Vicki Trask - Page 5

In anticipation of the opening night of The New Canadian Curling Club by Mark Crawford at Alberta Theatre Projects, I sat down with director Darcy Evans to talk about the show, Canada, and the importance of community.

A sequel to the Tom Smith farce previously produced by Stage West in 2017, we return to the Convent of the Sisters of Perpetual Sewing not long after the events of the first show and find that things have settled down. A hypnotism, a few magic tricks, and a visit from the Holy Mother herself lead to 90-minutes of hilarious hijinks and misunderstandings. Packed with physical gags and entertaining puns, Drinking Habits 2 is just plain fun.

In the run-up to opening night of his company's inaugural show, local artist Alex Bergen sat down with me to have a chat about The Honest Collective, Calgary's LGBTQ+ and theatre communities, and his history with Bare: A Pop Opera.

The new season includes a world premiere, two hot-button dramas, a classic children's fantasy, a rock concert/music-theatre mash-up, and a party you won't want to miss. Alberta Theatre Projects announced their 48th season line-up that will run from September 2019 to May 2020. With a return to a six-play season and longer show runs, the season is the first programmed by ATP's Executive and Artistic Director Darcy Evans.

Broadway Across Canada has unveiled their upcoming 2019-2020 Season.  Four theatrical productions take center stage at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium beginning next fall including the spectacular Broadway Musical, DEAR EVAN HANSEN. 

Alberta Theatre Projects is honoured to co-present Cafe Daughter with One Yellow Rabbit as part of the 33rd Annual High Performance Rodeo. Running January 15 to 27, Kenneth T. Williams' warm, uplifting play follows the story of a Chinese- and Cree-Canadian girl growing up in 1950's small-town Saskatchewan.

Sidney Bruhl is languishing in his Connecticut home, struggling to overcome a bout of writer's block that has seen his Broadway success turn to near bankruptcy. But the answer may have just arrived when Sidney receives a fantastic script written by his former student, Clifford Anderson. Anderson just wants his old mentor's opinion, but Sidney will do whatever it takes to get back on Broadway.

Zorro is the original swashbuckling hero who always does the right thing and adheres to a personal code that drives him to help those in need. His tales have the same familiar things: the black mask to hide his face, the signature "Z" slashed across the surface, and the overwhelming balance of family and duty. Alberta Theatre Projects has followed in the footsteps of the great Zorro adventures that came before, and asked the question: what next?

Opening November 30 and running until December 30, Alberta Theatre Projects is excited to present this season's Family Holiday Show, ZORRO: Family Code in the Martha Cohen Theatre in Arts Commons. A new twist on the classic legend, this world premiere production features the famed vigilante Zorro like you've never seen him before.

Given Stage West Theatre Restaurant's penchant for tributes and bio-musicals (ala Million Dollar Quartet, Rock of Ages, Red Rock Diner, and their continuously running Tribute Concert Series), Jersey Boys was a perfect fit for their 2018/2019 Season.

Rebecca Northan and Bruce Horak are two thirds of the creative team (including Christian Goutsis) who have come together for projects such as Slipper: A Distinctly Calgarian Christmas Story, Undercover, and An Undiscovered Shakespeare. Now, they're taking you back to the age of swashbuckling adventures for a story of what happens after Zorro's happily ever after.

One Yellow Rabbit's Artistic Director Blake Brooker and Festival Producer Laurel Green has announced the line-up for the 33rd annual High Performance Rodeo, Calgary's International Festival of the Arts. The wildly popular festival runs January 9 to 27, 2019 at venues throughout Calgary.

You step into a small, dark room devoid of sound, and the only light is illuminating your path to your seat as you enter the Motel Theatre at the Arts Commons (one of my favourite places to be because there is a theatre around every corner). The dim lights go black and suddenly there is a man standing at the end of the room. Well, two men actually. Sharing the body of playwright and actor Owen Bishop.

There is a reason bio-musicals and jukebox tales are so popular. There is a nostalgia and comfort in knowing the music and the people that allows an audience to give themselves over to the magic of theatre. I've found audiences more susceptible to suspension of disbelief if there is an element of the familiar - like an historical figure or famous artist. It then becomes the task of the production to take that malleable group and create a story with meaning.

This marks the first time that Le Navet Bete has licensed one of their original works for a production from another company, and Vertigo has assembled an extraordinary (and hilarious) team of Calgary theatre artists to bring it to life.

At the end of a long week, Lauren Elder, playing the titular Mary in Mary and Max, sat down with me to have a quick chat about the show and her journey to the Max Bell Theatre.

Last week marked the world premiere of Mary and Max, a touching story of friendship and the ultimate power of words. I was grateful to sit in the audience and experience the magic of opening weekend at Theatre Calgary.

"When I saw the movie, I was just like: 'I get you, I so get you'… When I did Wicked we used to say 'everyone has a little green in them.' And that's what I feel like Max is about. Even though he has a diagnosed condition, everyone feels, you know, uncomfortable in their skin at some point. So that, I related to right away and just, the idea of connection."

Opening Tuesday, October 9 and running until October 21, Alberta Theatre Projects will present The Shakespeare Company and Hit & Myth's imaginative new production of Tom Stoppard's dark, witty comedy Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. Set against the backdrop of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Stoppard's masterpiece follows the hilarious antics of two minor characters, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, as they question their place in the story of Hamlet and their inevitable fate.

Taken from the Liza Minelli song in the 1977 movie musical 'New York, New York', this two hour revue covers songs from twelve musical productions, woven together - with no plot - to feature a cast of five artists playing all the characters. From roller skating in 'The Rink', to luring the audience in 'Kiss of the Spiderwoman', and dancing around to 'Liza With a 'Z', this show is a non-stop ride for the performers and an evening full of entertainment for the audience.