Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   The Understandable Girl   Playwright/Composer – by Nikki Loach with contributions from Lyudmyla Honcharova, Snizhana Bora, and Katheen Ballagan.   Production Company/Theatre space  – Quest Theatre (professional) / C-Space   Length – 1 Act (1 hour no intermission)   Genre/s  – TYA drama   Premise – An elementary schoolchild is tasked by her teacher to befriend the new Ukrainian refugee girl who doesn’t speak English.   Why t

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   Sister Act   Playwright/Composer – Music by Ian Menken, lyrics by Glenn Slater, Book by Cheri Steinkellner & Bill Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane, based on the screenplay by Joseph Howard.   Production Company/Theatre space  –Stage West Dinner Theatre (professional).   Length – 2 Act (2 hours, 20 minutes, one intermission)   Genre/s  – Musical   Premise – A lounge singer who witnesses a mu

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   Peril in the Alps   Playwright– Steven Dietz using investigator Poirot created by Agatha Christie.   Production Company/Theatre space  – Vertigo Theatre (professional) / The Playhouse   Length – 2 Acts; 2 hours 30 minutes (one intermission)   Genre/s  – Spoof   Premise – In this show within a show, actors act out the story of Hercule Poirot with sidekick Hastings, who deal with disappearance, kidnapping, murder, and various

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   MJ   Playwright/Composer – Book by Lynn Nottage, Music and lyrics by Michael Jackson et al.   Producers/Production Company/Theatre space  – Executive Producer Michael David with Lia Vollack, John Branca, John McClain, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Music Entertainment, Roy Furman, Cue to Cue Productions, James L. Nederlander, Kumiko Yoshii, Naoya Kinoshita, Latitude Link, Stephen C. Bird, Candy Spelling, John Gore Organi

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   Miracle on 34 th  Street   Playwright/s – Adapted by Caleb Marshall with Eric Keating from the story by Valentine Davies   Production Company/Theatre space  – (Semiprofessional /academic) Rosebud Theatre School of the Arts; Rosebud, AB   Length – 2 Acts (2 hours 15 minutes, one intermission) plus dinner before the show.   Genre/s  – Fantasy   Premise – When a man called Kris Kringle is hired to work as Santa at Macy’s depar

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   The War Brides Are Coming   Playwright – P. Gail Whiteford   Production Company/Theatre space  – (community) The Unicorn Collective; Theatre 1308.   Length – 2 Acts (2 hours including one intermission)   Genre/s  – Billed as a love story – technically it’s a drama.   Premise – Two women arrive by train in Olds, Alberta on VE Day setting off the ire of two locals who don’t support strangers in their midst and reuniting one w

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   Madama Butterfly   Playwright/s/Composer/s   – Composer Giacomo Puccini; libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.   Production Company/Theatre space  – (Professional) Calgary Opera, Co-Production with Arizona Opera and Opera Grand Rapids; Jubilee Auditorium.   Length – 2 Acts (3 hours, 10 minutes including one intermission.)   Genre – Tragic opera   Premise – An American solider based in Japan after Nagasaki weds a lo

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show – Ridge   Playwright – Written   by Brendan McLeod with adapted and original lyrics of soldiers from WWII and one original song by McLeod.   Production Company/Theatre space  – (Professional) Lunchbox Theatre, Studio Theatre, Vertigo Theatre.   Length – 1 Act (1 hour 10 minutes, no intermission.)   Genre/s  – Billed as “storytelling” it’s more of a Ted Talk with folk music.   Premise – A man, whose favourite book is about Vimy R

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   Allergic to Water   Playwright -- Created by Jacqueline Russell, music by Jeremy Gignoux   Production Company/Theatre space  – (Paid community) Inside Out Theatre and Wee Witches, Victor Mitchell Theatre, Pumphouse Theatre.   Length – 1 Act (90 minutes)   Genre – Semi-improvised, adult fantasy, comi-drama, clown show with music, puppets, and audience participation.   Premise  – An unwell 300-year-old mermaid, distraught whe

