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APPRAISE of the Theatre: . . . EXIT UP.
[Ken Godmere is an Ottawa-based freelance actor/director with 35 years experience and offered his theatre reviews as an unbiased professional appraisal. www.kengodmere.com]
It was quite a year for Ottawa theatre and quite a year for me in the role of a reviewer. And now, as this new theatre season begins, I have decided not to renew my column commitment with Ottawa Tonite.
Even with some indications that “APPRAISE” may not be what the Ottawa theatre scene wants, it is actually my fresh focus on acting and directing that is driving my decision (performing in a television series pilot with Parktown Productions, creating two films for the Digi60 Festival, developing a new webseries with Tim Anderson, performing a new solo show for a national Fringe tour, and more). I am full-plated. And sated.
To wrap a whole year of experience and experiences, I graciously thank Ottawa Tonite Producer and Editor, Cheryl Gain for such faith and support. A big thanks to the theatre companies, casts, and crews for inviting me and trusting me to review their work. And so much appreciation to the readers and the commenters for sharing in the life of my “APPRAISE of the Theatre” column.
Au revoir, merci, et merde.
>> Ken
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APPRAISE of the Theatre: Orpheus Musical Theatre’s “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”
[Ken Godmere is an Ottawa-based freelance actor/director with 35 years experience and offers his theatre reviews as an unbiased professional appraisal. www.kengodmere.com]
* Opening Night, Friday June 3, 2011 *
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels‘ book by Jeffrey Lane and music and lyrics by David Yazbek are almost great. Based on the 1988 Michael Caine/Steve Martin film of the same name, the musical has many energetic elements – a big story of the seductive greed of two American conmen in the south of France, with twists and turns, comedy and action, colourful characters, and a few memorable songs. But size and quantity of elements doesn’t always translate to ‘greatness’ as an enduring piece of theatre. Usually, the “Hey, let’s make a musical out of that” practice results in lumps of stage gags, schtick songs, and low comedy set-ups shoved in to bulk it up and package it in a broad way. Some of Dirty Rotten Scoundrel’s songs and bits do seem, as in the golden age of musicals, designed more for the personalities of the specific stars that originated the roles (think Rex Harrison, Bert Lahr and in this case, for those of you who know: John Lithgow and Norbert Leo Butz). And its lengthy list of scene changes certainly feels the stresses of cramming all those film edits onto a live, real-time stage – at the risk of a company’s cast, crew, budget, and audience interest.
Orpheus’ new (Ottawa premiere) production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was plugged into many of the energetic elements and found the heat and humour. Almost. The set was a definite and dramatic asset. Designer Jennifer Donnelly and her team found a beautiful balance of math and art in making all those changes possible with clean French Riviera style. Some of the “almosts” were in the lighting, sound and costume departments. Hey, they each had a lot of things working well, quite well, but imbalances (cast members in dark clothing lost in under-lit areas, starkly unbalanced follow-spots cutting across an extremely white jacket, opening night glitched sound cues and microphone qualities) occasionally took more work to keep us in the play.
Director and 14 year Orpheus member, Shaun Toohey brought sense and sass to this potentially unwieldy vehicle. His story-telling was strong — almost strong enough to endure the lags and sags and stray, hollow gags. In the lead roles of Lawrence Jameson and Freddy Benson, actors Rob Henderson and David McLaughlin were very capable of hitting every note, every mark and every joke with fun size and energy, but with less depth, truth and connection they seemed to rely on the situation to lead the story, the company, and our interest. Mr. Henderson did find some sincerity in the understated moments and clever comedy, but Mr. McLaughlin’s strings of physical bits and bawdy humour were not very meaningful or memorable without the core or the care. It was Shawna McSheffrey’s completely generous joy on stage as Christine Colgate that felt, well, “felt”. Ms. McSheffrey, with no ego or excuses, invested everything for the character, the story and for us. And she was not alone. Specifically comfortable on stage was Lawrence Evenchick as the dirty police chief, André Thibault, who put both the ‘supporting’ and the ‘character’ into supporting character. In a standout turn as Jolene (one of the dirty rotten scoundrel duo’s targets), Christa Cullain was an electromagnetic force from the moment we saw her, through her show-stopping number, onto her solid support in her colleagues’ scenes, and well after her departure. Irish O’Brien also brought some stylish fun and the entire supporting ensemble was sharp even through some fraying dance numbers.
