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But They Do Know the Territory   It’s 1912 in small town USA.  Salesmen are the lifeblood of the little communities:  They come in on trains, sell their wares, and move on to the next town.  As the train pulls into River City, the salesmen are talking about a shyster who is giving their profession […]

Dark and Depressing Musical  Grand Hotel, now on stage at the Shaw Festival, tells the foreboding stories of various guests staying at Berlin’s most luxurious hotel.  But the luxury is dimmed by their dark lives.  Set between the two world wars, Grand Hotel is based on the 1932 movie. You know it’s going to a

Amazing One-Woman Show has Lots of Laughs    Shirley is trapped in a midlife crisis.  Her husband Joe is predictable and stubborn.  “Marriage is like the Middle East,” she says, “There’s no solution.  You keep your head down and hope the cease-fire holds.”  The Liverpool housewife is so lonely she talks to the wall, and

Running for a Cause A true story of conviction and determination, Chariots of Fire, now on stage at London’s Grand Theatre, offers a fascinating look at a moment in history.  Set in the 1920s, it tells of two athletic runners in Britain, both with Olympic dreams.  Eric Liddell is a devout Christian from Scotland, who

Putting the Fun in Funeral Home – Or Not    Fun Home, now on stage at the CAA Theatre in Toronto, has some really funny moments.  In one scene, three children, whose family operates a funeral home, create an advertisement to promote the business.  They climb in and out of a casket, dancing and singing

Strong Cast Creates Poignant Dysfunctional Family Story The Glass Menagerie, the almost-autobiographical story of Tennessee Williams, is timeless.  First produced in 1944, it is set in the mid-1930s when Williams was a young man. This dysfunctional family story, now on the McManus stage at London’s Grand Theatre, transcends the decades. At first glance, it’s a

A Show Made for Musical Theatre Nerds    An all Canadian show, The Drowsy Chaperone, now on stage at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, has an interesting history.  Originally written by their friends, it was performed for Bob Martin and Janet Van De Graaff as a wedding gift.  After that, Bob Martin and Don McKellar

A New Musical Copying an Old Movie    A re-imagining of the old 1951 movie, An American in Paris is now on stage at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto.  A combination of projected images and moving set pieces show how World War II devastated France.  We are transported back to 1945, as the red