Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe returns to Edmonton audiences after a five-year absence.
Catalyst Theatre, internationally renowned for its extraordinarily breath-taking inventiveness, has remounted the adult musical at the ATB Arts Barns. It runs until Sunday, March 2.
Director Jonathan Christenson, a former St. Albert resident, says Nevermore recreates the life of man haunted by tragedy, a man living surrounded by the spectre of death.
Generations have known Poe as an American literary genius. Few realized he witnessed the death of his mother at age six, watched his foster mother descend into slow madness, was abandoned by his foster father and hopelessly watched his brother and wife die painfully from tuberculosis.
Designer Bretta Gerecke has fashioned a macabre, nightmarish world of approaching doom that matches Christenson’s eerie musical compositions.
Much of the musical’s brilliance lies in the Tim Burton-style production elements of skeletal hoop skirts, overly large tilting hats and fragile costumes that reflect Poe’s tortured psyche.
“Despite the dark material, the piece is really playful. And heartfelt. It’s a musical, but not like any other musical you’ve seen or heard before,” Christenson said.
Tickets are $26 to $39. Call 780-420-1757 or purchase online at tixonthesquare.ca.
Trunk Theatre presents the Pulitzer Prize nominated play The Clean House from Feb. 20 to March 1 at the Varscona Theatre.
Playwright Sarah Ruhl’s work is a whimsical romantic comedy centred on Matilde, a Brazilian cleaning woman who would rather be a comedian.
The play takes place in the home of a married couple – both doctors. They have hired Matilde to clean their house, but she is more interested in coming up with the perfect joke.
Lane, the lady of the house, has a sister, Virginia, who is nuts about housecleaning. She and Matilde become good friends and while the housekeeper works on her jokes, Virginia cleans the house.
Problems arise when Charles, Lane’s husband, reveals he’s found his soul mate in a cancer patient he’s operated on. The play takes a whimsical and poignant look at class, comedy and the true nature of love.
Director Amy DeFelice has cast Shannon Boyle, Coralie Cairns, Troy O’Donnell, Elena Porter and Liana Shannon in this play that looks at the world from a fresh perspective.
Tickets are $20 to $25. Call 780-420-1757 or purchase online at tixonthesquare.ca.
A little music, a little circus and a lot of street performers’ chutzpah are the ingredients for Vaudeville Madness hitting The Sugarfoot Ballroom on Saturday, Feb. 22.
This year’s show brings together Firefly acrobat Annie Dugan, singer-songwriter Andrea House, circus-comedian The Great Balzano, the mysterious Ron Pearson and stunt clown Gustavo, The Impossibilist.
Show starts at 2 p.m. Sugarfoot Ballroom is at 10545 – 81 Ave. Tickets are $15, family pack $50. Call 780-420-1757 or purchase online at tixonthesquare.ca.
