{"data":{"id":"120ba0b7-1207-4709-80f1-e6a837a85c3e","originKind":"SYNDICATED","title":"Fringe Review: In My Father's Voice a loving remembrance","summary":"In My Father’s Voice\n\n4 stars (out of 5)\n\nStage 8, OSPAC, 8426 Gateway Blvd.\n\nNow and then a show can maybe feel a little cringe up front yet by the end you’re singing along and cheering, which is exactly what happened here.\n\nBiographical tributes like this musical dedication by Shawn Henry to his late father can have a tendency to be a little extra dreamy-eyed, and indeed this cabaret show sprang from an actual eulogy!\n\nBut it turns out Henry’s a pro — literally a musical theatre professor out in Vancouver, and with an absolutely knockout voice. So with the help of Grant MacEwan’s Elisabeth Wagner on keys and Ethan Bintu-Watt playing guitar, Henry starts telling us about his dad Giles, and how people tell him he’s becoming him.\n\nIt’s told through a series of show tunes and anecdotes, like the time his NB Power safety officer dad brought him a clump of a dead boy’s hair to dissuade him from climbing electricity towers. Not, as Henry slowly reveals, the type of activities a kid who listened to “Dolly Parton in the basement with two balloons strapped to my chest” would be getting up to.\n\nHenry’s charming, Muppety (half Kermit, half Swedish Chef) impressions of Giles really do give the impression of a dual performance, and I had a tear in my eye when, after Shawn sings Papa Don’t Preach and reenacts his nervous coming out to Giles, the elder tells him how brave he is to tell him.\n\nThis loving remembrance actually got me thinking in advance about my own parents’ eulogies, and it was a true pleasure to meet both Henrys — you should absolutely do the same.\n\nCan you imagine your kid doing something this lovely?\n\nfgriwkowsky@postmedia.com\n\nBookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add EdmontonJournal.com and EdmontonSun.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.\n\nYou can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.","url":"https://edmontonjournal.com/entertainment/theatre/fringe-review-in-my-fathers-voice-a-loving-remembrance","imageUrl":"https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/edmontonjournal/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/in-my-father-s-voice_304762329.jpg","publishedAt":"2026-08-18T19:26:19.000Z","sourceLabel":"Edmonton Journal Music","tags":["Entertainment","Festivals","Theatre"],"authorName":"Fish Griwkowsky","contentHtml":"<img alt=\"In My Father's Voice at the 2026 Edmonton Fringe Festival,\" src=\"https://smartcdn.gprod.postmedia.digital/edmontonjournal/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/in-my-father-s-voice_304762329.jpg\" title=\"In My Father's Voice at the 2026 Edmonton Fringe Festival,\" /><p> <strong>In My Father’s Voice</strong> </p><p> <strong>4 stars (out of 5)</strong> </p><p> <strong>Stage 8, OSPAC, 8426 Gateway Blvd.</strong> </p><p> Now and then a show can maybe feel a little cringe up front yet by the end you’re singing along and cheering, which is exactly what happened here. </p><p> Biographical tributes like this musical dedication by Shawn Henry to his late father can have a tendency to be a little extra dreamy-eyed, and indeed this cabaret show sprang from an actual eulogy! </p><p> But it turns out Henry’s a pro — literally a musical theatre professor out in Vancouver, and with an absolutely knockout voice. So with the help of Grant MacEwan’s Elisabeth Wagner on keys and Ethan Bintu-Watt playing guitar, Henry starts telling us about his dad Giles, and how people tell him he’s becoming him. </p><p> It’s told through a series of show tunes and anecdotes, like the time his NB Power safety officer dad brought him a clump of a dead boy’s hair to dissuade him from climbing electricity towers. Not, as Henry slowly reveals, the type of activities a kid who listened to “Dolly Parton in the basement with two balloons strapped to my chest” would be getting up to. </p><p> Henry’s charming, Muppety (half Kermit, half Swedish Chef) impressions of Giles really do give the impression of a dual performance, and I had a tear in my eye when, after Shawn sings Papa Don’t Preach and reenacts his nervous coming out to Giles, the elder tells him how brave he is to tell him. </p><p> This loving remembrance actually got me thinking in advance about my own parents’ eulogies, and it was a true pleasure to meet both Henrys — you should absolutely do the same. </p><p> Can you imagine your kid doing something this lovely? </p><p> <a href=\"mailto:fgriwkowsky@postmedia.com\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">fgriwkowsky@postmedia.com</a> </p><p> <strong>Bookmark our website and support our journalism:</strong><em>Don’t miss the news you need to know — add <a href=\"http://edmontonjournal.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">EdmontonJournal.com</a> and <a href=\"http://edmontonsun.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">EdmontonSun.com</a> to your bookmarks and <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/newsletters/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">sign up for our newsletters here.</a></em> </p><p> <em>You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: <a href=\"https://edmontonjournal.com/subscribe/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Edmonton Journal</a> | <a href=\"https://edmontonsun.com/subscribe/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Edmonton Sun.</a></em> </p>","slug":"fringe-review-in-my-fathers-voice-a-loving-remembrance","publicPath":"/news/2026-08-18-fringe-review-in-my-fathers-voice-a-loving-remembrance"}}