Review: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea (TO2015 PANAMANIA/KDOONS Network/WYRD Productions/The 20K Collective)

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Produced as part of PANAMANIA, the arts & culture component of the Pan Am/Parapan Games, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea adapts the Jules Verne classic into a meta-theatrical multi-media event with a gesture towards environmental messaging. It’s an ambitious undertaking with such stunning aesthetics that its failings seem more prominent than they otherwise might. Continue reading Review: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea (TO2015 PANAMANIA/KDOONS Network/WYRD Productions/The 20K Collective) →

Playlistings in Toronto for the Week of July 13, 2015

Shows That Caught Our Eye This Week

This week in Toronto theatre brings you a mix of outdoors shows (hope it won’t rain!) and Panamania (Cultural programming honouring the Toronto 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games). I’ve highlighted the shows that we’d especially love to see this week in red text. Perhaps they’ll also strike your fancy, or you may find something else that’ll tickle your interest. Continue reading Playlistings in Toronto for the Week of July 13, 2015 →

Review: Newsies (Mirvish)

Photo of Dan DeLuca (center) and the original North American Tour company of NEWSIES by Deen van Meer.Mirvish presents Disney’s award-winning musical Newsies in Toronto

Mirvish is presenting the touring production of Disney Theatrical’s hit Broadway show Newsies for a limited run in Toronto. The show is adapted from the 1992 live-action Disney movie based on a real-life event: the New York City newsboys’ strike of 1899.

Who’d have thought a bunch of singing and dancing newsboys in a Disney-ized class struggle story could make for such an exhilarating night of theatre? I was a fan of the movie, but I actually enjoyed the stage version even more. I really didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. Continue reading Review: Newsies (Mirvish) →

Butts in Seats: the 2015 Fringe Venue Roundup

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If there’s one thing theatre writers are good at, it’s sitting. From Robert Cushman to the lowliest blogger, our butts are what unite us. And don’t think we’re joking: we’ve sat in the plushly-appointed Princess of Wales, on benches at Theatre Passe Muraille, on blankets on the lawn in High Park, on virtually every flat surface in Toronto — and a few which aren’t.

As Fringe winds down, we’d like to share some of our wisdom with you. We’ve assessed every mainstage venue for comfort (will you regret sitting there?), utility (sightlines, proximity, etc.), charm (is it a nice room?), amenities (toilets, snacks, transit…) and access. Then we use this information to generate a score between 1 and 5 moons — after all, Mooney on Theatre doesn’t give star ratings.

Continue reading Butts in Seats: the 2015 Fringe Venue Roundup →