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Review: 'Grease' Tour at the Canon Theatre
A revival of GREASE offers a watered down version of the original stage script, needlessly interpolates four songs from the motion picture version, and pointlessly brings in Taylor Hicks to play Teen Angel. Some lively choreography fails to compensate.
* (out of 5)...
Review: 'Youg Frankenstein' National Tour at Princess of Wales Theatre
The Gene Wilder screenplay becomes the unsatisfactory basis for a failed Broadway musical. The star performance of Roger Bart goes a long way to making the performance endurable, but the show is far cry from being any kind of musical theatre classic.
* * (out of 5)...
Review: 'Titatnic' at Fairview Library Theatre
Curtain Call Players manage to successfully make the epic musical TITANIC work on a smaller stage. A huge ensemble of 50 ensures the choral aspects of the score are excitingly presented, and although the director cannot completely solve some of the show's more obstinate problems, the production gene...
BWW Review: Rebecca Northan's 'Blind Date'
Rebecca Northan's wildly popular improv comedy Blind Date just finished a sold-out three week run as part of Harbourfront Centre's World Stage 2010 Season. Funny and charming, I had a wonderful time watching 'Mimi' woo her date of the evening! This is a little show with big potential, and I encoura...
Review: 'Rex' at Fairview Library Theatre
Rex has a reputation as a big Broadway disaster. It is well known that the show had many problems on the rocky road to Broadway in 1976, but The Civic Light Opera Company's new production shows off the show's strengths. Sheldon Harnick attended the opening night performance and pronounced this produ...
Review: 'String of Pearls'
Leave it to Theatre Erindale to unearth a relatively unknown recent play and turn it into a brilliant showcase for the female members of the school's acting ensemble. A String of Pearls is a fascinating and funny piece that is highly recommended, with the caveat that there is some strong language an...
Review: 'Footloose' at Meadowvale Theatre
It will never be regarded as one of Broadway's greatest, the show Footloose can be fun and entertaining when the production features an energetic and youthful cast and a charismatic leading man. Meadowvale Music Theatre's production scores on both of these points, and even if the production occasion...
BWW Reviews: ASSASSINS
Birdland Theatre has joined forces with Barrie's Talk is Free Theatre to present a mesmerizing production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's darkly comic piece Assassins. Fans of the show will no doubt want to see it, but others are well advised to take this scary ride and see for themselves.
...
BWW Reviews: FALLEN ANGELS
Amicus Productions presentation of Noel Coward's comedy Fallen Angels proves to be a real crowd pleaser thanks to its leading ladies.
* * * * (OUT OF 5)...
BWW Reviews: LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE - The Musical
If you have fond memories of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little House books or the popular 1970's TV series, steer clear of the Canon Theatre because your expectations sure to be foiled. The same applies if you are a musical theatre fan out to see this new musical adapted from the novels. Despite a f...
BWW Reviews: Encore Entertainment's THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK
Caitlynne Medrek gives an incandescent performance as the title character in Encore Entertainment's engrossing staging of the 1997 version of The Diary of Anne Frank.
* * * * * (OUT OF 5)...
Review: 'The Light in the Piazza'
Patty Jamieson, Jacquelyn French and Jeff Lillico head a superb cast in a ravishingly beautiful production of The Light in the Piazza playing a limited 3-week run at the Berkeley Street Theatre.
* * * * * (OUT OF 5)...
Review: 'Pygmalion'
Shaw's classic play is given a fine revival by Stage Centre Productions.
* * * * 1/2 (OUT OF 5)...
Review: 'Cloud 9'
Caryl Churchill's once daring play has lost some of its edge over the past three decades, but thanks to a terrific cast and solid direction, it still entertains.
* * * 1/2 (OUT OF 5)...
BWW Reviews: DIXIE'S TUPPERWARE PARTY
Dixie Longate brings her Tupperware Party to Mississauga sending the crowd in the RBC Theatre at the Living Arts Centre into fits of uncontrollable laughter. Dixie - we love your cups!
