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November 27 2009
Rosebud announces Five-Show line-up for 2010 season
“Consider yourself home at Rosebud… all our new plays give us some kind of understanding of what it means to be home. Rosebud is considered by so many Albertans to be their theatre. They are charmed by our little valley and taken by the whole experience of Rosebud, crowned by theatre that connects to them in a personal and dynamic way.”
Morris Ertman, Artistic Director
Rosebud, Alberta – Today, Rosebud officially announced its 2010 line-up of five outstanding plays. This year’s theme “consider yourself home at Rosebud” will feature an Italian comedy, two British musicals and two South African dramas. The 2010 season kicks off March 12th with We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay!, a comedy by Dario Fo.
“At Rosebud Theatre, we’ve always been about stories that connect to the soul of a human being,” says Artistic Director, Morris Ertman. “Our 2010 season was influenced in large part by the financial difficulties of this past year in the world. We wanted to explore stories that took the notion of hardship and turned it on it’s ear - saying that there is indeed a new tomorrow. There is hope.”
We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay (Comedy by Dario Fo - March 12 to May 15)
Italian housewives go crazy! Two housewives revolt against the high price of groceries. Their hapless husbands are swept up into the mad chaos of police inspectors, funeral directors and looming fatherhood. A crazy household story for the recession blues that leaves no comic stone unturned!
“So, the season kicks off with We Won’t Pay! We Won’t Pay!, a story of what happens when people say ‘enough is enough’. It’s a crazy, madcap adventure of ‘not paying’ that puts the common person in the centre of a whacky revolution that invades the household. Somehow, we need to be able to laugh at our troubles every now and then. And in this play, we do that.”
Oliver! (Book, Music & Lyrics by Lionel Bart - May 28 to August 23)
Enter Victorian London’s underworld in the Charles Dickens classic about a young orphan forced from workhouse to street pickpocket to home – all of it filled with music that delights and inspires. Bring the whole family and “consider yourself at home!”
“Then the summer, our flagship show, OLIVER! picks up the notion of “considering yourself at home”. It’s the story about a waifish Dickensian kid who has no home, and gets caught up in London’s underworld of pickpockets and thieves. Well, this is a musical about finding home. A youngster finds a home in the unlikeliest of places, and in true Dickensian fashion, finds his real lineage by the end of the story.”
Woza Albert! (Drama by Percy Mtwa, Mbongeni Ngema & Barney Simon)
Plays July 2 to August 29 at the Rosebud Studio Stage
Jesus is coming to apartheid South Africa, disrupting the rhythms of the community. Expectations and inspiration explode on stage with energy and delight.
“Woza Albert! is all about the second coming of Jesus - to Apartheid South Africa - where home to many is a slum. But it is a show infused with a lively spirit of entertainment and humour.
The Road To Mecca (Drama by Athol Fugard - September 10 to October 23)
A free-spirited old woman fights to stay in her eccentrically decorated but dangerous home against the wishes of her unfriendly neighbours and well-intentioned friends. An inspiring story about living in the center of one’s life, no matter how little of it may be left.
“The Road to Mecca is about an elderly woman trying to stay in her eccentric home, even though she almost burned it down one night.”
The Secret Garden (Musical by Jim Crabtree - November 5 to December 23)
The beloved story of three children transformed by the miracle of emerging buds and flowers brings a Christmas garden to Rosebud.
“The Secret Garden is about a girl placed in an unfamiliar home, and the magic she encounters in a garden that transforms her and everyone around her. There are happy endings that come out of the other side of times of despair! Life is actually good most of the time and we savour that goodness when we’ve had a bout of the bad!”
Adds Ertman, “So, a variety of plays taken from all over the world take up the stage in Rosebud in 2010. And they’re all shows that give us some kind of understanding of what it means to be home. And I must say that Rosebud is considered by so many Albertans to be their theatre. They feel like they’re coming home when they drive into our little valley. I think that’s the backdrop against which our shows shine. People are charmed and taken by the whole experience of Rosebud, crowned by theatre that connects to them in a personal and dynamic way.”
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November 5, 2009
Rosebud magically transports audiences to a Christmas in Wales
Welsh winter wonderland of nostalgic childhood memories celebrates family and tradition
Rosebud, Alberta – Rosebud’s production of Christmas in Wales is the perfect family entertainment to get in the Christmas spirit and be reacquainted with family and tradition. From singing classic Christmas carols, to sipping hot chocolate by a crackling fire, to listening to eccentric relatives and dozing uncles, to throwing snowballs, Christmas in Wales captures the simpler times when families gathered and entertained themselves with food, drink, laughter, stories and music. Christmas in Wales runs from November 6 to December 23 at the Rosebud Opera House.
