Author Archive

The first thing I noticed upon arriving at my table for Stage West’s current production of Chicago wasn’t the aroma of the mouthwatering buffet or the interesting people around me.

No. It was the stage.

An arch of metal, bars and dramatic lights. It was so captivating even my husband took notice.

“Isn’t that cool,” he commented. “I wonder how they built it.”

After attending countless plays as my “plus one” this was the first time he ever commented on the set design. And he was fascinated. All through dinner he kept looking at it, making remarks about the design, the colour and the like.

Even at intermission, after the show stopping numbers of All That Jazz, Cell Block Tango and We Both Reached for the Gun he was still in awe.

DYNAMIC FRAME: The intriguing set design adds and frames the action in Stage West’s production of Chicago, especially in the Cell Block Tango where the performers dance with moving prison bars – a mesmerizing feat.
Photo courtesy of Stage West Calgary

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I spent the last week surrounded by a sea books. It was paradise. And now, this week, it’s all about getting ready to go camping for May Long. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have time to squeeze in some art. Here’s your Arts Round Up for this week, Calgary!

BOOKS & POETRY TEAM UP: I love books, books are awesome and so is reading. So I was enthused when I got a chance to help out at this year’s CBC Calgary Reads Book Sale. But it wasn’t just about selling books: there was a whole bunch of creation happening too. Peeps from the People’s Poetry Festival were on hand creating poetry bombs (top right) and more at their DYI poetry station. There was even a poetree (top left). Poetry was everywhere,including at volunteer appreciation night where some of Calgary’s best poets showed their stuff including Wakefield Brewster (middle left), Erin Dingle (middle) and Calgary’s own Poet Laureate Kris Demeanor, seen here with the Heebee-jeebees (middle left). It was a wonderful weekend celebrating words with people who love them as much as I do. All funds raised go to Calgary Reads and their awesome programs that help young struggling readers learn to read. Hope to see you at next year’s sale.
Photos by Amy Jo Espetveidt, Quadrophonic Image

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What a wonderful weekend. I spent it doing my favourite things – seeing awesome theatre, gardening and taking photos. And with a forecast of spring temperatures the whole week, you really should get out there too. So here’s your Arts Round Up to help you decide what to do.

ART ON STAGE: Alberta Theatre Projects always produce amazing plays, like RED running until May 18. Here Allan Morgan (as Mark Rothko) and Braden Griffiths (as Ken) get their hands, heads and just about everything else dirty for one of the most dynamic scenes in the theatre I have ever witnessed. It’s truly fantastic on stage!
Video courtesy of ATPinteractive via YouTube

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When I think of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra a pretty clear vision automatically pops to mind – shining brass, rhythmic movement of bows, the classics reverberating upwards from the stage and Ode to Joy always seems to be playing.

It’s a pretty standard image and partially right but not that simple as I learned earlier this week.

CPO’s Music Director Roberto Minczuk             Photo courtesy of Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

I got a chance to sit down with CPO’s Director of Artistic Planning Heather Slater and she’s super excited about what’s coming up. Yes there’s a performance of Ode to Joy – an annual staple of the orchestra – but there’s so much more.

In fact, there’s so much awesome happening Heather didn’t know where to begin.

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As I was putting together this week’s story I was astonished at how much mind boggling awesome there is in this city. From powerhouse plays, to sweet exhibits, to active discussions on the future of art in our communities. Here’s your Arts Round Up, Calgary!

UNDER THE GUN: Paul Welch plays transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf and 35 other characters in Third Street Theatre’s beautiful presentation of I Am My Own Wife, running now until May 4 at the EPCOR CENTRE’s Motel.
Photos by Amy Jo Espetveidt, Quadrophonic Image

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I have this one book that holds a special place in my heart. It’s not famous. It’s not all that well written. And it’s a little bit weird. But it’s a book that will always be on my shelf because of where I bought it – a trading post in Northern Ontario.

Photo Illustrations by Amy Jo Espetveidt, Quadrophonic Image

So why is it special? Well, said trading post is in the book. The whole story takes place in the area I was and I read it while camped out in the region. It was one of those serendipitous moments in life.

