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& Juliet – 2026
March 2, 2026
Strong Women, Modern Music, Great Voices & Funny Reviewed by Mary Alderson To really enjoy & Juliet, you need to be familiar with the original Romeo & Juliet. You know, the one by William Shakespeare where they end up dead. And then forget it, and suspend your belief in Shakespearean literature. & Juliet is a wonderful comedic romp, with energetic music and clever humour. The story features both the characters found in the original Romeo & Juliet, and the characters Shakespeare himself and his long-suffering wife Anne Hathaway. None of them are doing anything particularly Shakespearean. & Juliet, featuring a brilliant Canadian cast, is currently on stage at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, a Mirvish production, in Toronto. I first saw & Juliet when the original production was at Mirvish before it moved to Broadway in 2022. I loved the humour. It was reminiscent of the way Wayne & Schuster made fun of classic literature. This writer is as funny as Wayne & Shuster, adding a twist to Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, using familiar Shakespearean phrases and creating silly but hilarious responses. The author of & Juliet is Canadian David West Read and he knows award-winning comedy, having been a writer with the much-lauded TV series Schitt’s Creek. The music in & Juliet is all written or co-written by Swedish record producer and songwriter Karl Martin Sandberg, professionally known as Max Martin. The songs were written over the last 20 to 25 years, and have been made famous by the likes of Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Bon Jovi, Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Ariana Grande, Celine Dion, Demi Lovato, Backstreet Boys and others. & Juliet rocks a myriad of popular songs, and the lyrics have been brilliantly woven into the plot. The plot centres around Juliet herself, and Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s ...
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Mary's Musings
Capitol Theatre Reveals their 2026 Casting
March 26, 2026
Some of Canada’s best talent will be on stage at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre this year. Here are the four popular shows appearing on the main stage, with a sneak peek of the casts. You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown – May 15 – 31, 2026 Book, Music and Lyrics by Clark Gesner. Additional Dialogue by Michael Mayer. Additional Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa. Directed and choreographed by Rob Kempson, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown features Amir Haidar in the title role, with Jillian Mitsuko Cooper as Sally, AP Bautista as Lucy Van Pelt, Matt Pilipiak as Snoopy, Kyle Golemba as Schroeder, and Ben Kopp as Linus Van Pelt. Life, love, baseball—and an opinionated dog named Snoopy. Based on the beloved comic strip by Charles M. Schulz, this musical comedy chronicles the adventures of Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts gang. Winner of two Tony Awards and three Drama Desk Awards. Kyle Golemba, Jillian Mitsuko Cooper, Amir Haidar, Ben Kopp, AP Bautista. Photo by Sam Moffatt Liars at a Funeral – June 12 – 28, 2026 By Sophia Fabiilli June 12 – 28, 2026 Directed by Aaron Jan, Liars at a Funeral features Aidan deSalaiz, Carolyn Fe, Ericka Leobrera, Jane Luk, and Gregory Solomon. Grief has never been so hilarious! When an estranged family gathers to mourn the passing of Mavis, the family matriarch, the funeral erupts into a more dysfunctional family reunion than any of them could have imagined. If everyone can keep it together, they might just break the intergenerational curse and make it out alive! Gregory Solomon, Aidan deSalaiz, Jane Luk, Ericka Leobrera. Photo by Sam Moffatt Come From Away – July 10 – August 2, 2026 Book, Music & Lyrics by Irene Sankoff & David Hein Music Direction by Jeff Newberry Choreography by Genny Sermonia Directed by Rob Kempson, and featuring live music performed by the company, the Capitol’s production of Come From ...
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