Drama Beat

Jeff Dunham to bring crazy cavalcade of hilarity to Lethbridge

Wednesday, 31 October 2012 10:21 Richard Amery

Popular Dallas raised, Los Angeles based comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham visits Lethbridge with all of his little friends, Nov. 1.  He is spending the first week of November touring arenas all over Western Canada. jeff Dunham comes to Lethbridge, Nov. 1.

 Dunham was recently named “the most successful comedian working in America” by the New York Times, thanks to his crazy cavalcade of characters including Walter the Grumpy Retiree, Achmed the Dead Terrorist, the hopped up redneck Bubba J, the manic purple creature Peanut, the spicy José Jalapeño and Peanut’s own ventriloquist dummy Little Jeff, a mini-version of Dunham himself.

  He is touring in support of his brand new, Halloween themed DVD “Minding The Monsters, which captured 7.5 million viewers when it aired on Comedy Central. Sales hit platinum six days after it was released. 

Dunham said people are really enjoying the new show.

“‘Minding the Monsters’ takes its audience into the ultimate haunted house where you can see Walter transform into something grumpier than he already is, watch Bubba J rise from the dead, meet Peanut’s alter ego, The Purple Avenger of the Night, and his spicy sidekick, and witness Achmed literally dressed to kill in an outfit that would terrify the most terrifying terrorist! It’s the best special yet,” said Dunham via e-mail, adding the new DVD is selling like hot cakes at a variety of big box stores including Walmart, Target and Best Buy.

Dunham takes a very much hands-on approach when creating his characters.

Evil Dead the Musical is bloody good fun

Wednesday, 31 October 2012 08:58 Richard Amery

Lethbridge is going to have more gory, bloody fun than a bloody chainsaw when Hatrix Theatre brings the Evil Dead the Musical to life at the Moose Hall, Oct. 30-Nov. 8.

It will be so much bloody fun, that the first three rows have been designated a splatter zone. Cass Pollock practices her evil zombie side. Photo by Richard Amery
“It’s pretty much a horror-comedy,” said Justin Black, who plays Ash in the production — the role which was originally played by Bruce Campbell.

“It’s a musical based on three movies created in the ’80s and early ’90s— Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness,” he summarized. He was really familiar with the movies, though not as familiar with the musical.

Most of the characters in the musical come from the second movie, most of the dialogue comes from the first movie and it is set in a cabin in the woods, where the first and second movies were set.

Justin Black, Carrie-Ann Worden and Mike Van Keeken sing about kandarian demons during rehearsals for Evil Dead the Musical. Photo by Richard Amery
The plot surrounds Ash and his friends who go on vacation to a cabin in the woods where the undead have been accidentally released. Kandarian demons and zombies invade and infect pretty much all of them as mayhem / hilarity ensues. There is a punning zombie in the cellar and Ash loses his hand, which comes back to life and causes a kerfuffle.

“ I’m very familiar with the movies. They are a lot of fun,” said Black, who found out about auditions in a nick of time through the Lethbridge theatre community.
“ I almost missed my chance to audition,” he said.

“ Who wouldn’t want to get a chance to be a Bruce Campbell character and kill zombies,” he enthused during a break from rehearsal where he was wielding a chainsaw in one stump of a hand and his ‘boom stick’ in the other during the productions.

Theatre XTra excited about student penned production of 1,000 Names

Monday, 29 October 2012 11:54 Richard Amery

University of Lethbridge student run theatre troupe TheatreXTra is excited to be completely student run for their latest production “1,000 Names.”
“1,000 Names” runs in the David Spinks Theatre, at 8 p.m. each night from Nov. 1-3 with an additional matinee at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
Students have always done all of the producing, directing, acting, promotions, set design and costumes for Theatre XTra productions but this time they are also using a student penned script.

“ Theatre XTra is completely student run, this time it’s the script from a student playwright as well. That’ Natalie Buckley and Amelia McIvor rehearse a scene from 1,000 Names. Photo by Richard Amery s one of the things I love about Theatre XTra,” enthused director Hannah Rud.

“ And I had such a wonderful experience with Possible Worlds last year,” she continued.

University of Lethbridge student Chelsea Woolley wrote 1,000 Names and placed second on last year’s University of Lethbridge Prose and Playwriting competition.
“It’s about two families living somewhat different lives with difficulties during World War 2,” described Rud.

“ They are different, but this play shows how they come together. The play begins on an evening in 1940 and in 1941. An event that takes place in 1940 directly affects what happens in 1941, and I can’t say anymore without giving away a huge chunk of the script,” said Rud, who was drawn to the script by the strong female characters who are central to the story.

