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It’s the classic love story we know so well – the tale of Juliet and her Romeo.  But much like fair Romeo’s yearning for true love, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s interpretation of the story leaves much to be desired.

Artistic director Stephen Schipper’s vision keeps to Shakespeare’s script, but re-imagines Verona as present-day Jerusalem, and the feuding Montagues and Capulet families as Jewish and Muslim.

I was easily swept up in the fast-paced chemistry of the Montague boys.  Romeo (Marc Bendavid) and cousin Mercutio (Gareth Potter, who deservedly garnered the most applause from the crowd on opening night) are charasmatic, and pepper the tragic story with sexual innuendo-laced humour.

While it’s certainly positive that I found the Montague boys so entertaining, it shines a light on the less than engaging relationship between Romeo and Juliet.

Granted, Romeo was in turn, appropriately lovey dovey and grief-stricken, his Juliet didn’t quite deliver.   In fact, though a promising young talent, Pam Patel’s portrayal of Juliet fell flat, with her lines sounding as such —  like lines she was reciting, rather than emotions Juliet was feeling.

The production is not without its shining moments — one of them being the blind-folded duel between Tybalt and Mercutio, ultimately resulting in Mercutio’s death.

The set is beautiful, and the cast of twelve ranges in performances from stellar to empty.

If you’re a sucker for star-crossed love, you will still find it in MTC’s production.  But much like Romeo and Juliet’s “happily ever after”, the play works better in theory than reality.

* Romeo & Juliet runs now on the MTC mainstage until December 17th.

If today, no means yes (but sometimes it actually means no), and you were to ask me if I enjoyed the latest production by Prairie Theatre Exchange, my answer would be a resounding, NO (which means yes!).

The Secret Mask is heartbreakingly funny, with verbal twists and contorted language that convey a man’s struggle with speech therapy after a stroke, sprinkling humour and smart dialogue throughout.

Now in his 40s, George hasn’t seen his father since he walked out on the family when George was a toddler.  

A stroke renders his father, Ernie, in need of family to care of him after being diagnosed with aphasia, a condition which leads to replacing one word with another (Read:  “No” means “Yes” today…)

The two reunite, and the play by local playwright Rick Chafe, sees the two work to mend a broken relationship and build a new one.

The befuddling wordplay delivered by local actor John B Lowe as Ernie often leaves the audience just as confused as the other characters on stage, but it’s a delighted confusion as we work to piece together what Ernie actually means when he says, “Go to my square place and get my bottleshipper type” (Read: “Go to my apartment and get my eyeglasses”)…

And while Lowe’s portrayal of Ernie as a well-rounded and imperfect individual is absolutely stunning, the real stand-out to me in this production, is the script.

Chafe, drawing from his own experiences with his father’s stroke, manages to pen a beautifally affecting play.  The humour never makes light of the severity of the medical condition, only offers some tragically funny comedic relief.

Skye Brandon (George) brings a vulnerability to an otherwise un-likeable character and local actor Sharon Bajer deftly changes hats (sometimes literally) by taking on several smaller roles throughout the play.

I can say, with complete honesty, this is the best locally written play I’ve seen. 

If you were to ask me whether or not I think you should check it out for yourself, my answer would be “no”, and what I really mean, would be a resounding “YES”!

*The Secret Mask runs at PTE til December 4th

Who’s who?  Who’s where?  The cool kids versus the nerds, and the ever expanding shades of grey in between…  yep, you guessed it.  All the fixings for a high school reunion play.

Prairie Theatre Exchange kicked off its 2011/2012 season with “Bingo!” — a reunion for which you’ll want to RSVP “yes”.

It’s the same story that surrounds any reunion plot:  nostalgic trips down memory lane, laughs, regrets, and uncertainties about the future, but there’s also an underlying feeling of hope.

Canadian playwright Daniel McIvor brings a sensitivity and a complexity to his seemingly stereotypical characters, creating a depth that is laced with humour and reflection.

Five friends are reunited for their 30th high school reunion.  Three of them still live in the small east coast town, and two others return home for the big event.

We meet sensitive nerd Nurk (Jeffrey Renn), former high school “douche bag” Dookie (Ted Atherton), rock tee donning hoser Heffer (Robert Moloney), the awkward mouse Bitsy (Miriam Smith) and Boots (Marina Stephenson Kerr), a gruff letter carrier with a soft side.

Since you’re wondering, let’s explain the game of Bingo, shall we?  This isn’t your grandmother’s Wednesday night at the local community centre.  These graduates regress to their glory days with the drinking game that never grew old:  Consecutive shooters, with the winner being the first to empty the liquid contents of his or her stomach so they can continue to throw them back.

I must admit, the laughter from the rest of the audience was more heartfelt than the chuckles of myself and my also-hasn’t-even-had-a-10th-reunion-yet-date.

