HOLIDAY FAVOURITES HAVE RETURN ENGAGEMENT
As Christmas approaches there are two more entertainment packages to unwrap.
For the last 22 years, The Loose Moose has presented its unconventional take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and in its third year is presenting Let It Show!, a little holiday songand-dance concert that has taken on a life of its own.
As Loose Moose’s artistic director Dennis Cahill recalled, back in 1999 Theatre Calgary’s A Christmas Carol had firmly made its mark on the Calgary holiday entertainment scene. Theatre Calgary had the budget, resources and reputation.
The Loose Moose had very few resources, virtually no budget and was not known for producing extravaganzas.
“Our Chrismoose Carol was meant to be a one-off. We were kind of thumbing our noses at Theatre Calgary,” said Cahill, noting something happened.
“We had such fun doing our little show and the audiences seemed to love it, so we vowed to do it again and again, but we also vowed never to do it the same way twice. We wanted our Chrismoose Carol to be as fresh and unpredictable each year as it was that first year.”
In the ensuing two decades, the Moose’s Chrismoose Carol has been set in ancient Rome, in the Star Wars universe and in the Old West. There was one year when not only was the entire story enacted by three people, but at the top of the show the audience got to decide which of the three actors would play Scrooge.
Cahill has played the miser, who is reformed by visits from four ghosts, since the first show and even won the audition at the three-person show.
As is the tradition, audiences do not know what the Moose’s take will be on A Christmas Carol until the lights come up. They are sworn to secrecy not to let the cat out of the bag until after the final performance of the run.
No amount of arm twisting could get Cahill to reveal the approach the Moose is taking this year except to say “there is a style of presentation we have never fully explored in the past and it was actually the inspiration for our original Chrismoose Carol.
“This year’s Chrismoose Carol will make up for that oversight. All I can really say in addition is the show will be just as heartwarming and humorous as our previous versions, if not more.”
Joining Cahill for this year’s Chrismoose Carol are Rob Mitchelson, Jennifer Lynn Fain and Ken Gardener.
The show, which is definitely not recommended for young children, will run Thursdays through Sundays at 8 p.m. until Dec. 23 in the Loose Moose Theatre at Crossroad Market, 1235 26th Ave. S.E. Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for students.
MORE THAN TINSEL AND CANDY CANES
Let It Show!, the Christmas concert that Lauren Ireland and Scott Henderson created three years ago, also seems to have taken on a life of its own.
It was conceived as a single performance to celebrate the spirit of Christmas, but audiences embraced it so thoroughly Ireland and Henderson have gladly been prompted to make it a holiday tradition.
They began working on this year’s Let It Show! back in August and admitted it was difficult to get into the magical wintry spirit in the middle of summer.
“What it gave us was a much wider creative palette of possible Christmas show ideas and concepts. When you’re creating a show like this, the closer you are to Dec. 25, the more everything gets shiny and drenched in tinsel, but the holiday season doesn’t exist in that way for everyone.
“Heartache and loneliness can
be amplified for many people over Christmas. As a result of this realization, our 2018 show will be more impactful,” said Ireland.
Henderson said Let It Show! “won’t reach its goal if we don’t move the audience with joy, hope and sorrow. All of these emotions can be part of people’s real-life Christmas experiences.”
He added that Santa will regale the audience with some poignant experiences and he will also lend his talents to a few of the musical numbers.