Playlistings in Toronto for the week of February 5th

Shows That Caught Our Eye in Toronto the Week of February 5th, 2018

It’s another week of shiny new shows opening, including a few festivals. There is much to choose from, so here to help you chose is our editor Lin, with a few of her top picks in red. Check them out below the cut:

Already reviewed by Mooney on theatre:

Hamlet by William Shakespeare (Tarragon). The classic tragedy is re-examined through the lens of rock ‘n’ roll. Previews from Jan 2, opens Jan 10 and runs to Feb 11, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2:30 pm (see website for Saturday and Wednesday matinees). $20-$60. At Tarragon Theatre. Show info.

Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett (Singing Swan Productions/TPM). Bob Nasmith plays Krapp reviewing tapes he made when he was younger in this solo show. Previews on Jan 17, opens on Jan 18 and runs to Jan 28, Tue-Sun 7:30 pm, mat Sun 2 pm. EXTENDED: will also run Feb 6-11, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sun 2 pm (no shows between Jan 28 and Feb 6). $20, mat pwyc at the door. At Theatre Passe Muraille. Show Info.

Dark Heart. Written by Genevieve Adam, directed by Tyler J. Seguin. (Thought For Food) New France, 1661. A young bride disappears into the forest. Has she run off to be with her lover, or is there something more sinister in the woods? Previews from Jan 24, opens Jan 26 and runs to Feb 11, Thu-Sun 8 pm (and Jan 24, 30 & 31). $20-$25, preview $12.50.  At The Assembly Theatre. Show Info.

A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee (Soulpepper Theatre). The uneasy life of upper-middle class suburbanites is upset when a divorced daughter returns home and old friends need a place to crash. Previews from Jan 13, opens Jan 18 and runs to Feb 10, see website for times. $35-$95. At The Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.

Declarations by Jordan Tannahill (Canadian Stage). Five performers chronicle a life through mythology, political and environmental calamity, pop culture and everyday happenings. Previews from Jan 23, opens Jan 25 and runs to Feb 11, Tue-Thu and Sat 8 pm, Fri 7 pm, mat Wed, Sat-Sun 1 pm. $39-$69. At The Berkeley Street Theatre. Show Info.

And everything else:

The Rover by Aphra Behn (Ryerson School of Performance). A group of 17th-century Englishmen travel to hot foreign climes during carnival season looking for love and a good time. Opens Feb 9 and runs to Feb 14, Fri-Sat & Mon-Wed 8 pm, mat Sat 2 pm. $20, stu/srs $15. At Ryerson Theatre. Show Info.

The Secret Garden. Young People’s Theatre presents a play by Paul Ledoux, adapted from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Neglected in her uncle’s gloomy manor, a young girl finds takes refuge in a mysterious hidden garden. Previews from Feb 5, opens Feb 8 and runs to Mar 17, see website for schedule. $10-$45. Recommended for ages 6-12, runs approx. 85 minutes. At The Young People’s Theatre. Show Info.

Prohibition, A Concert. Soulpepper Theatre presents songs and stories of gangsters, flappers, booze and jazz in the “dry” days of the Roaring Twenties with Mike Ross. Feb 9-14, Fri, Mon & Wed at 7:30 pm, mat Sat & Wed 1:30 pm. $25 & up. At The Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.

Tap Ex: ForbiddenTapestry Opera presents a production by composer Afarin Mansouri and spoken word artist/playwright Donna-Michelle St. Bernard. This work explores the sensory tension between what is forbidden and what entices and tempts through a mix of Persian culture, hip-hop and food. Feb 8-11, Thu-Sat 8 pm, Sun 4 pm. $45. At Ernest Balmer Studio. Show Info.

U of T Drama Festival. Hart House Theatre and the University of Toronto Drama Coalition present a showcase for up-and-coming theatrical talent from the university’s three campuses. Every February, a plethora of original one act plays compete for five coveted awards over the three nights of this annual adjudicated festival. At Hart House Theatre. Festival Info.

Jewel by Joan MacLeod (Shotgun Juliet). A widow explores the strength of love and constraint of grief three years after her husband died on Valentine’s Day 1982, when the Ocean Ranger oil rig sank off the coast of Newfoundland. Opens Feb 7 and runs to Feb 14, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun 2 pm. $20, stu/arts workers $15. At The Red Sandcastle Theatre. Show Info.