I did laugh out loud a few times and with its strong energy and some plugged-in performances, this production was almost bright.
MY ASSESSMENT: | Brilliant | Clear | Murky | Flawed | – an oversized rhinestone with some wiggle room in the ring.
————————————————
Orpheus Musical Theatre Society’s production of
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
continues through June 12, 2011
at Centrepointe Theatre.
The Box Office is located at:
Centrepointe Theatre
Ben Franklin Place
101 Centrepointe Drive
Please visit their website at www.centrepointetheatre.com
Tickets may be ordered by phone at 613-580-2700
(or toll free at 1 866 752-5231). A service charge applies.
Visa and Mastercard accepted; Interac available (in person only).
————————————————
[Requests for "APPRAISE of the Theatre" reviews should be directed to info@ottawatonite.com]
APPRAISE of the Theatre: Daniel MacIvor’s “This is What Happens Next”
Ken Godmere
[Ken is an Ottawa-based freelance actor/director with 35 years experience and offers his theatre reviews as an unbiased professional appraisal. www.kengodmere.com]
* Opening Night, Thursday May 26, 2011 *
In 2007, Daniel MacIvor, actor and playwright (The Soldier Dreams, Cul-de-Sac, House, and Monster) announced that he “would no longer be doing solo shows”. Two years later when his life imploded, the award-winning playwright approached collaborator Daniel Brooks to do “one more”. With Brooks’ condition that the stories in this one be true, MacIvor set himself to question truth and real characters in his exploration of true feelings and fears and joys. The result – This is What Happens Next – is layered, complex, and at times, obscure.
In his most autobiographical piece to date, MacIvor began by discussing at length, his arrival, what he’s going to be talking about, and why he’s telling us a story — a story about people telling stories. Is it theatre? Is it meta-theatre? It felt more like “MacIvor in concert”. A CBC Comics Special. It was definitely an interesting look at the life and into the mind of the writer. But I suppose I arrived at the restaurant expecting a meal. What I got was a description of the chef, the menu and the complex preparations, a few juicy samples and then a glass of port to wrap things up. The set and lighting were also in the style of those character-based standup routines of, say, Cathy Jones or Sandra Shamas. Sharp and quick, but static and spotlight-y. Co-creator and dramaturg, Daniel Brooks also directed the piece and he kept things brisk. But with MacIvor’s own mile-a-minute rants and the recurring self-commentary breaks, that briskness made it difficult for us to get right in and stay onboard. Even the ending (that “glass of port”) was an odd fit of instant theatricality and sentimentality in their world of bare bluster.
On stage this evening, MacIvor’s writing was stronger than his performance. The writer’s sense of the human script (what characters say, what they don’t say, and what they change in the middle of saying) was absolutely brilliant. While the actor’s fluid comfort, consistent connection and confidence only landed near pretty good. I do understand firsthand how it can be most difficult in that kind of autobiographical exposure. Where all the elements did align and light up the night was during the fully-felt character monologues of the female lawyer and the drunken ex-husband. Daniel MacIvor hit deep and high and broad.
I don’t know if it was the project, the script or the performance that had me feeling as though we walked through some very long hallways with lots and lots of doors. And only a few were opened.
MY ASSESSMENT: | Brilliant | Clear | Murky | Flawed | – a tricky locket.
————————————————
This is What Happens Next runs through June 12, 2011.
