Luminato Announces 2013 Premiere Series

Press Release:

The Mark Morris Dance Group,

the classic Chinese tale Feng Yi Ting directed by Atom Egoyan

and an all-star birthday celebration for the legendary Joni Mitchell

PREMIERE SERIES TICKETS ON SALE MARCH 20!

Luminato today announced three extraordinary offerings of theatre, music and dance – two Canadian premieres and a world premiere – as part of the 7th Annual Luminato Festival running June 14 – 23, 2013. Packaged together as the Premiere Series, tickets go on sale March 20.

Three spectacular events, the series includes: the Canadian premiere of the MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP’S L’ALLEGRO, IL PENSEROSO ED IL MODERATO; the Canadian premiere of the classic Chinese tale FENG YI TING, an opera directed by ATOM EGOYAN; and JONI: A PORTRAIT IN SONG - A BIRTHDAY HAPPENING LIVE AT MASSEY HALL, an all-star birthday celebration for the legendary JONI MITCHELL. 

L’ALLEGRO, IL PENSEROSO ED IL MODERATO

MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP

Canadian Premiere, presented at the Sony Centre

Featuring the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir 

The Mark Morris Dance Group, one the most revered and highly celebrated modern dance companies in the world, will present Mark Morris’ “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato” -- based on poems by Milton and paintings by Blake, and widely considered one of the great dance works of the twentieth century. New York’s Mark Morris Dance Group has earned international acclaim for a wide spectrum of productions in dance and opera. The troupe’s exquisite Handel-oratorio dance “L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato,” first presented in 1988, is considered Morris' masterwork.

“L’Allegro is one of the most important modern dances…performances are by definition a great occasion.”– The Wall Street Journal

FENG YI TING

DIRECTED BY ATOM EGOYAN • starring Sichuan Opera star SHEN TIEMEI

Canadian Premiere, presented at the MacMillan Theatre

Co-produced by Lincoln Center Festival, Spoleto Festival USA and Currents – Art & Music

Sung in Mandarin Chinese with English and Mandarin surtitles

As interpreted by Guo Wenjing, one of China’s most respected contemporary composers who fuses Chinese and Western classical styles, and directed by celebrated film and theatre director Atom Egoyan, “Feng Yi Ting” explores the epic tale of Diao Chan (Shen Tiemei), one of the fabled Four Beauties of ancient China, whose seductive charms ignite an empire-threatening rivalry between ruthless warlord Dong Zhuo and the brave general Lu Bu. With set designs by Tony-winning Derek McLane, lighting by Matt Frey, costumes by Han Feng, projections by Cameron Davis and video by Hong Kong–based visual artist Tsang Kin-wah, “Feng Yi Ting” premiered at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina and played New York’s Lincoln Center Festival to rave reviews this past summer.

“A brilliant morsel of theatrical art, flamboyantly conceived and compellingly staged.” – The New York Times 

JONI: A PORTRAIT IN SONG - A BIRTHDAY HAPPENING LIVE AT MASSEY HALL

Two Nights Only!

From “Both Sides Now” and “Blue” to “Court and Spark” and "Coyote," the work of Joni Mitchell continues to inspire and delight generations of listeners. Joni remains one of the world’s most embraced, lauded, and prolific singer-songwriters and visionary artists. When eight-time Grammy winner Joni Mitchell was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, the Grammys called Joni’s music “a powerful influence on all artists who embrace diversity, imagination, and integrity.” To celebrate both her artistry and upcoming 70th birthday, Luminato brings together an all-star lineup of musicians and vocalists interpreting the songs of this brilliantly original artist. Confirmed performers include: Grammy, Tony and Academy Award-winner Glen Hansard (Once); acclaimed singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright; and jazz guitarist Bill Frisell. The complete line-up to be announced. Musical direction and arrangements provided by drummer/bandleader Brian Blade along with pianist/composer Jon Cowherd. Band to include musicians Brian Blade, Melvin Butler, Jon Cowherd, Bill Frisell, Jeff Haynes, Mark Isham, Chris Thomas and Marvin Sewell. Produced by New York-based live music producer Danny Kapilian.

