Preview: Ordinary Days

We are super excited for tonight's opening of  Ordinary Days at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.  This is a show that we have been excited about since it came out in 2009 at the Black Box Theatre in New York.  Although the show went on to have a very short run on the Great White Way it has developed a second wind through regional productions.

 Angelwalk Theatre has also made a name for itself here in Toronto by producing: high-caliber, lesser known and new musical theatre, bringing more variety and sophistication to audiences, at their uptown home.  The show, which opens tonight, runs until December 9th, and would make the perfect early gift for the theatre lover in your life.  Click here for ticket information.

When Deb loses her most precious possession – the notes to her graduate thesis – she unwittingly starts a chain of events that turns the ordinary days of four New Yorkers into something extraordinary.  From one of musical theatre's most exciting new composers, ORDINARY DAYS is a funny and refreshing story about four young 20-30 year olds whose lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, love and happiness.


Music and Lyrics by Adam Gwon
Orchestrations by Joseph Aragon
Directed by Kayla Gordon
Music Directed by Paul De Gurse
Choreographed by Brenda Gorlick
Set and Costumes Designed by Scott Penner
Lighting Designed by Siobhán Sleath
Starring…
Justin Bott, Jay Davis, Connie Manfredi, Clara Scott

Co-produced with Winnipeg Studio Theatre.  Don't miss this CANADIAN PREMIERE!

Angelwalk Announces Cast and Creative for Ordinary Days

One show EAP is looking forward to seeing this season is Angelwalk's production of Ordinary Days.  This show got a lot of buzz and even made it to the Great White Way before fizzling out in a disappointing four day run.  However, many who saw the show,during Its New York debut thought it was wonderful, if not a Broadway sensation.  So when Angelwalk's announced that they would be bringing Ordinary Days to Toronto we were intrigued   Yesterday the company announced its cast and creative for the run, which is November 29 - 9th.

As previously announced, the cast will star past Angelwalk Theatre performers Justin Bott, Jay Davis, and Clara Scott, along with newcomer Connie Manfredi, who is making her Toronto and Angelwalk Theatre debut.

Ordinary Days follows four young 20-30 year olds whose lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, love and happiness. When Deb loses her most precious possession - the notes to her graduate thesis - she unwittingly starts a chain of events that turns the ordinary days of four New Yorkers into something extraordinary. Ordinary Days made its world-premiere at the Roundabout Theatre in New York City in 2009 to rave reviews. "Full of idiosyncratic charm" (Time Out New York), Ordinary Days contains an emotionally powerful score with lyrics that are "arrestingly poetic" (LA Times). Remotegoat London gave the show five stars and calls it "one of the best musicals I have seen all year".


Angelwalk Theatre and Winnipeg Studio Theatre are excited to announce that they have commissioned Canadian musical theatre composer, arranger and playwright Joseph Aragon (Theatre20's Bloodless: The Trial of Burke and Hare) to arrange the first-ever orchestrations for Ordinary Days. Canadian audiences will be the first to hear these new arrangements, which will go on to be included in future productions of Ordinary Days.

Angelwalk is making a name for itself in Toronto by bringing new and unseen musical theatre to the Toronto audience.  Their development work on this show helps to push them onto the international stage.  Dora-nominated producers of I Love You Because, Off-Broadway On Stage, [title of show] and Altar Boyz, Angelwalk Theatre, is thrilled to reveal the creative team for its upcoming Canadian premiere of Ordinary Days, being co-produced with Winnipeg Studio Theatre. From exciting new composer Adam Gwon, this honest, touching and funny musical runs at Manitoba Theatre Centre's Tom Hendry Warehouse Theatre from November 21-25, 2012 before opening at the Toronto Centre for the Arts on November 30, 2012 and running until December 9, 2012.