“Dylan Thomas has penned some of the most wonderful words ever written about a child's memory of Christmas,” says Artistic Director, Morris Ertman. “The story takes place in a house that is much too small for the uncles and aunts and nieces and nephews to fit into. So, it's cozy because no one has a choice. This is Wales in the early 1900s after all. And when a host of relatives get together without a television because such things haven't been invented yet, they tell their own stories and those stories are so vivid they seem like they're actually happening - at least to a wide-eyed young Dylan.”
“Carols are sung. People eat too much and snore fitfully to sleep because of it, then startle awake at the antics of small boys who have stayed awake, looking to play a prank or two. Kids wander through the streets and along the ocean, looking for mischief, wondering about the wonders they see in this Christmas-card setting they live in. And, they discover the most significant wonder of all - their own eccentric family, full of that mystical miracle that has held humanity together for thousands of years - love. And the love expresses as silly and crazy and poignant and eternal - so eternal that Dylan Thomas was compelled to write it down to share with the world.”
Based on the popular Dylan Thomas’ short story, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, this family oriented play is an adults’ warm remembrance of an old fashioned holiday; the time of presents, tasty treats and newly fallen snow. Featuring classic carols such as Good King Wenceslas, All through the Night and Deck the Halls, a few crazy uncles and seaside memories and audiences will be completely enveloped in this winter wonderland.
Christmas in Wales runs from November 6 to December 23 (Wednesdays to Saturdays). Performances are filling up quickly, so it is highly recommended to book your seats early. To reserve tickets, call 1-800-267-7553 or for more information please visit the Rosebud Theatre website at www.rosebudtheatre.com.
Cast and Crew notes: Nathan Schmidt, (Uncle Benjamin Franklin); Alysa van Haastert, (Aunt Bessie - Gwyneth Franklyn); Cassia Schramm, (Aunt Hannah); Leah T. Hearne, (Auntie Sarah Thomas); Travis Friesen, (Uncle Noah); Aaron Krogman, (Dylan Thomas); Steve Waldschmidt, (Uncle Owen Thomas); Mike Thiessen, (Uncle Llew); Rachel Peacock, (Welsh Faerie); Morris Ertman, Director; Bill Hamm, Music Director; Morris Ertman, Scenic Designer; Norma Roth, Costume Designer; and Becky Halterman, Lighting Designer.
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October 27 2009
Calgary Welsh Society supports Rosebud’s Christmas in Wales
Society donates time, money & knowledge to Dylan Thomas Christmas Classic
Rosebud, Alberta – The Calgary Welsh Society loves everything about its Welsh compatriot Dylan Thomas. So much so that the Society has jumped on board donating its time, money and knowledge to Rosebud’s production of a Christmas in Wales that runs from November 6 to December 23 at the Rosebud Opera House.
Based on Dylan Thomas’ short story, A Child’s Christmas in Wales, this family oriented play transports audiences back in time to a 19th century winter wonderland and childhood memories stuffed full of Welsh carols, crazy uncles and snowball mischief.
In extending his heartfelt thanks to the Calgary Welsh Society, Rosebud Theatre Artistic Director, Morris Ertman explained, “Dylan Thomas is to the Welsh what Robbie Burns is to the Scottish. So, to put a people's beloved writer's words onto our stage is a bit like borrowing their dearest relative for a time. When we were approached by the Calgary Welsh Society with their enthusiasm and desire to support this show, it was like a double blessing. I think they helped us engage an understanding of the spirit of the people in the story - their love of words, of myth, of family and music. Our understanding of all of that has been deepened by the help of these people who love - and I mean, LOVE Dylan Thomas. It's like we just got help from the relatives of a very great icon. Thank you!”
“We are extremely grateful to the Calgary Welsh Society which has donated its time, money and knowledge to this production,” says Bob Davis Executive Director, Rosebud Theatre. “It is through the support of community groups like this that allow arts and culture organizations like Rosebud Theatre to stage more authentic and engaging performances.”
Christmas in Wales runs from November 6 to December 23 (Wednesdays to Saturdays). Performances are filling up quickly, so it is highly recommended to book your seats early. To reserve tickets, call 1-800-267-7553 or for more information please visit the Rosebud Theatre website at www.rosebudtheatre.com.