“She is in possession of one of the most extraordinary song catalogs of the past half-century.” — The New York Times 

The 2013 Luminato Premiere Series:

Mark Morris Dance Group • L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato

The Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front Street East

June 21 – 23, 2013 – Three Performances Only!

Friday and Saturday @ 7:30PM • Sunday @ 3PM

Presented by TELUS

Major Media Partner: Toronto Star

Feng Yi Ting 

Directed by Atom Egoyan

MacMillan Theatre, 80 Queens Park

June 20 - June 22, 2013 – Three Performances Only!

Thursday – Saturday @ 8:00 PM

Joni: A Portrait in Song - A Birthday Happening Live at Massey Hall

Massey Hall, 178 Victoria Street

June 18 and June 19, 2013 – Two Performances Only!

Tuesday and Wednesday @ 7:30PM

Presented by Sun Life Financial

With support from Slaight Music

The 2013 Premiere Series packages range from $154.50 to $349.50 (inclusive of HST and facility fee; plus applicable service charges) for three evenings of theatre, music and dance.

Advance Premiere Series Purchasing Opportunity

Monday, March 18, 2013, 12noon

Visa Infinite® cardholders and E-Newsletter Subscribers: Online at visainfinite.ca or 

by phone at 416-368-4TIX(4849)

Official Premiere Series Public On Sale

Wednesday, March 20, 2013, 12noon

Online at luminato.com or by phone at 416-368-4TIX(4849)

Single tickets will be available beginning April 20, 2013, 12noon.

For more information, visit www.luminato.com

Preview: pomme is french for apple

Our favourite show of 2012 and one of our favourite shows ever produced is back and opening this weekend at the Young Centre. In the dead of winter we need this incredibly charming and delicious piece of theatre to inspire some warmth and deep belly laughs. YOU MUST check this out!

Show Description:

First workshopped at the Young Centre before winning Patrons' Pick and Best of Fringe at the 2012 Toronto Fringe Festival, pomme is french for apple is a fresh, funny, and irreverent look at womanhood in all its glory: its perils, its pleasures and all kinds of madness in between. Comprised of a fast-paced series of vignettes, the show is a vaudevillian and distinctly West Indian exploration of the absurdity of women’s lives in settings as diverse as the islands, downtown Toronto and southeast London. pomme is french for apple is created and performed by Liza Paul and Bahia Watson, recipients of the 2012 RBC Footprint Award, presented by Obsidian Theatre, for their contribution to the arts. Mature content.

pomme is french for apple 
Featuring Liza Paul and Bahia Watson
Tickets: $15 - 30
For tickets please CLICK HERE!

Young Centre for the Performing Arts
50 Tank House Lane
Distillery Historic District
Toronto, ON M5A 3C4

The 34th Rhubarb Festival is on....

For two weeks, over 100 local and international artists transform Buddies in Bad Times Theatre into a hotbed of creativity and experimentation, sharing new ideas in contemporary theatre, performance art, dance, and music with adventure-loving audiences. This year's Festival Director Laura Nanni brings you some great entertainment and thought provoking theatre. Here are a few stills from some of the highlighted shows this year.  

Fay Slift and the Three Bears
 Ladybear Extraordinaire Fay Slift stars as Goldilocks in a high-drag, choose-your-own-adventure take on this familiar fairy tale.

created and performed by Trixie & Beever with John Paul Kane and Kaleb Robertson | directed by Lindsay Barton | choreographer / outside eye Kitty Neptune | costume design Atom Cianfarani | make up design and photography David Hawe | set and prop design Nina Bunjevac.

 And Dirty Plotz  a one-night only event TONIGHT.  An ensemble of female performers take on the historical exclusion and erasure of women in art and social justice movements.

curated and hosted by Alex Tigchelaar | featuring Jess Dobkin, Christine Pountney, Keisha Scott, Laura Kane, Hoa Nguyen and Zoe Whittall | choreography by Cat Nimmo

 

 Also, Graceful Rebellions is on this weekend.
 Meet Laily, Wazma, and Zenat. Each have a story to tell. Each suffer for joys divine and destructive and all have much to lose. Can an Afghan woman gain power under the rule of man?

written and performed by Shaista Latif | directed by Evalyn Parry | YCU Director Evalyn Parry
image by Kai Wa Yapp

You should also check out All The Ladies. This visceral dance performance builds and deconstructs ideas of femininity inside the frame of an all-female fight club.

choreography by Sasha Kleinplatz | interpreters Kelly Keenan, Rosie Cantin and Angie Cheng

Disco Hospital where you can experience a new queer shamanism in this performance ritual that combines therapeutic touch and sonic therapy. Participants are invited to bring an offering in exchange for this experience. Disco Hospital  is part of the one-to-one series which are held off-site at 519.

artist and clinical sonician Andrew Zealley.

