Chance Heck and Cayley McConaghy in The Ugly Spot. Photo credit Rad Grandpa Photography.

First, The Ugly Spot, written by University of Alberta student Lisa Lorentz-Gilroy shows us the fallout of two people trying to spend time in the same ugly but meaningful spot in Edmonton’s river valley. In my preview for the show, I marveled at a play whose complete story arc occurred in 25 minutes. I was right to be impressed – Lisa’s script presents this chance interaction between strangers in a way that engages the audience and allows them to fill in the background information and dénouement, without distracting from the main conflict of the play, the two strangers laying claim to a significant spot in the river valley. The play’s emotional impact on me, as an audience member, serves to reinforce the underlying theme – that the chance, day-to-day interactions we have with strangers can make a meaningful impact on another person’s life. Immediately following the show, I tweeted “I want to see “The Ugly Spot” about 5 more times.” While I appreciated the story and script on first seeing the production, I’d love another opportunity to study how Chance Heck (Paul) and Cayley McConaghy (Paula) brought their characters to life in a way that at once seems awkward and familiar, random and meaningful, foreign and natural. In particular, I loved how the two interacted as strangers, but with the knowledge that they had nothing to lose in baring themselves to each other. No where is this more evident than in the climax of the play, with Cayley’s desperate confession and Chance’s calm acceptance.

Morgan D.D. Refshauge and Sam Banigan in Exposure. Photo credit Rad Grandpa Photography

Next, Exposure, written collaboratively by Stephen Allred, Bethany Hughes, and Jessie McPhee. With how seamlessly the story and dialogue flowed between the characters, no one would ever guess that it was written by three people. Actors Sam Banigan, Sarah Culkin, and Morgan D.D. Refshauge were all convincing in their portrayals as individuals whose lives were ruled by fear, to the point of needing therapy to move on with their lives. In particular, I was impressed by Sam Banigan’s portrayal of Will – a socially awkward man afraid of leaving his house. Sam has created a very believable adult character, making it difficult to remember he is still just in high school! Hats off as well to lighting designer Brad Melrose, whose simple yet effective lighting decisions helped make the transition between the actors’ tentative interactions with each other and their lonely soliloqueys easy for the audience to understand and adjust to. A favorite scene of mine was one where the actors had been talking at a table, paused, and as they rose the lights which framed their individual bubbles where they performed their soliloqueys were faded in. Although the actors were not in the spots in which they might typically perform their soliloqueys, the audience could immediately tell that these were their inner thoughts, not what they were saying to each other.

What really made From Cradle to Stage work for me though, is that it was mounted at Walterdale Playhouse. In the last year, I’ve been involved in Walterdale through an in-depth coverage of Summer and Smoke, covering other Walterdale plays, and volunteering in the box office. To me, there are few other organizations or places in the city that embody the idea of human connection as much as Walterdale. Every person I’ve ever met associated with Walterdale has been a genuinely good person – you know, those people who you just want to keep being around. What I’ve been told makes Walterdale so special is that people stick around for years – beyond just one show. They give their talent, their sweat, and their evenings and weekends to help others have equally amazing experiences as those they themselves have had. So many people have described Walterdale to me as a family or a community. So, when I left Walterdale after 1 1/2 hours of one acts showing me the intricacies of human connection, I had to give a Bravo! to the festival selection committee for pairing these two plays which relate to both my own experiences at Walterdale and the stories every other Walterdale volunteer has told me.

From Cradle to Stage runs May 20 – 25 at 8:00 pm, see YEGLive for schedule information. Tickets are $12 – $18.

- Jenna Marynowski

Aren’t those the least deserving of forgiveness the ones who need it the most? This is the question The Last Days of Judas Iscariot poses to the jury during a trial deciding whether Judas deserves to spend his eternity in the afterlife in hell or in heaven.  

Heavy subject matter? Sure, but Stephen Adly Guirgis’s script provides an engaging exploration of the subject of forgiveness. Set in modern times, but drawing on witnesses through the ages ranging from Pontius Pilate to St. Peter to Mother Theresa to Sigmund Freud, the language and supporting characters are amusing enough to keep the audience engaged in the timeless subject matter.

