Monthly Archives: November 2011

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Red

A cardinal portrait of Mark Rothko and his young assistant
Written by John Logan
Directed by Kim Collier

Jim Mezon and David Coomber in Red. Photo by Bruce Zinger.

A great luminous cube opens to reveal an artist’s studio—high ceilings, exposed brick walls, red canvases in progress—in New York City during the late 1950s. The dramatic set, created by [...]

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

The Word Festival: Q&A with Toby Malone

A few words on The Word Festival with Toby Malone

By Ava Baccari

Toby Malone.

Words alone can’t describe the singular importance of the two most influential texts in the English language: the King James Bible and the works of William Shakespeare.
And after a year of planning, Soulpepper Theatre Company’s artistic director Albert Schultz, associate director Don Shipley [...]

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Mary Poppins

This spoonful of family fun goes down in a most delightful way

Book by Julian Fellowes
Original music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman
New songs by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe
Directed by Richard Eyre

L to R: Rachel Wallace as Mary Poppins, Annie Baltic as Jane Banks, Reese Sebastian Diaz as Michael Banks, Nicolas [...]

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Friday, November 18, 2011

The Addams Family

The loveable family from your childhood nightmares returns — in a whimsical musical comedy
By Ava Baccari
Presented by Dancap Productions
Music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa
Based on characters created by Charles Addams

L to R: Patrick D. Kennedy (Pugsley), Pippa Pearthree (Grandma), Sara Gettelfinger (Morticia), Douglas Sills (Gomez), Tom Corbeil (Lurch), Cortney Wolfson (Wednesday) and Blake Hammond (Uncle Fester) in The [...]

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Friday, November 18, 2011

Ride The Cyclone

A tornado of musical theatre talent hits Toronto

Presented by Theatre Passe Muraille in collaboration with Acting Up Stage Company
Produced by Atomic Vaudeville
Written by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell
Directed by Britt Small and Jacob Richmond

Photo of the company by Fairen Berchard.

Imagine this: you’re nearing the top of a roller coaster, about to go over the edge. [...]

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Saturday, November 12, 2011

The Rez Sisters

It’s a love-hate sisterhood for the Rez women, but the story of their struggles remains as captivating as ever in this powerful new production
By Ava Baccari
Written by Tomson Highway
Directed by Ken Gass

(L to R): Pamela Sinha, Cara Gee, Jean Yoon, Billy Merasty, Jani Lauzon, Djennie Laguerre, Michaela Washburn and Kyra Harper in Tomson Highway’s The [...]

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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

The Test

Burning questions and desires ignite in this searing tragicomedy
Presented by The Company Theatre in association with Canadian Stage
Written by Lukas Bärfuss
Directed by Jason Byrne
Translated by Birgit Schreyer Duarte

Philip Riccio and Eric Peterson. Photo by Guntar Kravis.

What happens when a man doubts the paternity of his own children, or when political ambitions trump family values? Contemporary Swiss-German playwright [...]

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Sunday, November 6, 2011

2 Pianos, 4 Hands

2 pianos, 4 hands and 4 thumbs up for this charming Canadian musical
By Ava Baccari
Created, performed and directed by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt

Richard Greenblatt and Ted Dykstra in 2P4H. Photo by Rick O’Brien.

Teddy, one of the many incarnations Canadian actor Ted Dykstra plays in 2 Pianos 4 Hands, is worried about languishing over a [...]

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Sunday, November 6, 2011

Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival: Q&A with Peter ‘N Chris

Peter ‘N Chris (Peter Carlone ‘n Chris Wilson) are a Vancouver-based comedy duo performing at this year’s Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. Their show Peter ‘N Chris Save The World! was selected as a “critic’s pick” (NOW Magazine) at the 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival. Here, we chat with the comic twosome about their sketch style, super powers and [...]

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Sunday, November 6, 2011

Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival: Q&A with Tony Ho

Tony Ho: Adam Niebergall, Roger Bainbridge and Miguel Rivas.

Tony Ho believes being unsettled isn’t a bad thing. This darkly hilarious Toronto group (Roger Bainbridge, Adam Niebergall and Miguel Rivas) is performing at this year’s Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. Here, we find out what makes them tick.
Theatromania: Describe Tony Ho in one sentence.
TH: Tony Ho is [...]

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Sunday, November 6, 2011

Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival: Q&A with Inside Joke Films

Jon Braylock and Ramy Youssef.

Inside Joke Films is the curly-haired combo of Jonathan Braylock and Ramy
Youssef. The New York-based African/Arab American duo combines clever humor, high-energy, and the occasional rap song to create a show that is truly their own. Read on to learn more, and check them out at this year’s Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival.
Theatromania: [...]

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Saturday, November 5, 2011

Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival: Q&A with The Williamson Playboys

Paul Bates and Doug Morency. Photo by Christine Latimer.

One day in 2001, while at The Second City, Paul Bates and Doug Morency were
sitting around trying to figure out what kind of sketch they could come up with
using a tuba and a ukulele. The answer was obvious: put on some hats, pretend
to be really old, reminice [...]

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