Almost, Maine

Smelly Puppies—Oseredok

I was so lucky to have stumbled into this gem; after missing my original choice by 2 minutes. And I am so glad I did! The story really has nothing in particular to do with Maine; as this could unfold anywhere the Aurora Borealis can be seen, such as Winnipeg.

You will be treated to a large ensemble cast of ten talented young people. This is a welcome change after all the solo shows that are the Fringe norm. A engaging story, popular and well-chosen songs, sung and performed live, all make for an enjoyable experience. It is easy to see why this off-Broadway show broke box office records, and this cast does the script by John Cariani justice. The 75 minutes will fly by and you should take this in while you can!

Arrive early or linger after, as you are welcome to stay and enjoy the beautiful and interesting exhibits at this venue, the Ukrainian Museum, Osereredok, which just means Centre. The charming volunteer I met (actually Board member Don Puhach), was so friendly and proud to show it off, and inform you of his Ukrainian culture. This was my first visit and the building makes great use of this historic gem.

Lisa Campbell

A Glimpse of Sunshine

The Sunshine Bunch—Club 200

This is a glamourous show full of enthusiasm and energy. The glitz is a visual treat, sparkling through the set and outfits. The songs are loud and movement-evoking; you can’t help but bounce with the dancers/lip synchers. They want you to make noise and I don’t see how you can refuse.

This is a drag show. If you have a phobia about that, it’s not for you…

…and you’re a hater and an asshole.

It’s not close to any other venue—and a bit of a pain in the butt to get out here—but it’s worth it. It’s a fun time, especially if you make it an outing and take in the other show at this venue, A Sunshine
Odyssey.

Ray Yuen

The Comedy Illusions of Greg Wood

Comedy Illusions of Greg Wood—Son of Warehouse

Dad jokes abound at this family friendly magic show! Wood brings all the charm of old school magic and adds his own bit of flair. The tricks I’ve seen done a hundred times. Nothing new is being presented here but the way it’s presented is what’s so charming. Wood’s slight of hand skills are slick and polished. He’s been doing this forever and it shows. The jokes are definitely groaners but it’s fun in the way laughing at your best friend’s dad’s jokes is funny. The ending was overly cheesy but its heart was in the right place. It was cute and charming. A great magic show for the family.

Kaitlyn Kriss

Rook

Umbrellaphant Productions—Planetarium

This two man show features a quiet man, busy writing in his journal, drawn into a game of chess by a man who won’t take no for an answer, before the game inevitably evolves into something more. Short and to the point, and more of a drama than a comedy, the show itself has well written dialogue and is well acted. Quite worth the watch in these last few days if character drama is your thing.

Josh Fidelak

Art of Astonishment

Keith Brown—Centennial Concert Hall – Rehearsal Hall

I have seen every one of Mr. Brown’s shows and will continue to do so. He has very impressive, and well deserved credentials and honours, which he didn’t mention in this year’s program. Where else can you see a top notch magic show for this price?

I’m not even a fan of magic, but what this handsome young man is able to pull off so effortlessly is absolutely astounding! Definitely suitable for all ages, so bring the whole family. My grandkids have really loved his shows in the past. My luck held again, as I always seem to be the fortunate recipient of a huge can of my fave beer, Stella. Like any great magician, he leaves you wondering just how he pulls off the astonishing tricks he does. They are truly mind boggling. He is a master at involving the crowd, and plays with us with kindness and humour.

You will gag at his amazing needle swallowing trick and I won’t give more details away, as it is quite more involved than that. He has the photographic proof of just how dangerous this trick really is. You will leave amazed and amused. A nice change if you have been seeing a lot of dramas. Not to be missed! Thanks again Keith!

Lisa Campbell

Worst Case Magic

Trick-E-Productions—School of Contemporary Dancers

What happens when a magicians props get stopped at the border? A whole lot of cardboard and stalling is what happens. This cute concept turned cardboard into shabby chic props and enhanced the charm of our magician. He was a lot like a human Eeyore but with more energy. The character he created was genuinely likeable and funny. The magic was also great! My favourite trick involved a wire and some illusions I hadn’t seen before. As a fan of magic I see a lot of recycled tricks. I was very impressed to see some original content! If you go into it knowing it’s going to be hokey and silly you will love this show. Very fun and worth a watch.

Kaitlyn Kriss

Franz Ferdinand Must Die

Still Your Friend—Asper Centre for Theatre and Film (U of W)

A comedic storytelling show, retelling the almost madcap, and often tragic events leading up to the assassination of Franz Ferdinand. Quite funny, with good set and prop choices, the storyteller manages to tell an engrossing tale that manages to illuminate some less well known aspects of the assassins life, and the arch duke’s death. Very well worth it for the history fans, and generally anyone who enjoys a good story well told.

Josh Fidelak

The 500 List

Ryan Adam Wells—Knox United Church

This is a story about love, friendship, road trips, changes and of course a 500 list of music. Ryan Adams Wells from Houston Texas, tells of his good friend Dave and himself who decide to make a list of 500 of their favorite but poignant tunes they gathered over 2 years. They decided to go on a road trip to bury some of Ryan’s relationship dilemma’s and kindle their love affair with music, plus some tantalizing one night stands. With a booming strong voice (both singing and narrating) and strumming his valuable guitar as a soundtrack to this tale. The plan was to travel through all the major music meccas like: New York, Nashville, Memphis and finally Austin. He shares this camaraderie using 500 tunes (he started with 5000) with Dave, where they compare and share attached stories for each tune. In the end, it is choice and change that is needed to shake up his life. There is of course some great songs he talks about and shares with us, I’m not going to tell you any, just go see this life and music affirming play.

On a side note, the venue’s capacity sits about 50 in this quaint church setting. However the room can easily fit an additional 20 bums in the pews…I mean seats.

Kevin Campbell

MIND GAMES: Brain-Bending Magic

Newman Mentalism—The Cinematheque

Jeff Newman stars in this hour long magician/mentalist show relying heavily on messing with his audiences heads. Overall quite funny, his mentalist tricks were well done, to the audible confusion of many of the audience members. If an audience participation show is your cup of tea, you will definitely enjoy this, but if you’re more of a wallflower you might want to watch out.

Josh Fidelak

Here Together

Autonomous Productions—The Rachel Browne Theatre

Four friends get together to celebrate at a wedding, but not everything is as it seems. There is plenty of other forces at work rebuilding the facades and walls torn down as they unravel why they maybe are no longer friends. This play is a mix of modern dance and a straight drama. Through an inventive use of movement and lights the play frequently swaps from traditional scenes to internal character monologues. I found that none of the scenes went on too long and that the characters were well fleshed out and relatable. I certainly saw myself in all 4 characters by the end of it. I did find the script to be very confusing. Although all the segments were cool there was a lot going on. This made it difficult to understand exactly what was happening. This was not helped by the lack of an ending. Nothing was wrapped up or truly explained. No one knew it was over and myself and many audience member were hesitant to leave in case there was more. There was also a gag in the show of bleeping an external characters name only to have it never be brought up or revealed. Despite its flaws, it is still definitely worth a see especially for the dance segments.

Kaitlyn Kriss