I was REALLY looking forward to going to Tales Of A Cocktail at Al Green Theatre, it had my name written all over it. Old timey jazz music? Check. Vintage costumes? Check. Cocktails? Double check! I’m a huge fan of these “story through dance” shows or “dansicals” as some people like to call them. I assumed that Tales Of A Cocktail would be similar to shows like “Come Fly Away” (that’s “fly” not “from”!) or “Contact” and I quickly found out that the choreographer was definitely striving for that category.
Swallowed Whole (at the Toronto Fringe Festival) is a Second City-style sketch revue, written entirely by surrealist Rachel Parry. The result is as off-kilter and unpredictable as you’d expect: it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s a blend unlike anything else you’ll find at the festival.
I’ll be honest: I love a Fringe musical. They’re stripped down little items, and I find the raw edges of them somehow very appealing. BFFs, a new two-hander musical at the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival from Greg McLeod and David Poon is charming in its concept, though I found it somewhat uneven in the delivery.
