Press

Some great coverage from CBC News Net

Our chorus work shines in this video piece by iPolitics.ca: http://www.ipolitics.ca/2012/02/02/finally-chorus-lines-come-to-qp/

Postmedia previews our show: http://blogs.canada.com/2012/02/02/question-period-the-musical-really/

Check out our nation-wide coverage on CTV’s Power Play: http://watch.ctv.ca/news/powerplay#clip608215

We got this fantastic review from Barbara Popel (copyright reserved):

Question Period: The Musical

Written by Ed Gillis, with the musical score by Jason Apostol. Performed by a very large and enthusiastic cast.

What’s tougher to write than drama? Comedy. Tougher than comedy? Musical comedy. Tougher than musical comedy? Political musical comedy. Written in verse. Welcome to Question Period: The Musical. This musical pulls it off, with only a few longueurs (hint: ditch the Sesame Street references). I’d love to see this musical done by other companies across Canada, especially in the larger centres such as Winnipeg and Edmonton that always have at least one big musical at their Fringes. So, Mr. Gillis, start shopping your play around out West!

The cast are, as far as I can tell, amateurs, but they’ve got enthusiasm to burn and several of them show some talent as actors and singers. Eric Kendrick as our protagonist, the naive new MP, Finn Opatowskopoulos, is one. Brent Rouleau as the rockin’ MP from Wooooah British Columbia is another. And Carolyn Elliott-Magwood, the MP from Trout Hamster Salad Newfoundland and Pamela Anand, the MP for Shitstick Nowhere Saskatchewan are a third and fourth. Then there’s Mr. Gillis himself – he plays a hip-hop Finance Minister and an ex-hockey star-turned-Senator from Montreal. What a treat! (And don’t you just love the names!)

One of my favourite labels is the Minister of Women’s Stuff. Women’s Stuff encompasses everything the men don’t want to both with: the environment, housing, seniors, children, poverty, and pensions.

There are dandy numbers such as “It’s not bribery, not technically”, and “The chamber of sober second thought” (followed by “We’re already bought!”) may make it appear that this play has a totally cynical take on federal politics. Not so! There’s a lot of sympathy for politicians whose ideals are crushed and who can’t get traction for the issues they care about. And this sympathy is on both sides of the House (though the Harperites do come in for some significant bashing). Plus there’s ample opportunity for audience-wide participation, especially during Question Period. Whose side (literally) are you on?

Satire about politics is as Canadian as maple syrup. But a satire set to music, written in verse, that’s so much fun for the whole audience? That’s something rather special.

Another shout-out from the lovely people at apt613.

Check out the review at Fully Fringed.

CBC’s Ottawa Morning aired a wonderful piece about the show on June 13th, 2011. You can listen to it here: