A play or two by Shakespeare is included in the high school curricula in Canada. Most students get pushed through it and don’t pick up Shakespeare again, unless they go on to study English literature further in their academic careers.
I was an exception to that. I studied commerce as my academic career, but couldn’t deny my love for English literature. So I took a Shakespeare course, a full year of just the Bard. It was for that reason that One Yellow Rabbit’s Taking Shakespeare was so appealing.

The play tells of young twenty four year old Murph (Denise Clarke) who is doing very badly in his university career, and his mother, the president of the university wants him to be mentored by Prof (John Murrell) so that he can ‘do better’.
Murph is by all description a directionless young man, he shows up at Prof’s house, sporting a Smurfs ‘Who is your Papa’ shirt and saying that the titles of Shakespearean plays are too long. Prof sleeps on the couch, loves his coffee and generally forgets what day it is, all the time.

Together, they begin to explore Othello, trying to carve out the meaning behind character motivations and scenes in the play. Murph illustrates the comedy of struggling through Shakespeare’s blank verse, ‘he had a stroke in his youth?’
As the play goes along, the characters on stage begin to fill out. We learn how Prof got attached to Shakespeare and how he feels about teaching. ‘We’re too old to teach it, by the time we’re able to understand it,’ he asserts.

Taking Shakespeare explores how relationships can be formed through literature, how it can dismantle the division between young and old. It questions how we view teachers and educators within society and whether we value them enough. It is well written, full of quick wit and genuine emotion.

Clarke portrays Murph with accurate style. It is quite amazing to see the range that Clarke can play, from last year’s vixen Helen in The Penelopiad to the egotistical mother in Smash Cut Freeze, to this. Fiona Kennedy decided not to adorn her in elaborate costuming, letting Clarke’s mannerisms and expressions depict a careless young man.

Murrell takes on the role as tortured prof nicely, reading the scenes from Othello with vigor.

The set of Prof’s living room is accurately messy. There are book strewed everywhere and the coffeemaker sits on the back table (So the theatre rightly smells like coffee and old books). When Prof gets angry, he dumps coffee on the open laptop.

Given One Yellow Rabbit’s previous work, such as Kawasaki Exit, and Gilgamesh La-Z-Boy, this entry into the 26th Annual High Performance Rodeo won’t blow you away. It isn’t that kind of play. But it is a charming full story about a relationship built through Shakespeare. And has it’s own appeal.

Taking Shakespeare runs tonight and tomorrow only. For more information on this play and more on the High Performance Rodeo go to www.hprodeo.ca

Photo Credit: Benjamin Laird

What does Jian Ghomeshi, a dance party in the Glenbow Museum, and fabulous food and drinks all have in common? Schmancy, of course! An evening full of culture, cocktails, and art will launch February 11th in Downtown Calgary. The Glenbow Museum has outdone itself this time with the incredible fundraiser revolving around all things fancy schmancy.

The night starts off with the feature presentation “Why Pop Culture Matters” at the Telus Convention Centre with radio and television host Jian Ghomeshi. Seeing Jian speak is an absolutely fantastic – his last appearance in Calgary sold out in 15 minutes online!

After you’ve listened to Jian wax on about pop culture for an hour, the party continues over at the Glenbow Museum with some fabulous new exhibits and delicious food catered by Hotel Arts, which you know will absolutely be delightful.

And when you just thought you’ve had too much fun in one night – head to the fourth floor of the Glenbow where it will have been transformed into the Club Pivot Lounge with a DJ and dancing for the rest of the evening. All this for the great cause of supporting your local arts museum.

While the majority of tickets have sold out, the Glenbow still has a limited number of tickets available for Glenbow museums and Under 30 guests. There is also a few patron opportunities available. To purchase your tickets you can call Kristine Nolte at 403.268.4188.

Now go get schmancy!

What are we going to do now that Laurie has left town?  When the multi-media artist took over the artist-in-residence reins of High Performance Rodeo, she brought a dreamy thoughtfulness to the high spirited mid-winter arts festival.

One of the highlights of Laurie Anderson’s residency was her four-night stint at Theatre Junction Grand, performing a different version of her work in progress, Another Day in America, each night.

