Musicals

Ghost Quartet

Lauren Gillett — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Dave Malloy's intoxicating song cycle casts a spell over Toronto audiences

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Review

Credits:

Presented by Crow's Theatre & Eclipse Theatre Company
Music, lyrics & text by Dave Malloy
Directed by Marie Farsi
Musical direction by Andrew Penner

Murder ballads, doo-wop, jazz and raucous drinking songs collide in the Canadian premiere of Dave Malloy's Ghost Quartet

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Show Dates:

Sat, 2019-10-05 - Sun, 2019-11-10

Theatre:

Crow's Theatre

Girl From The North Country

Lauren Gillett — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 04:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Heartbreaking musical sets Bob Dylan's songs against Depression-era tragedy

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Review

Credits:

Presented by David Mirvish
Written and directed by Conor McPherson
Music and lyrics by Bob Dylan

The Canadian premiere of Conor McPherson's unconventional musical Girl from the North Country is now playing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. Set in a guest house in Duluth, Minnesota, during the winter of 1934, the show weaves a beautiful selection of Bob Dylan's songbook through a devastating story about a family and community on the brink of disaster.

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Show Dates:

Fri, 2019-10-11 - Sun, 2019-11-24

Theatre:

Royal Alexandra Theatre

The Band's Visit

Lauren Gillett — Wed, 25 Sep 2019 00:53:26 +0000

Subtitle:

A subtly soulful musical experience

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by David Mirvish
Music and lyrics by David Yazbek
Book by Itamar Moses
Based on the screenplay by Eran Kolirin
Directed by David Cromer

If you think you know what the Tony Award-winning musical The Band's Visit is all about before you've seen it, think again. This is not your typical Broadway show.

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Show Dates:

Tue, 2019-09-17 - Sun, 2019-10-20

Theatre:

Ed Mirvish Theatre

Waitress

Lauren Gillett — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 23:50:26 +0000

Subtitle:

Tony nominated musical serves up bittersweet mixture of laughter and tears

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Review

Credits:

Presented by David Mirvish
Based on the film by Adrienne Shelly|
Book by Jessie Nelson
Music & lyrics by Sara Bareilles

Baking can be messy, much like life, as is beautifully illustrated in the musical Waitress, a Tony Award-nominated show with music and and lyrics by Sara Bareilles, book by screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland), now playing at the Ed Mirvish Theatre.

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Theatre:

Ed Mirvish Theatre

The Last Ship

Lauren Gillett — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 02:48:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Sting's deeply personal musical finds safe harbour in Toronto

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by David Mirvish
Music & Lyrics by Sting
Directed by Lorne Campbell

Sting's musical The Last Ship has landed in Toronto for a limited engagement at the Princess of Wales Theatre. This exclusive production stars Sting (Gordon Sumner) himself and features a revised book by director Lorne Campbell.

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Show Dates:

Fri, 2019-02-22 - Sun, 2019-03-24

Theatre:

Princess of Wales Theatre

Fun Home

Lauren Gillett — Tue, 24 Apr 2018 04:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Canadian cast soars in acclaimed musical drama

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by David Mirvish
A Musical Stage Co. Production
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book & Lyrics by Lisa Kron
Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel

Rarely does a musical tackle complex topics such as sexuality and suicide, let alone captivate audiences from all walks of life with brilliant storytelling and a beautiful score. Winner of five Tony Awards, including "Best Musical," Fun Home is now playing for a limited time at the CAA Theatre (formerly The Panasonic) featuring a top-notch Canadian cast.

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Show Dates:

Mon, 2018-04-23 - Sun, 2018-05-20

Theatre:

CAA Theatre (Formerly The Panasonic)

An American In Paris

Lauren Gillett — Sat, 31 Mar 2018 14:51:17 +0000

Subtitle:

Exquisite, award-winning touring production woos Toronto audiences

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by David Mirvish and Aubrey Dan
Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
Book by Craig Lucas
Inspired by the Motion Picture
Directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon

Toronto musical lovers will want to rush to catch this outstanding Broadway production of An American In Paris, on stage now for a limited run at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Winner of four Tony Awards, the show boasts choreography by Christopher Wheeldon, who also directs, and music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin.

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Show Dates:

Tue, 2018-03-27 - Sun, 2018-04-29

Theatre:

Princess of Wales Theatre

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Lauren Gillett — Sun, 09 Jul 2017 04:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Chilina Kennedy shines in brilliant tribute to legendary singer-songwriter

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by David Mirvish
Book by Douglas McGrath
Words and music by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil
Music by arrangement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical has finally arrived in Toronto after two years on Broadway, and audiences will not be disappointed.