From the release -

Most recently seen in from Justin to Kelly, Justin Bott returns to Angelwalk Theatre after his Dora-nominated performance in [title of show] and his performance in Songs for a New World. Other credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Moonpath), The Wedding Singer and Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat (Stage West), Romeo & Juliet and Macbeth (Classical Theatre Project), and A Midsummer Night's Dream (Citadel Theatre). Jay Davis was recently seen in Queen For A Day: The Musical (Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts), The Last Five Years (Rose Theatre), and Next to Normal (Clearwater Theatre Co.). Jay was a part of Angelwalk Theatre's Dora-nominated production of I Love You Because and also performed in Birdland Theatre's Assassins. Clara Scott appeared in last season's Dora-nominated production of Off-Broadway On Stage. Other credits include Project Actif (Mixed Company), Spring Awakening and Reefer Madness (L.O.T.), Before Breakfast and After the Sun (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Connie Manfredi has appeared in Avenue Q (District Theatre Collective), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Spring Awakening (Winnipeg Studio Theatre), and The Littlewoods (zone 41). Connie is a graduate of the acting program at the University of Winnipeg.

Also previously announced, Ordinary Days will be directed by Kayla Gordon, Winnipeg Studio Theatre's Artistic Director, music directed by Paul De Gurse, and choreographed by Brenda Gorlick. Set and costumes will be designed by Scott Penner with lighting design by Siobhán Sleath.

Subscriptions for Angelwalk Theatre's 2012/2013 two-show subscription season (Ordinary Days & I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change), are now on sale, with Early-Bird prices in effect until October 31st. In addition to the subscription discount, subscribers also save because there are no additional service fees on subscription tickets, and tickets can easily be exchanged for any other performance.


SHOW DETAILS

Runs: November 29 - December 9, 2012
Opening: November 30, 2012
Schedule: Tues-Sat @ 8 p.m.; Sun @ 2 p.m.
Tickets: $35-$45
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online here
by phone at  1-855-985-2787,
and in person at the Toronto Centre for the Arts .

Angelwalk presents DIANNE AND ME

Press Release:

Angelwalk Theatre Presents

DIANNE AND ME

September 4, 2012. Toronto, Ontario... Angelwalk Theatre is thrilled to present award-winning actress Elena Juatco in a special one night only showing of Dianne and Me. Written by Ron Fromstein and directed by Luke Brown, this one woman show will take place at The Toronto Centre for the Arts in the Studio Theatre on September 19, 2012.

Emma is an intuitive teenager with a wild imagination, who has life all figured out. That is until something goes wrong and she is forced to rely on the one person she never thought she would: her mother. A moving portrait of mothers, daughters and the sacrifices they make, Dianne and Me is the winner of the 2009 Canadian National Playwriting Award. The powerful solo show was "a must see" at the 2011 Vancouver Fringe Festival and was described by Plank Magazine as "one of the best examples of a solid performance and story".

Vancouver native, Elena Juatco, is an award-winning actress and singer who made her Angelwalk Theatre debut as Marcy in the Dora Award nominated production of I Love You Because. She got her start on the second season of CTV's Canadian Idol, where she placed sixth and went on to work as their season four roving reporter. She has since been seen as Snow White in Ross Petty's Snow White and the Group of Seven, for which she received a Dora Award nomination. She won the 2010 Jessie Award for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Christine Colgate inDirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Vancouver Playhouse. Other credits include several leading roles across Canada including Viola in Twelfth Night and Helena in All's Well That Ends Well (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival); Marcy Park in The 25th Annual County Spelling Bee (Sudbury Theatre Centre); Gabriella Montez in the Canadian premiere of Disney's High School Musical (Neptune); Kim in Miss Saigon and Philia in A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum (Drayton Entertainment). Most recently, Elena was seen as Maria Elena in the Arts Club's production ofBuddy: The Buddy Holly Story.