Guirgis’s script is heavy on dialogue, which was pulled off skillfully by the cast, despite the fact that it was delivered mainly through the actors shouting. When we’re all in the place between heaven and hell, our lives won’t be told in ALL CAPS WITH LOTS OF EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!! They’ll be told in sighs, whispers, drawls, soliloquys, conversations, laughter, tears – and yes, diatribes and screaming too. All the yelling in The Last Days of Judas Iscariot really overpowered what the actors were actually saying. This was a problem more with the direction than the cast – the cast’s skill being evident just in the fact that they pulled off this three hour, dialogue-heavy production. In particular, actors Ian Leung, Ben Gorodetsky, Cayley Thomas and Graham Mothersill were on stage for almost the entirety of the play, with Cayley and Ben – in the roles of the defense and prosecution lawyers respectively – continually putting forth long, wordy arguments of their case.

However, this production would have had a lot more nuance and depth had there been microphones which could have picked up more subtle vocal tones and allowed us to focus more on the emotions behind what was being said. For example, I loved Nikki Shaffeeullah’s larger-than-life portrayal of St. Monica. Nikki’s mannerisms and unabashed “nagging” along with Guirgis’s great script brought St. Monica into the 21^st century. Sure, St. Monica’s loud story-telling was amusing, but Nikki also allowed us to see beyond her tough-talking character and added depth to the play when she told us why she decided to appeal to God on Judas’s behalf. By taking a break from shouting and instead just talking to the audience, we gained our first glimpse at a more human side of Judas, which is what the production should be trying to show us if it wants to gain the audience’s sympathy. Another great example is Andrea Rankin’s portrayal of Mary Magdalene, whose gentler tones give a feeling of her – and, by implication, Jesus’s – love towards Judas, despite all that’s happened.

Despite my complaints about the shouting, another great aspect of this production that shines through was all the work vocal coach Elissa Weinzimmer and Assistant Vocal Coach Bobbi Goddard must have put into helping the actors perfect the fourteen (!!) dialects in the play – ranging from New Jersey to Egyptian accents. I’ve never seen a production incorporating so many different dialects, although it was fitting, given the locales and time periods the play’s characters crossed.

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, directed by Simon Bloom, runs at the Timms Centre for the Arts from May 16 – 25 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $11 – $22.

- Jenna Marynowski

Photo courtesy Northern Light Theatre.

Just like the scene of a real accident, Northern Light Theatre’s An Accident, drew a large crowd at the PCL Theatre in the ATB Financial Arts Barns on opening night. The crowd was so large, in fact, that extra chairs had to be brought in to fit the entire audience. I was surprised that this show was the first I had seen at the Arts Barns with a full house, but Northern Light Theatre’s season closer sure deserved it.

With Melissa Thingelstad’s opening monologue, I quickly forgot about the full house and slipped away into the twisting, painful, and entirely absorbing performance of a woman (Libby) recovering from being paralyzed and left with memory loss after being hit by a car driven by a reserved history teacher, Anton. The play is not only about recovery, but about coming to terms with what has happened and the resolution that comes for both characters through Anton’s visits throughout Libby’s healing process. What stood out about An Accident for me, though, was how the play brought us – the distracted, on-the-go, “I’m so busy” audience members – back to the present moment. Theatre is the one place where I can forget about everything else I have to do and concentrate on everything that’s happening right now, in the theatre. Thingelstad’s character, Libby, was texting and walking when she was hit by Anton’s Toyota Corolla. Anton, played by Michael Peng, was absorbed in enjoying fresh cherries when he hit Libby. Yet, because of the accident, they’re forced to slow down, to get out of their own heads, to interact with each other and focus on the most essential part of being alive – our bodies, and all that they do.

As with the other Northern Light Theatre sets I’ve seen this year, the set for An Accident was incredibly well designed, with the audiences facing off against each other, divided by a hovering spinal cord which serves as a constant reminder of the weight hanging over both Libby and Anton’s heads throughout the play.

