Category: Theatre

Getting on Board with Geekenders Star Wars Burlesque Show, a Review

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Banner1

Disclaimer: Thanks to the Gottacon organizers for providing a pass to the opening night celebration. This article is part one of two pieces, also published on Absoluteunderground.tv, with an interview with Geekenders to be featured in the next issue of Absolute Underground Magazine. Reprinted with permission.

There’s a new kind of adult entertainment in town, and that’s to combine burlesque with geek culture to form nerdlesque. This new form of dancing is taking the world by storm with local groups from Australia to New York reinventing all that was beloved from a long time ago. Instead of a galaxy, far, far away, everything is happening locally. Geekenders is a Vancouver, BC based group that formed in 2012 to give to the masses unique takes on popular franchise titles like Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, BBC’s Doctor Who and Jim Henson’s Labyrinth. On Friday night at GottaCon, a Victoria based gaming convention, this group put on a rousing fun act in Star Wars: A Nude Hope.

Continue reading “Getting on Board with Geekenders Star Wars Burlesque Show, a Review”

Adding a Li’l Spookiness to Christmas Eve

ghost_stories_for_xmas_600Winter chills can mean deathly thrills for the horror entertainment enthusiast. Just what does Christmas mean for them? There’s plenty of products to choose from, and this list is going to look at what’s truly ghostly to really send shivers done one’s spine. Some history and family friendly watches are also offered.

Ghost Stories for Christmas

Originally broadcasted on BBC One between 1971-78, and revived in 2005, this program hosts a wide collection of shorts by notable authors like, to name a few, M.R. James with “Whistle and I’ll Come to You” and Charles Dickens with “The Signalman.” Although Dickens was the writer who brought the tradition of telling ghost stories back to the fore on Christmas Eve, this fascination by the public with the supernatural during this season existed long before his contribution. The tradition for enjoying a spooky tale at this festive time may trace its roots to as far back as the 16th century, with Christopher Marlowe making references to spirits in his play The Jew of Malta (1589), in Act II, Scene 1 where the character Barabas states:

Now I remember those old women’s words,
Who in my wealth would tell me winter’s tales,
And speak of spirits and ghosts that glide by night
About the place where treasure hath been hid:
And now methinks that I am one of those;
For, whilst I live, here lives my soul’s sole hope,
And, when I die, here shall my spirit walk.

Thankfully, the British Film Institute has packaged the seminal episodes of this series into a video release. Fans interested in the film version can purchase this item through AmazonChristmas or look at the original works in this M.R. James collection, “Count Magnus and Other Ghost Stories (The Complete Ghost Stories of M. R. James, Vol. 1)Christmas“

Continue reading “Adding a Li’l Spookiness to Christmas Eve”

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6

Charles Ross Returns to Victoria for the One-Man Star Wars & LotR Show

onemanstarwars_lowires

One Man Lord of the Rings
Wednesday, Dec 10 at 8pm

One Man Star Wars
Thursday, Dec 11 at 8pm

Metro Theatre
1411 Quadra

Actor, performer, Charles Ross is more than just a one-man virtuoso. He’s a master storyteller, a bard and a vocal talent that audiences frequently find enjoyable when they go to see his one-man plays. In December, he will be returning to Victoria, British Columbia – the city that he made his home – and be performing Star Wars and Lord of the Rings just as The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies is about to release. The dates many Victorians will have to mark on the calendar is December 10th and 11th. 2014 when it plays at the Metro.

But with many years of touring and love from all around the world, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. The energy that he puts into each of his shows is phenomenal. He knows how to keep the material fresh because, quite simply, “They are just big two films that really resonate with me,” said Charles Ross.

Continue reading “Charles Ross Returns to Victoria for the One-Man Star Wars & LotR Show”

13 Fun Horror Musicals to Mortify With During Any Halloween!

Although the number of products can fit into the palm of Frankenstein’s hand, this list of horror musicals is being expanded out to include television products that are worth rocking out to.

Horror Musicals - Frankenstein

Every Halloween, only one seminal rock n’ roll musical comes to mind to celebrate the occasion by doing the time warp with. Yes, people can head to Rocky Horror, but there’s a reasonable gambit of other horror musicals to discover. They range from screen to stage. Some are worth making the effort to seek out, and others are best regulated to the graveyard.

Although the number of products can fit into the palm of Frankenstein’s hand, this list of horror musicals is being expanded out to include television products that are worth rocking out to. The importance here is to reveal what’s fun! Rocky Horror does belong in this list, and a few items are grouped into one entry, but the goal here is to look at what else is available.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13

[Victoria, BC] Rocky Horror Show Graduates to New Heights!

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

rocky-bigger-jpg

Showtimes:
Oct 24, 25, 29, 30,
and Nov 1 at 8pm
Oct 31 at 7 & 10pm

Metro Studio
1411 Quadra St.
Tickets: $30; $35 with prop kit

Reservations:
250-590-6291
ticketrocket.org

Griffen Lea, Sarah Anne Murphy, Candace Woodland, Kelly Hudson are back in the Rocky Horror Show and they are bad in Rebel Knock Out (RKO) Productions’ take of this seminal Richard O’Brien stage classic. They have taken the energy from how they played Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Janet, Columbia, and Riff-Raff from last year’s Kaleidoscope version and amped it up. The crowd (whether they’ve seen that performance or not) roared and the shadow dancers cooed at their antics. Perhaps what’s noticeable is the added energy from Woodland strutting her stuff in the tap dancing routine from “Time Warp” and R.J. Peters (Brad) really channeling his inner nerd. When it comes to special solos in a musically raunchy show, Peters certainly created some nostalgic and sombre tones in “Once in a While” to make his moment memorable.

Continue reading “[Victoria, BC] Rocky Horror Show Graduates to New Heights!”

[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] Finding Transcendence with the Selkie Tales, A Review

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Selkie Tales GraphicWritten and Directed by
Voice Box Theatre Company

With Artwork from Roween Suess

Music by Sink

Through the power of myth, a cultural discourse of any country can be found in the stories of yore. Some legends may inspire a transformative change of the self whereas others look deep into a collective experience that many readers can find, if not relate to. In other cases, they serve to explain the power of a greater cosmic force at work. In folklore, traditions are explored, and sometimes what is experienced is more of a sensory exposition.

In Selkie Tales, grief and loss are explored in a whimsical journey of what the seal-folk of Scotland (a type of faerie) have contributed to the richness of this bonnie land’s mystique. These creatures are similar to mermaids/mermen. But they appear as seals when in the ocean and when they shed their skin upon reaching land, will look just like another human.

Continue reading “[Victoria Fringe Festival ’14] Finding Transcendence with the Selkie Tales, A Review”