by Stephen Dafoe
Morinville and area entertainment seekers will have three live shows to choose from this weekend. The Morinville Community Library’s Comedy Show and Champion Regional Series both take place Saturday night, and Dufflebag Theatre hits the stage Sunday afternoon for a no charge performance of the Three Musketeers at the cultural centre.
Champion Regional Series
Alberta beef, the music of the Beatles, and local beers are on the menu for the first of the Champion Regional Series events. The evening out takes place Apr. 9 at the Morinville Rendez-Vous Centre with cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m. and a live show at 8 p.m.
Musician Paul Smith said they chose music of the Beatles for the first show because of their near-universal appeal.
“We chose the Beatles because they’re an iconic band that are really fun to play their music and really fun to listen to their music,” Smith said. “We want to create a date night atmosphere for the people of Morinville. This music just naturally fits that. You can dance to it. You can sit back and watch if you want a more kind of theatre presentation. It really fits so many tastes for music.”
The event is catered by the Green Bean and tickets are available there at $50 each.
Library Comedy Show
The Morinville Community Library will hold its third annual Library Comedy Show at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre Apr. 9. The licensed event is open to those 18 and older, and tickets are $20 each.
This year’s fundraiser show features improv comedians Julian Faid and Kory Mathewson together with opening act Lawrence Wolf.
Faid has been improvising for 15 years, appearing in improv festivals in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Toronto, Vancouver and Regina. Mathewson has shared the stage with top improv acts from across Canada, the United States, and Europe. In 2016, the two improv comedians presented TEDxRFT at the Seattle Festival of Improvised Theatre.
Opening act Lawrence Wolf has appeared on Bite TV, showcased for the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival and Sirius XM radio.
Tickets are $20 each or $200 for a VIP table of eight. The table price includes two bottles of wine and snacks. Tickets can be purchased at the Morinville Community Library and online at EventBright. Doors open Apr. 9 at 7:30 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m.
The Three Musketeers
Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 story of d’Artagnan, a poor young nobleman joining the Musketeers of the Guard will appear on the stage Apr. 10 in the last of the family shows at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre this season.
The hour-long show is the work of Dufflebag Theatre, who will bring the story of the Three Musketeers alive with plenty of audience participation.
Dufflebag Theatre will present that magic in Morinville this weekend, and hope their audience will be ready for something different.
“They can expect the unexpected,” said Artistic Director Marcus Lundgren. “They can expect to see familiar characters but in strange new ways. They can have an introduction to the classic because some of the young members may not have seen or know much about the story. It’s a great introduction, and it’s just a lot of fun. They should all be prepared to laugh and have an experience that will live on.”
Tickets for the Apr. 10 show are no charge. They may be picked up in advance at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre.