The Tempest is one of Shakespeare’s most difficult plays to stage. The action is fairly simple and the characters generally pretty accessible but there’s magic, a monster, a spirit, multiple apparitions and a big on-stage storm. A big budget, a brilliant directorial brain or, ideally, both is required to pull it off without things looking […]
Like 42nd Street before it, Crazy for You is made of nothing but charm and tap dancing. But one can get pretty far on charm alone and, if you’re as good of a dancer as any member of this ensemble, tap dancing can get you even further. Written in 1992 and forged Mamma Mia/We […]
StageWorks Toronto is an incredibly ambitious company, especially when you consider that they’re really a community theatre organization (mixing new theatre grads with part-time performers, I’m pretty sure all un-paid). Year after year they choose an interesting, contemporary and thematically challenging musical and mount a full-scale production, never shying away from a hard vocal score. […]
No Chance in Hell (A) Did I see all the Fringe musicals this year? I at the very least came very close to seeing all the Fringe musicals this year and, at least of the ones I saw (which I think was all of them), No Chance in Hell is far and away the best. […]
I Think Therefore I’m Graham (A) Like most shows in the Tarragon Solo Room, Graham Clark’s Fringe show is essentially stand-up comedy and, like most shows in the Tarragon Solo Room, it lives or dies by the charm and wit of the lone performer. Luckily for I Think Therefore I’m Graham, Graham Clark is among […]
The Legend of White Woman Creek (B+) This show should cut its framing device. At the heart of Katie Hartman & Nick Ryan’s no-frills musical drama is a stirring story about love and hate in the burgeoning American west. Alone on stage with just her guitar and her atmospheric and strong (though sometimes a little […]
Valkyrie (B) I want to split this review in half. On one hand, I want to talk about Monique Renaud whose star turn in this contemporary version of the Norse myth of the valkyries is nothing short of mesmerizing. Funny, furious and infuriating, her performance as Bradley is the reason to see Valkyrie (for the […]
Great Battles in History (A+) Mark Shyzer is the breakout star of the Fringe so far, at least in my estimation. Only Human is a big part of that (which I’ll talk about in a minute) but it’s his solo show that’s the most remarkable achievement. Superficially, Great Battles in History is a meta comedy […]