Director Luke Brown (Theatre Aquarius' Bittergirl) is the Artistic Associate at Theatre Aquarius. He has overseen the remount of Drayton Entertainment's High School Musical, as well as having worked with Talk is Free Theatre on The Producers in Concert and the workshop of Dear World. Mostrecently, Luke directed the smash-hit Bittergirl for Theatre Aquarius and the world premiere of Blackand Blue for the Hamilton Festival Theatre Company prior to heading to Stage West to work onTuesdays with Morrie starring Jamie Farr. Writer Ron Fromstein is a four-time winner and finalist of the Toronto Fringe 24 Hour Playwriting Competition and three-time winner of the Canadian NationalPlaywriting Competition. His most recent play, One in a Million was part of the 2012 Toronto Fringe Festival.

Dianne and Me is the first in Angelwalk Theatre's new Showcase Series, intended to feature Canadian musical theatre talent in a series of three one-night shows. Up next in the series is from Justin to Kelly featuring Justin Bott (Title of Show, Songs for a New World) and Kelly Holiff (Hairspray, Finding Love in Strange Places) in an intimate and exciting evening of musical bliss on October 3, 2012. The series will wrap up with Villains & Vixens, showcasing the talents of Jayme Armstrong (Angelwalk's Title of Show), Jay Davis (Angelwalk's I Love You Because), Kevin Dennis (Talk Is Free Theatre's Assassins), George Masswohl (Young People's Theatre's Seussical),Adrienne Merrell (Angelwalk's The Last Five Years), and Astrid Van Wieren (Mermaid Parade'sThis Wide Night) in a musical feast of some of Broadway's most infamous Villains and Vixens, performed on February 20, 2013.

Now in its fourth season, Angelwalk Theatre is a not-for-profit professional theatre company dedicated to producing Off-Broadway musical theatre and providing opportunities for both emerging and established Canadian theatre professionals. Founded in 2009, Angelwalk Theatre has quickly established itself as a leader in producing Off-Broadway musical theatre in Toronto, where it presents two shows annually as a resident company in the Studio Theatre at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.

To date, Angelwalk Theatre has produced six Off-Broadway musicals: the world premiere of Off-Broadway On Stage, the Canadian premiere of I Love You Because, the Toronto premieres of  Altar Boyz and [title of show], and two musicals by Jason Robert Brown, The Last Five Years and Songs for a New World. The company has been nominated for 11 Dora Mavor Moore Awards with its production of Altar Boyz being extended and later remounted.

SHOW DETAILS

Date: September 19, 2012 @ 8 p.m.
Tickets:$25
Discounted Tickets:
Angelwalk Subscribers - $20
Artsworkers - $22

Location: Toronto Centre for the Arts - Studio Theatre
5040 Yonge Street
Box Office: By phone: 416-872-1111
Online: www.angelwalk.ca
In person: Box Office, Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge Street
Website: www.angelwalk.ca

What's on This Weekend. (That we'd recommend that is.)

Wondering what to see in the City this weekend?  Well worry not because there are tons of great shows on to see.  If song and dance sounds like a good time then West Side Story is your ticket.  Wednesday night Justin and I went to the opening.  A special evening because this is one of Dancap's final productions, and it's a good one.

Brought up from Broadway, this remount of West Side will impress all audiences, whether you've seen the show and film a hundred times or you've never even heard "I Feel Pretty."  Unlike the original production, the Broadway remount, on now at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, features a delicate re-working of the famous dialogue and music to include a lot more Spanish.  And considering that half the cast is supposed to be Puerto Rican, it's a great development from the original script.  Kudos to director  David Saint, who uses  Tony Award®-winning librettist Arthur Laurents’ Broadway direction for the tour.  West Side Story  purists my not appreciate hearing some of their favourite songs in Spanish, but it is well worth seeing.  If nothing else you'll spend your evening marvelling at the choreography of Jerome Robbins'.