The Abduction From The Seraglio by WA Mozart (Canadian Opera Company). Cultures collide in Mozart’s singspiel about the story of European captives of a Muslim pasha in the Ottoman Empire. Sung in German w/ English surtitles. Opens Feb 7 and runs to Feb 24, see website for schedule. $22-$350.  At The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.

Candide by Mark Ravenhill (George Brown College Theatre School). A relentless optimist faces a barrage of misfortune across different eras and parallel universes. Opens Feb 7 and runs to Feb 17, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sat 1:30 pm (and Feb 14). $10-$25. tickets.youngcentre.ca. At The Young Centre for Performing Arts. Show Info.

Hang by debbie tucker green (Obsidian Theatre). This drama delves into the heart of a woman’s unthinkable decision. Directed by Philip Akin and choreographer Kimberley Rampersad. Previews from Feb 6, opens Feb 9 and runs to Feb 28, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2 pm. $20-$35. At The Berkeley Street Theatre. Show Info.

Ipperwash by Falen Johnson (Native Earth Performing Arts/Blyth Festival). An Anishinaabe corporal visits Camp Ipperwash military base and sees how damage done by forced evictions in 1924 still reverberates through the communities. Previews from Feb 4, opens Feb 7 and runs to Feb 18, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $25, stu/srs $22, preview $15-$20. At Daniel’s Spectrum. Show Info.

The Watah Theatre Double BillThe Watah Theatre presents a workshop staging of Once Upon A Black Boy by d’bi.young anitafrika and the world premiere of I Cannot Lose My Mind by Najla Nubyanluv. Opens Jan 30 and runs to Feb 17, Tue-Sat 8:30 pm, mat Sat 2:30 pm. $25-$30. At The Streetcar Crowsnest. Show Info.

Progress: International Festival of Performance and Ideas. SummerWorks and the Theatre Centre present progressive and transgressive performances, workshops and conversations. Works include MDLSX by Motus, minor matter by Ligia Lewis, Race Cards by Selina Thompson, LOST in TRANS by Dickie Beau and more. Feb 1-18, see website for schedule. $25, three-show pass $60. At The Theatre Centre. Festival Info.

Acha Bacha by Bilal Baig (Buddies in Bad Times/Theatre Passe Muraille). This play boldly explores the intersections between queerness, gender identity and Islamic culture in the Pakistani diaspora. Previews from Jan 30, opens Feb 6 and runs to Feb 18, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2 pm. $17-$38 (weekend mats pwyc at the door; $22.50 in advance). At Theatre Passe Muraille. Show Info.

Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. Coal Mine Theatre presents a theatrical concert performance of the 1977 album. Conceived and guided by Ted Dykstra. Previews from Feb 4, opens Feb 7 and runs to Feb 25, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm, Sun 2 pm. $42.50, preview $25. At The Coal Mine Theatre. Show Info.

Into The Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine (Encores by Encore). Characters from fairy tales are shown what would happen should all of their wishes come true. Feb 24-25, Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 and 7:30 pm. $29-$31.25. At The Toronto Centre for the Arts. Show Info.

Beauty and the Beast by Ben Crocker (Nags Players). Family show tells the popular story in the style of an English traditional pantomime. Opens Feb 1 and runs to Feb 10, Thu-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 1:30 pm. $15-$20, kids’ matinee $5. At The Tranzac. Show Info.

Bang Bang by Kat Sandler (Factory Theatre). A white playwright uses the police shooting of an unarmed Black man as inspiration to write a hit play that draws interest for a movie deal. Previews from Jan 27 (Sat, Tue-Wed 8 pm, Sun 7 pm), opens Feb 1 and runs to Feb 18, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $30-$50, preview $20. At Factory Theatre. Show Info.

Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi (Canadian Opera Company). A father’s anger and vengeance lead to murder and tragedy in this Italian opera. Opens Jan 20 and runs to Feb 23, see website for schedule. $22-$350. At The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.

The Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum, Harold Arlen and EY Harburg (LOT). A Kansas farm girl travels over the rainbow to discover the magical power of home in this musical based on the classic film. Opens Dec 8 and runs to Feb 18, Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sat 3:30 pm, Sun noon and 4 pm. $55-$75. At The Lower Ossington Theatre. Show Info.

King Charles III by Mike Bartlett (Studio 180 Theatre/Mirvish). Following the death of the queen, Charles attempts to reassert the crown’s power in this future history play. Previews Feb 10, opens Feb 15 and runs to Mar 4, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sat-Sun 2 pm. $39-$92, at mirvish.com. At The CAA Theatre. Show Info.

Listings based primarily on NOW! Stage Listings.