Virtual Shows that Caught Our Eye This Week

Another week at home!  We are all adjusting in the best ways we know how.  The snow though?  What is that all about?!?  And our littlest has decided that every day is a pajama party.  Lots of baking has been done – and eaten! – and the kids are having tonnes of fun getting involved in the kitchen too, so fun hands-on learning win!

Each week brings about more going on in the digital arts world, and the online offerings provide a broader range of theatre and concerts to participate in.  Mooney on Theatre is excited to be able to provide information on as much of what is going on as we can. Here are this week’s varied performance options. Please keep checking back here on the regular to see if there’s anything new coming up. 

DIANA (Falling Iguana Theatre Company): The play follows Michael as he searches for his missing friend Diana, spanning several years and multiple Canadian cities. We follow both Michael and Diana on their separate but interconnected journeys through childhood memories, family trauma, and into adulthood. The broadcast is part of the NAC’s #canadaperforms initiative. The darkly comedic, highly physical show was previously been performed in PEI and Toronto, and this livestream will take place in our living room. Tue Apr 21 at 3pm EST.
Show Info

Dressed Up and Somewhere To Go: A Virtual Opera Salon (Against the Grain & Rue Pigalle): Against the Grain Theatre is pleased to partner with Rue Pigalle to invite you to an inspiring virtual opera salon with tenor Matthew Dalen and pianist Holly Kroeker, who will be performing from their home. Matthew and Holly have chosen pieces, which they describe as “musical medicine for the heart.” The performance will be held through Zoom. After you have purchased your ticket, the Zoom link and password will be emailed to you. $60. Fri Apr 24 at 7:30pm EST.
Show Info

Fresh Ink Online Script Readings (Soulpepper Theatre): Experience the very freshest work from some of the most exciting playwrights across Canada! Fri Apr 24 at 4:00pm
https://www.soulpepper.ca/about/fresh-ink

#harf2020 Online Performance Series (Hamilton Arts Council). The Hamilton Artist Relief Fund and Online Performance Series is focused on uniting the community through a curated online platform that commissions artists to present and perform while raising funds. Video performances will air most days Tuesday-Friday in the afternoon through Facebook Live. Stay tuned on Instagram and Facebook to receive updates on scheduling. This week: Tue Apr 21 at 1pm EST: Eshe Yildiz; Wed Apr 22 at 3pm EST: Trevor Copp; Thu Apr 23 at 3pm EST: Neena Rose; Thu Apr 24 at 3pm EST: Valerie Tryon
Livestream Links at: https://www.hamiltonartscouncil.ca/hamilton-artists-relief-fund

High Hallmark. Tune in to see comedians Rachel Manson and MK Morris, well, like the title says. They are thrilled to have comedy legend Aurora Browne as their special guest. Come for complete escapism, because in these crazy times at least one thing is certain: business-y business woman needs to find the true meaning of Christmas by falling in love and learning that small towns are better than the big city. Mon Apr 20 at 9pm EST.
Follow @highhallmark on instagram or facebook to get the Zoom link.

Improv House Party (Second City): All the Second City’s are coming together (Chicago, Toronto, LA) for Improv House Party. The show will feature teams ( married couples) that are isolated together that will take suggestions online and do their best to put on the best Second City improv set imaginable! Thu Apr 23 at 8pm EST.
https://www.secondcity.com/network/the-second-city-brings-comedy-to-your-couch-zoom-shows

Living Rooms (TO Live): Living Rooms provides a platform for Toronto local artists to celebrate the neighbourhood they live in and promote their work. TO Live’s curatorial, educational and content teams are currently working together virtually to bring digital experiences to our online members, supporters and art fans providing entertainment and a digital refuge during these challenging times.  Every day, TO Live will feature local artists bringing you an exciting performance from the comfort of their own living rooms!
https://www.tolive.com/livingrooms

Lucifer Means Lightbringer (Rouvan Silogix): Storytelling and songs as we wind up on a strange life lived through the rural Midwest, a chance encounter with the devil, and tunes akin to Tom Waits and Robert Johnson . WARNING: There may be smokin’, drinkin’, guitar pluckin’, and life lessons to be forgotten.The digital performance commission comes with a big thanks to The National Arts Centre / Centre national des Arts, SiriusXM Canada, RBC, Slaight Music, & Facebook. Fri Apr 24 at 9pm EST. #CanadaPerforms
Show Info

Mimi: Live! In an unexpected live-dating-twist, Canadian Actor, Tony Nappo, agreed to set up the ever saucy Mimi (aka Rebecca Northan) with a ‘slightly more famous actor’ for another date! So this week Mimi will be popping a cork with the one-and-only Colin Mochrie for a live-stream-date! Will sparks fly? Will chemistry abound? Will Colin set Mimi up with another ‘slightly more famous actor’ if the date goes well??? Tune in on YouTube to find out! Fri Apr 24 at 10pm EST.
Watch Here!

The Ministry of Mundane Mysteries (Outside the March). The Ministry of Mundane Mysteries offers a personalized, week-long auditory adventure for yourself or a loved one, made up of a series of short daily phone calls as our intrepid private investigators delve into your very own micro mystery! Performances begin Monday of every week. To book, head to mundanemysteries.com and fill out the form with your contact information and your mystery… a Ministry Concierge will then contact you over the phone to take secure payment and schedule your first telephonic appointment with your Inspector!

The Social Distancing Festival – a site for celebrating art from all over the world, showcasing amazing talent, and coming together as a community. Information on all events at:
https://www.socialdistancingfestival.com/

Stageworthy Podcast Live! (Toronto). Canadian theatre podcast Stageworthy, presents a weekly live streamed conversation. During the current theatre closures, host Phil Rickaby talks to theatre makers about how the current situation under COVID-19 is affecting them, but also about how they are spending their time in social distancing and keeping themselves creatively and personally motivated. Each live streamed episode will be released as a regular podcast the following week. This week Phil talks to Lucy Eveleigh, the Executive Director of the Toronto Fringe, and the President of the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals.Tue Apr 21 at 7:30pm EST.
Listen Live Here

Sunday Night Live ONLINE (The Sketchersons). While our home Comedy Bar is closed, The Sketchersons will continue to bring HOT NEW LIVE sketch comedy to the world wide web every Sunday at 9 PM!  Sun Apr 26 9pmEDT: Hosted by Priyanka Love
Live Streams: Facebook (The Sketchersons); Facebook (Comedy Bar); Twitch

Theater On-Call (Dopolavoroteatrale, Toronto ). This project is a collection of short telephone based performances created by guest artists and DLT core members including the company’s leading actors Rory de Brouwer, Danya Buonastella and Vincent Leblanc Beaudoin. The artists invited are asked to create a performance and share a story that they think is pivotal today. The project aims to bring together established and emerging artists, and reaching audiences anywhere anywhere in the world that will be able to connect at the times that the difference performances are scheduled, an opportunity to gather as a community in Canada and globally. See website for shows, dates/times and reservation information.
Project Info

#URGNTLIVE TRNTO: SoCalled & Paul Chin
Fri Apr 24 at 7:00pm EST
Streaming on URGNT Facebook and Maclean’s​

— CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS —

Canadian Isolation Short Film Festival:  Stay at Home Heroes, in partnership with Mann Casting and eBOSS Canada, supported by ACTRA Toronto are proud to present the first (and hopefully last) Canadian Isolation Short Film Festival. The inaugural festival encourages all Canadians to submit a short “at-home” video as an expression of their own experiences in isolation during the COVID-19 crisis.
Submission Information: https://www.isff.stayathomeheroes.com/ Submission Deadline: May 6, 2020