Preview: PROOF

Opening tomorrow is a piece of theatre that I have loved for years now. I am really excited to see what is done with this production. Check it out over the next few weeks!!!

For tickets please click the header!

PROOF revolves around Catherine, a woman torn between genius and madness after the loss of her celebrated father, known for his brilliant mathematical mind. His loss reunites Catherine with her estranged sister Claire, and a former student Hal. Together they are forced to determine the legacy left behind, and what it could mean for their own future.

The original New York production of PROOF won both the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. Members from the prolific Red One Theatre Collective, who have engaged a new generation of audiences in some of the most critically-acclaimed and exciting theatre in recent history, invite you for a fresh and intimate look at this play.

PROOF
By David Auburn
Directed by David Tompa
Featuring Joanne Kelly, John Evans, Dani Kind, Joe Dinicol
Assistant Direction/Stage Management David Christo

The Branding Factory in Toronto
136 Geary Avenue, Unit #215a
(*Audience entrance at all performances will be through side door on Salem Ave)
Previews Nov 29, 30
Dec 1 - 18 | Tue-Sun 8pm
Tickets $20 ($15 Tuesdays & Wednesdays)

Preview: The Nutcracker

COC Ensemble Studio Competition Winner

The Canadian Opera Company held the first ever Ensemble Studio Competition last night, at the Four Seasons Centre. Here are the details from this mornings press release:

MONTREAL’S SASHA DJIHANIAN WINS INAUGURAL COC ENSEMBLE STUDIO COMPETITION

Toronto – Soprano Sasha Djihanian, a native of Montreal, claimed the top prize last night at the inaugural Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio Competition at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, selected from 10 finalists to receive the $5,000 award. Soprano Claire de Sévigné, also from Montreal, won the second prize of $3,000 and tenor Owen McCausland from Saint John, New Brunswick was awarded the third prize of $1,500. In addition, Sudbury soprano Lindsay Barrett was selected by the audience as the winner of the Audience Choice Award, worth $1,500.

The 10 finalists from across Canada were selected from over 160 singers in preliminary auditions in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and New York. Each finalist performed two arias with piano accompaniment in front of a live audience and an adjudicator panel comprised of COC General DirectorAlexander Neef, Music Administrator Sandra Gavinchuk, Head of the Ensemble Studio Liz Upchurch, and guest judges Opera Canada editor Wayne Gooding, and Canadian soprano, voice teacher, and Ensemble Studio alumna Wendy Nielsen.

“The audience at last night’s competition was treated to an exclusive preview of the exceptionally bright future of Canadian operatic talent,” says COC General Director Alexander Neef. “All of the finalists tonight demonstrated remarkable skill, and the prize winners impressed the judges and tonight’s audience with their technique and rich tone, as well their intelligent and emotional delivery. Following all of these young artists’ careers is going to be a pleasure for me personally and for our audiences as well.”

In addition to the four cash prizes, the finalists were competing for highly coveted positions in the2012/2013 COC Ensemble Studio, Canada’s premier training program for young opera professionals. The competition marked the first time in COC history that the final auditions for the Ensemble Studio were held in front of a public audience. Taking into account the performances at last night’s Ensemble Studio Competition, COC artistic staff will now finalize the lineup of the 12/13 Ensemble Studio. The full lineup will be announced in the new year. The 12/13 Ensemble Studio members will be joining an illustrious program that, since its inception in 1980, has launched the careers of over 150 Canadian singers, opera coaches, stage directors and conductors, including Ben Heppner, Isabel Bayrakdarian, John Fanning, David Pomeroy, Joseph Kaiser, Lauren Segal and Krisztina Szabó.

Click the header for more details about the event.


Check out the photos from the night here.

Preview: Dying City

This looks incredibly good! Strong director, strong cast, fantastic venue.
Check out this piece in the west end at the Toronto Free Gallery on Bloor Street!

Show Description:

A year after her husband’s death in Iraq, Kelly, a young therapist, confronts his identical twin brother, Peter, who shows up at her apartment unannounced.

Written to honour the walking wounded following the war brought on by 9/11, Christopher Shinn’s Dying City returns to Toronto under the direction of Dora-nominated director, Peter Pasyk.

