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.
‘The Jungle’ is “heartfelt, heavy, moving and funny”.The Jungle premiered last night at Tarragon Theatre and it was a punch to the gut: very real and very much told with eyes wide open. Billed as a Toronto love story between an immigrant from Moldova and the son of Chinese immigrants, it wrestled with what it really means to be working class, and if getting ahead is systemically possible in a capitalist society.
Bob Dylan musical is “dramatically beautiful,” now on stage in TorontoIt’s a mistake to expect Girl from the North Country — playing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre — to be a musical. It’s a play with singing and some dancing. With a couple of exceptions, the songs are sung to the audience, not by one character to another the way they usually are in musicals. Playwright Conor McPherson says it’s “a conversation between the songs and the story.”
Simon Hale’s superb arrangements of 20 Bob Dylan songs — or sometimes parts of songs — as solo and ensemble pieces bring new depth to old favourites like “Slow Train”, “Like a Rolling Stone”, and “Forever Young.” And the music is just part of what makes the play terrific.
Continue reading Review: Girl From the North Country (David Mirvish)
Frog in Hand presents a dystopian journey into the deep unknown with Stories in the WoodsA mysterious walk through the cold woods at night turns into an eerie exploration into a dystopian future where climate change has rendered the world nearly unlivable. For two nights, Frog in Hand led a group of wanderers deep into the unknown where dancers utilized a haunting soundscape, the deep woods and rough terrain in the dark, and strategic lighting to illustrate a tale of what could possibly be in Stories in the Woods.
Continue reading Review: Stories in the Woods (Frog in Hand)
Program Three of Fall for Dance North rounds out an exciting bill of theatreCelebrating five years, Fall For Dance North returns to Toronto. Program three comes with a scene change, taking place at Ryerson Theatre instead of Meridian Hall. Fall For Dance North brings leading dance companies from all over the world to Toronto and makes them accessible to a wide audience as all tickets, for any night and any seat, are only fifteen dollars. Make sure to read our reviews of program one and program two.
This bill presents an international selection of current Indigenous dance expressions with works from New Zealand, Taiwan, Australia and the Lac La Croix First Nations.
Continue reading Review: Program Three (Fall For Dance North)
This October, The Theatre Centre launched a new festival, COMEDY IS ART, in support of comedy in Canada. Comedy is not currently recognized as its own art form in Canada, which has limited the amount of government funding available for comedians. In its inaugural year, the festival ran from October 1 to 5, and featured 8 shows with over 40 artists. I was fortunate enough to spend an evening watching Good Morning, Tonight!, a stand-up comedy show produced and hosted by spirited comedians Karis Anderson and Aidan O’Loughlin.
Continue reading Review: Good Morning, Tonight (Karis Anderson & Aidan O’Loughlin)