With only a few days left to catch “A Christmas Carol” at the Citadel Theatre, I figured it was time to get out a few photos and bits that I’ve collected over the process.

Because it’s the show’s 12th year, there aren’t archival photos for me to post, but I [...]]]>

With only a few days left to catch “A Christmas Carol” at the Citadel Theatre, I figured it was time to get out a few photos and bits that I’ve collected over the process.

Because it’s the show’s 12th year, there aren’t archival photos for me to post, but I do have some video and a few pics from opening night and backstage.

If you’re in Edmonton, do come see the show before the 23rd!  I promise you’ll forget all about the amount of shopping you still have to do

[Show as slideshow]

Altar Boyz is coming back to the Arts Club from July 5th to September 1st, 2012 at the Revue Stage on Granville Island.  We’ll be up close and personal for all that praise raising.

This show has been [...]]]>

Jeremy as "Matthew" and Charles McEachern as "Luke" in Altar Boyz. Photo by Emily Cooper

I’ve been so excited about this news, it killed me they took a month to announce it!

Altar Boyz is coming back to the Arts Club from July 5th to September 1st, 2012 at the Revue Stage on Granville Island.  We’ll be up close and personal for all that praise raising.

This show has been one of my favorite to be part of and I made some great friends working on it, as well as performing the choreography of my best friend, Sara-Jeanne Hosie.

I understand there will even be a few new boyz in the company as Dave Hurwitz and Vince Tong are off on other exciting adventures.  It’s always a bit challenging bringing new people into a show, adjusting to new dynamics on stage and off, but I think it will give us an opportunity to ignite a new flame on stage every night.

I’m mostly excited to be back on stage in Vancouver and to share the entire summer with my family!

Much more to come, I’m sure.

I said goodbye to Mozart and the cast and crew of Amadeus on the evening of the 22nd, grabbed about 4 hours of sleep and then headed towards the airport in Nanaimo.  Three planes later I found myself in St. John’s, [...]]]> I feel a bit like a zombie right now.  Appropriate as Halloween approaches!

I said goodbye to Mozart and the cast and crew of Amadeus on the evening of the 22nd, grabbed about 4 hours of sleep and then headed towards the airport in Nanaimo.  Three planes later I found myself in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.

I’m proud to be a national councillor for Canadian Actors Equity Association, the organization that represents Canada’s stage actors, directors, choreographers and dancers.  Every year we meet once in a different location in the country to help give members access to our meetings.  It’s also when we hold our Equity Honors Awards, giving thanks to people in the association and outside of it who have dedicated their time and talents to improve theatre, or the work of theatre artists.

Take some time to read about the honourees here, because their stories are absolutely amazing.  I was brought to tears several times hearing about the devotion to theatre exemplified by the four award winners.

The next day, it was back onto a plane to head to Toronto.

I’m now struggling to stay awake thanks to nasty jet lag and total body confusion as to how much sleep I need.  Last night was six hours, so certainly a step in the right direction.  Tonight, I may sleep for 24.

I’m missing home a lot right now… when 2011 is all said and done, I’ll have been out of Vancouver for nearly nine months.  That’s no complaint… I’m so amazed at what an incredible 12 months it’s been.  But I miss my home, my dog and my wonderful husband.

Here in TO, I’m working hard on some auditions right now… hopefully that will lead to some news in the weeks ahead, but who knows?! Either way, on November 2nd, Air Canada and I shall meet again as the better half and I head to Europe for some much needed quality time.  Upon my return to Vancouver (facilitated by, you guessed it, Air Canada), I’ll be removing my braces (HOOORAY!!!!) and then giving a bit of business to WestJet on my way to Edmonton to start Christmas Carol.

Much of vacation will be spent memorizing lines.  The life, baby!!

Life is always an incredible adventure, or at least it should be.  2011 has been filled with excitement, great friends, powerful love and wonderous theatre.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Now I must eat.  It’s past 9:00 pm in Toronto, but dinner time in Vancouver, so I’m hungry.

Stupid jet lag.

I hope you’re doing well… I’m always so excited to see people reading the blog.  If you have any advice on getting rid o the jet lag, comments below are more than welcome.

I’m so proud of the piece and want to express my supreme thanks to everyone who came to see the show and made it so successful.  Enjoy the shots!

Last night we held our talk back with a a couple dozen [...]]]>

Jeremy Crittenden and Samantha Currie in "Amadeus"

I’m a big fan of the “talk back” at theatres, both as an audience member and an artist in a production.  It’s kinda like going for coffee with a bunch of people you’ve never met, but have shared a very unique experience with.

Last night we held our talk back with a a couple dozen audience members after the show to dish about the performance and the characters.  Incredibly, the first question is almost always “how do you memorize all of those lines?!”  Always makes me smile.

In my ideal world (and the world of the theatre company I will one day run), talk backs would be in a cozy lounge with delicious wine being served while theatre creators get to meet their audience and share ideas.  So let’s do that on my website, shall we?!

I’ll be pouring a glass of Ehrenfelser from my favourite BC winery, Mount Boucherie.

Tell me what wine you’re drinking and ask any question you’d like about Amadeus.  No question will go unanswered, or at all edited.

We’ve been working since August 22nd on the play and it’s ready to roll! It’s amazing how rehearsals have come and gone so quickly, but alas, the calendar doesn’t lie.

I’m [...]]]>
Tonight, Salieri will ask you to “be visible, I beg you” as The Chemainus Theatre Festival opens its production of Amadeus.

We’ve been working since August 22nd on the play and it’s ready to roll! It’s amazing how rehearsals have come and gone so quickly, but alas, the calendar doesn’t lie.

I’m stoked to be playing this role and incredibly grateful. I’m also grateful for the great friends of mine who are planning to board airplanes or boats (or both!) to come and see the show. It’s remarkable and very warming to the ol’ heart!

And because Mozart has such a naughty sense of humor, I’d like to close this post with a link to one of the dirty compositions Mozart wrote. In English, it’s title would be “Lick me in the ass”.

Seriously. Mozart wrote that.

http://dme.mozarteum.at/DME/nma/nma_cont.php?vsep=93&gen=edition&l=1&p1=11

I was going to publish the lyrics to another song called “Lick me in the ass right well and clean” but I thought that might be a bit too much.

So read them yourself here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leck_mir_den_Arsch_fein_recht_schön_sauber

Character wise, there is one that won’t be listed in the program, but has a [...]]]> Rehearsals began this week on Amadeus at the Chemainus Theatre Festival on Vancouver Island.  The cast is really quite great with Martin Simms, Bernard Cuffling, Ted Cole and Samantha Currie, to name a few.

Character wise, there is one that won’t be listed in the program, but has a significant role to play: Mozart’s music.

The Marriage of Figaro, Abduction from the Seraglio, his keyboard concerti and many more of the composer’s brilliant works are sampled in the play, but not simply to make a transition or cover up a scene change.  The music is what drives the story, particularly for the character “Salieri” who drives the telling of Mozart’s downfall and death.

Yesterday as I stood on the set, conducting away as Mozart once would have to an amazing aria, I had shivers run down my spine.

The Chemainus Theatre says this show is a classic music lover’s dream, but I think it’s even more than that.  The strong role Mozart’s music plays in this script will not only thrill all those who’ve had the pleasure of falling in love with it already, surely it will have hundreds of new Mozart fans leaving the theatre every night.