These are just a few of the shows and events going on at Buddies over the next two weeks.  Be sure to check out the whole first week schedule here, and next week's schedule here.  Rhubarb is not like other festivals. There are plenty of different ways to see performances, you rarely see only one show, you’re travelling from place to place, and you often end up seeing something you never expected. Here’s a handy cheat sheet to help you decide what you want to see, and explain how you go about seeing it – all of the headings refer to the colour-coded bars you see in the show descriptions

Week One & Week Two Programs. These 12 shows run for an entire week, Wednesday to Sunday evenings, in one of the two performance spaces at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. At any given point, there are shows happening in both spaces, so when you arrive at the theatre pick the show you want to see first, and 30 minutes later when it’s done you can either stay where you are or move to the other space for your next performance. A $20 Evening Pass gets you in to the entire night of programming.

Special Presentations. These shows are special events that happen after the regular program for one or two nights only. Admission to Special Presentations is included in your Evening Pass.

Mobile Works. These are special performances designed for public spaces, and happen in various locations around the city. The location of each performance is included in its show listing above, and some of them either travel or take place outside so remember to bundle up. All Mobile Works presentations are free.

The One-To-One Performance Series. These are intimate performance designed for a single performer and one audience member at a time  – they all take place offsite at The 519 Church Street Community Centre. When booking your ticket, think of it like making an appointment: you can call ahead to our box office to schedule your personal time with an artist, or you can drop in to The 519 and see what’s available (a certain number of tickets for every performance will be held for drop-ins). Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can.

Young Creators Unit. These are 30 minute solo performances from four emerging voices that have been mentored through our Queer youth Arts Program. Performances take place every Saturday and Sunday beginning at 6PM. Each weekend features two different artists and your ticket gets you in to both performances. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can.

Finally, a special note. The Faroe Islands will also be taking place offsite at The 519. While not a One-To-One performance, it is staged in an intimate environment for 10-15 people per show. Tickets to this Special Presentation are Pay-What-You-Can.

Preview: Jackie and Jack

Opening this weekend is the exciting new piece from writer Jim Christy, called Jackie and Jack. Please check out the preview below and for tickets please click here!

Show Description:

The Theatre Lab and Back Burner Productions are proud to present our upcoming collaborative production Jackie and Jack premiering at Unit 102 Studio Theatre, Friday February 22, 2013.

Written by the legendary Canadian polymath Jim Christy, Jackie and Jack is a ‘What If’ play that follows the meeting of two of North Americas’ most tragic figures. Jack Kerouac and Jackie Kennedy. The play is an examination of an encounter the two may have had on a beach in Hyanis, Northport - 1959, at a period of time when both of their lives are changing irrevocably.

Originally presented in workshop for the public in the spring of 2011 by director Guy Doucette (The Nightwood, Little War) of Back Burner Productions the play is returning to the stage with the collaboration of producer Michael Orlando (Theatre Lab, Collective Studio). Also returning to the stage to reprise her role as Jackie Kennedy, is actor Roselie Williamson (Into, Canadian Stage) and Katrina Carey as ‘Little Eddie’ (Little War, Back Burner Productions). New to the production is actor Jack Clift (Two Gentlemen of Verona, Rose Theatre) taking on the role of the King of the Beats, Jack Kerouac.


