The Book of Mormon a surprise – not a spoof
Ding! Dong! There they are at the door bell again – the two earnest young men in dark suits, white shirts and ties, sure of their mission, clutching their theological tomes and looking for converts. Elder Price and Elder Cunningham are back ringing promoting THE WORD as revealed to that “All-American prophet,” Joseph Smith. The […]
PLAYBOT: Once upon a romance
He’s a street musician who’s starting to have doubts about his chosen career path. She’s a beautiful young passer-by who becomes his muse. What could possibly go wrong? Why, nothing, of course – aside from life and, possibly, love. In this multiple-Tony winning musical at the Citadel Theatre Sept. 22-Oct. 14, Julien Arnold and Ruth […]
Two Good Knights make one great night
The Mayfield Dinner Theatre opens its fall season with yet another of its popular chart-topping music celebrations. This time it’s a British bash called Two Good Knights, highlighting the careers of two of Old Blighty’s living legends: Tom Jones and Elton John. When the now Sir Thomas John Woodward (OBE) began to release records in […]
PLAYBOT: Fringe held over!
Well, that was fun. More than 133,200 tickets were sold to Fringe plays this year. Imagine if we could see those numbers all year. Time now to plug the Fringe Holdovers – worthy, proven, curated productions that will enjoy a few more shows in the coming week, while giving Fringe fans much-needed relief from the […]
FRINGE: 2 plays that TAKE A CHANCE
One of the great joys of the Fringe is taking a chance. If you have an hour or two, just walk between the venues and choose a show at random. Turn to the right and you get something memorable – turn the other way and it may stink up the joint. Today, For Now (Stage […]
REVIEW: 1 more 5 out of 5 MASTER of the Fringe!
The Zoo Story (Stage 17), like Charlie Brown, Little Shop of Horrors and almost anything by Daniel MacIvor, is a hardy Fringe perennial that keeps coming back. And why not? It’s a challenging little gem written in his youth by Edward Albee (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf) on his way to theatrical glory. All it […]
FRINGE: 3 captivating COMEDIES
The Red Bastard – aka Eric Davis – practices a form of audience participation called “bouffon,” in which an outrageous character engages the audience in an intimate exchange. He’s the archetypal clown, and because of our classic view of fools and jesters, he can be allowed anything. Davis’s new show is called RED BASTARD: Lie […]
FRINGE: 2 SCARY horror shows
Meet Daniel, a typical working man exhausted after a hard day at the office. Alone and sad, he tromps into his ratty apartment and slumps into his cheap armchair. He is lonely, restless, with only his memories to keep him company. So he has a cocktail, or two, as he does every night. He drinks […]
FRINGE: 4 plays for short attenti …
In the mood for a quickie? Not that kind of one, mind you, but Dentures (Stage 28) is a 32-minute square-on-the-nose production works well for those short in attention spans. This production is a comic farce of a tale of what happens when two homeless bros in their 20s move into an old folk’s home […]
FRINGE: 2 SPOOKY TEEN plays
These kids today – with their “fire” and their “wheel.” There’s going to be trouble, mark my words. Mark them, I say! Many uniformed opinions have been offered about modern teenagers, but few people (some parents included) have taken the time and effort to truly understand what it means to be a kid today. Some […]
FRINGE: 3 IMPROV! plays
Everybody’s favourite game show has returned! Edmonton’s renowned Rapid Fire Theatre presents another year of The Big Stupid Improv Show (Stage 17). The ever-changing cast of the Fringe’s most talented improv artists are Edmonton’s hidden gems of underground comedic culture. Among the cast is the frequent Fringer Mark Meer of Gordon’s Big Bald Head and […]
FRINGE MASTERS (Part 3): Bravo Brio! T.J. Dawe!
Stewart Lemoine’s main offering this year is unlike anything he has ever written before. He calls it A Lesson in Brio (Stage 12). It’s not really a lesson. It’s not a play. Or a musical. At times, it’s quite funny – but it’s not a comedy. The playwright gives a few clues as to what […]
