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Live Theatre in Toronto

They're more modern :) Jasmine is a more traditional Disney princess. And really, like they sing in Beauty & The Beast: "song as old as time" .... it's always the same story with a twist (a beast, a Genie, whatever), so for these shows, it's not about the story, it's about the fun, the production, and the entertainment.
 
Finally saw the “new†production of Les Miserables. It is currently running at the Princess of Wales Theatre and transferring to Broadway in the spring. Although with a new production design and new directors, the show is not radically different from the original production – more complementary, I would say. Enjoyed the performance of Ramin Karimloo, the Iranian-Canadian actor who has achieved great success in the West End (having performed in the London productions of Les Miz, Phantom of the Opera, and others), and is finally playing a leading role on the Toronto stage. He will take the show to Broadway, although many of the other lead roles will be re-cast with American actors or bigger name performers.

http://www.lesmis.com/toronto/

I've seen les Miz several times and didn't really like the new staging, I just don't understand why they got rid of the revolving stage? Sometimes different is just different, not better! Karimloo is worth the price of admission though without a doubt, absolutely amazing!!
 
Glad to see people posting here again.

I found the first half of Les Mis dragged a bit, and I didn't care for Fantine (I couldn't understand her half the time -- speaking or singing), but I loved Karimloo. How awesome for those who got to see him with Colm Wilkinson the other night; I get chills just thinking about how it must have sounded when they did the curtain call.

I agree that Fantine was a bit weak. I thought the first half moved at a good clip, given that it's a plot-heavy show. I find the latter part of the show drags and I keep wishing Valjean would hurry up and die. ;-)


The curtain call performance of Bring Him Home by Ramin Karimloo and Colm Wilkinson is posted on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcXhADCioiQ
 
move was pretty great I agree. This week is the Next stage festival. NSTF. I saw the musical A Misfortune. Based on a checkov short story, the one act was quite good for an early staged version. The story is about a women who's married to an older man named Andrei and yearns to be a with the younger Ivan. It sounds like a lot of Checkov stories and well, it is like a lot of them, but in a good way. He explores the binds of marriage end the choices we make for comfort, or security suggesting that they sometimes conflict with desire and love. There's some good story telling but the ending was underwhelming. The music and lyrics did well to move the story too. Composer Scott Christian with the book and Lyrics by Kevin Shea are two I'dl keep an eye on. I'd recommend it. I think it runs till next week.
 
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I enjoyed Metamorphosis -- the entire concept was odd, but the cast did a good job of making it seem not so odd, if that makes any sense! I did spend a lot of the time afraid that he was going to fall and hurt himself! The staging was so well done.

I also saw Arrabal recently. I think the story is an important one for people to learn about (I didn't know much about it), but I didn't think that it the play did it justice (apart from the scene where the mothers are looking for their children). Some talented, long-legged dancers but it just didn't come together for me and left me feeling like something major was missing -- like better writing perhaps?
 
I'll be at this Fringe this year.
My one person show Inside Albert’s Head will be opening at the Fringe Festival in Toronto on July 2 at 7Pm
It has many new elements to it and it including a song and a dance It’s only $12 it will be at the Theatre Passe Muraille in Downtown Toronto.

Tell your friends and mark it on your calendar.

See you soon
David
 
Going to Company this Saturday Night. A rare production of Sondeheim's Company is going up in Toronto. It rarely get's done here and it's directed by Gary Griffin (really good director) and features Louise Pitre, Dan Chameroy and many others who can sing and act.
 
Going to Company this Saturday Night. A rare production of Sondeheim's Company is going up in Toronto. It rarely get's done here and it's directed by Gary Griffin (really good director) and features Louise Pitre, Dan Chameroy and many others who can sing and act.

I'm interested in seeing this production, but not sure if I can make it. Please post your review.
 
The first good production of a Sondheim show in Toronto for years...
Saw first night of previews of a very good production in Toronto. It's directed by Gary Griffin and has an excellent cast including Louise Pitre, Brent Carver Carly Street. In general, a darker version and played less for laughs, as compared to the bdyway version with Raul Esparza that I had seen. The scenes seemed more intimate and very contemporary. Go see it. It will sell out. I'm planning to see it again
 
saw the show again. Saturday and it was better then earlier in the run. Loved it! Sorry most of Toronto theatre audiences will miss it. Hopefully it will get another life somehow
 

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