Wayne is a writer, editor and corporate communications professional who is thrilled to be a part of the Mooney on Theatre team. Wayne has loved theatre ever since his aunt brought him to a production of Les Misérables at the tender age of ten . . . despite the fact that, at that age, the show’s plot was practically indiscernible and the battle scenes scared the bejeezus out of him. Wayne’s current list of likes runs the gamut from opera, ballet and Shakespeare to Broadway musicals, circus and Fringe theatre. Outside of the theatre Wayne’s interests include travel, technology and food.
Even if Jake Epstein’s name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, you’d recognize him. You’ve seen the Toronto-based actor in something, whether it’s his work on TV in shows like Degrassi and Suits, or, if you’re a musical theatre geek like me, from his leading roles in multiple Broadway musicals. Epstein is now back in Toronto headlining in his own solo cabaret/show-biz confessional, Boy Falls From the Sky: Jake Epstein Live at Supermarket presented by Past Future Productions and now playing as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival.
Be Kind, Rewind is the latest collaboration between perennial Toronto Fringe Festival favourites Edge of the Sky and the musical writing duo Barbara Johnston and Suzy Wilde (Summerland, One Small Step). Their new show is a coming-of-age musical centred on a misfit teen’s attempt to re-invent herself while working at a video rental store/bait shop in a Northern Ontario cottage town in the summer of 1995.
Luminato brings a new version of the a cappella telling of the Salem Witch trials to Toronto
Obeah Opera tells the story of the Salem witch trials from the perspective of the first woman accused: a Caribbean slave named Tituba. Sung through entirely a cappella, the latest incarnation of this surprisingly vibrant and uplifting show is currently presented in Toronto as part of the Luminato Festival. Continue reading Review: Obeah Opera (Luminato/Asah Productions)→
Soulpepper presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tracy Letts in Toronto
I had invited a friend to join me for the opening night of the new production of August: Osage County by Soulpepper on Friday night but when I mentioned it was a three and a half-hour family drama with two intermissions he decided to pass. His loss; he missed out on an absolutely riveting evening of theatre. Continue reading Review: August: Osage County (Soulpepper)→
Toronto playwright Jeff Ho adapts the Sophocles play for young audiences
Toronto’s Young People’s Theatre is ending its 2018-19 season with the world premiere of Antigone: 方, a contemporary adaptation of the Sophocles play by Jeff Ho, a Toronto-based playwright originally from Hong Kong. Recommended for audiences aged 12 to 18, you may be wondering how it’s possible to make an ancient Greek tragedy relevant to a contemporary, young audience. Ho approached the adaptation from a surprising angle and the results are brilliant. Continue reading Review: Antigone: 方 (Young People’s Theatre)→
A gripping, new, Canadian production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is now on stage in Toronto
Next To Normal is a Pulitzer Prize-winning drama about a suburban family’s struggle with a mother’s mental illness, as well as a critical examination of psychiatry and psychopharmacology. It’s an intelligent, hard-hitting drama that also happens to be a rock musical featuring a big, bold contemporary rock score with music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Brian Yorkey. Mirvish is currently presenting a new production of the show by The Musical Stage Company in Toronto at the CAA Theatre. Continue reading Review: Next To Normal (The Musical Stage Company/Mirvish)→
Coal Mine Theatre presents the Toronto premiere of this dark, irreverently funny play
In the dark comedy Hand to God, a Texas teen’s Christian ministry puppet comes to life becoming a foul-mouthed, troublemaker and slowly takes over the teen’s life, wreaking havoc on everybody around him. I first saw this play on Broadway in 2015 and though I had forgotten most of the plot details, I distinctly remember laughing so hard I nearly cramped up so I jumped at the opportunity to catch the first Toronto production by Coal Mine Theatre, performed in their intimate storefront venue on the Danforth. Continue reading Review: Hand to God (Coal Mine Theatre)→
Mirvish presents the return the Carole King bio-musical starring Toronto’s Chilina Kennedy
Carole King is one of the most prolific American pop songwriters of the last half-century. Even if you’re not familiar with the material she recorded herself you undoubtedly know songs she has written for other artists: “The Locomotion,” “One Fine Day,” “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” to name a few.
Luminato brings a new version of the a cappella telling of the Salem Witch trials to Toronto
A new show using cinematic techniques in live theatre is now in Toronto as part of Luminato
Soulpepper presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Tracy Letts in Toronto
Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg returns to Toronto with a ballet inspired by Tchaikovsky’s life
Toronto playwright Jeff Ho adapts the Sophocles play for young audiences
A gripping, new, Canadian production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is now on stage in Toronto
Coal Mine Theatre presents the Toronto premiere of this dark, irreverently funny play
Mirvish presents the return the Carole King bio-musical starring Toronto’s Chilina Kennedy