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.
Perhaps you have always thought of this landmass as being called North America, and have never heard it called Turtle Island, as is common among First Nations and Metis communities. If that’s so, perhaps you are not familiar with the always-exceptional work of Native Earth Performing Arts. And if that’s so – or even if it isn’t – then gosh oh golly are there wonders in store for you this weekend during the last weekend of Weesageechak Begins to Dance 28.
In a world of American Idol and Canada’s Got Talent, The Voice and X Factor, it’s easy to imagine that everyone in the world is angling for their fifteen minutes of fame whether singing or juggling pumpkins or performing feats of acrobatics. In the case of the Canadian Opera Company‘s Centre Stage gala competition, eight rising young Canadian opera singers will vie for a spot in the renowned Canadian Opera CompanyEnsemble Studio – giving them a great deal more than fifteen minutes of fame.
Playhouse Productions brings Old Jews Telling Jokes, a fast-paced comedy show, to Toronto
“Well,” I quipped to my date as we arrived to the Randolph Theatre to join a sparse, mid-week crowd for Old Jews Telling Jokes, “this certainly will be old Jews hearing jokes.” Which more or less encapsulated the mood of the show, overall – a somewhat schtick-y, alarmingly fast-paced series of Jewish jokes, told by some old Jews and some younger Jews to a group of people who seemed very pleased just to hear some good old-fashioned borscht-belt humor. While I was glad for them, I privately wished for more.
The Canadian Opera Company presents La Traviata playing in Toronto until October 31
The course of true love never did run smooth, as Shakespeare had it, and on this point of plot turns many an opera (all of them, really) – including La Traviata, currently being performed by the Canadian Opera Company. The Verdi opera has been much censored and maligned since it was first performed in 1853, frequently condemned as too racy, too scandalous to be a fit subject for the form. Having evidently been ruined for scandal by my thoroughly modern sensibilities, I must confess that of everything I have seen at COC this production of La Traviata is my absolute favorite.
The 20th of November, on stage at Buddies in Toronto, is theatre that is “challenging” and less “entertainment”
Leaving the theatre after the opening of The 20th of November at Buddies in Bad Times, I ran (almost literally) into Toronto cabaret luminary Ryan G. Hinds arriving for the season’s opening party. “Did you enjoy the show?” he asked me with enthusiasm? I blinked at him, still getting my emotional bearings, and slowly replied “I… don’t think it’s a show you’re supposed to enjoy.”
Playhouse Productions brings Old Jews Telling Jokes, a fast-paced comedy show, to Toronto
The 20th of November, on stage at Buddies in Toronto, is theatre that is “challenging” and less “entertainment”