PLAYBOT: It’s Shakespeare time!
One point in favour of teaching Shakespeare in schools and putting on Shakespeare festivals every summer – if we’re still arguing about this – is that almost everyone knows Shakespeare. Sure, he came from a distinctly white male European point of view, but his stories persist to this day because, well, they’re good. Think of […]
So a Geologist Walks Into a Creationist Museum …
Alberta is a land of opposites: Wide-open prairies set against foreboding mountains, liberal city centres and conservative countryside. Hell, even our winters and summers are like Jason Kenney and Rachel Notley. For me, as a geologist who’s worked for 10 years in Canada, the Middle East and the UK, the biggest contrast this province has […]
REVIEW: Master Class brings opera diva to life
The aura of Maria Callas stills hovers over opera in the last half of the 20th Century. She was “La Davina” – plain in person but beautiful on stage. Her acting may have been minimal but she dominated every production in which she appeared. Famous for her wobbling high notes, she seldom performed (especially in […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: A Sures thing
Ben Sures has made a lot of waves in Edmonton since he moved here from Winnipeg more than 20 years ago. Now ensconced as one of the leading lights of the local music scene, Sures never seems to do the same thing twice. He’s worked with a wide variety of musicians in a wide variety […]
Edmonton Pride challenges police inclusion
The Edmonton Pride Parade on Saturday did not run without protest. The festivities on Whyte Avenue were halted for an hour due to anti-police protests – from demonstrators representing themselves as a “coalition of queer and trans people of colour.” The protesters handed out leaflets calling for the parade’s organizers to un-invite city police, RCMP […]
Bryan Adams does it for you
It’s astounding that Bryan Adams hasn’t changed his shtick in almost 40 years – and can still fill hockey arenas. He’s not in Edmonton as often as some of the others, so that helps make it special. And aside from writing more hits to fill his canon, why would he change now? If it ain’t […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Ocean Alley a trip
Not many bands would attempt a crazy mix of psych, rock, and reggae into a heady blender all their own – but it works for Ocean Alley. This Sydney, Australia band’s pair of EPs and a similar pair of full-lengths are full of rising anthemic crescendos, a not-so-subtle funk, and hooks galore. Their track The […]
Finest of Strangers the finest of Lemoines
A new play by Stewart Lemoine is something to celebrate. For some 36 years – since his debut at the first Fringe – he has prolifically turned out play after play, over 70 of them now. The amazing thing about all this is that the playwright has managed to maintain an innate curiosity in a […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Weird Al dares to be original
Here, finally, comes the true test for “Weird Al” Yankovic – an entire concert based on his own songs. Wait, what? He has his own songs? A whole show? Like that polka medley he always does? More than that. True fans know Weird Al composes his own music – quirky stylistic homages that might as […]