On account of I haven’t posted anything in a week and a half, and I’m starting to question my own existence as a result, I’m gonna try and get the ‘Coming Up’ post done and posted a wee bit early.  And there was even stuff TO talk about!  A wicked ‘Bout Time workshop with Crush Improv (I made someone laugh!), ALTHEA at the Saw Gallery from Inverted Tree (short but sweet), and that whole ‘getting cast in a Fringe show’ thing…but we will talk more of THAT at a later date.  In the meantime, get ready to scream and shout, because it’s FEBRUARY IN OTTAWA!!!  And, as we’re about to see, that’s a much more awesome thing than it sounds like.

— ENGLISH THEATRE —

– BLUE BOX at the Great Canadian Theatre Company, from Nightswimming and Carmen Aguirre.  You have until the 3rd to find out why Carmen Aguirre is so much better than you (and she is).

– BAT BOY THE MUSICAL at the Gladstone Theatre, from Black Sheep Theatre.  Until the 2nd, one of the funnest musicals of them all comes to a close, and if you miss it, I’ll never forgive you (neither will Bat Boy).

– METAMORPHOSES at the National Arts Centre, from NAC English Theatre.  The swimming pool show!  Ovid!  Alix Sideris is in it!  And I’ll know more once I see it in a few days, but go!  Until the 16th.

– THE LAST DROP at schools across the region, from Salamander Theatre.  Touring schools, but with one public performance on the 2nd at the OSSD, (EDITED: sadly, I am informed that the public performance has been cancelled.  As usual, schoolkids get ALL the good stuff!) this Natalie Joy Quesnel-helmed show about a fish and scientist fighting over a glass of water promises to be something memorable. So if you, I don’t know, run a school or something, BOOK THIS SHOW!

– RABBIT HOLE at the Ron Maslin Playhouse, from Kanata Theatre.  From the 5th to 16th, family drama from David Lindsay-Abaire that sounds pretty gut-punching.  Gonna try hard to make it out to this one.

– BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR at the Gladstone Theatre, from Plosive Productions.  Chris Ralph flies solo (well, with a pianist, and director supreme Teri Loretto-Valentik) in the Canadian musical classic.  From the 8th to 23rd.

– PRIDE AND PREJUDICE at the Ottawa Little Theatre.  The NAC had their crack, now it’s OLT’s turn with their take on Jane Austen’s love-romp fluffstravaganza.  From the 12th thru to March 2nd.

– GOD OF CARNAGE at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre (GCTC), from Third Wall.  They’re back!  With the Ontario premiere of Yasmina Reza’s hit show, and the Avengers-league cast of Duckworth, Ellis, Watt and Koensgen leading the charge.  From the 12th thru March 2nd.

– THE SERVANT OF TWO MASTERS from Algonquin Theatre.  The Gonq kids are back for another season, kicking off with some Commedia courtesy of director Catriona Leger!  From the 13th to 17th.

– THE PAPER BAG PRINCESS AND OTHER STORIES from Ottawa Theatre School, at the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama.  A little Munsch action for ya, from the OTS gang.  Family fare from the 16th to 23rd.

– SANCTUARY SONG at the National Arts Centre Studio.  An opera for children, about an elephant.  Sold!  The 16th and 18th.

– INNOCENCE LOST at the National Arts Centre.  Beverly Cooper’s dramatic retelling of the true story of Steven Truscott.  From the 27th to March 16th.

And for something of interest to fans of both French AND English Theatre (you should be fans of both, by the way), the PRIX RIDEAU AWARDS will be announcing their 2013 nominations on the 26th at Mercury Lounge.  C’mon out and tart planning what to wear to the gala!

Oh yes, I hadn’t forgotten about it!  (Although to all the people who’ve been talking about it like it’s the only thing going on in Ottawa theatre this month…please see above).  Here’s the goodies coming up any second now from the third UNDERCURRENTS Festival, running from the 5th thru 17th…all shows taking place in the GCTC Studio (or maybe the lobby, as in the case of BREAD):

– SKIN from Deluxe Hot Sauce.  Insanely cool sounding theatre from the Saucies, featuring original music composed by mapping each performers skin.  Starts the 5th, ends the 16th.

– THE PUBLIC SERVANT from Theatre Columbus. Billed as a tragi-comedy about the life of a female federal employee, Theatre Columbus has the years to prove they mean business.  And they were smart enough to bring Sarah McVie along on this one!  Starts the 5th, ends on the 17th.

– BREAD from Karen Balcome and Geoff McBride.  Bake bread in the lobby with Ruby and Seth!  Short and lively theatre that I expect you will remember always (very limited seating!)  Starts the 5th, ends the 17th.

– LADIES OF THE LAKE from Skeleton Key. The secret origin of the Lady of the Lake?  If it’s from Kate Smith and Catriona Leger, then I believe it.  Starts on the 6th, ends the 16th.