“This play is about the difficulties of dealing with a traumatic experience and wanting to do so in your own time,” said Pasyk. “In its opening you quickly learn that Peter is an unwelcomed guest and we wanted to translate Kelly’s feeling of discomfort to the audience by placing them remarkably close to a conversation they would avoid being a part of in every day life.”

For tickets or more info please click the header!

DYING CITY
Written by Christopher Shinn
Directed by Peter Pasyk
Starring Lesley Faulkner & Sergio Di Zio
Runs through to December 10th
Tuesday-Saturday 8pm | Sunday 2pm (PWYC)
Toronto Free Gallery, 1277 Bloor St. W. Lansdowne Station
Tickets: $20 (November 25 – December 4) | $25 (December 6-10)

Preview: REASONS TO BE PRETTY

It brings me an enormous amount of joy to announce that the premiere production from the brand new theatre company Rogue Theatre Co-op is landing this coming week in Toronto!!! The company, which is a collection of local artists - spearheaded by Diana Bentley and Brooke Morgan, has choses Neil LaBute's Reasons to be Pretty as their inaugural piece.

Show Description:

The plot centers on four young working class friends and lovers who become increasingly dissatisfied with their dead-end lives and each other. Following The Shape of Things and Fat Pig, it is the final installment of a trilogy that focuses on modern day obsession with physical appearance.

ROGUE THEATRE CO-OP PRESENTS
Neil LaBute's
REASONS TO BE PRETTY
at N/A Collective (1585 Dundas Street West- behind the Lula Lounge)

Directed by Steven McCarthy
Starring:
Brooke Morgan
Diana Bentley
Mike Majeski
Tim Walker

lighting design Melissa Joakim
Sound design: Gordon Hyland
Production Manager: Suzie Balogh

Opens November 29th and Runs 'til Dec 4th.
Shows nightly at 8pm, Sat and Sun. Matinees at 2pm
Tickets $20

This is a limited engagement! 8 SHOWS ONLY! Get tickets NOW online by clicking the header!!!

Preview: RED

There is a VERY exciting opening happening this evening and EAP is extremely excited to be apart of it!!! The Tony Award winning play RED is opening tonight! Another really strong and fascinating choice from the Canadian Stage Company.

Show Description:

RED is about Mark Rothko, the American abstract painter who, along with the equally eccentric Jackson Pollock, managed to shift the art world's centre from Paris to New York in the 1940s and 50s.

Alas, such astounding success always comes with its price, and RED is a brilliant examination of an artist torn apart by the outside forces of fame and commercialism - and the inside ones of ego and despair.

Along with the fast-moving story and fascinating depiction of an artist at work, you'll be caught up in Red's passionate exploration of ideas, art and relevance.

This is the Canadian premiere of RED, which swept last year's Tony Awards, and is sure to be one of Toronto's hottest tickets in 2011.

For tickets or more info please click the header!

RED
On now until Dec 17, 2011
Bluma Appel Theatre
WRITTEN BY
John Logan
DIRECTED BY
Kim Collier
COMPOSED BY
Andy Creeggan

Preview: HALLAJ

Opening this past week at Buddies is the fascinating little piece, Hallaj. It is arriving at Buddies from the company that is said to be; "One of the most important theatre companies in the country right now, presenting the best of a new, intercultural Canada to the country and the world" (Canadian Theatre Review).

Show Description:

Hallaj tells the story of the legendary 10th century Sufi mystic, Mansur e-Hallaj, whose poetry and teachings inspired the love of his people and the wrath of the religious orthodoxy. In the current age of political and social upheaval in the Middle East, Hallaj offers a powerful message of compassion from a culture so often perceived as "other". Hallaj marks Modern Times Stage Company's return to Buddies for the first time since their stunning production of Macbeth in 1995.

Show Times: Tuesday-Saturday 8:00pm, Sunday 2:30pm. For tickets or for more info please click the header!