On the evening I attended, Anderson led us through ninety minutes of anecdotes that were simultaneously quirky, profound, and humourous.  On a darkened stage that was a veritable minefield of lighted candles, she spoke with words measured and chosen with the care of a poet, words at once personal and profound. She has a voice that commands – commands attention, commands belief, commands imagination, commands compassion.

In her bemused, measured voice, she told stories of visits to tent cities, where the inhabitants maintain a tenuous thread to their former lives through the last vestiges of politeness. She related Darwin’s thorny problem with peacocks, how to explain the existence of their tail display in the context of survival of the fittest. In a dreamlike monologue, she reflected on the recent signing of the American National Defense Authorization Act, which transforms American soil into a de facto battleground. These big questions were punctuated with haunting violin solos, allowing time for absorption and reflection.  The reflection itself eventually gave way to personal stories of home life, during which Anderson shed her poet-seer persona, lowered herself into an easy chair, and began to share tales (and video clips) of the life and death of her blind piano-playing rat terrier, Lolabelle.

It was another day in America.

For one splendid week, Laurie Anderson was the toast of the town – performing on stage, leading an interactive tour through the Cantos collection, cooking dinner with a select few at Cookbook Company Cooks, and opening her video installation, The Gray Rabbit at the Glenbow Museum, with an evening of conversation.

Luckily for us, The Gray Rabbit will be at the Glenbow Museum until April 9, to remind us of those few heady days when Laurie Anderson was a Calgarian.

Last year was my first time attending the High Performance Rodeo. I took in BASH’d: A Gay Rap Opera and it was an unexpected highlight in a long hard winter.

This year I am getting excited to see The Ugly One, Lucha Vavoom and the Year of the Dragon +15 Art Parade.

One of my favourite things about the High Performance Rodeo is that it breathes life into places and things that are often unthought-of or over-looked, like the noon-time bells in the Calgary Tower and the Plus 15 walkways. It takes something we take for granted every day and turns it into something special.

According to calgaryplus15.com, Calgary has the world’s most extensive pedestrian walkway system with over 59 Plus 15’s tallying 16 kilometres. Coming from a place where it rains ¾ of the year, these puppies would have made my life so much easier if they had them back home, and most definitely do here.

Why people don’t write songs and name their first born children after them is beyond me. I feel a bumper sticker coming on, “Moved to Calgary for love, stayed for the Plus 15’s.” Okay, clearly I’m a fan…and a major nerd.

I really appreciate the fact that HPR will be jazzing them up yet again with their 2nd Annual +15 Art Parade on January 20th, which is in celebration of the Year of Dragon. You’ve got to love the ability to host a warm (and dry) parade in the thick of winter.

What to expect?

The Plus 15’s will host a colourful surprise for commuters as dozens of costumed performers parade through its hallways. It will be a multicultural celebration of the Chinese New Year (Year of the Dragon) featuring musicians, dragon dancers, traditional Chinese costumes and more.

Mark your calendar for Friday, January 20th at 4:00 pm, and catch this one-of-a-kind event as it starts winding its way from Bankers Hall over to Sun Life Plaza.

Katherine Chi is a world-renowned pianist who gave her debut recital at the young age of nine.  Since her early beginnings, this local Calgarian has performed throughout Europe and North America and was the first Canadian, as well as the first woman, to win Canada’s Honens International Piano Competition in 2000.

Last Thursday, Katherine gave a special live performance on the Calgary Tower’s carillon (the unique keyboard instrument whose bell voices can be heard atop towers).  Her performance, featuring a selection of music composed by various Canadians, was part of the High Performance Rodeo’s Calgary Carillon Celebration and from noon until 1:00 pm her melodies could be heard in the tower’s lobby and throughout the downtown core.

Below is a video of one of her performances:

If you missed her special live performance last week, don’t fret!  Every weekday at noon from now until January 27th, an hour of carillon song will ring through the streets of Downtown Calgary.

For more information on the High Performance Rodeo, Calgary’s International Festival of the Arts, check out hprodeo.ca.

