IN BRIEF: CSI: Moose Jaw, Bluesfest cancelled, Townshend vs. Moore

Last Updated: Wednesday, July 14, 2004 | 4:12 PM ET

CBC Arts

Musical CSI spoofs hit crime series

Fans of the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation TV series can take a break from the programs' sombre forensic detectives in favour of a three-act musical spoof of the hit show now playing in Edmonton.

Winnipeg resident Jim Van Dusen wrote CSI Moose Jaw: The Country Cases, which premiered in Winnipeg last spring and is now playing at the Jubilations Dinner Theatre in the West Edmonton Mall.

The premise of the musical is a crime convention set in Moose Jaw – chosen because the small city would be unlikely to host any gory murders to distract the investigators. Predictably, chaos ensues and the detectives must solve a mystery, with the characters occasionally bursting into song.

Van Dusen said he picked the show because of its popularity and Moose Jaw because of its "instantly recognizable" status as a Canadian city.

"Plus, sometimes just the word Moose Jaw is funny," he told the Moose Jaw Times-Herald.

TORONTO - Poor ticket sales nix blues festival

Organizers of the Toronto Bluesfest have announced that the event has been cancelled as a result of poor ticket sales.

The annual music festival, scheduled to begin Friday, was to feature musicians such as Lyle Lovett, Chris Isaak, Wilson Pickett and Jimmie Vaughan. The festival was also to feature a range of artists from other genres, including Wyclef Jean, Big Boi from the hip hop group Outkast, Gillian Welch and Earl Scruggs.

Organizers said if they had gone ahead with the 10-day event, they would have faced "huge potential losses."

"My heart goes out to all the bands, sponsors, volunteers, staff and fans who supported last year's event and were on board for this year," said executive director Mark Monahan in a statement.

Ticket holders will receive full refunds at the point of purchase beginning July 19.

The diversity of this year's acts had raised questions from some blues purists. But, a spokesperson from a U.S. blues foundation recently said the diversification trend at blues festivals in general is part of the "unforgiving economics of the business."

"There are two ways to deal with [declining] attendance or corporate sponsorship, and one of them is to stop doing it and the other is to diversify," Jay Sieleman, director of administration at the Memphis-based Blues Foundation, told the Canadian Press.

"You have to pick your purpose and your audience."

Bluesfest is the latest Toronto arts event to fall victim to poor ticket sales. Recently, a number of theatrical productions, including the much-hyped musical The Producers, have ended their runs early, citing lacklustre sales.

LONDON - Don't be fooled by Moore: Townshend

Guitarist Pete Townshend of classic rock group the Who and filmmaker Michael Moore are engaged in a public spat over the use of the song Won't Get Fooled Again.

Townshend refused to allow Moore to use the song in his latest film, Fahrenheit 9/11.

The director claimed Townshend did so because he favoured the war in Iraq. But the guitarist says he refused permission because he was suspicious of Moore's credentials.

"I had not really been convinced by Bowling for Columbine, and had been worried about its accuracy: it felt to me like a bullying film," Townshend wrote on his website recently. "Once I had an idea what the film was about, I was 90 per cent certain my song was not right for them."

In response to Townshend's comments, Moore released a statement Tuesday in which he suggests the guitarist's indignation originates from Moore turning down a request to make a movie about the Who.

"I had to tell them that due to my need to finish Fahrenheit 9/11, I would not be able to make their film for them," Moore wrote.

"I am sorry I wasn't able to do the Who documentary like they wanted me to, but this is certainly no way for Pete to show his anger and frankly it is very embarrassing for him to behave in this manner, as he is the greatest rock star who ever lived."

Fahrenheit 9/11 ends with Neil Young's Rockin' in the Free World.