For audience members who were veteran spectators within the burlesque community or regulars at the Wiggle Room, the Charlestown Burlesque, which premiered on Feb. 3, began as expected. After a brief but charming overture of ragtime piano, manager Frenchie Jones sauntered onstage—wearing nothing but undergarments and a top hat—to explain[Read More…]
Theatre
“Superior Donuts” brings Broadway to Players’ Theatre
Written by Tony Award-winner Tracy Letts, Superior Donuts refuses to shy away from challenging topics such as addiction, divorce, and estrangement, while retaining light-hearted humour and relatability. Now brought to the Players’ Theatre stage, the student rendition of the Broadway drama successfully captures the emotional exhaustion of its characters. Starbucks,[Read More…]
TNC’s “Be Tween” presents pubescent nostalgia
Tuesday Night Cafe (TNC) Theatre latest production, Be Tween, depicts the honesty the ephemeral and profound experience of undergoing puberty with charming honesty. Written and directed by Concordia student Phoebe Fregoli, the play begins with middle-schooler Gemma (Michaela Snoyer) waiting at a bus stop for her best friend Julie (Claire[Read More…]
AUTS’ “Heathers: The Musical” brings teen angst, musical numbers, and murder to Moyse Hall
[metaslider id=49996] Since its release in 1988, Heathers has become a cult classic. Taking a jarringly dark approach to teenage angst, the original film follows Veronica (Winona Ryder) and her homicidal boyfriend J.D. (Christian Slater) as they seek unorthodox revenge on their classmates. A black comedy, Heathers finds hilarity in[Read More…]
Artist Spotlight: Student comedian Jeremy Ullman
The crowd has decided, and your winner is…Jeremy Ullman!” Fresh-faced 21-year-old McGill student Jeremy Ullman is the victor of the Comedy Nest’s open mic night. It is an odd time and place for a comedy show—it is Wednesday night, Nov. 23, the bar is bizarrely located on the third floor[Read More…]
Opera McGill’s “Alcina”: A dubious experiment in orientalism
From the cultural stereotypes in Madame Butterfly to the racism in Otello, the intersection of race and culture with opera has a dark and problematic history. Given this legacy, the East Asian setting and the specific Chinese cultural influences of Opera McGill’s production of Alcina is confusing, especially given the[Read More…]
Montreal Improv’s “Dreamtime” brings your wildest dreams to the stage
There is something dreamlike about improvisational theatre. Dreams and improv both instill a feeling of surreal unpredictability, an atmosphere of colourful chaos, and a sense of blurry boundlessness. They keep you on your toes and pull you into a distinctly unique experience while breaking down the walls between reality and[Read More…]
An Iliad: A story of war and grief
How can one make a modern-day audience hang on every word of a three-thousand-year-old story? An Iliad, a one-man show directed by the McGill Classics department’s Lynn Kozak and produced by Chocolate Moose Theatre, proves that remakes of classic texts can be executed in both a skillful and entertaining way.[Read More…]
TNC’s Ghost World brings the graphic novel to life
[URIS id=47252] Fans of indie classics, rejoice; Ghost World has been adapted for the stage, right on McGill soil. Following the fragile relationship between best friends Enid (Beky Seltzer) and Becky (Sarah Foulkes), Ghost World is a portrait of a bond that unravels under the strain of growing up. Told[Read More…]
Comedians stand up for feminism
Successful comedy comes from a place of heartbreak, and from the ability to make what seems devoid of humour funny. The stereotype is that feminists aren’t funny, but by that token, feminism should be a breeding ground for good comedy. Comedy greats like Louis C.K. and Chris Rock base their routines[Read More…]
