Playwright Suzan-Lori Parks’ play Topdog/Underdog won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2002 and enjoyed a successful run on Broadway. Obsidian Theatre produced Topdog/Underdog as part of this year’s Shaw Festival where it played to raves. The production transfers to Toronto for a limited run at The Theatre Centre. Continue reading Review: Topdog/Underdog (Obsidian Theatre)
I’ve been a fan of Spring Awakening since 2007 when I took a chance on lining up for a rush ticket to a Broadway show I knew virtually nothing about. I ended up loving the edgy rock musical with music by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater, based on a play written in 1891 by German playwright Frank Wedekind.
Mirvish brought the North American tour to Toronto for a run at the Canon Theatre in 2009 and now we’re starting to see the first of the local productions, including one by the Lower Ossington Theatre, that I reviewed back in September.
Continue reading Review: Spring Awakening (Toronto Youth Theatre)
I’ve been figuratively waiting in line to “Ride the Cyclone” for about a year and a half now. This delightfully quirky little musical by Victoria, B.C.’s Atomic Vaudeville was the hit of the 2010 SummerWorks festival and, like many, I was left in the cold while trying to get tickets during the sold out latter part of the show’s all-too-short run here two summers ago.
Like millions of kids around the world, I grew up reading Dr. Seuss but I really didn’t appreciate the depth of Seuss’ brilliance until much later in life; the beauty of his text and its pithy life lessons still resonate with me today.
David Mirvish and Corey Ross present the Alberta Ballet’s Love Lies Bleeding featuring the music of Elton John at Toronto’s Sony Centre for the Performing Arts through November 12, 2011.Admittedly, I’m not super-familiar with Elton John’s musical catalogue. I came of age in the ‘90s so I’m more familiar with Elton through The Lion King and Billy Elliot than Bennie and the Jets or Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. But since Sir Elton has been such a prolific figure in pop culture throughout his illustrious career I’m certainly aware of his music as well as many of the details of his personal life. Continue reading Review: Love Lies Bleeding (Alberta Ballet, David Mirvish and Corey Ross)