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October 7 2009
Canadian play about first love graces Rosebud stage
Mary’s Wedding, a love story by Calgary playwright Stephen Massicotte bursts at the seams with adventure, surprise, delight and hope.
Rosebud, Alberta – As an organization that is supportive of Canadian artists and emerging talent, Rosebud Theatre is proud to produce a Canadian play written by Calgary playwright Stephen Massicotte. Playing until October 24, Mary’s Wedding is a beautiful story of love and courage that has received rave reviews from both the Calgary Sun and CBC radio.
"I picked this play because it is about love,” says Artistic Director, Morris Ertman. “There is no more significant human interaction than love. And Stephen's play sets it against a backdrop of war that raises the stakes to the point where the drama of it all is potent. The piece is beautifully constructed within a dream on the eve of Mary's Wedding, and it paints a picture of first love that I think is recognizable to all of us. First love is an adventure! It's full of surprise and delight and hope and more. The play is a wonderful visceral experience on the page, which means that it becomes absolutely electric on stage! There's nothing better than a great love story lived out by great young actors!"
A Calgary based writer and actor, Stephen Massicotte grew up in Thunder Bay, went to college in Sudbury and then to the University of Calgary. He has written several autobiographical pieces that have won awards at various Fringe festivals, but Mary’s Wedding is his first full-length fictional play. He found that writing Mary’s Wedding became a human story very close to home. While he began writing a play about the First World War and specifically the Strathcona Regiment’s heroic charge on Moreuil Wood, the love story of Charlie and Mary closely mirrored personal events in his own life. He found that he was inserting lines that he and his own girlfriend had exchanged during the course of their relationship. As a result of the intensity of that relationship, the love story became the heart of the play with the tragedy of the Great War as a backdrop. He feels that he was helped enormously through reading great authors such as Ernest Hemingway, Kurt Vonnegut and Robert Graves who wrote of the war experience in such a moving way.
Massicotte’s award-winning plays Looking After Eden, Pervert, and The Boy’s Own Jedi Handbook series originated at Calgary’s Ground Zero Theatre.In 2002, Mary’s Wedding, premiered at Alberta Theatre Projects’playRites Festival and won the 2000 Alberta Playwriting Competition,the 2002 Betty Mitchell Award for Best New Play, and the 2003 Alberta Literary Award for Drama. Mary’s Wedding continues to be produced throughout the US, Canada and the UK.
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September 29 2009
Actors chemistry energizes love story at Rosebud Opera House
Mary’s Wedding actors Karl Sine and Heather Pattengale make love story crackle with natural energy
Rosebud, Alberta – Some actors were made to perform together on stage. Part chemistry – part magic - that’s why actors Karl Sine and Heather Pattengale were the perfect choices for the roles of Charlie and Mary in Rosebud’s production of the award winning Canadian play, Mary's Wedding, by Stephen Massicotte. Together, Sine and Pattengale vividly capture the heartache and pathos of Mary and Charlie in this World War I love story.
Artistic Director Morris saw the on-stage chemistry between them in the summer of 2008 when both actors performed as a couple (Chava and Fyedka) in Rosebud’s blockbuster Fiddler on the Roof. “There is a willingness on the part of both actors to immerse themselves in the surprise of a moment on stage. They are both fearless,” says Ertman “and the love story just crackles with a natural energy. Nothing is held back. I knew this from my experience having the two of them play opposite each other in Fiddler on the Roof. It is paying off in even greater measure in Mary's Wedding. Frankly, these are two of my favourite young actors. They are committed, talented and open to doing whatever it takes to make the story work. This show is as moving an experience as you'll ever get in the theatre, and it owes most of that to these two amazing young actors.”
Karl Sine, who plays Charlie, comments, “Performing in Mary's Wedding has been such a pleasure. It has been a show that I wanted to do ever since I read it some four years ago. I love the poetry in the story and how Stephen Massicotte has so cleverly weaved it all together. Heather is an incredibly talented actor. Getting to work with someone like that really pushes you and drives you forward. I think doing the show and being able to tell this story has been a reminder to me about just how blessed and lucky I am. In a lot of ways this show celebrates love in an epic way and I like to think that's how I love my wife and how she loves me.”
