Preview: Project Humanity's The Middle Place

EAP is very excited to be see Project Humanity's The Middle Place tonight. We have heard nothing but wonderful things about the show and we are really intrigued by its subject matter and staging choices.

Show Description:

In 2007, a young, white, middleclass playwright ventured into one of Toronto’s roughest neighbourhoods with a video camera to interview youth about life in a shelter. The result is The Middle Place, a touching and brutally real examination of the aspirations, frustrations and bravery of these homeless youth. Without sentimentality or condescension, this docu-drama explores the heart-wrenching lives of its subjects through their own words. Five actors bring to the stage the extraordinary voices of sixteen homeless youth, three tireless caseworkers and one outsider in this disquieting yet humorous and hopeful play.

For tickets please click here!

Project Humanity's The Middle Place
Berkeley Street Theatre
February 14 to March 12
Written by Andrew Kushnir
Transcribed by Andrew Kushnir and Catherine Murray
Directed by Alan Dilworth
Performed by Akosua Amo Adem, Antonio Cayonne, Jessica Greenberg, Andrew Kushnir and Kevin Walker

Preview: It's Five Dollars

One of Liza and I's favourite people in the entire world is back with another one of her comedy nights. If you like laughing and smiling, this is a good event to check out. Here is our girl in her own words:

"When he's not up to his elbows in watery, urine soaked one-ply toilet paper from the notoriously faulty turlets, evidently the Crown & Tiger's resident janitor gets his kicks from sweeping up glitter, wig hair, discarded party favours and stray five cent candies!!!

How else would you explain being invited back for Round Three of "It's $5"?

Toronto has a wealth of undiscovered talent, and I'm not just talking about me sexually. This edition of "It's $5" will showcase the funniest people I know performing various variations of sketch & stand-up for their first time EVER!!!*

FEATURING:

Bathurst Beat (Anthony Suppa & Andrew Johnston*)
Michael Lawrence Doyle Yerxa
Alex Brown
Peter Harte
Ring on a String (David Ross & Dean McArthur)
Struan Sutherland
Kirsten Gallagher*
Andrew Ivimey*
Dana Alexander*

(*Except for the people with stars* by their names, who've been in this business for 65 years.)

Admission: I have feelings. Strong feelings. So if you love me, meet me at Remo's.
Cost of Admission: $5!
Tuesday, February 22 · 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location:
The Crown & Tiger, 414 College St. (College & Bathurst)

Preview: Second Week at The Rhubarb Festival!

THE 32ND RHUBARB FESTIVAL - WEEK TWO OVERVIEW
February 23 - February 27, 2011
Ticket availability:
Week Two: Feb 23 - 27

click here to see full programming info for Week 2.

MAINSTAGE EVENINGS
8:00pm Bravislovia
8:00pm Guns
8:30pm On Livingston's Method
8:30pm And then there were 4...
9:00pm Who Who Who's Got a Crush on You? (A Slumber Party for Boys)
9:00pm Airship
9:30pm (Wed only) The Centre for Sleep and Dream Studies
10:00pm (Fri only) Weekend in Alphaville
10:30pm (Fri only) THE BIG THAW
6:00pm (Sat only) Young Creators' Unit Presentations
9:30pm (Sat only) The Me Show

SUNDAY SOCIALS
2:30pm Young Creators' Unit Presentations
5:00pm A conversation with Adrian Howells
7:00pm Upper Toronto - Community Consultation

MOBILE WORKS
Dear Neighbour: Homecoming
Intersection Project
k[NO]w places
News Commutes

TICKETS
Wednesday-Saturday Tickets, $20
Sundays, PWYC
Mobile Works, FREE
call or visit the Box Office: 416-975-8555

Preview: South Pacific

Making a triumphant return to Toronto, this time at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, is South Pacific. The classic Rogers and Hamerstein musical was hailed by audiences and critics alike when it came to town last summer. That short run of South Pacific was sold out nearly every performance. So it was no surprise when dancap announced it was bringing the smash hit back to kick off their 2011 season. South Pacific is one of the most well known musicals of all time, and the only musical to ever win all four acting Tony Awards in the same year. It was also popularized in the mainstream, by the 1958 film version. The film was the top grossing film of that year and was also nominated for an Academy Award. South Pacific explores themes of racial prejudice and issues of discrimination, in a way other musicals of Its time would not have dared.