If three hours of love, gangs and ballet aren't your thing, then head on down to the Harbourfront Centre for the final show in their 2012 World Stage series.  The Shipment, which we saw last night, is superb.   Truly.  I was skeptical that a Korean-American could really capture what it means to be black in America,  (who knows how I'd know,) but wow was I wrong.  Young Jean Lee may not be black but boy can she write a riveting show.  

This is experimental theatre at its absolute best.  The Shipment challenges the audience, makes them laugh and delights in a gripping ninety minutes of theatre.  With a hugely talented triple threat cast The Shipment  may be the best show we have seen all spring!  You never know what is coming next. Some of the show's scenes are truly soul touching and haunting.  Be advised The Shipment  is not your grandma's show*.  It is vulgar, confrontational and at times uncomfortable, but what else would you expect from a show about race.  This is definitely one to see.  Don't miss it during it's limited run at the Enwave Theatre.  Click here for more info.  The Shipment runs until May 12th.  

For all you opera lovers out there, tonight is only the second night for the COC's final opera of the 2011/12 season.  And we are hoping they have saved the best for last.  Semele, the sensuous Handel opera is re-imagined in Zhang Huan's astonishing and provocatively playful stage direction. We have been looking forward to this for weeks.  Semele runs until the 26th of May, and their is a special Ensemble Studio presentation of the opera on May 23rd.  (More on that later.) We can't wait.  Click here for tickets, and don't forget the COC has some of the best rush and young people discounts going, so don't miss it!

 So get out there and see some shows already!


*Unless your grandmother is like mine or Justin's.  They'd have loved it!

I Love You Because Debuts in Toronto

Friday night I had the distinct pleasure of seeing a new off-Broadway musical, in Toronto, thanks to Angelwalk Theatre Company’s production of I Love You Because.  A charming piece of theatre with memorable tunes, a sweet story and some good laughs, I Love You Because is another sure hit for the company.  Artistic Director Brian Goldenberg continues to demonstrate a commitment to bringing new musical theatre to the Toronto audience, and we at EAP couldn't be happier. 

A modern day romance inspired by the Jane Austin classic, Pride and Prejuidce, I Love You Because is set in contemporary New York City.  Our hero, Austin, (Jeff Madden) is nursing a broken heart when he falls in love with the flighty photographer Marcy, played to perfection by Elena Juatco.  The pair couldn't be more opposite.  Austin is a romantic, lover of poetry and emotionally open while Marcy is a fly by the seat of her pants artist-type, who's determined to break her bad romantic track record by keeping things casual.  With the help of their friends and siblings the pair eventually discovers their differences make them perfect for one another. 

Before the show I had the chance to chat with cast member Michael De Rose about his experience working on this show, and more generally as an actor in Toronto.  The Woodbridge native is thrilled to be debuting with Angelwalk in I Love You Because.  

We talked about the company’s mandate and track record of quirky off-beat musicals like last year’s [title of show] and Songs for a New World. The tradition continues with I Love You Because.

“I haven’t worked with Angelwalk before,” Michael said, “but I have been watching their work for a number of years... [T]hey have picked such interesting work, and it has been a great experience being on stage in this show.”

 In fact, Michael nor I were familiar with I Love You Because until this production. I was able to previews some of the songs on iTunes, where the off-Broadway cast recording is available.  I had the same reaction as Michael to the catchy tunes and wanted to know more about the show’s writers Joshua Saltzman and Ryan Cunningham.  

The pair were nominated for a Drama Desk  for the off-Broadway production.  And it turns out they are also graduates of the NYU TISCH Graduate Musical Theatre Writing  Program.  The very same program were our friends Julianne Wick Davis and Dan Collins developed Wood.  

All in all I enjoyed the show tremendously.  The cast is very even, and it's the kind of show where all of the six cast members, whether leading lady or supporting character, are clearly having a ball up there.  You surely will too!  