A Necessary Angel Production
Created by Daniel MacIvor and Daniel Brooks
Written and Performed by Daniel MacIvor
Directed and Dramaturged by Daniel Brooks
At the Great Canadian Theatre Company
Tickets available at the GCTC Box Office
www.gctc.ca
613-236-5196
This production is also part of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival
www.magneticnorthfestival.ca
613-947-7000
————————————————
[Requests for "APPRAISE of the Theatre" reviews should be directed to info@ottawatonite.com]
APPRAISE of the Theatre: The Lavender Railroad
– by Ken Godmere
[Ken Godmere is an Ottawa-based freelance actor/director with 35 years experience and offers his theatre reviews as an unbiased professional appraisal. www.kengodmere.com]
* Thursday May 5, 2011 *
Thank you. Those are my first words to playwright Lawrence Aronovitch. His two one-act scripts, Safe House and Ex Cathedra are smart, tense and volatile; strategic, tectonic and vital. This is the world premiere production of the two plays, written as companion pieces which are thematically linked to, in, and around the “Lavender Railroad” — his not too far from imaginary collection of safe houses, escape routes, and underground guides for homosexuals fleeing persecution, prison, and peril.
This Evolution Theatre production has taken the norm (the Studio Leonard-Beaulne theatre, for instance) and bent it into sharp, angular style. Set Designer, Margaret Coderre-Williams hasn’t so much designed a set, as she has designed the space itself – using existing exit doors, walls, and the depth of the stage as its breadth. The entire room and all its elements were in total service to the piece. And when I say the entire room, I include the stage lighting. Lynn Cox brought her own art and technical prowess to the style of the production by extending the majority of the lights down from the grid to the level of the actors. Effective and evocative in its mood and its bent. Director, Joël Beddows is powerful in his craft with theatricality and text. His strength is obvious in this staging of two different plays on one stage – criss-crossing both space and time.
All this style and strength was perhaps too much for the two actors in the first play, Safe House. Simon Bradshaw, playing Sebastian (a refugee homosexual mathematician), is a smart and well educated performer. Here, that is what we saw – devices to perform text and style. Intricate, but not involving. Tom Charlebois, in the role of Mother Courage (a code name for this leader of the Lavender Railroad), had a enigmatic voice and stature, but seemed limited by two gears and was not driven by listening or connecting. The delivery of words and messages was there, going by; but with very little reason or reality in it, between them or for us,… nothing happened. As the second play, Ex Cathedra began by weaving in and beyond the first, everything changed. The style became not simply what the actors played, but a flavour in and how and where they were. Maureen Smith as the Commander (a security officer in an anti-gay state) was quick to find her footing. And she stood strong as the story eroded the sand from beneath her character’s feet – challenging us to search for any guarded clues to her true motives. And Beverly Wolfe as the Sister (who has found religion to heal the wounds from her failed romantic past with the Commander) was the embodiment of the play’s smart, tense, tectonic vitality. Her performance was so immediate and present that the chemistry between the two actresses was literally breathtaking. All the way. Through.
While both plays are very powerful and very important (they could and should be made into films), the performances in this production of Safe House were a discussion of a stylized drawing of a tree; and those in Ex Cathedra were a tree.
MY ASSESSMENT: | Brilliant | Clear | Murky | Flawed | – a chipped jewel.
__________
The Lavender Railroad continues through May 14, 2011
at the Leaonard Beaulne Studio
University of Ottawa
135 Seraphin Marion
May 4 to 14, 2011 – 8 p.m.
Tickets: $25 general admission, $20 students/seniors.
Tickets available online or cash only at the door.
Pay What You Can Matinee: Sunday May 8 – 2 p.m.
(no show on Monday)
Evolution Theatre
www.evolutiontheatre.ca
__________
[Requests for "APPRAISE of the Theatre" reviews should be directed to info@ottawatonite.com]
Muffler Crunch is pretty much the best band I can think of
Muffler Crunch: Angie Barbarian and Luc Lavigne
(disclaimer: I have a crush on the band Muffler Crunch. Not the people in it, but the band itself. If that band were a woman, I would do unspeakable things with it and most likely upset my wife. My point being, the following is totally biased).
Only about 60 lucky people showed up at Mavericks on January 7th for Muffler Crunch’s triumphant return to the stage, after about a year off. In case the name escapes you, Muffler Crunch is Ottawa’s premier doom/sludge/metal power-duo. It’s been about a year since they officially took the stage (they did a mini warm-up gig a few weeks ago, at a hair salon, of all places), and the silence during their absence was deafening.
