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Simply Annie

By on April 30, 2010 in Arts, Coverage, FP

Before I sat down to write my thoughts on the play Annie, I tried coming up with a good title. I thought of “Annie, the Adopted Girl”, “Spectacular Annie”, “Annie the play”, but none of them seemed right, so I’m going to go with “Simply Annie”. Why “Simply Annie”, because the version Ptarmigan Ptheatrics is putting on is Simply Amazing.

Going into the show I had an open mind, because I thought it must be tough for all those kids to memorize so many lines and songs. Boy! Was I ever wrong. It seemed like second nature for those kids to get up on stage in front of a full audience and perform. Other than being genuinely cute and talented, these kids were hilarious. You can tell when a performer is just spouting out lines and when they actually mean them, these kids and all the actors and actresses, for that matter, truly were in the zone and were spectacular.

We all know the story of Annie, I’m sure most of us have seen the movie as well. Little orphan girl is optimistic that she will one day find her real parents and live happily ever after, one Christmas is brought into the home of a wealthy millionaire billionaire, who takes a liking to her. He wants to adopt her, but she wants to find her parents, so they search and find some unfortunate news. Then finally both Mr. Warbucks and Annie have a happy ever after. Simple enough, but ever to captivating.

Words can not describe the talent this town possesses, probably because I’ve written them already, but I digress. Something that I still can’t get over is how well, young, Jessica Blake does as Annie. It is unbelievable to think of all the lines she has had to memorize and then have the ability to recreate a character with such joy and dazzle. Watching her sing reminded me of Miley Cyrus, I know weird but stick with me for a second. When you hear Jessica’s voice and associate it with a slower Miley Cyrus song, you will start to hear the similarities. Then when you see Jessica you will notice that this up and coming star also has big bright eyes and wide grinning smile, very similar to Miley. Please take this as a compliment, Miley is a very talented person, regardless of what anyone else thinks. I have a feeling this is only the begin for Jessica.

Part of what makes a local play, like this one, all that more wonderful, is the fact you are guaranteed to know some of the cast. Whether it is a past Middle School teacher who is acting like a swindler, a high school student who was prancing in short shorts on the same stage only a month earlier to the Choral Societies rendition of It’s Rainin Men, or a City Councilor who is being told to sing, you’re always bound to see someone you know and that is what makes it that much more enjoyable.

I could go one about how great it was to feel as though you were right in the story with Annie, and how Roy Williams does it again and directs a great play, and how by the end of the play all I wanted to do was get up and sing with them, but I am far to tired and need to get up early.

Everyone from the performers to the backstage crew to the tech crew to the ticket takers did a magnificent show. If you did not have plans to see the play already, I’m telling you need to make them. There might still be time to catch a show.

Did you go? What’d ya think?

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Review: Yellowknife by Steve Zipp

By on March 1, 2010 in Arts

You may have seen it while wondering through the Book Cellar, a book simply entitled, Yellowknife. I know I have, I have even picked it up and flipped through the pages on occasion, but never gone any further than that. That just maybe because I never seem to find time to read or I just rather read content online, either way I maybe going to get it now.

Blogger and Novel Reviewer, Tricia, of My Novel Reviews has had the opportunity to read this book and has graciously written a review of it. In the first half of her post she explains what the book is about, the storyline, what is involved and what to expect. Into the second half she begins her review, talking about a character, a drifter if you will and the quirky mysteries of the north.

This quirky novel begins with Danny crossing the border into Yellowknife. He is a drifter, and when he enters Yellowknife, the reader drifts with him into a land populated by eccentric characters, where anything goes.

More than the fact I haven’t found time to read the book, I think I have been hesitant. I am afraid it may squre my view of Yellowknife, although Tricia does mention that our very own Yellowknife Blogger, John Mutford, will defend the book. If that is the case, I guess I will have to go pick myself up a copy. If you are still unsure about the book, you can read more about it on BookCrossing.com. If you have read the book, please share you thoughts with us below.

UPDATE: When I read that John, defended the book I look for his article on the topic but couldn’t find anything. Apparently I didn’t look will enough. As you can see in the comments, he posted the link the National Post article he wrote on the book. I thought I would also point out the first paragraph, because it is something I too believe is the case:

There’s Yellowknife and there’s Yellowknife. One’s a northern city most Canadians haven’t visited, the others a novel most Canadians haven’t read. You should do both.

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Myth of the Barrens: Book Launch

By on December 17, 2009 in Arts, Events, People

There will be an official book launch for Bren Kolson’s Myth of the Barrens from 7-9pm at the Yellowknife Book Cellar on December 17, 2009

Myth of the Barrens is a 320 page book which included photographs, poetry, the main text, letters and sketches by Bren Kolson. The diary formatted book was written from an aboriginal women’s point of view. It depicts life on the barren lands in remote regions of the Western Northwest Territories from 1975 through 1977. Ms. Kolson lived with a Dene elder and non-aboriginal man who trapped barren land animals. The book covers the daily survival and living experiences from fall to winter season as well as northern skills. Skills like drying meat, tanning hides and helping construct caribou hide tents.

Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the book launch, although I do look forward to reading the book. All through myself I have had trouble reading books but when it came to northern fiction, I was hooked. I have read about Mike Krutko’s Amazing Adventures in Fort Macpherson to Denison’s Ice Road to Great Bear Lake.