I Love You Because  runs until April 15th.  Shows are Tuesdays - Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm.  There is no performance next Sunday, April 8th, for Easter. Tickets are $35-$45 dollars and $25 for persons under 30 with valid I.D.  Group rates are also available.  For more information please call 416.872.1111.  Or online here.  Be sure and check out this Toronto debut!

Last Chance for American Idiot

This is the final week of American Idiot the Green Day Musical, which is currently on at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.  If you haven't had a chance to get up there to see this show yet, you still have time.  EAP really enjoyed the show and so did Richard and J. Kelly.  This is not one to miss.  Click here to find out about ticket availability.  Do it now, because this show must close January 15th.

Preview: American Idiot

Reviews are in, and American Idiot, the Green Day inspired musical, is a hit!  The Star gave the show four star, and called American Idiot, "the first great musical of the 21st century."  That is some heavy praise.  Justin and I can't wait to see it next week. The show is on now until January 15th, at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.  Dancap Productions is having a fantastic season, with many of their shows receiving critical and audience acclaim.  Lets hope audiences agree on American Idiot.  


Photo courtesy of  Toronto.com, and features, from left, cast members, Scott J. Campbell, Van Hughes, and Jake Epstein.

American Idiot, book by Michael Mayer and Billie Joe Armstrong.
Music by Green Day
Lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong
Directed by Michael Mayer
At the Toronto Centre for the Arts
5040 Yonge Street
Call 416-644-3665 for ticket information.

Preview: Off Broadway On Stage

Angelwalk Theatre presents, Off Broadway On Stage, at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.  This musical revue features selections from Off-Broadway classics like Alter Boyz, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, [title of show], and many more.  Conceived by Angelwalk creative team Brian Goldenberg, with musical arrangement by Anthony Bastianon, Off Broadway On Stage plays December 7-11. For tickets call 647.351.5055 or click here

Check out the cast here!
   647-351-5055       647-351-5055     

Preview: Memphis

Opening this week in Toronto! 

This is one of the most anticipated touring shows coming to Toronto this season. Memphis won four Tony's when it debuted on Broadway, including Best Musical, Best Book, and Best Original Score, for David Bryan (originally of Bon Jovi fame,) and Joe DiPietros' catchy musical. Check out DanCap's promo video for the fantatic show Memphis, which opens in Toronto on Tuesday. 

DANCAP TV

This show has it all, great music and raucous dance numbers. It is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Click here for ticket information.  Memphis  is in town until Dec 24th.  The Christmas Eve show is at 1pm, and might make a great gift this year!

Memphis the Musical

Arriving this week care of Dancap Productions is Memphis!

Full preview to come but please check out this clip from the Tony Awards. Incredible!

For tickets or more info please click the header!!!

Best of Fringe 2011

Well another Fringe Festival has passed. It has overall been a VERY strong year in terms of quality. A collection of some of the very best are showing uptown at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Below is the list of performances and for tickets please click the header!

ELLAmentary
Aug 3,4 & 5
7:00 PM
45min.

Hypnogogic Logic
Jul 20
7:00 PM
60min.

Kim's Convenience
Jul 24, Aug 2 & 5 - 9:00 PM
Jul 26, 27, 29, 30 - 7:00 PM
90min.

Living With Henry
Jul 21, 22, & 23
9:00 PM
90min.

Love Virtually
Jul 22 & Aug 2 - 7:00 PM
Jul 29 - 9:00 PM
80min.

Mickey & Judy
Jul 21
7:00 PM
55 min.

Pitch Blond
Jul 23
7:00 PM
60min.

Remember Maggy?
Jul 27, Aug 3 & 4
9:00 PM
90min.

The Soaps
Jul 20 & 30
9:00 PM
60min.

Tiki Bikini Beach Paradise Party A-Go-Go
Jul 24 - 7:00 PM
Jul 26 - 9:00 PM
60min.

The Travelling Salesman & His Magical Suitcase of Desires!
Jul 29 & 30
4:00 PM
60min.