Dana Ewachow is too shy to order a pizza over the phone, but has no problem writing on the internet. She keeps herself busy and artistically poor by writing news articles, rants, and fiction for the internet. As you may have noticed, she also writes theatre reviews. She enjoys sketch comedies, dark comedies, light comedies, and burlesque. When she isn’t writing, her odd hobbies include: martial arts, throwing hatchets, and trying to cook food that won’t send her to the hospital. Armed with questionable diplomas and a second degree blackbelt, she will surely take over the world.
The classic game receives a song and dance treatment in Bingo the Musical playing at the Toronto Centre for the Arts
The audience sits with rapt attention, but their eyes are not on the stage. Each person stares at their lap, listening for their number. The air is tense as the caller announces “B12, N43, O70”. Then the silence is interrupted with a triumphant shout: “BINGO!” There is a moment of disappointment as the rest realize their luck is lost, but the lights go back up in the Toronto Centre For the Arts theatre and Bingo: The Musical by Encore Entertainment goes on.
Bingo: The Musical, directed and choreographed by Larry Westlake, is exactly what you would expect from a musical about a game that is popular with senior centers. It is not a heart-wrenching drama questioning humanity and the meaning of existence; the show is a musical with a simple premise that is blown-up to poke fun and entertain. The jokes are cheesy, the songs are catchy, and the scenario is more than a little odd. Continue reading Review: Bingo The Musical (Encore Entertainment)→
Dazzling circus acts are the focal point of A Spectacle Play by the Hercinia Arts Collective in Toronto
A Spectacle of Play is a collection of works from the world of contemporary circus. Hercinia Arts Collective brings a variety of pieces involving aerial silks, trapeze, ropes, hula-hoop and even clowning. Unfortunately, these shows can’t take place in a giant circus tent in the middle of the city: instead, the circus found its home in a mysterious location rightfully named “The Bat Cave”.
I think the abilities of the performers are amazing, especially considering that I have no upper body strength to pull myself up a rope. The artists twist and spin in the air like they are weightless. There is no fear or hesitation as they hover by the ceiling. Even though I know they are professionals, I feel my heart beating fast as a woman slides down into a full split with each foot precariously wrapped in strips of silk, dangling in the air. Watching anyone do that without flinching or calling the fire department is impressive. Continue reading Review: A Spectacle of Play (Hercinia Arts Collective)→
The first scene begins with Elizabeth talking to her Mum while shoving books into cardboard boxes. Elizabeth, played by Janna Erichson, talks to her Mum like any disgruntled daughter, rolling her eyes and defiantly using the term “mother” instead of “mum”. Mum, played by Reva Lawry, responds by lecturing Elizabeth about her marriage. It all unrolls like a scenario that has been repeated for the characters, probably in the same room with the same retorts. And then, it shifts into something deeper. Continue reading Review: A Life Beyond Doubt (Tomorrow’s Eve Theatre)→
Love themed burlesque lit up the Gladstone Hotel in Be Mein Valentine
Be Mein Valentine is an annual burlesque event set at The Gladstone Hotel. Thrown by the Skin Tight Outta Sight Rebel Burlesque troupe and Boylesque T.O, Be Mein Valentine is a cabaret of stripping women, men, and the occasional gingerbread cookie. The night combines the celebration of Valentine’s Day with the theme of German tradition and debauchery. Even though it seems like a random mix, it was nothing but entertaining.
Three charming hosts guide you through the den of iniquity. Sexy Deutsch Mark Brown, a small-town conservative man who feels corrupted by all the naughtiness around him; Ginger Darling, the clever, cheeky and – obviously – ginger host; and lastly Balonia Wry, the sex-crazed and hilarious dominatrix who, with her wandering leather crop and tasteless jokes, steals the show.
The classic Shakespearean tragedy is told through the beauty of ballet at Toronto’s Betty Oliphant Theatre
Romeo and Juliet is one of William Shakespeare’s most well-known and culturally referenced plays. The tale tends to be spun as a romance, but all who have stayed on for the final act know that the story ends in tragedy. The two lovers are torn apart by rival families, distance, and even death. In Canada’s Ballet Jorgen‘s production at the Betty Oliphant Theatre, Romeo and Juliet are given a new obstacle in the production: silence.
William Shakespeare is without a doubt a wordsmith. His grand odes to love and soliloquies of pain are meant to sway the hearts of audiences. In ballet, there is no shouting or crying. The dancers speak with their bodies, floating across the stage in a whisper and leaping into the air for shouts of joy. The dancers convey all the emotion of words through Bengt Jorgen’s inspiring choreography. Continue reading Review: Romeo & Juliet (Canada’s Ballet Jorgen)→
The play 