Melissa Thingelstad was brilliant in the role of Libby. Having seen her earlier this year in Theatre Yes’ production of The List, I initially couldn’t disconnect her from the role of the narrator in The List. However, as the play progressed, Melissa showed us how truly nuanced she is as an actor. Switching from angry to optimistic to vengeful to caring in a matter of minutes, Melissa led the audience through an emotional roller coaster ride, and at the end, I wasn’t sure if I was disgusted with or envious of her. Michael Peng as Anton was a perfect counterpart to Melissa, playing a character whose expression of remorse was so terribly uncomfortable for me – part of me wanted to say, “keep it together, man” while the other part questioned how I would react in that situation. Would I have the courage to walk into my victim’s hospital room saying, “I wanted you to know it was me. I did this to you.”? Michael’s constant movement, his every effort to “make it better” and especially his emotional outbursts of pain and rage and hope provided an excellent counterpart to Melissa’s alternately insidious and candid dialogue.

Melissa and Michael’s characters are why I walked out of the play thinking about the present moment and how so few of us are rarely in it. Melissa and Michael played their characters so well that they never became predictable. How many of us only half-listen to the people around us because we know – or think we know – what they mean or what their intentions are? How many of us are like Anton and actually enjoy the sweetness of things like fresh cherries, oblivious to what’s around us? Sometimes all it takes is An Accident to remind us to slow down and notice the little things in life.

An Accident closes Northern Light Theatre’s 37th season. The show runs May 17 – 25 at the PCL Studio in the ATB Financial Arts Barns. Tickets are $21-26.

- Jenna Marynowski

Morgan D.D. Refshauge and Sam Banigan in Exposure. Photography courtesy of Rad Grandpa Photography.

Every year Walterdale Playhouse presents new plays in its show From Cradle to Stage. This year, the two one-acts take a slightly dark twist – one exploring anxiety and mental illness, the other focuses on two characters seeking closure.

Exposure is the story of how three people’s lives intersect in a mental illness treatment centre. Director Eric Rice says he was excited to be given the opportunity to direct a new work. “As a new play, I approached it differently that one might approach a more established play. There’s no rigid way to look at it, there’s no one else who has directed it, there’s no history to it, there’s no historical period to it. It’s very loose. I really like that, especially with new actors and with me being a new director, it allows me to really play with it. There’s less pressure and more freedom because the actors can really develop the characters on their own.”

Exposure is one of a growing number of works that explore mental illness in all its forms. The three characters within the play were created by playwrights Stephen Allred, Bethany Hughes, and Jessie McPhee – who each took on one character’s voice in writing the script. Much different than the typical form of one playwright creating every character of the play.

I find the increased number of plays exploring mental illness to be an interesting phenomenon, but a good one. Eric says, “I think it’s becoming more and more acceptable to talk about mental illness and the public is understanding that it’s not a black and white scenario… I think it’s becoming more feasible and I think it’s becoming more nuanced. It used to be that crazy people were crazy people and it was quite extreme.” Exposure, on the other hand, doesn’t take those extreme positions, instead allowing the audience more opportunities to see aspects of themselves in the characters. Sarah Culkin, who plays Anna – a young mother in treatment for anxiety in order to regain custody of her daughter from social services – says, “I can look at my own life and find parallels. I have dealt with my own issues in the past – I’ve met my breaking points and gone beyond that. Being able to use that as creative fuel has been incredibly cathartic.”

Chance Heck and Cayley McConaghy in The Ugly Spot. Photography courtesy of Rad Grandpa Photography.

As with many Edmontonians, the River Valley is one of my favourite spots. The Ugly Spot tells the story of what happens when two strangers meet each other at “their” spot and refuse to leave. Opening the program, I was shocked to see the play was only 25 minutes, however the two actors, Chance Heck and Cayley McConaghy, say the length works to the play’s advantage. Chance says, “I think people have little twenty minute interactions all the time with people they don’t know, and it was just making that come to life. But the emotion is in the words – these people who don’t know each other vying for this thing that’s really important.” Cayley adds, “Even though the play is quick and happens fast, it was so meaningful in this little pocket of time.”

