good quick meal.

Butter Chicken Wrap from Origin India

Having taken the day off, I started off day 7 of the Fringe solo. My first show that day was Unsolicited Mail, portrayed as a love story between a listless man who mails spam for a living and an anonymous phone sex operator. Between the two main actors, Fiona Morris’s low-key, laid-back emotion felt far more genuine; Fred Krysko’s frantic, climactic breakdown seemed forced and over-the-top. And though the message of resounding loneliness in a world dominated by sensational stories and personal distance was relatable ( a world where Krysko’s character worked alongside another person for three years but did not get to know one another), something just didn’t click.

Thankfully, my day would get better – Space, a Panties Production featuring Jocelyn Ahlf (one of my favourites), Belinda Cornish and Mark Meer was light, fun fare that hit the spot. About a trio of women sent to explore the possibility of other life in the galaxy, there were a multitude of hilarious one-liners and the perfect role for Meer to once again steal the show. He played an android with human aspirations not unlike his character in Salon of the Talking Turk, with a mechanical laugh that almost always set the audience off (“my fleshy colleagues”, heh). Kristen Padayas, who I had seen but didn’t stand out in The Addelpated Nixie, was actually quite well-cast, and revelled in her role of the naive crew member. See Space if you’re looking for a non-committal, but entertaining show.

I met up with Mack for our final production of the day – Totem Figures by the one-of-a-kind TJ Dawe. I typically avoid one-person shows because they are so hit-or-miss, but Dawe is the one exception to that rule. On Wednesday, he didn’t disappoint. Totem Figures is Dawe’s bio, a play about the influential figures and myths in his life where he ponders the question – “who would be on your personal Mt. Rushmore?” Artfully written, seemingly unrelated anecdotes were woven together to form a rich tapestry of learning and experience. As always, his delivery – demonstrative of his expertise in manipulating the rhythms of the English language – swathes the audience in that magical feeling only achieved when watching someone very good at their craft. I do hope he returns to next year’s Fringe.

Two more plays to go!

Stage a Revolution: Day 4

Since volunteering for Front of House, it’s become a habit of mine to always seek out the main show boards at the information tents or box office at the Arts Barns. I like to see what shows have been selling out, particularly after good reviews in the Journal. I checked them out this afternoon while we were on the grounds, and it looks to me like there are a higher number of sold out shows than usually expected this early on in the festival. They also seem to have no correlation to reviews in the paper, though I have to say I haven’t done an exhaustive comparison. Most surprising to me is that not a single show of Spiral Dive has sold out, in spite of getting the only five-star review thus far. Perhaps the La Cite venue really is too far off the beaten track for most festival-goers to seek out?

Anyway, Mack and I watched two shows today – the first was Mockingbird Close by local artist Trevor Schmidt. An exploration of the ills of suburbia isn’t a new subject, but Mockingbird Close does an exceptional job of reaching and maintaining a harrowing level of intensity almost as soon as it starts. In particular, I appreciated the highly visual language, and the incorporation of Hansel and Gretel’s tale throughout. The play’s success rests heavily on the shoulders of the two actors, and Tiana Leonty and Cody Porter are well cast and well-matched for the roles of a couple searching for their lost son. The play’s two “halves” (the first about the family dynamic and the second about the neighbourhood), could have been individual shows themselves, and as a result, Mockingbird Close felt somewhat disjointed. As a whole though, I did enjoy the play, and would recommend it.

Mack picked our second selection for the day, @Life, at one of my least favourite venues, the Yardbird Suite. The description of the show in the program led me to believe the play was a “comedic examination of the role of technology in modern life”, but really, this is a play written by and for gamers. As a result, I have to say I didn’t understand enough of the references to like the play. However, I have to admire the energy level of the three actors, who were entertaining to watch, and a few of the sketches (the evolution of Mario, the “console reunion party”) that I mildly comprehended. Mack, on the other hand, having spent some time gaming, did enjoy the play.

I’ll be back at the Fringe on Wednesday. Have you seen any plays yet?