Jackie and Jack
Written by Jim Christy
directed by Guy Doucette
featuring Roselie Williamson | Jack Clift | Katrina Carey
produced by Michael Orlando

February 22nd to March 2nd
Unit 102 Theatre | 376 Dufferin Street (just south of Queen St. W)

Performances:
February 22nd | 8pm
February 23rd | 8pm
February 24th | 2pm PWYC & 8pm
February 26th | 8pm
February 27th | 8pm
February 28th | 8pm
March 1st | 8pm
March 2nd | 8pm

Tickets: $15 advance | $20 at-the-door | Sunday Matinee PWYC

Preview: Another Thousand Mountains

Opening tomorrow for a short but sweet run at The Music Gallery is a collection of dance pieces from Barbara Lindenberg. The collection under the name, Another Thousand Mountains will be a fascinating experience in the art of movement and expression.

Show Description:

Bodies and voices moving, the dances allow for the eternal letting go of the moment. Wild and loving, friendly and unusual, this performance is about bodies, details, perseverance, transformation, emotions and connection. Moves, colours, vibrations. 2 performances only.

For tickets please CLICK HERE!

Preview: Dachshund UN

Dachshund UN, the live performance installation from Australian artist Bennett Miller, will be taking over the Enwave Theatre Feb. 28 – March 3, 2013. Seeman’s best friend hold a mirror up to the global community, offering a spirited critique of one of its most ambitious social institutions, the United Nations.

Dachshund UN is one of eleven groundbreaking international contemporary performance works in the World Stage 2013 season. This performance installation, which is proudly sponsored by PawsWay restages the UN Commission on Human Rights with the help of a life-sized model of the UN office in Geneva. Featuring dozens of specially recruited dachshunds from over 24 cities across Ontario, Quebec and New York, the show will demonstrate how world leaders play ball when stakes are high.

World Stage Artistic Director Tina Rasmussen comments: "It's a rare thing, a total cast of over 100 humans and 100 animals. This is work that redefines and repositions live action, inside of the theatre, but outside of its purview. The North American premiere of Dachshund UN is truly a maverick production where spectacle and ontology will collide. I'm excited and I might even adopt a Dachshund in the process."

Unique among breeds for their racial diversity, dachshund ambassadors underscore the trials and achievements of the international community by striving for unity and justice in a dog-eat-dog world. During the hour-long performance, opinions will be shared, fetching ideas communicated and strategic plans unleashed in a summit of delightful chaos and pert insight.


Dates / Times / Location

Duration: 50 minutes

Enwave Theatre – 231 Queens Quay West located between Queens Quay Terminal and York Quay Centre, adjacent to The Power Plant

Thu, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.
Fri, March 1 at 7 p.m.
Sat, March 2 at 2 p.m.
Sun, March 3 at 2 p.m.

Admission is free on a first-come first-served basis.

Tarragon Double Bill: Little One & Other People's Children

Opening this week at Tarragon is a double bill of mighty weight from predominant Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch. Hannah Moscovitch is one of the most prolific playwrights of her generation and considered one of the strongest voices in the country. Her Governor General-nominated East of Berlin premiered at Tarragon to great acclaim, and toured successfully for two seasons. This prodigious young talent’s most recent play, The Children’s Republic, premiered at Tarragon in 2011 rave reviews. Here are the two pieces that have just begun previews; check out the previews below and for tickets CLICK HERE: 

Show Descriptions: 

Little One

by Hannah Moscovitch
directed by Natasha Mytnowych

PREMIERE | IN CO-PRODUCTION WITH THEATRE CRISIS

Two adopted siblings grow up together in affluent Ottawa. Claire and Aaron love each other with all their hearts. But for some people, loving and destroying are the same thing. A new production of this stylish thriller, reworked since making a splash at SummerWorks 2011.

                                   

Other People’s Children

by Hannah Moscovitch
directed by Paul Lampert

PREMIERE | IN CO-PRODUCTION WITH THEATRE PANIK

When Ilana returns to work, she and her husband Ben hire a live-in nanny to care for their young daughter. At first, Ilana is touched by how well her daughter takes to Sati, but the strength of their bond quickly becomes alarming.

Preview: [Title of Show] at the Lower Ossington Theatre

Playing for just a few more days is one of our favourite musicals ever conceived! [title of show] is playing at the new hot spot for musical theatre in the city - the fantastic Lower Ossington Theatre. Please check out the details below...

