All posts by Wayne Leung

Wayne Leung (1981-2019) Wayne was the Managing Editor of Mooney on Theatre from 2012 - 2019 and will be sorely missed. His death from an apparent heart attack was a loss not just to Mooney on Theatre, but also to the Toronto Theatre Community at large. You can read our publisher Megan Mooney's tribute to him here here. Wayne was a writer, editor and corporate communications professional who was thrilled to be a part of the Mooney on Theatre team. Wayne loved theatre ever since his aunt brought him to a production of Les Misérables at the tender age of ten . . . despite the fact that, at that age, the show’s plot was practically indiscernible and the battle scenes scared the bejeezus out of him. Wayne’s current list of likes ran the gamut from opera, ballet and Shakespeare to Broadway musicals, circus and Fringe theatre. Outside of the theatre Wayne’s interests included travel, technology and food.

Review: The Children (Canadian Stage/Centaur Theatre)

Laurie Paton and Geordie Johnson in Canadian Stage's production of Lucy Kirkwood's The Children. Photo by Dahlia Katz.Canadian Stage presents the premiere of Lucy Kirkwood’s new play in Toronto

The Children is a new play by Lucy Kirkwood that has recently played both on Broadway and in London’s West End. The British playwright often takes a cerebral approach to her writing and tackles complex issues in her work. Canadian Stage previously produced her dazzling US-China political-thriller, Chimerica, in 2016. Continue reading Review: The Children (Canadian Stage/Centaur Theatre)

Review: Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life (Outside the March/The Musical Stage Company)

Photo of Kira Guloien, Bruce Dow, Donna Garner and the Edge of the Sky Young Company of Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life by Dahlia Katz.A cult leader’s funeral is the setting for a new musical by Toronto’s Anika and Britta Johnson

There’s definitely an air of mystery around Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life; a new, immersively-staged musical taking over Heliconian Hall in the heart of Yorkville. The casual theatre-goer would be forgiven if they had no clue what Dr. Silver was about from the show’s deliberately sparse website which only hints that it centres on the funeral of a charismatic nouveau-spiritual leader and doesn’t really provide much more detail than that. Continue reading Review: Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life (Outside the March/The Musical Stage Company)

Announcement: 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Award Winners (With Links to MOT Reviews)

Photo of Astrid Van WeirenJerusalem, Life After, and Orphée+ win big at the 39th Dora Awards

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) presented the  39th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards last night at a ceremony at the Winter Garden Theatre hosted by Astrid Van Wieren, currently starring in the Broadway run of the juggernaut Canadian musical, Come From Away.

Continue reading Announcement: 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Award Winners (With Links to MOT Reviews)

Review: Wicked (Mirvish)

Photo of Ginna Claire Mason & Mary Kate Morrissey in WickedThe hit Broadway musical Wicked returns to Toronto

Since it opened on Broadway in 2003, the musical Wicked has become an international phenomenon. It has played over 100 cities in 15 countries, raking in over $4.5 billion in global ticket sales and winning over millions of fans in the process. A touring production of the show has just touched down at Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre for a fifth engagement and—as with any long-running show—the question is; does Wicked retain its magic or does it show its age? Continue reading Review: Wicked (Mirvish)

Announcement: 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Award Nominees (With Links to MOT Reviews)

Canadian Stage, The Musical Stage Company & Soulpepper lead noms for the 39th Dora Awards

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) revealed the nominations for the 39th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards at a press conference early this morning. The Dora Awards seek to recognize excellence in the Toronto performing arts community. This year’s ceremony will take place on Monday, June 25 at At the Winter Garden Theatre of the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, and will be hosted by Astrid Van Wieren, currently starring in the Broadway run of the juggernaut Canadian musical, Come From Away.

Continue reading Announcement: 2018 Dora Mavor Moore Award Nominees (With Links to MOT Reviews)