Musical Memories Celebrating the Music of Broadway and Hollywood featuring Bob LeBlanc’s Variety Fare. October 27-November 22, 2017. Bob LeBlanc is a musical wonder. An autodidact with an encyclopedic knowledge of Broadway show tunes (and Hollywood hit songs) who has never learned to read a note of music, he has, for years, shared his love of the genre with an ever-increasing audience. Originally from the East Coast where he presented … [Read more...]
Musical Memories Celebrating the Music of Broadway and Hollywood featuring Bob LeBlanc’s Variety Fare. October 27-November 22, 2017.
October 31, 2017 By 2 Comments
Blue Bridge presents War of the Worlds October 30/31 2017. A preview.
October 26, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Blue Bridge presents War of the Worlds October 30/31 2017. A preview. At a time when “old media”—television, radio and print—is engaged in what some deem a to-the-death struggle with “new media”, Orson Welles’ adaptation of HG Wells’ classic science fiction tale War of the Worlds could not be more relevant, according to Brian Richmond, artistic director of Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre. The company is staging War of the Worlds on Hallowe’en … [Read more...]
Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson at the Chemainus Theatre Festival. A review.
October 25, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson at the Chemainus Theatre Festival. A review. From the depths of the human soul to the vastness of space, Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson—at the Chemainus Theatre Festival October 13-November 4, 2017—is a transcendent journey filled with passion and love. Henrietta Leavitt (Emma Slipp) deserves to be more well-known. She was at the forefront of ground-breaking research in early 20th century astronomy, … [Read more...]
The Rocky Horror Show, produced by Atomic Vaudeville, October 18-29, 2017. A review.
October 23, 2017 By Leave a Comment
The Rocky Horror Show, produced by Atomic Vaudeville, October 18-29, 2017. A review. The Rocky Horror Show, now in its fourth year (on until October 29th at the Metro Studio Theatre), has become an annual theatrical tradition in Victoria. For decades people made a point of travelling to the Roxy Theatre (then a movie house) to view the Rocky Horror Picture Show at midnight on Hallowe’en—many perhaps not even realizing that the musical … [Read more...]
Onegin by Amiel Gladstone and Veda Hille Belfry Theatre October 17-November 12 2017. A review.
October 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Onegin by Amiel Gladstone and Veda Hille Belfry Theatre October 17-November 12 2017. A review. As rich and luxurious as the plush red velvet curtains draping the stage, Onegin, book, music and lyrics by Amiel Gladstone and Veda Hille, based on Pushkin’s revered novel-in-verse and Tchaikovsky’s opera, is a marvel of complexity—replete with glorious costumes (Jacqueline Firkins and Alaia Hamer), inspired gypsy-jazz-Eastern European choreography … [Read more...]
Red Death by Launch Pad Theatre at Craigdarroch Castle October 17-31, 2017. A review.
October 18, 2017 By Leave a Comment
Red Death by Launch Pad Theatre at Craigdarroch Castle October 17-31, 2017. A review. Those cool cats at The Castle are hiding a grim secret. Try as they might to pretend everything is “groovy”, all is not well. Doom hangs in the air and seeps into nooks and crevices. Diana Nielsen and Christina Patterson. Photo: Derek Ford The wild and hyper lord of the manor, David Radford glad hands invited guests. Disco tunes fill the air with familiar … [Read more...]
A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline by Little Bowes Street Collective October 21-29, 2017. A preview.
October 17, 2017 By Leave a Comment
A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline by Little Bowes Street Collective October 21-29, 2017. A preview. One of Victoria’s newest theatre companies, Little Bowes’ Street Collective brings A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline to the Teechamitsa Theatre at Royal Bay Secondary October 20/21 and to the CCPA Performance Hall October 27/28/29. I spoke with co-founders Melissa Young (director of the show) and Alison MacDonald (who performs the role of Patsy … [Read more...]
West a Double Bill of BC Trailblazers at UVic Phoenix October 12-21, 2017. A review.
October 13, 2017 By 2 Comments
West a Double Bill of BC Trailblazers at UVic Phoenix October 12-21, 2017. A review. Harken back to a time before radio and television, when storytellers had only the power of words to entertain—no electricity, no technological gizmos, no extra sound—words, pacing, inflection and physical presence were all that were required to seize people’s attention and keep it for hours, even days. Danette Boucher and James Douglas In West: a double … [Read more...]
The Old Curiosity Shop presented by Company C October 19-22, 2017. An interview.
October 6, 2017 By Leave a Comment
The Old Curiosity Shop presented by Company C October 19-22, 2017. An interview. The largest Company C cohort ever—sixteen students--takes the stage October 19-21st at the CCPA Performance Hall in Simon Webb’s adaptation of Charles Dickens The Old Curiosity Shop. Founded in 2005 to offer a third year repertory program to graduates of the Canadian College of Performing Arts, Company C provides these emerging artists with opportunities to not … [Read more...]
Girl in the Goldfish Bowl at Langham Court Theatre September 25-October 14 2017. A review.
October 2, 2017 By 1 Comment
Girl in the Goldfish Bowl at Langham Court Theatre September 25-October 14 2017. A review. Iris (Lianne Coates) joins a long line of stellar heroines (Ramona and Harriet among them), young girls with spunk and gumption, trying to get to the bottom of things, with the unique, and often skewed, perspective of a child. The entire world is topsy-turvy—externally, relations between the US and Cuba teeter on the brink, internally, Iris’ parents … [Read more...]
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