Jeff Madden News

Angelwalk Theatre, Toronto's premiere producer of Off-Broadway style musical theatre, is celebrating its fifth anniversary season with a special one-night gala fundraiser and performance on October 19, 2013 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.

Toronto, you are in for a treat. The iconic musical FUNNY GIRL will be brought to life for 'One Night Only' this coming Monday night September 30th.Toronto's own Gabi Epstein stars as Fanny Brice in the role that catapulted a young actress and singer named Barbara Streisand to super-stardom nearly a half-century ago. BWW's Jeff Madden digs deep within Gabi to discover just how little separates Epstein from Brice from Streisand.

BWW asks the cast of PIG, "How far would you go for love?" Bruce Dow, Paul Dunn and Blair Williams are the stellar men forced to use their well-chiseled acting muscles to bring this challenging story to life. In advance of their Opening Night this Thursday September 19, BWW's Jeff Madden sat down for a stimulating chat with the three gentlemen and found out not only how difficult it was to 'go there', but also how difficult it was just to say 'yes' to the job.

BWW Toronto is thrilled to announce the newest addition to the Toronto team - Jeff Madden! Jeff gained notoriety in Toronto when he played Frankie Valli in the original Canadian production of Jersey Boys, and now he's going to bring his unique point of view and acting background to BWW by writing special features and doing one-on-one interviews with local actors. Welcome aboard Jeff!

How come we're all still surprised when a pro athlete admits he loves Broadway musicals? Ladies and Gentlemen, meet your new leading man, professional baseball player Jeremy Guthrie. Broadway World was excited to discover how Canada's JERSEY BOYS - and its Pop Stars - helped hook a baseball player on Broadway musicals.

Four years after first opening in Melbourne, Jersey Boys re-opened last night for a brief return season. The cast is predominately new but the gutsy and moving story of The Four Seasons remains timeless and entertaining as ever.

Bloodless: The Trial of Burke and Hare is the first offering from Theatre 20, a brand new Canadian theatre company with a goal to foster the development of new Canadian musicals. Written by Winnipeg playwright Joseph Aragon, the show tells the true story of the West Port murders in Edinburgh in 1829. With a solid cast and some great original music, the show is a brave first choice for Theatre 20.

A new partnership between the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) and BroadwayWorld.com promises to encourage Toronto's youth to participate in live performing arts events. The hipTIX Youth Invasion Video Series premieres today, with the release of hipTIX Youth Invasion at the Dora Awards.

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA)honors extraordinary talent in the Toronto performing arts community as they host the 33rd annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards tonight, Monday, June 25, at the St. St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in the Bluma Appel Theater. As with all awards, BroadwayWorld brings you full coverage of the ceremony. Keep checking back as the list of winners is updated below! And stay tuned in the next couple of days for special photo coverage!

JERSEY BOY Michael Lomenda has called Chicago his touring-home for just over a month, but the closest Starbucks to The Bank of America Theater, where the first national touring cast of Jersey Boys is currently playing its 9 week run, has rooted itself firmly in his routine. He also calls a brownstone with fellow cast members in Wrigleyville his place of residence, has mastered the el (and gotten plenty of compliments while doing so), and taken in the city's architectural feats on boat tours.

On Monday night the Harold Green Jewish Theatre held their annual fundraiser, bringing some of the city's top talents together under one roof to raise awareness and funds for the company. The event took a slightly different format this year, with the evening being split into two categories - music and laughter. The first half of the evening featured musical performances from a diverse range of local talent, and the second act featured improve comedy and The National Theatre of the World.

The Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company presents ONE NIGHT ONLY - An Evening Of Song & Laughter hosted by Linda Kash and Sheila McCarthy on Monday, April 16, 8PM at the Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.

The cast of the Canadian Premiere of I Love You Because are a close-knit bunch, and they're currently having a blast performing this heartwarming show about love and friendship in NYC each night at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. At the opening night party, BWW spoke with all six cast members and got them to dish on their dating disasters, and what ensued was an evening of scandalous hilarity!

I Love You Because had its Canadian Premiere this past Friday, where it plays at the Toronto Centre for the Arts for the next two weeks. Featuring a cast of talented Canadians, the show tells the story of a group of New Yorkers and their romantic adventures. With catchy original music, the show is touching, poignant and funny. BWW is thrilled to bring its readers photos from the Canadian Premiere!

Angelwalk Theater has come up with a real gem with the romantic musical comedy I Love You Because. The show, playing in the cozy Studio Theater in the Toronto Center for the Arts boasts a top-notch cast, fluid direction, a tuneful score and clever, insightful lyrics.

Angelwalk Theatre is bringing Torontonians the Canadian Premiere of I Love You Because, a modern day love story loosely based on Pride and Prejudice. The show was a hit off-Broadway in 2005 and now Toronto audiences will get to experience the quirky musical first hand. BWW sat down to talk with Elena Juatco (who stars as Marcy) about her own dating Do's and Dont's, dating Mr. Wrong and why young people should come see the show.

The Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company presents ONE NIGHT ONLY - An Evening Of Song & Laughter hosted by Linda Kash and Sheila McCarthy on Monday, April 16, 8PM at the Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.

Talk Is Free Theatre (TIFT) and Show One Productions are thrilled to announce that Dora Award winner Jeff Madden will be joining the cast as Rafe in the upcoming Toronto production of Dani Girl, by Christopher Dimond and Michael Kooman. A touching, humorous and inspiring tale, this dark, original musical comedy follows a young girl's battle with cancer. Dani Girl runs until March 4, 2012 at the Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace.

Dani Girl opened last night at Theatre Passe Muraille after a successful run at Barrie's Talk is Free Theatre last year. Directed by the Toronto Star's Richard Ouzounian, the show about a nine year old girl battling leukemia stars Gabi Epstein, Jeff Madden, Jonathan Logan and Amanda Leblanc. Heartfelt, funny, poignant and touching, Dani Girl is a show that will make you think as much as it will make you laugh. Best of all, it is an original and new musical, something the theatre community has been seeing less and less of. Overall, it is a celebration of life, love and the triumph of the human spirit.

Jeff Madden is best known to Toronto audiences for portraying the lead role of Frankie Valli in the original Canadian cast of Jersey Boys. Now, he's taking on a very different role in Kooman and Dimond's DANI GIRL, opening tonight. Jeff talks to BWW about the challenges associated with the new role, working with Richard Ouzounian and why young people should come see Dani Girl.