The Hamilton Phenomena Arrives at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto

***NOTE: All performances are cancelled between Saturday, March 14 through Sunday, April 12 to respect social-distancing requests around COVID -19

If you’re the type of person who reads theatre reviews, you’re probably well aware of  Hamilton, now playing at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. As lyricist-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda puts it, it’s that quintessential hip-hop story of a scrappy young man who starts from the bottom, succeeds by sheer bravado and talent, and is then undone by the same hubris that precipitated his meteoric rise. The story just applies, in this case, to America’s first Secretary of the Treasury, as the country violently transitions from colonial rule to self-government.

Based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton, the show was a cultural and award-winning juggernaut, one of few modern works to actually claim the title of game-changer outside of the insular theatre scene. The only question is: does the Toronto production live up to the quality and hype of the show itself? The answer is: yes, mostly.

Continue reading Review: Hamilton (Mirvish) →

I’ve always thought that Caroline or Change was a brilliant show, unfairly overlooked.

When I saw the original Broadway production in 2003, I was deeply moved by Tony Kushner’s eloquent lyrics and Jeanine Tesori’s multifaceted mélange of a score. Stuck between the pop powerhouse Wicked and the ironic underdog Avenue Q that year, it won a single Tony for supporting actress, and isn’t as well-known as those brighter, brassier shows.

Thankfully, the Musical Stage Company and Obsidian Theatre’s stunning, riveting remount of their hit 2012 production, directed by Robert McQueen, brings it back into the limelight at the Winter Garden Theatre for a well-deserved ovation. If you haven’t seen it, that should change.

Continue reading Review: Caroline, Or Change (The Musical Stage Company/Obsidian Theatre) →

This Is How We Got Here was a finalist for the 2018 Governor General’s Award for English-language drama, and it’s easy to see why; Keith Barker’s meditation on grief is lyrical and haunting. Native Earth Performing Arts’ production gives the script the sensitive treatment it deserves, resulting in an experience that feels both sorrowful and healing.

Continue reading Review: This Is How We Got Here (Native Earth Performing Arts) →

Café Sarajevo, by performance collective bluemouth inc., explores the concept of divided cities and the internal hatred that can lead to civil war. Playing at Progress Festival at The Theatre Centre, it follows the story of Lucy Simic and her partner Stephen O’Connell (of bluemouth), who travel to Simic’s father’s homeland of Bosnia to find out more about the ethnic conflict in the 1990s that tore the area apart.

For our purposes, the conceit is that they’re recording a podcast, and we’re helping as both audience and participants. Audience members participate as people the couple met on their journey, and play an opening “scarcity” game as Team Chomsky vs. Team Foucault. As the journey to Sarajevo takes place, we move around the space, simulating a feeling of travel. We listen to everything on Bluetooth headphones with adjustable volume; instead of binoculars or a camera, we carry around our necks 360-degree VR glasses, so that we can literally follow in Simic and O’Connell’s footsteps.

Continue reading Review: Café Sarajevo (Progress Festival / bluemouth inc.) →