ARTS ON THE WAY
A look ahead at events coming to Calgary in 2020
Prepare to be entertained in 2020, Calgary. The coming calendar has something for everyone: country and standup stars, dramas and comedies, operas and ballets. Here is what to look forward to in the new year.
DON’T STOP THE MUSIC
Calgary is always a beacon for country stars, and 2020 will be no different. Already, Country Thunder (Aug. 21-23) has announced the return of Keith Urban, recently in town for the halftime show at the Grey Cup, as well as headlining sets by Dan + Shay and Kane Brown.
The Calgary Stampede will bring Blake Shelton (July 11) as part of its Virgin Mobile Stampede Concert Series. Country fans won’t have to wait for the summer for the big stars, though. Old Dominion comes to the Scotiabank Saddledome on Feb. 14, Brett Young brings his The Chapters tour to the
Grey Eagle Event Centre on May 8, and Alberta duo High Valley stop at the Jubilee Auditorium on May 27.
Of course, the concert offerings in Calgary aren’t limited to country music. The Saddledome will also host reunited Canadian screamo act Alexisonfire on Jan. 23, 16-year-old Youtube favourite Jojo Siwa on April 5, and Fire and Rain singer-songwriter James Taylor with Bonnie Raitt April 19.
There are plenty of other Canadian stars on the calendar in 2020, including Jim Cuddy, Jan. 5 at Jack Singer Concert Hall; Strumbellas, Jan. 14 at the Jubilee; Theory of a Deadman, Feb. 8 at Grey Eagle; Alan Doyle, Feb. 28 at Jubilee; Andy Shauf at the Bella Concert Hall Feb. 28; Burton Cummings, March 18 at Grey Eagle; Matthew Good, April 2 at Jubilee; Sarah Harmer at the Bella April 25; and Joel Plaskett at the Bella April 28.
The concert calendar also has offerings for fans of blues, classic rock, world music, ’90s nostalgia, jazz, indie rock and a cappella: Buddy Guy comes to the Grey Eagle, May 13; Foreigner comes to the Grey Eagle March 28-29; guitarist Steve Hackett revisits his Genesis material at the Jubilee Feb. 26; Jesse Cook comes to the Jubilee March 27; Jimmy Eat World is at the Palace Theatre May 16; Electric Circus returns to the Big Four June 17; Herb Alpert and Lani Hall come to the Bella April 11; Vampire Weekend are at the BMO Centre Aug. 14; and Home Free come to the Jubilee Sept. 11.
The year in classical music features Calgary Opera performing Bellini — Norma (Feb. 1-7) — and Strauss — Ariadne auf Naxos (April 25 to May 1).
Meanwhile, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra takes on a children’s book classic, The Hockey Sweater (Feb. 2); a series of Beethoven features titled Immortal Beloved (Feb. 14), Romance (Feb. 15), Heroic (March 6-7), Missa Solemnis (May 8-9), Bold (May 29-30), Beethoven Lives Upstairs (May 31), and Epic (June 12-13); stints as the backing music for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (March 12-14) and Star Wars: A New Hope (May 15-16); and a new collaboration with standup comedian Rainer Hersch (Feb. 8).
Those looking for more laughs will be well served in 2020. Bob Saget drops by the Jack Singer on March 14; Irish comedian Dara Ó Briain goes back-to-back at the Bella from March 21-22; Netflix standup Iliza Shlesinger comes to the Jubilee on April 3; Crave hit series Letterkenny is live at the Grey Eagle on April 3; Gerry “Mr. D” Dee is at the Jubilee on April 4; and Trevor Noah steps out from behind The Daily Show’s desk to come to the Saddledome on June 19.
A NIGHT AT THE THEATRE
The first date to circle on the calendar for the upcoming year of theatre is Jan. 8, when the High Performance Rodeo starts its near month-long cavalcade of cutting-edge theatre. Highlights include The Land, The Animals, One Yellow Rabbit’s remount of their 1991 show about Canada’s vanishing wetlands; Mark Tewksbury’s Belong, an inspirational staged reading by the Olympic champion and LGBTQ+ advocate; and Cliff Cardinal’s CBC Special, a followup to Cardinal’s HPR hit Huff.
Theatre Calgary’s spring season features The Louder We Get (Jan. 28 to Feb. 22), the inspirational true story of Marc Hall and his fight to take his boyfriend to prom at a Catholic school; Admissions (March 10 to April 4), Joshua Harmon’s follow up to his dark comedy Bad Jews; and Million Dollar Quartet (April 21 to May 24), about a once-in-a-lifetime studio session featuring Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley.
Alberta Theatre Projects follows up its best-selling show ever (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) with Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story (Feb. 5-16), a collaboration between folk musician Ben Caplan, playwright Hannah Moscovitch and director Christian Barry; Anne Ziegler’s Ovation Award-winning Actually (Feb. 26 to March 15); and Anna Chatterton’s new play Cowgirl Up (April 15 to May 3), about an Okotokian barrel racer who rises to the top of the Canadian rodeo circuit.
Vertigo Theatre keeps things spooky with Whispers in the Dark (Jan. 25 to Feb. 23), Anna Cummer’s haunting tale based on A Pair of Hands by Arthur Quiller Couch; puts on its tinfoil hat for Cipher (March 21 to April 19), about an unsolved mystery of a body of a man with a secret code sewn into his clothing; and goes madcap with Clue (May 9 to June 7), based on the screenplay about the classic board game.
Lunchbox Theatre contributes Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me But Banjos Saved My Life (Jan. 11-25), Keith Alessi’s true story of leaving the corporate world to follow his passion for the banjo, to the High Performance Rodeo; partners with the Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society for Old Man: The Napi Project (Feb. 15 to March 7) and 509 (Oct. 10-18) and with The Shakespeare Company for A Tender Thing (March 21 to April 11), which wonders what would’ve happened had Romeo and Juliet lived; and gets musical with Nashville Hurricane (April 18 to May 9), Chase Padgett’s followup to 6 Guitars.
Broadway comes to Calgary through Broadway Across Canada’s touring productions, which feature Dear Evan Hansen (Feb. 18-23) and the return of Wicked (July 29 to Aug. 9) in 2020.
Those who enjoy a meal with their show can check out the following mealtime shows: Old Time Rock ‘n’ Roll (until Jan. 11), Pitched Perfect Golden Girls (Jan. 18 to March 21), Night at the Museum of Rock Stars (March 28 to May 30), Heartbreak Hotel (June 6 to Aug. 8), and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Aug. 14 to Oct. 18) at Jubilations Dinner Theatre, and Mamma Mia! (until Feb. 9), The Outsider (Feb. 14 to April 19), The Soul of Motown (April 24 to June 28), and Forever Plaid (July 3 to Sept. 6) at Stage West.
ENTERTAINMENT EN POINTE
Alberta Ballet brings in L.a.based dance company and athletic marvels Diavolo (Jan. 16-18); performs a three-piece for Unleashed (Feb. 12-15), featuring works by Helen Pickett, George Balanchine and a world première by Anne Plamondon; goes to Never Never Land in Peter Pan (March 18-21); and revisits a classic in Swan Lake (May 6-9).
Meanwhile, on the jazzy side of the street, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks brings back Juliet and Romeo (Jan. 16-26) for the High Performance Rodeo, and debuts Kimberley Cooper’s new work Beautiful Noise (April 23 to May 10).