Honens laureate returns for performance
The Russians may have lost the Cold War, but they sure win their fair share of Honens International Piano Competitions.
This year’s winner was Pavel Kolesnikov (from Siberia), and in 2009, the winner was Georgy Tchaidze, the son of a pair of chemical engineers who was born in St. Petersburg and grew up in a small town in central Russia.
Tchaidze is back in town Saturday, when he’ll be performing a gig at the Rozsa Centre at the University of Calgary with the Borodin Quartet.
What makes this concert special — for both Tchaidze and the audience — is that he will be performing Shostakovich with the Borodin Quartet, who are not only considered sublime interpreters of Shostakovich but actually knew the composer, and studied with him.
“I really like it to play collectively with the Borodin Quartet,” says Tchaidze, “because they are really well known for long work with Shostakovich in the ’60s and ’70s. I really like it to be able to collaborate with them.”
Does it feel as if he’s gaining one of those Kevin Bacon, six degrees of separation, from one of the greatest Russian composers?
“Absolutely,” says Tchaidze. “It’s like you’re talking with Tchaikovsky or — Bach. Just directly.”
Since winning Honens in 2009, Tchaidze has performed at Carnegie Hall and top concert venues in London and Berlin, where he now lives.
He has also recorded a pair of albums — the first a collection of Schubert, the second a collection of Russian compositions.
All of which begs the question, Georgy: Is there something about a Russian composer that makes them stand out from composers elsewhere?
“I think,” says Tchaidze, “that what really defines Russian music is that there is less attention on formal musical thinking and much more attention on emotions and feelings and ... the human nature.” Tchaidze performs March 30 at Rozsa Centre, at the University of Calgary. Visit honens.com or call 403-299-0140.
When company co-founder Jonathan Brower sat down with Paul Welch, the co-founder of the Third Street Theatre Company, to plot the first season lineup for their queer-friendly theatre company, the last thing he thought the company wouldn’t be telling stories about is gay men.
But that’s exactly what’s happened.
“We actually have steered away — not on purpose — from sort of gay male stories,” says Brower, “Which is really wonderful, in a way, because we don’t see a lot of (queer) stories that aren’t gay male stories — especially for many companies that do something that has gay content in it, it generally is that type of content.
“Transgender stories are very far and few between.”
The company’s first production, a creation ensemble piece called This Is How I Left, explores the world of transgender characters, and, as it turns out, so does their second production, I Am My Own Wife, Doug Wrights’ stunning 2004 Pulitzer Prize-winner.
“The play looks at what happens with a young female and/or a male, a transgendered female,” says Brower, “and the issues (surrounding that) and just being a teenager, going to parties.
“Somebody who isn’t dealing with trans issues or gender identity issues,” he adds, “they’re not even going to think twice about (playing) party games or going to social gathering like that in high school, but somebody who is dealing with those issues — it’s on their mind all the time, and they have to deal with certain ste- reotypes and especially if people don’t know they’re transgendered, what happens in those circumstances.”
While starting a new theatre company is never easy, and locating suitable (and affordable) rehearsal and performance space in the city nearly impossible these days, Third Street hit the gold mine its first time out: The Living Spirit United Church in south Calgary, reached out and offered a theatrical home.
“We made a connection with the pastors there,” says Brower, “and they said, if you ever need space, we’d love to host you guys.
They gave us rehearsal space and performance space — for free.”
This is How I Left is on at Living Spirit United Church, 629 49th Ave S.W., through Easter Sunday. Visit thirdstreet.ca, call 403-703-4750 or e-mail info@ thirdstreet.ca.
Teenage boys are the subject of War, Theatre BSMT’s new production of a drama by Vancouver’s Dennis Foon. The play, directed by Amy Dettling, tells the story of four high school guys all trying to figure out how to become a man — one of the most enduring dramatic themes, mainly because no matter how much people write about it, guys continue to make bad choices, many of them inspired by a pop culture that worships violence. War is on at Motel in Epcor Centre through April 6. Call 403-2949494 or visit epcorcentre.org.
Robert Redford was just an- other New York actor pounding the pavement in the early 1960s, before he landed the lead role in Barefoot in the Park, a comedy by an up-and-coming New York playwright named Neil Simon. That turned out to be a hit, became a 1967 film (also a hit), and that was all the kick-start Redford needed to become one of the iconic leading men of his era. Rosebud Theatre might not have Redford on hand, but he’s 76 now. Instead, they’ve got the play — Barefoot in the Park kicks off its 2013-14 season with Aaron Krogman and Cassia Schramm starring. Says Rosebud artistic director Morris Ertman: “Barefoot in the Park (which was also Rosebud’s first show, in 1983) is about a wonderful time in life — those early days of marriage when hope keeps love afloat.” Visit rosebudtheatre.com or call 1-800-267-7553.
Dancer’s Studio West is presenting From One Country to Another, a double bill of new dance creation from Calgary choreographer Davida Monk, and Vancouver’s Lee Su-Feh, Seattle musician Bill Horist and Regina costume designer Robin Poitras. The first piece is Su-Feh’s From One Country to Another, (performed by Monk), while the second is Monk’s Dream Pavilion, which is inspired by Japanese art called netsuke. It will be performed by Helen Husak and Walter Kubanek April 4-6 at DSW Theatre, 2007 10th Ave S.W. (alley entrance). Visit dswlive.ca, call 403-244-0950 or e-mail tickets@dswlive.ca,