2008 was a great year for Muffler Crunch – they released their second album, Arc Welder (Last Drag Records), to rave reviews, played some amazing local shows, and were voted Ottawa’s Best punk/metal/hard rock band in the annual XPress reader’s poll.
After taking a year off to write new stuff (apparently by candlelight, after the evil power company cut off the hydro at their jam space), they hit the stage at Mavericks, and boy did they hit it hard. Muffler Crunch is 2 people, Angie “The Barbarian” Neatby on drums and lead vocals, and Luc Lavigne, guitarist. I’m generally opposed to power-duos, but I make an exception in this case. I’m not even going to attempt to describe the music, I won’t do it justice – check out their website for tunes.
What I CAN describe is the live show. Muffler Crunch commands the stage with brilliant showmanship and top-notch female metal vocals, producing some of the most awesomely dirty metal I’ve every heard.
At centre stage is Angie The Barbarian, with her very intimidating drum kit (complete with animal bones hanging off the front). Angie’s a neat mixture of deadly beauty – she’s not afraid to look pretty on stage, with her tight-fitting shirt, glittery cowboy hat and makeup, but there’s always the underlying message of “I may be friendly but I’ll throat-punch you if you cross me”.
That kind of duality carries over into the singing, a low (for a girl) operatic belting accented with rather sweet girly moments. And if there’s any question about the force of her throat-punch, just watch how she hammers the drums with insanely heavy beats that’ll make you wet yourself.
Off to Angie’s left is Luc Lavigne on guitar. Luc doesn’t say much during the show – Angie does all the bantering between songs while he orchestrates the noise and feedback for ambiance. Normally, there’s not even a microphone for him to use – this show was an exception, but he only used it for one song, and I’m fairly sure it wasn’t plugged in.
What Luc lacks in things to say, he makes up for in things to do; when he’s not operating one of his 18,000 pedals (or struggling with a hair-elastic), he’s jumping on top of amps, drums and the bar, thanks to one of those wireless receiver doohickeys. Luc wangs out sludgy riffs and uses various effects and loops to lay down an extremely solid wall of music – If you weren’t seeing it with your own eyes you wouldn’t believe that one beat-up acoustic guitar is making all that noise.
Which of course brings me to Ol’ Sparky, the third member of the band. Ol’ Sparky is Luc’s guitar, the only one he uses during the show – it’s a beat-up acoustic guitar, full of holes and extra switches and held together with duct tape, and run through a gazillion different effects pedals and no less than 3 amps at the same time.
It’s not just some gimmicky thing, this guitar is at times the center of attention and is the very definition of the Muffler Crunch sound. The band’s first album, Ol’ Sparky’s Revenge, demonstrates this by the title alone. I’m no sound technician but I know that when I hear the noises Luc pulls out of the guitar, I’m like “whoa” and then I’m like “yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!” and it makes my ears water. Forgive the technical jargon…
For the big finale, Luc climbed up on top of the kick drum (no easy feat, it took 4 tries) and finished the song with his back to the audience, and then just sort of collapsed on top of Angie, taking down half her drum kit with him. The show wrapped up with everything crashing to the floor, cymbals ringing and guitar feeding back and the crowd of 60 screaming in reverent adulation, or adulatory reverence, you pick one.
All said, Muffler Crunch is hands-down the best live band in Ottawa right now, and I’m not just saying that because I want to have their babies. You can catch their next show on February 6th at the Cajun Attic.
PS.
Three Jaw Puller opened the show, but I missed their set because of prior engagements. However, I saw them play once before and I really liked them, so be sure to check them out too.
- Greg Harris
Greg Harris can be found at his website
The Sin Sisters Charity Benefit – A First Person Account
The Elmdale Tavern was buzzing on Wednesday December 16th.
