Reviews of productions based in Toronto – theatre includes traditional definitions of theatre, as well as dance, opera, comedy, performance art, spoken word performances, and more. Productions may be in-person, or remote productions streamed online on the Internet.
On Valentines Day, I had the pleasure of taking my girlfriend out to see a very entertaining night of burlesque at the Gladstone Hotel. Two of the most popular troupes, Skin Tight Outta Sight and BoylesqueTO, presented Be Mein Valentine, a night full of song and tease inspired by the cabarets of 1920s Germany.
Our three hosts for the evening joked back and forth with their over-the-top German characters and accents and held the show together between performances. Ginger Darling and Bologna Wry, the usual hosts from BoylesqueTO, were joined by Skin Tight’s Sexy Mark Brown. Throughout the night, they proved that three is definitely not a crowd.
Is it too early to tell you about a must-see show at the Toronto Fringe Festival in the summer of 2010? You have to see The Flying Avro Arrow – A Musical at United Steel Workers of America Hall, 25 Cecil Street, south of College, west of St. George. (Note to my editor – I’m dibsing it now!)
This musical was performed as a staged reading during Week Two of The New Ideas Festival at Alumnae Theatre. Before the reading, I had trouble imagining how anyone could write a musical about the Avro Arrow and make it work. Playwright Doug Warwick figured it out. It was terrific – I really enjoyed it. The music worked, and the show was funny.
You can enjoy the show without knowing the Avro Arrow story, but it’s an important part of Canadian history and something we should all know.
Tonight I saw the Week Two performances that are part of this year’s New Ideas Festival at the Alumnae Theatre. This is the first year that I seen anything at the festival, last week I saw Week One. I love The New Ideas Festival! Next week I’m going to see Week Three.
There are 5 plays in Week Two:
CATCHER by Michael Corkett Johnston • Directed by Valary Cook
TIGHTROPE by R. J. Downes • Directed by Kate Fenton
PEARLS by Brenda Somers • Directed by Pam Redfern
SEX ON THE BEACH by Derek Hale • Directed by Kimberley Ann Croscup
SOLEDAD by Tina McCulloch • Directed by Kathryn Malek
Before the show and at intermission we were treated to ENVIA! PERFORMANCE ARTIST by Kelly DuMar • Directed by Jessica Beaulieau.
Artistic & General Director Matthew Jocelyn announced the Canadian Stage 2010-2011 season yesterday to an audience of about 400 people in the Bluma Appel theatre. It’s fascinating that so many people would take the time on a Tuesday morning.
He unveiled the change from The Canadian Stage Company to Canadian Stage yesterday before he announced the new season. Canadian Stage is less cumbersome than the old name but I suspect people will still refer to it as CanStage.
The Canadian Stage 2010-2011 season is definitely not the same old same old. It doesn’t sound easy but it does sound interesting and exciting. “Jocelyn seeks to redefine Canadian Stage as a centre for national and international multi-disciplinary theatre that pushes boundaries, adopts a 21st-century perspective and reflects Toronto’s cultural diversity.” – from the Canadian Stage press release.
There’s something about new works that I’ve always loved. New independent artists take risks that big budget productions don’t and the results, while not always polished, are exciting to be a part of. Pivotal(arts) WriteNOW! Festival, playing now at the Bread and Circus, gives voice to these new works by presenting four new shows over the course of a week. I saw the first two plays last night, and while one was on unsure ground, both displayed some great up-and-coming talent. Continue reading WriteNOW Festival- Pivotal(arts)→
