This year the Arden Theatre season celebrates Canada's 150th anniversary and each show pays tribute by showcasing our nation's entertainers.
Despite the salute to Canada's traditions, Arden organizers are launching the season with a soft opening and very little fanfare.
Strange Brew
The first show on the block is a Strange Brew, the 1983 brainchild of SCTV alumni Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas. The 90-minute film will screen at the Arden Theatre on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 2 p.m.
In this kooky takedown, an evil brewmeister at Elsinore Brewery has discovered an additive that when mixed in beer can allow him to control the drinkers.
As he plans to take over the world, the Great White North hosers Bob and Doug McKenzie, wearing plaid shirts and ski toques, plan to foil the dastardly plot.
Magician Sheldon Casavant
Next on the bill is magician Sheldon Casavant's ode to Harry Houdini on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at St. Albert Community Hall at 2 p.m.
In this one-hour matinee show Casavant will "make objects appear and disappear and the audience will see objects floating in the air and possibly there will be some mind-reading. It's about exploring the impossible," says Casavant.
The Edmonton-based magician has been a frequent guest in St. Albert at the Northern Alberta Children's Festival. During the 2016 Edmonton Fringe Festival he produced Ta Da!, an exceptionally touching theatrical presentation about a boy's discovery of magic.
In this tribute to Houdini, possibly the world's most revered magician, Casavant will talk about how the magician became such a renowned figure.
"As a kid, I looked up to Harry Houdini. I'm going to talk about his childhood and how he became a legend and how that paralleled my own discovery of magic," said Casavant.
As Casavant explains, Houdini started as a teenager doing sleight of hand in circuses and later discovered escape stunts where he would break out of a straightjacket.
"He was known as the King of Cards and he did a manipulation where cards appeared at this fingertips. It's pure sleight-of-hand and it's considered one of the hardest card tricks."
For audiences, seeing the illusion and guessing how it's done is part of the fun. And Casavant applauds the Arden for mounting a matinee show that might attract viewers unable to attend evening shows – children, parents, caregivers, seniors and shift workers to name a few.
"It's for all ages. Come out and enjoy it."
Tickets for Strange Brew are $10 for Sheldon Casavant they run at $15. Call 780-459-1542 or at ticketmaster.ca (Additional service charges apply).