It’s only fitting that a performance artist as diverse and as revered as Laurie Anderson should be the 2012 High Performance Rodeo artist-in-residence, stepping into the shoes vacated most recently by Brian Eno.  Like Eno, Anderson is a pioneer of electronic music, a highly influential innovator, a visionary artist.  Like Eno, Anderson is sure to draw crowds of superfans, breathless with excitement over being in the presence of musical genius.

For those less familiar with Laurie Anderson’s hefty pedigree, here’s a little primer:

Laurie Anderson was NASA’s first artist-in-residence.  The experience inspired her performance piece The End of the Moon, which she performed the last time she was in Calgary, in 2005.

Laurie Anderson invents instruments.  Predating Harry Potter’s custom-made wand by 30 years, she devised a tape-bow violin, which uses recorded magnetic tape in place of the traditional horsehair in the bow and a magnetic tape head in the bridge.  This was followed by a six-foot talking stick, which breaks sound into grains and rearranges the fragments into strings or clusters.  And then, of course, there are the infamous audio drag voice filters that Anderson developed, which spawned the recurring character of The Voice of Authority.

Laurie Anderson knows everybody.  She has collaborated with William S. Burroughs, Brian Eno, Philip Glass, Andy Kaufman, Lou Reed, John Giorno, Peter Gabriel, John Michel Jarre, Bobby McFerrin, David Sylvian, Colin Stetson, and on and on.

Laurie Anderson is married to Lou Reed.  Can you imagine the conversations they must have while washing up the dishes together?

Laurie Anderson has a really long resume.  In addition to the accomplishments already mentioned, Anderson holds an MFA in sculpture, has illustrated children’s books, has drawn comics, has written books, has starred in and directed films, has written for the Encyclopaedia Britannica,  has visited the Russian Space Programme, has been part of a team that created the opening ceremony for the Athens Olympics, has written film soundtracks (including Swimming to Cambodia), has performed PSAs, and was awarded the 2007 Gish Prize for “outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to humankind’s enjoyment and understanding of life”.

One suspects Ms Anderson never forgets to take her vitamins.

During her stint as High Performance Rodeo’s 2012 artist-in-residence, you have loads of opportunities to see Laurie Anderson being her usual diverse self:

Wednesday, Jan 11 – Saturday, Jan 14, 8:00 pm
Theatre Junction GRAND
608 – 1st St SW
Another Day in America  (performance)

Sunday, Jan 15, 4:00 pm
Cantos Music Foundation
134 – 11th Ave SE
Interactive Performance Tour
 

Sun, Jan 15, 7:00 pm (sold out)
Cookbook Company Cooks
722 – 11th Ave SW
A Beginning, Middle and an End:  Dinner with Laurie Anderson

Tues, Jan 17, 7:30 pm
Glenbow Museum
130 – 9th Ave SE
In Conversation with Laurie Anderson

Wed, Jan 18 – Mon, Apr 9
Glenbow Museum
130 – 9th Ave SE
The Gray Rabbit (video installation)

(Photo courtesy of Avenue Magazine. January 2012 Issue, Style Q&A. Photography by Jared Sych, Hair and makeup by Kate Barutowicz.)

Avenue Magazine got in touch with me a few weeks ago and asked if I’d be interested in being featured as their Style Q&A for the January 2012 issue. It took me longer to write this sentence then it did to answer with a joyous and enthusiastic YES! I’m so thrilled, honoured and excited that words alone can’t describe what I’m feeling.

As excited as I am about all of this, I couldn’t help but be slightly nervous about the experience of having the camera turned on me. I’ve been street style hunting for months and months and have been photographing for a long time. For the most part, I prefer to stay behind the lens and capture the world’s beauty and show my vision and perspective as a photographer.

Well, not this time. The great news is that my nervousness went away very quickly as Avenue and their amazing team managed to make me comfortable in front of the camera the second that I stepped into the spotlight, and made the entire experience flawless, fun and exciting. What added to the amazing experience was the fact that my lovely and talented sister, Kate Barutowicz , was the makeup artist on the shoot. She of course rocked it out hard and helped me feel even more delighted about the entire adventure.

The photo shoot took place at The Bank downtown on Stephen Avenue in November, and we arrived early to get set up for the day. This was my first time at The Bank, and I was impressed that Avenue would choose this venue for me. There is something loud and distinct about this place, and really, very fitting for me. We started with the first shot on the grandiose staircase, and I instantly felt at home.

