REVIEW: Comedy of Errors a masterclass of mayhem
The Freewill Players launch their 35th outdoor season in Hawrelak Park this year with one of Shakespeare’s earliest and funniest plays, Comedy of Errors. It’s hard to imagine a better show for a spring evening than this venerable confection – an entertaining show as light as a breeze across Hawrelak Lake. It is, by the […]
INTERVIEW: Eamon McGrath imagines ‘Maritime Gothic’
It’s tempting to think that This Town Dies When Festival Season Ends is a song about Edmonton – seeing as songwriter Eamon McGrath was born and raised here. You probably think this song is about you, don’t you? But it’s not. We think we have it bad; take a trip to a typical town in […]
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 […]
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 […]
FOOD: River City Revival House serves rock ‘n’ roll
Rage Against the Poutine made me angry. Instead of the expected cheese curds that squeak on your teeth (indicating freshness) was the surprise appearance from homemade Thanksgiving stuffing – which, like grandma on family holidays, dominated the otherwise perfectly-cooked house-punched French fries drizzled with rich bacon gravy, backed up by succulent flakes of pulled pork. […]
PLAYBOT: The Importance of Being Lemoine
In Upside Down World, while all other Edmonton theatre companies have ended their seasons and are resting up for the Fringe, Teatro la Quindicina is just getting started. It has been said – by PlayBot™ – that Teatro’s permanent resident playwright and artistic director Stewart Lemoine is the Oscar Wilde of Edmonton, so it fits […]