Show Description:

Young talent bring witty musical [title of show] to The Lower Ossington Theatre

Toronto, ON. February – The hilarious Obie Award-winning musical [title of show] comes to The Lower Ossington Theatre starting February 8th, 2013. An intelligent, quirky show described by The New York Times as “a postmodern homage to the grand tradition of backstage musicals,” this show-within-a-show features struggling writers Hunter and Jeff as they face the New York Musical Theatre Festival deadline and decide to take a risk and write an original musical in only three weeks. They quickly find that their conversation about what to write is more engaging than other story ideas. With the help of their friends, singers Heidi and Susan (with Larry on the keys), [title of show] becomes a production about its own creation as a group of friends write a musical about writing a musical for Broadway - starring themselves.

The cast of talented up-and-coming performers includes Forbes MacQuarrie as Hunter, Adam Norrad as his writing partner Jeff, Michelle Nash as Susan, and Bianca Heuvelmans as Heidi, with David Ruggiero as the pianist Larry.

Popular for its clever dialogue, for co-producer Adam Norrad (Jeff), it is the music which makes [title of show] such a stand-out. “I love the beautiful harmonies that we get to sing,” he says. “All of the music is very modern and refreshing – it’s the most fun music I have ever sung!”

[title of show] opens at The Lower Ossington Theatre on Friday, February 8, 2013, 8:00pm. Shows run Friday, Saturday and Sunday until February 16th...

8:00PM –Feb. 8, 10, 15 and 16 || 2:00PM – Feb. 9 & 16 || 4:00PM – Feb. 10 & 17

Tickets $49.00 (use code “title50” for 50% off regular ticket price.)

About Lower Ossington Theatre (The LOT): The Lower Ossington Theatre is an arts space located at 100A Ossington Avenue, between Dundas St. and Queen St. West. An integral part of the stylish Ossington Strip, the LOT is a popular destination known for both family shows and hit musicals.

http://www.lowerossingtontheatre.com/ || Lower Ossington Theatre || 100A Ossington Ave. || 416-915-6747

Preview: Clybourne Park

The Pulitzer Prize-winning battle over race and real estate that Toronto critics have called EXPLOSIVE, EXCEPTIONAL, HILARIOUS and BRILLIANT hits the stage TODAY for a limited run at the Panasonic Theatre.

CLYBOURNE PARK
by Bruce Norris
directed by Joel Greenberg

PANASONIC THEATRE

651 Yonge Street, Toronto

February 12 – March 3, 2013
View schedule & pricing info

Photo -  From left, Jeff Lillico, Michael Healey and Maria Ricossa. Photo by Karri North.

Preview: 4.48 Psychosis

Necessary Angel Theatre Company presents 4.48 Psychosis at Berkeley Street Downstairs Theatre

4.48 Psychosis weaves the imaginative with the unimaginable, presenting audiences with a glimpse behind the veil of severe clinical depression. British playwright Sarah Kane’s work (Blasted, Crave) has garnered acclaim for its stark, sometimes disturbing authenticity in its representation of isolation, dependency, relationships, and love. With 4.48 Psychosis, Kane creates a cragged landscape where the reality of depression is laid bare.

It couldn’t possibly be misconstrued as a cry for help…

 "Despite the fact that Sarah Kane wrote this before killing herself, I don't see the play as a suicide note, quite the opposite, I see it as a life note,” says director Vikki Anderson. “So much of the play is about love and life and how to survive when you can't hold onto either because you are so lost in your own despair. But there is always a reaching out, a striving to live."

Directed by Vikki Anderson, 4.48 Psychosis features Laura Condlin (Elektra, Stratford), Raven Dauda (Intimate Apparel, Obsidian Theatre Company/The Canadian Stage Company) and Bruce Godfree (War Horse, Royal National Theatre of Britain/Mirvish Productions) and with the creative team completed by award-winning designers Bonnie Beecher, John Gzowski and Yannik Larivee.

