Shows That Caught Our Eye in Toronto the Week of April 24th, 2017

This week’s selected listings feature many classic tales and operas! We’ve got our publisher Megan on hand to pick out a few of her top choices, listed in red. Check them out below the cut:

Already Reviewed by Mooney on Theatre:

Banana Boys by Leon Aureus (Factory Theatre). Five young Asian-Canadian men wrestle with issues of race and identity. Previews Apr 18, opens Apr 20 and runs to May 14, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $25-$55. At Factory Theatre. Show Info.

Sound of the Beast by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard (TPM). An outspoken emcee finds that free speech comes with consequences. Previews from Apr 13-16, opens April 18 and runs to May 7, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2 pm. $17-$38, mat pwyc at the door. At Theatre Passe Muraille. Show Info.

Little Pretty and The Exceptional by Anusree Roy (Factory Theatre). Two sisters and their father prepare to open a new sari shop on Gerrard Street and try to overcome demons of their past in this exploration of family ties and mental health issues in the South Asian community. Previews from Apr 1, opens Apr 6 and runs to Apr 30, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $25-$55, previews $2-$15. At Factory Theatre. Show Info.

Orphans by Dennis Kelly (Coal Mine Theatre). This urban play looks at the simmering class divide and the way stifled rage and violence gets passed down the generations. Previews from April 9, opens April 12 and runs to April 30, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm, Sun 2 pm. $35, preview/rush $25. At The Coal Mine Theatre. Show Info.

Munschtime! Adapted by Stephen Colella and Allen MacInnis (Young People’s Theatre). Theatrical show for ages 4-8 based on the stories of Robert Munsch (Love You Forever, Murmel Murmel Murmel, Pigs, A Promise is a Promise and Too Much Stuff!). Previews from Apr 17, opens Apr 20 and runs to May 14, see website for schedule. $10-$34. At The Young People’s Theatre. Show Info.

Prince Hamlet. Adapted by Ravi Jain (Why Not Theatre/Soulpepper Theatre). This re-imagining of William Shakespeare’s classic has re-ordered scenes, action instead of exposition and a filmic language that illuminates the contemporary relevance of a 400-year-old text. Previews from Apr 17, opens Apr 19 and runs to Apr 29, Mon-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat 2 pm. $5-$75 (Choose $5, $25, $50, $75 – pay what you can afford). At The Theatre Centre. Show Info.

And the rest:

Tosca by Giacomo Puccini (Canadian Opera Company). A woman murders the chief of police to save her lover in this Italian psychological drama of passion and betrayal. Opens Apr 30 and run to May 20, see website for times. $35-$235. At The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.

Glengarry Glenross by David Mamet (Amicus Productions). Cutthroat real estate salesmen grind out a living and pursue the American Dream. Opens Apr 27 and runs to May 6, Thu-Sat 8 pm, mat Apr 30 and May 6 as 2 pm. $25, srs $20, stu $15. At The Papermill Theatre. Show Info.

Don Giovanni by WA Mozart (Odd Opera). This modern take on the opera is inspired by the Expressionism movement and explores issues around about sex and power. Opens Apr 27 and runs to May 6, Apr 27-28, May 4 & 6 at 7:30 pm, Apr 30 at 7 pm. $35, stu/srs $25. At The Commons. Show Info.

Crash by Pamela Mala Sinha (Soulpepper Theatre). After the loss of a loved one, a woman must face the shattering memories of a past trauma. Previews Apr 26, opens Apr 27 and runs to Apr 29, Wed-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat 2 pm. $25-$59. At the Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.

Freud’s Last Session. Harold Green Jewish Theatre presents a play by Mark St. Germain. Psychoanalyst Dr. Sigmund Freud and young, rising scholar C.S. Lewis meet head-to-head in a fictitious battle of the mind. Starring Layne Coleman, Brendan Murray; directed by David Ferry. Previews from Apr 22, opens Apr 27 and runs to May 14, Tue-Thu & Sat 8 pm, Apr 30 & May 7 at 7 pm, mat Sun 2 pm, Wed 1 pm. $15-$72.50. At the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Show Info.

The Chocolate Soldier by Oscar Straus (Toronto Operetta Theatre). Operetta based on George Bernard Shaw’s 1894 comedy Arms And The Man. Apr 26-30, Wed & Fri 8 pm, Sat-Sun 3 pm. $49-$95, at stlc.com. At The Jane Mallett Theatre. Show Info.