However it was quite clear.  The vibe in the crowd was one of mirrored sensitivities, fond memories, and the sense that these are the same people you meet at your own high school reunion… and probably raise a glass with in a game of drinking Bingo.

* “Bingo!” runs until Oct. 30th at the Prairie Theatre Exchange

As a big fan of the1993 movie starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau as two loveable curmudgeons, and a big fan of musicals – I was looking forward to the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s 57th season opener, Grumpy Old Men:  The Musical.

After an impressive start with a full curtain video scene (courtesy of Winnipeg’s Deco Dawson), the audience is transported from a mild fall in Winnipeg to a snowy winter in Wabasha, MN.  You can almost feel the chill in the air, made chillier by the cold war between the title grumps — John Gustafson and Max Goldman (played by American actors John Rubinstein and Conrad John Schuck).

The script follows the movie’s plot closely, the feud between the aging widowers/neighbours is peppered with insults, practical jokes and muttered grumblings.  That feud is only intensified with the arrival of the free-spirited Ariel Truax (Susan Anton), who fuels the fire by giving the grumpy old men something more to fight over.

Visually, the production is a hit.  Set designer Douglas Paraschuk creates a picturesque winter wonderland with a cozy, small town vibe.  And the colourful costumes by Judith Bowden add flair and character to the Wabasha locals who make up the supporting cast.

What makes me grumpy about Grumpy Old Men: The Musical are those two little words “the musical”… While the songs are often catchy and upbeat and the vocal performances more than adequate, the music seemed out of place and forced.  It also shone an extra spotlight on the campiness of the production. 

There was a lot of corn on stage, and many of the jokes were met with polite laughs (read: quirky Punky Barrels  “a bus” response to the question, “what brings you to town?”)

Halfway through, I found myself sighing each time the music started up again, taking me away from the on stage chemistry between the two leads and back to uninspired choreography and another song that sounded strangely similar to the last one I heard…

The standout musical perofrmance with the biggest reaction from the mainly 50+ audience came from DeAnn deGruijter — the Cruella De Vil-esque tax collector on the hunt for John Gustafson. 

dGruijter and Winnipeg’s Frank Adamson (who plays John Gustafson’s randy old father) received the biggest laughs, though many of those came cheap, courtesy of Adamson’s crude lines.

Producers for Grumpy Old Men: The Musical are crossing their fingers for a Broadway hit, but it’s not just the winter set and fake snow that leave this production a little cold.

*Grumpy Old Men: The Musical runs til November 5th on RMTC’s Mainstage.

Hello BT Book Clubbers!  And if you’re not reading along with us yet, fall is the perfect time to get started and poke your nose into a book

We officially introduce the next book club pick on Monday (always the first Monday of every month), but since you were smart enough to check out my blog, you can start reading before everyone else!

This month’s BT Book Club selection:

A lost little girl with a notebook and toy monkey appears on the CCTV screen of the Green Oaks shopping centre, evoking memories of junior detective, Kate Meaney, missing for twenty years. Kurt, a security guard with a sleep disorder and Lisa, a disenchanted deputy manager at Your Music, together become entranced by the little girl they keep glimpsing on the security cameras. As Kurt and Lisa’s after-hours friendship grows in intensity, it brings new loss and new longing to light.

The September read for the BT Book Club

Read along with us and then send in your reviews by visiting the “Connect with BT” section of our website.  There you’ll find the link to let us know what you thought of the book.  If we read your review on air, you’ll win a FREE copy of next month’s book club pick!

Happy reading!

Hi readers!

Today we wrapped up our March selection of The BT Book Club – local author Charlene Diehl’s touching memoir, “Out of Grief, Singing”.

We officially reveal the next book on Monday, but you can get a head start on it because you checked out my blog today!  We’re heading back into the world of short stories with “This Cake is for the Party” by Sarah Selecky.

Here’s a brief synopsis:

” Sarah Selecky’s first book takes dead aim at a young generation of men and women who often set out with the best of intentions, only to have plans thwarted or hopes betrayed. These are stories about friendships and relationships confused by unsettling tensions bubbling beneath the surface. A woman who plans to conceive ends up in the arms of her husband’s best friend; a man who baby-sits a neglected four-year-old ends up questioning his own dysfunctional relationship;  another woman discovers that her best friend who is about to get married has just had an affair.  Reminiscent of early Atwood, with echoes of Lisa Moore and Barbara Gowdy, these absorbing stories are about love and longing, stories that touch us in a myriad of subtle and affecting ways. “

Pick up a copy of the book at your local library or at McNally Robinson Booksellers, give it a read and send us your thoughts!  It’s easy, just visit www.breakfasttelevision.ca click on the “Connect with BT” link to find the BT Book Club.

If we read your review on the air, you’ll get a FREE copy of next month’s pick… and don’t tell anyone I told you, but May’s book is one you won’t want to miss!

Jenna

Hey friends!

Last night I checked out PTE’s current production of “Burnin’ Love”.

