The Anchor Weekly – The Chestermere Lake News

Well, that was fun. Dizzyingly, hilariously fun. Stage West’s performance of The 39 Steps, set the stage for a wildly entertaining date night. We arrived at the show with very little research on this play and were blown away by the cast of four. They seamlessly and energetically played the role of over 150 characters (many within seconds of another!). The story, a mix of an Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece, and a comedic spy story, sees a boring 37 year old, Richard Hanny, embark on a wild (and often absurd) adventure across London and Scotland. Now, I am not exactly up [...]

ROSEBUD – A one-act reverie on the redemptive power of love will be breathing life into audiences at the Studio Stage in Rosebud, on January 27 and 28. John Kolvenbach’s “Love Song” is the story of Beane, an oddball young man in exile from life. His successful and driven sister, Joan, along with her husband, Harry, try to make time for him in their busy lives, but no one can get through. Following a burglary at Beane’s apartment, Joan is baffled to find her brother blissfully happy and tries to unravel the story behind his mysterious new love, Molly. Kolvenbach’s [...]

When I announced that we had a babysitter all lined up, it convinced my musicals- are- just- not- my- thing husband to put on a collar shirt and escort me to the Stage West production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I’ve wanted to see this classic musical for years, so this was an excellent chance for me to combine theatre, date night and unlimited chocolate florentines. The buffet dinner at Stage West is well known for a reason. It is beautifully presented and offers delicious, high-end fare. It is well laid out so you can move through quickly [...]

ROSEBUD – Both Aaron Krogman of Red Deer and Cassia Schramm of Olds have been busy performers since graduating from Rosebud School of the Arts (RSA). This Christmas, both actors will play the lead roles in Rosebud Theatre’s Christmas show “The Gifts of the Magi”, which opens this Friday, Nov. 4. Krogman graduated from RSA in 2008 and The Gifts of the Magi marks his seventh appearance on the Rosebud stage as a guest artist. He has also acted in an independent production of David French’s “A Soldier’s Heart” at the Epcor Centre in Calgary, as well as in a [...]

The Rosebud Opera House stage has been transformed into old New York City as O.Henry’s classic Christmas tale “The Gifts of the Magi” has now officially opened. Opening night was Friday, Nov. 4, and despite the bad weather and treacherous highway conditions that evening, the show opened up to a nearly packed house. “The Gifts of the Magi” follows the young, newly married couple Jim and Della Dillingham, who are out of work and broke during Christmas. The pair can barely afford to keep their one-room apartment, let alone purchase holiday gifts for one another. The story explores the challenges [...]

ROSEBUD – The small hamlet of Rosebud is taking a bite out of the “Big Apple” for its annual Christmas show. The Rosebud Opera House stage will be fully decked out with the sights and sounds of old New York as it hosts the vaudeville-style musical “The Gifts of the Magi” based on the classic Christmas story by O. Henry. The story follows the young, newly married couple Jim and Della Dillingham, who are out of work and broke during Christmas. The pair can barely afford to keep their one-room apartment, let alone purchase holiday gifts. “The Gifts of the [...]

ROSEBUD – The latest production at the Rosebud Theatre, “Queen Milli of Galt”, took to the stage on Sept. 9. Since then, it has become a fan favorite. Members of Rosebud Theatre have said that audience feedback has been very positive because it is a feel good play has just the right mix of laughs, tears and love to make it a truly memorable experience for the entire family. The Rosebud Theatre’s Facebook page shows audience feedback: “Queen Milli is an amazing play! We laughed until it hurt. The actors were all absolutely fabulous. At one point I turned to [...]

Opening night of any performance at the Rosebud Theatre is arguably a different experience than any other night. Sure, the cast may have the typical jitters and the crew behind the scenes might be worried about getting everything right, but the real difference is the atmosphere in the crowd. On opening night, all of the important people – us media types excluded, of course – are in the audience. Friends and family of the cast, fellow Rosebud students, as well as the key people who bring the play to the stage, make up the majority of the crowd. So, the [...]

Stage West’s newest play, Shady Business has just opened and will run until October 30th, 2011. This play requires that the audience pay close attention – there are some twists and tricks this time! Scott Valentine is the guest star (maybe you remember the television show Family Ties?) accompanied by returning actors Sheldon Bergstrom and David Leyshon. The stage is set: Sunday morning in the apartment of Mandy, a nightclub dancer. Mandy works for mob boss Big Mack, (Scott Valentine) who, it seems, also pays her bills. The previous evening, she met someone special at the club and he has [...]

ROSEBUD – When the young, handsome Prince of Wales visits Galt, Ontario at the end of the Great War in the fall of 1919, the whole town is excited to meet him. Bored with the pomp and circumstance, he slips away from his official duties and finds a young woman who would rather spend the day working in her garden than in the throngs of people hoping to catch even a glimpse of the king-to-be. Millicent “Milli” Milroy tells him exactly what she thinks about the pomposity of royalty. When the two meet, what begins as mutual disdain for each [...]