Latest news with #TheatreCalgary
CTV News
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Legally Blonde takes its case to the stage at Theatre Calgary
Kelsey Verzotti (centre) and the cast of Legally Blonde, which opens Friday at Theatre Calgary and runs through June 15. ((Photo: Trudie Lee))
Calgary Herald
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Preview: Actress finds inspiration in fearlessness of young female characters Elle and Dorothy
Article content Kelsey Verzotti is legally brunette. Article content To play the heroines of Anne of Green Gables and Legally Blonde, Verzotti has had to rely on wigs. Article content For the Maritime orphan in Anne of Green Gables, which she played last summer, Verzotti donned the girl's trademark red pigtails, and for Elle Woods, the heroine of Legally Blonde, whom she plays for Theatre Calgary until June 15, Verzotti goes blond. Article content Article content 'The wigs and costumes help me drop into the characters. It's always a big transformation, but they are what make me feel like Anne and Elle,' says Verzotti. Article content Article content 'I've learned so much from playing Elle. She doesn't think badly about herself. I'm inspired by that. I've seen a mindset coach to help me do what Elle does naturally. My coach helps me understand why I am so hard on myself. There is none of that in Elle. She believes in herself. That's something I have to learn to do. Article content 'When Elle decides to go to Harvard, she has no negative feelings. She just takes her dog, and away they go. She knows she can do it. That's what's so great about her. That was the great thing about Anne in Anne of Green Gables, also. She was completely unafraid to speak her mind. She was so different than the rest of the uptight town.' Article content Verzotti says the character of Elle teaches her arch rival, Vivienne, an important lesson: Do not try to make yourself look better by making someone else look bad. Article content Article content 'Nobody benefits. It's a beautiful truth. At first, Vivienne tries to undermine Elle, but eventually they become the best of allies. They end up fighting for each other, not against each other.' Article content Article content Verzotti remembers having some of Elle and Anne's fearlessness when she was in Grade 12 at William Aberhart High School in 2012. CBC was running a contest called Over the Rainbow to find a girl who would play Dorothy in the Toronto version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard of Oz. Verzotti was one of 20 finalists who went to the Dorothy Boot Camp, as it was called. Article content 'I was 17 years old. Very bright-eyed and inexperienced. But I had parents who believed in me. Article content 'That 20 was whittled down to 10, and I was one of them. I got eliminated, but not before I got to meet Andrew Lloyd Webber in his house in Barbados. One of the other girls was studying at Sheridan College in Toronto. She told me about the program and said that I should apply. I had already been accepted at the University of Calgary to study psychology, but after the experience with Over the Rainbow, I knew that what I really wanted to do.'
Calgary Herald
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Preview: Actress finds inspiration in fearlessness of young female characters Ellie and Dorothy
Article content Kelsey Verzotti is legally brunette. Article content To play the heroines of Anne of Green Gables and Legally Blonde, Verzotti has had to rely on wigs. Article content For the Maritime orphan in Anne of Green Gables, which she played last summer, Verzotti donned the girl's trademark red pigtails, and for Elle Woods, the heroine of Legally Blonde, whom she plays for Theatre Calgary until June 15, Verzotti goes blond. Article content Article content 'The wigs and costumes help me drop into the characters. It's always a big transformation, but they are what make me feel like Anne and Elle,' says Verzotti. Article content Article content 'I've learned so much from playing Elle. She doesn't think badly about herself. I'm inspired by that. I've seen a mindset coach to help me do what Elle does naturally. My coach helps me understand why I am so hard on myself. There is none of that in Elle. She believes in herself. That's something I have to learn to do. Article content 'When Elle decides to go to Harvard, she has no negative feelings. She just takes her dog, and away they go. She knows she can do it. That's what's so great about her. That was the great thing about Anne in Anne of Green Gables, also. She was completely unafraid to speak her mind. She was so different than the rest of the uptight town.' Article content Verzotti says the character of Elle teaches her arch rival, Vivienne, an important lesson: Do not try to make yourself look better by making someone else look bad. Article content Article content 'Nobody benefits. It's a beautiful truth. At first, Vivienne tries to undermine Elle, but eventually they become the best of allies. They end up fighting for each other, not against each other.' Article content Article content Verzotti remembers having some of Elle and Anne's fearlessness when she was in Grade 12 at William Aberhart High School in 2012. CBC was running a contest called Over the Rainbow to find a girl who would play Dorothy in the Toronto version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Wizard of Oz. Verzotti was one of 20 finalists who went to the Dorothy Boot Camp, as it was called. Article content 'I was 17 years old. Very bright-eyed and inexperienced. But I had parents who believed in me. Article content 'That 20 was whittled down to 10, and I was one of them. I got eliminated, but not before I got to meet Andrew Lloyd Webber in his house in Barbados. One of the other girls was studying at Sheridan College in Toronto. She told me about the program and said that I should apply. I had already been accepted at the University of Calgary to study psychology, but after the experience with Over the Rainbow, I knew that what I really wanted to do.'
