All posts by Samantha Wu

Samantha is both a writer and a fan of the arts and has been able to find numerous ways to pair the two. Aside from being an editor here at Mooney on Theatre, she's a photojournalist for Been Here Done That, a travel, dining and tourism blog that focuses on Toronto and abroad and previously for  Lithium Magazine, which got her writing and shooting about everything from Dave Matthews Band to Fan Expo. She's passionate about music, theatre, photography, writing, and celebrating sexuality -- not necessarily in that order. She drinks tea more than coffee, prefer ciders over beers, and sings karaoke way too loudly. You can follow her on various social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Cheri – Toronto Fringe 2018 Press Release

From Press Release

Sky Gilbert (3-time Dora Award Winner, and recipient of the Pauline McGibbon Award and Silver Ticket Winner) teams up with Theresa Tova (Ragtime, Tough Jews, president of ACTRA Toronto) for a musical collaboration of Cheri.

An aging courtesan named Lea (Theresa Tova) is performing a musical about her checkered past — passion, love and the ever important issue: what are the best fashion choices for a woman who is no longer young? During her performance Lea is triggered by the beauty of her young male accompanist (Dustin Peters) who reminds her of a lover from many years ago — Cheri.

Cheri deals with topics of women’s sexuality and aging while asking; what is the true nature of love? Why does a person fall in love with someone who could potentially hurt them or use them? Is there ever a time when one should intervene? Can you ever really stop yourself from falling for the wrong person, and if so, how?

Don’t miss this feverish femme-fatale spectacular!

Details

  • Cheri plays at the Al Green Theatre. (750 Spadina Ave.)
  • Tickets are $13, including a $2 service charge. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes and discounts for serious Fringers.
  • Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Festival Box Office at Scadding Court (707 Dundas St. W.), and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
  • Content Warning: Mature language.
  • This venue is barrier-free. Note that only certain building entrances are wheelchair-accessible. Accessible seating is in front of the front row.
  • Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.

Performances

  • Wednesday July 4th, 10:30 pm
  • Saturday July 7th, 12:00 pm
  • Sunday July 8th, 5:00 pm
  • Monday July 9th, 8:30 pm
  • Tuesday July 10th, 9:00 pm
  • Thursday July 12th, 7:30 pm
  • Sunday July 15th, 1:45 pm

Photo provided by the company

Compulsion – Toronto Fringe 2018 Press Release

From Press Release

The latest musical by Dora and Canadian Comedy Award nominee Scott White (Top Gun! The Musical, The Giant’s Garden, Bemused) will premiere on the main stage of Factory Theatre on July 4th, the opening night of the Toronto Fringe.  Compulsion  is a dark, fast-paced musical roller-coaster ride that asks “What happens when life’s decisions take you to the edge?”  The show combines the suspense of a Hitchcock thriller with the pace of a contemporary television hospital drama through a plot that explores the darker side of love.  Compulsion  was the runner-up for this year’s Paul O’Sullivan Musical Theatre Prize.

The cast features; Matthew Bradley (Rock Of Ages, The Wedding Singer, Boys In the Photograph), Kate Madden (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Of Human Bondage), Dale Miller (Falstaff, James And The Giant Peach, Les Miserables)  Michelle Nash (Evil Dead The Musical, Disenchanted), Sara Stahmer (Les Miserables, I Love You, You’re Perfect Now Change, ) and Kristi Woods ( The Drowsy Chaperone, Legally Blonde). Text and Music Direction will be by Dora nominee Scott White.   Movement Direction and Staging will be by Dora nominee Viv Moore with Stage Management by Debbie Read.

Details

  • Compulsion plays at the Factory Theatre Mainspace. (125 Bathurst St.)
  • Tickets are $13, including a $2 service charge. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes and discounts for serious Fringers.
  • Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Festival Box Office at Scadding Court (707 Dundas St. W.), and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
  • Content Warnings: Mature language; Unsuitable for minors.
  • This venue is wheelchair-accessible through a secondary route.
  • Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.

