Calgary's High Performance Rodeo back for its 30th year
Arts festival celebrates 30 years, the first without popular director Michael Green
Calgary's High Performance Rodeo once again shines a spotlight on our city as the annual arts and theatre festival returns for the 30th year.
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This year will also be the first without former artistic director Michael Green, who died last February in a car crash in Saskatchewan.
After what has been a difficult year for both the High Performance Rodeo and the theatre company that birthed it — One Yellow Rabbit — managing producer Ann Connors has made sure this year's show can go on.
"The outpouring of support and love and all those beautiful things that go with that have been pretty amazing," said Connors. "It gave us the will to go forward and carry on and here we are."
Over the more than 25 years of friendship and collaboration with Green, she says she's learned many things about what makes Calgary's High Performance Rodeo a standout event.
"Not every city has what Calgary has, not every festival has the dedicated audience that the rodeo has."
So Connors says expect the performances to be stepped up a notch, or two.
"Michael always said it's about having fun, it's about having something wild for everyone and it's about Calgary and the people of Calgary coming out and having a good time." she said.
Watch for titles like Jack Charles V. The Crown, brought in from Australia, and The Rockefeller Project, featuring Torquil Campbell — frontman for the Canadian band Stars. For a very local flair, as the title suggests, see Calgary, I love you, but you're killing me.
The festival kicked off Jan. 7 and runs through the end of the month at various venues in Calgary. For the full schedule and tickets, visit www.hprodeo.ca