Citadel Theatre

[KC]

The Citadel Theatre’s history here.

“the Old Salvation Army Citadel”

Citadel Theatre

Jul. 6, 2018

“Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta, founded in 1965 by Joseph Shoctor, David Bentley, and Sandy Mactaggart. It was initially located in the Old Salvation Army Citadel; hence its name. The first Artistic Director was John Hulbert, from the Drama Department at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, and the first production was Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, directed by and starring Bernard Engel of the University of Alberta’s Drama Department.

In 1976 the Citadel Theatre relocated to a stunning new venue (designed by Diamond Myers Wilkin Associated Architects with consultation from Phillip Silver and Andis Celms) housing three theatre spaces: ...”

http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict....adel%20theatre

History
A Theatre for All Seasons

By Colin MacLean



https://www.citadeltheatre.com/about-us/history

Plays scripts etc:

“The Citadel Theatre was founded on October 10, 1965 when Joseph H. Shoctor, James L. Martin, Ralph B. MacMillan, and Sandy Mactaggart paid $100,000 for the Old Salvation Army Citadel on 102 Street, Edmonton. A further $150,000 was spent on renovations to create a theatre on the main floor and a restaurant in the basement. The Theatre's first production, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, opened on November 10, 1965 under the guidance of founding Artistic Director John Hulbert and General Manager Olive Finland, who served in that capacity until 1976. The founding Board of Directors consisted of:...”

https://hermis.alberta.ca/paa/Detail...=True&deptID=1

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[ctzn-Ed]

We have a thread for the citadel already.

[KC]

We have a thread for the citadel already.

Please provide the link.

I know of one on the building (the reno to the front). In the architecture forum I believe. Not aware of one on the theatre or it’s history. (Maybe in the history thread?)



Sorry. I was wrong. This one below is the one I was thinking of, it’s in the real estate and development thread:
Citadel Theatre redevelopment could include highrise

http://www.connect2edmonton.ca/showt...clude-highrise



In Raves:

Great season at the Citadel. [Archive] - Connect2Edmonton
http://www.connect2edmonton.ca/archi...p/t-35514.html

[KC]

Celebrating 19 Years Of Citadel's Production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Cloran notes that this final production of Wood's adaptation will be the first-ever Citadel production of A Christmas Carol that has an entirely Edmonton-based cast. "It's a great way to celebrate our incredibly talented local artistic community!" Cloran said.

A Christmas Carol runs November 30 to December 23, 2018, at the Citadel Theatre.


https://www.broadwayworld.com/toront...CAROL-20180905





2018/19 season:
Citadel Theatre combines contemporary with classic for next season – Edmonton Journal


https://edmontonjournal.com/entertai...or-next-season

[KC]

More interesting history:

50 years of The Citadel, Edmonton’s premier theatre | Edmonton Journal
2015

“...
Which is, arguably, one reason that so many of Edmonton’s mid-sized theatres, Theatre Network, Workshop West, Northern Light among them, are hitting the big four-oh about now. By the mid-1970s the talent pool constantly replenished by University of Alberta theatre school graduates, was overflowing its banks. But talent, by the Citadel definition, was something to be imported. Local up-and-comers, actors, directors, playwrights, often found the doors of Edmonton’s biggest theatre closed to them, so they started their own.

“So many of the country’s mid-sized theatres were born as a response to the big houses that weren’t doing any new Canadian work,” says Stephen Heatley, who became artistic director of Theatre Network in 1982.
...”




THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JOE SHOCTOR

“I couldn’t get Canadian actors to come here from Toronto. Oh Gawd, they said, what if I miss a radio commercial!?”

“The Pope won’t go to Sarajevo, but if there’s a director there, I will.”

“If someone opens a plastics plant with three people and an extruder, it’s a big deal. We employ over 500 people a year. We’re an industry. We throw millions into the economy!”

“Asking a theatre critic about a play is like asking a priest about sex. Think about it… Regards, Joe.” (cheery greeting card with tulips on the front, from Shoctor to Journal theatre critic Liz Nicholls)

“When I asked if John Neville might be the right guy for Edmonton, there was a roar at the other end of the phone. ‘Are you crazy? Are you smoking pot or something?’”



https://edmontonjournal.com/entertai...remier-theatre

[H.L.]