Copies of the book will be available at the Book Cellar.

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A Christmas Carol – A SPHS Production

By on November 17, 2009 in Arts, Events

Starting on Thursday night at 7:30 and showing nightly until Saturday will be St. Patricks High School annual Christmas drama production. This year the school will be putting on the classic story of A Christmas Carol.

From NACC:

A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens, demonstrates the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge, who on Christmas Eve, seven years after the death of his business partner Jacob Marley, is challenged to change his ways by the Ghost of Jacob Marley and three Christmas Spirits:the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.

The thing which makes this production so special is the fact that it is completely student run. Brandon Erasmus will be directing this show with the assistance of Jacqueline Brasseur as well as an all student technical crew.  I was able to talk to Jacqueline through Facebook and here is what she had to say about the show:

Q. How did 2 students come to direct this years SPHS Drama Production?

A. Well, usually St. Patrick’s High School Drama Department does two shows a year. We usually have a One-Act Festival, as well our school production. The One-Act is always rehearsed during the day in the drama 10/20/30 class, and the school production is done completely on it’s own after school and on weekends. The One-Act Festival has always been full of one-act plays that are directed by students, so I think that’s why Mrs. Maltby was open to inviting Brandon Erasmus to direct this year’s production that is in the place of the One-Act Festival. As soon as Brandon was chosen to direct, Mrs. Maltby invited me to help him out as stage manager and assistant director.

Q. Do you think having it a show run fully by students will benefit its outcome?

A. I think that having the show run completely by students will benefit it’s outcome in so many ways. I think that the people in the community will see how much work was put into this, and how it’s something completely new to the theatre world in Yellowknife. The fact that students can put on something like this will surely impress a lot of people around town. It may not be the best show you’ve ever seen, but it’s definitely a feat to organize a show when everybody in the process is such a young age, and so new to the world of theatre, like Brandon and I are. Because Mrs. Maltby has given us so many opportunities to be such a big part of theatre in our school, I think that more students will want to be a part of the drama program, and I can’t wait to see how amazing the drama program at the school becomes next year.

Q. Why did you decided to take such a big roll in the production?

A. I’ve been interested in drama since I was a kid. Acting has been something I’ve wanted to do since I was little. I had the chance to direct a One-Act Play last year in the One-Act Festival because a part of the Drama 30 curriculum is to direct something. I had a great time, and really just wanted to experience something bigger and better. I knew the moment this was offered to me that it would be an amazing learning experience. I’m absolutely horrified for production week, but at the same time, I can’t wait to learn new things, and have a chance to show that us St. Pat’s students can do just about anything we set our mind to.
Brandon says: “It’s a funny story. What really got me into directing was last year, during the One-Act Festival, I had the worst dress rehearsal of all time. It was horrible. Only one actor was decent. After the worst dress rehearsal of all time, I went home, and Jacqueline told me that I was a much better director than actor, and that’s when I gave up acting, and started wanting to direct.”

Q. How did the selection of this years show, A Christmas Carol, come about?

A. Brandon chose the play. He wanted to choose something that people were familiar with. Because we’re putting on a production with students from a class that a lot of kids take solely because they have to get a fine arts credit, Brandon chose something that wouldn’t be too big of a challenge. However, I really think that with the motivation everybody has gotten since we’ve started, we could’ve put on something more challenging. Everybody in the class has done an extraordinary job getting excited about the production, even those who haven’t ever acted before.

Q. Do you think the fact there is a remake currently in theatres of A Christmas Carol it will affect the turn out for the show and people expectations.

A. I believe that if anything, it will bring us a larger audience. It’s funny because last time Brandon directed, he was helping direct a Batman Musical play at his school in Vancouver, and as soon as they got the show on it’s feet, the movie came out. He was telling me earlier about how it seems like every time he directs something, they make a movie for it. Brandon believes that people are going to have really high expectations for the production because of the movie, but this is a high school production, and many students’ first time acting. I think that although people may have high expectations, they’ll be impressed by the talent of many of our newly found actors.

Q. What can Yellowknifers expect from the show this year, will there be any surprises?

A. If anything, Yellowknifers aren’t going to expect the costumes at all. They’re different, and many actors take on a different character than the one’s Dickens wrote about. So many actors have made their character their own, which is really what we wanted them to do to begin with. All the students have done a beautiful job at making this production one of a kind.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to say about this years show?

A. All I really want to put out there is that without Mrs. Maltby, none of this could have happened. Marianne Maltby is constantly under appreciated, and constantly disrespected, but she puts so much effort into the students. She tries so hard to make sure that all the students are having a good time, and are enjoying theatre as much as they can. Her classes are so often not taken seriously due to the lack of value put on drama in our school, and really, she takes every single one of her students seriously and wants to be the best she can be for them. She is a wonderful teacher, a beautiful actress, a magnificent director, and a extremely kind human being.

Thanks Jacqueline, can’t wait to see the show.

Details

  • What: SPHS Production of A Christmas Carol
  • Where: NACC, behind Sir John High School
  • When: November 19,20,21 at 7:30pm each night.
  • Tickets: $12 – Available at NACC.ca

I hope to make it to one of the show, so I will see you there.

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