One aspect of a performance that is most important to me as an audience member is the believability of the chemistry between the characters. John Trenthart says that he was fortunate to be able to see Chance and Cayley read together in the auditions. “It’s super rare to be able to get the two actors you want reading together in the same audition block, so I was just like, ‘it works!’” Even in the short preview I saw, the way Cayley and Chance show both the awkwardness and strange trust that comes from knowing you have nothing to lose when speaking to a stranger is what will make The Ugly Spot a very enjoyable 25 minutes of theatre.

From Cradle to Stage runs May 20 – 25 at Walterdale Playhouse. Tickets are $12 – 18. For playwrights aspiring to be part of next year’s production, there will be an APN workshop “The Nuts & Bolts of Playwriting” on May 26.

- Jenna Marynowski

Alberta Ballet’s Balletlujah was sensuous, honest, and inspiring. In a world premiere event celebrating the acclaimed life of Canadian artist, k.d. lang, we were treated to a moving arrangement of her songs and her stories. With the vision of artistic director Jean Grand-Maitre, her words and music were re-translated exquisitely into the language of the body through the diversity, elegance and poise of the acclaimed Alberta Ballet.

When telling stories, it is best to start at the beginning. And so we begin in rural Alberta: the plains roll by, as the blackbirds fly overhead. A youthful vision of k.d. lang, also known in this production as “She”, graces the stage, exuberant and open. “Inglewood” welcomes us home and brings us back to the wide-eyed innocence of youth; mouths agape, drinking in each millisecond with the exact same level of intensity and awe. Seamlessly the lyrics of Neil Young’s “After The Gold Rush” follow, echoing through the dancer’s bodies as the canola fields and blue skies set the stage in a thoughtful photographic tribute to the prairies. Lang’s warm tone envelopes the auditorium, inviting us in for a glimpse into an intimate love story. As if by magic, the sunny skies turn to moonlight and we’re taken to the big old barn for a good ol’ ballet hoedown with the square dancers. Watching the choreography for “Turn Me Round” was relatively similar to the movements that one can see in many Ukrainian dance ensembles that perform in and around our city. Showcasing the flexibility of the company, this was a fantastic piece that projected the joviality of one of lang’s earliest works, while paying tribute to the many influences that have contributed to her uniquely expressive sound. Continuing on with her more ‘country’ sounding works, “Big Boned Gal” reverberated through the barn as a striking young woman entered, kicking up her feet while leaving a dust trail of hopeful partners behind her. Alas, She is smitten.

Roy Orbison and k.d. lang’s Grammy award winning duet “Crying” walks us through that often well-traveled place between utter helplessness and hopelessness in love. The movement flowed delicately and emotively, moving us through one of the most fragile and vulnerable places where we throw our hearts. Luckily, She found something that was reciprocated. Something real. The only part of this piece that I couldn’t quite connect with was the odd computer graphics of a head-over-heels in love animated She spiraling up to the moon on the back screen. It was comical and silly, and perhaps that is exactly what the artistic director was aspiring to produce. But I must admit, it was slightly jarring next to a stunning soundtrack, incredibly emotive movement, and a brilliant star-lined night sky.

“Wash Me Clean” and “Sexuality” are both explicit in their titling, yet quite diverse in their musical qualities. I found this climactic pre-intermission movement to be tactfully explored and expressed. As clearly as the Alberta Ballet depicted passion, they also projected a compassion and tenderness that can often be overlooked or lost completely in the portrayal of the erotic. With the utmost respect, their fluidity and movements expressed the subtleness and softness of love.

The second half opened with one of lang’s most famous hits, “Constant Craving”, featuring She in the depths of love with her partner, First Love. “Sing It Loud” continued to explore this space, but we could just start to make out the frayed edges. In k.d. lang’s version of Neil Young’s “Helpless”, we see the first signs of the break. We feel the weight, and with each beat it gets heavier. And heavier. And heavier.

But, with the best of intentions in mind, so often we believe that a dramatic change in scenery will set the break and allow it to heal. And with that, we are transported on an exploration of new, un-charted territory. A land with the smallest dogs, most luxurious fur coats, and the highest of heels. Hollywood.