The 2008 Broadway revival, on which this tour is based was a critical sensation. It won the year's Tony Award for best revival, along with six additional Tonys. Last year's tour was extremely popular here, and considered by many to be the best show of the 2010 season. When dancap brought the show up last year It ran at the Four Seasons Centre. It will be interesting to see if the venue makes a difference now that it's being put on at the uptown Toronto Centre for the Arts. We have no doubts that audiences, new and returning will be flocking to see South Pacific.

South Pacific is on at the Toronto Centre for the Arts until April 10th. Click the header for ticket information. EAP is going to see the show tonight, and we expect to be in love, in love, in love with a wonderful show.

*updated on Feb. 20th

Preview: The Rhubarb Festival

Opening this week is the always exciting and interesting Rhubarb Festival over at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Here is the press release below and to be redirected to Buddies website please click the header of this post!

THE 32ND RHUBARB FESTIVAL
Festival Director Laura Nanni

February 16 - 27, 2011
Evening Tickets now on sale 416-975-8555

For two weeks, Canada's premiere experimental performance festival returns to Buddies. Over 100 local and international artists offer up fresh live encounters in contemporary theatre, dance, performance art, music and hybrid forms. This year's line-up includes sacrilegious celebrity impersonations, utopian science fiction, mass pop-up performances in secret spots around the city, and all kinds of glorious transgressions.

RHUBARB'S NEW TWO-WEEK FORMAT
Mainstage Evenings: Wed - Sat, beginning at 8pm - Different programming each night
Sunday Socials: an affably social day of politically-minded performances and events -PWYC
Mobile Works: artists infiltrate the streets of Toronto with surprising performances designed for public spaces - FREE

TICKETS
Wednesday-Saturday Tickets, $20
Sundays, PWYC
Mobile Works, FREE
call or visit the Box Office: 416-975-8555

Festival Sponsor TD
Media Sponsor NOW MAGAZINE

Preview: The Fantasticks

Playing until the end of March is the wonderfully adored, and eagerly anticipated musical The Fantasticks. This piece is coming from the always inspiring Soulpepper Company. With another exciting and strong artistic decision, Soulpepper is proving itself to be the hottest and most interesting theatre company in Toronto. The show is also being directed by our favourite actor of 2010, Joseph Ziegler.

This is theatre news that Liza and I live for.

Show Description:

"Try to Remember the Kind of September…" Forbidden love between the children of feuding neighbours and the complications that reality brings is lovingly rendered in this tender, hilarious musical. The world's longest running musical (42 years and 17,162 consecutive performances), The Fantasticks has delighted playgoers for generations. (Soulpepper.ca)

For more info and for tickets click here! Also, check out the trailer for the show below:

The Fantasticks
Directed by Joseph Ziegler
Musical Direction by Paul Sportelli
Associate Musical Direction by Lily Ling
Choreography by Tim French
Featuring Derek Boyes, Oliver Dennis, Erica Goodman (Harp), Michael Hanrahan, Jeff Lillico, Krystin Pellerin, Albert Schultz, Michael Simpson & William Webster.

Preview: The Boys in the Band

Coming soon to Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is Ghost Light Projects' production of The Boys in the Band. The Boys... made quite a stir when it was first shown in New York in the late 60's. Its provocative exploration of sex, sexuality and even religion still challenges audiences forty years late. Ghost Light has been steadily making a name for itself and producing interesting theatre. And we are excited to see what they do with The Boys in the Band. The show has a limited run, starting March 1st and tickets are likely to go fast, so be sure to buy them in advance. For ticket information, show dates and prices, click the header. See you at the theatre.