Some stories take a few tries to find their perfect medium. Les Miserables, for example, is a meandering bore of a novel (hot take? Whatever, I don’t want to hear about it) but, when it found its rightful home in musical theatre, everything clicked. Eugene Onegin is a poem, an opera, and a musical, but […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. Omen: The Musical (A) This modern witchy musical about a post-climate change (aka post-apocalyptic) world is eerie and enchanting. All three protagonists are individual and well developed. The musical direction of the show is consistent and unique. The setting and concept of the show […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. Fuckboys the Musical (B) I quite liked this sassy American import featuring a cast of a bunch of standout women and a couple forgettable men. It’s too long and the storytelling is pretty muddled as the show attempts to service four main characters while […]
Take a look at our full list of 2019 Fringe reviews HERE. The Weight of It All (A-) Gillian Bartolucci’s latest solo piece plays out more like a one-woman sketch show than a straightforward narrative. With a captivating mix of exuberant energy and relatable exhaustion, Bartolucci jumps between characters, styles, gimmicks, and perspectives as she touches […]
I spent an amazingly mind-bending and eye-opening evening at the performance of The Black Drum at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Performed by the Deaf Culture Centre with a tight cast of ten, the show was intriguing, exciting, and such a wonderful way for Deaf Culture to flourish. After a lovely stroll through […]
If you ever get the chance to see The Lion King on Broadway, you have to take it. Stop me if you’ve heard this lecture before but I honestly believe Julie Taymor’s visionary adaptation to be one of the great feats of human imagination in theatrical history. First some crazy person in a Disney boardroom […]
The Book of Mormon has returned to Toronto, and thank Heavenly Father it has! A hit since the beginning, the show has traveled to Toronto a few times and always packs an audience in. The deliciously sacrilegious show first opened in 2011 after years of development. It still feels fresh and poignant, with some interpreted […]
When conductor Steven Reineke led the Toronto Symphony Orchestra through the Phantom of the Opera overture to kick off Monday night’s performance of “Modern Broadway”- the first of four performances through Wednesday that mark the end of the TSO’s Pops season- part of me worried that the evening’s selections would, like the film scores concert […]
It can be surprisingly hard to find a good old cabaret act done well. Toronto cabaret veterans Thomas and Kevin Finn and Kevin Godfrey, dropped in at the Lower Ossington Theatre to remind us what that looks like alongside Julia Carrer, who was reliably impressive in the musical numbers dotted throughout the evening. The comedic […]
Looking at the programme before the start of The Musical Stage Co’s production of Brian Yorkie & Tom Kitt’s domestic rock drama Next To Normal, it’s hard to miss the design inspiration taken from The Brady Bunch’s opening title credits. But that familiar imagery sets up expectations Next to Normal is quick to knock down. The […]
I came out of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical with a smile on my face. Seeing a musical is always a night full of fun and passion, and this show provides the audience with no less. There were flashing lights, impressive costume changes, and an evening of music we all know and love. However, despite […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2018 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. Sabryn Rock is one of the most consistent and versatile performers in Canada. Principally known for musicals, it was her impactful performance in a modern play – boxing drama The Royale at Soulpepper- that earned her […]
Sitting high above the crowd, atop her glorious hive at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, is emcee for the evening Busty Beatz. The Queen Bee of Hot Brown Honey, Beatz is definitely in the driver’s seat this evening and she is ready to take the rest of us on a ride, so be […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2018 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. Evan Buliung is one of Canada’s great theatrical leading men. Nominated for his third Critics’ Pick Award, he’s the rare actor who is just as wonderful whether he’s doing Shakespeare, a modern play, or a musical. […]
Alright, here we go, I’m just going to come out and say it- I don’t like Dear Evan Hansen. I find Pasek & Paul’s music a little cheap in its emotional trickery and while that drum-kit-here/belt-note-there/get-your-heart-pumping “This Is Me” theatrics work brilliantly in something like The Greatest Showman where the spectacle is the substance, Dear […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2018 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. 2018 was the year of the young woman in Toronto theatre. All over town, emerging female artists finally got the showcases they deserve as too-often-overlooked female stories were finally being told. Tarragon Theatre’s Girls Like That is maybe […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2018 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. We poll the whole staff when deciding on nominations every year and sometimes more than one of us will be advocating for a particular performer. When it came to Daren A Herbert’s Outstanding Leading Performance in […]
A warm and engaging revival of a classic musical, Trevor Nunn’s Fiddler on the Roof has heaps of heart as it tells this tale of family, community and solidarity. Set amongst a small Jewish settlement in Imperial Russia during the early 1900s, Fiddler on the Roof’s themes are surprisingly still relevant. The story carefully balances […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2018 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. One of the things that’s fun about the Nominee Interview Series is getting to revisit work from the very beginning of last year. It’s been fourteen months since my heart was stolen by Georgia Bennett’s Outstanding Leading […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2018 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual Nominee Interview Series. Jani Lauzon has for more than three decades cultivated a career in storytelling that utilizes myriad artistic practices and disciplines. She’s been an actor on stage (from Stratford to the National Arts Centre) and on screen […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2018 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual…
Before we announce the winners of the 2018 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards, we’re proud to present our annual…
It’s very easy to understand how Jersey Boys has been such a big hit with audiences around the world. Combining the feel-good hits of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons with the lively story of how it all came together, the show really puts other jukebox musicals to shame. Now in its 13th touring season, […]
From success in the UK to sinking on Broadway, The Last Ship has enjoyed a mixed reception around the world. Though not always plain sailing, Sting’s musical has launched successfully at its new home in Toronto. Director/book writer Lorne Campbell’s revamped production is by no means perfect, but boasts a number of strong performances and […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2018 MyEntWorld Critics’ Pick Awards…
In the gloomy socio-political climate we live in, Come from Away offers beams of hope that even tragedy and despair can lead to long-lasting friendships and renewed faith. The show is delightfully foot-stomping from start to finish. Canadian duo Irene Sankoff and David Hein have created something equally original and insightful. Have your ever been […]