>>PREVIEW
RON JAMES – QUEST FOR THE WEST
September 19 and 20
Jack Singer Concert Hall (Epcor Centre)
High-energy eastern Canadian comedian Ron James has his opinions when it comes to the current state of Alberta.
"You’ve got the opportunity and certainly the money to build Utopia out there," he says. "But if you keep building golf courses on 10,000-year-old game trails, pretty soon a ninth-hole handicap is going to have a whole new meaning."
Many wry takes like that can be found in Quest for the West, James’s new comedy showcase coming to Calgary for two performances. These shows will be recorded for an upcoming CBC special, but with the current labour disruption at the network, its air date remains in limbo. "I don’t know when the hell they’ll be playing it," says James with a laugh.
Still, from a live audience perspective, he feels the timing for his show couldn’t be better. "Alberta is at the top of its game and Saskatchewan is starting to cook."
A born-and-bred Maritimer now living in Toronto, James recently enjoyed his own boom time in our province. Of his last tour, which began in the fall of 2004, he says, "I had 18 dates across the West and 11 of them were in Alberta. By the time I left Alberta, we had added another 15 encore dates."
James feels fortunate to have experienced much of the province first-hand. He’s sampled everything from Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump to a drunken brawl in a pub in Fort McMurray. With today’s record oil prices, James believes "the 21st century belongs to the West." Having said that, however, he’s quick to point out that his new show deals with more than just "the eastern perception that the West is a land where everybody is making cash hand over fist. This special tries to incorporate a sense of history along with the current political, economic and social situations," he says.
James talked to many people throughout the province and hit the books and newspapers to gain his own understanding of Alberta. He recalls the hardships experienced by the early settlers. "Nature lived so back-door close," he says, "that the family Shih Tzu would go missing at the first sign of drought."
He contrasts the level of prosperity in this province to the economy of Saskatchewan. "Every time a car blows up in Baghdad, there’s two new ones in every Albertan’s driveway," he quips. "Meanwhile, the neighbours next door are staring across the fence, watching them pull another million off the fossil-fuel money tree. No wonder the Regina dream is now one of owning a townhouse in Calgary."
And he takes stock of the premier of Alberta, too. "Ralph (Klein) has always played to his constituents," he says. "That’s why he’s always been forgiven. So what if, from time to time, he gets a little hammered and browbeats a homeless fellah? That’s a small price to pay for no provincial sales tax.
"The kings of France had more opposition to their rule than Ralph does," he adds. "He’s one step away from riding in a golden carriage, throwing coins to his loyal subjects."
If you recall any of the countless flippant statements and actions from Klein in the past, you’ll realize that, while James may be an outside observer, he understands our western realities. |
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