Portugal. The Man. Greater. Than. That One Hit.
It’s always a interesting experience seeing a concert from a modern rock band known in the mainstream for only one massive radio hit. Seems like they’re all that way these days. You never know what you’re going to get. They could be a box of chocolates – or as has been witnessed once or twice, […]
Edmonton trans singer to perform at anti Jordan Peterson rally
It started with a quibble about pronouns that escalated into a hill to die on – a bitter partisan war over free speech and gender politics that shows no signs of a ceasefire. University of Toronto psychology professor Jordan Peterson started it with his outspoken criticism of Bill C-16, which is meant to protect a […]
HMS Pinafore: A jazz cruise with pizzazz
Shortly after it was written in 1878, Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore (or The Lass That Loved a Sailor), became the most popular musical in the world. Propelled by silliness and mirth, it was a huge hit in London and, crossing the ocean, became an immediate sensation in America. At one time pirated versions were […]
Tears mix with laughter in remarkable one-man show
The one-person stand-up show is a staple of theatre – but you’ve never seen one like this before. Empire of the Son, on stage at the Citadel’s Club theatre until Feb. 18, is the work of the much-hyphenated (writer-comedian-filmmaker-movie-TV star-radio host) Tetsuro Shigematsu. He has co-starred in a sci-fi film with George Takei, was a […]
REVIEW: Brilliant play for short attention spans …
With Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information, MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts program introduces a new stage to Edmonton – the Theatre Lab in the impressive new Allard Hall. The play runs until Feb. 10. The new black box, 150-seat space is just what a theatre school needs – an area flexible enough to accommodate productions of […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: Fearing loathing Trump
Stephen Fearing was born in Vancouver, raised in Ireland, lived in Minnesota and wound up back in Vancouver in 1984 – where only then he became the Canadian folk hero he is today. He could live anywhere – and America is bottom of the list. In the area for a trio show at Festival Place […]
PLAYBILL: Ever been to sea?
If it weren’t for a certain Victorian-era creative team’s fascination with all things nautical, musical theatre as we know it today might be far different. Imagine if H.M.S. Pinafore had been set in the Canadian prairies: Ranch boss’s daughter falls in love with a lowly ranchhand, cue “Come away with me on my tractor, Buttercup.” […]
RIP Tommy Banks: Godfather of Edmonton music
“I can’t wait to read it” is the last thing Tommy Banks said to me a few months ago – in anticipation of the book I’m struggling to finish about the history of the Edmonton music scene. He’s a key chapter. What a sad deadline to miss. Tommy never got to read it. He died […]
K.Flay rocks hip hop and headbangers in Edmonton
The music of K.Flay can make you dance – but her lyrics can break your heart. Her music is almost enough to make you forget that the Union Hall is one of Edmonton’s least favourite concert spots – where she performed a sold-out show on Tuesday night. The pit is fun enough, but if you’re […]
MUSIC PREVIEW: No cheese in this Romano
Daniel Romano is back again this weekend, after a solo show just a couple of weeks ago. This time it’s with his side project Ancient Shapes, which has grown into a life of its own with an experimental mixture of power pop and punk exploring vast crevices of the sounds inside and between those genres, […]
PLAYBILL: Whose Worst Year Ever?
One wonders how much of himself – or current politics – Trevor Schmidt will bring to his role of a grumpy 12-year-old girl in Worst Year Ever. The Northern Light Theatre artistic director will play “Charlotte” in what we must presume is an autobiographical tale by playwright Charlotte Miller (who’s given Schmidt “permission” to do […]
REVIEW: Shakespeare’s R&J gives new life to classic romance
Shakespeare’s R&J, from Edmonton’s adventurous indie-theatre Kill Your Television, is a remount of their successful original, which won a Sterling Award for Outstanding Independent Production. The play is billed as a “re-imagining” of the original by director Kevin Sutley, and has been retooled several times by the playwright Joe Calarco – who is credited in […]