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre proudly welcomes
a Modern Times Stage Company production
HALLAJ
By Peter Farbridge and Soheil Parsa
Directed by Soheil Parsa
Featuring Stewart Arnott, Steven Bush, Peter Farbridge, Carlos González-Vio, John Ng, Beatriz Pizano, Costa Tovarnisky and Bahareh Yaraghi
On stage until December 4th

Preview: Enter The Shadow and Klorofyl

If you are a fan of hip hop or street style dancing, then you have three chances this week to see the Harbourfront Centre's and NextStage 11/12's presentation of, Enter the Shadow. This three day festival of urban dance combines hip hop, theatre, traditional dance, and so much more. The show is a dynamic journey through the creative world of b-boy dance culture. The show runs at the Enware Theatre from Thursday November 24th till Sunday November 27th. The show is part of the Fresh Ground new works program, and was created by the youth-led organisation Break it Down.

Fans of dance can also get their fill at the Fleck Theatre this weekend, when Klorofyl opens. Based on the classic film Seven Samurai, Klorofyl follows the re-birth of seven warriors, who when reunited aspire to greatness. Klorofyl was developed by the Toronto-based dance company Gadfly. Gadfly is a dance company that focuses of studying and creating movement that is at the junction between urban and traditional styles of dance. Klorofyl runs at the Fleck Thursday the 24 to Sunday the 27th.

You can get a special rate for a package of tickets to both shows, of 45$ per person. Both of these shows sound great, but if you need some extra convincing here is the teaser from Klorofyl.

Preview: Mary Poppins

Opening to strong reviews from both the critics and theatre go-ers is the adorable Mary Poppins. Tickets are pricey and there is no rush system applying to this tour, however, we have heard that it is well worth the price!

Show Description:

Mary Poppins marks the first collaboration between Disney, producer of the acclaimed The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, and Cameron Mackintosh, legendary producer of the record-breaking The Phantom of the Opera, Cats and Les Misérables. The result is a new musical so extraordinarily enchanting you’ll have just one word for it: “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!”

Since the curtain first rose on Mary Poppins, critics and audiences alike have been raving. This effervescent hit has astonished over six and a half million people worldwide with its pure Broadway magic. With four productions currently running on three continents, Mary Poppins is one of the biggest stage musical successes in recent years. This consummate production features the irresistible story and unforgettable songs from one of the most popular Disney films of all time, plus brand, new breathtaking dance numbers and astonishing stage-craft to make it everything you could ever want in a hit Broadway show.

Now on stage to Jan 8 at the Princess of Wales Theatre: 300 King Street West Toronto!

For tickets or for more info please click the header!

Preview: The Addams Family

Reviews are coming in from last night's opening of The Addams Family, and they are surprisingly good. Richard Ouzounian, at The Star has seen The Addams Family a few times and has never had great things to say about the show. But," as he put it, "...it’s actually a joy to eat those words now in light of the warm-hearted (if cold-blooded) fun that’s up there on the stage to enjoy."

The Addams Family, is part of Dancap's subscription season. The two week run, on now until November 27th, is at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. There are still tickets available for the brief run. Richard also mentions the show's rough start with Broadway audiences and critics, making the current touring productions success all the sweeter. Be sure to check out this family friendly musical before it is gone!

Click the header for ticket information.

Image courtesy of The Star. You can read Richard's review here.

Head to Tarragon for Play Reading Week

All this week at Tarragon Theatre are free readings, as part of the annual Play Reading Week. Readings are upstairs at 8pm nightly, except Sunday's reading which will take place at 2:30pm.

Tonight - Everyday Neurotics by Haley McGee. We first heard about Haley when she was reviewed here, for her play Oh My Irma. Tonight she is reading from her newest work. Should be fun! And did we mention it's FREE.

The line-up for the week can be found here. Or by clicking the header.

Preview: Ride the Cyclone

Justin and I saw Ride the Cyclone at last year SummerWorks, and we are both glad to see the show return to Toronto at Theatre Passe Muraille. The show opened late last week and runs until December 2nd. If you haven't seen Atomic Vaudeville's Ride the Cyclone yet be sure to click the header for ticket information.

Ride the Cyclone is one of the most memorable Canadian musical creations we've seen. There is some great musical moments. As well as an inventive and unique story that grabs the audience and carries them, quite literally, away for a ride.