As 4.48 Psychosis is free-form in both treatment and casting, Necessary Angel has taken this opportunity to surround the piece with a number of ancillary events, including

The inaugural incite! Salon, featuring acclaimed conceptual/installation artist, Iris Haussler and DT Max (author, Every Love Story is a Ghost Story)
commissioned works (visual, film, literary and performance) presented in the Canadian Stage lobby
a special tribute to Sarah Kane on February 20th (including a screening of her short film Skin as well as discussion with Vikki Anderson, Brendan Healy and Jennifer Tarver) marking the 14th anniversary Sarah Kane’s death

“We need to continue provoking discourse amongst those who engage with the company: artists and audience alike.  The themes, feelings, emotions Sarah Kane expresses in 4.48 are present everywhere, everyday.  Each day is a struggle,” says Matt White, General Manager. “We cannot shy away or pretend that these feelings of despair do not exist.  What we are hoping to offer is dialogue about how to survive this struggle - to shine a light in this darkness.  To live another day.”  

4.48 Psychosis
Berkeley Street Theatre (Downstairs)
26 Berkeley Street, Toronto
February 11 – 23, 2013 @ 8PM PWYC - $38
416. 368.3110 or online here
www.necessaryangel.com
facebook.com/NecessaryAngel
@necessaryangel

Preview: Bent

 Bent/bent/: adjective. A derogatory term used in some European countries to refer to homosexuals.
 
 Hart House Theatre is proud to present Martin Sherman's ground-breaking play, Bent. This bold, intimate, harrowing and searing look at the forgotten victims of the Nazi regime opens at Hart House Theatre on Friday, March 1, 2013 for a limited two week run.

Bent follows the life of Max, a promiscuous gay man enjoying the decadence of 1930s Berlin. When a one night stand goes terribly wrong, Max finds himself running from the S.S. and eventually imprisoned in the inhumane Dachau Concentration Camp. Told with honesty, tenderness and touches of humour, Bent illuminates the treatment of homosexuals during the Holocaust who were arrested, interned in camps and labeled as deviants with what is now a universal symbol for gay pride - the pink triangle. Nominated for both a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award, this play created awareness at a time when there was little historical knowledge of the treatment of homosexuals in World War II and the history and significance of the pink triangle. To this day, Bent remains one of the finest pieces of theatre about tolerance, the endurance of love and the necessity of human dignity.

Bent

Written by: Martin Sherman
Directed by: Carter West
Set and Lighting Design by: Dominic Manca
Costume Design by: Ming Wong
Sound Design by: Jeremy Hutton
 
March 1 - 9, 2013
at Hart House Theatre (7 Hart House Circle)

Performances:
 Week 1: Friday & Saturday at 8PM
Week 2: Wednesday - Saturday at 8PM + Saturday at 2PM

Ticket Prices:
Adults $25; Student & Seniors $15
$10 Student Tickets every Wednesday
$15 Alumni Tickets every Thursday

Tickets can be purchased at UofTtix Box Office by phone, 416-978-8849, online here or in person.

Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata

Photo: Joanna Akyol

Today we are checking out Do You Want What I have Got? A Craislist Cantata and we are very much looking forward to it. We haven't seen a musical yet this year and this piece is getting stellar reviews so we are confident we are starting our musical theatre previewing off on the right foot!

Please click here for tickets!

Preview: Shakespeare's Nigga

We here at EAP attended the opening last night at Passe Muraille of Shakespeare's Nigga. Let's just say we found it to be quite strong. It was deliciously poetic and tragic and full of captivating/shocking moments that we found spellbinding. The acting was SUPERB as well. Check out this piece, especially all you theatre lovers! For tickets please CLICK HERE! For more info scroll below...

Show Description:

Shakespeare: Surely I have lost control; but I did love you Aaron. I created you all, loved you all.

Aaron: Then, why was my tongue tied so tight?

Two iconic black characters in Shakespeare's work are brought to life in this visionary play. The piece takes you on a journey into the hearts and minds of Othello and Titus Andronicus' Aaron as they confront their creator. This play is subversive and poetic. It will dare you to see Shakespeare in a whole new light.

SHAKESPEARE'S NIGGA
On until February 23, 2013

Playing at Theatre Passe Muraille in the Main Space
Produced by Obsidian Theatre in association with Theatre Passe Muraille & 3D Atomic
Written by Joseph Jomo Pierre
Directed by Philip Akin
Starring Sascha Cole, David Collins, John Jarvis, Joseph Pierre and Andre Sils

One Night Only: Angelwalk Presents Villains and Vixens

Angelwalk Theatre is thrilled to present a dangerously fun evening of musical theatre bliss with a special one night only showing of Villains and Vixens. Featuring Jay Davis, Jayme Armstong and Astrid Van Weiren, this journey through the shadier and sensuous side of musical theatre will take place at The Toronto Centre for the Arts in the Studio Theatre on February 20, 2013.

