Indie theatre productions score big in local theatre awards
The Bettys, now in their 26th year, recognize excellence in Calgary's professional theatres.
Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers and Little Brothers – Makambe K. Simamba's solo show, produced by Toronto's Tarragon Theatre and presented in Calgary by Verb and Handsome Alice theatres – was the big winner. It was named outstanding production of a play, and won Simamba a Betty for outstanding lead performance in a drama, as well as a joint award with Shakeil Rollock for outstanding choreography.
Handsome Alice was also the production company behind Two Moons: A Folk Lullaby, Sonia Deleo's solo show about an unwanted pregnancy. Deleo was awarded a Betty for her original composition for the show.
Inside Out and Chromatic Theatre's production of Static: A Party Girl's Memoir earned a Betty for Jamie Cesar for outstanding performance in a comedy, while fledgling opera company Ammolite Opera saw Geoffrey Schellenberg take home the award for outstanding supporting performance in a musical.
Sage Theatre's production of Mary Stuart saw Javier Vilalta named outstanding director of a drama, while Ghost River Theatre's production of Echoes of the Land won outstanding musical direction for Clarence Wolfleg, Skip Wolfleg, Eric Rose, Kris Demeanor, Jennie Esdale, Cedric Lightning, Alanna Bluechild, Kenna Burima, and Tauran.
Legally Blonde, which is a joint production of Theatre Calgary and The Citadel Theatre, picked up Bettys for Kelsey Verzotti for lead performance, Patricia Zentilli for best supporting performance, as well as outstanding production of a musical.
Theatre Calgary's production of Awoowaakii won Sable Sweetgrass the award for outstanding new script, as well as Bettys for Marshall Vielle as outstanding lead performance in a comedy, and for John Doucet for his design of the show.
The Play that Goes Wrong, which was a joint production of Theatre Calgary, The Citadel and the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, took home the Betty for outstanding performance by an ensemble.
Alberta Theatre Projects won a Betty for Relamy Kneeshaw's costumes in Charlotte's Web, while its production of The Seafarer earned Christopher Hunt the Betty for outstanding supporting performance in a drama.
Vertigo Theatre's The Da Vinci Code won a Betty for Andy Moro's video designs, and its production of The Woman in Black won Narda McCarroll a Betty for her lighting design.
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Newsweek
09-07-2025
- Newsweek
'What Are We Scared To Say?': AJR On 'Betty' and 'What No One's Thinking'
Multiplatinum trio AJR has been burning the house down lately. Composed of brothers Adam, Jack and Ryan Met, the trio of musicians grew up in New York City, where they made a name for themselves through busking and tap dancing. In 2016, they released their acclaimed EP What Everyone's Thinking, a collection of songs that amalgamate a range of sounds from electronic to hip-hop. The EP spawned the hit single "Weak," and those five songs would go on to find their place on the band's second album, The Click. Ryan and Jack spoke with Newsweek about their new single, "Betty," which comes as the lead single for their recently announced EP What No One's Thinking, set to release on August 29. While not working on music together, the group is performing around the world, having just traveled to China and Italy. "This is probably the most we've traveled, in like the most the amount of countries we travel in the shortest amount of time, most time zones we've hit in a week," Jack said. But that's not the entirety of their collective commitments. Musical trio AJR (from left) Olly, Adam Met, Jack Met and Ryan Met Musical trio AJR (from left) Olly, Adam Met, Jack Met and Ryan Met Busy On and Off Broadway The busy brothers carve out time during flights to "lock in" on their other duties, including working on a Broadway production. "We're doing a Broadway adaptation of 'Harold and the Purple Crayon.' And so it's originally a children's book about a baby that has a magical purple crayon. And we have this idea about five years ago, it takes so long to make a show, but we had this idea to sort of age him up and kind of show what happens to you when you're an adult, and you sort of can't draw your problems magically away when life gets too real," Ryan said. "We've been working on it for about five years, and we have a writer and director and putting it all together. 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"I think me and Jack were really obsessed this time around with making music that you felt as opposed to thought about. And it's kind of an interesting distinction. It's probably just where we're at in our lives right now. I think in the past, we've loved these kind of clever ideas of like, we have a song called Inertia that we love, but it's like 'Here's a scientific concept applied to a bunch of different scenarios in life.' That's all very like cerebral, like, 'I need to think about it to enjoy it.' This whole EP for us was like, 'Even if the grammar is wrong, even if it's a little messy, if I'm feeling something that I never knew I could feel before.'" Facing Real Fears One of the fears the AJR is ready to tackle? Commitment. "'Betty,' specifically, we had a lot of conversations about, sort of the idea of committing forever, whatever that means where we're at in our lives. 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Newsweek
08-07-2025
- Newsweek
