Shows That Caught Our Eye in Toronto the Week of May 28th, 2018

Toronto live theatre for the week of May 28th, 2018. This week’s picks feature a roadshow version of a beloved British soap, clowns, a children’s classic, and much more! Our Editor Lin is on hand with a few of her top picks in red. Check them out below the cut:

Already reviewed by Mooney on theatre:

Come From Away by Irene Sankoff and David Hein (Mirvish). Newfoundlanders open their homes to stranded passengers following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Previews from Feb 13, opens Feb 18 and runs to Sep 2, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mat Wed 1:30 pm, Sat-Sun 2 pm. $69 and up. At The Royal Alexandra Theatre. Show Info.

The Best is Yet To Come Undone. The Second City presents the Spring 2018 MainStage sketch revue, tackling this generation’s minefield of crushing clichés and relatable revelations. Limited run, Tue-Sun see website for times. $27 & up, stu from $16. At Second City. Show Info.

Ma Rainy’s Black Bottom by August Wilson (Soulpepper). In 1920s Chicago, a routine music recording session becomes the front line for issues of race, power and opportunity. Previews from May 4, opens May 10 and runs to Jun 2, see website for times. $32-$96. At The Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.

Annie by Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, Thomas Meehan (Mirvish). A plucky orphan finds a home in this family musical. Downton Abbey‘s Lesley Nicol will play Miss Hannigan. Opens April 24 and runs to June 3, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Wed, Sat-Sun 1:30 pm. $29-$229. At Mirvish Theatre. Show Info.

And everything else:

The Life and Death of John the Milkman by Joshua Bainbridge (Proscenium Club). In 1959, four suburban housewives figure out how to get rid of a dead body. This dark comedy follows the lives of four women trapped within the constraints of social expectations, ready to claim their rights, their identities, and their own independence, at any cost. May 30-31 at 8 pm. $30. At Native Earth Performing Arts. Show Info.

Toronto Festival of Clowns. Comedy, clown and circus fest moves to Little Italy this year with shows by the Two Sues, Morro & Jasp, Lunacy Cabaret, Travis Bernhadt, Allan Turner (Mullet), Helen Donnelly and others. May 30-Jun 3, see website for schedule. $15 per show. At The Commons Theatre (587a College) and nearby Monarch Tavern (12 Clinton). Show Info.

Oklahoma! The Civic Light-Opera Co. presents Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical. High-spirited rivalry between local farmers and cowboys is the background for a love story. Opens May 30 and runs to Jun 10, Wed 7 pm, Thu-Sat 8 pm, mat Jun 3, 9 & 10 at 2 pm. $28. At Zion Cultural Centre. Show Info.

I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnick (Scarborough Players). A successful TV actor is torn between taking a lauded theatre role as Hamlet, or another glitzy TV project in this comedy. Opens Jun 1 and runs to Jun 16: Jun 1-2, 7-9, 14-15 at 8 pm, Jun 3, 10 and 16 at 2 pm. $24, discounts for students and seniors. At The Scarborough Village Theatre. Show Info.

Coronation St. William Roache Live ‘The Ken Barlow Effect’. To fans of the world’s longest-running television drama, William Roache MBE simply is Coronation Street. This intimate one-on-one onstage interview allows William Roache to give fans a rare glimpse into his personal & Corrie life. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for an audience with true Coronation Street royalty and no fan will want to miss it. 6″30 pm. Tickets from $50. At Jane Mallett Theatre. Show Info.

Treasure Island. Solar Stage Children’s Theatre presents an all-ages show based on the book by Robert Louis Stevenson. Sing sea shanties and cheer on Jane Hawkins as she navigates her way through a wild and epic pirate adventure. Opens May 26 and runs to July 1, Sat & Sun 1:30 pm. $20. At Wychwood Theatre. Show Info.