Stage a Revolution: Day 3

Our first day at the 2009 Fringe involved two plays, a lot of nibbles, and the obligatory grounds exploration.

I was particularly interested to see Revolution Square, billed in the program as a multi-use area and internet cafe. What it is in actuality is a beer tent that substitutes coffee for beer, with four computers set-up with internet access. It’s a nice family-friendly idea that provides an expansive seating section, but we’ll have to wait and see if it is utilized.

The food vendors seem to be more spread out this year, with some booths actually set-up in the typically retail-only area in front of Fringe volunteer headquarters. In addition, I’m disappointed that the “Fringe midway” is gone – I wonder if poor attendance was to blame for its demise? Lastly, I’m sad to see that complimentary copies of the Edmonton Journal are not available on the grounds this year (they also eliminated this perk at the Heritage and Folk Festivals). We were told by an information booth volunteer that the Journal said that they could “no longer afford” to offer free papers. I can say that Fringe attendees are typically rabid for reviews, and people gravitated towards the papers that were readily available on site. I wonder if this change will result in a change in how people select their shows – from choosing based on star rating to choosing based on content?

Our first show of the day was Teatro la Quindicina’s The Oculist’s Holiday. The premise of vacation hijinx reminded us of A Rocky Night for His Nibs, but the tone of this play eventually changed from one of lighthearted fun to introspection and tragedy. I have to say that the pacing threw me off (Jeff Haslam’s purposeful stumbles took a while to get used to), but Barbara Gates Wilson’s almost regal presence helped stabilize the somewhat unpredictable turn of events. The end of the play has been resonating with me even now, hours later, and without giving anything away, was a reminder to embrace opportunity.

Later that afternoon, we took in LoveHateKill, also at the Varscona Theatre. Five separate playlets by five different authors ruminated on some variation of love, hate, and kill, which was a fun interpretive exercise. My favourite, in both plot and acting was “A Love Story” by Trina Davies, exquisitely brought to life by Shannon Blanchet, who is rapidly becoming an actress to watch (she was great in Teatro’s Evelyn Strange, and also starred this past season in Catalyst’s Nevermore). The playlet recounted a woman’s experience of falling in love with an accused killer, and her efforts to be with him. The rest were somewhat interesting (for example, “Social Sundays” highlighted a sadistically creative games night between couples), but not particularly notable. Mack loved the random interlude of the “Jai Ho” Slumdog Millionaire Bollywood dance.

We’ll be back on the grounds tomorrow – looking forward to it!

Teatro La Quindicina: “Mother of the Year”

After the disappointing Teatro La Quindicina season debut of Connie in Egypt, Mack and I were looking to the mid-season romp Mother of the Year to help redeem our hope for the season. It did, somewhat.

Mother of the Year is a companion piece to one of the shows playing at the Free Will Shakespeare Festival, Titus Andronicus (a nod to the current economy, ticket holders gain a $10 discount to Titus). From the website:

“Set in Edmonton during the 1980’s, Mother of the Year unfurls the dramatically hilarious saga of a pair of rival meat packing companies and the families who run them. It’s a fast-paced, shockingly Shakespearean display of simmering resentments, disastrous marital alliances, quiet double-crosses, and bold betrayals, all played out in a world strongly reminiscent of such classic Reagan Era prime time soap operas as Dynasty, Dallas, and Knot’s Landing.”

I was a little afraid all of the 80s references would turn us off (in the same vein as Cocktails at Pam’s), but thankfully, they weren’t overdone. There were just a few references to neighbourhoods that had the over-40 set laughing.

As a whole, notwithstanding the outlandish personalities and ridiculous plot twists, Mother of the Year was fairly enjoyable. The Lemoine-ian quips were out in full force, and the Teatro regulars spun them into gold. In particular, I enjoyed Sheri Somerville as the satisfyingly blunt escort Mrs. Jones, and Davina Stewart as the dutiful Persis Renshaw (what a name!). At the same time, although I know the second half was meant to satirize the inane plot twists inherent in soaps, the rapid-fire way in which they came made it seem like Lemoine just didn’t care anymore – a contrast to his usual whimsical, but clever endings.

