Toronto theatre openings this week

Here is your weekly run down of theatre openings across the GTA.

The Black Rider, The Casting Of The Magic Bullets by Tom Waits, Robert Wilson and William S Burroughs (November Theatre). To impress a girl's father, a man obtains magic bullets from a sinister stranger in this drama. Previews to Oct 14. Opens Oct 15 and runs to Nov 16, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mats Sat-Sun 2:30 pm. $32-$38, previews $19, Fri rush $10. Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman. 416-531-1827, tarragontheatre.com.

Frost/Nixon by Peter Morgan (The Canadian Stage Company). A dubious talk-show host elicits an apology and confession from Richard Nixon. Opens Oct 13 and runs to Nov 8, Mon-Sat 8 pm, mats Wed 1:30 pm, Sat 2 pm. $20-$90. Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front E. 416-368-3110, canstage.com.

Inch Of Your Life: Episode 3 by Massimo Pagliaroli (Good Company Theatre). The episodic stage show about three brothers presents a new instalment. Opens Oct 15 and runs to Nov 1, Wed-Fri 8:30 pm, Sat 9 pm. $15. Bread & Circus, 193½ Baldwin. 416-525-3697.

Scratch by Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman (Factory Theatre). A 15-year-old girl deals with lice and losing her mother to cancer. Touching, poignant and emotional. Opens Oct 9 and runs to Nov 2, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $26-$37, Fri rush $10, Sun pwyc. Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst. 416-504-9971, factorytheatre.ca.

War And Peace by Sergei Prokofiev (Canadian Opera Company). The opera based on Tolstoy's novel is performed in Russian with English surtitles. Opens Oct 10 and runs to Nov 1: Oct 10, 14, 16, 22, 29 and Nov 1 at 7 pm, Oct 19 at 2 pm, Oct 25 at 4:30 pm. $60-$275, youth $30-$95. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen W. 416-363-8231, coc.ca.

Wild Dogs by Helen Humphreys (Nightwood Theatre). A violent incident stuns a group of dog owners. Opens Oct 9 and runs to Nov 8, Mon-Sat 8 pm, mats Wed 1:30 pm, Sat 2 pm. $20-$42, Mon pwyc. Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley. 416-368-3110.

You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown by Clark Gesner, Andrew Lippa and John Howard (Da Capo Productions Young Company). This family musical is based on Charles Schulz's Peanuts comic strip characters. Oct 11-15, Sat and Tue-Wed 7 pm, mat Sat 2 pm. $15, student/seniors $10. Palmerston Library, 560 Palmerston. 647-298-9338, da-capo.ca.

Stage to screen news

News from New York as just a couple of days ago at the Oct. 6 Revival: Broadway's Next Act panel discussion at Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall, as possible film adaptations of the award-winning musicals Spring Awakening and In The Heights were mentioned.

Ana Gasteyer moderated the evening, which featured Spring Awakening composer Duncan Sheik, In the Heights creator-star Lin-Manuel Miranda, Legally Blonde director-choreographer Jerry Mitchell, original Rent star Anthony Rapp and "Hairspray" film director Adam Shankman.

Although both refused to go into much detail regarding the topic, I think we can all agree that this is going to happen. With the right casting and with a director like Baz Luhrmann, Rob Marshall, or Stephen Daldry, we could see some powerful film adaptations of important Broadway shows.

Thirteen - gets lukewarm reception on Broadway

Jason Robert Brown's new musical Thirteen, which EAP blogged about a while back, and which features a cast and orchestra all under the age of eighteen opened on Broadway over the weekend. I have not heard any of the music personally but those who have had only positive things to say, and even Ben Brantley for the New York Times said the score was not the problem. Brantley felt the show was short on originality and reminded him more of High School Musical (ouch) than a challenging narrative about being a young adult. Brantley's review is linked below
http://theater2.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/theater/reviews/06bran.html

King Lear at Hart House

Hart House Theatre's King Lear opens tonight. I am not going because it is my birthday and I have dinner plans but I am hoping to catch it during its run, which I believe is until the eighteenth. I love to support Hart House, because it's my Alma mater, and because I have fond memories of doing shows there. Paul Templin, who runs the theatre is also one of the nicest guys working in the business, in Toronto. Check out King Lear if you have a chance.

Frost/Nixon

I just finished reading Frost/Nixon by Peter Morgan. Such a good play, I really enjoyed it, and it made me wish I had seen it during its Broadway run. It surprises me that it didn't run longer. It officially opened as a limited engagement at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on April 22, 2007 and closed on August 19, 2007, after 137 performances. And I heard recently that Ron Howard is directing a film based on this incredible story. He's not adapting the Morgan script, which is too bad, but understandable. The scope of the play might not translate well on film. I have also heard from some of my Toronto sources that CanStage is planning on staging Frost/Nixon here next season. I am curious to see who's in it, and I will definitely go see it.

For anyone who doesn't know the story of the Frost-Nixon interviews it's a pretty incredible piece of television history. David Frost, British playboy, TV presenter scores the biggest interview, possibly of all times, with Nixon. And he gets the ultimate admission of Nixon's guilt in the Watergate cover-up. It was the first interview Nixon gave after his resignation, and the first time he ever admitted any wrong doing with regards to Watergate. Nixon and his manager Swifty Lazar choose Frost because they were going to make tons of money on the deal, and they figured he wouldn't be hard hitting. I would love to see the original footage, maybe it's on youtube?

Theatre News: New York -Wig Out

Now here is a play that I would like to see. Wig Out, written by Tarell Alvin McCraney opened on Tuesday night at the Vineyard Theatre in New York, the New York Times is reporting. According to the review Wig Out is an epic look at the life of drag queens and the men who love them. I love the Vineyard Theatre, they always take risks and are constantly putting up amazing new shows. [title of show] also had a run at the Vineyard. I hope Wig Out is still running when I get to the city in a few weeks. I really want to see it, because deep down I know I am a drag queen trapped in a woman's body. The Times Review is linked bellow.

http://theater2.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/theater/reviews/01wig.html?ref=theater

Newman's Own

Justin is in New York for a week. I cannot even begin to tell you how jealous I am. He got a rush ticket to see Patti in Gypsy, need I say more. Anyway, that means I have to step it up on the EAP blog. I am sure all of the avid readers will miss Justin's more objective approach, but I am not a journalist and I can only write about what moves me. And today that subject is Paul Newman. Perhaps one of the most gorgeous, talented and endearing public figures of the last half century, Mr. Newman pasted away yesterday evening from a long battle with cancer.



Everyone knows by now of course, but I want to add my voice to the memorial of this charismatic figure in American stage and screen history. I mean Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - hello! Butch Cassidy, Paul Newman is not just a man who will be missed, he is a legend. Plus Paul and Joanne had the ultimate relationship, a love for all time. Newman was a phenomenal actor, advocate, social entrepreneur and overall individual.Paul Newman also graduated from my mother's Alma matter Kenyon College in Ohio. On June 1, 2007, Kenyon College announced that Newman had donated $10 million to the school to establish a scholarship fund as part of the college's current $230 million fund-raising campaign. Newman and Woodward were honorary co-chairs of a previous campaign, just one of the many philanthropic causes Newman devoted himself to.

Also a Canadian side note - it was during the filming of Winnipeg in 1969 that Newman first got his taste for auto racing, something which became a sincere hobby for him, and an odd passion that he and I share. Basically, i am saying that Paul Newman and I should have been lovers, if it wasn't for the age difference and the fact that we never met, we would have been meant to be. Rest in Peace Sir, you will be missed, but not forgotten.