Can you imagine life without water? It's something we take for granted. Water is always accessible. It's easy to find. DIVINE, by Natalie Frijia, imagines a world without these luxuries. Directed by Claire Burns, DIVINE presents this one potential future as a post-apocalyptic wasteland - a wild-west... (more...)
A study by Microsoft in 2015 revealed that the average person's attention span (related to social media) is down to eight seconds - less than that of a goldfish. REALITY THEATRE, written by Julia Lederer and directed by Rebecca Applebaum, satisfies this need for constant change. Part of the SummerWo... (more...)
STRONG ACTING IN DRACULA DESPITE TEDIOUS SCRIPT
The story of Bram Stoker's DRACULA has been told long enough since the novel's release in 1897 that most everyone is familiar with the famous Prince of Darkness. Numerous films have been made, as early as the silent version NOSFERATU, and a stage ... (more...)
With the 2017 season of the Stratford Festival in full swing, and locals and visitors alike enjoying the glorious theatrical productions on stage at the Festival, Avon, Tom Patterson and Studio Theatres. It is important to note that there is far more than just theatre for audiences to enjoy at the F... (more...)
Some shows are born great, some shows achieve greatness and others have greatness thrust upon them. Presented by Canadian Stage, Shakespeare's KING LEAR and TWELFTH NIGHT are in the hands of a phenomenal group of artists - who thrust greatness on them six nights a week.... (more...)
"I've heard the lighting is amazing," a woman whispered to me before the show. Clearly designers Astrid Janson and Andre du Toit are doing something right - Soulpepper's VIMY is a visual feast.... (more...)
CHARM ABOUNDS IN SHAW FESTIVAL'S 'WILDE TALES'
A verbose frog, an egomaniacal Rocket, two charming birds, and a sympathetic Prince are not the usual cast of characters in an Oscar Wilde play. But in the ever evolving 2017 Shaw Festival season, his 'WILDE TALES' proves to be an eye opening and joy... (more...)
The memory of a fascinating Canadian war hero brought to life by a fascinating Canadian actor. BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR is in fine form in Soulpepper Theatre Company's 2017 revival. Aligning with the 150th Birthday of our nation - the musical, written and performed by John MacLachlan Gray and Eric P... (more...)
A celebration of the majestic unity of man and nature - ODYSSEO is a mammoth of a show. Presented by Cavalia under a 125-foot tall Big White Top, the show features 65 horses of various breeds and 50 versatile artists (horseback riders, acrobats, aerialists, singers and dancers). ODYSSEO is a thrilli... (more...)
Feel the earth move with Chilina Kennedy's powerhouse vocals. Mirvish Productions presents BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, with a book by Douglas McGrath and music by Gerry Goffin & Carole King and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil. The musical follows King's journey - from the sale of her very first s... (more...)
Four masters paying tribute to 'the architect'. The 2017 TD Toronto Jazz Festival closed with a concert featuring pianists Kenny Baron, Cyrus Chestnut, Benny Green and Gerald Clayton. 4 BY MONK BY 4 honoured the renown American jazz pianist and composer, Thelonious Monk.... (more...)
Two musicians, engulfed by the spirit of jazz. Presented by the TD Toronto Jazz Festival, Hiromi played the Koerner Hall on Wednesday evening, joined by jazz harpist Edmar Castaneda. A melange of rock, pop, and jazz - the duo proved that the world needs more piano and harp.... (more...)
Has Harry Potter reached cult classic level yet? It certainly seemed to last night. Presented by the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts and Attila Glatz Concert Productions, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (conducted by Justin Freer) was joined by the Women's Chorus from Amadeus Choir and the Elmer ... (more...)
Spell-binding jams that beg you to dance and dance. CARAVAN PALACE 'blew the roof' off of the Phoenix Concert Theatre last night, performing as part of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival. The seven-member virtuosic electro-swing ensemble pushes the boundaries of jazz with an inventive mesh of music - even... (more...)
Written by women, created by women, performed by women. Featuring two one-act operas by Dame Ethel Smyth, Fete Galante and The Boatswain's Mate, SUFFRAGETTE, presented by Opera 5 is a rare undertaking for classical music - but it shouldn't be.... (more...)
The heart-pounding 'O Fortuna' fills the Roy Thomson Hall to the brim with the sound of a full orchestra and over one hundred voices. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) presents the finale to their 'Decades Project: 1930-1939', CARMINA BURANA by Carl Orff, featuring the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, ... (more...)
