High Performance Rodeo: How Do You Choose? ? Calgary Is ...

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There are your normal theatre festivals and then there?s the High Performance Rodeo ? a festival so filled with over-the-top performances, daring feats of theatre and amazing sights and sounds that?s it?s so hard to pick what to see you might as well throw a dart at a calendar to choose.

Now into its second week, things are heating up with some of the most anticipated shows playing this weekend, like AVATAR, Freak Show, Ride the Cyclone and, of course, Metamorphosis.

Celebrating its 27th year, the High Performance Rodeo is a must for fans of the performing arts. Held annually in the dead of winter, the festival features theatre, dance, comedy, music and multimedia presentations. It?s the largest of its kind in Western Canada and runs until February 3 at 13 venues throughout the city.

Personally, I would love to see all the shows, but for those of you on a budget, like me, picking and choosing is a must and I?m here to help you out. Here are my picks for what to see at the 2013 High Performance Rodeo.

KAFKA AND NICK CAVE: Metamorphosis, a special co-presentation with Theatre Calgary, is perhaps the most anticipated performance of this year?s High Performance Rodeo.
Photo courtesy of HPR and Bottom Line Productions

Metamorphosis
Coming all the way from Reykjavik, Iceland, the Lyric Hammersmith and Vesturport production of Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, is a definite must see on my list. It combines classic literature, a gravity defying set and original music composed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (yes the two from band The Bad Seeds).
For those of you who aren?t familiar with the story, it?s pretty simple. Meet the Samsa family. Their life is ordinary and pain. That is until their son, Gregor, awakes one morning to find himself inexplicably transformed into a giant insect.
Metamorphosis runs until January 13 at the Max Bell Theatre. Tickets are a bit pricey for this one, starting at $55, but if you go to only one show this Rodeo, this is the one you want to see.

AVATAR
Being called a ?duet with technology,? AVATAR pairs up contemporary dancer Freya Bj?rg Olafson with her laptop as a partner. During the performance, she effortlessly moves through her computer, changing, manipulating and broadcasting herself as a new persona.
AVATAR runs until January 12 at the Big Secret Theatre.

Hello Moth
As part of ProArts@Noon, Hello Moth takes over the elegant Cathedral Church of the Redeemer on Wednesday, January 16 at noon with a free performance featuring a solitary musician that becomes a haunting orchestra of one.
Other ProArts@Noon performances include a piece by Calgary Opera?s Emerging Artist Ensemble on January 23 and organist Neil Cockburn on January 30.

HIGH PERFORMANCE VAUDEVILLE: Atomic Vaudeville brings Ride the Cyclone to Calgary, a musical about how the show must go on, even after death.
Photo courtesy of HPR and Bottom Line Productions

Ride the Cyclone
This is one show that?s been getting rave reviews in every town it runs in and looks hauntingly good.
In Atomic Vaudeville?s Ride the Cyclone, the audience meets a teenage chamber choir from Uranium City, Saskatchewan that died in a roller coaster accident at a travelling fair. This is their final recital.
Ride the Cyclone runs until January 12 at the Martha Cohen Theatre.

Freak Show: Tall Tales and Terrible Truths
Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre?s piece, Freak Show, was inspired by those outrageous shows from America?s scandalous past and tells tales of creatures so bizarre, they?ll surpass your wildest dreams.
Freak Show is an original 20-minute play that?s all spectacle and runs until January 12 at the Martha Cohen Theatre Lobby (just look for the Freak Show tent). It repeats a few times though out each day, before and after performances of Ride the Cyclone, so it?s easy to catch and for those on a budget, it?s pay what you can.

FROM ONE YELLOW RABBIT: People You May Know combines simple digital effects and three live performers to create a projected community of characters.
Photo courtesy of HPR and Bottom Line Productions

People You May Know
As the ?hosts? of the High Performance Rodeo, One Yellow Rabbit?s piece is always a highlight. For this year?s festival they are premiering People You May Know ? a comedic romp that uses simple digital effects to create a projected community of characters that uses only three live performers.
People You May Know runs January 16 to February 2 at the Big Secret Theatre.

Enbridge Presents The Walrus Talks: Performance
The Walrus Talks returns for a second year with an evening of thought-provoking ideas. Featuring talks from many great minds including Olympian and humanitarian Clara Hughes on Sport & Society, Author and Broadcaster Jay Ingram on Science and Juno Award-winner, Dan Mangan on Performing Arts, it?s an evening not to be missed.
The Walrus Talks takes the stage January 29 at the Jack Singer Concert Hall and C.I.A.?s very own Andrea Grant will be there covering the night. Make sure you check back for her coverage.

So these are just my picks and I hope I helped to make your choices a bit easier. The whole line-up can be found at the HPR website as well as ticket information, times and more.

Source: http://calgaryisawesome.com/2013/01/10/high-performance-rodeo-how-do-you-choose/

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