This June, Luminato Festival presents Apocalypsis, the epic musical voyage written by acclaimed Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer, in one of the largest performance events Toronto has ever seen. 1,000 performers from across Ontario create an empire of sound and movement under the direction of Lemi Ponifasio of MAU, with musical direction by Toronto conductor David Fallis (The Toronto Consort, Opera Atelier) and light by Helen Todd (MAU). Featuring solo performances from multi-disciplinary artist Nina Arsenault, Tony Award-winner Brent Carver, dancer Denise Fujiwara, Polaris Prize-winner Tanya Tagaq, rising New Zealand opera star Kawiti Waetford, and the voice of renowned performance artist Laurie Anderson, the Luminato-commissioned production is on stage at the Sony Centre (1 Front St. E.) from June 26 to 28.
BroadwayWorld.com continues our exclusive content series, in collaboration with The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, which delves into the library's unparalleled archives, and resources. Below, check out a piece by Doug Reside (Lewis and Dorothy Cullman Curator for the Billy Rose Theatre Division) on Shakespeare + Musical Theater:
Today we are revisiting one of Kander & Ebb's most awarded musicals in honor of its opening more than 20 years ago this week, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN.
With about a zillion original musicals to their name, most of which made it to Broadway, this pair is one of the most famous Broadway songwriting teams of the modern era. Below, revisit their five longest-running Broadway musicals!
In the musical theatre today, it seems the world goes 'round the shows of composer John Kander & lyricist, the late Fred Ebb. On Broadway, one of their final musicals 'The Visit,' starring Chita Rivera with a book by Terrence McNally, begins previews next Month and opens in April.
BroadwayWorld is pleased to announce that the winners for the Toronto regional awards have been announced exclusively on our Facebook page! I wish to congratulate all of the winners!
Today we are revisiting a dynamic 1990s Best Musical winner poised for a Broadway revival should the recent all-star reading having proved worthwhile, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN.
According to the New York Times, a revival of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN could be heading to Broadway! A reading for the show was held just last week starring Audra McDonald, Alan Cumming, and Steven Pasquale in the roles of Aurora, Molina, and Valentin respectively. Tony winner John Tiffany (Once, The Glass Menagerie) directed the reading.
Producer Tom Kirdahy, who put the reading together, told NYT: "I think everyone is interested in having further conversations, but there is no game plan for a production at this point."
It's your last week to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Toronto Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 26th. Voting closes at the end of the year, in under one week!
The Toronto premiere of KINKY BOOTS has found its Charlie Price. Multiple entertainment industry professionals have been tweeting the last few days congratulating Graham Scott Fleming on being cast as the coveted role in the Tony Award-winning musical.
Time is ticking on your last chance to vote for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Toronto Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 19th. Voting closes at the end of the year!
Today in 1998, Parade opened at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre, where it ran for 85 performances. Parade is a musical with a book by Alfred Uhry and music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. The production was directed by Harold Prince and starred Brent Carver as Leo Frank, Carolee Carmello as Lucille Frank, and Christy Carlson Romano as Mary Phagan.
The musical won Tony Awards for best book and best score (out of nine nominations) and six Drama Desk Awards. The show has enjoyed a U.S. national tour and numerous professional and amateur productions in both the U.S. and abroad.
Toronto's best holiday family show is actually in Hamilton at Theatre Aquarius. It's Disney/Cameron Mackintosh's "Mary Poppins," featuring a stellar cast of Shaw, Stratford and Charlottetown Festival vets. It also stars Broadway vets award-winning Steven Sutcliffe and Chilina Kennedy as the beloved, magical nanny. This fabulous, fun-filled production runs until Dec. 28th.
Happy Birthday Brent Carver! Carver is best known for his performances on Broadway in Kiss of the Spider Woman as Molina, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical in 1993, Fiddler on the Roof, and Parade as Leo Frank. Carver originated the role of Gandalf in the Toronto stage production of The Lord of the Rings and has appeared in several Soulpepper Theatre Company productions such as The Wild Duck, Don Carlos and the Pirate King in the 1985 production of The Pirates of Penzance.
I am pleased to announce the nominees for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Toronto Regional Awards. The response this year from Toronto's theatre community and fans has been incredible. The BroadwayWorld Awards are an award decided by the fans - from nominations all the way to selecting the final winner.
After two successful runs in TORONTO in 2012 and 2013, Sharron Matthews and George Masswohl, acclaimed Canadian musical theatre couple, want to bring you a little (a lotta) Christmas, again! The duo are presenting another series of shows this holiday season in Toronto and Burnaby, Ontario.