Theatre & Dance Reviews

Jersey Boys

Olga Barsky — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:33:37 -0700

Review by Olga Barsky

Music and Lyrics: Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe.

Where: Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge Street.

When: Recently extended until December 6th!!!

Cast: Joseph Leo Bwarie, Jeremy Kushnier, Andrew Rannells, Steve Gouveia, and more.

In A Nutshell: JERSEY BOYS is the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, a band of struggling musicians who went on to become one of America’s top pop groups of the 1960’s. Their unique sound is behind some of the most beautiful hits of the era like “You’re the Apple of My Eye,” “Sherry,” “My Eyes Adored You,” “Walk Like a Man,” and most notably, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

Theatre Smash's NORWAY, TODAY

haleyc — Tue, 2 Sep 2008 10:04:22 -0700

Sarah Baumann and Ashlie Corcoran, the Artistic Producers behind Theatre Smash, are dedicated to creating theatre with a provocative, global context, and their latest show fulfills both ideals. Norway. Today is the story of a 19 year old girl who announces her plans to kill herself in a chat room on the internet. A man named August responds to her challenge, and they form a suicide pact, meeting atop Pulpit Rock in her native Norway. On a rock higher than the CN Tower, the two spend their last night on earth joined only by Julie's video-camera, and the weight of their promise to one another.

Avenue Q: The Musical

Jen — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:11:32 -0700

Review by Eleanor Bothwell

Music and Lyrics: Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx

Where: The Elgin Theatre, 183 Yonge St

When: Till Aug 31, 2008

Cast: Angela Ai, David Benoit, Maggie Lakis, Anika Larsen, Robert McClure, Cole Porter, Danielle K. Thomas

In A Nutshell: If the spawn of 1980’s Sesame Street grew up, got pushed out of all that awesome looking urban real estate (to make room for condos), they would probably end up duking it out with life on the semi-mean streets of Avenue Q. With an accurately representative cross section of puppet/human 20 somethings struggling through their twenties, you might be afraid that the show is trying to be a ‘hip and cool’ musical like Rent… That’s where you’re wrong.

MEET THE COOL CHICKS – BIRDTOWN & SWANVILLE

Jen — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:11:09 -0700

by Jen McNeely
Yes, Birdtown and Swanville is a theatre troupe made mostly of twenty something chicks. But no, the name is not a play on the fact that young women are often referred to as birds. The name encompasses their roots of Stratford, where swans dwell freely, and the area spanning Trinity Bellwoods to Brock Ave, where there is an unusually high density of birds that swish past your head with alarming fury.

As You Like It

Lizzie McNeely — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:57:23 -0700

Review by Lizzie

Show: Canopy Theatre present As You Like It
Written By: William Shakespeare
Director: Lada Darewych
Where: Philosopher’s Stage at Philosopher’s Walk, U of T
When: July 16- August 2
Players: Kristina Stanclik – Rosalind, Tyrone Savage – Orlando, Evelyn Wiseman – Celia, Cameron Johnson – Touchstone, Anthony Reid- Jacques

In A Nutshell: It’s Shakespeare so you know the deal. Kooky cross-dressing, usurping dukes, exile to a forest, euphemistic wordplay galore, tangled love affairs, and a giant wedding finale that’d make Sun Myung Moon proud. Plus, it's outside, so you can pick at grass and listent to the twittering of birds.

One, two – cha cha cha.

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 13:05:06 -0700

Exercise comes in many forms; running, going to the gym, playing soccer or moving apartments. However, some exercise is so damn good that the pleasure shadows the pain, and the 'work' hardly feels like labour. So what magical work out am I referring to? Dancing darling.

The Super Real Life

El Nino — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 14:10:42 -0700

by El Nino
Show: Queen’s Players Toronto Presents: The Super Real Life
Written By: Paul Levia and Michael Payne
Director: CB Morewood
Where: The Tranzac Club, 292 Brunswick Avenue
When: Jun 19-21, 26-28

Players: Ashley Keefer - She-Hulk, Ayla Rosendahl – Claire, Josh Weale – Aquaman, Mark Andrada - Green Arrow, Mark Raheja - Flava Flav, Michael Bodsworth – Robin, Natalie Robitaille - Wonder Woman, Scotty Feynman – Superman, Siobhan O’Neill – Catwoman, Candice Gilliam - Rogue

In A Nutshell: What happens when D list superheroes who never reached superstardom get their shot on Reality TV? The SuperReal Life! The show is an original script that asks just what could happen if Aquaman, Catwoman and She Hulk got together, hook up with Flava Flav, and hi jinx ensues! The winner gets a place on that A List… Or do they?

Titantric: The Shameless Dames Go Down

Lizzie McNeely — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:33:51 -0700

Presented by Shameless Dames Burlesque

In a Nutshell: Pooped from their recent adventure in the boring quadrant of the no fun zone of outer space, the Shameless Dames go on a cruise aboard the virtually unsinkable Titanic. With a vessel full of seamen, crabs at the all you can eat buffet, and hot lesbian action on the itinerary, it’s no wonder that the Shameless Dames ignore both the definition of “virtually” and the doomsday warnings of Catcher in the Rye reading Sassy Sativa.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Lizzie McNeely — Mon, 9 Jun 2008 11:51:23 -0700

Presented by Dash Arts Productions
Review by Lizzie

In a Nutshell: If you took Grade Nine English or have spent some summer nights in High Park you probably know the convoluted plot to this one. The twist here being that all the actors are from India or Sri Lanka, and they leap into speaking Hindi, Tamil, Malyalam, Marathi, Bengali Sanskrit and Sinhala versions of the Bard without notice or surtitle translation.

You’ll Like This Performance If You Liked: The linguistic leaps and lushness of Monsoon Wedding

Indicative Quote: I could have made some feeble phonetic attempt to quote Tamil but decided to spare you my ignorance.

Breakfast

Lizzie McNeely — Tue, 27 May 2008 14:16:09 -0700

Presented by The Theatre Centre and The Independent Aunties

Review by Lizzie

In a Nutshell: Aside from leisurely chocolate pudding breakfasts, Marnie doesn’t have much going for her. Her frumpy turquoise moccasins have seen better days and the neighbours keep bombarding her with their explosive orgasmsic romps. But this morning's going to be different. With the eerily personal guidance of a self-help tape Marnie is ready for change. Beginning with a magical banana and ending with the sauciest of apple scenes, Marnie undergoes a hilarious and inspiring transformation.

You’ll Like This Performance If You: Like kickboxing around the house to the Kill Bill soundtrack or belting along to a drag queen’s campy rendition of Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive. If you loved Muriel of Muriel’s Wedding or Evelyn Couch of Fried Green Tomatoes, Marnie will be very much your taste.