The luscious ladies of Ottawa’s very own burlesque troupe, the Sin Sisters, were putting on their first annual holiday bash in support of Toy Mountain. The feeling in the air before a burlesque show, (and a Christmas burlesque show at that!) is similar to that of the illustrious third date. There’s anticipation, the apparent effort put into choosing outfits and the not-so-discreet signals that there’s much unwrapping to be done later on.
The show opened up with Patsy Clash and Lefty McRighty of local alt-country band Ninety Pounds of Ugly, whose debut album, Richmond Motel Room 3, was voted Best Country Album of 2009 in the Ottawa Xpress reader’s poll. Replete with hideous holiday sweaters and an ever so endearing veneer of cheer, the duo did away with their usual racy content about shooting people who drive too slowly and tongue in cheek sexual references to offer heartfelt holiday carols.
After years of performing together, Patsy and Lefty have developed a precise sense of harmony that injected new life into the cannon of Christmas classics. Their cheeseball grins and corny banter easily won over the slightly soused audience. They even had this practicing Satanist singing along to Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer – hey, I’ll take any opportunity to shout in the middle of a song. A new sense of sweetness and vulnerability radiated from these two old friends of mine; Patsy shared stories about warming her feet on the dash of her mom’s old Honda and Lefty showed true jubilation at locating a misplaced guitar capo. It was a Christmas miracle!
I quite enjoyed the exposed inner-workings of this pair, who have only been playing together for two years. Since they were performing songs they’d only recently arranged and prepared, they publicly asked each other when to end the tunes and who should sing which part. Their ongoing communication, while seemingly amateurish, was always enjoyed by the audience and their on-the-fly decisions resulted in clean playing with tight changes and crisp endings. It was the sign of a collaboration that has evolved into a cohesive unit. They’re reaching the point where they almost know what each other is thinking. I predict great things ahead for Ninety Pounds of Ugly. Good luck in the new year.
After a quick break, yours truly took the stage. I took the opportunity to explain that the celebration of winter solstice is a Pagan tradition that preceded Christianity and Judaism by thousands of years. The evergreen that we all seem to worship this time of year is the perfect symbol of Mother Earth’s consistent vitality. Someone shouted out, “Just like the Yule Log!”, which apparently has its tradition in Germanic Pageantry. These days, light is scarce, so it’s important to come together at events like this, to share warmth, good will, and of course, drink.
The audience agreed.
I performed my standard fare of blues, rockabilly, swing, country and jazz, throwing in Auld Lang Syne and Jingle Bells in for good measure. The Elmdale is one of my favorite venues in the city as a performer and observer. The acoustics and sound system are top notch, the staff is friendly and when I’m there, I feel like I’ve traveled back in time to a genuine 50′s tavern (except that they now allow women in, which I whole-heartedly approve of). I got a great reaction from the crowd when I performed an instrumental piece called Miss Maggie Sue Shuffle. As usual, they went pretty wild at my rendition of I Wanna be Like You, of Jungle Book fame. The crowd grew more and more excited, despite the fact that I didn’t take my clothes off this time around. I’m afraid my lack of undressing may have let some people down. I found out later that one of the nicknames for me floating around the city is “Naked Max”. Hmmm….maybe I’m getting older?
After my set, I was approached by a number of well-wishers with kind words. One gentleman asked about purchasing the rights so my songs can be used in movies that he works on. This opportunity could garner exposure for me and finance future recording projects. The music business has many intricate tenents. I look forward to exploring them all.
Finally came the main attraction.
The Sin Sisters have come a long way since their lewd dancing days with my psychobilly band the Sick Sick Sicks about a year and a half ago. Since then, the troupe has expanded to some seven or so members, performing all types of on-stage artistry. A large pile of presents was stacked on stage while a Betty Page look-alike in red pajamas carefully examined each package. The boxes were opened with joy, revealing lustful clothing. The girls went on to perform classic seduction, teasing and talent; Santa outfits, Hawaiian grass skirts and balloon popping were all captivating and enticing elements of this illicit pageant. A risqué holiday poem and some musical numbers offered variety to this mischievous and delightful evening.
