Shows that Caught Our Eye in Toronto for the Week of May 13th, 2019.
MoT is here with fabulous suggestions for the theatre-goer in you! Spring has finally arrived, and so has Toronto’s busiest theatre season. MoT Publisher, Megan has highlighted some of the most exciting options in red! Take a look at our list below and we guarantee you’ll find your next theatrical obsession!
Already Reviewed by MoT:
Tchaikovsky. PRO et CONTRA. Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. Show One Productions and TO Live present an original show performed by Russia’s contemporary ballet company, Eifman Ballet. Ballet auteur Boris Eifman honours his musical muse with a powerful exploration of the nature of genius and the price of fame. This heart-rending choreographic love letter to the immortal music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is an emotionally gripping exposition of the artists life. May 9-11, Thu-Sat 8 pm. $55-$155.
Beautiful Man. Factory Theatre. by Erin Shields (Factory Theatre). Women and their sexual fantasies take centre stage and the men are hunted, victimized and objectified in this satire. Previews from May 4, opens May 9 and runs to May 26, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $20-$50.
The Brothers Size. Young Centre for the Performing Arts. by Tarell Alvin McCraney (Soulpepper Theatre). In the Deep South, music and ritual intertwine with Yoruba mythology in the story of a prodigal brother’s return home. Previews from May 4, opens May 10 and runs to May 26, see website for schedule. $35 & up.
And Everything Else:
Prophecy Fog. Theatre Centre. Paper Canoe Projects, Nightswimming & Theatre Centre present a show created and performed by Jani Lauzon. A girl in the mountains of BC searches for a sacred site. Previews from May 14, opens May 16 and runs to May 26, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $30, stu/elder/srs/arts workers $22, preview $17.
Risk Everything. Red Sandcastle Theatre. Cement Factory and NightShift Theatre present a play by George F. Walker. A woman tries to free herself from a troubled past and become a respectable member of society in this dark comedy. Opens May 14 and runs to May 25, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $30, adv $25.
Lilies; Or, The Revival Of A Romantic Drama. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. by Michel Marc Bouchard (lemonTree creations/Why Not Theatre/BIBT). Two schoolboys fall in love performing a play about Saint Sebastian in 1912 in this look at love, lies and colonialism. Previews from May 4, opens May 9 and runs to May 26, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2:30 pm. $20-$40, some pwyc available.
Ill Met By Moonlight. The Painted Lady. St. Stella presents a new adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This piece combines burlesque, bouffon, theatre and music to create a unique, magical and truly queer version of Shakespeare’s comedy. Opens May 14 and runs to May 19, Tue-Fri 6 pm, Sat-Sun 2 pm. $20-$25.
Winnipeg General: Cabaret 1919. Tranzac. The Socialist Project, the Toronto Workers History Project, Mayworks Festival and the Centre for Social Justice present a cabaret evening of theatre, music and poetry on the centenary of the Winnipeg General Strike will celebrate its historical importance and enduring relevance to a diverse range of contemporary struggles. May 14 at 7 pm. Free.
Diane: A Solo-Sketch Comedy by Laura Ramoso. Bad Dog Comedy Theatre. Scripted comedy combines with clowning, mime and commedia dell’arte tell the story of a range of “Dianes” on their day to day in this solo sketch comedy. May 15 & 22 at 9 pm. $7 online, $10 at the door.
I Swallowed A Moon Made of Iron. Berkeley Street Theatre. by Njo Kong Kie (Music Picnic/Point View Art/Canadian Stage). Song cycle about life on an assembly line in an electronics factory, based on the poetry of Xu Lizhi. Opens May 16 and runs to May 26, Tue-Thu & Sat 8 pm, Fri 7 pm, mat Wed 1 pm, Sun 2 pm. $29-$59.
Shanawdithit. The Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre. Tapestry Opera and Opera on the Avalon present a new opera by Dean Burry and Yvette Nolan. Shanawdithit retraces a story seldom told of the title character who, at the time of her death, was thought to be the last known member of Newfoundland and Labrador’s Beothuk Nation. Opens May 16 at 8 pm, and runs to May 25: May 21-23 and 25 at 8 pm, mat May 18 at 4 pm. $75-$99, opening night $150.
Toronto 1919. Steelworkers Hall. Kensington Market Historical Society presents a short play by labour historian Craig Heron. and performed by the Toronto Workers’ Theatre Group. It focuses on the labour struggles in Toronto in May 1919, especially a five-day general strike. Following the performance, Heron will offer further reflections on the dramatic events of that spring in working-class Toronto. May 16, 6-8 pm. Free.
The Ultimate Theatre Championship. Theatre Passe Muraille. Theatre Passe Muraille fundraiser in which six actors, including Colin Mochrie and Teresa Pavlinek, will go head-to-head in a theatrical cage match. May 16 at 7 pm. $125.
Rhythm Rewritten. Aga Khan Museum. Dance performance featuring tap-dancing phenomenon Jason Samuels Smith and classical Indian kathak dancer Seema Mehta. May 16 at 8 pm. $50, stu/srs $37.50.
To Kill A Mockingbird. Fairview Library. Stage Centre Productions presents Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning classic about honour and injustice in the deep South and the heroism of one man in the face of blind and violent hatred. Opens May 16 and runs to May 25, see website for days and times. $25-$30.
August: Osage County. Young Centre for the Performing Arts. by Tracy Letts (Soulpepper Theatre). A family must confront its secrets when its alcoholic patriarch disappears in this darkly comic drama. Previews from May 18, opens May 24 and runs to Jun 19, see website for schedule. $35 & up.
Drag Brunch with Trixie Mattel. The Rec Room. Voss Events presents performances by female impersonators and guests from RuPaul’s Drag Race. Featuring Trixie Mattel, Sofonda Cox, Devine Darlin and more. May 19, doors 10:30 am. $75.
Listings Primarily Based on NOW! Stage Listings