Playwright Sharon Bajer was in studio shortly after “Burnin’ Love” presented its world premiere, right here in Winnipeg.  It’s the often autobiographical account of Bajer’s life.  Her mother grew up in a small town in Alberta called Rosemary, where the town was divided between Mennonites and Mormons.  She fell in love with the town Elvis (a Mormon).  While there is a religious tinge to the play, it’s more about our need, as humans, to leave our pasts behind and then inevitably coming face to face with them when we least expect it.

The production travels back and forth through time and realities.  It features live vocals of two Elvises (Elvi?) – including the “fat” white jumpsuit wearing older Elvis and the sexy ‘68 Comeback  Elvis in a shiny suit with swingin’ hips – plus a complex mother-daughter relationship that explores the boundaries of life and death.

The production is fun and lively, and had me laughing out loud and singing along on more than one occasion.  While I had a good time, my mom LOVED it.  Being raised Mennonite in a small prairie town when Elvis was in his heyday, she IS the exact demographic intended for this production.  I have a feeling she’s still singing Jailhouse Rock to herself and raving about “Burnin’ Love”!

Props to the two Elvises (Elvi…???) played by Richard Waugh (Elvis impersonator) and Zachary Stevenson (young Elvis) who captured the essence of The King, and dramatic performances by Miriam Smith (Tina Penner, mom) and Chelsea Rankin (daughter Mary) who helped give the production its depth.

It’s on til Sunday, so grab tickets and check it out!

Heart.

jk

Big congratulations for all the Manitoba writers who are nominated for this year’s Manitoba Book Awards!  It seems I’ve just added a few titles to my list of books to read

I also want to say a special congrats to the two authors shortlisted whose books have been part of our BT Book Club:  Patti Grayson (Autumn, One Spring) and Charlene Diehl (Out of Grief, Singing).

Patti Grayson and “Autumn, One Spring” are nominated for The Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction as well as The Mary Scorer Award for Best Book by a Manitoba Publisher.

Author Charlene Diehl’s memoir “Out of Grief, Singing: A Memoir of Motherhood and Loss” is up for the McNally Robinson Book of the Year and The Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction.

“Out of Grief, Singing” is our March BT Book Club pick.  Get your hands on it, read it with a box of tissues, and send us your thoughts on the book!  Visit the “Connect with BT” section of our website to send in your review.  If we read yours on the air you’ll win a copy of NEXT month’s Book Club selection

You still have more than a week to get your reviews in before we wrap up this month’s book on March 28th.

Happy Reading

jk

* The Manitoba Book Awards will be held April 17th at the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain. 

Aaaand we’re back in the game!

After being turned away empty handed at last year’s Celebrity Media Lip Sync in support of Children’s Wish Foundation, Team Citytv placed second in this year’s competition, held Friday night

This year’s theme was “A Night in New Orleans” and we turned the stage into a Louisiana backwoods swamp… the home of a Voodoo lady and her cauldron.  Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show’s “Marie Laveau” provided the soundtrack for our little number and “Creating a Scene” here in Winnipeg helped us set the scene by hooking us up with everything we needed to transform the Travelodge into a southern swamp.  (Big thanks!)

Our team was made up of…

Floor director extraordinaire Jonny Cameron as Handsome Jack

Guest Coordinator of the Stars Michael Draven on lead vocals as the Voodoo Doctor

Reporters with flair  Kaleigh Hamilton, Jamie Mauraucher and Kim Kaschor & web reporter Megan Batchelor as party goers turned frogs/band members

Trav “The Direct-or” Pederson as a local hillbilly.

We want to congratulate first place winners, Celebrations Dinner Theatre as well as third place victors, L.A Dance Academy… but the real winners of course, are the children whose wishes will be granted thanks to the support from Friday night’s event.

More than $25, 000 was raised for the Children’s Wish Foundation, which will help wishes come true for at least three deserving, and very special kids.

A great night was had by all – both those in the crowd and those on the stage – big thanks to the organizers for another successful Celebrity Media Lip Sync!

Thanks to the entire Citytv Team for all the hard work

Aaand 2nd place goes to.... CITYTV!

and travel to the next stop on the Jim Bryson and The Weakerthans tour schedule!

I caught the under-rated Canadian singer-songwriter and his borrowed backing band made up of our very own Weakerthans last Saturday at the West End Cultural Centre.  Granted it’s only early March, I still have to say that it was the best live show of 2011 thus far!

The energy on that stage, along with Bryson’s catchy tunes from his recently released collaboration with the Weakerthans, “The Falcon Lake Incident”, kept me smiling and bopping all evening long     As always, Rusty Matyas busting out the trumpet in a few tunes made my night… I don’t know why I love that so much, but I do!

I probably sound a little gushy, which is slightly unprofessional – though I am currently writing to you as a music fan and not a journalist of any kind

Pick up the disc if you haven’t already…  I think you’ll be glad you did!

Heart.

jk