The book was Minnow Trap by Brian Horeck and it was 2006.

Then, last summer, while driving through the same area I saw a billboard for a sequel and it got me thinking. If I weren’t in Northern Ontario would I have ever known about a sequel? Hell. Would I have ever found this book in the first place?

No. I wouldn’t have. And yet, it’s so special.

So what about my hometown? What books feature Calgary? Could there be a similar story out there, a book I never would have found if not for the place?

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What a time to be a fan of the arts in Calgary. Sure, there’s been some down heartening news recently, but politics, smolitics. Art will happen. Take WRECK CITY for example. Over 2,000 came out to the opening night and you still have a few more days to check it out (see our pics from the night here). Here’s your Arts Round Up for this week.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY: There’s an old adage – the difference between graffiti and art is permission – but I truly believe there’s more to it than that. I love intriguing, interesting and thoughtful graffiti in dull, boring public places and hate generic swears, tags and destruction of private property. So when I found this gem of a quote under a bridge in the Bow River I caught myself stopping to think. Behind me were the scrawls of unidentifiable taggers, a few cuss words and some innuendo about who does what for cash, things I wouldn’t have given a second glance, while in front of me, painted on top of an already covered up piece of graffiti was the text. A man walked by on the path and caught me pondering. He smiled and said, “Interesting idea, eh?” before we both continued on our way.
Photo by Amy Jo Espetveidt, Quadrophonic Image

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The atmosphere was that of celebration. All around the Sunnyside block people laughed, talked, danced, all in the name of creation in destruction. There were dozens of bikes along a fence at the start of the block, music coming from a garage in the middle and a handful of houses lit up, art burning into the dark Calgary night.

Friday night was the opening night of WRECK CITY and it was one hell of a party.

Photos by Amy Jo Espetveidt, Quadrophonic Image

What all started as an epilogue for 809 Gallery, an influential garage gallery scheduled for demolition along with the rest of the block, came to life Friday night with a bustling opening filled with whimsical art filled homes. All the houses will be torn down to make way for a 115 unit residential complex and gave the artists unique opportunities to destroy and create. Some are mischievous and some are funny while others are downright creepy. It’s certainly a sight to be seen with amazing and intriguing work.

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It seems to me that being insanely busy is a growing trend in Calgary’s arts community and that’s a good thing! And here’s some more awesome to add to this week’s calendar. Here’s your Arts Round Up this week, Calgary.

A FANTASTIC WRAP TO A FANTASTIC YEAR: Last week I got to see the final presentations of the year from University of Calgary’s Department of Dance in their awesome Dance@Night performance. Senior students in the Choreography and Performance Concentration, including Emily Mills and her piece Galleries (above), got a chance to show of their works. Some even got a chance to work with renowned choreographers Peggy Baker and Davida Monk (below in The Ionian Enchantment). Well done dancers. Well done indeed.
Photos by Amy Jo Espetveidt, Quadrophonic Image

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What makes Calgary great? Well. Everything. And now there’s video proof (as if we needed it to know our city is pretty darn sweet).

Hundreds of YYC’s movers and shakers gathered at Theatre Junction GRAND this evening to see the final cut of a new promotional video for our fair city called Right Here and you can check it out for yourselves below.

It gathered 280 Calgarians, utilized an Alberta-based crew of 21, was shot in 11 days and gathered more than 3TB of footage.

It combined shots from Decidedly Jazz, the Alberta Ballet, Calgary Transit, Calgary Police Service, and the Calgary International Airport. There’s an amazing song written by Mike Shields and performed by the uber duo of Jocelyn and Lisa. Mandy Stobo is in it as are nine parks, eight restaurants, four hotels and seven landmarks (I bet you can name them all on your own).

It’s everything that makes Calgary vibrant, amazing and awesome.

And it took five attempts to get a beautiful skyline shot as the crew was continuously foiled by our wacky weather.

Video courtesy of Calgary Economic Development and bepartoftheenergy.ca

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