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show –   The Drawer Boy   Playwright/s – Michael Healey   Production Company/Theatre space  – (Community) The Theatre., at the base of Fontainbleau Estates on 14 th  Ave and 2 nd  Street SW.   Length – 2 Acts (2 hours 15 minutes one intermission)   Genre/s  – Comi-drama   Premise – A drama student lives with two older farmers to gather material for his devised theatre creation and both generations learn important lessons about friend

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   Dads The Musical   Playwright/s/Composer/s   – Written by Robert More composed by Tom Doyal.   Production Company/Theatre space  – Community, Misfit Theatre, Joyce Doolittle Theatre, Pumphouse Theatre.   Length – 2 Acts (2 hours 20 minutes, one intermission.)   Genre – Musical   Premise – Three fathers, laid off from their jobs, stay home to raise their babies.   Why this play? Why now?  – This show hasn’t been done in Calg

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   Romeo and Juliet   Playwright – Adapted by Jamie Dunsdon from William Shakespeare.   Production Company/Theatre space  – Community, The Shakespeare Company & CYPT at The West Village Theatre   Length – 2 Act (3 hours, 10 minutes, one intermission)   Genre/s  – Tragedy   Premise – The Friar, out of time, re-tells the tortured story of teenagers (from warring families) who fall in love and don’t live happily ever after.   Why

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   The Legend of Sleepy Hollow   Playwrights – Adaptation and story by Peter Balkwill, Anna Cummer, Steven (Pityu) Kenderes, and Judd Palmer; written by Anna Cummer and Judd Palmer; based on the story by Washington Irving.   Production Company/Theatre space  – Professional, Alberta Theatre Projects, Martha Cohen Theatre, Werklund Centre.   Length – 2 Act (2 hours, 40 mins, one 30-minute intermission)   Genre/s  – Fantasy   Pre

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –  Disaster! The Musical   Playwright/s/Composer/s   – Creators Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick with music and lyrics from 23 popular songs by various  artists.   Production Company/Theatre space  – StoryBook Theatre, The Beddington Arts Centre   Length – 2 ACT, 2 hours 20 minutes (one 15-minute intermission)   Genre/s  – Jukebox Musical Spoof   Premise – After a tsunami hits a casino ship, the shady captain and passengers (a h

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show –   The Affections of May   Playwright/s – Norm Foster   Production Company/Theatre space  – Community, Scorpio Theatre, Joyce Doolittle Theatre, Pumphouse Theatres.   Length – 2 acts, 2 hours 15 minutes (one intermission)   Genre/s  – Rom Com   Premise – On top of her husband leaving her to return to the city for his mistress with half her money, May has deal with a besotted banker and a homeless handyman.   Why this play? Why

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   Spider’s Web   Playwright/s/Composer/s   – Agatha Christie   Production Company/Theatre space  – Workshop Theatre, Victor Mitchell Theatre, Pumphouse.   Length – 2 Acts (2 hours, 45 minutes, one intermission.)   Genre – Mystery   Premise – Shortly after renting a large country house with her new husband and stepdaughter, Clarissa hosts three houseguests and an uninvited person arrives, one of whom is murdered.   Why this pl

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –  Beyond by the Sea   Playwright – Kristen Da Silva   Production Company/Theatre space  – Lunchbox Theatre in the Studio Theatre, Vertigo Theatre.   Length – One hour, 10 minutes (no intermission)   Genre/s  – Romantic Comedy   Premise – A nervous man new to the dating scene waiting for his date to arrive chats to the woman who sells tickets for the ghost themed boat tours.   Why this play? Why now?  – A two hander that delive

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   Lewis & Tolkien   Playwright – Dean Batali   Production Company/Theatre space  – Co production Hit and Myth Productions, Fire Exit Theatre, Engineered Air Theatre, Arts Commons.   Length – One act, 90 minutes, no intermission.   Genre/s  – Fantasy drama   Premise – Tolkin’s religion made him feel he had to reject his best friend when Lewis married a divorced woman and (after not supporting him when she dies) decides to hash

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   School of Rock   Playwright/s/Composer/s   – Book by Julian Fellowes, lyrics by...

Postcard Review by Caroline Russell-King   Show  –   Northern Lights   Playwright/s/Composer/s   – Michael O’Keefe is listed as Script...