I love the citadel. We have had season tickets, for as long as I can remember.

[Replacement]

We've continued. I'm not as pleased with the direction of the theater now. A low point was the Citadel cancelling the Jordan Peterson talk after bowing to biased comments made about him and including one of their new staff who was involved with cancelling his talk.
The Citadel is getting really political. This is both good and bad. Good for the people that align to their obvious demonstrable new philosophies but a bit disconcerting to those that are wanting a good night out and not political commentary infused in every night.

As much as I've supported truth and reconciliation for instance I don't feel that it should be necessary to open every Citadel performance now with a monologue about this being first nations land and thanking the treaties etc. Such an introduction would of course be apt for the excellent Children of God production, but it isn't, I would think, a connected introduction to every play. This has been occurring before every play since Cloran was here.

Finally the theatre in recent years is going more for younger audiences, which is fine, but don't drastically alter the playbill and theatre tropes to obtain that. I'm increasingly seeing plays that are silly pablum like Mama Mia or those involving Robin Hood, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan and with some involving over acting, over pantomime etc. Theres hardly any kids ever in the audience and they increasingly go with such juvenile fair and staging. Its starting to become like a movie theater where you go and 9/12 theaters are showing movies based on comic books. Theater was one of the last vestiges where one could go to some more expansive entertainment.
Over the last 10seasons we've gone from huge fans to a bit more sitting on the fence. More empty seats noted as well. Cloran is not doing as well as the previous director.

[H.L.]

As much as I've supported truth and reconciliation for instance I don't feel that it should be necessary to open every Citadel performance now with a monologue about this being first nations land and thanking the treaties etc

No of course we don't, it's ridiculous, as are the sippy cups, so you can bring your booze with you. If it turns out to be like going to the movies, I'm afraid we might decide to give up the seats

[Replacement]

As much as I've supported truth and reconciliation for instance I don't feel that it should be necessary to open every Citadel performance now with a monologue about this being first nations land and thanking the treaties etc

No of course we don't, it's ridiculous, as are the sippy cups, so you can bring your booze with you. If it turns out to be like going to the movies, I'm afraid we might decide to give up the seats

Sippy cups? not sure what you are referring to with that.

That said the behavior of some of the fans seems to be deteriorating.

You are not allowed to film with smartphone, put the damn thing down, they announce every performance that cellphonses should be shut off but you have the usual dicks taking pictures, filming, checking email during the play. This was oddly new behavior this season. AS was people obviously intoxicated and obnoxious not only being allowed in but not removed from the show even after a dozen people complained that they were interrupting the play by shouting out drunken slurs to the female cast. This was during Mama Mia.

Unfortunately predrinking for plays is suddenly now a thing. To the people just discovering Live theater and that treat it like its a concert atmosphere..

Note to anybody yelling out during productions that I want to hear the performers do their script, not some drunk bozos cat calling in the crowd.

This is the problem when a theater goes hard for young converts and for instance from Rapid Fire Theatre. The new converts keep behaving as if its live improv and uber drinking. Anybody could see that coming.

[H.L.]

They handed out a coupon for a free drink, and they said it will come with a sippy cup, that you can bring with you each time!.. I just can't..
Our Saturday crowd are pretty good, we've been seeing one another for years,.

[Replacement]

They handed out a coupon for a free drink, and they said it will come with a sippy cup, that you can bring with you each time!.. I just can't..
Our Saturday crowd are pretty good, we've been seeing one another for years,.

^When and how did you get a coupon? Never got one and we have had STH for a longtime. I'm not opposed to getting the free drink...

In anycase thats a bit of an odd idea. Only water bottles were allowed in previously into the theaters.


We don't get the same people around us all the time. Especially in Maclab theater. We get occasional people we recognize in the Shocter. But occasionally that has been the cellphone wankers.

[H.L.]

They handed out a coupon for a free drink, and they said it will come with a sippy cup, that you can bring with you each time!.. I just can't..
Our Saturday crowd are pretty good, we've been seeing one another for years,.