Four incredible artists bring to life the stories of four powerful women. LIFE REFLECTED, presented by the National Arts Centre (NAC) is a multi-media journey examining the lives of four women using photography, film, spoken word and music. The NAC Orchestra takes us through four individual pieces, ... (more...)
McCAMUS IS BRILLIANT AS KING GEORGE III
Mental illness in the 18h Century, aka madness, was as in some respects as poorly understood and accepted then as it is today. Being a monarch would imply that the best care would be at your disposal, but when the malady is unknown, even King George III of ... (more...)
Epic storytelling meets emotional physical theatre in Akram Khan's moving production. Based on the tale of Amba/Shikhandi in the Mahabharata, UNTIL THE LIONS explores notions of gender identity, spirituality and passionate confrontation. Director and choreographer Akram Khan has outdone himself in t... (more...)
The theme will get under your skin. With some of the most beautiful music ballet has to offer, SWAN LAKE is sure to capture your heart. The National Ballet of Canada is celebrating the 140th anniversary of Tchaikovsky's most iconic ballet with their dark, brooding production designed by Santo Loquas... (more...)
Russia seems to be everywhere these days. Conductor and violinist, Vladimir Spivakov and the Moscow Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra performed to an enthusiastic crowd at the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto, Ontario. The evening was presented by Show One Productions, the same company that recently brought us ... (more...)
No one yells 'Stella!' at the ballet - because they don't have to. John Neumeier's A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, inspired by the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Tennessee Williams, had its National Ballet of Canada premiere on June 3, 2017. The ballet dives deeper into Blanche DuBois' psyche, examining t... (more...)
THE JAZZ SINGER opened this week, presented by the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company as a toe-tapping new musical rendition of the story made famous by the film of the same name. While the film shocked the world with its inventive introduction of synced recorded sound, the musical, written by Mich... (more...)
A 'ME AND MY GIRL' Not To Be Missed
It is infrequent for the theatre god of comedy to shine bright enough to induce glee, but that is what occurred on opening night of the Shaw Festival's utterly charming production of ME AND MY GIRL. An alchemy of sorts has melded a super talented cast with the... (more...)
BWW Review: DIVINE at SummerWorks Entertains with Adventure in a Grim Future
BWW Review: REALITY THEATRE at SummerWorks Panders to the Millennial Attention Span
BWW Review: DRACULA at SHAW FESTIVAL
BWW Review: THE NEW CABARET Is a Splendid Addition to 'Night Music' Series at Stratford Festival's Forum
BWW Review: Marion Abbott Productions' WOMEN OF MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL
BWW Review: Shakespeare in High Park Thrills with KING LEAR and TWELFTH NIGHT
BWW Review: Design Steals the Show in Soulpepper's VIMY
BWW Review: WILDE TALES at Shaw Festival
BWW Review: Masterful Storytelling in Soulpepper's BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR
BWW Review: ODYSSEO by Cavalia is a Gorgeous Spectacle
BWW Review: Empowering Anthems Shine in Mirvish's BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL
BWW Review: 4 BY MONK BY 4 at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival
BWW Review: HIROMI Duet Featuring EDMAR CASTANEDA at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival
BWW Review: HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE IN CONCERT Will Make You Believe in Magic
BWW Review: Decibel-Shattering, Ground-Pounding Applause for CARAVAN PALACE at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival
BWW Review: Opera 5's SUFFRAGETTE
BWW Review: A Sensational Night of Music at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's CARMINA BURANA
BWW Review: LIFE REFLECTED by the National Arts Centre Orchestra at the Luminato Festival
BWW Review: THE MADNESS OF GEORGE III at SHAW FESTIVAL
BWW Review: Akram Khan Company's UNTIL THE LIONS at the Luminato Festival
BWW Review: Heather Ogden is One Strong Swan in the National Ballet of Canada's SWAN LAKE
BWW Review: Toronto is Head Over Heels for HIBLA GERZMAVA
BWW Review: The National Ballet of Canada's A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is Breathtaking From Start to Finish
BWW Review: Exceptional Performers Make the Most Out of THE JAZZ SINGER at the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company
BWW Review: ME AND MY GIRL at Shaw Festival
VIDEO: Miranda Up for Writing GAME OF THRONES Musical; Offers Lyrics
Star of Stage and Screen, Joe Bologna Dies at Age 82
