Chris Gibbs’ Humour and Wit Will Leave Audiences Wracked With Laughter

Don’t Miss The Return of His Hit Show Like Father, Like Son? Sorry. at Horizon Stage on November 22

Described by The National Post as “one of the funniest guys around,” comedian Chris Gibbs explores the anxieties of first-time parenthood in his hit one man show Like Father, Like Son? Sorry. Terrified about his new responsibilities and skeptical about his ability to be a good dad, Gibb’s self-deprecating humour leaves audiences wracked with laughter and howling in their seats. Whether you are a parent, you know a parent, you have a parent, or you just like a mixture of British wit and Canadian comedy you don’t want to miss Chris Gibbs in Like Father, Like Son? Sorry. at Horizon Stage on Friday, November 22.

British-born Gibbs has been a professional comedian since 1991, when he began performing comedy shows on the street in London’s Covent Garden. For the next 11 years he toured full-time, performing at comedy, theatre and street-theatre festivals throughout Europe, as well as in New Zealand, Australia and Canada.  Since moving to Canada permanently in 2002 he has taken the Fringe Festival tour circuit by storm with five hit shows that have all received stellar reviews, played to full houses, and left fans wanting more.

Like Father, Like Son? Sorry. won patrons pick at the 2009 Toronto Fringe and was a sell-out hit at the 2010 Winnipeg and Edmonton Fringe Festivals. This fresh, funny, and fast paced comedy explores the anxiety Chris feels about becoming a new father while managing to also touch on the Superman myth, pop heroes in general, the perils of being overweight, the complexities of marriage, and other garden variety issues.

Called “the Steve Jobs of Fringe comedy” by the Toronto Star for “always coming up with something new that manages to be good as well” Chris’ self-effacing stories, jokes, and observations are both cheeky and honest. Tickets to Like Father, Like Son? Sorry. at Horizon Stage on Friday, November 22 at 7:30 p.m. are $35 for adults and $30 for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave) and by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090. Tickets can also be purchased online through Ticketpro.

  “Gibbs’ showmanship is always entertaining and this performance does not disappoint. Equally impressive is the show’s broad appeal: parents (especially new ones) will enjoy it for an empathetic voice, while others will appreciate the perspective it provides on one’s own childhood experiences.” 

««««« - Mel Priestley, Vue Weekly

“…an endearingly hapless quester, constantly reassessing his personal experience, having second thoughts and going off on hilarious tangents. Not to be missed” 

««««½ - Liz Nichols, Edmonton Journal

“…one of the funniest comics on the Fringe circuit… there is always a cleverness and intelligence about his shows. Gibbs has the ability to tell a joke, generate a laugh and then continue only to return later and top the same joke. You have to see it to believe it.” 

««««½   - Colin McLean, Edmonton Sun

Spice Up Your Sunday Night with an Energetic West Coast Kitchen Party

The Bills will set Horizon Stage ablaze with their fiery folk tunes on November 17 

From the beautiful west coast of Canada comes an extraordinary quintet. Renowned for their instrumental virtuosity, lush vocal arrangements, exuberant live performances, evocative songwriting, and refreshing sound, The Bills truly are a Canadian acoustic music super-group. Last seen at Horizon Stage in 2002 when they were still performing as The Bill Hilly Band, The Bills are thrilled to be returning to Spruce Grove on Sunday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m.

Melding together rock, maritime fiddle, bluegrass, Cajun, Romany, and other genres, The Bills’ unique sonic approach transcends musical boundaries and defies simple categorization. Their original songs coax sublime beauty, energy, and rhythm out of their instruments and feature stunning layers of vocal harmonies. Listen and you’ll hear influences of global roots and rock alongside hints of Chopin, Stan Rogers, and Django Reinhardt. But you’ll ultimately hear The Bills, doing the magical thing that they do.

