BEST OF EDMONTON THEATRE 2019: A Good Year
There were north of 15 live productions on Edmonton stages in November 2019 alone. A highly unscientific survey of local Artistic Directors suggests that Edmonton audiences are ignoring our seemingly endless economic difficulties, and continuing to support live theatre. In short, it’s been a good year. Here are some of the highlights: Best Production: Drama […]
REVIEW: Oklahoma! Oklahoma!
It was cool in New York on March 13th back in 1943. Over at the St. James Theater, a musical from the new writing team of Rogers and Hammerstein called Oklahoma! was opening. Right off the head, a laconic cowboy named Curly saunters to the front of the stage, plants his feet and sings, “There’s […]
Did Citadel Theatre Ruin A Christmas Carol in Bold New Production? Colin Says No
Last year, after a successful run of 19 seasons, the Citadel Theatre sent off its justly esteemed production of A Christmas Carol (originally written by Edmonton’s own Tom Wood, who was the first Scrooge) – to the special corner of Elysium that preserves the Ghost of Christmas Past. But this isn’t the end of Dickens […]
REVIEW: Walterdale’s Altar Boyz Pokes Fun at Boy Bands, Christianity
Was a gaping hole left in your soul when the Backstreet Boys went Main Street? Has the demise of N’Sync left you syncless? Well, don’t give up, boy band aficionados – hope is on its way. Apparently the unheralded Christian pop band Altar Boyz has been working its way across the North American bingo hall […]
REVIEW: Experimental Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again hits the feminist nerve
Alice Birch’s Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again is an angry and passionate scream railing against the rape culture and violence toward women in general. The word “feminism” is not mentioned once in the (intermissionless) 90 minutes but it hangs over the production like the sword over Damocles’ head. Birch’s voice is ferocious and unrelenting in […]
Bold new play turns The Simpsons on its head to create futuristic religion
Mr. Burns, a Post-Electric Play is a dark comedy written by Anne Washburn. It’s based on Cape Feare on The Simpsons (Season 5 Episode 2), which is a take-off of the 1961 Robert Mitchum thriller. In this one, Sideshow Bob tries to kill Bart on a houseboat. Mr. Burns is not just a satire of […]
REVIEW: Waitress a sweet, satisfying confection
To everyone’s surprise, the modest but charming little 2007 movie rom-com Waitress turned out to be a sleeper hit. It told the story of a small-town waitress (and terrific baker) named Jenna who yearns to enter a pie-baking contest to win prize money so she can escape an unhappy life. The film gave TV star […]
A PLAY FOR OUR TIMES: Wild Wilder Wonderfully Done by Bright Young Things
The Skin of Our Teeth, Thornton Wilder’s head-scratcher of a three-part allegory about the precarious life of mankind, debuted in 1942. The biting satire won a number of best play awards – including the Pulitzer Prize – and immediately became a hit in the early years of World War II. Watching it return in 2019 […]
Theatre Network season opener a smart two-hander with humour and heart
Mark Crawford’s Bed and Breakfast is one of those Canadian stage comedies that overcame small beginnings in a summer theatre in Ontario to take on a life of its own – and much like Kim’s Convenience, became the basis of a successful television series. Theatre Network begins its new season in the Roxy on Gateway […]
REVIEW: MacEwan Theatre tackles challenging ’70s musical to great success
The musical Pippin has been a long time coming to Edmonton. The Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) and Roger O. Hirson (book) opened on Broadway in a Bob Fosse production in 1972. The original ran for a long time (36th longest on Broadway) and in 2013 was revived in a successful production. The show is […]
Spotlight Cabaret a Welcome Addition to Edmonton Entertainment Scene
Edmonton’s newest dinner theatre is in the lively Spotlight Cabaret that sprung up off Whyte Avenue last summer and became something of a fun place to be. It’s across the street from “Meat.” There’s a bar, a restaurant and a popular patio that presented cabaret shows for a ready audience. Co-owners Aimee Beaudoin and Jeff […]
Class of ’63 chews up groovy bubblegum at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre
The first sprig of Christmas greenery to appear this year is courtesy of the Mayfield Dinner Theatre. For many years now, it has been their seasonal tradition to unleash another of their large-scale, lavishly-produced musical extravaganzas that have proven to be great crowd pleasers – and to generate lots of Christmas cheer at the box […]