Mother of the Year runs until July 25 at the Varscona Theatre.

Roxy Theatre: “Hey Ladies!”

We had been meaning to go to Hey Ladies! at the Roxy Theatre for some time, particularly because two of our favourite local actresses, Davina Stewart and Leona Braunsen, were involved, but it wasn’t until late May that we managed to make it to a show.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, except that my standard for such variety/talk shows has been set by the high energy, off-the-cuff hilarity of Oh Susannah. Hey Ladies was billed as:

“your favourite daytime lifestyle show meets your favourite night time comedy jam. The final show of the season promises to be a unique evening filled with comedy, music, fashion, make-overs, ridiculousness, chit-chat, prizes, information, opinions,  possible law-suits, special guests, audience sauciness, experts, rejects, lovers, losers and much, much more.”

Though the theatre was pretty full that night, it wasn’t quite sold out. Mack was a bit uncertain about the show, as he could count the number of men in the audience on two hands.

At curtain, the ladies came out (introduced by a young Education grad named Noel, whose presence could be compared to Ellen Degeneres’ DJ sidekick), and though Stewart and Cathleen Rootsaert were present, Jana O’Connor was standing in for Braunsen, who was currently starring in a play at the Varscona. We weren’t sure how O’Connor would fare, being young and new to the ensemble, but she found her feet quickly, and supplied some of the best zingers and one-timers of the night.

Over the course of the night, several local guests were interviewed, in addition to a game and vegetarian burger taste-off. Guests included:

  • Michael Berard, a local hairstylist, who was asked about the timely subject of highlights;
  • a representative from Wine Runners, who discussed a cheeky line of California wines called Mad Housewife (available at the Sherbrooke Liquor Store);
  • a representative from Ambers Brewing Company, who introduced a coffee-rum liqueur to the audience;
  • Rick Krupa from Flirt Cupcakes; and
  • Sugar Swing, who performed two upbeat and catchy dances and talked about their lessons and weekly dances.

It really was “infotainment” (a word that was up on the marquee to describe the show), and is a perfect venue for those seeking to learn more about events and new trends happening in Edmonton. Best of all, from the liquor and food representatives came free samples – at intermission, the audience was treated to wine and liqueur samples, as well as a free mini cupcake!

The sauciness of the humour surprised me (Rootsaert’s “halter” was a running joke of the night), but really, given that there were Hey Ladies-wrapped pantyliners in the women’s washroom, I should have expected anything. By 10:30, when the show wrapped, Mack and I both had no idea that so much time had gone by – it was definitely an enjoyable way to spend a Friday night.

Stewart announced that Hey Ladies will continue next season, but details have yet to be determined. Do look for it in the fall – I know Mack and I will!

Catalyst Theatre: “Nevermore: The Imaginary Life & Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe”

Mack and I went to see Catalyst Theatre’s Nevermore on Saturday afternoon, one of the most hotly anticipated shows of the season. Jonathan Christenson and Bretta Gerecke, the Sterling Award-winning creators of Frankenstein collaborated again, this time on a tale about the life of writer Edgar Allan Poe. From the website:

“Nevermore is a playful and inventive 21st Century exploration of the mind and life of a 19th Century artist whose tormented life and dark imagination inspired him to create characters and stories that have taken on an almost mythical stature in contemporary culture.”

In a word – it was captivating. Nevermore enthralled in the same way Frankenstein did – everything from the lighting design and musical direction to costumes and dialogue were seamlessly integrated together, where each element was inseparable from the rest.

Playing on variants of black, Gerecke’s costumes (several made from paper mache), coupled with gothic makeup, were both playful and dark. Every prop, including the delicate paper tea cups and creaky pop-up books, helped create a dreamlike world around Edgar where it was easy for the audience to see where his conscious world blended with his nightmares. The use of shadow and the semi-transparent screens for narrative scenes and chorus support were brilliant, and demonstrated Christenson’s adeptness in visual storytelling.