Entranced, She and First Love watch the people of the warm and lazy city go past, inclined to allow the pace to slow as they settle in. The vibe of “Sugar Buzz” perfectly encapsulates that lazy, warm, stumbling love that completely washes over you, leaving you slightly dazzled and dazed. But even when they leave it all behind to start somewhere new, motivated to simply live free and in love, the temptation that was there does not necessarily subside. In “Acquiesce” we witness the break. There is something equally fascinating and terrifying about watching someone else’s world fall apart. It makes ‘them’ more human and makes us believe that we are ‘less’ flawed or blemished in a world that is obsessed with the zero-sum game. In our society we have developed a rather sick fascination with watching this break and I feel that Grand-Maitre exposed and explored this in a very subtle, noncommittal way. “Hain’t It Funny” took the audience through the wide range of emotions that can so often go hand-in-hand with heartbreak: desperation, depression, mourning, angst, anger, hate. But, alas, with the resignation that this is the end of First Love, She resigns, heading home with ”Hungry Bird”.

“Love Is Everything” is the light at the end of the tunnel. Lang’s interpretation of Jane Siberry’s song invokes a glimmer of hope that brings us, once again, full circle, back on the prairies, amongst the people She grew up with. She is home. And just when you think that the sense of community and support will be all that She needs, Second Love walks into the picture, as an intro to one of the most stunning and emotional remakes of Leonard Cohen’s masterpiece “Hallelujah”.

In a final dedication, the Alberta Ballet presents a series of sketches, flashing across the stage. Lovers, a war-torn child warrior, a pregnant woman calling out, a man mercilessly hung, and finally, the entire cast together for the last “Hallelujah”, leaving us with an incredibly powerful and emotional tribute to the universality and unequivocal caliber of k.d. lang’s works.

The audience immediately erupts in deafening applause. Time suspends as we stand showing our effusive gratitude for being part of this event. Suddenly, the lights flicker on and we all turn to pay tribute to the muse, the woman herself:

The great, k.d. lang.

If you were unable to attend the Alberta Ballet performances in Edmonton, you can still make the ones in Calgary May 8, 9, 10, and 11th. Tickets still available here.

For upcoming k.d. lang tour dates, artist info, and discography, click here.

- Allison Sokil

Joanna Borromeo

A barrage of the synapses takes hold of your flesh and the capillaries under your skin become flush with blood. You can sense your heart kick up a few beats per minute and the tissue surrounding the hair on your arms becomes erect and you feel it:

A chill.

For a moment you are no longer sitting in a chair at the Artery surrounded by human beings, but are lost in a maze of one room and one moment caressed by the licking flames of candlelight and sweet auditory sensation. Then snap back to reality. The song is over. Applause. You are sitting watching Joanna Borromeo‘s trio of Jazz/Rn B musicians looking over a humble but enthralled venue with smiles of gratitude for the warm reception. A simple sentiment is expressed by Borromeo and soon reality is dissipated and the music begins again.

There’s something transporting about live jazz that simply cannot be captured on a recording and Joanna Borromeo is a perfect specimen with which to have that kind of an experience. Whether it be the gentle melodies of a minimalist yet moody coffee house jazz ballad or the loud and proud displays of virtuosity, arranged or improvised, Borromeo and her two accompanying musicians provide an experience that is as visceral as it is soothing. Though Borromeo’s recorded material includes the jazz elements found in her live performance, it feels more typically like Rn B. Her live performance, however, embraces jazz more completely and you can experience the immense passion behind the music, both from Joanna and her incredible rhythm section. The trio had just finished a tour of the United States and this was their first time to Edmonton. I hope they return soon.

Nuela Charles

Headliner Nuela Charles had also just completed a small tour with her band. Charles is also predominantly Rn B, but she incorporates rock and hip-hop elements into her sound to give her a unique vibe. Charles employs an excellent team of musicians, not the least of which are her phenomenal keyboardist and guitarist, the former bringing an almost disco vibe to Charles’ performance and the latter bringing a range of styles from reggae to classic rock in both rhythm segments and solos. It was a performance to be sought after and cherished. I was particularly impressed by the unique arrangement of The Good Ones which included subtle genius from both aforementioned accompanists added to Charles’s calculated performance.

