GIGGLE CITY: Marty Hanenberg knows when to duck
Nightclubs are ruthless, cut-throat, live-or-die comedian training grounds, but sometimes a worthy comic can come from a more gentle, nurturing place – live theatre. So let’s say “break a leg” to Marty Hanenberg, an Ottawa-born actor who came to Calgary 20 years ago to learn the fine art of improvisational comedy at the legendary Loose Moose Theatre […]
Newfoundland wit and wisdom at the Westbury Theatre
Uncle Val has been grumping about life, the universe and everything since 1978, if you can believe it. Now, one of the favourite and quintessentially Canadian characters created by CodCo’s Andy Jones takes the live stage at the Transalta Arts Barns’ Westbury Theatre this week. An Evening with Uncle Val is a one-man show that […]
She gave me water … and pity
I don’t know who he is, but his face rings a bell … he’s a dead ringer for his brother … not sure, but I got a hunch. That’s all the punchlines we can come up with about the three bell-ringing hunchback brothers who tragically fell out of the belltower window. Hunchback, at the Citadel Theatre through March […]
GIGGLE CITY: Jake Johannsen sad he can’t do any more Cheney jokes
He’s one of David Letterman’s favourite comedians, having been on the show an astounding 35 times. Also Bill Maher, Conan, Greg Kilborn – you name the late-night talk show, Jake Johannsen has been on it. His endearing brand of observational comedy has been pleasing audiences for four decades – and now we’re lucky to […]
Ceili’s open stage a comedy gym for local performers
Chris Ianson, the night manager at Ceili’s Irish Pub on 104th Avenue, finds himself in a pickle on Tuesday nights when 9:30 rolls around and the free comedy is supposed to start. Frequently, the Oilers have been playing on Tuesday, and on this particular night every one of the bar’s dozen screens is tuned to […]
And the Oscar for best Oscar party goes to … THE VARSCONA THEATRE!
Thank you, thank you very much. You like me! Right now, you like me! Do you turn to Star Magazine for world news? Do you cry every time Jennifer Aniston goes through a breakup? Is your idea of activism wearing a T-shirt that says “Lindsay Lohan is Innocent”? If you answered yes to any of […]
GIGGLE CITY: Kerry Unger
Say hello to Kerry Unger, who just finished a run at the The Laugh Shop in Sherwood Park (Thursday, Feb 24, through Saturday, Feb 26, 2011) The 40-year-old Edmonton comic is this week’s subject of Giggle City, a series of unrelated questions designed to dig a little deeper into today’s sharpest comic minds. (Warning: The following […]
THEATRE: A Smurftacular look at tragedy, loss, and the unanswerable questions
Tragedy strikes everybody from time to time and we all have our own ways of coping. In Trent Wilkie’s Gargamel, he takes a humorous slant on misfortune. Wilkie, a founding member of Edmonton’s Mostly Water comedy troupe, found inspiration in the calamity the was inflicted upon his inner circle. “My brother was in a nasty […]
GIGGLE CITY: Marcus Beaubier
Our guest this week is Marcus Beaubier, performing at Yuk Yuk’s (in the Century Casino) tonight (Saturday, Feb. 19) Warning: The following contains explicit content not suitable for children. Q. If you could be any Canadian celebrity, who would you be, and why? A: Some sort of weird hybrid of Gord Downie from the Tragically […]
CONTEST: Wen there’s a will, there’s a Wei…and free tickets, too
Wen Wei? Way! ….when? If you asked the question above, you’re either a mildly delusional website editor or a fan of the unparalleled Wen Wei Beijing Modern Dance Company. Assuming the latter, you could win free tickets to the company’s performance Feb. 25 at the Timms Centre. Wen Wei blends multiple styles including traditional Chinese […]
Mass Effect’s Commander Shepard gets his one-man improv on
When Mark Meer speaks, geeks listen. His voice is devoured by theatre audiences, improv junkies and video gamers; we’re all geeks in our respective interests. “My concerns are nerdy,” says Meer. “I grew up enjoying SCTV, Monty Python and Kids in the Hall. I didn’t have drama class in school. The closest I had to […]