Throughout the five outfits and scene changes, I had the time of my life! Thank you to Avenue Magazine and the entire team for this amazing experience, and for allowing me to have one of the coolest starts to a year…by not only being on your lovely pages, but also on the cover!!!
To see more photos from the shoot, and to get a little glimpse of who I am and how I feel about fashion, check out the January 2012 Issue of Avenue Magazine!

Street Style Huntress December
After all of my personal antics in front of the camera, I managed to get back to where I really belong…behind the camera and running after stylish strangers on the streets of Downtown Calgary. The end of 2011 has left me with even more enthusiasm and excitement for what 2012 has in store, and I can’t wait to capture more amazing Calgary Street Style this year. Thanks to everyone who I’ve captured so far and I look forward to meeting more amazing and stylish people in 2012! Happy New Year!

Also, make sure to follow me on twitter for all Street Style Huntress updates @AldonaB.

Catie: I love how Catie layers a neutral blazer on top of a printed blouse. Her glasses are amazing, as are her unique and funky earrings.

Myke: This is what I call street style! Myke has a distinct style and rocks it hard, with a lovely bomber jacket, funky glasses and a cool backpack.

Terry: Winter can be hard on style, but Terry doesn’t let that get her down. I love this bold printed jacket, put together with a neutral scarf that comes with the cutest fur pom-poms.

Kelsey: She keeps her look casual and simple, yet classic. She’s like a modern Audrey Hepburn, with feckles!

Robyn: She was surprised that I wanted to photograph her for Downtown Street Style. Why would she be so surprised? Her look is fabulous, from the green boots, to the funky bag. Rebecca, this street style huntress gives you an A!

Val: The beautiful scarf is what really caught my attention. I love the print and rich dark colours. The brown cross-body bag is also a nice and on-point touch.

Kerry: I like how Kerry throws in a pop of colour with the bright flower accessory. Belting a heavy knit sweater is also a great way to add interest to an outfit. Nicely done!

Resistance is futile.  Sooner or later you are going to have to break down and embrace the sounds of the season.  But this year, don’t torture yourself with Alvin and the Chipmunk’s remix of The Little Drummer Boy.   Rather than suffer through Rockin Around the Christmas Tree for the zillionth time, why not get swept up in some real Christmas music?

Downtown Calgary has no shortage of inspiring spaces with near-perfect acoustics which will be hosting performances of traditional Yuletide music in the lead-up to Christmas.  The majesty of the age-old music, combined with the regal architecture, will knock the Grinch right out of you, guaranteed.

Belt out your best hallelujah’s at VoiceScape’s tenth annual Sing Along Messiah on Sunday, Dec 18 at 2:30 PM at Knox United Church , 506 – 4th St SW.  Tickets are $20, $15 for seniors and students, and free for children under 12.  The proceeds from the intermission reception go to the Food Bank, so you can even feel good about a little seasonal overindulgence.

If rock star mayors and adorable kids are more your thing, take in A Child’s Christmas at the Jack Singer Concert Hall on Sunday, Dec 18 at 2:30 PM.  His Worship Naheed Nenshi will narrate a performance of seasonal favourites, including the Carnival of the Animals, by the Calgary Civic Symphony and the Calgary Girls’ Choir, as well as soloists from Mount Royal Conservatory.  Tickets are $15 general admission, with children under six admitted free.

Stick around the Jack Singer Concert Hall for a few more evenings for more seasonal goodness.  On Monday, Dec 19 at 7:30 PM, indulge in a feel-good evening for a good cause.  The Corpus Christi Male Chorale will wow you with the 11th annual Music for a Winter Evening, featuring the big voiced and big-hearted Tom Jackson and the Calgary Foothills Brass Quintet.  It’s a Christmas miracle that has raised over $950,000 for local charities over the past 10 years, with this year’s proceeds going to the Calgary Dream Centre.  Tickets are $25, $10 for students and seniors.

On Tuesday, Dec 20 at 8 PM, the man from High River will take over the stage at the Jack Singer.  George Canyon and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra will team up to bring a little down-home twang to the downtown hall with George Canyon’s Country Christmas.  Tickets range from $55-$75.

