Magic and Delight Having seen the Disney version of Mary Poppins many times over the years, I was pleased to have this opportunity to see the Disney and Cameron MacKintosh’s stage musical.  The movie was a magical escape, and that magic is wonderfully recreated at the Grand Theatre in London. This play is perfectly staged, with flying, […]

A Hilarious, Modern Adaptation Sleeping Beauty – The Panto, currently at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, is as much for the adults as for the children.  In true panto style, the audience becomes part of the performance. The wonderful thing about fairy tales is that they are continually adapted to the times.  Sleeping Beauty has been traced […]

Buddy is No Cotton-Headed Ninny Muggins This Christmas season, a very tall elf named Buddy is dancing on stage at the Hamilton Theatre in Cambridge   He is hilarious, but his story will bring tears to even the most cynical eyes.  If you’re a fan of Drayton Entertainment’s fairy tale pantos, you will recognize Buddy. […]

Brilliant Performances in A Legendary Affair The Grand Dames of Canadian theatre are together on stage in a captivating musical, both giving brilliant performances.  The show is Piaf/Dietrich – A Legendary Affair and the noted leads are Louise Pitre and Jayne Lewis, both of whom inhabit their characters and bring to life the famous chanteuses. […]

Throwback Time to the Days of Sketch Comedy If I Could #Throwback Time, which opened recently at Toronto’s Second City, starts with a plane ride taking the audience (and cast members) back in time, thanks to an attentive flight attendant.  The plane lands in a resort, where a man on vacation is sexually harassing a […]

Heartbreaking Stories Give New Life to Dylan’s Songs Back in 2016, I was surprised when Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, becoming the first songwriter to win the prestigious award. The rock legend, 75 at the time, received the prize “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.  […]

Billy Elliot The Musical: A Perfect Blend of Laughter and Tears    From laughing out loud at hilarious instances, to tears flowing in heartbreaking moments, the audience at Stratford Festival’s Billy Elliot The Musical is taken on an emotional ride through a little mining town in northern England to the big city of London.  Billy […]

Take the Trip to Gander The 9/11 (or rather 9/12) Gander, Newfoundland musical Come From Away is back in Toronto.  If you missed it during its last stay, you had better order your tickets now, because upcoming dates will sell out quickly.  However, I predict that it will have a long stay, so there will […]

Fasten Your Seatbelts – Come From Away is Going to Take Off!     Note:  This review is based on the Toronto production in 2016.  It is now on Broadway at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, 236 West 45th Street, New York, NY 10036. Come From Away returns to Toronto, opening February 13, 2018, with a new Canadian cast. […]