HicksBiz Blog

How wondrous the Citadel Theatre's production of Mary Poppins - review by Graham Hicks

Mary Poppins A musical based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney Film Shoctor Stage, Citadel Theatre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada through April 20, 2014 Ticket information. (Buy quickly. This show is going to sell out, especially at the low-end $35 rate) Review by GRAHAM HICKS Posted at www.hicksbiz.com March 21, 2014 780 707 6379 graham.hicks@hicksbiz.com @hicksonsix How wondrous the Citadel/Theatre Calgary stage production of Mary Poppins (The Broadway Musical)! How mysterious that Mary Poppins, despite the 1964 Walt Disney movie, the West End/Broadway production of 10 years ago, and at least five songs that have burned their way into the memories of most of the English-speaking world, remains a lesser figure in the pantheon of favourite children’s fictional characters. At least that’s the case in North America. The original book of Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers, didn’t travel well across the Atlantic, and the entire Mary Poppins’ series (eight books) made ... Read the rest of entry »

Hicks' Weekly Dish: Chocolate, sweet chocolate - Edmonton Sun, Feb. 11, 2014

Gentlemen, the hours are counting down to the dreaded V-Day. It’s not that we don’t love you, ladies. We truly do. But we are men. We’re practical, unromantic. We are incapable of creating wondrous, exciting Valentine Day’s experiences every year, year after year. In fact, we dread Valentine’s. No matter how you pretend otherwise, we know we are judged. If he really loved me, he’d surprise me with a spa weekend at the Fairmont Banff Springs, or a week in Hawaii. If he really loved me, he’d do more than buy a box of Turtles and cellophane-wrapped roses from the grocery store … which he does every year! Gentlemen, I offer a low-cost (all things considered) solution. Buy her top quality, hand-crafted chocolates. Chocolates to drool over. Chocolates so good that you stretch out the pleasure. Only one a week! This past weekend, I earned major Valentine’s brownie points with Maria. I booked a chocolate-making session at Peter Jo ... Read the rest of entry »

HICKS ON BIZ: No need for condo-panic in Edmonton - published Edmonton Sun, Feb. 7, 2014

No, the sky is not falling. Last August, Hicks on Biz reported a high-rise condo tower boom happening in the city, 27 high-rise proposals in design, permitting or construction stages, most of them over 20 stories, 10 of them north of 30 stories. But in January, construction of the Glenora Skyline at Stony Plain and 142 Street came to a crashing halt. Of the four towers, only a few floors of poured concrete from the first had emerged. Meanwhile, rumours have abounded of temporary stoppages in the construction of other downtown condo towers. As for office towers, Edmonton commercial realtors were suggesting before Christmas that the city was ready for another office tower or two. Now, suddenly, a few analysts are proclaiming Edmonton to still be awash in office space! Relax. First of all, as a rule of thumb, only 25% to 40% of “proposed” condo towers actually ever get built, and those will be by highly experienced, reputable builders with good-quality financing. There’s a ... Read the rest of entry »

Hicks Weekly Dish: The Chopped Leaf a healthy choice - originally published Edmonton Sun FEb. 4, 2014

The Chopped Leaf Commerce Place, main floor 10102 Jasper Ave. 780 757 5323 www.choppedleaf.com Food: 3.5 of 5 Suns Ambience: 3 of 5 Suns Service: 3.4 of 5 suns Lunch for two, $16 to $24. What a relief, to see a truly healthy, fast-food restaurant — offering mostly salads, with soups, brown rice bowls, quesadillas and salad rolls on the side — without making a big, hairy, self-righteous deal out of it! The Chopped Leaf, on the main floor of the downtown Commerce Place, doesn’t make pompous claims about being organic, or vegetarian (it’s not), has no trace of a ‘healthier than thou’ attitude. It doesn’t make outlandish health claims … it just happens to serve excellent healthy food, traits all too rare on the deep-fry circuit. Given its bounteous servings, the Chopped Leaf is reasonably cheap. Eleven to $12 gets you a full salad with a protein — i.e. a handful of chicken chunks, or shrimp or tuna. Eight bucks gives you the s ... Read the rest of entry »