S. Bear Bergman has great faith in the power of theatre to make change, and has been putting his money where his mouth is on that one for some time. A writer, performer, and lecturer, Bear works full time as an artist and cultural worker and loves to see as much live performance as possible – making this a fantastic gig for him.
Toronto’s Ruby Red Burlesque attempts an ambitious burlesque musical
We may have looked a little odd, even by Toronto standards: a group of burlesque-goers, decked out in slinky body-con finery and club wear, gathering outside a converted church at 7:30pm on a Saturday night, queuing cheerfully to watch Ruby Red Burlesque, a burlesque musical based (rather roughly) on the storyline of The Wizard of Oz. It was cheerful, enthusiastic, and rather grand in scope. Unfortunately, it had a hard time gelling as a piece because there was so much going on.
“Charming, idiosyncratic” Toronto dance show is great fun for the whole family
This has been a particularly satisfactory week to have an out-of-town guest from a small town in BC – first we took him to a Fringe show, then to see All’s Well That Ends Well in High Park, and last night to catch the opening of Porch View Dances in Seaton Village. It’s an eclectic list, and Porch View Dances was the perfect ending in some ways – it’s such a peculiar and delightful event.
Kids triumph over horrible adults in Mirvish’s production of Matilda the musical in Toronto
There’s no one for children triumphing over horrible adults like author Roald Dahl, whose tales thrilled me as a child and please me still. Having skipped the Matilda movie (as I tend to do if I liked a book, because Hollywood ruins everything) I arrived to the musical at the Ed Mirvish Theatre with some trepidation but also some optimism. My optimism was rewarded – Matilda is quite delightful.
Folk Lordz: Warriors & Fools surprised me. I expected the kind of storytelling you get where someone stands and tells you things – I figured this (at Factory Studio) would be a two-person version. Instead, it’s…well? It’s a Cree-Yiddish improvised cultural storytelling (#becausefringe). And it’s a real treat.
The history of student productions making the leap from schools to Fringe stages is…checkered, let us say. EXIT, which is playing Tarragon Theatre Mainspace at the Toronto Fringe Festival 2016 is an example of one that should perhaps have stayed put. Though the concept is interesting, I did not find the show fully realized at this point in its development.
Toronto’s Ruby Red Burlesque attempts an ambitious burlesque musical
“Charming, idiosyncratic” Toronto dance show is great fun for the whole family
Kids triumph over horrible adults in Mirvish’s production of Matilda the musical in Toronto