– HIP HOP SHAKESPEARE LIVE MUSIC VIDEOS from 411 Dramaturgy.  First of two returning Fringe hits, Dave and Mel’s inspiring collage of Bardic song parodies is a major crowd pleaser. Starts the 6th, ends the 17th.

– LITTLE ORANGE MAN from Snafu Dance Theatre.   The other Fringe showstopper…one of the best things in the history of ever, featuring the inimitable Ingrid Hansen as Kitt.  Starts on the 7th, ends on the 14th.

– LITTLE ILIAD from Evan Webber and Frank Cox-O’Connell.  Cool people tell me this innovative, two-man show is one for the ages, and I can’t wait.  Runs twice nightly, because they don’t have enough headphones (you’ll see).  Starts on the 8th, ends on the 13th.

— FRENCH THEATRE —

– V COMME CANARD at Theatre de L’Ile. Until the 16th.  Comedy like only the French can do it!

– VIPERINE at the NAC studio.  Until the 3rd, family drama aimed at a young audience.

– L’ARAIGNEE at L’Espace Rene Prevost.  Until the 2nd…new stuff from Elise Gauthier, yay!

– 20,000 LIEUES SOUS LES MERS: L’HOMME FACE A  LA NATURE at Arts Court Studio, from Creations in Vivo.  2pm on the 10th, 16th and 17th, in asscociation with Chill Factor!  Live action Jules Verne for the win!

– UBU SUR LA TABLE at the NAC Rehearsal Hall A.  From the 12th to the 16th.  Puppet theatre of the insanely cool sounding variety.

– KIWI at the NAC Studio.  From the 20th to 23rd…a ‘fairy tale devoid of fairies’, for ages 12 and up.

– OULIPO SHOW at the NAC Studio.  From the 27th to March 2nd, a supposedly amazing display of French linguistic acrobatics…so I may need to have a spotter for this one.

—OTHER STUFF—

IMPROV : Crush Improv will be back with another Bout Time on the 4th, this time upstairs at the Foolish Chicken!  Two brand new teams, so how can ya lose?  And GRIMPROV, another Improv gang that have lost their home recently (RIP Imperial Tavern), relocated at the last minute this month to the Cock and Lion, and I’ll keep this spot updated with where their next show will be.  Crystal Basement…is your show at Atomic Rooster on the FIRST Tuesday of the month, or the last..?  I get confused easily.

COMEDY: CRACKING UP THE CAPITAL hits town from the 5th thru 9th, featuring such visiting comedy dignitaries as Colin Mochrie, Deb McGrath, Big Daddy Tazz and many more (including a head to head bout with the Carleton U. and Ottawa U. improv teams, moderated my Mochrie his own self).  Comedy fans take fuckin’ note!

DANCE : FACE 2 FACE from NAC Dance and a variety of supercool international artists, putting on a mini-Fringe of Dance goodness.  The shows…STILL STANDING YOU, THE MOST TOGETHER WE’VE EVER BEEN, HOW ABOUT YOU?, and T.+ BERNADETTE and THE ENCHANTED ROOM sound absolutely unmissable…which is why I have no intention of missing them, and you’d be a loon to pass this up too.  At the NAC Studio, ODD Dance Studio and Arts Court Theatre from the 5th thru 9th.

MUSIC: The Winter Edition of the OTTAWA JAZZ FESTIVAL hits town from January 30th until February 2nd, with a whole lotta sweet sounds at venues at the Mercury Lounge, Dominion Chalmers Church, Academic Hall and the NAC 4th Stage.  I’ll be making my music-review debut at this shindig, so I hope come of you will make it out!

— OTHER OTHER STUFF —

Someone just kindly pointed out a small  little winter festival in town this month, called WINTERLUDE.  Maybe you want to check some of the million or so activities this slightly gigantic event has going on, as well as their newer sister festival CHILL FACTOR.  Keep your eyes peeled on the weekends at Marion Dewar plaza, or Jacques Cartier and Confederation Parks, and you just might see the Ottawa Stilt Union prowling around, looking cool. In fact, here’s a recently added list of their appearance times!

You might also be interested in hitting up DIRTY DOZEN, the 12th anniversary shindig in honour of Venus Envy‘s 12th year in operation.  Gonna be some sweet burlesque, including my pal the Mighty Afrodite, at Babylon nightclub on Saturday the 16th.

(This is the part where you tell me what I missed, and what cool goings-on Ottawa needs to know about.  Movies, Dance, spoken word, you name it, I’ll pimp it, just drop me a comment/tweet/e-mail/whatever.  Also, whatever new stuff I find (or, ahem, remember) along the way will go here.  Check back as often as it please ye.)  In the meantime I am DONE, because it’s gotten warm out and the furnace still thinks it’s minus 30-something. Phew!  Peace,love and soul, y’all,

Kevin Reid, aka The Visitor (and Winston)