Ladies, thanks for putting on such an awesome night and reminding everyone that getting naked in public can be, under the right circumstances, a class act.
- Maxim
Stumbling upon a reading: “Up the Ottawa Without Despair”
It’s Thursday, December 17th and I find myself at the Raw Sugar Cafe, it’s on Somerset, half a block West of Bronson. Mary Clayton’s soul infused version of “Southern Man” pumps through the room at an agreeable volume as crisp dressed women and men settle and chat in this cozy, eclectic room.
Tonight launches the fifth chapter of local writer Brendan McNally’s novel, “Up the Ottawa Without Despair”. Scavenging the internet for fun things to do tonight, I stumbled upon this event listing on Ottawatonite.com and know precious little about the show. However, I had the honor of being a member of the first musical act to grace this cherished venue, so I’m always game frequenting this cool establishment.
Familiar faces start to pop out of the crowd and I recognize one of the names on the poster. I’ve seen Amanda Abdelhadi perform comedy before and she was quite funny. Dave O’Meara, it turns out, is the same lanky, lovable Dave who serves at the Manx. A few years ago I worked at the Manx and while slicing a bucket of potatoes I happened upon a news clipping about the Gord Downie using some of Dave’s poetry as lyrics. We had a good chat about it and my esteem grew for this warm and humble man.
I see a distinctive gentleman standing in the middle of the room, he must be Brendan. He has one of those faces like Vince Halfhide, not esthetically speaking, but in the way that it’s so recognizable, it’s a pillar of the Ottawa arts community, like a living totem pole.
The peppermint tea soothes my smoke and coffee ravaged throat while approving glances fall from this community of writers as I scribble away in my black leather bound notebook. Right on time, the show starts and Sandra Ridley goes up first. Images of lush vegetation swirl with feminine body parts, all being grounded by the thick roots and good love of an old tree. Her words conjure instances of spontaneous growth intertwined with brittle death, sprouting from ragged decay. I wish I had the written version of the work in front of me, so I could pick it apart with a dictionary, meticulously cherishing each delicate beat. Soon her smooth delivery carries me away, I learn to sit back and allow her jagged yet soothing atmospheres to be formed in my mind. Ephemeral environments and mythic characters sway to bouncing rhythms, creating gritty and fantastic moments, then they slip away as she starts her next poem. The crowd gobbles up every morsel and I wish she was on for longer.
Dave is up next, apparently he has a hearty list of laurels and as soon as he goes into his first selection, the deservedness of his recognitions is made apparent. Dave echos the simple mastery of Denis Leary, if Denis were taking on all forms of perturbing and sometimes volatile subject matter. “Power Boat” is about a real life English boat racer who had a horrible boating accident, went into a coma, legally died twice, got upset when paramedics had to cut open her brazier and then went on to do more racing. His work is inspired by things he reads and the result is a varied examination of individual struggles and triumphs from all over the world. His work offers moments of dissonant thought patterns framed by the tempestuous anxieties of teenage reality. Every thursday between 6:30 and 7pm, you can hear Dave on CKCU, he hosts a show called Literary Landscape. Chatting with Dave, I find a man sustaining a high level of creative output. The result is ever improving work and increasing visibility. He tells me that being a poet doesn’t always pay very well, but it has it’s perks. He was invited to read at a writers festival in Orkin, found in the Yorkie Islands of Northern Scotland. A recent highlight was an on-stage interview with Nick Cave at the local St. Brigid’s writer’s festival.
Seeing Brendan’s face around the city for so long, it’s a pleasant shock to hear a soft but striking Irish accent escape from his lips. The reading series was created to expose his new novel, Up the Ottawa Without Despair and to raise money for a much needed dental operation. His demeanor is of measured exuberance, cracking one cornball joke after another as his stories expose us to the beautiful aspects of all things low and dirty. The first selection hits a nerve with my personal history; it’s a first person narrative about a young, poor but intelligent and sensitive man hitchhiking up from Ottawa to Wakefield and back, before that quaint little town was the tourist destination it is today. A reference to “The Outsiders”, is paired with the brutal reality of the entrenched violence in poor Lowertown. Flowery writing this is not, gritty displays of raw, bright life are juxtaposed with bleak hopelessness and sorrow. His dismantling of the Santa Clause myth is a piece of disgruntled holiday magic. The debunking of St Nick’s soft power culminates as a hung over, self-described hater of children takes on the roll of mall Santa. Amanda Abdelhadi contributes back-up voice acting, creating much appreciated layers of comedy. I liked it when the stoned elf was giggling.
