Comedy show takes final bow

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This article was published 10/06/2019 (2695 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

ACTORS at the last ever BS Comedy Players beer-and-skits show, C*A*S*H*, wiped away unashamed tears as they took their final bows last weekend at the Prairie Theatre Exchange.

Beer-and-skits shows started 85 years ago in Winnipeg as part of the Winnipeg Press Club. For decades, they were all male, down-and-dirty theatre. The female roles were played by men in drag and people paid big bucks for tickets. The brass rail rule was in effect — nothing onstage could be repeated outside those walls.

In 1984, women were introduced to the show and yours truly was the first female mistress of ceremonies.

Now many of the male roles are played by women. At the final shows held last weekend, U.S. President Donald Trump muscled his way in, wearing a brilliant orange wig, huge tie and cheap suit, jacket hanging open. He was played by hilarious female actor Arielle Morier-Roy who did a bang up job, using all of the Trumpian mumbo-jumbo, braggadocio, posturing and hand gestures.

NOTABLE PERFOMANCES: Nick Xidos played Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister. The others? Hank Korman was Liberal MLA Dr. Jon Gerrard; Corey Quintaine was Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman; Diane Isfeld portrayed Point Douglas Coun. Vivian Santos; Andrew Teeluck was former Winnipeg mayor Glen Murray; Mel Rempel played Lt.-Gov. Janice Filmon; Melissa Hansen played MP and former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould; Pamela Roz Fisher was MP Jane Philpott; and Heather Forgie was Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

The glossy, 24-page playbill was a masterpiece of picture collages from the past, raucous visual jokes and details of the farewell show.

Artistic director Mitch Krohn met people in the lobby at the break in his wheelchair. BS Comedy’s main man had a stroke several years ago, but his writing group was so determined to get him back to snuff they drove out to the hospital in Selkirk where he was recovering — to write with him.

“There was nothing wrong with me, cognitively,“ he said. He was in fine form, even singing a solo song in the dark. He added he shed many a tear in the week leading up to the shows, as did many of the cast, particularly during their last bows.

But you can’t keep a good man down, though. Watch for Krohn with a show at the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival in July.

Besides eight skits spoofing all three levels of government, the show included sets of standup by comedian Lara Rae, who confessed she was wearing “no makeup for the month of June” because costs “are cutting into my weed money.”

HOT TIP! The script for Gameloft Toronto’s new video game called Lego Legacy: Heroes Unboxed, for nostalgic adults and their kids, was written by former Winnipegger Burke Scurfield (full disclosure: he’s my nephew).

“For a year now, we’ve been secretly creating the narrative for a new game that’s meant to bring 40 years of Lego toys back to the fans who used to play with them,” Scurfield says.

“It’s great to work with a big project, especially when it’s centred around something that meant so much to you as a kid. I still remember a lot of my Castle Forestmen sets from the ’90s before all my friends either destroyed or ‘borrowed’ them, either by accident or design. Now, I get to help bring a lot of those smashed and stolen characters back to life, so take that, friends from the ’90s.”

Prior to this project, which will soon be available on Apple and Android devices, Scurfield’s worked on the reboot of Inspector Gadget for Netflix and Canadian animation producers DHX.

CHECK THIS OUT: The Manitoba Society of Artists (MSA) holds its 87th annual juried competition and exhibition from June 27 to Sept. 14 at the Mennonite Heritage Centre Gallery at 600 Shaftesbury Blvd.

“The MSA was established in 1902, originally as an organization to recognize the merits of Manitoba’s outstanding artists, to promote and encourage visual artists in Manitoba,” the society says. The event allows both emerging and professional artists an equal opportunity to participate in a major exhibition.

This year’s jurors are Mélanie Rocan from Manitoba and Janice Mason Steeves from Ontario. The opening reception is June 27 at 7.p.m. and is open to the public.

Got tips? Cool events happening in your world. Email Maureen’s Tips at mscurf@shaw.ca.