“I love this role so much. I feel such affinity with Mary,” remarks Pattengale. “I think what makes Mary so great is that she is very real. She has such hope, such passion for life and such resilience. As anyone who dares to live life fully, and to love passionately, she finds herself broken, but in the end, she is not content to give up. She picks up the pieces of her broken heart and chooses life and hope, and that is inspiring. And working with Karl is wonderful – I couldn't imagine doing this show with anyone else! He is open, generous, hard working, patient and gracious. I have learned so much from watching him work and have had tons of fun through the whole process! I feel so lucky!”
Mary's Wedding is a heart-wrenching story about the excitement of finding something, losing it and then having the courage to move on. Even with an ocean between them, Mary and Charlie inhabit each other's dreams. They seem to be everywhere and everyone to each other. Set against the backdrop of the Canadian Cavalry in WWI, this moving and magical play lives at the threshold between fact and fantasy, where nothing is exactly as it seems, memory slips easily into romance, and love and loss intermingle forever... a love story for the ages that will leave your heart aching and your imagination racing.
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September 07 2009
Mary’s Wedding brings true love to Rosebud
Rosebud, Alberta – The constant battle between love and war have been at the core of many entertaining stories throughout history. This fall, the Rosebud Opera House comes alive with a story that’s certain to quicken your heartbeat on both fronts. Award winning Canadian play, Mary's Wedding, by Stephen Massicotte vividly captures the heartache and pathos of a World War I love story. Mary’s Wedding opens Friday September 11 and runs until October 24.
Despite its historical context, Mary’s Wedding is very much a modern story for today. Whether it is the excitement of finding our first love or the heartache of leaving home or seeing someone we love leave us, Mary's Wedding strikes a deeply personal chord, and that is what makes it such a modern masterpiece.
As Artistic Director, Morris Ertman describes, “I am in love with this play! It takes a sad story of two people having to leave each other and masterfully weaves the story of their spirits together in a way that is so universal - so true to what true love looks like in any guise. We feel like we know Mary (Heather Pattengale)and Charlie (Karl Sine), and we know Flowers, a Cavalry officer based on an actual World War I soldier.”
“Massicotte understands the human heart. He understands the emotional rollercoaster that is the tension between love and impossible events in impossible times. The play is visceral and immediate. Massicotte takes you into the heart of a young man caught in a WWI trench when he should be on a horse.”
“He captures the spirited life of the girl Charlie is head-over-heels about, but can't quite reach. He understands the heartache of unresolved words spoken between people. But most of all he understands, and shows vividly, the unfettered craziness of those first days when we think we may really be in love. This play is exciting, and that should be no surprise. Take two people who have discovered they love each other in that crazy head-over-heels way and pull them apart by a world war: now that's an age-old plot that gets a stunning treatment in this play and on our Rosebud stage.”
Mary's Wedding is a heart wrenching story about the excitement of finding something, losing it and having the courage to move on. Even with an ocean between them, Mary and Charlie inhabit each other's dreams. They seem to be everywhere and everyone to each other. Set against the backdrop of the Canadian Cavalry in WWI, this moving and magical play lives at the threshold between fact and fantasy, where nothing is exactly as it seems, memory slips easily into romance, and love and loss intermingle forever... a love story for the ages that will leave your heart aching and your imagination racing.
Mary's Wedding plays September 11 - October 24 at the Rosebud Theatre Opera House, Wednesdays thru Saturdays. Book your tickets at 1-800-267-7553 or visit www.rosebudtheatre.com for more information.
Cast and crew notes: Charlie (Karl Sine); Mary (Heather Pattengale); Artistic Director (Morris Ertman); Scenic Designer (Morris Ertman); Costume Designer (Norma Roth); Lighting Designer (Becky Halterman) and Sound Designer (Luke Ertman).
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August 17, 2009
Actor stars in two different roles in two summer shows at Rosebud Theatre
Versatile actor Giovanni Mocibob rises to the challenge of playing two roles in two separate plays until August 30.
Rosebud, Alberta – Since the beginning of July, Giovanni Mocibob has been a much in demand actor, starring in two plays with as many as three performances a day. His hectic summer schedule started in May when he began playing the role of Don Quixote’s loyal sidekick, Sancho Panza, in Man of La Mancha. In July, he added the lead role of Christopher Columbus, an engaging story about ten-year-old Calgary paperboy who struggles to understand why God is talking to him in Confessions of a Paperboy by Calgary playwright Doug Curtis.