A Bills’ live show is a legendary experience. Since forming in 1996, the band has delighted theatre and festival audiences from Copenhagen to California, thrilling fans with their breathtaking musical explorations and their unscripted onstage wit and charm. In 2006 they were voted Western Canadian Entertainer of the Year, edging out fellow nominees Michael Buble and Jann Arden. Their albums, Let Em Run and All Day Every Day, each garnered JUNO nominations and All Day Every Day won a Western Canadian Music Awards for Roots Album of the Year in 2002. Their latest release, Yes Please, features some of their finest songwriting to date.

Whether entertaining an intimate theatre audience or rocking a festival crowd of 10,000, these five gifted multi-instrumentalists are masters at leaving listeners breathless and revitalized all at once. Marc Atkinson, Richard Moody (last seen at Horizon Stage with Woody Holler in October), Adrian Dolan, Scott White, and Chris Frye each sport world-class credentials in folk/roots, jazz, classical, and world music.

Called “the biggest blast of fresh air to come out of Canada since The Band” by the Glasgow Herald, The Bills mix a little bit of holler with a whole lot of harmony. Tickets to see them Up Close and Personal at Horizon Stage on November 17 are $35 for adults and $30 for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased at the City Hall Ticket Centre (315 Jespersen Ave) and by phone at 780-962-8995 or 1-888-655-9090. Online tickets can be purchased at Ticketpro.


This concert is proudly sponsored by CKUA, Seal & Bedard Accountants, Travelodge Inn & Suites, Canadian Heritage, and The Alberta Foundation for the Arts.            

Quality Entertainment That Will Make Your Whole Family Giggle

Horizon Stage’s Family Matinee Series Opens November 16 with an Improvised Cinderella

Are you looking for something fun and warm to do on a chilly November weekend afternoon? Do you seek quality, family-friendly, live entertainment to take your children, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews to? If you answered “yes” to either of these questions Horizon Stage invites you to the first show in their 2013/2014 Family Matinee Series, DuffleBag Theatre’s Cinderella, on Saturday, November 16 at 2 p.m. 

 Since 1992, the “Nearly World Famous” DuffleBag Theatre has been making people laugh at festivals and schools across Canada. Their improvised retellings of original adaptations of fairy tales and Shakespearean classics are full of charm, wit, and humour. Just when the audience becomes enthralled by the story - an unexpected twist happens! Before their very eyes, children, and maybe a parent or two, will be asked to come on stage and join in the fun! DuffleBag Theatre’s unpredictable performances are a hilarious and truly unique interactive theatrical experience where the dream of living a fairy tale really can come true!

Tickets for DuffleBag Theatre’s Cinderella at Horizon Stage on November 16 are just $20 for adults and $16 for children and seniors. Free pre-show activities in the lobby start at 1 p.m. and will include games, hula-hooping, crafts, and colouring.  But wait… there’s more…

Because Cinderella is the first show in Horizon Stage’s Family Matinee Series that means that Family Matinee Packages are still available. So, for just $45 for adults and $39 for children and seniors you can secure THREE Saturday afternoons of giggle-inducing, family-friendly, entertainment! Family Matinee Packages include 1 ticket to DuffleBag Theatre’s Cinderella, 1 ticket to the percussive comedy show, BAM!Percussion, on Jan 25 at 4 p.m., and 1 ticket to Juno Award-winning children’s artist, Norman Foote, on March 15 at 2 p.m.  That works out to $15 per show if you’re an adult or $13 per show if you’re under 17 or over 65!

So plan to spend one, two, or three laughter-filled afternoons at Horizon Stage this winter – you won’t be disappointed. Call 780-962-8995, visit the City Hall Ticket Centre in-person at 315 Jesperson Ave, or visit Ticketpro to purchase tickets online.

Trying to plan a perfect kid’s birthday party or, a Guiding, Scouting, or other group activity?  Discounts and packages for parties (minimum 6 kids) and groups of 10+ are available and meet the artist opportunities and informational talk-backs with theatre staff can be arranged. We’re going to have so much fun at Horizon Stage this season, and we want to create a wonderful experience for you and the young people in your life too!