By Trent Scherer
Though I was unable to make it to Toronto Youth Theatre’s production of Urinetown, I was very pleased to be able to make it to their production of The Rocky Horror Show last night.
Theatre Reviews
Reviews of theatre, dance, opera, comedy and festivals. Performances can be in-person or streamed remotely on the web for social-distancing.
King Lear – Driftwood Theatre
by Lucy Allen
Despite the threat of rain, leashless dogs running wild and the ever-present complications of a city strike, Driftwood Theatre persevered. They have pushed through all of these obstacles to perform a production of King Lear, currently playing in Trinity Bellwoods Park.
Smile – Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts
By Crystal Wood
Smile (presented this week by Randolph Academy) has all the elements of a good musical – impressive music, a good story, and meaty roles for triple threat performers. So why hasn’t this show by Marvin Hamlisch and Howard Ashman stood the test of time, like Phantom or West Side Story have?
I’m going to guess it’s the references to Gorbachev and Terri Garr. This show is pure 80’s, complete with rotary phones and Aqua Net hair. So maybe we had to wait for the 80’s to be retro cool again before dusting this dated musical off? In any case, I liked the show; it was toe-tapping and funny (and in some places, kind of sad.)
Continue reading Smile – Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts
Just for Laughs: Britcom Gala with John Cleese
By John Bourke
We apologise for the late nature of this review of Just for Laughs: Britcom Gala with John Cleese. The author wishes it to be known that he has just been sacked. The review has been completed in an entirely different style at great expense and at the last minute.
The Harder They Come – Mirvish Productions
By Megan Mooney
The Harder They Come, being presented by Mirvish Productions at the Canon Theatre, is based on the Jamaican movie of the same title that became a huge cult hit in the UK and North America. The movie, in turn, is based on the true story of Rhyging, a Jamaican singer cum folk hero.
Now, I haven’t seen the movie, so I can’t start pulling together comparisons, but what I can tell you is that the play, like the movie, is filled with fantastic music. This would technically be a musical, but the story is not told in song, it’s more a play where there is a lot of singing.