Archives

A Truly Canadian Soul Reviewed by Mary Alderson If you like a true story of someone overcoming a difficult childhood and somehow moving on to reach a goal, then you’ll enjoy the The Ballad of Stompin’ Tom. Like all Tom Connors’ songs, this musical tells a tale. The story of how little Tommy eventually becomes […]

Let Dorothy and Her Friends Entertain You Reviewed by Vicki Stokes All is wonderful in the town of Bayfield for Dorothy and her friends (friends of Dorothy, if you will!) That is until Toto gets into mischief with the terrible Gulch. The adventure of this fun cast of characters is a must-see for families with

Is it Only a Disappearing Act? Reviewed by Mary Alderson In 2018, Stratford Festival included in its roster the play Napoli Milionaria! by Eduardo de Filippo. Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino directed it. It was a fascinating story about life in Italy in World War II. Based on that success, Cimolino is directing Grand Magic by

Forget Regret, or Life is Yours to Miss Note: Rent has been extended to November 5. Reviewed by Mary Alderson It’s a story about the lack of affordable housing, about drug and alcohol addiction, about violence in the streets, about police brutality, about homophobia and prejudice, and about the deadly rise in HIV/AIDS. It doesn’t

“I Fart in your General Direction” Note:  Spamalot has been extended until November 18, 2023.  Reviewed by Mary Alderson Here is how I would sum up opening night of Spamalot at Stratford Festival: Wow, did it ever feel good to laugh. And there were many, many laugh-out-loud moments. Don’t tell me you’re not going because

Dark Humour with a Different Lear Reviewed by Mary Alderson How wonderful to have Stratford Festival return to the grandeur of the opening week, something we haven’t seen since 2019. It felt like all the pomp and circumstance was back in place after Covid wreaked havoc with the last three seasons. In hopes of filling

Everything’s Coming Up Roses Reviewed by Mary Alderson Gypsy has just opened in Niagara-on-the-Lake on the Shaw Festival Stage. Kate Hennig owns that stage and rightly so – she is Rose, the ultimate stage mother. She makes the role her own. Rose is a narcissist, wanting all the attention for herself, and expecting her daughters

A Heartfelt Tribute to a Canadian Legend Reviewed by Sookie Mei Leisa Way and her Wayward Wind Band were rehearsing Early Morning Rain: The Legend of Gordon Lightfoot in Orillia, Lightfoot’s hometown, when they heard that the Canadian singer-songwriter had died.  A sad day for all Canadians, it must have hit the band especially hard,

Mid-life Crisis? Go to Greece! Reviewed by Mary Alderson 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,

Dysfunctional Family Ties Reviewed by Mary Alderson Divorce, distance, drinking – all the ingredients of an estranged father-son relationship. Not the usual fodder for a Norm Foster comedy. But while Mending Fences provides Foster’s signature quips and quick one-liners, there is also much to think about, when it comes to family dynamics. This dramedy (drama/comedy)