DJ Eric Komosol playes tasty tracks as a musical bed to Brendan’s dynamic performance; smooth jazz and deep soul are the grooves of the evening. Enlisting DJ Eric for the party was a wise decision, he made excellent song choices, had smooth transitions and helped created that quintessential book-party atmosphere. If you ever need a good DJ for a party, look him up.
All and all it was an enthralling and thought provoking evening with plenty of humor and good tidings.
There’s something special about accomplished and talented authors presenting a vocalized rendition of their written work. Hearing distinctive emphasis, interjection and pauses, creates an über-intimate, utterly unique experience. Nadia has created an inviting environment of the Raw Sugar which nourishes and encourages all varieties of artistic expression. So go to the Raw Sugar whenever it’s open, especially next month, when Brendan presents chapter six of the house band series.
I look forward to seeing you there.
-Maxim
Maxim also blogs: http://maximk7.blogspot.com/
My Twelve Wines of Christmas
First, I must appologize for not having written for such a long time. Unfortunately, my Father passed away on December 11th and prior to that he was receiving palliative care at home and my mind has been elsewhere. That having been said, my family and I are now getting ready for Christmas with great anticipation. Part of this is making sure that I have the right wines to go with any meal that I will prepare as well as wine to go with any meal I may be invited to. In line with that, I would like to share with you the wines I would like to have on hand this Christmas. Please keep in mind that some I will have and some I will, unfortunately, not be able to have.
1. Chateauneuf-du-Pape Delicious wines, but don’t mistake me, you pay for it.
2. Penfold’s Grange
3. Anything Malbec from Argentina. My latest favourite is the Fuzion Alta Malbec Reserva…
under $10 at the LCBO. Expensive taste on a tight budget.
4. For that matter, anything from Argentina or Chile. I can pretty well guarantee you that
you will love at least 90% of the wines from these regions, if not 100%!
5. Long Flat Shiraz…big flavour for little money.
6. German Riesling My favourite is Spatlese which is medium to medium sweet. This is NOT
a dessert wine, but a great wine to pair with anything spicy…especially sushi.
7. Icewine A dessert favourite and my personal choice isn’t Vidal, but, rather Riesling.
I prefer the level of acidity that Riesling brings to the game. You may also want to try
a Cab Franc Icewine; I have tried it and love it!
8. Cotes du Rhone wines to pair with Coq au Vin. This is one of my favourite dishes to
make at home and it always turns out the best when I use French Cotes du Rhone wines.
9. Goats do Roam This is a South African version of the French Cotes du Rhone and can
be found at the LCBO for under $13.
10. Port I really enjoy a nice glass of Port with dark chocolate and nuts.
11. Champagne ‘nuf said 
12. Last, but not least, a Super Tuscan. Super Tuscans are wines from Tuscany that have
as their base grape, Sangiovese, and are blended with other grapes such as
Cabernet Sauvignon.
I know that there are many wines that I have left off the list. I would love to hear
from all of you and create a top 10 wines that I didn’t include.
Last, but not least, let me wish you all a Happy, Non-demoninational, Winter-Solstice
Celebration! (And Merry Christmas too!)
Amanda Rheaume’s Christmas Cheer
How cool is it to release a Christmas CD and then tour it to the North Pole?
As you’ll discover in the video interview below, Ottawa singer-songwriter Amanda Rheaume got to find this out recently when she was invited to play for the troops stationed at the Canadian Forces base in Alert — within spitting distance of Santa’s workshop — hot (cold?) on the heels of releasing her seasonal collection Acoustic Christmas.
