Merry Kiss-mas – A Royal Roaring Fest!
“Merry Kiss-mas – A Royal Romance” is all you could hope for the holidays and more! It’s the perfect night out with friends and family, and almost therapeutic since the troupe had us in hounds of laughter by the end of the night. The improvised comedy consists of five players each night with a host and a spectacular technical team that really bring a risky affair of improvisation to a wholesome gift of joy and mirth, with a bow on top.
Despite the low energy of the audience, what with it being a Friday evening, the end of a work week and all the deadlines approaching, the players extracted more laughter than I was expecting. Since this is an improv show, the audience participation was essential to its success. Thankfully, we had willing and sensible (and somewhat sober) participants who really brought the show together – especially the role played by the commoner who was to wed the Prince! As the show ramped up, the different characters taken on by the improv team grew funnier and funnier.
What’s lovely about this show is that no matter if you’re the kind who likes to participate or just watch, you feel a part of the improv family even as an audience member. Whether you’re a regular or have never been to an improv show, this one might be a good one to start with or continue as a new holiday tradition! Merry Kiss-mas is a light-hearted comedy special and a top choice to have a jolly good time.
Get your tickets here!
– Maira Hassan
Fado: The Saddest Music in the World
Puente Theatre’s newest production, “Fado: The Saddest Music in the World” takes us into the lives of a Vancouver mother and daughter who travel to Portugal to reacquaint themselves with their Portuguese heritage. The Victoria theare company is presenting local playwright, Elaine Avila’s narrative that is also infused with live, traditional Fado numbers.
As the two women navigate their way around Lisbon, they become enchanted with its simple charms and musical culture. The daughter connects with an older musician who teaches her Fado. This gentleman happens to be her mother’s first love, whom she abandoned to immigrate to Canada. The daughter then falls for a poet, which adds a new dimension to her experience with Fado. Meanwhile, her mother reconnects with her former love and continues where they left off decades ago. As the two women fall in love with Lisbon, with Portuguese men and with Fado, they come face to face with the loss of their Portuguese heritage, the acquisition of their Canadian heritage and the new balance of the two within their current identity. Their stories are punctuated by numbers sung by the ghost of Amalia Rodrigues (icon in the world of Fado), and later we are treated to a drag performance of her music.
The music in “Fado: The Saddest Music in the World” never lets you down. You get an authentic taste of Fado through many gorgeous numbers. The performances as well, are equally strong and the set does a lot of the heavy lifting of recreating the romance of Lisbon. The Firehall Arts Centre was abuzz with Portuguese the night I attended the show. For Portugues Canadian audience members, this was an evening packed with heartwarming nostalgia. I enjoyed the different elements of the story – the mother’s story, the daughter’s story, Amalia’s songs, and the drag performance. However, these elements, I feel, don’t quite fit together naturally. The pace of the show is on the slower side and the story is quite predictable. As far as immigrant narratives go, there is nothing out of the ordinary here. I’d still recommend the show though especially if, like me, you’re head over heels in love with Portugal (cannot wait to go back), you’re a fan of Fado or curious about it, or if you have Portuguese heritage.
“Fado: The Saddest Music in the World” is sweet, nostalgic, musical, and romantic. It’s like a mini vacay to Portugal!
Get your tickets here!
– Prachi Kamble