A Few of My Favorite Things...

I spent a little time thinking back to the past year and the theatre I saw and what stood out for me as wonderful moments of theatre in Edmonton. I figured if they resonated with me for so long than they were worth noting. That is not to say there weren't other wonderful moments, these are just those that 'popped' for me in retrospect... I tweeted them one by one and thought I would collate them here for the blog.



In no particular order



* Festus (Chris Bullough), Andrew Aguecheek (John Kirkpatrick) & Sir Toby Belch (John Wright) 'partying' in Twelfth Night - Freewill Players - I have special fondness for the Andrew Aguecheek dance which made tears roll down my cheeks!



* Holding my breath through the entire hour of (Real) Gone (Girl) at The Edmonton International Fringe 2011. This despite having woman have a seizure right behind me. I so wished I had the luxury of time so that I could go and see this show more than once.



* Boygroove produced by Impulse Theatre at the Catalyst - Best Musical of the season! I was blown away by this production. I had seen the show before but the combination of vocals, dancing, excellent direction and outstanding acting chops made this an incredible experience.



* The magic of Penny Plain and Ronnie Burkett at The Citadel. I forgot they were puppets.



* Nicola Elbro in Doubt at U of A (MFA Thesis show at Timm's) - brilliant! She embodied the internal tug of war required for this part. I think I could watch her in anything.



* Singing Sondheim with the cast of A Little Night Music (personal fave) - I will always look back at this show with fond memories, but what a joy to sing Sondheim and in particular singing A Little Death with the lovely Miss Stephanie Wigston was such a gift.



* John Kirkpatrick in How I Learned to Drive at U of A (MFA - Media Room Show) - creepy, and fantastic. Few actors are able to be both creepy and charismatic and play this role. Kirkpatrick was perfect!



* Finally seeing Wicked!!! Broadway Across Canada at the Jube. One of my favorite shows and it took me awhile to actually see it. The Alphaba was amazing. I wore pink to the show but wished I was in green!



* Crying through most of act 2 of Bare at the The Edmonton International Fringe 2011. A 2 hour musical in the hottest venue at the Fringe. I picked the right showing (an overcast 12 noon show) so I escaped the worst of the heat, but these guys did a fabulous job. Kayla Gorman, Sarah Horsman, Matthew Lindholm, Eric Wigston and Jeff Rivet were amazing!



* Going to Rocky Horror at The Citadel with the perfect seat partner, Mommamammoth! Not only was this show done perfectly (Camp done right! Huzzah!), but I took a good friend who was a Rocky-Virgin and it was the best person to be sitting there. Her enthusiasm was infectious and added to the experience. Also, the Citadel's selected audience participation was just the right amount. Inspired!



* Last 10 minutes of This is What Happens Next at The Citadel with Daniel MacIvor. I enjoyed the whole show but it was the last 10 minutes that hit my heart and made me cry. A brilliant performer and a wonderful story.



* Erika Noot as Roxie Hart in Chicago (TwoOneWayTixtoBroadway). There were lots of great things about this show, but Erika stood out as the blonde mercenary Roxie. Tough to please me when I have seen the show 4 other times, but I saw some new things with Erika's performance!



* The Tudor Queens at The Edmonton International Fringe 2011. I didn't know what to expect. I had such a blast. Not sure why Burlesque and Henry's wives were a good fit, but they were!



* Rabbit Hole at Walterdale Theatre. I worked so hard and was so proud of what we built. A true family and an experience I will never forget.



* Death of a Salesman at The Citadel. Truly a wonderful production. Everyone onstage was clearly supporting each other and it was lovely.



* Pieces at The Edmonton International Fringe 2011. I could not ask for more than what this experience was for me. I loved my cast. I loved the response from critics and audiences. It made for a lovely Fringe for me.


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