Skip to main content

REVIEW: Boom X at Kidoons and WYRD Productions, in association with Crow’s Theatre, Theatre Calgary, and The 20K Collective

int(100627)
iPhoto caption: Photo by Dahlia Katz
/By / May 17, 2023
SHARE

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
WRITTEN BY

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

Comments

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


/
Production photo of Just For One Day at Mirvish. iPhoto caption: Photo by Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.

REVIEW: Mirvish’s Just For One Day gives Live Aid the showchoir treatment

It’s a group effort to a rather incredible degree — many of the songs are essentially riff battles, with the singers hot-potatoing the melody around.

By Liam Donovan
Production photo of A Streetcar Named Desire at Theatre Calgary. iPhoto caption: Photo by Nanc Price.

REVIEW: A Streetcar Named Desire pulls into Theatre Calgary for the first time in over two decades

You’ll find everything you might expect from a take on A Streetcar Named Desire: sensuality, top-notch performances, and all.

By Eve Beauchamp
Production photo of Cliff Cardinal's CBC Special. iPhoto caption: Photo by Henry Chan.

REVIEW: Cliff Cardinal’s CBC Special is a real gem

Cliff Cardinal’s CBC Special may not broadcast on Canadian television, but it is, indeed, quite special.

By Ryan Borochovitz

REVIEW: La Reine-garçon hits like an avalanche at the COC

This co-production between the Canadian Opera Company and the Opéra de Montréal is eminently watchable.

By Liam Donovan
iPhoto caption: Photo by Curtis Perry.

REVIEW: In Why It’s (im)Possible at GCTC, parenting is an ever-evolving process

In the context of an increasingly difficult political and social climate for trans youth, Why It’s (im)Possible addresses the need for familial support.

By Alexa MacKie
Production photo from Who's Afraid of Virignia Woolf? at Canadian Stage. iPhoto caption: Photo by Dahlia Katz.

REVIEW: Detailed design anchors confident Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at Canadian Stage

Tasked for the second time in a year with filling the titanic canvas of the Bluma Appel Theatre, director Brendan Healy opts for hundreds of little strokes over a single massive one.

By Liam Donovan