Villains and Vixens unites three of Canada's most exhilarating musical theatre stars, Jay Davis, Jayme Armstrong and Astrid Van Wieren. Playing some of Broadway's most infamous villains that we love to hate and provocative vixens that we dare to love, they will take us on a journey into the darker and sexier side of many of your favourite musical works of the last 100 years. Robert Graham will provide piano accompaniment for this evening of musical ecstasy.

This is a one night only affair so get your tickets early.  For tickets click here.  

Preview: A Night of Shanley

Opening tonight in the west end is a gem of a concept from Half Pint Theatre. Presenting two one act John Patrick Shanley pieces. Check out the preview below and for tickets please scroll to the bottom of the preview and click on the available link!

Show Description:

Toronto, ON – This winter, Half-Pint Theatre presents two of John Patrick Shanley’s earliest works; Welcome to the Moon and Women of Manhattan as well as two of his most celebrated monologues to top off the evening. Brendan Shoreman brings his knowledge and passion of the works of Shanley as he makes his directorial debut leading this all-star cast which includes Half-Pint Theatre’s Founding Members, Esther Vallins (tick,tick…BOOM!, Into The Woods), Lauren Toffan (Cabaret, Misprint: winner of the 2011 Toronto Pick of the Fringe), Alanna Stone (Do You Turn Somersaults, Kiss Me, Kate).

A Night of Shanley features two of his greatest classics, Welcome to the Moon and Women of Manhattan. These two contrasting one-act plays have one thing in common: they are both centered on the complex relationships and love between men and women living in The Bronx and Manhattan. The characters will draw you into their world, revealing to you their deepest insecurities while simultaneously leaving you in stitches. You will see the fab behind the filth and the filth behind the fab.

A Night of Shanley

Directed by Brendan Shoreman

February 6-16, 2013

Venue: Unit 102 Theatre: 376 Dufferin Street

Shows:  Opening February 6-16, 2013  at 8pm and Sunday at 2pm

Tickets: $20, $15 for Arts Workers/Students and Pay What You Can on Sunday & Tuesday

Visit: shanley.brownpapertickets.com to reserve your seat

Exciting Sharron Matthews and Buddies NEWS!!!

PRESS RELEASE c/o BUDDIES:


BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES ANNOUNCES SHARRON MATTHEWS AS CABARET-ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

Residency Sponsor BMO Financial Group

Buddies is thrilled to announce that long-time friend and cabaret sensation Sharron Matthews will join us as the company's first-ever Cabaret Artist in Residence, as part of the Artist Residency Program.

Recognizing that Toronto is a city bursting with cabaret talent but that it lacks development opportunities for these artists, Buddies created this new position to provide comprehensive support to a promising cabaret artist as they create new work. Buddies has long been a home for the city's cabaret performers. The creation of the new position of Cabaret Artist in Residence builds on this proud history and will further establish Toronto as world leader in the form.

Sharron's groundbreaking work in the genre and her longstanding relationship with Buddies promise to make an exciting inaugural year for this position. Her impressive resume includes Global TV’s hit show Canada Sings, a long list of original cabaret performances including Jesus Thinks I’m Funny(named Best of the Fest at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and Sharron Matthews Superstar(named 2010’s #1 Cabaret in New York City by WPAT Radio), and a number of performances here at Buddies.


As part of her residency, Sharron will present a workshop showing of her new work Full Dark on March 4 & 5, 2013. She will also be hosting an open mic/variety evening on May 11 & 12, 2013.


ABOUT THE ARTIST RESIDENCY PROGRAM:


Buddies' Artist Residency Program is a unique program in the country devoted to the nurturing and development of queer voices through the creation of original performance works. Resident artists are offered space and time in the theatre along with dramaturgical, technical, production, and administrative support.