Malamute Puppy Perfecting Her Howl Melts Hearts Online: 'Precious'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A pup named Fendi went viral after her owner shared a video detailing how her barks have changed over the years, and internet users can't cope with the heartwarming footage. The post, shared on Instagram on Friday under the username @fendithemalamute, shows the Alaskan malamute barking differently during three different stages of her life. "This is how I talked as a baby..." reads layover text, as the clip shows little Fendi making cute little barking noises as a puppy. "This is how I talked as a teenager..." it continues, as a growing Fendi begins to get a deeper tone, as is typical of her breed. Ultimately, the clip ends with a shot of Fendi now, barking like a big girl who could scare away anyone in sight, "This is me talking now." Screenshots of the viral clip show the Alaskan malamute barking as a puppy (on the left), and then as an adult (on the right). Screenshots of the viral clip show the Alaskan malamute barking as a puppy (on the left), and then as an adult (on the right). @fendithemalamute The poster, Betty from Sweden, told Newsweek that the pup will be four years old in two weeks, and that she's often featured in her vlogs and videos. "She's the pickiest dog when it comes to food and only eats home-cooked food that I make for her. She howls when she talks and she's just the sweetest pup ever," she said. Dogs may bark for variety of reasons, according to Pet MD. They often bark because they're excited and want you to know that, or because they are seeking attention or are trying to signal that they're hungry. However, dogs may also bark out of boredom, anxiety or fear. Barking in dogs can also be a territorial behavior, or even a sign of pain. If you notice your dog barking more than usual or in a different way, call your vet to rule out any health issues. To instantly stop your pup from barking, you need to find a different way to keep their mind occupied. You could do that by playing fetch with them, or simply asking them to go to bed. It is important to reward your pup when they listen to you. You should always make sure that your dog is getting enough stimulation and attention throughout the day, as well as exercise, which can help prevent them barking or zooming at night. The video quickly went viral on Instagram and it has so far received over 234,000 views and 34,421 likes on the platform. One user, Ben_bennie_nie, said: "All I hear is just a lil [little] baby." Jyoti_sarda added: "The floofy tail! Such a cute girl!" mee_and_joey wrote: "You're precious." Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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A Taste Of Lebanon In Chicago At Beity
Cocktails and starters at Betty, Chicago Whenever I head out of town and tell people that I am from Chicago, the overwhelming response is 'great restaurant scene.' Growing up here, I've known that for years, and it's been a pleasure to dine at so many different types of restaurants, be they Thai, Mexican, Polish, Italian … well the list goes on and on. Yes, the overall quality of Chicago restaurants is amazing, and some of that revolves around the love and care of immigrants who show diners in the city the distinctive pleasures of food from their homeland. Recently, I've dined at South American and Balkan restaurants which I greatly enjoyed - it's been great sampling the food and wines of these cultures. Now in Chicago comes Beity, a Lebanese restaurant that has its own singular dining experience, and is off to a promising start. Located in the bustling Fulton Market area west of the city's Loop, Beity - Arabic for 'my home'- is the realization of Chef Ryan Fakih, who has Lebanese heritage (his grandmother in Lebanon sends him cooking videos.) Based on his interpretation, the cuisine of Lebanon is quite varied - I didn't know what to expect at my recent dinner there, and I enjoyed the exotic nature of the dishes. Pickled cauliflower, Beity Two menus are offered; one, a la carte and the second a tasting menu that takes the diner from hummus to Tubot with cashews to Braised Lamb Leg. At $140 per person, this is fairly priced, but it may be more than you want to pay for dinner, so the a la carte menu that offers Lamb Kafta, Goat Cheese with pickled turnips and Lamb Emmo, a seven-spiced lamb with mint yogurt (one of the highlights here) may be the way to enjoy your evening. A few dishes that are among the most flavorful and creative include the Mezze Platter that contains Parsley Hummus, with Awarma (lamb confit) and Muhamarra (a dip with several ingredients including red peppers) that is a great way to start; this is as intriguing a dish as there is on the menu. Duck riz with bazella (pea stew) is a great choice for diners who aren't that adventurous; the duck was cooked perfectly as was the rice; this is a great mix of savory flavors. Beet Shish Barak, goat cheese dumplings from the tasting menu are beautifully prepared and have an elegant texture. A similar dish, Shish Barak (without the beet sauce) is disappointing, as the dumplings are dry and a bit tough; this is a rare misfire at Beity. The Bekaalaise, braised lamb leg from the tasting menu is a much better room at Beity The dining room has been tastefully designed with its stone walls and low-lighting; the stone walls help keep the place cool, a plus in this summer's tropical weather. Our server was excellent; well-mannered and with a proud confidence, he was extremely helpful in letting my dining partner and I all about the menu choices. The wine program is quite good, with a nice mix of wines from Lebanon as well as several from America; the Pet-Nat from Yorkville Highlands, California was delicious; the hostess recommened this, stating that this was a wine that was a favorite among diners, as it tasted a lot like a pale ale (she was right!). I also enjoyed an excellent glass of Cinsault from Mersel Wines from the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon; slightly spicy with round tannins, this was an inspired selection for this cuisine. The only real downside here is how long a meal takes here. Now my friend and I did try items from both the a la carte and tasting menus, so we may have been not your ordinary customers. But three and a half-hours with a fair amount of very rich food was too long for me. Let's hope they improve on that. Overall, I recommend Beity for its quality, its charm and its distinctivess. Here's hoping enough diners want to experience the creativity of Lebanese cuisine. Beity 813 W. Fulton Street, Chicago