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Stars:

4.5

Show Dates:

Wed, 2017-07-05 - Sun, 2017-09-03

Theatre:

Ed Mirvish Theatre

Me and My Girl

Lauren Gillett — Tue, 30 May 2017 04:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Hearts and heritage collide in this triumphant musical revival

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by the Shaw Festival
Directed by Ashlie Corcoran
Book and lyrics by L. Arthur Rose and Douglas Furber
Book revised by Stephen Fry
Music by Noel Gay

The Shaw Festival's new production of the hit 1930s musical Me and My Girl opened to rapturous applause on Saturday night as audience members lept to their feet at curtain call singing along to "The Lambeth Walk." Directed by Ashlie Corcoran, this lively revival is the perfect antidote for fake news blues and political woes, as today's theatregoers seek relief from the negative newscycle, just as they did in post-war times.

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Show Dates:

Tue, 2017-05-30 - Sun, 2017-10-15

Theatre:

Shaw Festival Theatre

Sousatzka

Lauren Gillett — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 23:58:40 +0000

Subtitle:

Garth Drabinsky's new production explores the unifying power of music

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by Garth Drabinsky
Book by Craig Lucas
Music by David Shire
Lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr.
Based on the original novel Madame Sousatzka by Bernice Rubens

Controversial theatre producer Garth Drabinsky returns to the Toronto stage (after his conviction of fraud in 2009) with a new musical, Sousatzka, now playing at the Elgin Theatre.

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Stars:

2.5

Show Dates:

Thu, 2017-03-23 - Sun, 2017-04-09

Theatre:

Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres

Mrs Henderson Presents

Lauren Gillett — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 03:36:26 +0000

Subtitle:

Cheeky British musical bares all at the Royal Alex

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by David Mirvish
Book by Terry Johnson
Lyrics by Don Black
Music by George Fenton & Simon Chamberlain
Based on the motion picture Mrs Henderson Presents

This season, Mirvish brings the hit West End musical Mrs Henderson Presents to the Royal Alexandra Theatre for its Canadian premiere. Based on the true story of an eccentric British socialite who invested her money to create the Windmill Theatre in London during World War II, this risqué production boasts a talented cast, captivating music and a tasteful smattering of nudity.

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Theatre:

Royal Alexandra Theatre

Cabaret

Lauren Gillett — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Roundabout Theatre tours steamy production of classic wartime musical

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by Roundabout Theatre Company
Book by Joe Masteroff
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Directed by BT McNicholl

Toronto audiences have a chance to see Roundabout Theatre's terrific production of Kander and Ebb's Cabaret for a limited engagement at the Princess of Wales Theatre this week. Originally directed by Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall in 1993, this provocative revival is fun to watch and its message about the rise of fascism still rings ominously true today.

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Theatre:

Princess of Wales Theatre

Next Stage Festival: Blood Ties

Lauren Gillett — Sat, 07 Jan 2017 05:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Macabre musical slays at Toronto Fringe's Next Stage Fest

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by Edge of the Sky
Written by Anika Johnson and Barbara Johnston
Directed by Ann Merriam

How far would you go to help a friend? Playwrights Anika Johnson and Barbara Johnston explore this question in their chilling musical Blood Ties, now playing at Factory Theatre as part of the Toronto Fringe's Next Stage Festival. The show has previously been a hit at SummerWorks, the Edinburgh Fringe, and on BBC America’s Orphan Black.

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Theatre:

Factory Theatre

Come From Away

Lauren Gillett — Sat, 26 Nov 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

Broadway-bound Canadian musical warms hearts in the aftermath of tragedy

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by David Mirvish
Book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein
Directed by Christopher Ashley

On September 11th, 2001, 38 planes with 6,579 passengers were stranded in the remote town of Gander, Newfoundland, after the terrorist attacks in New York. For five days the local residents opened their homes and hosted an international community of strangers before they were able to finally fly to their destinations. This emotional event is the subject of a Broadway-bound musical written by Canadians Irene Sankoff and David Hein (My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding), now on stage in Toronto at the newly renovated Royal Alexandra Theatre.

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Show Dates:

Sat, 2016-11-26 - Sun, 2017-01-08

Theatre:

Royal Alexandra Theatre

Chasse-Galerie

Lauren Gillett — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 05:00:00 +0000

Subtitle:

A whimsical, comical, musical celebration of French Canadian culture

Headline:

Review

Credits:

Presented by Kabin and The Storefront Theatre
Book adapted by Tyrone Savage
Music and lyrics by James Smith

After a hit run at The Storefront Theatre last year, the Dora Award and Toronto Theatre Critics Award-winning Chasse-Galerie, adapted by Tyrone Savage with music and lyrics by James Smith, is now playing at the Young Centre as part of Soulpepper's current season.

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Stars:

4.5

Theatre:

Young Centre for the Performing Arts