^When and how did you get a coupon? Never got one and we have had STH for a longtime. I'm not opposed to getting the free drink...

In anycase thats a bit of an odd idea. Only water bottles were allowed in previously into the theaters.


We don't get the same people around us all the time. Especially in Maclab theater. We get occasional people we recognize in the Shocter. But occasionally that has been the cellphone wankers.

We were told to collect ours at the box office, we did, but I wont be using the sippy cup( that's the name they decided on)

[KC]

Last chance:
Citadel to retire Tom Wood's "A Christmas Carol" this December

https://www.thegatewayonline.ca/2018...this-december/





Citadel Announces 2018/19 Season Full Of Stars And Surprises

by BWW News Desk Oct. 1, 2018

“The new Citadel Theatre season, which kicked off September 22, features many brilliant, accomplished artists - local, national, and international - who will appear on the Citadel stages in the upcoming months.

Gemini Award-winning actor Lorne Cardinal (TV's Corner Gas) will star as...”


https://www.broadwayworld.com/toront...rises-20181001

[H.L.]

We're going on Saturday. The first time this season..

I think we've seen A Christmas Carol, 4/5 times..

[Replacement]

We're going on Saturday. The first time this season..

I think we've seen A Christmas Carol, 4/5 times..

We went last night. you're gonna love this show. I won't give away spoilers but people should go to this. Great musical, romantic, dramatic, comedy its got it all and all of it done wonderfully. Arrive early. The troupe get on stage doing songs BEFORE the play starts. Actually its almost a seamless segue into start of show.

What a solid opener to the season and an allstar cast.

[H.L.]

We're going on Saturday. The first time this season..

I think we've seen A Christmas Carol, 4/5 times..

We went last night. you're gonna love this show. I won't give away spoilers but people should go to this. Great musical, romantic, dramatic, comedy its got it all and all of it done wonderfully. Arrive early. The troupe get on stage doing songs BEFORE the play starts. Actually its almost a seamless segue into start of show.

What a solid opener to the season and an allstar cast.

Thank you for the review!

[H.L.]

We're going on Saturday. The first time this season..

I think we've seen A Christmas Carol, 4/5 times..

We went last night. you're gonna love this show. I won't give away spoilers but people should go to this. Great musical, romantic, dramatic, comedy its got it all and all of it done wonderfully. Arrive early. The troupe get on stage doing songs BEFORE the play starts. Actually its almost a seamless segue into start of show.

What a solid opener to the season and an allstar cast.

It was just as you said,we really enjoyed it. They did it all, sing, dance play wonderful music, I could see it again.

[Replacement]

We're going on Saturday. The first time this season..

I think we've seen A Christmas Carol, 4/5 times..

We went last night. you're gonna love this show. I won't give away spoilers but people should go to this. Great musical, romantic, dramatic, comedy its got it all and all of it done wonderfully. Arrive early. The troupe get on stage doing songs BEFORE the play starts. Actually its almost a seamless segue into start of show.

What a solid opener to the season and an allstar cast.

It was just as you said,we really enjoyed it. They did it all, sing, dance play wonderful music, I could see it again.

Glad you enjoyed it as well. It was one of the more enjoyable productions and also due to all of the troupe having to act, sing, and play musical instruments. So a virtuoso performance of virtuosos. They music they played, as you said, was wonderful. I far more enjoyed this musical than last years Hades themed play.


Word of mouth must be going on because this play was packed. I don't know if there was an empty seat in the house and sellouts have been unknown in the Cloran era. This one is packing em in. They've scheduled some extra performances. This is the best Season opener since Kims Convenience Store IMO.


This is one of the few shows I would be moved to see again and my general proclivity is to not even like musicals all that much. But there I am jumping up and giving them a standing ovation before anybody jumps up. Which everybody then did.

[H.L.]

I'm not enamoured with the sippy cup, someone behind us couldn't help rattling ice ! I shall let the citadel know.
I must say, most Saturdays are sold out, rarely are the seats empty.
It's had great reviews, all well deserved, and I relish a good musical.