-Eric T. Behr

-Michael Doyle of Rattle Rattle

A handful of bands from Wunderbar’s 3rd Birthday Bloodbath // 04/28/13

Rattle Rattle / Jung People / Brad Sime / Field + Stream / Ben Disaster / Lab Coast / Gary Debussy

–Photos by Becky Smith-Mandin. This post originally appeared on The Low Level Hum.

The tiny lobby of the Royal Alberta Museum was packed pre-show, filled wall-to-wall with the artists, their family, supporters, and friends. Even Mayor Mandel and Lynn made it out for the party. There was this universal acknowledgement that we were all there for the same thing: the excitement, the support, and the curiosity of who would take one of those nifty engraved records home for their masterful musical creations. As the ever-eloquent text-to-speech voice announced the ten-minute call, the seats gradually filled to max capacity and the theatre became electric.

As an attendee, you may have recognized Bridget Ryan from City TV’s Breakfast Television. As the host of the third annual EMA’s, she was undeniably charming, hilarious, and humble, the perfect person to introduce the top artists of the city to the adoring crowd. Her wit, honesty, and enthusiasm, represented all of the most endearing qualities of Edmontonians, making the show a more intimate and relaxed affair. Right off the bat, Corb Lund presented the “Edmonton Music Legacy Award” to the deserving Terry Wickham for his work in the sustenance and development of the Edmonton music community. Unfortunately, he was not able to make it out to actually receive the award as he was busily working the Taj Mahal and Shemekia Copeland Concert at the Winspear. Lund’s tribute was brought forth with the utmost respect and thoughtfulness for the substantial contributions Terry has made within our musically budding city.

Much to the audience’s delight, the award presentations were broken up with the videos from the “Music Video of the Year” nominees (starting off with BuckNKD’s “The Facebook Song”) and a fantastic selection of local performances from an impressively diverse array of artists. SIIINES kicked off the evening with a killer light show, DJ, and some crazy energy – the crowd went wild. Their performance was dead-on and upon seeing an electronic music duo open the awards, I was filled with a little spark of hope. I definitely gave a mini internal fist-pump for the recent acceptance of electronic music in Edmonton and for the further diversification of our music scene. Although I do wish I could pinpoint one, standout performance that made the evening, honestly, the highlight of the live performances was that all of the acts were excellent, representing the best of our city. Not one group faltered, felt out of place, or was weaker than the rest. The Command Sisters, who took the “Underage Recording of the Year” (still not sure how I feel about the title of that category), were impressively strong on stage. For “underage” artists, their professionalism, skill, and talent is right in line with that of the longtime local artists. Nuela Charles, winner of two awards, “Female Artist of the Year” and “R&B/Soul Recording of the Year”, tapped into an emotional vein of the audience, flooring us with her soulful performance and undeniable talent. Local Fringe frequenters, Il Duo, performed a moving parody of “Hallelujah”, complete with exquisite harmonies and straight faces, much to the audience’s amusement. I’ve never really felt much for metal, but KingDoom was incredibly entertaining live. Whether it was their white contacts, S&M dog collars, or stunning array of leather and studs, I may never know, but their performance and musicality was killer. For the closing of the awards, Corb Lund took the stage with a simple acoustic trio, mandolin, upright bass, and himself on guitar. Simple, humble, and down-to-earth, with an unequivocal stage presence and musical ability, Lund took home three much-deserved awards that night, instilling in all of us a feeling of community and warmth ever-present in the Edmonton music scene.

For this being only the third year that the Edmonton Music Awards show has been running, I have to commend the organizers, sponsors, and donors for their brilliant work. To bridge together our diverse, eclectic music scene is no small feat. Bringing it together to embody the deeply rooted character, charisma, and values of Edmontonians is a remarkably substantial accomplishment for a new awards show. It was genuinely inspiring to walk away at the end of the night and recognize that, although all of my friends didn’t win, I was still happy knowing that all of the artists selected possess an unquestionable talent, drive, and desire to bring something unique to develop and nourish our Edmonton music culture. Despite only a few taking home a vintage record with their name engraved on it, everyone coming together, networking, and supporting the arts is really all that any person involved with the music scene could have wanted. The EMA’s are another small step to the establishment of a recognizably diverse and talented musical scene on an extended national and international level. With this in mind, I can only imagine what the 2014 EMA’s will have in store for us all next year.

