Isabella Perrone - Page 6

Presented as part of Harbourfront Centre's The Festival of Cool: Arctic, IKUMAGIALIIT (Inuktitut for a?oethose that need firea??) is an experiential journey presented by a four woman performance art band, who collectively go by the name Ikumagialiit. Made up of Christine Tootoo, Cris Derksen, Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory and Jamie Griffiths, the 90-minute performance delves into their shared and individual experiences with their culture and their work to combat fear and oppression, both individually and as a community.

In the Toronto International Ballet Theatre and Bolshoi Ballet's (TIBT) production of THE NUTCRACKER, choreographer and artistic director Tatiana Stepanova takes a traditional approach to the beloved story that proves it doesn't need a modern-day refresh to appeal to a modern audience. From the glittering, gorgeous costumes (Shannon Khan) to lighting (Simon Rossiter, also credited with production management) that utilizes unique elements to stunning success, added to the dance components, this is a Nutcracker that embraces its history, and in turn, is a lovely holiday-themed production.

Within the Trinity-St. Paul Centre's high ceilings and warm wooden walls, audiences can experience a telling of the nativity unlike anything created today. SCH?oeTZ'S CHRISTMAS STORY, produced by The Toronto Consort, is a seasonal program centred on Schütz's works, featuring a few other German composers from his era, with his Christmas Story centred as the main event.

It's a story with dozens of iterations and adaptations, but a few small adjustments to this beloved Christmas tale make all the difference in Soup Can Theatre and The Three Ships Collective's A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

What happens when a modern-day Little Red Riding Hood gets pulled back in time, dropped in a forest, and comes face-to-face with Maid Marion, Robin Hood, and an evil sheriff? A lot. And it all happens hilariously, with full musical numbers, in Ross Petty's LIL RED ROBIN HOOD.

In the last decade or so, musicals based on movies have become a regular occurrence. It seems like several new shows are opening each year, so it's not surprising that a?oeAnastasia,a?? Don Bluth's semi-unconventional take on a princess movie, made the transition a?' and thankfully, the end result maintains much of the magic of its source material.

FIGARO'S WEDDING, first staged by Against the Grain in 2013, is a perfect example of how a good story and timeless music can transcend hundreds of years and switch languages, and still be rapturously funny. Featuring an English libretto by director Joel Ivany, the production still utilizes Mozart's original score from a?oeLe Nozze Di Figaroa?? to great effect via a thematically-appropriate quartet of strings and piano (music direction by Rachael Kerr).

CATS is a show that, on paper, isn't necessarily an easy sell. The narrative is simple: once a year a group of cats come together for the jellicle ball, and their leader Old Deuteronomy selects one cat to ascend to the Heaviside Layer and be reborn into a new life. There isn't too much structure to the plot besides that a?" cats come and go, introducing themselves and sometimes each other, and generally justa??do cat things. Because of all that, I wasn't the most optimistic viewer at the start of the night. By curtain call I was debating adopting a cat and naming it Mr. Mistoffelees, even with a lifelong track record of severe allergic reactions to the animals.

What happens when a monogamous lesbian songwriter and a polyamorous bisexual poet fall in love? Boundaries are set, broken, upheld, muddled, and re-established over and over again in a story that reflects the complications of modern dating and romantic relationships.

Pinocchio is not a new story by any means, and according to director Sheila McCarthy's program note, it's been translated into 260 languages since it was written in 1881. With such a wealth of imaginings and interpretations already in the world, Brian Hill (book) and Neil Bartram (music and lyrics) wisely decide to let the simplicity of the fairy-tale take centre stage in THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO.

HERE ARE THE FRAGMENTS combines strong acting, independent exploration, and topical subject matter to create one of the most unique theatrical experiences in Toronto right now. Created by Dr. Suvendrini Lena, it's an immersive look into the life of Dr. Chauvet (Allan Louis), a Black doctor who is diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis after experiencing traumatic racist treatment from patients and coworkers.

Even though the weather in Toronto is flip-flopping between fall and winter, there are plenty of ways to celebrate the holiday season around the city a?' and The Second City's joined that list with the UNCONVENTIONAL HOLIDAY REVUE.

The National Ballet of Canada's ORPHEUS ALIVE is a ground-breaking theatrical production, with heavy focus on theatre. Choreographer Robert Binet has taken some huge chances with the incorporation of lengthy, text-driven components (writing, dramaturgy and text direction by Rosamund Small) that do a great job of explaining the narrative, but take away from what should be the main focus a?" dance.

ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL's title alone brings a melody to mind, and if you don't hear it in the bratty voices of the kids featured on the album a?' then you'll probably have a different opinion on the opera than fans of Pink Floyd might. While this production leans into the emotional undertones of the source material and Roger Waters' lyrics, it trades the captivating and wild grit of classic rock for sweeping orchestral pieces and in-your-face literalism that doesn't always land.

ProArteDanza's latest work, choreographed by Roberto Campanella and Robert Glumbeck, is the impressive result of over a decade of collaboration between its renowned creators. The piece is set to Beethoven's beloved 9th Symphony, and in line with the music, the story unfolds in four movements. Exploring themes of individual versus community, human connection, and breaking down barricades a?" literally and figuratively a?" the work is a demanding, moving piece featuring an impressive ensemble.

Set in a pastoral German village, GISELLE has all the components of a quintessential romantic work. The titular character is a beautiful young woman living with her strict-yet-loving mother (Lorna Geddes). Although a local forester (Piotr Stanczyk) wants to marry her, Giselle has fallen for another man in the village a?" the Count of Silesia, Albrecht (Harrison James), who has donned a disguise to escape the responsibilities of his noble status. When the forester exposes the Count's identity, Giselle goes mad and dies a?" in some productions by suicide, but in this version it seems more likely that a pre-existing heart condition is to blame. She returns as a Wili in the second act to defend Albrecht from the other Wilis and their queen (Heather Ogden), who force men in the woods to dance to their death.

Michelle Bouey might be a fairly new name in Toronto's performing arts scene, but the rising singer has already made an impact in the city. With a 2018-19 Banks Prize under her belt, Bouey returns to The Musical Stage Company for her second edition of UNCOVERED. The thirteenth show in the concert series focuses on the music of Stevie Wonder and Prince, and Bouey gave us the ins and outs of how a show like UNCOVERED comes together behind the scenes in an exclusive Q+A.

When it comes to covering popular music, navigating the space between individual interpretation while still respecting the original artist's work could be a daunting task. And when the artists whose music is being covered are household names and legends in every way, there's also the need to ensure their fans appreciate the changes made in the reimagining.

LET'S RUN AWAY is a deeply personal look into the life of a man through what his late birth mother wrote about him in her memoir; the premise is simple enough, but it's the layers and puzzles scattered throughout the interactions between mother and son that make the story so intriguing.

In this revival of Opera Atelier's 2011 DON GIOVANNI, questions of morality combat comedy in perfect harmony. Under director Marshall Pynkoski, this retelling of the tale of the Don examines his lifestyle as a full-time seducer and contrasts it against the ideals of the women he's loved and left (and their men).