There’s a lot of theatre to be had in the 90-minute production of The Life of Jude during this year’s SummerWorks festival. It’s a show that is hilarious and heartbreaking, biblical and raunchy, thought provoking and satirical all at the same time. It’s full of song, music and dance and many unexpected moments – well worth a visit during your SummerWorks excursions. Continue reading The Life of Jude (Falling Hammer Productions) 2013 SummerWorks Review
I’ve spent a lot of time wandering through High Park – it’s one of my favorite areas of the city, a great green space to get away for a while. It’s also an area that has held plenty of surprises for me.
When I first started hanging out there, I had no idea there was a hidden labyrinth let alone a zoo. And up until very recently I didn’t realize there was an open air amphitheatre there that has a seating capacity of a thousand.
I also didn’t know that there would be two Shakespearean plays performed there – alternating between the comedic Taming of the Shrew and the tragedy Macbeth – throughout the summer. Continue reading Review: Shakespeare in High Park – Taming of the Shrew (CanadianStage)
I grew up with a kid that wanted to perform magic – David Copperfield illusionist type magic. I remember him starting with the rabbit pulled from the hat to entertain at kids’ birthday parties before moving to more complicated mind boggling tricks to cap off our theatre classes in high school. Last I saw of him, he had his face on a billboard and was given a red carpet reception in China. Not bad.
His passion for the slight of hand always intrigued me and is why, when browsing shows for this year’s Luminato Festival, I was drawn to the Maestros of Magic performances for their combination of music (something also reminiscent of childhood) and magic. Continue reading Review: Maestros of Magic – Concerto for Piano & Pasteboards (Magicana, Luminato)
Figaro (Stephen Hegedus) is only a day away from a lifetime of wedded bliss to his beloved Susanna (Miriam Khalil) and you are cordially invited to Against the Grain‘s unique production of Figaro’s Wedding.
This zany and modern adaptation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, with a modern libretto by AtG’s own Joel Ivany, highlights the many ways a wedding can go wrong: even before the bride takes her walk down the aisle, wandering eyes and personal vendettas get in the way. Set on the top floor of Queen Street’s historic The Burroughes, Against the Grain have once again taken a classic, complete with stunning operatic performances, and turned it on its head.
Continue reading Review: Figaro’s Wedding (Against the Grain)
Scarborough Music Theatre takes on the Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers World War II musical South Pacific. This is a story highlighting racial tension and social prejudices during WWII, the only American musical set during this time. Following the love lives of two individuals on a Naval base in the Pacific, the affects of nurture and cultural demands take their toll.
Continue reading Review: South Pacific (Scarborough Music Theatre)