“I was attracted to it when I first read the script. The characters are very honest and very true. Most female roles aren’t very meaty,” she observed.

“The females really get to shine in this play,” she continued.

There are three female characters — Pearl, played by Natalie Buckley; Hanusia, played by Amelia McIvor; Rose, played by Becca McDonald. There are two male characters as well including Martin, played by Jeff Newman and Emrick, played by James McCarthy.
Rud had high praise for her cast.

“It’s coming together wonderfully. I’ve been completely blessed with this cast. They are there to lean on each other and they’re there to hold each other up,” she said.

University of Lethbridge time warps into Rocky Horror Show

Wednesday, 17 October 2012 00:14 Richard Amery

The University of Lethbridge is going to help you get freaky for Halloween with their production of the Rocky Horror Show. Devon Brayne and Jocelyn Haub rehearse a scene from the Rocky Horror Show. Photo by Richard Amery
“This is like a New West revue show on steroids,” described actor Devon Brayne, who plays the newly engaged Brad with his own real-life fiancee Jocelyn Haub, who plays his fiancee Janet in the production.
The 1973 Richard O’ Brien penned British musical which inspired the 1975 cult hit movie “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” runs at the University Theatre, Oct. 16-20 at 8 p.m. every night with a special midnight show, Oct. 19.
Director Jay Whitehead has been planning this show for about a year. He wanted to work with musical director Bente Hansen, who was happy to get on board.
“I knew I was doing a show in October and I knew I wanted to collaborate with (musical director) Bente Hansen. And it’s Halloween, so what better show to put on than the Rocky Horror show,” Whitehead enthused.

Whitehead who has worked with Hansen in a variety of capacities including several New West Theatre productions also enlisted a couple other New West Theatre veterans for the show including newly engaged couple Jocelyn Haub and Devon Brayne, who play the newly engaged couple Janet and Brad.

“That wasn’t why I cast them though,” he said.

The Rocky Horror Show runs until Oct. 20. Photo by Richard Amery The couple’s car breaks down en route to visiting an old friend. They run into a unique group of characters.
“It’s about a newly engaged couple, Janet and Brad, who are going to visit their friend Dr. Scott, but their car breaks down. They find a castle and meet Dr Frank ’N Furter who is building a creature when the weirdness ensues for them,” Whiltehead summarized.

“The movie is pretty true to the original musical though there are a couple extra songs in the musical,” Whitehead said.
“We’ve set it in the middle of the ’80s new wave and punk movement. So it’s just wonderful,” Whitehead said.

Devon Brayne is enjoying acting with his fiance in their productions, though he has performed several times with Haub in New West productions.
“It’s always a lot of fun (performing with Jocelyn Haub). It’s great. We get to play larger than life versions of ourselves,” he said.

Playgoers of Lethbridge to put on ‘suite’ Neil Simon production

Wednesday, 10 October 2012 10:12 Richard Amery

Playgoers of Lethbridge will be having a bit of fun in a hotel room for their October dinner theatre, Neil Simon’s “London Suite,” which runs Oct. 17-20 at the Sandman Inn.
Rita Peterson directs the British comedy which features four unique scenes taking place in the same suite in the Connault Hotel in London.

Jeff Graham and Mat Smerek rehearse a scene from London Suite. Photo by Richard Amery “The first piece is about a writer and novelist who confronts his crooked and desperate agent who stole his life savings,” described stage manager Josh Hammerstedt. The scene stars Playgoers of Lethbridge veteran Jeff Graham and newcomer Mat Smerek, who played Lysander in this summer’s Shakespeare in the Park’s production of Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Smerek is glad to be back on stage. Before playing Lysander in Shakespeare in the Park, he hadn’t acted since graduating from Catholic Central High School in 2008.

“It feels like I ’m doing what I should be doing. I’m not even sure why I stopped,” Smerek said.

“I just love being on stage. It’s just such a rush like bungee jumping or skydiving, but this is more for me,” he said. He said he is enjoying rehearsing his scene in an intimate group with Jeff Graham, stage manager Josh Hammerstedt, costumer Shirley Kopitske and director Rita Peterson who saw him perform in Midsummer Night’s Drem and asked him to audition.

“It’s a small and very close group,” he said.

While he wasn’t familiar with the play “London Suite,” he was familiar with Neil Simon’s work as he was in a high school production of Simon’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs.”

He is enjoying acting with Jeff Graham, who acts in a plethora of productions all over southern Alberta.
“Jeff is fantastic,” Smerek said.

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