* * * * (OUT OF 5)...
Review: 'Andromache'
Senior students at University of Toronto's Erindale Campus Theatre program tackle Richard Wilbur's translation of Jean Racine's 17th Century play and come up with a powerful production.
* * * * * (OUT OF 5)...
BWW Reviews: 'GYP...' at Meadowvale Theatre
Theatre Unlimited offers a generally fine community production of the classic Arthur Laurents-Jule Styne-Stephen Sondheim musical Gypsy - but undoes it but cutting the final scene!!
* * 1/2 (out of 5)
...
Review: 'One Hit Wonders' New Revue at Stage West
Some high-energy performers backed by a terrific band make the new revue at Stage West Dinner Theatre an enjoyable if somewhat overpowering smorgasbord.
* * * (out of 5)...
Review: 'Rent' - The Broadway Tour Hits Toronto
The Broadway Tour of Rent provides Toronto audiences with a fairly close facsimile of the true original - as opposed to the hand-me-down tours that have previously played the city. The show, however, remains problematic.
* * * 1/2 (out of 5)...
BWW REVIEWS: My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding (Extended Again)
My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding was the surprise smash hit at last year's Toronto Fringe Festival, and has been wowing larger audiences at the Panasonic Theatre in Toronto for the last few months. It was recently announced that the show will be brought back in February for another extensi...
BWW REVIEWS: Fiddler on the Roof with Harvey Fierstein
The Farewell Tour of the classic Fiddler on the Roof lands in Toronto this month at the Canon Theatre, just in time for the holiday season. With seasoned veteran Harvey Fierstein in the lead role and a strong ensemble cast, this is a perfect holiday treat!...
BWW REVIEWS: STUFF HAPPENS at the Royal Alexandra Theatre
The critically acclaimed Studio 180 Production of David Hare's Stuff Happens gets its shot at the big time this month at Mirvish's Royal Alexandra Theatre. Playing until December 23rd, this powerful play about the political events surrounding September 11th and the US led invasion of Iraq is a surp...
REVIEW: Alumnae Theatre's PALACE OF THE END
As theatre patrons somberly filed out of Alumnae Theatre's production of 'Palace of the End', it seemed as if the air had been sucked out of the small studio theatre. Not only had we experienced a phenomenal work of playwriting staged by a stellar production, but we had been on the receiving end of ...
BWW Review: Necessary Angel's Hamlet
Described as a 'radical re-visioning of one of the world's greatest plays', Necessary Angel's Hamlet had its opening on November 19th at The Harbourfront Centre's Enwave Theatre. Dark, visceral, sexual and violent, this is truly a unique departure from the classic Bard tale....
Review: 'Ruthless - The Musical' at Toronto Centre for the Arts
Encore Entertainment's first show of the season is a winner, the very funny - and at times quite campy Ruthless. Thanks to a terrific cast and brisk pacing, the laughs never let up.
...
Videos
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The Tempest Stratford Festival (4/28-10/24) PHOTOS |
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CINDERELLA by The United European Ballet Company Brockville Arts Centre (1/28-1/28) |
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Unframed - PushPULL Dance Toronto's 22nd Annual Dance Production Fairview Library Theatre (6/10-6/13) |
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Fletch, Vaughan and Hayley LIVE - The Genuine Friends Tour BNZ Theatre (10/10-10/10) |
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887 - Ex Machine / Robert Lepage The Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres (12/10-12/13) |
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Fred Penner: The Hero In You Young People's Theatre (3/06-3/20) |
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Not Dead Yet! - John Cleese and the Holy Grail at 50 The Elgin & Winter Garden Theatres (10/02-10/02) |
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SpongeBob the Musical Randolph Theatre (8/22-9/20) |
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The Caged Bird Sings Tarragon Theatre (6/09-6/21) |
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Moonstruck Comedy Bar (10/09-10/30) |
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