[buildings]

Left at intermission. No chemistry between the leads; not good for a romantic story. Song's not tethered to the plot much. Boring. But hey, South Park was right! http://pixa.club/en/south-park-uncen...adway-bro-down

[Replacement]

Left at intermission. No chemistry between the leads; not good for a romantic story. Song's not tethered to the plot much. Boring. But hey, South Park was right! http://pixa.club/en/south-park-uncen...adway-bro-down

You'd be the exception, being that it didn't connect with you, but you might have read the Nichols review as well which might have spoiled it for you. She was saying the female lead was perfect (I agree) and the male lead had trouble keeping up. She was critical (rare) of the play. But if you had stayed throughout you would know that the constant disconnects were an intended part of the story line. It was meant.



spoiler part below


…….




It wasn't actual a happy ending romance where they live happily ever, they don't, theres a constant he, she ebb and flow. The female pursues, the guy stands off, resists, then the guy pursues and the female resists. It was like a classic courtship ritual that didn't work. But the journey was terrific and anybody that has had relationship pain (I hope everybody because that's the only way to obtain love) can sympathize and relate to the story and plot that resonated deeply with most seeing it.


That said I entirely sympathise with something just not working for you. For instance I really disliked Hadestown. Just couldn't stand it. Didn't like the music, the sets, some of the story was ok but again the male/female leads didn't connect and you could feel that. But mostly it was just a work that was really outside of my experience and I don't do as well with fantasy. It didn't take me to the place it was supposed to take me to. I didn't go to hell, hopefully that's foreshadowing....


Finally, this play maybe worked a little better for established couples than it might have worked for dating or such. Being that it was painful romantically. It was tragi-romance which doesn't always fly as well with everybody.

[H.L.]

Left at intermission. No chemistry between the leads; not good for a romantic story. Song's not tethered to the plot much. Boring. But hey, South Park was right! http://pixa.club/en/south-park-uncen...adway-bro-down

Really, wow. We loved it..

I also loved Hadestown

[H.L.]

Replacement, have you seen Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, yet ?

[Replacement]

Replacement, have you seen Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, yet ?

No, we're seeing it on Friday. Have you seen it yet? Don't know much about it. There was a movie on recently of a similar name, I don't think its the same story, but it put me to sleep after 10minutes.

Hopefully this isn't a musical..


edit;

Apparently this is a tie in sequel to Pride and Prejudice of some sort. Yikes. Jane Austen doesn't always translate to males so well..

[H.L.]

My daughter saw it, she said it was really good. We go this Saturday..

Its not a musical..

[Replacement]

My daughter saw it, she said it was really good. We go this Saturday..

Its not a musical..

But its Jane Austen derivative. Possibly the only thing worse than Austen (from a non female perpective) is a take on Austen, not even by Austen.


i'm not the demographic, heh.

Theres going to be a lot of dark rum in the sippy cup. I might sneak a flask in..

[H.L.]

I thought about slipping something into that awful cup!!!!lol

[Replacement]

The cups are still in attendance. They even sell them now, 3 bucks. Or a Citadel Tree Decoration for 5bucks. Or a small market located by the passageway to Canada Center. Indeed along with mirth marketing seems in the air..

heh


We lapsed into the play last night not sure what to expect. The first 5mins were slow, plodding and there were those moments where one wonders if one is going to care about the play.


But then the two protagonists hit the stage and we were then transported. That moment in a play where you engage, where it starts to take you along on the story.



So it happened. I actually went to a land of Austen whimsy and with some surprise. Without giving up spoilers the play and rendition were a success. This one might convey better to stage then some of the works of Austen herself. There were some moments though, some references to other works that I didn't know. Usually delivered in comic form where you don't get the joke unless you know the other novels or plays. But not often. This play can be enjoyed as a standalone. That was one of the things I wondered about going in. Because I'm not schooled in Austen.

But you'll surely enjoy it H.L.

[H.L.]

Thank you! I'm really looking forward to it

[H.L.]

The line up for. 2019/20 is out. The color purple is the musical. As you like it ,is the Shakespearian play.
The others also look good.