Tapestry Opera’s showcase delights and thrills, on stage in TorontoTapestry Songbook VII is Tapestry Opera’s annual showcase of scenes from past productions, performed by emerging artists. It’s always an excellent opportunity to gain exposure to new opera for both connoisseurs of the traditional repertoire and complete opera novices. Continue reading Review: Songbook VII (Tapestry Opera)
“I’m sick of all this artifice,” proclaims Roger, the main character of Anton Piatigorsky’s Breath In Between. Coming about two-thirds of the way through the Crow’s Theatre show playing at Streetcar Crowsnest, it’s a meta moment, as this is a show that trades heavily on artifice and symbolism.
In fact, it walks a fine line between artifice and painful earnestness, as it attempts to ponder the constantly-switching sacred and profane in human connection. It’s a complicated and dark show about deeply unpleasant people, with a philosophical bent that intrigues and irritates in equal measure. Breath In Between will stay with you, and it’s never boring, but for a show that’s all about the heart, it’s difficult to love.
In post war era London, an all female gang called the Forty Elephants were notorious for theft and extortion. Now Margo MacDonald, as both playwright and performer, brings them to life in in Elephant Girls, onstage at Red Sandcastle theatre as part of The Wilde Festival.
With intimidating poise and a sly script that balances between understated pathos and thrilling adventure, MacDonald’s show is sure to please anyone with an interest in history, queerness, or just an entertaining seventy minutes in the theatre. Continue reading Review: Elephant Girls (Red Sandcastle Theatre)
Live theatre shows in Toronto with ticket prices of $25 or less, playing the week of February 21st, 2017. Perfect for the budget-conscious theatre-goer. Love is in the air! So is Picasso, Shakespeare, and a badass girl gang! Check out our picks below the cut!
Continue reading Cheap Theatre in Toronto the Week of February 21st
I walked into to John & Waleed, now playing at the Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, expecting an afternoon of pleasant tunes from the eponymous creators/performers John Millard and Waleed Abdulhamid, but I was worried that this show featuring “harmonies” created out of “dissonant upbringings” would be too easy on our increasingly troubled times.
Fortunately John & Waleed proved me wrong by subtly provoking complicated questions on identity and history rather than placating them.
Continue reading John & Waleed (Theatre Passe Muraille and Cahoots Theatre)