Toronto Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 21

BWW Review: Empowering Anthems Shine in Mirvish's BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL
by Taylor Long - July 06, 2017

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...

BWW Review: 4 BY MONK BY 4 at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival
by Taylor Long - July 05, 2017

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....

BWW Review: HIROMI Duet Featuring EDMAR CASTANEDA at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival
by Taylor Long - June 30, 2017

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....

BWW Review: HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE IN CONCERT Will Make You Believe in Magic
by Taylor Long - June 28, 2017

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 ...

BWW Review: Decibel-Shattering, Ground-Pounding Applause for CARAVAN PALACE at the TD Toronto Jazz Festival
by Taylor Long - June 27, 2017

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...

BWW Review: Opera 5's SUFFRAGETTE
by Taylor Long - June 23, 2017

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....

BWW Review: A Sensational Night of Music at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's CARMINA BURANA
by Taylor Long - June 22, 2017

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, ...

BWW Review: LIFE REFLECTED by the National Arts Centre Orchestra at the Luminato Festival
by Taylor Long - June 19, 2017

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, ...

BWW Review: THE MADNESS OF GEORGE III at SHAW FESTIVAL
by Michael Rabice - June 19, 2017

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 ...

BWW Review: Akram Khan Company's UNTIL THE LIONS at the Luminato Festival
by Taylor Long - June 18, 2017

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...

BWW Review: Heather Ogden is One Strong Swan in the National Ballet of Canada's SWAN LAKE
by Taylor Long - June 17, 2017

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...

BWW Review: Toronto is Head Over Heels for HIBLA GERZMAVA
by Taylor Long - June 09, 2017

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 ...

BWW Review: The National Ballet of Canada's A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE is Breathtaking From Start to Finish
by Taylor Long - June 05, 2017

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...

BWW Review: Exceptional Performers Make the Most Out of THE JAZZ SINGER at the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company
by Taylor Long - May 31, 2017

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...

BWW Review: ME AND MY GIRL at Shaw Festival
by Michael Rabice - May 28, 2017

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...

BWW Review: CANADA: THE THINKING MAN'S AMERICA at The Second City
by Taylor Long - May 22, 2017

It's time to celebrate Canada's sesqui…sesquicen….sequisecent…150th birthday! What better way to celebrate than with The Second City and their new show, CANADA: THE THINKING MAN'S AMERICA. A mash of improv, stand-up and something involving racoons that words can't quite describe - the show delivers ...

BWW Review: Rent in Toronto Meets Opera in Against the Grain Theatre's LA BOHÈME
by Taylor Long - May 20, 2017

You've never seen a more boho Boheme. Against the Grain Theatre (AtG) presents Puccini's LA BOHÈME in a real Toronto dive bar, The Tranzac Club. AtG is doing something incredible in the world of opera right now - they're growing. When opera houses around the world are reporting declines in ticket sa...

BWW Review: Drink to Love and Love to Drink at The Musical Stage Company's ONEGIN
by Taylor Long - May 18, 2017

You don't always get a second chance at love. The Musical Stage Company's ONEGIN presents this cautionary moral tale in 120 minutes of energetic, interactive musical theatre. A mix of old and new, Pushkin's famous poem and Tchaikovsky's renowned opera meet music and lyrics by creators Veda Hille and...

BWW Review: Poetry is in Motion in Soulpepper's FOR COLORED GIRLS
by Taylor Long - May 15, 2017

Ntozake Shange's poetry is in very capable hands with Soulpepper Theatre Company's captivating production of FOR COLORED GIRLS…(for colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf). Described as a 'choreopoem', the work is a spirited unity of written word and dance. The text alone...

BWW Review: THE BOY IN THE MOON at Crow's Theatre is Not Flashy, and That's Okay
by Taylor Long - May 14, 2017

Heart defects. Cognitive delay. Growth hormone deficiency. These are just some of the symptoms that Cardiofaciocutaneous (CFC) syndrome can present. THE BOY IN THE MOON, by Emil Sher, examines the love and labour involved in raising a child born into these symptoms. Based on a book by Ian Brown, and...

BWW Review: IT'S ALL TRU is an Intimate Lesson in Sexual Health
by Taylor Long - May 06, 2017

'HIV…You mean, AIDS?' Presented by The Cabaret Company, as part of the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre 2016-2017 season, IT'S ALL TRU examines misconceptions surrounding HIV, preventative therapies and how it relates to the law. Written and directed by Sky Gilbert, the play is an intelligent, intimate ...

BWW Review: THE RETURN Contorts the Circus Cliche
by Taylor Long - May 04, 2017

Few things are as exhilarating as bodies being flung into the air without crash mats. This is what you expect when you hear the word 'circus', but THE RETURN by Circa is much more than lifts and flips. Presented by Canadian Stage as the last show in their Spotlight Australia series, THE RETURN doesn...

BWW Review: Canadian Opera Company's TOSCA is a Total Triumph
by Taylor Long - May 02, 2017

From the moment the orchestra plays its first note, the production is pure magic. The Canadian Opera Company (COC) ends their 2016-2017 season with a bang, with Puccini's TOSCA. Gorgeous music, grand sets and gripping performances coexist seamlessly in Paul Curran's production of one of opera's most...

BWW Review: Canadian Stage's MEETING and ENDINGS Awaken the Gamut of Human Emotion
by Taylor Long - April 27, 2017

From fascination to fear, Canadian Stage's MEETING and ENDINGS are a rollercoaster ride of insight into the human condition. The two works are part of Canadian Stage's Spotlight Australia, a six-week showcase of cross-disciplinary performance running until May 7 and featuring the works of acclaimed ...

BWW Review: Opera Superstar ANNA NETREBKO Dazzles in Canadian Debut
by Taylor Long - April 26, 2017

Anna Netrebko performed to an adoring sold-out audience at Toronto's Four Seasons Centre on Tuesday evening. Netrebko was joined by husband and Azerbaijani tenor, Yusif Eyvazov and renowned Russian baritone, Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Led by Maestro Jader Bignamini, the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra br...