Stage West Brings Backs The '90's!

Stage West Calgary 

"Pure '90's"

Until Feb 4, 2018

Stage West Calgary presents:

"Pure '90s"

(Runs to February 4, 2018) 

Here's the thing. Of all the varied theatrical offerings that have contributed to the ongoing success of Stage West Calgary, nothing seems to succeed quite like their musical revues. 

Just when you think they've presented something entirely unsurpassable, a new collection of beloved songs arrives, and the audience is swept back in time along with the entire cast and crew for even greater entertainment heights.

The latest, presented for media last night, is right up there with some of their best work. Sure, there are a few chinks in the armour (those may get worked out after a few more performances - or not...), but it is hard to quibble when the high points are so high you feel like you are listening to the actual artists, not a cast of talented actors and actresses.

Taking an overview of an entire decade is tough, given the vast amount of releases in any given week, let alone 520 of them.

That said, co-creators Timothy French (also the choreographer and director), and Howard Pechet have truly mined a wide sampling of tastes, trends and hits that emerged from that time. Personally, I had veered heavily into country music back then, and they've got lots of that on offer

. Canadian bands were exploding here at home, and on the world stage - nicely sampled along the way.

Of course, hip hop and rap were showcasing a wide variety of artists, along with R & B influences and the last gasps of disco. As a mobile DJ through the entire 90's, I played almost every one of the songs in this show more times than I could even begin to count. 

Plus, you won't even be disappointed if you enjoyed the novelty songs of the era, a few of those are included here!

As usual, I have to hold back from sharing too much here, as I have to put together my official Calgary Herald review, but just a few high points, more to be touched on in the Herald review:

* Andrew McGillivray has developed a lucrative sideline showcase as MC of these musical affairs - quick-witted, vastly talented in mimicking the eccentricities of the characters written, and when allowed to get in on the singing fun, one of the best onstage.

* The Girls Rule! Never mind Beyonce's modern-day declaration, this cast of women offered up the highest of the high points at last night's show. As the cast is somewhat enormous, it was hard to pick out who played each role, but k.d. lang was almost like hearing the real deal, as was Shania Twain. The Spice Girls, The Fugees, Celine Dion, among others - bang on the money! 

Kudos to Michelle Bardach, Adriana Crivici, Sarah Horsman, Madelyn Kriese,  Antonette Rudder and Victoria Scully for outstanding work on many of their covers.

*The Guys Did Fine Too - true team effort, the gentlemen all had plenty of opportunities to aim for the bleachers, and plenty of performances sailed up into the stands along the way.  Personal peaks for me were the bits featuring songs from Snow, The Barenaked Ladies, R.E.M. and the clear crowdpleaser Black or White (Michael Jackson). 

Hey, I better slow down here or I won't have anything left to write about in The Herald - quick shout out though to the guys - Gaelan Beatty, Dean Deffett, Jeremy Carver-James, Calvin Laveck, Jesse Weafer, and Jacob Woike.

Konrad Pluta and his house band excelled as always.

More hits than misses, plenty of laughs and a great seasonal menu (Nov 19 - Jan 1) - literally something for everyone!

4.5 out of 5 stars

Calgary Herald review live now online!

80's Solid Gold @ Stage West Calgary

Stage West Calgary

"'80's Solid Gold"

Featuring Andrew Ball, Amber Bissonnette, Katie Beetham, A.J. Bridel, Jay Davis, Joel Gomez, Jennifer Kee, Jeremy LaPalme, Andrew McGillivray, Nikki Ponte, Brent Thiessen

Directed and choreographed by Timothy French

Courtesy Stage West Calgary

The Friday Morning "Somebody-Asked-Me-To, So-Here-I-Go" Theatre Review"

Stage West Calgary's 

"'80's Solid Gold"

What a decade the '80's were for music! While Country Crossover, AM radio pop hits, Disco and Classic Rock dominated the '70's, the decade that followed introduced us to brand-new styles that expanded those catalogues, and introduced us to New Wave, Punk, Funk, Heavy Metal and more in the process. 

Sure, some of those started to emerge a bit towards the end of the '70's, but as a mobile DJ in my second decade back then, it was amazing to see not only how much these new styles made dancing more fun to watch from behind the MC table (remember The Worm, or Rock Lobster?), but how long these artists would go on to remain popular for their fans. 

Stage West has taken on the unenviable task of trying to contain the multitude of hit makers of the day, and after the conclusion of '80's Solid Gold, I think if you're still a fan of that decade, you'll be pretty impressed with what they have included.

From icons like Billy Joel and Elton John, to Madonna and George Michael, most notables are in the program, and to hit high points they may have missed, there's a terrific "Crazy '80's Mash Up In 80 Seconds", that tries to fill in the blanks. The cast also lets the cat out of the bag regarding a sequel, as there really are that many pop artists and bands that deserve a revisit.

Courtesy Stage West Calgary

Great care has been taken to instill the styles and feel of this very visual era (it was the birth of the music video age, after all), and yet not go over the top with the costumes. There's also a prevailing sense of fun as the cast gets to relay that they are poking fun as much as they are paying tribute. On that, it is important to note that these revues aren't ever really tribute acts. Many of the hits get made over, while some are startlingly close to the original. 

You have to attend just to see when the cast will lose it over John Oates moustache, not the least likely perhaps Joel Gomez who portrays him. 

There's plenty of standouts, especially in the second half which really strengthens on the power so many of these cast members bring to the party.  However, I believe I will hold back just a bit for my official Calgary Herald review, which I will post a link to here when that has run and is also live online.

In the meantime, don't hesitate to check this revue out - there are some misses among the hits, but by the end there's plenty of highlights, an abundance of great fun and memories - plus you'll get some related history lessons between the songs.

4 out of 5 stars.

Also, check out my pre-show interview with co-creator, director and choreographer Timothy French to see him discuss how he chooses his casts - he's made great choices with this one.

Click here to watch that!

Later...