Shows that Caught Our Eye in Toronto for the Week of February 11th, 2019.
MoT is here with fabulous suggestions for the theatre-goer in you! The cold weather has finally hit us, so stay warm (and entertained) by enjoying some of the best theatre Toronto has to offer. Our editor Samantha has highlighted a few she is most excited bout.
Already Reviewed by MoT:
Così Fan Tutte. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. by WA Mozart (Canadian Opera Company). Comedic opera about the shenanigans of young lovers, sung in Italian with English surtitles. Opens Feb 5 and runs to Feb 23, see website for times. $35-$350. Show Info.
Post No Bills. Harbourfront Centre Theatre. Harbourfront Torque and Kitt Johnson X-Act present a solo Arte Povera exploration of the transformative power of crisis, choreographed and performed by Kitt Johnson. Feb 8-9 at 7:30 pm. $20-$45. Show Info.
Prince Hamlet. Berkeley Street Theatre. by Ravi Jain (Canadian Stage/Why Not Theatre). Cross-cultural, gender-bent reimagining of William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy that challenges conventional ideas of who gets to tell this story. The production combines spoken word and American Sign Language. Previews Feb 6, opens Feb 7 and runs to Feb 24, Tue-Thu & Sat 8 pm, Fri 7 pm, mat Wed 1 pm, Sat-Sun 2 pm. $49-$79. Show Info.
And Everything Else:
We Are All Treaty People. Young People’s Theatre. Quest Theatre & Making Treaty 7 Cultural Society present a collective creation. Through song, story, dance and puppetry, two kids – one white and one Indigenous – seek to disprove a trickster’s claim that they cannot be friends. Opens Feb 11 and runs to Feb 22, see website for times. $10-$39. Recommended for Grades 1-7 / ages 6 and up.
The 40th Rhubarb Festival. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents the 40th edition of Canada’s longest-running new works festival. Rhubarb transforms Buddies into a hotbed of experimentation, with artists exploring new possibilities in theatre, dance, music and performance art. Performances include Tobias Herzberg’s solo show Feygele; the AMY Project; A Trouble Of Queers, a cabaret presented by Bricks & Glitter; anime drag by Halifax company HEIST; and more. Feb 13-23. Wed-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2:30 pm. Evening pass $20, Emerging Creators Unit Presentations are pwyc; rush tickets pwyc.
Blood on the Dance Floor. Theatre Centre. ILBIJERRI Theatre Company presents a dance/theatre piece by Jacob Boehme as part of Progress Festival. Feb 13-15, Wed-Fri 8 pm. $25.
The Land Grabber. Alumnae Theatre. by James Phelan and Edward Fitzmaurice Barrett (Toronto Irish Players). A survivor of Ireland’s Famine, Johnny Foley is driven to expand his farm and risk the censure of his neighbours and the loss of his family. Previews on Feb 14, opens Feb 15 and runs to Mar 2, Thu-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $25-$27, opening $50, preview $12.
No Time To Kill! A Time-Travelling Murder Mystery. Chelsea Hotel. Mysteriously Yours Dinner Theatre presents an interactive & comedic whodunit. Feb 14 at 6:30 pm. $119 (dinner & show).
Spank Me Valentine Burlesque. Revival Bar. Skin Tight Outta Sight Rebel Burlesque presents a sendup of the fetish world and the darker side of painful love. This is no 50 Shades Of Beige! Bring your terrible Tinder date or come alone. It’s the Anti-VDay for all the lonely haters. Feb 14 at 8 pm. $25-$45.
Blood Tides. Fleck Dance Theatre. DanceWorks and Kaha:Wi Dance Theatre present a re-matriation to the house of humanity: the womb, the power of the feminine voice and body. Led by Santee Smith and an ensemble of Indigenous women, the piece highlights the retrieval of ancient women’s knowing and the restoration of rites of passage, song and dance of earthworld, underworld and cosmos. Feb 14-16 at 8 pm. $36-$42, srs $28, stu $15.
OH NO! I’m Becoming My Mother And Other Fears of Black Women. Harbourfront Centre Theatre. Kuumba presents a night of interactive discussions, conceived by playwright Trey Anthony. Features a screening of the short documentary How Black Mothers Say I Love You. Feb 15 at 8 pm. $35-$40.
Highbrow Burlesque. The Social Capital Theatre. Monthly high-end burlesque experience featuring Vintage Vixen Esther De Ville and her cast. Feb 15 at 10 pm. $30.
Good Morning Viet Mom. Daniels Spectrum. by Franco Nguyen (Soaring Sky Collective/Cahoots Theatre). Nguyen performs his solo storytelling/stand-up show about visiting Vietnam and getting closer to his mother. Previews from Feb 16, opens Feb 20 and runs to Mar 3, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $22-$28, preview $15, Wed pwyc. In the Aki Studio.
Paolozzapedia. Theatre Passe Muraille. by Adam Paolozza (Bad New Days/TPM). Collage of Paolozza’s family stories, surreal images, Italian folk songs and scraps of memory from the old country. Previews from Feb 16, opens Feb 20 and runs to Mar 3, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2 pm. $5-$60.
Little Menace: Pinter Plays. Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Soulpepper Theatre presents a showcase of short works by Harold Pinter. Previews from Feb 16, opens Feb 21 and runs to Mar 10, see website for schedule. $35 & up. Show Info.
Fish & Rum. Eglinton St. George’s United Church. Culchahworks presents a workshop presentation of a hybrid theatrical work, currently being developed by Culchahworks’ Artistic Director Andrew Craig, about the historical relationship between Newfoundland and Jamaica. Enjoy a staged reading of the script, along with music that forms when two cultures meet. Feb 16 at 2 pm. Free. Show Info.
Creme De La Femme: Gettin’ Paid. Robert Gill Theatre. Unmarked Theatre presents a cabaret inviting new work by artists of every experience level discussing femininity and femme identity. Part comedy, part theatre, part burlesque, the aim is to create a radical, unapologetic and supportive environment to work through notions of femininity. This is a chance to try something, to wrestle with hard questions and to find community. Feb 16 at 7:30 pm. $20, advance $15.
An Evening with Eastman. The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance. Citadel + Compagnie present a performance workshop featuring new work by wind in the leaves collective, based on the life & work of Black queer composer/dancer/musician Julius Eastman. Feb 16 at 8 pm. $10-$15. Show Info.
Listings Primarily Based on NOW! Stage Listings.