Enchanting Peter Pan musical takes flight over the Toronto stage
Fly out of the nursery and into an exciting world of adventure in Soulpepper’s current production: an adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s famous 1904 play, Peter Pan. The Dora award-winning production premiered by Bad Hats Theatre in 2015 was adapted by cast members Fiona Sauder (Peter Pan) and Reanne Sptizer (Mrs. Darling/Tinkerbell). The script appeared to be relatively faithful to the 1904 text, with the notable exclusion of Peter Pan’s adventures with “Indian” princess Tiger Lily. The music by cast member Landon Doak is fresh and new. I took my five-year-old son and we were both delighted by the songs and dances. Continue reading Review: Peter Pan (Soulpepper/Bad Hats Theatre)→
This weekend I had the opportunity to take my five-year-old son to his first opera. Canadian Opera Company’s production of The Magic Victrola was at least as much of a delight for me as it was for the kids. My son is already a seasoned theatre goer, being a regular patron of the Young People’s Theatre (YPT) and other children’s programming about town. Opera however is not usually seen as a kid’s genre, despite the world of fantasy and wonder that we are often transported to on the operatic stage. Continue reading Review: The Magic Victrola (Canadian Opera Company)→
Winter Shorts is an exciting tasting menu of what’s new and up-coming in Toronto opera
Tapestry Brief’s: Winter Shorts is like a flight of operatic amuse bouche, accompanied by wine pairings. Tapestry Opera’s program of shorts is a showcase of new works by composers and librettists that emerged from their 2016 Opera Lib Lab. The Composer-Librettist Laboratory pairs rising talent in an intensive workshop where works are developed “in a crucible” as Artistic Director Michael Mori puts it. Continue reading Review: Tapestry Briefs: Winter Shorts (Tapestry Opera)→
Weesageechack Begins to Dance celebrates Indigenous theatre, on stage in Toronto
The Weesageechack Begins to Dance festival, produced by Native Earth Performing Arts is a two-week appetizer of Indigenous theatre that leaves the sensory pallet receptive and excited for the feast to come. The annual development festival is in its 30th year and celebrates emerging Indigenous talent across multiple disciplines and Nations. Opening night of Weesageechack 30 featured a workshop style reading of an excerpt from Weaving Reconciliation, a new play by Renae Morriseau, Rosemary Georgeson and Savannah Walling of Vancouver Moving Theatre. Continue reading Review: Weesageechack Begins to Dance 30 (Native Earth Performing Arts Inc.)→
A large, translucent golden sphere lashed between two trees was visible well away from the seating area for Shakespeare in the Ruff’s 2017 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. I am always amazed by the level of spectacle this small company is able to produce with minimal props and set. I have been a patron of Withrow Park Shakespeare in both its incarnations. In the late 90s, I attended productions of the original “Shakespeare in the Ruff”, which became defunct in the early 2000s after a 25-year run. Inspired by the original company’s efforts to create a community centred, accessible outdoor theatrical culture in Toronto, Shakespeare in the Ruff re-emerged in 2012. Continue reading Review: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in the Ruff)→
The Drowning Girls is a haunting tale brought to life, on stage at the Gerrard Art Space in Toronto
Enchanting Peter Pan musical takes flight over the Toronto stage
This weekend I had the opportunity to take my five-year-old son to his first opera. 
Winter Shorts is an exciting tasting menu of what’s new and up-coming in Toronto opera
Opera Atelier takes on The Marriage of Figaro on the Toronto stage
Canadian Opera Company’s Elixir of Love, now on stage in Toronto, is “good, simple fun”
This festival celebrates Pan-American, Indigenous, and Latinx voices on stage in Toronto