Preview: The Children's Republic

Opening this week at Tarragon is another piece from the scorching hot young Canadian Playwright Hanna Moscovitch. We are looking forward to seeing what Ms. Moscovitch delivers here.

Show Description:

Dr. Janusz Korczak, revolutionary champion of children and signatory to the League of Nations' Declaration of the Rights of the Child, meets his match in a defiant boy named Israel. When war threatens the children in Korczak's Warsaw orphanage, it is Israel who comes to the rescue. In the face of looming catastrophe, Israel gives his teacher the greatest gift of all: courage.

Hannah Moscovitch is currently playwright-in-residence at Tarragon. She is considered one of the strongest young voices in the country and was nominated for the prestigious international Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. Her works include East of Berlin, Essay and The Russian Play.

For tickets or for more information please click the header!

The Children's Republic
By Hannah Moscovitch
Directed by Alisa Palmer
Starring Peter Hutt, Mark Correia, Elliot Larson, Kelli Fox, Amy Rutherford, Katie Frances Cohen, Emma Burke-Kleinman
A CO-PRODUCTION WITH
HAROLD GREEN JEWISH THEATRE COMPANY
November 8–December 18
30 Bridgman Avenue

Preview: IMPRINTS

Opening this evening in the Factory Studio Theatre is Theatre Garantua's World Premiere of IMPRINTS!

Inspired by current theories of genetic memory – and taking them further in a fascinating mix of science and fantasy – playwright Michael Spence explores the ghosts of our ancestral past by imagining them as existing within our genes. IMPRINTS speculates about the thousands and thousands of intimate strangers that make up our lineage and how their experiences are manifested in our instincts, fears and dreams.

Lily is haunted. Her body is overrun with ghosts. They surreptitiously influence all aspects of her life. She does not even know they are there, until she meets them face-to-face.

IMPRINTS tells the fantastical tale of Lily, a woman haunted by the ghosts of her ancestors. While undergoing an experimental procedure for an incurable disease, she is inadvertently transported down a very peculiar rabbit-hole. There she encounters the ghosts of her genealogical past - and discovers alarming keys to her present.

For tickets and for more info please click the header!!!

Theatre Gargantua
in association with Factory Theatre presents the WORLD PREMIERE of
IMPRINTS
A new play by Michael Spence
Directed by Jacquie P.A. Thomas
The acting ensemble for IMPRINTS features Stephanie Belding, Cosette Derome, Conor Green, Ron Kennell, Kat Sandler and Michael Spence
Opens November 11 and runs to November 26, 2011
Factory Studio Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street

Preview: Romeo and Juliet

Opening November 16th, for a very special world premiere performance, and running until November 27th is Romeo and Juliet. This iconic ballet has been part of the National Ballet Company since 1964. But this year the company will present a new version choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky.

Romeo and Juliet is much beloved by Ballet fans for Its powerful score by, Sergei Prokofiev, and traditionally romantic and beautiful choreography. It will be a thrill for both ballet fans and novices to see this new production.

And don't forget, young people can get day of, rush ticket pricing by going to the box office at the Four Seasons Centre. Click the header for general ticket information. See you at the ballet!

*Image courtesy of the National Ballet. Dancers featured are Elena Lobsanova and Guillaume Coté. The photo is by Christopher Wahl.

Preview: The Sankofa Trilogy

Opening to VERY strong reviews at Tarragon in the Extra Space is The Sankofa Trilogy. The sankofa trilogy features three extraordinary stories of three powerful women—Mugdu Sankofa, her daughter Sekesu and her granddaughter Benu—and their resolute belief in blood and truth. One of North America's most celebrated storytellers, d’bi.young anitafrika is an award-winning afrikan-jamaican-canadian playwright, actor, educator and dub poet. d’bi.young weaves together pieces of her own life with the herstory and mythology of her Jamaican heritage. The performer describes her work as biomyth monodrama, where the term biomyth represents biography—pertaining to the accounting of one’s own lived experience—and mythology pertaining to the poetic reinterpretation of a lived experience, as well as the use of orature, folklore, myth and magic in the process of reinterpretation. “Biomyth is the poetic space between what we interpret as real and what we deem make-believe. It is magic making!” says d’bi.young.

d’bi.young will host an informal question and answer period after each of her performances.

the sankofa trilogy
written and performed by d'bi.young anitafrika

featuring word!sound!powah!
in repertory with blood.claat, and benu
TRILOGY PREMIERE
On until December 4th
For tickets or for more info please click the header!