Of course nothing says Christmas quite like candles.  Just ask the Swedes; they know that walking around with a candle on your head is the best way to celebrate those long winter nights.  And nothing captures the spirit of the season quite like traditional carols led by a choir, all lit with the glow of candlelight.

Cathedral Church of the Redeemer, on the corner of 7th Ave and 1st St SE, has a myriad of candlelit evenings of traditional music to keep you merry and bright right up to the big evening itself, and they are all free.  Start with Candlelight Carols at the Cathedral on Sunday, Dec 18 at 7:30 PM, drop by any Thursday evening at 6  for Candlelight Vespers, and finally step away from those Christmas cookies for a while to fill your ears with Christmas Eve at the Cathedral on Saturday, Dec 24 at 11 PM.  It’s the perfect chance to slow down, turn off the neon, and contemplate the sounds of the season.  You’ll even be home before the fat man squeezes down the chimney.

You too can travel the world without leaving downtown with special presentations by the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts and National Geographic Live featuring four of National Geographic‘s most beloved adventurers live on stage for the first time in Calgary!  Experience these remarkable individuals as they share their personal stories and photography on the big screen in the Jack Singer Concert Hall.

Audiences are invited to explore the ocean depths with a seasoned underwater photographer, learn of our origins from the results of thousands of DNA samples, follow a photographer to the unseen corners of the earth and travel to the world’s last truly wild places.

The first of the four adventures featured is Brian Skerry with OCEAN SOUL on January 17, 2012 at 7pm.

As an award-winning underwater photographer, Brian Skerry is a photojournalist specializing in marine wildlife and underwater environments. Since 1998 he has been a contract photographer for National Geographic magazine, covering a wide range of subjects and stories. He is celebrated for his intimate and stunning portraits of our planet’s ocean realm.  His uniquely creative images tell stories that not only celebrate the mystery and beauty of the sea, but also help bring attention to the large number of issues that endanger our oceans and its inhabitants. In this visually spectacular presentation that is tied to his landmark National Geographic book, Ocean Soul, you’ll share Skerry’s adventures documenting the wonder and resilience of the vast underwater world.

The other adventures in the series are:
INSIDE THE GEOGRAPHIC PROJECT, DEEP ANCESTRY, Spencer Wells – Population Geneticist
Tuesday, February 7, 2012 • 7 PM

A CAMERA, TWO KIDS AND A CAMEL, Annie Griffiths – Photographer
Tuesday, March 13, 2012 • 7 PM

BEING THERE – ON EXPEDITION WITH NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, Mattias Klum – Photographer
Wednesday, April 25, 2012 • 7 PM

Subscriptions for this four‐part series and single event tickets are on sale now. To subscribe, call 403.294.9494 or purchase single tickets online .

 WOW-It was impressive, Calgary’s “Twas the Night” attracts 7,500 shoppers and fashion followers to the CORE (TD Square/Holt Renfrew) for a very successful holiday event. With the lighting of the CORE’s new one of a kind 45 ft Christmas tree on the evening of November 30, 2011 and performances  including Chantal Kreviazuk and the Calgary Girl’s Choir, it was a special  kick-off to the holiday season. The evenings hosts didn’t miss a step with a special pyrotechnics display  and a red carpet entrance hosted by Lainey Lui from Lainey Gossip.com and  Canada’s etalk. I met with Lainey the day before the event in Calgary for a special interview, featured soon on my own website LawlessandLace.com.

 Just as New York’s “Fashion’s Night Out” the shoppers were treated with great entertainment and great food. A variety of cocktails and assorted culinary samples were set in the mall’s concourse. Tables looked like beautiful pieces of art, with offerings of mini Yorkshire puddings filled with Christmas favorites of turkey and stuffing followed by candy treats and beautiful desserts for everyone.

The CORE’s completed multi-million dollar renovation was the perfect back  drop for Calgary’s biggest private shopping event. Hats off to everyone in attendance as approximately $40,000 was raised in support of the United Way’s “Because” initiative and the CANTOS National Music Centre.

 The evenings event was attended by many decked out in this season’s latest  trends. Thank you to the people below willing to share their style with us. Fashion and fun was the evenings theme.