For its landmark 40th edition, the High Performance Rodeo in Calgary is hosting a blast from the past. The celebrated theatre ensemble One Yellow Rabbit is reviving its production Dream Machine, a show first created 23 years ago. Staged at the Big Secret Theatre from January 17, 2026, this return invites audiences on a nostalgic trip, though the journey reveals some wrinkles of age.
A Concept That Defined an Era
The original vision for Dream Machine, as explained by creator Blake Brooker, was ambitious: to craft a musical devoid of traditional characters and plot. The result is a hybrid performance piece combining spoken word, movement, and a cycle of songs. While this may have felt groundbreaking in 2003, today's viewing lens is inevitably tinted with nostalgia. The production now comes across as sporadically entertaining but can also feel somewhat mundane and pretentious to a contemporary audience.
The show stands as a homage to the Beat Poets of the 1940s and 50s, with Brooker's lyrics channeling their distinctive, often angry and disillusioned style. His words grapple with personal angst and critique the soulless ambitions of society, offering moments of poignant insight, particularly into the mind of a writer seeking elusive truths.
The Enduring Strengths: Music and Movement
Where Dream Machine continues to shine is in its auditory and physical execution. The late David Rhymer's original music remains a powerful force, seamlessly shifting from melancholic to triumphant while weaving through various musical styles. The score is delivered with a mix of reverence and energy by musicians Peter Moller, Jonathan Lewis, and Augustine Yates, providing the perfect sonic landscape for the stage action.
Similarly, Denise Clarke's choreography ensures the stage is perpetually alive with motion. The risk of a static presentation is deftly avoided; every movement feels integral to the narrative of the spoken and sung words, not merely an addition.
Commanding Performances from a Skilled Ensemble
The five performers are the undeniable heart of the production, delivering standout work. Denise Clarke proves herself a true diva, particularly in a late-show singing number where she embodies the lyrics with raw, electric intensity. Her physicality is equally captivating, with seemingly effortless high kicks and an elastic, powerful presence.
Fellow original cast member Andy Curtis commands the stage with palpable love and respect for the material. He brings both majesty and humor to his roles, notably in a hilarious segment exploring themes of pansexuality that nod to the Beat Poets' own flaunting of sexual fluidity.
The show opens powerfully with former Calgary Poet Laureate Kris Demeanor delivering a reverent recitation of Allen Ginsberg's America. The poem's enduring relevance—nearly 60 years after its writing—is a poignant, if sad, commentary delivered with Demeanor's masterful understanding of verbal power. Geoffrey Simon Brown rounds out the talented quintet.
Ultimately, Dream Machine is a time capsule. It offers a compelling look at a specific moment in One Yellow Rabbit's innovative history and features exceptional performances and music. However, for a festival dedicated to high performance, this revival primarily serves as a respectful look back rather than a bold step forward, its conceptual innovations now familiar and its edges softened by time.