When asked how he manages to play two very different roles in two plays, the former Rosebud School of the Arts graduate responded, “I wouldn't say being in two shows is stressful. I know it's a great opportunity to grow as a performer, to learn and challenge myself. I like it. It's fun. I love rehearsals and the discovery of the story being told. I love how new it is. I love the journey it takes me on and the journey I get to take the audience on. I am extremely grateful for the gifts and opportunities I've been blessed with and I'm excited and nervous to see what the new year will bring and what stories I'll have a chance to tell. All that said, you can be sure that after my daily performances in Man of La Mancha and Confessions of a Paperboy, all I want to do is sleep.”
Its been a busy three years since the Prince George, BC, native graduated from the Rosebud School of the Arts. The majority of his time has been with Calgary’s Trickster Theatre, a physical theatre company that has performed at Children’s Festivals around the world and has done more than 3000 performances in schools across Canada. Mocibob has also returned to his acting roots at the Rosebud Opera House stage where he was cast in a variety of roles in Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat, Village of Idiots and others.
Confessions of a Paperboy is a fun, compelling story about a ten-year-old boy named Christopher Columbus, a paperboy living in Calgary, Alberta delivering newspapers for the Morning World. One day, God starts speaking to him. What should he do? Why would God pick a ten-year-old to do his work? What possible reason does he have for letting Christopher share the fears, hopes and sorrows of his customers? All of these big questions are pondered by Christopher and then by the audience.
Man of La Mancha is a fantastic musical about a wealthy old Spaniard who leaves his home to become a knight, living out a fantasy that ultimately brings grace and dignity to a village barmaid. He, of course, has assumed the name "Don Quixote de la Mancha", and fights for justice, purity, freedom, and above all – love. Included in the rich, dynamic and soul-stirring music is the much-loved theme song "To Dream the Impossible Dream!"
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July 15, 2009
Double Double available at Rosebud
Enjoy same day, back-to-back shows featuring Giovanni Mocibob in his dual role as Sancho Panza (Man of La Mancha) and Christopher Columbus (Confessions of a Paperboy)
Rosebud, Alberta – Rosebud Theatre has a can’t miss doubleheader winner playing this summer at the Rosebud Opera House and Rosebud Studio Stage. Throughout July and August, Rosebud provides theatre enthusiasts with an ideal opportunity to see back-to-back shows featuring Giovanni Mocibob in dual roles as Sancho Panza (Man of La Mancha) and Christopher Columbus (Confessions of a Paperboy).
“It’s a beautiful, relaxing country drive to Rosebud,” says Bob Davis, Rosebud Theatre’s Executive Director. “On Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays visitors can enjoy a delicious buffet meal prepared by Rosebud’s Executive Chef Pat Murphy and his staff, and then be entertained by back-to-back performances of Man of La Mancha and Confessions of a Paperboy. If you have never dined at Rosebud’s new outdoor patio adjacent to the Mercantile Dining Room, you are missing something very special.”
Davis added, “between performances, patrons have ample time to stretch their legs, browse through Rosebud’s local gift and craft shops, enjoy a Water Color Paintings exhibitat theAkokiniskway Galleryand then leisurely stride over to their next show. Man of La Mancha is a hit musical about Don Quixote, featuring the hit song ‘To Dream the Impossible Dream’. Confessions of a Paperboy, is a Calgary-based play written by hometown playwright Doug Curtis.
Man of La Mancha Confessions of a Paperboy
(Rosebud Opera House) (Rosebud Studio Stage)
Wed Matinee 1:30 PM 4:30 PM
Thurs Matinee 1:30 PM Evening 8:30 PM 4:30 PM
Fri Matinee N/A Evening 8:30 PM N/A
Sat Matinee 1:30 PM Evening 8:30 PM 4:30 PM
Sun Matinee 2:00 PM 5:00 PM
Man of La Mancha – Adult tickets range from $56.50 to $65.00 per person
Confessions of a Paperboy – Tickets $15/person in advance $18/person at the door.
Man of La Mancha, is the story of a wealthy old Spaniard who leaves his home to become a knight, living out a fantasy that ultimately brings grace and dignity to a village barmaid. He, of course, has assumed the name "Don Quixote de la Mancha", and fights for justice, purity, freedom, and above all – love. Included in the performance is rich, dynamic and soul-stirring music which will keep you humming for days.
Confessions of a Paperboy is a fun, compelling story about a ten-year-old boy named Christopher Columbus who is a paperboy living in Calgary, Alberta delivering papers for the Morning World. One day God starts speaking to him. What should he do? Why would God pick a ten-year-old boy to do his work? What possible reason does he have for letting Christopher share the fears, hopes and sorrows of his customers?
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