Author Archives: Ed Sum

12.11.14
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There’s no Need to Run to Cafe Mexico

CAFE-MEXICO-2013-12-111425 Store St.
Market Square
Victoria, BC
(250) 386-1425

Cafe Mexico has been in operation for as long as I can remember. I think it’s been in operation since the early 90’s. These days, I rarely wander into Market Square as often because there is no comic book store (Island Fantasy) and candy store (Fat Phege’s) to entice me towards the water. Well, there’s Oh Sugar across the street.

When I do shop here, I visit Avalon, a new age metaphysical/book store and Camera Traders often. I met up with a buddy, Brendan Gibson, and we agreed to check out Cafe Mexico, since we both felt hungry.

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11.14.14
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Shopping and Dining over at Mattick’s Farm

 

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Adrienne’s Restaurant and Tea Garden
5325 Cordova Bay Road
Saanich, BC
(250) 658-1535

A visit to the area known as Mattick’s Farm can only mean one of four things — you’re there to golf at the nearby Cordova Bay Golf Course, eat at Adrienne’s Restaurant and Tea Garden, shop in one of the many boutiques in the strip mall or buy food at Red Barn Market. I was there for half of a briskly cold day to warm the cockles of my stomach. I’ve heard Red Barn has some of the best and thickest sliced bacon on the island (from Metchosin Farm in what I found) and that I must test and have a snack at the diner. It’s small cozy atmosphere was just right on a busy day. The smell of Christmas was in the air at the nearby shops and although it’s not a place I’d get sundries from, I’m sure what’s offered is as great as stocking stuffers and tokens to visitors who are not from Victoria.

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11.11.14
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An Afterwards in an Afterlife (of) the Musical, A Review

Afterlife

Continues November 14-16
Edward Milne Community School
6218 Sooke Road
Sooke, BC

Community theatre is one great way for new performers to earn their wings. In Afterlife: the Musical, youth and adults alike can take part in an ambitious new product by playwright Thom Southwood. His family are active members of the Sooke Harbour Players and for Thom, it’s his works in advertising campaigns for television throughout the 80’s, independent artists and labels in Nashville, Vancouver and LA, and previous contributions to this theatre group (Jesus Christ Super Star (2006), Die Claudius (2008) and GodSpell (2014)) that earn him considerable notice. Unlike earlier years where this group have done adaptations of popular musicals and plays, this latest production is perhaps Southwood’s second most original product to come out of the sleepy community west of lower Vancouver Island. Last year’s show was Howl The Musical, A Not So Classic Werewolf Tale (2009)

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11.01.14
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The Addams Family is Morbidly Candid Fun! A Review

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Fri October 31st – 8:00pm
Sat November 1st – 8:00pm
Sun November 2nd – 2:00pm

Tickets Available through
The McPherson Box Office
625 Fisgard Street
Victoria, BC

No matter what the generation, the Addams Family has entertained many a reader or viewers in the form of its original one panel comic illustrations, television show, cartoon and movies. It’s latest incarnation includes a musical which toured before Victoria, BC’s Kaleidoscope Theatre decided to put on their own version for the 2014 Halloween season. This company teaches youths how to overcome some of life’s challenges — one of which includes finding each individual’s spark of life — and become stronger for it; as a result, The Addams Family Musical is a spectacular choice because its plot reveals how to deal with barriers, no matter where it comes from.

It’s morbidly candid humour was at the crux of what made this series popular and it outdoes The Munsters on a certain level where one product provided a bit of social commentary whereas the other was flat-out sitcom.

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10.29.14
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Evil Acres offers Delightful Frights

1607035_386482928176879_630313543971803379_nfrom 7 to 11pm daily
continues to Nov 1st
10375 Wilson Rd.
North Saanich, B.C.

Travelling down a dark and lonely road can be a terrible experience. Imagine getting lost, or finding yourself at a decrepit barn and your vehicle is low on gas. Let’s suppose everything is silent but that house you need to approach is the only place to find a phone so you can call a tow truck. You’re damning your cell phone because there’s no reception out in the countryside. Evil Acres has the potential to be just that if only …

The sad truth with some haunted attractions is that the producers are usually wanting to deliver a carnival style experience. I’d love to visit a haunted asylum aka Grave Encounters but that may not be coming for some time. To enter a haunted house when no one else is there is typically more terrifying. I can only imagine entering it with a few friends in search for something — like a treasured baseball with Miguel Cabrera‘s autograph that got tossed in there by an annoying nephew — but its labyrinthine corridors and odd reeking smells is suggesting otherwise.

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10.26.14
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Rocky Horror Show Graduates to New Heights!

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Showtimes:
Oct 24, 25, 29, 30,
and Nov 1 at 8pm
Oct 31 at 7 & 10pm

Metro Studio
1411 Quadra St.
Tickets: $30; $35 with prop kit

Reservations:
250-590-6291
ticketrocket.org

Griffen Lea, Sarah Anne Murphy, Candace Woodland, Kelly Hudson are back in the Rocky Horror Show and they are bad in Rebel Knock Out (RKO) Productions’ take of this seminal Richard O’Brien stage classic. They have taken the energy from how they played Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Janet, Columbia, and Riff-Raff from last year’s Kaleidoscope version and amped it up. The crowd (whether they’ve seen that performance or not) roared and the shadow dancers cooed at their antics. Perhaps what’s noticeable is the added energy from Woodland strutting her stuff in the tap dancing routine from “Time Warp” and R.J. Peters (Brad) really channeling his inner nerd. When it comes to special solos in a musically raunchy show, Peters certainly created some nostalgic and sombre tones in “Once in a While” to make his moment memorable.

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