When Leonard Bernstein’s one-act opera about a crumbling marriage in the 1950s suburbs premiered in 1952, I imagine it was pretty subversive and revealing. The idea of something so flawed yet so seemingly perfect is a fascinating, dark and specifically suburban concept that would have played as insightful and daring back when the suburbs were […]
This has been a bit of a rough repertory period for the Canadian Opera Company- the full-length Offenbach they presented earlier this month was obnoxiously long and unforgivably dull and their double feature of Zemlinksy & Puccini one-acts contains one dreary dud and one brilliant success (the Puccini, predictably). With only 52 minutes of greatness […]
If you were to do a search of the most commonly used phrases on this website, one of the top hits would undoubtedly be “mixed bag”. I use the term constantly, mostly because I insist that a review include at least one criticism and one compliment for every production. But, really, most things lean to […]
Last week I did nothing but go to the theatre. I saw tons of stuff from operas of Wagnerian length to 90 minute farce to epic dance that brought me right back to a childhood obsession. The productions run the gamut from intolerably boring to utterly thrilling. First up was The Tales of Hoffmann […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2011 My Theatre Awards, we’re proud to present the My Theatre Nominee Interview Series. Iphigenia in Tauris was the first opera I reviewed for My Entertainment World, and remains my favourite. With stunning lighting design, stirring modern visuals and an alround fantastic cast, the production was one […]
Here’s the fun thing—I go to a lot of theater, but I’ve never been to the Opera. Not once. Which, if I was any other average 20-something, would not be weird at all. But I’m me, so it was sort of weird. So I was lucky enough to get to see the Boston Opera Collaborative’s […]
The latest indie theatre piece to crash down in Toronto’s Factory Studio Theatre is called The Big Smoke, a title which refers to its London setting, not its current location. The piece is essentially a weird solo acapella opera wherein Amy Nostbakken sings the story of aspiring artist Natalie using only an empty stage, some […]
The Canadian Opera Company is known for big productions- whether it’s the expansive drawing room of Rigoletto, the stark abyss of Iphigenia in Tauris or the cathedral from Tosca, currently splitting time on the Four Seasons Centre stage. Usually, the stunning sets and lush costumes are the cherry on top of full voices and enthralling stories. […]