The Nutcracker (National Ballet of Canada) The National Ballet of Canada’s production of The Nutcracker is unlike a lot of other versions in its aesthetic but ultimately suffers the same pitfalls. Santo Loquasto’s Russian-inspired set and costume design is very beautiful though a few visuals, particularly around some of the more culturally specific aspects, are […]
I enjoy the examination of time on stage. Of course, all theatre considers time – in its pacing, and how it weaves certain moments to tell a specific story. It is also intriguing how time and circumstances shape our experience of a production. I should note that for this review, I came in having already […]
I stole the title of this article from one of the productions I’m reviewing within it. It’s a great title that hits perfectly on the unifying theme of the many plays I’ve seen this week. I hope they don’t mind my stealing it. Angels in America (That Theatre Company in association with Buddies in […]
Fiddler on the Roof is a marvel of a musical: classic yet poignantly evergreen with a book as funny as it is devastating, packed with great roles (especially for women; imagine such a thing!) and endless musical earworms. If you haven’t seen it live in awhile, or ever, it’s easy to think of Fiddler as […]
London’s Grand Theatre is a crown jewel in the non-Toronto Ontario theatre scene. The historic Spriet Stage is a gorgeous venue that hosts an ambitious and well-balanced season of crowd pleasers while the company’s secondary space, the versatile Auburn Stage, allows the company some much-needed creativity with slightly more daring programming. The Grand has an […]
Chaos Menu: Disorder Up! (The Second City) The latest revue from Toronto’s Second City brings in four very strong new cast members to join returnees PHATT Al and Andy Assaf in a very silly crowd pleaser of a show at the comedy giant’s fabulous new space. I’m that weirdo who likes a little sadness in […]
Coming into this show, I didn’t quite know what to expect. Reading the synopsis, I didn’t see how the concept related to the real Billy the Kid (which the title clearly alludes to), and the poster’s allusion to the trans pride flag completely went over my head. But I came out thoroughly impressed. Gez Mercer and […]
A Poem for Rabia (Tarragon Theatre) Spanning three continents and three generations, Nikki Shaffeeullah’s world premiere currently on stage in the Tarragon Extraspace is an intimate epic full of big ideas. The capable cast performs an exceptional array of accents- some executed with precision and nuance, others less successful- as they each take on multiple […]