7th Cousins. The Ismaili Centre and Nightwood Theatre present a pop-up style performance written and performed by Christine Brubaker and Erin Brubacher that asks the question “How can we be together?”. The show is rooted in the 700 km journey the two creators walked as they traced the migration of their ancestors. Jun 2-3, Sat 7 pm, Sun 1 and 3:30 pm. $15, bpt.me/3404584. At The Ismaili Centre. Show Info.

The 6th Degree. The Lighthouse Troupe present an interactive murder mystery showin which you will aid in the investigation. Opens May 23 and runs to Jun 2, Wed-Sat 6 & 9 pm (no 6 pm show May 26). $25. At Campbell House Museum. Show Info.

Brighton Beach Memoirs. Harold Green Jewish Theatre presents the play by Neil Simon. A boy dreams of escaping his mundane life in Depression-era Brooklyn in this coming-of-age story. Previews from May 22, opens May 28 (at 8 pm) and runs to Jun 10, Tue-Thu & Sat 8 pm, May 27 at 7 pm, mat Wed 1 pm, Sat 2 pm. $TBA. At The Toronto Centre for the Arts. Show Info.

Motown The Musical by Berry Gordy (Mirvish). American Dream story of Motown founder Gordy’s rise to music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and many others. Opens May 22 and runs to Jun 3, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mat Wed 1:30 pm, Sat-Sun 2 pm. $29-$129. At The Princess of Wales Theatre. Show Info.

Frozen by Bryony Lavery (Seven Siblings Theatre). This form-defying drama intertwines the lives of a serial killer, a mother searching for her missing child, and an American academic researching the criminal mind.Recommended for adult audiences. Previews May 24, opens May 25 and runs to Jun 3, Wed-Sun 8 pm, mat Jun 2 at 2 pm. $20-$25, stu/arts worker $15-$20, preview $10. At Artscape Wychwood Barns. Show Info.

Gods of Carnage by Yasmina Reza (East Side Players). Civility turns to hostility when two couples meet to resolve their kids’ playground dispute. Opens May 25 and runs to Jun 9, Wed-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $24, stu $15. At Papermill Theatre. Show Info.

Stones Aluna Theatre and The Stones Project presents a collective creation helmed by Anita La Selva. Created by a diverse cast of artists, STONES considers the spectrum and history of violence against women by focusing on one of its most extreme iterations. Previews from May 25, opens May 30 and runs to Jun 10, Wed-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2:30 pm. $15-$20. At Geary Lane. Show Info.

Music Music Life Death Music: An Absurdical by Adam Seelig (One Little Goat Theatre Company). Musical comedy that explores the unexpected dynamics between three generations of family as they attempt to relate to each other and the society they live in. Opens May 25 and runs to Jun 10, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2:30 pm. $20-$35. At Tarragon Theatre. Show Info.

Grease the Musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey (Irregular Entertainment). The original high-school musical set in the 1950s deals with themes of first love, friendship and themes of identity. eturn engagement: Previews from May 24, opens May 31 and runs to Jun 17, Mon-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun & Wed 1:30 pm. $29-$149. At The Winter Garden Theatre. Show Info.

The Princess Bride: A Movie Experience. The Secret Sessions is back for their new installment of The Movie Experience; bringing to life your favourite cinema classics by fusing live theatre with film screening – and much more. Join a Royal Wedding to experience the classic film The Princess Bride. Opens May 24 and runs to Jun 2, Thu-Sat 7 pm, mat Jun 2 at 2 pm. $39. At The Redwood. Show Info.

Innocence Lost: A Play About StephenTruscott by Beverley Cooper (Soulpepper). Story of the 14-year-old boy who was wrongly convicted of killing his 12-year-old schoolmate and sentenced to death in 1959 small-town Ontario. Previews from May 14, opens May 24 and runs to Jun 23, see website for times. $32-$96. At The Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.

La Bête by David Hirson (Soulpepper). Two actors compete for survival when their Royal Patron grows weary of their theatre troupe in this comedy. Previews from May 16, opens May 29 and runs to Jun 22, see website for times. $32-$96. At The Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.

Listings based primarily on NOW! Stage Listings.