Taylor Long - Page 2

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG has to be the loudest I've ever heard a Toronto audience laugh. The hilarious farce has captured the essence of what most theatre professionals spend their lives fearing. It takes the unpredictable nature of live theatre and exaggerates the hell out of it.

Ross Petty's panto is back and better than ever! THE WIZARD OF OZ at the Elgin Theatre is a loose adaption of the classic story with a modern/environmentally-conscious twist. Ross Petty's panto has become a staple of the Toronto theatre community, entertaining generations of audiences for over 20 years. It's a communal performance experience unlike any other and a holiday tradition you can't miss.

Before the show even begins, the voice of Andrew Lloyd Webber informs us all that the kids in SCHOOL OF ROCK play their instruments live. This becomes overwhelmingly impressive as the show progresses. SCHOOL OF ROCK: THE MUSICAL, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Glenn Slater, and book by Julian Fellows is an adaption of the successful Paramount movie starring Jack Black. In this musical interpretation, the kids take centre stage as the stars of the show.

It was a, 'I was there when…' kind of evening for opera. Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky appeared at Toronto's beautiful Koerner Hall for her highly anticipated recital, From Bel Canto to Verismo, accompanied by pianist Anthony Manoli. One has to applaud the presenter, Show One Productions, on its commitment to bringing the very best in classical music to this city, year after year.

This is not your parents' Willy Wonka. CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, the new musical by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, is a bigger, brighter, louder version of the beloved novel by Roald Dahl. Featuring larger-than-life projections, updated characters, and brand-new music - the world of Willy Wonka has never looked flashier. 

BroadwayWorld has your first look at Soulpepper's music video for 'Let Love Out' from their highly-anticipated new musical, ROSE. Three years in the making, ROSE will be the company's biggest, most ambitious production to date!

The soul of Motown is alive in Toronto. On its final stop before Broadway, AIN'T TOO PROUD busts open the Motown catalogue at Mirvish's Princess of Wales Theatre. With explosive vocals that reach every extreme of the human voice, high-energy choreography, and a playlist of 31 Motown favourites - AIN'T TOO PROUD works hard to be a hit.

From the first crash of drums, you could feel the excitement ripple through the theatre. The beloved musical MAMMA MIA! returned to the Ed Mirvish Theatre for a limited engagement and audiences could not have been more thrilled. Telling the story of Sophie Sheridan and her mother Donna, the show explores themes of family, identity, and love - all set to a soundtrack of the fabulous music by ABBA.

After the thunderous success of LIFE AFTER, musical theatre power duo Anika Johnson and Britta Johnson are back with the world premiere of their new musical, DR. SILVER: A CELEBRATION OF LIFE. BroadwayWorld has exclusive photos from the first day of rehearsal!

Calling all Evan Hansens! Mirvish Productions will be doing an open casting call on Monday, July 23, 2018 for the roles of Evan Hansen and Alana Beck. Interested? We have the details here.

There's no escaping it - this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic has not aged well. Bartlett Sher's brilliant production of THE KING AND I has arrived in Toronto at Mirvish's Princess of Wales Theatre. While the cast does an exceptional job revitalizing the work, they can't escape the problematic cultural themes that form the structure of this beloved musical. 

BWW Toronto presents an exclusive preview, including rehearsal video and stills, of THE PREPOSTEROUS PREDICAMENT OF POLLY PEEL (Act 1), a new musical by Julie Tepperman & Kevin Wong, being presented at the 2018 Toronto Fringe Festival from July 5 - 15, 2018!

After nearly 15 years, WICKED is still defying gravity. The North American tour of Stephen Schwartz' blockbuster musical WICKED will be whisking Toronto audiences to Oz this summer at Mirvish's Ed Mirvish Theatre. Lucky for us Torontonians, this touring cast is more than capable at navigating the thrilling, challenging, and...popular score.

There's a new chandelier, new sets, and new costumes! But new doesn't necessarily mean improved. Laurence Connor's updated touring production of Broadway's longest-running show, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, has arrived in Toronto. For a first-time Phantom viewer, the experience will be a grand one - but those who have seen the show before will long for the original.

Visionary Canadian director Robert Lepage teams up with Guillaume Cote, Principal Dancer and Choreographer at the National Ballet of Canada to present FRAME BY FRAME. We spoke to Second Soloist Jack Bertinshaw, playing filmmaker Norman McLaren, about his life as a professional dancer, the unique challenges in bringing a man's life to life on the stage, and the incredible three-year collaborative process to prepare FRAME BY FRAME for its world premiere.

Nothing brings people together quite like Harry Potter. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) joined the Amadeus Choir and the Elmer Iseler Singers to present the third chapter of the Harry Potter: In Concert Series - HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN IN CONCERT. Beyond hearing the enchanting John Williams' score performed live by an incredible orchestra, the event is an incredible unifier - creating a space for Potter fans to congregate and celebrate.

Puzzle pieces cover the stage, invoking a sense of kid-centric wonder in Mirvish's ANNIE. With music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin, and a book by Thomas Meehan, ANNIE has stood the test of time as one of musical theatre's most beloved shows. Mirvish's production keeps the inspirational story and the hummable tunes - but offers a weird production concept that spends the entire show fighting itself.

Conductor Bramwell Tovey began the evening by saying, 'in light of the way things are… I want to give you permission to laugh.' It didn't take very long before the audience was in stitches with laughter. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra performed Leonard Bernstein's CANDIDE last weekend, accompanied by some of the country's greatest classical voices - Judith Forst and Tracy Dahl - and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. The evening was a spectacular display of fine music, drama, and comedy.

The Musical Stage Company has done it again. FUN HOME, presented as part of the off-Mirvish subscription series, is a testament to the power of effective musical theatre. With its gripping exploration of a dysfunctional family struggling with identity - internally and externally - a book and lyrics by Lisa Kron, and music by Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Shrek The Musical), FUN HOME packs a punch. It may be the biggest show in the Musical Stage Company's history, but FUN HOME is really an intimate story about love and acceptance.

Two of musical theatre's finest voices filled the Roy Thomson Hall last night at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's ON BROADWAY. Two-time Tony Award-nominee Stephanie J. Block joined Tony Award-nominated Canadian performer Ramin Karimloo and Steven Reineke, Principal Pops Conductor, in a night of Broadway highlights ranging from Rodgers & Hammerstein, to Stephen Sondheim, to Stephen Schwartz.