Danika KunimotoCelebrating Canada on the Casavant
January 22nd (3 p.m.)
Convocation Hall, U of A campus
Tickets: $20 for adults, $10 for students and seniors
https://www.ualberta.ca/arts/shows/concert-listings/canada-on-the-casavant
Continuing with their 2016-17 season, the University of Alberta’s Department of Music presents an homage to Canada’s 150th anniversary. Celebrating Canada on the Casavant will feature pieces by prominent Canadian composer Jacobus Kloppers, performances on a huge organ by Marnie Giesbrecht and Joachim Segger, and finally the world premiere of Passage du Temps for Alto-Saxophone and Organ. What better way is there to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary of confederation than with organ and saxophone music? And besides,if you’ve never seen someone play one of those enormous church organs before, this performance would be worth checking out just for that.
Peter Fechter: 59 Minutes
Now – January 22
PCL Studio Theatre, Arts Barns (10330, 84th ave)
Tickets: $13 – $24
https://tickets.fringetheatre.ca/performances.php?eventId=601:932
Love? Death? The Cold War? All of this and more in the Edmonton premiere of Jordan Tannahill’s Peter Fechter: 59 minutes. Presented by Cardiac Theatre and directed by Harley Morison, the show tells the story of an 18-year-old East German bricklayer’s death over the course of a 59-minute performance. Shot while trying to escape over the Berlin Wall, Peter Fetcher lays dying in the “Death Strip” between East and West Berlin. As a large clock above the stage counts down until to the inevitable, Fechter details his life story and his ultimate decision to attempt an escape. Riveting and thought-provoking, you’re not going to want to miss this show, especially since its put on by former U of A students.
Canada’s Top Ten Film Fest 2017
Now – January 29th
Garneau Theatre (8712 109 St)
Tickets: Prices vary, Festival Passes are $55
https://www.metrocinema.org/fest_view/336/
Now in its 16th year, Metro Cinema presents Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival. Dedicated to celebrating excellence in Canadian filmmaking, this festival presents some of the best Canadian films of the past year. From animation to modern westerns, there is enough variety being showcased to entice any film-going fan. There’s even one about young radical Quebecers plotting a revolution. If that’s not pure Canadian, I don’t know what is. Canada isn’t a country that’s particularly well-known for its filmmaking so you shouldn’t miss this opportunity to see and support some of the best art our nation has to offer.
Miles Davis Tribute Show
January 20th and 21st
Yardbird Suite (11 Tommy Banks Way)
Tickets: $30
Facebook event page
Miles Davis was pretty cool, right? Well these musicians seem to think so. They love the iconic American jazz trumpeter and bandleader so much they decided to put on a tribute show in his honour. 11 local jazz musicians (including my former trumpet teacher) along with Canadian jazz icon, Brad Turner have broke up into two competing bands. Named after two of Davis’ most seminal albums, the bands ‘Birth of the Cool’ and ‘Bitches Brew’ will play the contrasting music of those two recordings. If you want to see some of Edmonton’s best jazz musicians play some of the 20th century’s best jazz, you’d be a square to miss this show!
