I’m up way too early on my day off, waiting to have lunch with the folks and figger out what to do with myself on my first non-acting class Wednesday in eleven weeks, so what the hey, might as well get the Coming Up list out of the way!  It’s sadly short, but that’s the holiday season for ya…

Start off with the big boy in town, the smash GCTC/NAC team-up production of VIMY, still playing until the 11th at the Oiving Greenboig theatre.  And yes, you CAN still get tickets, all joking aside, but don’t wait too long.  Tickets $45, but If you hit the box office at noon, you might just catch a live rush special price for that day’s show.  Maybe.  But hurry.

Over at the Carleton Tavern, Donnie Laflamme’s MECHANICSVILLE MONOLOGUES II continues today until the 4th, and it’s a great time.  Thinking of heading out to catch it again my own self tonite.  Plenty of Glebe and Westboro bashing fun for everyone!  Tickets only $20.

Speaking of Westboro, my alma mater the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama is putting on Shakespeare’s 12TH NIGHT from the 2nd to the 18th, starring the graduating class of the Ottawa Theatre School, and a few awesome guest stars.  Catch Pierre Brault on stage before his THE SHADOW CUTTER debuts at the GCTC next year!  $20, or 30 for the Fratelli’s-catered opening night.  I got my ticket already!

The Gladstone Theatre (not dead yet!) will be hosting what promises to be a laugh-filled weekend the 3rd and 4th for the CRUSH IMPROV 3RD ANNIVERSARY PARTY, featuring the usual gang of psychopaths, plus special guests from Montreal and beyond.  A shockingly low $10 pricetag, and you can even halve that by doing a little promo work on their behalf.   Maybe you should stop being so selfish and spread the word, hey?  Honestly.

Ye olde Ottawa Little Theatre has a seasonal treat with INSPECTING CAROL running from now until the 18th, and featuring the Seattle Repertory Company.  A mere $24, and it sounds like a good time to me.  Catherine, I’m still trying to figger out a date we could go, don’t give up on me yet!

Back to the still-standing Gladstone Theatre, their next show is the on-stage radio play IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, playing from the 9th-18th.  yes, it’s THAT It’s aWonderful Life, and I hear tell of singing and dancing, so I’m sold.  $38, but you know it’s worth it.

The NAC gets back to their  own turf with NATIVITY, billed as a holiday musical comedy with a little Monty Python thrown in for good measure.  Tickets anywhere from 22 to 65 bucks, depending on seating.  I dunno, I still haven’t gotten to the NAC yet.  Will try and make it out for this’un!  Running from the 8th thru the 23rd.  And the NAC is also hosting Broadway’s very own LEGALLY BLONDE from the 28th thru Jan 2nd, tickets $30 – infinity (I presume).

At the Shenkman Centre, Vintage Stock Theatre is putting on A DICKENS OF A CHRISTMAS for a short run, the 9th-12th.  Tix a mere $15, and the man Pat Gauthier is involved, a stamp of quality if ever there was one.  And Paul Rainville’s in it! Go!

And thanks to eagle-eyed Nancy Kenny, for reminding me that I left the EVOLUTION THEATRE BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER off my list!  $15 gets you in to this shindig at Arts Court on the 13th (also the birthday of some blogger or other, whose page you may or may not be on right now…but nevermind, don’t worry about that, I’ll be fine), featuring a reading of their first production WE WON’T PAY! WE WON’T PAY!, announcements for their upcoming season, and also cake.  Be there or suffer crippling shame.

That’s about it, far as I’ve sussed…Third Wall Theatre WAS to have had their fundraising-reading of MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL on the 4th, but I’m told that’s been pushed back to February now, so save your pennies.  I’m actually a little glad, because I couldn’t go on the 4th, and my acting Boss Barry Karp was gonna be in it, something I really wanted to see.  So, another chance!

Right, I’m off…if anyone else hears something, give me a shout, eh?  In the meantime, I’ll be at 12th Night on Thursday, Crush Improv on Friday, and Vimy one more time on Saturday (a volunteer’s work, it seems, is never done).  Hope to see some of you there!  Peace, love and soul,

The Visitor (and Winston)