S5E26: The Empress, The PM, The Spins

Darrin Hagen in Theatre Network’s The Empress and the Prime Minister.
Photo by Ryan Parker Photography.

On the heels of last week’s election, we go on aptly timed flashback tour to 1969 as drag queen activist ted northe rubs shoulders with an ambitious Pierre Trudeau in Darrin Hagen’s The Empress and the Prime Minister.

Then, to wrap up Easter Weekend we’re joined by multidisciplinary performer (and famed pysanky painter) Larissa Pohoreski to chat about the latest offering in the Brian Webb Dance Company’s season: the up-and-comers in Next Generation South Asian Dance.

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Notes to episode: In the audio, we refer to Darrin Hagen’s induction into the Q Order of Canada, which isn’t actually a thing. Hagen was inducted into the Q Hall of Fame Canada in 2013.

Also, the red dye for dancers’ feet and hands as mentioned in the discussion of Next Generation South Asian Dance is called Alta. And now we know!

S5E25: Flamenco in the Fun Home

Paul returns to the co-hosting chair to discuss Plain Jane Theatre‘s production of Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home. And Fawnda is joined by her belle soeur to recount their fiery experience at the Edmonton Flamenco Festival featuring Tierra Flamenca.

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S5E24: The Party, The Candidate, The Late-Stage Abortion

Martha Burns and Kevin Bundy as the Straughans in Citadel Theatre’s The Candidate.
Photo by Ian Jackson/Epic Photography.

Colleen Feehan joins Fawnda for a whole week of theatre; please enjoy as we mess up character names, toss aside our election fatigue, and try really hard—so darn hard—to not give away anything that happens in The Party/The Candidate. And then we sob our way through the incredible and deeply affecting performance by Vanessa Sabourin in Northern Light Theatre’s 19 Weeks.

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S5E23: Heroes, Politicos, and Flamenco Glory

The case of MAN UP! in Heroes, presented as part of Mile Zero’s Dance Crush series.

We’ve been off for a while, so we thought it’d be fun to do a nice fat episode this week! Guests abound, too: First, Matthew Stepanic comes in to cover MAN UP!‘s boy-lesque extravanganza in Heroes at Spazio Performativo. Then, Colleen Feehan offers some quick thoughts on The Party at the Citadel (first of a two-part review—we’ll be seeing The Candidate next week). And finally, Jane Ogilvie visits the ECF studio to dish about all the addictive qualities of flamenco in anticipation of the third annual Edmonton Flamenco Festival. Whew! Enjoy!

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S5E22: A mid-spring night’s Midsummer

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The balletic take on the bard. Photo from the Kansas City Ballet.

Spring has sprung! Snow is melting! Paul and guest Beth Dart got out to see Alberta Ballet’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and all of the well-costumed spinny-spinny dance dance it contained. Recorded in ultra luxurious lo-fi.

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S5E21: Better than RENT

Artists performing in Mercury Opera’s La bohème at Chez Pierre. Photo by Anna Kuelken.

We wrapped up the coldest February in decades with the anticipated return of Mercury Opera to Chez Pierre; this time the company impressed with La bohème set as a 1979 East Village artist-romp. And poet Brandon Wint’s Alive! collaboration at Mile Zero Dance brought tears to the eyes of special guests from Let’s Get Lit (Edmonton’s delightful poetry podcast). Keep those mittens on, and enjoy!

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S5E20: We Are Definitely Not Alone

Artists of Alberta Ballet in Jean Grand-Maître’s Caelestis.

Damien Atkins wows us with a tour-de-force performance in We Are Not Alone at Theatre Network, and dance conspiracist Jen Mesch returns to the ‘cast to share thoughts on Alberta Ballet’s de.Vi.ate triple bill, featuring choreographies by Wen Wei Wang, Christopher Anderson, and the premiere of Jean Grand-Maître’s ethereal and eerie Caelestis.

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Here’s the throwback episode to our first take on Wen Wei Wang’s Futureland, which we saw back in 2016

S5E19: Diaspora, Dialogue & The Revisor Road Trip

Milton Lim & Michelle Lui in Hong Kong Exile’s Room 2048. Photo by Remi Theriault

The week in dance left us stunned and slack-jawed. We caught Wen Wei Wang’s all-male Dialogue, juxtaposed with the incredible light-play in Hong Kong Exile’s ROOM 2048 (thanks to Laura Raboud for hopping in on that hot take!). Finally, Andrew and Fawnda took a pilgrimage to Banff to see the preview of Kidd Pivot’s newest full-length foray, Revisor.

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Bonus note: For those who like books about dance history, the Nijinsky/Isadora Duncan riff at the top of the episode appears in The Chosen Maiden, a novel about Nijinsky’s younger sister, by Eva Stachniak.

S5E18: The Body Chinook

Kiruthika Rathanaswami performs as part of Expanse Festival at the Chinook Series.

Just in time to provide respite from the deep freeze, Chinook blows through YEG with some seriously stunning storytelling. Guest Lisa Pruden (of The Well-Endowed Podcast) joins Fawnda for the Series’ opening night performances by Kiruthika Rathanaswami, The Lobbyists, and a cabaret-style melange at Sinergia‘s Unfold. Where is Paul? He’s at Wildfire (details inside). Stay warm, compadres!

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S5E17: See the Forest Through the Birch Trees

Spooky and dark foggy forest at dusk

We went into the woods twice this week to follow two different sets of siblings, in two vastly different productions. Colleen Feehan returns to the podcast for the 2000-kids-strong preview performance of Edmonton Opera’s Hansel & Gretel, and Nisha Patel joins us for a very special take on her personal and creative experience with Naheyawin’s Lake of the Strangers. 

To check out Nisha’s website and upcoming performances, visit nishapatel.ca.

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