Performances

  • Wednesday July 4th, 8:15 pm
  • Friday July 6th, 10:15 pm
  • Sunday July 8th, 8:45 pm
  • Tuesday July 10th, 6:30 pm
  • Wednesday July 11th, 11:30 pm
  • Thursday July 12th, 12:00 pm
  • Sunday July 15th, 1:45 pm

Photo of Sara Stahmer by Scott White

High School Symphony – Toronto Fringe 2018 Press Release

From Press Release

Last year, the immerse marching band theatre company, The Teeny Tiny Music Show premiered in Toronto with their show of the same name in the 2017 The Toronto Fringe Festival and are returning this year with their brand-new play, HIGH SCHOOL SYMPHONY, a Big-Band “Mean Girls” tale of friendship, revenge, and if we ever REALLY
got over what happened in high school. This musical whirlwind is premiering July 5th, 2018, 7:00 pm at The Randolph Theatre, located at 736 Bathurst Street, Toronto.

A remarkable friendship between two young, Catholic grade school girls is tested when they get suspended for sexual harassment towards their teacher. The drama unfolds with a cast that consists of two BFF’s and a hidden eight-piece marching band, who crawl out of the woodwork during the duration of the show and double as hot teachers, best friends, the guy who only plays “Wonderwall”, and of course, the enemy popular group. Our marching band has decked the soundtrack with video game references, anime theme songs, and slicked-up sounds from the early 00’s that got every millennial through their pimply prepubescence!

Written by and starring Hayley Pace. The show was conceived after Pace revisited a Ziplock bag of over one hundred origami notes addressed to her from her high school girlfriends that were tucked away in her hometown bedroom for almost a decade. Within these notes were touching stories of first love’s lost, fleeing the friend-zone, provoking teachers, infamous dick jokes, and asking what matters most – boys or besties?

Details

  • High School Symphony plays at the Randolph Theatre. (736 Bathurst St.)
  • Tickets are $13, including a $2 service charge. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes and discounts for serious Fringers.
  • Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Festival Box Office at Scadding Court (707 Dundas St. W.), and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
  • Content Warnings: Mature language; Sexual content.
  • This venue is wheelchair-accessible through a secondary route. We recommend checking in with the venue box office at least 15 minutes before showtime.
  • Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.

Performances

  • Thursday July 5th, 7:00 pm
  • Sunday July 8th, 1:15 pm
  • Monday July 9th, 2:30 pm
  • Wednesday July 11th, 3:30 pm
  • Thursday July 12th, 11:00 pm
  • Friday July 13th, 5:15 pm
  • Saturday July 14th, 3:30 pm

Photo of the cast by Ron Van Zutphen

Review: The Phantom of the Opera (Mirvish)

The dazzling musical spectacle makes its return to the Toronto stage at the Princess of Wales

For many, their first foray down the rabbit hole of musical theatre began with The Phantom of the Opera. It’s an easy choice considering it’s one of the longest running musicals of all time, having first been staged in London’s West End in 1986. Since then, the show has bewitched and dazzled many, spanning generations across the globe. Now, making its triumphant Toronto return to the Princess of Wales Theatre is Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic.

Continue reading Review: The Phantom of the Opera (Mirvish) →

Review: RIOT (Luminato/THISISPOPBABY)

RIOT is a dazzling display of song, dance, circus arts and spoken word, at the Toronto Luminato Festival

Just in time to kick off a month of Toronto Pride celebrations and to launch the city into summer arts festivals season, The 2018 Toronto Luminato Festival welcomes THISISPOPBABY — a dazzling troupe of circus artists, dancers, singers, spoken word performers, and a delightful drag MC hailing from Ireland. Their production of RIOT is exactly that: 100 minutes of a variety show that assaults the senses in a display of dance, song, aerial artistry, politically charged spoken word,  and unabashed sexuality. What’s not to love?

Continue reading Review: RIOT (Luminato/THISISPOPBABY) →