I was so excited to find myself in Vancouver during the Fringe Festival this fall (it’s crazy that there are still Fringe Festivals happening once it’s officially “fall”). Having covered the Toronto leg of the epic Canadian indie theatre circuit for years, I was curious to see how things compared out on the west coast. […]

 

I remain firm in my assertion that Canada’s major artistic directors need to hire musical theatre consultants to help them pick what to produce because their knowledge base and taste level just seem off when it comes to the singing and dancing portions of their programming (just one coffee with Mitchell Marcus per year and […]

 

This show hit me straight in the heart. It’s been so long since I’ve been able to say that about a Shaw musical and I’m grinning ear to ear to be able to say it now (also because I literally just left the theatre so the post-musical glow has yet to wear off). Loewe’s love […]

Some stories take a few tries to find their perfect medium. Les Miserables, for example, is a meandering bore of a novel (hot take? Whatever, I don’t want to hear about it) but, when it found its rightful home in musical theatre, everything clicked. Eugene Onegin is a poem, an opera, and a musical, but […]

Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. Omen: The Musical (A) This modern witchy musical about a post-climate change (aka post-apocalyptic) world is eerie and enchanting. All three protagonists are individual and well developed. The musical direction of the show is consistent and unique. The setting and concept of the show […]

Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. Fuckboys the Musical (B) I quite liked this sassy American import featuring a cast of a bunch of standout women and a couple forgettable men. It’s too long and the storytelling is pretty muddled as the show attempts to service four main characters while […]

Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. The Weight of It All (A-) Gillian Bartolucci’s latest solo piece plays out more like a one-woman sketch show than a straightforward narrative. With a captivating mix of exuberant energy and relatable exhaustion, Bartolucci jumps between characters, styles, gimmicks, and perspectives as she touches […]

I spent an amazingly mind-bending and eye-opening evening at the performance of The Black Drum at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Performed by the Deaf Culture Centre with a tight cast of ten, the show was intriguing, exciting, and such a wonderful way for Deaf Culture to flourish. After a lovely stroll through […]