Tonight I went to the Comedy Bar to see Fratwurst and Rulers of the Universe, both Toronto troupes that are part of The Toronto Comedy Sketch Festival. I hadn’t seen either of them before; I was there to laugh on yet another freezing cold night. Continue reading Review: Fratwurst and Rulers of the Universe (Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival 2015)
Over the past 10 years the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival has been a staple of the Toronto comedy calendar, showcasing up and coming acts and veterans troupes alike for ever increasing audiences. Since its humble beginnings as the brainchild of Julianne Baragar and Paul Snepsts with 15 troupes at the Gladstone Hotel, the festival has grown by leaps and bounds, to the point where last year the Kids in the Hall performed a live stage reading of their cult film Brain Candy to a massive audience. With this year being their 10th Anniversary, Sketchfest has set up a killer lineup of headliners and possibly even more exciting for sketch comedy aficionados, the Sketchrospective series showcasing festival favourites from the past ten years, some of whom are reforming for the festival.
Kicking off the Headliner Series of this year’s Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival is the Pajama Men at the Theatre Centre. Bringing their pioneering style of scripted comedy blended seamlessly with improvised links and an anarchic energy, there’s been a lot of buzz for this Albuquerque based duo, especially from Festival Producer and Executive Director Paul Snepsts who made the effort to introduce the show to a packed theatre.
Continue reading Review: Pajama Men: Pterodactyl Nights (Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival 2015)
I don’t know much about dance and rarely seek it out, but it has always intrigued me, crouching at the fringes of my theatre-going experiences. Every now and then, the concept of a particular dance piece will catch my attention. This is how I came to see vox:lumen, Zata Omm Dance Projects‘ ode to sustainable technologies currently playing at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre.
I’m always hoping that eventually my mind will be completely blown by dance. vox:lumen didn’t blow my mind exactly, but I found it dynamic and haunting. Continue reading Review: vox:lumen (Zata Omm Dance Projects)
Without much fanfare or any public event Mirvish quietly sent out a press release today announcing its 2015-16 season. An open-ended engagement of Matilda the Musical featuring an all-Canadian cast anchors their season which brings Broadway hits such as Motown the Musical, If/Then and the 2014 Tony Award winner for Best Musical, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder to Toronto. Mirvish will also present a new, re-staged production of The Phantom of the Opera as a bonus show.
Check out all the details of the new season, the Off-Mirvish season at the Panasonic Theatre and the bonus shows below.
Which shows are you most looking forward to seeing?