Once, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2012, adapted from the 2006 film of the same title, has returned to Toronto following a sold out six-week engagement of the US Touring production in late 2013. This time, Mirvish has produced a new production of the show featuring an all-Canadian cast. Continue reading Review: Once (Mirvish)
In their purest form, rules are meant to protect us, to keep us from harm. But throughout our collective history, there’s always been a fierce debate: what’s more important, the letter of the law or its spirit?
Ireland during the 1960’s, like many countries, it was still dominated by the rule of the Catholic Church. Many things considered to be freedoms in modern society – like a woman’s right to choose or even to keep her baby out of wedlock – were staunchly prohibited and fiercely punished.
It’s within this context that Elvis’s Toenail, playing until March 7th at The Alumnae Theatre, takes place.
When a runaway pregnant teenager shows up at a Dublin seamstress shop desperate for a job, her coworkers must decide whether to surrender her to the Church or break the rules in order for her protection. Continue reading Review: Elvis’s Toenail (Toronto Irish Players)
This Side of Heaven cannot be contained by a stage. The show uses promenade staging, so that players and the audience mingle on the floor. The players travel across the large expanse, taking a moment to stare at the audience members who stay in their seats. They stop to make eye contact, to sing, or to wag their tongues mockingly. This Side of Heaven isn’t a play – it’s a spectacle.
This Side of Heaven is an experimental smorgasbord. There was dancing, singing, dialogue, monologue, puppetry, and circus acting. It was a taste of what Humber Theatre has to offer. A variety of talents compacted into a show. I was in awe of the multitude of what was unfurling in front of me.
Continue reading Review: This Side of Heaven (Humber College Theatre)
It was the roaring ‘20s; the era of prohibition and bathtub gin, Vaudeville and minstrel shows, jazz and flappers. World War I was over and the economic boom it spurred ushered in an entire decade that felt like one big party. This is the world of The Wild Party, a musical by Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe inspired by a scandalous 1928 narrative poem of the same title by Joseph Moncure March. This new production of the musical, a co-production of Acting Up Stage Company and Obsidian Theatre Company, is indeed a wild, if at times uneven, party. Continue reading Review: The Wild Party (Acting Up Stage Company & Obsidian Theatre)
February may be the shortest month, but that doesn’t mean it’s short on theatre! Look at the variety of awesome shows opening and continuing their runs in Toronto this week. Our Founding Editor, Megan, has indicated the shows she most highly recommends with two asterisks and red text. See if you agree with her choices, or go check out anything else that speaks to you!
Continue reading Toronto Playlistings for the Week of February 23rd, 2015