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.
There was all kinds of food, and after the food, there was cake…
Oh. Wait. I figured since a line in the a song in the show captured my feelings enough that I could use it as the title, then maybe I could use the next line as my review. But no, that second bit doesn’t really belong here. There was no food, and no cake. But the Mirvish production of My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding certainly was great.
The Madonna Painter, currently playing at Factory Theatre, is an exceptionally well-written play. It also features: a very capable cast all of whom deliver strong performances, unusual but nonetheless wonderful sound effects, and high contrast lighting. To call The Madonna Painter a masterpiece would certainly not be an exaggeration. It has something, an almost magical quality, that, particularly at the ending, made me feel like I was watching something so incredibly beautiful that I couldn’t fully comprehend it. Continue reading The Madonna Painter – Factory Theatre→
If I had to choose one word to describe the Momentum production of The Salon Automaton showing at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre until December 12 it would be “creepy”. For some people creepy is good, for some creepy is bad, and for others creepy is, well, it just is. I’m more in the ‘just is’ category, so for me this is just an observation, but one to keep in mind.
Stuff Happens is great on paper. It’s a play written by David Hare in response to America’s war on Iraq, using a mix of different viewpoints, bits from real speeches, meetings and press conferences, as well as re-imagined private meetings between political heavyweights. It’s an homage to history, albeit a history so recent that it’s practically the present.
Originally released in 2004 to great reviews, Stuff Happens is back in Toronto just as another Middle Eastern war ramps up. The title was inspired by Donald Rumsfeld’s glib response to widespread looting in Baghdad: “Stuff happens and it’s untidy, and freedom’s untidy, and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.” Continue reading Stuff Happens – Royal Alexandra Theatre→
Go see Parfumerie right now. It’s playing until December 24th at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts.
Go see Parfumerie, to be warmed, cheered and entertained. Then when you come home and turn on It’s a Wonderful Life, you’ll notice how cold and unfeeling it seems in comparison. Maybe I’m just full of festive cheer right now, but I really enjoyed this show. My friend Jo did too; she called it “uniformly good.”
