REVIEW: Titanic, the musical, sinks
The Titanic will go on forever as a symbol of European industrial arrogance. It was – according to lyrics in a musical about the greatest nautical disaster in history – “the largest moving thing on Earth.” Its designer, owner and captain all thought it too big to sink, and thus deemed it unnecessary to provide […]
Titanic, the musical: Too soon or just in time?
A dramatic feature film that ends with Leonardo DiCaprio sinking to a watery grave is fine, but is it poor taste to stage a MUSICAL based on Titanic? Even after 100 years? Comedians often ask the same question about their jokes: how soon is too soon? Imagine a musical about the Japanese Tsunami or, perhaps […]
Rockin’ the Symphony with Ben Folds
The lone piano player at his Steinway and the large symphony orchestra behind him in an acoustically perfect concert hall is a classic combination in more ways than one – and Ben Folds with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is expected to live up to that legacy. Call it a rock ‘n’ roll concerto from the […]
Brent Butt comes back to stand-up comedy – June 22 at the Winspear
Before Brent Butt went on to star in the modern version of The Beachcombers, he was a happening stand-up comic – and like most happening stand-up comics who make it big, he always seems to come back to his roots. The star of Corner Gas and CTV’s Hiccups will hit this road this spring for […]
John Prine coming to Winspear Centre May 7
Now this guy has a way with words: Mr. John Prine, ladies and gentlemen – king of the folk fest, commander of the singer–songwriters, more country in his pinkie finger than the entirety of Toby Keith – is coming to the Winspear Centre on Monday, May 7. It’s hardly necessary to bill this as an […]
Ben Folds to perform with the ESO March 29
From the “It’s About Time” file comes Ben Folds – who is finally playing in Edmonton. And it won’t be Ben Folds Five (which was actually a trio) or by himself. The acclaimed piano-rocker will perform with no less a big band than the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, at the Winspear Centre on Thursday, March 29. […]
Toller Cranston to relive great moments in skating music with the ESO
Imagine two identical figure skaters, both brilliant and amazing enough to win a gold medal. One skates to Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor, the other to You Give Love a Bad Name by Bon Jovi. Who wins? The answer is of course obvious, as is the idea that the music selected by a […]
Chicago, the band, coming to Edmonton, the city, on Feb. 13
If you leave me now, you’ll take away the biggest part of me, the very heart of me, we’ve come too far to leave it all behind, et cetera, et cetera – wow, what we have here, lyrically speaking, is Baby, Please Don’t Go on Quaaludes. Quaaludes, if anyone remembers, was a drug popular in […]
Paul Brandt, nice guy and country singer, returns to the Jubilee Auditorium Dec. 12
We can’t get enough of Paul Brandt. What’s not to like? The guy is almost supernaturally nice. And generous? To a fault! So fans ought not to be getting tired of this behatted Albertan any time soon. On the spurred bootheels of his sold-out Slave Lake benefit at the Winspear Centre on Wednesday night comes […]
