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!

New York Diary

I've been in NY for the past three weeks on non-theatre related business.  But that has not stopped me from checking out what is happening on the scene.  So Saturday night I went to see famed cabaret singer Cait Doyle in her new show Cait Doyle's Hot Mess in Manhattan. The show is in development and just wrapped up a run at the American Theater of Actors on 54th street.  It is not clear what the next step will be.  Some say franchise others have suggested a tour.  But what is clear is that this talented cast and creative

team made a show that was so worth watching that I saw it twice in one day!  The multi-composer show is the result of two plus years of cabaret and development and while there is more development to come the work has paid off.  At the after party, at Jake's Saloon on 10th ave, I told Cait I was looking forward to playing her in the future.  She said, "believe me nobody is looking forward to that as much as me."

I'd thought to spend Monday night at the D-Lounge with some friends.  But after a raucous weekend in the "city" it was time to get back to work. Thankfully New York Theatre Barn is there every Monday working on their newest project Rocket Science.

And we are looking forward to seeing Hard Times at The Cell when we get back to NYC late next week.  Being here and seeing so much development work is really inspiring, and it's making my non-theatre contract that much more bearable.

PS.  Didn't know about these, so thanks for the heads up guys.  

Theatre 20: Artist Led, story-driven.

Check out this video Theatre 20 published to YouTube yesterday.  It is great to see Canadian grown musical theatre with this kind of star power and panache, back in Toronto.

Preview: Paper Laced with Gold

Harbourfront Centre’s performing arts residency programme, HATCH 2012, continues with Paper Laced With Gold on Saturday, April 28 at 8 pm in the Studio Theatre. Paper Laced Productions, the creative team behind the Rat King Rock Opera, unite in the creation of a new musical. Paper Laced With Gold features writer/co-director Maggie MacDonald and producer/co-director Stephanie Markowitz, with music composed and performed by Stevie Jackson of Belle and Sebastian.

Paper Laced with Gold is a new musical about two of these lost characters, living on the banks of the once thriving St. Lawrence Seaway. For 10 years, Betty has been waiting tables at a truck stop, day-dreaming her life away. One night, Kevin, a young thug with a familiar face, tries to steal her car. While awaiting the police, Kevin recognizes Betty as his old babysitter, and she recognizes him as a frightened, closeted teen. Slowly they reveal their mutual recognition, and Kevin tells the story of what brought him to the truck stop. Paper Laced with Gold is a folk-rock musical that pays tribute to the storytelling style of forgotten dramas of the silver screen, and the golden sound of the AM radio waves that drew Glenn Gould to the North Shore of Lake Superior, in “The Search for Petula Clark.”

Paper Laced Productions is writer/co-director Maggie MacDonald and producer/co-director Stephanie Markowitz. They focus on themes of gender, physical difference, class, and environmental issues, pursuing social justice through art that communicates passionately, and without irony. Their choice to work with artists from a mix of disciplines as performers is one of the ways they achieve a raw and innocent performance style that minimizes the feeling of separation between audience and performer.

Maggie MacDonald is a novelist (Kill the Robot), musician (Betty Burke, The Hidden Cameras, Barcelona Pavilion, Republic of Safety) and environmental campaigner. MacDonald grew up along the banks of the mighty St. Lawrence River, a stone’s throw from the now defunct Domtar paper mill.

Stephanie Markowitz is a filmmaker, theatre artist, producer and musician (The Phonemes, Vag Halen). She recently produced a series of ten short films titled Little Films About Big Moments. Stephanie has produced a number of other short films and is currently developing a film adaptation of Zoe Whittall’s novel Bottle Rocket Hearts.

The original music for the show is performed by Scottish guitarist and songwriter Stevie Jackson, acclaimed Canadian singer-songwriter Lisa Bozikovic (named one of the CBC’s “10 Artists to Watch” in 2010). The show features a cast that includes members of The Organ (Katie Ritchie), The Bicycles (Drew Smith), and all-lesbian, all-classic rock, cover band Vag Halen (Vanessa Dunn, Ritchie).  Installation artist Bojana Stancic makes her musical theatre debut as the owner of the truck stop, and performance artist Liz Peterson (Express Yourself) plays Betty, a waitress from Cornwall who stopped for coffee, and stayed for ten years. Amy Siegal is stage managing the production, and performer Stancic doubles as set designer.

For ticket information click here.

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!

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.

Great News

One of Justin and my favourite movies is Once!  And now the film musical is headed for Broadway.  Check out this article from the NYTimes Arts Beat Blog.  The show hasn't even opened off-Broadway but it has already gotten the nod and will be headed for the Great White Way in March of 2012.  And for those of you not familiar with the movie here is the original trailer.

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!

Hair - Toronto Premiere

Opening next week is the hit musical HAIR!

This holiday season is offering some major power brokers in terms of musical theatre in the city! Make sure to check them out!

For more info or for tickets please click the header.

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!!!

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.

Bharati is here!