Preview: Love Lies Bleeding

Coming to the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, for six performances only is, Alberta Ballet's Love Lies Bleeding. The critically acclaimed new ballet features the music of Elton John. For the past few seasons we have been intrigued by the ballet headlines coming out of Calgary, so it is very exciting that Love Lies Bleeding is coming to Toronto. Over the past few years the creative team at Alberta Ballet have produced several works with contemporary composers including Joni Mitchell, Sarah McLachlan and of course Elton John.

I for one would not want to miss this show. Our spies in Calgary said it was their favourite of the last few years. Click the header for ticket information

Love Lies Bleeding runs November 8-12.

Preview: The Test

The Test has just opened at the Berkeley Street Theatre. The piece is said to be challenging, witty and quite dark. We are excited to check it out this week!

Show Description:

The Test is a dark comedy by rising Swiss playwright Lukas Bärfuss, in a production starring Canadian Stage favourite Eric Peterson.

The "test" of the title is a paternity test – one that Peter Korach undergoes to find out if his son is really biologically his. Having opted to build happiness in his private life (rather than politics, as did his father before him), Korach finds the test results shattering.

Bärfuss's witty exploration of what the paternity test means for today's family - and, on a deeper level, what happens when we allow science to act as our only barometer of truth – will have you on the edge of your seat, and thinking deeply about the ties that bind us to those we love.

THE TEST

WRITTEN BY: Lukas Bärfuss
DIRECTED BY: Jason Byrne
TRANSLATED BY: Birgit Schreyer Duarte
STARING: Eric Peterson, Sonja Smits, Gord Rand, Liisa Repo-Martell and Philip Riccio

October 31st-November 26th 2011
Berkeley Street Theatre
Toronto, Ontario

For Tickets call Box office 416-368-3110 or please click the header!

Canadians in Mary Poppins

A nice little piece from thestar.com and toronto.com on some of our Canadian talent in the upcoming premiere of Mary Poppins.

Check it out below or click the header!

Canadians in Mary Poppins. - Opinion, Columns, Arts... - Toronto.com

Preview: DITCH

Geoff Kavanagh's, Chalmers Award winning play, DITCH returns to Toronto this month with a run at Theatre Passe Muraille. The show is presented by Sometimes Y Theatre. This marks the first time DITCH has appeared in Toronto since 1994.

A fictional account of Sir John Franklin's Arctic exploration in 1845, DITCH focuses on two members of the crew who were left for dead by their shipmates. Whitebread and Hennessey are suffering from pneumonia and a broken foot respectively, with death a certainty they sustain themselves with courage, humour and fantasy.

DITCH opens in preview November 2nd and runs Tuesday - Saturday until November 20th.

Click the header for ticket information

Preview: The Rez Sisters

Factory Theatre presents an all new production of The Rez Sisters, opening this week. The story of seven women who dream of winning The Biggest Bingo in the World is shocking and hilarious. Together they raise money to travel to Toronto, and risk it all for a chance to change their lives. Artistic Director Ken Gass takes the helm of this newest production with a great cast.

It has been 25 years since writer Tomson Highway's The Rez Sisters was performed at Factory. The original production was nominated for both Chalmers and Govern General's Awards, and won the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Play. The show premiered as a production by Native Earth Performing Arts on November 26, 1986, and was part of Factory's season the following year.

The cast for this production includes:

Cara Gee

Kyra Harper

Djennie Laguerre

Jani Lauzon

Billy Merasty

Pamela Sinha

Michaela Washburn and

Jean Yoon

The Rez Sisters begins previews November 5th and runs on various dates through December 11. Click the header for show times, dates and pricing. There are RUSH tickets available, as well as student and senior discounts. Call the box office at 416.504.9971 for more information.