All of the actors (except Scott Shpeley who played Edgar) were required to perform multiple roles, each needing to be distinct in voice, stature and movement. I found no weak link in the cast, as all were skilled at the crisp scene changes. Two members did stand out for me – Vanessa Sabourin was particularly haunting as Edgar’s fleeting mother, and Beth Graham’s comic relief as “wee Rosalie” was always a welcome presence.

Nevermore runs until May 17, but has added an additional two shows on May 22 & 23. Go see it! You won’t be disappointed.

Citadel Theatre: “Extinction Song”

When I heard last year that Ron Pederson would be gracing the Citadel Theatre stage in the spring, that was all the information I needed to buy tickets to Extinction Song, the final play in the Rice Season Series. One of my Teatro la Quindicina favourites (even though he doesn’t reside in Edmonton any longer, and hasn’t for quite some time), I was interested in seeing Pederson in a very different role. He didn’t disappoint. From the website:

“Meet James. Seven years old, he has escaped to a fantasy world where he is being raised by wolves. Every day is a new adventure until, frightened they are on the verge of becoming extinct, James and the wolves concoct a plan to save themselves. Extinction Song is a funny, tender and heartbreaking account of a child’s way of coping with the troubled world around him.”

I was totally taken into James’ world – at times terrifying, at times mystical. I was especially captivated at the point in the play when the character sees himself soaring through the air with his wolf pack, and with the help of lighting and sound, was able to imagine his flight and freedom. That moment was so pure that I desperately hoped, alongside James, that the magical innocence of childhood could be real.

I typically do not enjoy one-man shows (particularly when they lean towards drama and not comedy), but this was a well-paced production, with a fine balance between the lighthearted and more serious moments (James had literal names for many things, such as the “ding-dong-Avon-calling-lady”). Pederson had excellent timing, a dead-on stern tone for the father, and maintained a near frenetic energy throughout the ninety minute play without intermission.

The set was notable as well – the bedroom – from the furniture to the door frame – was set to scale to allow the audience to see Pederson as a small boy. The overhanging tree branches that lined his bedroom walls were an ethereal touch.

Extinction Song runs until April 19. See it while you can.

MacEwan Theatre Arts: “The Addelpated Nixie”

I had been looking forward to Stewart Lemoine’s The Addelpated Nixie for some time. A collaboration with MacEwan’s Theatre Arts Program, it was the first Lemoine-penned show I’d seen since Happy Toes at the Fringe last summer – I was ready to soak up some quirky, nonsensical fun.

The crux of The Addelpated Nixie is just that – a confused water-elf who has found herself on a 1950s college campus and is wreaking havoc in an effort to stay alive. This was entertaining enough and the high-pitched squeal of Mnimninmni (Ashley Plomp) garnered many laughs. The rest of the play – with subplots ranging from the coeds staging a show to helping a Soviet ballet dancer defect – was superfluous. It felt like the playwright had created roles to fill a quota of twenty, a cast inordinately large even for a Lemoine production. The show-ending non-romance between Irene and Press was also unnecessary, as their semblance of a relationship seemed forced, without chemistry between them to justify even flirtation.

There were a number of bright spots in the play, however, including the sparkling lead actress Robyn Wallis as Irene, who asserted herself just as she should have with spunk and sass. I appreciated Michael Davidson’s comic timing, in the role of the wandering groundsman, and Eric Wigston’s obvious potential as a leading man.

If anything, The Addelpated Nixie has renewed my excitement for the upcoming Teatro la Quindicina season, which starts at the end of April. For the first time, Mack and I are subscribers – I figured if there was a good time to support a small theatre company, that time is now. If you’re looking for a preview of their season, look no further than April 4, when Teatro will be revealing their season with snippets and interviews. Tickets are $20, $15 for subscribers. See you at the Varscona!