REVIEW: Boom X at Kidoons and WYRD Productions, in association with Crow’s Theatre, Theatre Calgary, and The 20K Collective
iPhoto caption: Photo by Dahlia Katz
Nothing defines a generation like its music.
Someday, folks my age might reminisce about Taylor Swift or Lizzo. For the generation above me, it’s the Spice Girls, Justin Timberlake, and Britney Spears. With each new crop of humans comes a new batch of iconography, a sparkling collection of shared cultural references which shape a generation’s aesthetics and tastes.
For actor and architect Rick Miller, those references are everything, the day-glo legends of the ‘70s and ‘80s as well as the political events which catalyzed them: Jimi Hendrix, Queen, and Michael Jackson, and so many more.
To start off the night, Miller introduces us to the conceit of this show, the second in an existing trilogy about real people and the music that shapes them. Boom is about Miller’s parents, who are Baby Boomers (and one can assume it comes with a heavy dose of Elvis). Boom YZ, then, is about the generation of Miller’s daughters. Boom X falls right between the two and traces the trajectory of Miller’s life, both musically and personally, using interview fragments from close friends and family members to bolster the show’s sprawling narrative from the late 60s to mid-90s.
The good: Miller’s a compelling presence onstage, with a knack for impressions and evident musical talent. His set (which he designed, with help on projections from Nicolas Dostie and Irina Litvinenko) smartly incorporates projections and puppetry to build a sumptuous world of pop culture, from Star Wars-style opening credits to oh-so-quotable scenes from Gen X movies and TV shows. Miller has carefully curated a playlist of ‘80s bangers and ballads, and the night I attended, folks in the audience hummed along enthusiastically, calling out bands as they appeared and cheering Miller on in his nostalgic romp through a complex few decades in world history.
The more complicated: Miller, who grew up in Quebec with several European expat family members, has a very specific viewpoint of the world (as do we all). His oral history includes quite a few Quebec-specific history lessons and cultural allusions, and those portions of the play are fascinating and evidently close to Miller’s heart. When Miller attempts to generalize, expanding to include a much vaster portrait of the world in the ‘80s, the show occasionally loses focus — the most compelling portions circle around Miller and the people around him, and I often found myself itching to get back to a central narrative, rather than a cramped world history lesson strung together by power ballads.
That issue of focus also manifests itself in the show’s running time, a long two-and-a-bit hours including intermission. Boom X has moments of excellence and Miller’s a gifted performer, but the material seems better suited to a 60- or 70-minute one-act, with fewer songs and a more laser-focused narrative thrust.
If you grew up with the same music as Miller, this show’s sure to be a hoot — I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not this one’s intended audience. For me, there are obvious cuts that would lead to a tighter, more gripping dramatic narrative, but as the piece stands, it’s a low-stakes good time at the theatre — with sick guitar solos to match.
Boom X runs at Crow’s through May 28. Tickets are available here.
Intermission reviews are independent and unrelated to Intermission’s partnered content. Learn more about Intermission’s partnership model here.
Aisling Murphy
Aisling is Intermission's former senior editor and the theatre reporter for the Globe and Mail. She likes British playwright Sarah Kane, most songs by Taylor Swift, and her cats, Fig and June. She was a 2024 fellow at the National Critics Institute in Waterford, CT.
LEARN MORE
iPhoto caption: The cast of Flex. Photo by Elana Emer.
REVIEW: Flex delivers a stirring portrait of ambition, girlhood, and loyalty
The train is only as strong as its weakest link — and in Flex, every player on and offstage pulls with heart, grit, wit, and charm.
iPhoto caption: Pictured (L to R): Jake Epstein as Frank, Isabella Esler as Alice. Photo by Michael Cooper.
REVIEW: Britta Johnson’s Life After shimmers in large-scale Mirvish transfer
The show’s tender excavation of grief’s ambiguities hasn’t lost any power in its journey to a bigger house; in fact, it’s clearer than ever.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Jae Yang.
REVIEW: Tarragon’s wonderful Benevolence reflects on diaspora, community, and place
Playwright-performer Kevin Matthew Wong’s script is heartfelt, conversational, and at times poetic, moving effortlessly between heavier moments of grief and lighter moments of joy and humour.
iPhoto caption: Photo by David Cooper.
REVIEW: Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata is a glorious theatrical banquet
This extraordinary ensemble of artists has made something truly harmonious, truly epic: a story that speaks to a mythical past, honouring a range of South Asian artistic traditions while also drawing a direct line to where — and who — we are now.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Jae Yang.
REVIEW: Guillermo Verdecchia’s Feast is a fascinating text, but Tarragon’s new production feels hazy
I found the play really resonant and rich and layered. It’s about globalization, privilege, travel, displacement, and inequity, and it brought up many associations and past experiences for me. But I don’t feel that Soheil Parsa’s production fully comes together.
iPhoto caption: Karen Hines as Pochsy. Photos by Gary Mulcahey.
REVIEW: VideoCabaret’s Pochsy IV is bizarre, vicious, and hilarious
I can confidently say that you don’t have to have a 30-year-plus background with Karen Hines’ clown character Pochsy to quickly understand her mix of oddball conviction, sly wordplay, and bland narcissism.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Aisling Murphy.
In the darkest months of Yukon winter, it’s all about the Sun Room
I’m here for a week in January as a guest of Nakai Theatre, a hub for theatrical experimentation and outside-the-box programming in Canada’s westernmost territory.
Armchairs, tattoos, and an online theatre magazine
When I started at Intermission, my world was limited to the confines of an armchair. Arts journalism was a high it felt dangerously fruitless to chase. The life stretched ahead of me was amorphous and frightening, a chasm filled with hand sanitizer and immigration concerns. It was worth crying over a spilled kombucha and scrubbing at the stain.
iPhoto caption: Liz Appel headshot courtesy of Liz Appel.
Five questions with Wights playwright Liz Appel
Intermission spoke with Appel over email for a brief Q&A about Wights, now playing at Crow’s Theatre until February 9.
Call for applications: Publishing and editorial assistant
Intermission Magazine is seeking a dynamic and collaborative individual to join our team.
iPhoto caption: What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab
Announcing What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab
What Writing Can Do is timed to coincide with the Grand and Theatre Aquarius’ co-production of Waitress, which will serve as a jumping-off point for discussions throughout the Lab.
iPhoto caption: A Christmas Story production still by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: A Christmas Story feels fresh at Theatre Aquarius
If you want to catch A Christmas Story before it closes, good luck — the show is close to sold out, and with the talent on that stage, it’s not hard to see why.
Comments