Current Artists in Residence include Birdtown and Swanville, Ecce Homo Theatre, The Gay Heritage Project (Damien Atkins, Paul Dunn, and Andrew Kushnir), George Stamos, Independent Aunties Theatre, and Nina Arsenault. Buddies productions developed in residency include Tawiah M’carthy’s Obaaberima and Ecce Homo’s upcoming Of a Monstrous Child: a gaga musical.

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents
FULL DARK
by Sharron Matthews
a workshop presentation
March 4-5, 2013 at 8PM
Tickets
Box Office 416-975-8555 or buddiesinbadtimes.com
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St, Toronto ON, M4Y 1B4

Urgent: Production Cancelled!

Harbourfront Centre is disappointed to announce the cancellation of the much anticipated World Stage 2013 season opener Othello, c’est qui, scheduled to run Feb. 6-9.

After exhausting all avenues of appeal, lead actor Franck Edmond Yao remains grounded in Abidjan, Ivory Coast as his travel documents were not expedited in time for the production’s opening.

World Stage Artistic Director Tina Rasmussen comments: “This is especially heartbreaking for me because this work was uniquely situated in Black History month along with other Othello works in the city. The themes and ideas around Othello, c’est qui were urgent and timely. My team and I are doing all that we can to ensure that this performance is eventually restaged in Toronto.”

For over 27 years, Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage has welcomed artists, companies, and productions from over 40 countries around the world.  With its rich history of importing international contemporary performance, this unfortunate event is a rare occurrence and Harbourfront Centre extends its deepest apologies to patrons.

All ticket purchasers are advised to call the box office.


Phone: 416-973-4000, press 1
Fax: 416-954-0366
Email: tickets@harbourfrontcentre.com

Call for Submissions: Summerworks Musical Works in Concert

MUSICAL WORKS IN CONCERT DEADLINE

Musical Works in Concert will be going into its 4th season at SummerWorks in 2013.

To date, Musical Works has presented eight original Canadian musical works: Romeo Candido and Carmen DeJesus’ Prison Dancer, Logan Medland’s Joni Loves Mitchell, Bram Gielen’s Biggish Kids, Tom Bellman and Barbara Nichol’s The Sparrow Songs, Sam Sholdice’s Program, Paul Sportelli and Jay Turvey’s Oracle, Scott Christian and Daniel Cummings’ Through The Gates and Barbara Johnston and Anika Johnson’s Blood Ties (pictured).

Performances, this year, will take place on Sunday, August 11th and Monday, August 12th.

Download the application pack by CLICKING HERE.

And submit online as well; MUSICAL WORKS ONLINE

Hard copy submissions must be sent or delivered to the office no later than Friday March 8th, 2013
For contact information click here.

Preview: Do You Want What I Have Got? A CRAIGSLIST CANTATA

Just beginning previews is the new piece, Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata, a new musical song cycle from Acting Up Stage Company and Factory Theatre. Acting Up is the same delicious company that brought us the powerhouse award winning productions; Caroline, Or Change, Parade and The Light in The Piazza. 

Do You Want What I Have Got? looks like a real warming gem here in the dead of winter. For tickets please CLICK HERE. And for more info check out the description and details below...

Show Description: 

Wonder. Whimsy. What if’s.

Having sold-out its extended run at Vancouver’s PuSh Festival in Jan 2012, this original musical by Veda Hille & Bill Richardson sets actual Craigslist postings to music in a 90 minute song-cycle. Both hilarious and surprisingly poignant, Do You Want What I Have Got? explores contemporary humanity through the lens of Craigslist—an online classified site with over 50 million ads posted each month.

Bill Richardson is an award-winning writer and broadcaster with CBC Radio since 1984 and currently host of “Saturday Afternoon at the Opera” and “In Concert.”

Veda Hille has been writing songs, making records, and playing shows all over since 1992. She has released 13 albums, the latest being Young Saint Marie.

Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata

By Veda Hille & Bill Richardson
January 30 – March 3, 2013
Co-produced by Acting Up Stage Company and Factory Theatre
Studio Theatre

Directed by

Amiel Gladstone

Musical Direction by
Veda Hille

Choreographed by
Monica Dottor

Starring
Dmitry Chepovetsky
Bree Greig
Daren A. Herbert
Veda Hille
Selina Martin
Barry Mirochnick