Ken MacDonald News

In the video interview below, actors Tom Rooney and Robin Hutton describe the new Canadian musical Wanderlust, based on the poems of Robert Service. The show is playing through September 28 as part of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's 60th season. Watch the video below!

The poems of Robert Service, the famous "Bard of the Yukon," are set to music and used as inspiration in the world premiere of the new musical Wanderlust. A Stratford Shakespeare Festival commission, which is written and directed by Morris Panych with music and orchestration by Marek Norman, Wanderlust began performances June 20, 2012, at the Tom Patterson Theatre. Watch audience members share their enthusiasm for the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's world premiere production of WANDERLUST in the video below!

Lucy Peacock's cabaret series Late Night with Lucy has been so popular with patrons that it is officially sold out. The first performance of the eight-night summer series begins at the Festival's new Studio Theatre Annex space tonight at 11:30 p.m.

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!

The poems of Robert Service, the famous "Bard of the Yukon," are set to music and used as inspiration in the world premiere of the new musical Wanderlust. A Festival commission, which is written and directed by Morris Panych with music and orchestration by Marek Norman, Wanderlust started previews on June 20 at the Tom Patterson Theatre.

Canadian Stage today announced the details of the 2012.2013 season celebrating the 25th anniversary of the company.

Closing the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum 2011 season will be the wickedly funny 'Vigil,' a dark comedy written and directed by Morris Panych and featuring Marco Barricelli and Academy Award-winner Olympia Dukakis, November 2 through December 18. The opening is set for November 6.

With the title Vigil what should one expect? And its graphic with Olympia Dukakis framed by the parameters of a coffin? Death, most assuredly. But will it be funny? Vigil... Waiting For Godot comes to mind. Well, if it weren't for its two actors cavorting and acting silly, that play's tediousness might turn its audience to stone. As it turns out, Vigil's first act goes on and on as well... with Grace (Olympia Dukakis) saying nothing and Kemp (Marco Barricelli) waiting super impatiently for her to die. He's her nephew and hasn't seen her for thirty years. He's come back to care for her unwillingly at her request, and he's left his job with no money and is very unhappy. Once he starts talking about himself, we learn that he has always been unhappy... since childhood. He considers life stupid and pointless. What doesn't appear negative to him? As he looks from Grace's loft apartment window, he sees a crippled man with a wooden leg and makes fun of his zest for living, as he hops along. Sad fellow, this Kemp. As in most black comedies, there's a normal situation which somehow turns abnormal and very, very sour. If it's already sour, than more so. Events, usually queer, occur, as if out of the blue, that provoke tremendous over-the-top laughs. Being a black comedy, Vigil is no exception. It's dark humor is infectious, but as playwright Panych questions how long Kemp will last, he puts his audience at the mercy of this whole scenario as well, and that does create some painstaking anxiety. Will she die? Or more agonizingly when will she say something? Vigil is not an easy pill to digest.

Closing the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum 2011 season is the wickedly funny 'Vigil,' a dark comedy written and directed by Morris Panych and featuring Marco Barricelli and Academy Award-winner Olympia Dukakis, through December 18. Check out photos from opening night below!

Closing the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum 2011 season will be the wickedly funny 'Vigil,' a dark comedy written and directed by Morris Panych and featuring Marco Barricelli and Academy Award-winner Olympia Dukakis, November 2 through December 18. The opening is set for November 6.

Welcome home Miss Doolittle! It's so loverly to finally greet you. An innovative and fresh reinterpretation of My Fair Lady brings Eliza Doolittle's London vibrantly to life and reinvigorates the memorable melodies and lyrics of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. Molly Smith, Artistic Director of Washington D.C.'s Arena Stage, returns to The Shaw to direct a delight for the senses. MY FAIR LADY will officially open at the Shaw Festival on May 28, 2011.

Albert Schultz, Founding Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, is thrilled to announce that in last night's annual Dora Award ceremonies, Soulpepper's production of Parfumerie took home three Dora Awards‚ winning Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction by Morris Panych and Outstanding Set Design by Ken MacDonald.

The 31st Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the 2009/2010 season were handed out in a star-studded ceremony on the evening of Monday, June 28 at Toronto's in the Bluma Appel Theatre of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, hosted by the celebrated CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi. The Dora Mavor Moore Awards are produced and presented on behalf of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) and celebrate excellence in Toronto theatre, dance and opera. The 225 Dora-eligible shows opened between June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2010. A total of 35 Dora Awards plus the Silver Ticket Award, the Pauline McGibbon Award and the Audience Choice Award were given out.

At a press conference held today at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced 174 nominations for 225 eligible productions that opened between June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2010 for the 31st annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards which honour excellence in the performing arts in Toronto.

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced 174 nominations for 225 eligible productions that opened between June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2010 for the 31st annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards which honour excellence in the performing arts in Toronto.

Albert Schultz, Founding Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, is proud to announce the recognition of the Toronto theatre community in yesterday's announcement of nominees at the Dora Mavor Moore Awards press conference. Soulpepper received 14 Dora nominations and the Young Centre of the Performing Arts received 9 nominations.

At a press conference held today at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced 174 nominations for 225 eligible productions that opened between June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2010 for the 31st annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards which honour excellence in the performing arts in Toronto.

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced 174 nominations for 225 eligible productions that opened between June 1, 2009 and May 31, 2010 for the 31st annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards which honour excellence in the performing arts in Toronto.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) will end the return of three acclaimed artists to its stage: Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis (Steel Magnolias, A.C.T.'s Hecuba) and beloved Bay Area veteran actor Marco Barricelli's return to A.C.T. in a delightfully mordant comedy written and directed by Morris Panych (A.C.T.'s The Overcoat) on April 18th.

The Canadian Stage Company presents 'Art' a witty, razor-sharp play that explores the nature of friendship while examining the definition of art. Written by Yasmina Reza, 'Art' has achieved spectacular success. It has been translated into at least 35 languages and won numerous awards. The production stars Colin Mochrie (Whose Line is It Anyway?, CTV/ ABC) as Serge, Peter Donaldson (And So It Goes, Factory; Hysteria, Canadian Stage) as Marc and Evan Buliung (Cloud 9, Mirvish Productions; The House of Martin Guerre, Canadian Stage) as Yvan and is directed by Morris Panych (7 Stories, The Overcoat, Canadian Stage). 'Art' runs March 15 to April 10, 2010 (media night: March 18) at the Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front Street East, Toronto.