The CD features 10 standards treated to Rheaume’s resonant, committed vocals and musical partner Jeff Logan’s guitar wizardry, with all proceeds benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Ottawa. And at the staggering low price of $5 a pop ($6 includes shipping from the Boys and Girls Club web site), there is no excuse for not grabbing these by the sleighful as stocking stuffers for everyone on your list.
This is hardly Rheaume’s first bout of community service and the benefit bug. Last March, she traveled to Afghanistan to play for the troops there and she has also been across Canada with fellow Ottawa performer Ana Miura and a cast of colleagues under the Babes for Breasts banner.
In the new year, she refocuses on touring her 2009 release proper, Kiss Me Back.
Amanda Rheaume’s Acoustic Christmas is available online at www.bgcottawa.org and at the following Ottawa locations:
Blowout
Bad things come in threes. Number two tonight was a lit candle falling on my head onstage; number three was an apron falling off in the middle of the Fezziwig Christmas Party dance. The first bad thing happened before the show began, and is why I want to say that the National Arts Centre’s wardrobe staff are godsends.
We got the five minute call for the beginning of A Christmas Carol and, as is customary, the cast began to gather in the wings and voms of the theatre to start the show. Niall Patrick McNeil, who plays the beggar boy, was with me at stage left, running over the lyrics to “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” softly, with his beggar-boy-cap placed jauntily askew on his head. In my capecoat and top hat — looking like Abe Lincoln after a few too many Christmas dinners — I chuckled and suggested that it might be fun to rap the song on stage. “God rest ye, merry GIN-el-minz!”, I said, and began to crunk for my own amusement. I worked my way down into a squat position in a fit of improvised choreographic bliss, and then heard a telltale ripping sound from my posterior. At this point it was three minutes to curtain, and I was to be one of the first actors on stage at the top of the show.
I exited the backstage area quickly and reported sheepishly to the wardrobe room. “I think I ripped my pants,” I said. “But I mostly wear a coat in the show, so maybe it’s okay for now?”
“Turn around and let’s see,” said Linda. I did, and lifted my coattail. Linda’s eyes went wide for all the wrong reasons. “Wow,” she said. “You blew the ass right outta those things.”
“Were you goofing around?” asked Ann, somewhat rhetorically.
“No,” I lied, and put on my innocent actor face. I could have argued that dancing is a great pre-show energy-booster and necessary for my craft, but crunking to a rap version of a 19th century holiday carol is not truly a part of my regular routine. I’m sure they both saw through my denial anyway. “I was warming up.” I smiled, for added cuteness.
We quickly determined that I couldn’t go on stage with the rip as it was, because the pants would likely split right in half before long. We also quickly clocked the fact that I have to wear the pants through the whole show, so there was no chance for me to get out of them to have them fixed. In addition, there’s the scene at Fezziwig’s Christmas party, where the apron I wear leaves my back end rather exposed. Finally, as Peter Hinton began his pre-show announcement on stage, I reminded them that I had to be in the wings again imminently.
“Well, then, I have to do something right now,” said Ann. Then, with a twinkle in her eye of the sort I’ve only ever seen on a few other occasions in my life, she said, “turn around and bend over.”
And so, under stern orders not to break wind, a makeshift, under-two-minute repair was made to my pants just so they’d hold together for the show. “I’ve done this before for dancers,” she said. I am SO not a dancer. “It’ll hold for a bit, but no more squatting. And warm up before you get into costume, okay?” I was back in the wings and ready to start the show with time to spare.
We have two wardrobe staff working with us on the show. They get about 90 minutes to do their setup for each performance, and the two of them are looking after costumes for 21 actors. In addition to looking after laundry, they need to make sure every item of clothing in the show is prepped and in its proper location in the theatre before we start. In short, they bust their asses for us, and I don’t help them much by busting the ass out of my trousers. But they grin and bear it and keep everything working for us, and so we owe them a huge debt of gratitude for literally making us all look good. SO here’s to them, and here’s to refraining from fantastic backstage choreography while wearing a capecoat and trousers.
–photo by AndyRob on Flickr