Check out more photos and the winners of the 2013 EMA’s here

Gotta love yeglive for supporting this event!!!

- Allison Sokil

As I settled into my seat, the house slowly began to fill. I could not believe that all of these people would find this style of music so enticing. Picking up the program I noticed that there would be five vocalists joining the symphony on stage. Cool. Having several vocalists to diversify the set would keep the music engaging and the arrangements interesting. For some reason it never registered that Five By Design was a jazz-choir-meets-musical theatre-esque ensemble. At the time I did not realize that this would so deeply impact the overall delivery of the music I love to listen to and create.

A booming broadcaster’s voice bellows from backstage, introducing our host for the evening, as the “ON AIR” sign glows red. Interesting. I never imagined that the show would be presented as a radio broadcast from the Ultra Lounge. I couldn’t wait to see how they would incorporate the music into this creative context. Every little detail was accounted for. The radio host’s patter was engaging, short, and funny. The vocalists had a complex series of highly choreographed moves, mishaps, and aural and visual sound effects. The song selection was fantastic; incorporating music from across the globe and a wide variety of genres. Even the microphones were EQ’d to create that old school radio vibe. But something was amiss. It may be bizarre to read this, but I actually felt like I missed the music in this performance.

Throughout the entire evening I had this overwhelming feeling that there was something not quite settled. Something wasn’t being communicated. It wasn’t until I got home that I realized that I missed the sensuous musicality and atmosphere that I can so easily connect to through the cool, calm, gorgeous music of the Ultra Lounge. Music is an incredibly powerful tool to connect and uplift, giving an escape from the mundane and everyday. While their intention may have been to whisk us away to the Ultra Lounge, the show left me feeling a disconnect between what was intended and what was communicated. Instead of having all of the elements of the show compliment, highlight, and support one another to mold and shape their sound scape, it was as if all of the components were competing, layered within the same sonic placements. Because of this more compressed sound, you could barely make out the string section, the song forms became redundant, and the dynamics were rendered virtually nonexistent. The vocals, although incredibly strong when the harmonies were tight, faltered on the solos. The constant block harmony vocal structure dampened any of the more subtle dynamics, making the sound tiring after the first few numbers. On one of the solo numbers, the microphone had glaring feedback issues for the song’s entire duration, which has never been an issue at any of the concerts I have previously attended. Before this show, I honestly believed that these kinds of things just don’t happen at the Winspear. This hall is made to hold and nurture sound. My past experience has always dictated that the ESO delivers flawless, evocative performances, the context perfectly suited to the content. I was stunned.

Now, there were moments when the sonic muddle began to clear and things became musically engaging and dynamic once again. Mancini’s theme from “The Pink Panther” was exceptional and the subtleties of the saxophone solo were emphatic and powerful. The Brass and Woodwinds sections shone brightly in the ever-powerful “Mission Impossible” theme. The short “commercials” for “Perk Up Coffee” and “Drive an Epstein” highlighted the crisp harmonies and vocals of Five By Design. But it seemed that when the symphony and Five By Design came together in their entirety, they were simply not able to gel seamlessly enough to convincingly portray the emotive nature of the Ultra Lounge music to the audience. Performance often contains this idea of ‘suspended belief’. With regret, I must say that the Ultra Lounge missed the atmospheric mark. Yes, we were humoured. We were dazzled and entertained by the story, choreography, and costume changes. We even sang along.

But I missed the luscious, seductive, sonically inspiring ambiance that the music of the ESO always inspires in me.

Sadly, I missed the connection to the music.

Check out what’s next for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at the Winspear.

Only one more Robbins Pops concert left for this season, take a look at the program here!

- Allison Sokil

Hey! Jack Accident is also on facebook!

Photos taken at Brixx on 03/26/13 by Becky Smith-Mandin. This post originally appeared on The Low Level Hum.