February is Black History Month and the Toronto theatre community has a number of shows to help celebrate and educate. There is something for everyone – from an all-black Comedy Revue at Yuk Yuk’s to a Caribbean storytelling festival for all ages. Check out these live theatre shows you’ll be sure to love!

Continue reading Live Theatre Shows for Black History Month 2012 →

Here is what’s going on in Toronto theatre this week. There are several great shows to catch for the week of February 6, 2012: ** Shows marked with the double asterisks and in red are the ones that make Wayne, our Managing Editor, wish he could exist in multiple parallel universes so he could check them all out. Continue reading Eye-Catching Toronto Theatre for the Week of February 6, 2012 →

Dina Martina is coming to the Flying Beaver Pubaret in Toronto

Because I haven’t seen Dina perform I’ve been reading about her in order to prepare for this. I’m struck by the contrast of the statements I found while doing my research. On the one hand, people clearly adore her. They call her a living legend. On the other hand, they follow the statement of adoration up with the statement that she has no talent.

An article by David Schmader, published in The Stranger, is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. He says:

DINA MARTINA is a living legend. Singer, dancer, raconteur, she is the quintessential post-postmodern celebrity, a one-woman Circus of the Stars. To those who have experienced the magic of Dina, she is a reason to live. To those who have not, she is nearly impossible to explain. … The primary fact that one must understand about Dina Martina — beyond her stature as a superstar entertainer without peer — is that she is in possession of not one shred of discernible talent or grace.

That brought two questions to my mind, first, ‘How does it make her feel?’ and second, ‘What can this performance possibly look like to have both statements made by the same reviewer?’ Continue reading Interview: Q and A with Dina Martina →