Strictly Ballroom The Musical by Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pierce (Mirvish). A dancer defies all the rules and follows his heart to find his true calling and true love. Opens Apr 26 and runs to Jun 25, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mat Wed, Sat & Sun 2 pm. $31.25-$139. At The Princess of Wales Theatre. Show Info.

Evidence to the Contrary by Hélène Pedneault (Tree of Life Theatre Company). A woman faces accusations of murdering her mother. Opens Apr 26 and runs to Apr 29, Wed-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat 2 pm (plus Apr 26 preview at 2 pm). $20, stu/srs/arts workers $15. 10% of proceeds will be supporting Dying with Dignity Canada. At Annex Theatre. Show Info.

The Retirement Plan by Robin Pond (Bear Productions). A family dreaming of financial freedom buys a retirement product then must deal with the consequences in this comedic cautionary tale. Opens Apr 26 and runs to Apr 29, Wed-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat 2 pm. $20, mat $10. At Red Sandcastle Theatre. Show Info.

Louis Riel by Harry Somers (Canadian Opera Company). Sung in English, French, Michif and Cree (with English surtitles), this opera tells the story of the Métis leader and Canada’s westward expansion. Opens Apr 20 and run to May 13: Apr 20, 26, May 2, 9 and 13 at 7:30 pm, Apr 23 at 2 pm, Apr 29 at 4:30 pm. $35-$235. At The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.

Endings by Tamara Saulwick (Canadian Stage). This spectacle uses sound and music to explore the cycles of life and death and features live music by folk singer Paddy Mann. Opens Apr 26 and runs to Apr 30, Wed-Sat 8:15 pm, Thu 1 pm, Sun 2:15 pm. $29-$69. At The Berkeley Street Theatre. Show Info.

The Draupadi Project by Sharada Eswar (Tamasha Arts/Why Not Theatre/The RISER Project). This reimagining of the Indian epic The Mahabharat is told from the point of view of a woman who is on trial. Previews Apr 17, opens Apr 18 and runs to Apr 26, Mon-Sat 7 pm. $15 or $20 for any two RISER shows. At The Theatre Centre. Show Info.

Century Song. Nightwood Theatre, Volcano and Moveable Beast Collective present a theatrical performance hybrid by Neema Bickersteth, Kate Alton and Ross Manson. Inspired in part by Virginia Woolf’s Orlando and Alice Walker’s In Search Of Our Mother’s Gardens, performer Bickersteth melds classical song and movement to inhabit a century of women whose identities are contained within a single performer. Previews Apr 18, opens Apr 19 and runs to Apr 29, Tue-Fri 8 pm (and Apr 22), mat Apr 24 at 1:30 pm, Apr 29 at 2 pm. $20-$35. At The Streetcar Crownsnest. Show Info.

Medea and Jason by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (Opera Atelier). The powerful princess forsakes her family and country to assist her lover in his quest for the Golden Fleece. French w/ English surtitles. Opens Apr 22 and runs to Apr 29, see website for times. $39-$194. At Elgin Theatre. Show Info.

Midsummer (A Play With Songs) by David Greig and Gordon McIntyre (Tarragon). A failing car salesman and a divorce lawyer hookup for an ill-advised weekend fling. Previews from Apr 18, opens Apr 26 and runs to May 28, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2:30 pm. $22-$65. At Tarragon Theatre. Show Info.

Pearle Harbour’s Chautauqua by Justin Miller (Pearle Harbour Productions/The RISER Project). All-American World-Wartime gal Pearle Harbour performs a musical solo show. Previews Apr 19, opens Apr 20 and runs to Apr 26, daily at 9:30 pm. $15, or $20 for any two RISER shows. At The Theatre Centre. Show Info.

Illusions by Ivan Viripaev (SideMart Theatrical Grocery). This play unravels the story of two couples in a story of friendship, and crossed loves. Previews from Apr 19, opens Apr 21 and runs to May 8, Wed-Sat 8:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2:30 pm. $35, stu/srs $25. At The Streetcar Crownsnest. Show Info.

I’m Doing This For You. Soulpepper presents a solo work created and performed by Haley McGee. A woman travels halfway around the world to give the man she loves the thing she thinks he wants the most in this show that blends storytelling, live-art and improvisation. Previews May 3, opens May 4 and runs to May 6, Wed-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat 2 pm. $25-$50. At The Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.

Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (LOT). A flower shop clerk raises a plant that feeds on human blood in this musical. Opens Mar 24 and runs to May 14, Fri-Sat 7:30 pm, mat. Sat 3:30 pm, Sun 4 pm. $55-$65. At The Lower Ossington Theatre. Show Info.

Listings based primarily on NOW! Stage Listings.