Calgary Herald
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Review: A deft touch and humour soften the serious topics in Theatre Calgary's Awoowaakii
Article content Awoowaakii is a comedy that deals with some serious issues. Article content The Indigenous characters in Theatre Calgary's latest play have sought the help of Rosie Running Eagle, an elder, to give them traditional names which reflect their personalities. When it comes to Toni Twigg, the most flamboyant of the characters, Rosie chooses a name meaning butterfly, saying Toni always brought levity and laughter with him, even in the most serious situations. This is also true of playwright Sable Sweetgrass, who keeps her show from becoming maudlin and preachy by sprinkling everything with gentle humour. Article content Article content It's a tricky situation, to say the least, because Sweetgrass has created the most untraditional of families. Chrissy Sipatsimo is a transgender woman who is raising her dead sister's son, Richie, with her friend Toni, who is a gay drag queen. Chrissy is pretty certain that Richie knows Toni is gay, but she doesn't think he knows Toni is a drag queen. This, and Richie's issues at school, are the biggest problems the little family faces until Chrissy's father, Joseph Two Guns, arrives and mistakes Toni for Chrissy. This throws the little family into complete chaos, and introduces themes of abuse, alcoholism, sexuality and residential schools. Sweetgrass wisely laces everything with the kind of humour the audience got used to in the first part of the play. Article content Article content The play opens with Toni doing a drag performance, which is a clever way to let the audience know they are in for the unconventional. It also leaves Toni in drag, and Chrissy trying to hide him from Richie. She literally sticks him in the cupboard. It makes for a raucous opening, which is what this play needs. Article content Article content Garret C. Smith throws subtlety to the wind to play Toni and has great fun doing so. He never lets Toni become obnoxious, instead keeping him mischievous. Article content As Chrissy, Marshall Vielle does all the heavy lifting. He is the heart and soul of Sweetgrass's play. He has a speech in the second half in which he explains what a mother's role is and what it means to be transgender. It's a powerful speech, and Vielle gives it the kind of conviction that earns the biggest response of the evening. Article content Jenova Calixto captures Richie's frustration, not just with his home life, but with his school. He has a beautiful speech in which he explains how Chrissy and Toni are the pillars of his life, and how he is treated at school. There is a touch of anger in how he delivers it that keeps it from being overly sentimental. He's not asking for pity, just understanding.
Global News
01-05-2025
- Global News
Former Calgarian among victims of Vancouver's Lapu Lapu festival tragedy
Her friends and family remember her as someone who would do anything to help others, filled with empathy and a desire to help the world. Jenifer Darbellay was one of 11 people killed Saturday night when an SUV plowed through a crowd of people at Vancouver's Filipino festival. Originally from Calgary, where she graduated from St. Francis High School and the Alberta College of Art and Design, Darbellay had lived in Vancouver for many years. An accomplished artist, she was attending the Lapu Lapu festival with her husband when she was killed, leaving behind two children, ages 15 and seven. View image in full screen Former Calgarian, Jenifer Darbellay, seen here with her husband Noel Johansen, has been identified as one of the people killed Saturday in the tragedy at Vancouver's Filipino festival. Courtesy: Marilyn Potts Speaking at a vigil for the victims on Monday, Darbellay's husband, who was injured in the attack and attended the vigil on crutches, fought back tears as he described his family's heartbreak. Story continues below advertisement 1:13 'She was larger than life': Husband of Vancouver Lapu Lapu festival victim pays moving tribute to wife 'What you see here is an injury that means nothing to me because what's inside my heart in broken — because my wife passed away behind me at the incident,' said Noel Johansen. View image in full screen Before moving to Vancouver, Jenifer Darbellay, worked in costume design with Theatre Calgary and Alberta Theatre Projects. Courtesy: Marilyn Potts While she was still living in Calgary, Darbelly became good friends with St. Francis High School drama teacher Marilyn Potts, now retired, and a mentor to her students. Story continues below advertisement 'We were doing Fiddler on the Roof and I had hired Terry Gunberdahl, who was a local set designer, and our image was to have this play designed as a Chagall painting,' said Potts. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'So she came in and she was a little hesitant and Terry took a paintbrush and he cut it in half and he said just paint those costumes like Chagall, and she did and it was brilliant, it was one of the best things we ever did and visually it was stunning.' View image in full screen Former Calgarian, Jenifer Darbelly (right), who was one of the victims from Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Festival is seen in this photo with her friend, former St. Francis High School drama teacher, Marilyn Potts. Courtesy: Marilyn Potts Darbellay worked with both Theatre Calgary and Alberta Theatre Projects before moving to Vancouver, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of British Columbia. But she and Potts remained great friends and their families would visit each summer. 'She was … an old soul, she was so kind and so generous and so giving and such a team player and a fabulous teacher, so when she had her own family and she's a superb mother … and wife,' said Potts. Story continues below advertisement View image in full screen Former Calgarian Jenifer Darbellay was known as an accomplished artist and painter. Provided to Global News According to Darbellay's online bio she worked primarily in acrylics in her home studio and costume designs in watercolours. But she never forgot where she came from and often donated some of her works to help raise money for groups like Alberta Theatre Projects. 'She was so generous. She was kind to everybody. Everybody was her friend. She would do everything for people,' added Potts. Since the tragedy, Potts said she has been in touch with and received many messages from the students and others that Darbellay has helped over the years. 'Her parents are wonderful. Her husband is great. I feel very sad for everything that they are going through.' Marilyn Potts describes her friend, Jenifer Darbellay, who was was of the victims of Vancouver's Lapu Lapu tragedy, as 'as truly exceptional human being.' Courtesy: Marilyn Potts But despite the tragedy and the loss of her friend, Potts refuses to hold a grudge. Story continues below advertisement 'One of my former students and her friend sent me a writing that came from somewhere,' said Potts. 'Noel, her husband, said that they had been discussing the day before how in our world where there's so much trouble and so many people wanting revenge — that we need to learn compassion and we need to learn to forgive — and Noel said I want to hopefully be able to put that philosophy to work.' 'I think she'd be very happy with that,' said Potts, 'because I never heard her hold a grudge against anyone or say anything bad against anyone. She was so open to everyone, no matter what your religion, preferences, whatever. She was a truly an exceptional human being.'