Bharati: The Wonder of India, lands in Toronto tonight at the Sony Centre. This dazzling spectacle, features over 100 dancers, singers, acrobats and musicians, in a modern Indian epic.


Tonight's presentation is made even more special, because it coincides with this year's Diwali festival, or festival of lights. One of Indian's most important national holidays.

Bharati tells the story of Indian born, American raised Siddhartha, who travels to the holy city of Varanasi to work with an environmental team trying to clean up the holy Ganges river. Siddhartha meets Bharati, who's foster father Domraja, is the king of Varanasi's cremation grounds.

Siddhartha is instantly drawn to Bharati, but first he must come to understand her, and India as well. Their differences and Domraja conspire to keep them apart.

Through Bharati, Siddhartha is transformed. He feels a deeper connection to roots and longs to cleanse himself as well as the holy river, that serves as the backdrop for this epic love story.

Bharati: runs at the Sony Centre until October 30th. Click the header for more ticket information.

Preview: Spring Awakening

It has arrived Toronto! For tickets to see one of our favourite musicals of the past decade please click the header!!!

Show Description:

Winner of 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, SPRING AWAKENING’s alternative rock score by Duncan Sheik is "the most gorgeous Broadway score this decade" (Entertainment Weekly). Based on Frank Wedekind’s controversial play of the same name – effectively banned from performance for nearly 100 years – the musical follows a group of teenagers as they come of age in late-19th century Germany. Stephen Sater’s book and lyrics for SPRING AWAKENING grapple with the difficult issues of sex, gender, and identity with refreshing energy and honesty.

Directed by Michael Rubinstein (Theatre 20, The Wylde Project, BirdLand Theatre), LOT’s production features a talented cast of emerging artists whose ages mirror those of the characters they play, artfully blurring the lines between fiction and reality. The musical employs the unconventional staging used to such great effect in the Broadway run – integrating the audience along the wings for a close-up view of the on-stage action. Join this group of talented young performers as they navigate teenage self-discovery and coming-of-age anxiety in a powerful celebration of youth and rebellion – the daring, remarkable SPRING AWAKENING.

The Lower Ossington Theatre
100A Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON (Ossington just below Argyle)
September 21 to October 8, 2011
Wed-Sat at 8pm & Sun at 4pm
Tickets: $45 (Regular Seating) / $65 (Premium Seating)

Preview: 9 to 5

Opening tonight at the Yonge Centre for the Performing Arts is 9 to 5 the new musical comedy based on the film, of the same name. The show, which ran on Broadway last year, has some great music and is sure to be a crowd pleaser. Set in the Rolodex era, the stage production features the film's title song Nine to Five, along with a ton of other original music by the legendary Ms. Dolly Parton. I first fell in love with the show when I heard Stephanie Block perform "Get Out and Stay Out" on YouTube. (The Tony version of the song is below. It is a real diva jam.)

Patricia Resnick, who co-wrote the original screenplay also wrote the stage adaption. It is great to see so many of the original creative team on-board to adapt the film to the stage. Despite 9 to 5's shortish run on broadway, (less than six months) it was a crowd favourite and garnered four Tony nominations in 2009. The show also received fifteen Drama Desk nominations, the most ever for a single production. Justin is taking his mum to see the show tonight, and I am going to see it with a girlfriend tomorrow. Can't wait! Click the header for ticket information.

Our favourite moments of the Tonys

A great start to a great show!

Super fun and well done. I thought it was ad-lib until they started singing.

Sutton Foster is pretty awesome.

Neil Patrick Harris and the Best Play winner War Horse

And the night's highlight (in my opinion)

The Book of Mormon looks amazing!

Green Day's American Idiot to serve as the score for a new musical

I don't usually get a lot of theatre news from Perez Hilton; but I did read on his blog today that Green Day are in collaboration with Michael Mayer, of Spring Awakening fame, to transform their 2005 album American Idiot into a musical. The Show is being produced for the Berkeley Repertory Theatre in Berkeley California. The BRT is a very well known local theatre company and has been involved with a number of new works. I think this sounds like a really interesting project and could be great. Can't wait to see what happens.

Happy Day A New Musical opening at the Elgin next month

In under a month, one of the largest new musical productions Toronto has seen in a few years will be opening at the Elgin. Happy Days A New Musical, based on the hit show of the same title, was formatted for the stage by the original author Garry Marshall and composer Paul Williams, writer of famed Carpenter's song We've Only Just Begun, among others. When I first heard Dancap was bringing Happy Days I was skeptical, but with the opening just around the corner I am getting excited for it. It's big for Toronto to be producing a truly new musical, and it could be really strong. It has all the potential to be a great musical. Below is the Dancap preview from YouTube, and the link below that is to the Happy Days trailer, which is longer but better quality. It is difficult to tell from the clips, but I hope the songs stand out more in the production than they seem to in the teasers.





http://www.happydaysmusical.com/

Happy Days – A New Musical
By Garry Marshall and Paul Williams
The Elgin Theatre
189 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario
February 3 – 15, 2009
416-872-5555