Music, Lessons Learned, and a Life-Long Friendship Reviewed by Mary Alderson It’s always fun to see the creators of a work present it on stage. You know that what you’re seeing is exactly what was intended. I have seen 2 Pianos 4 Hands twice before, both with different actors. So this time it was especially […]
Remembering a Life Cut Short Reviewed by Mary Alderson I don’t count myself among country music fans, but having seen the Patsy Cline show several times, I now call myself a Patsy fan. She had her own sound, a combination of her gentle southern accent and her smooth deep singing voice. While some of her
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An Energy-Filled Wild Ride into Fake News Reviewed by Mary Alderson Director/Choreographer Donna Feore has come back from the pandemic closure with a big bang. This season’s musical Chicago is her flashiest, brightest, fastest-paced, most energetic show yet! This is certainly the musical that has it all – excellent singing, dancing, acting – probably the
A Fresh New Staging of Richard III Reviewed by Vicki Stokes Richard III was presented in Stratford when the Festival first opened in 1953. The title role was performed by the great British actor, Sir Alec Guinness. Now, 69 seasons after Tom Patterson founded the Stratford Festival, it is fitting for one of its veterans,
A Prince of Denmark for 2022 Reviewed by Mary Alderson At Stratford Festival’s 2022 opening night, you might have thought Hamlet is a comedy! Never has there been so much laughter at a tragedy. If you went by the audience’s amusement in the Festival Theatre, you would think there was nothing rotten in Denmark. This
Canada’s Top Flying Ace Brought to Life Reviewed by Vicki Stokes A top-notch performance of Billy Bishop Goes to War is being staged at St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre. Created by Canadian writer-composer-performer John Gray with Canadian actor Eric Peterson (Street Legal, Corner Gas), it has been performed internationally and is a recipient of the Governor
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Manipulating Madness Reviewed by Mary Alderson The production of Gaslight, now on stage at the Royal George Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake should make the Shaw Festival very proud. One of their own, actor and playwright Patty Jamieson along with Johnna Wright, has created a new version of Gaslight. Originally written in 1938, the play was dated
The Devil Made Me Do It Reviewed by Mary Alderson Many Toronto Maple Leaf fans will understand the premise of Damn Yankees. I’m sure there are plenty of Leafs’ fans who would sell their soul to the Devil in exchange for a Stanley Cup. In Damn Yankees, we meet Joe Boyd, a fanatical fan of
Happy Days are Here Again! Reviewed by Vicki Stokes May flowers are blooming and yet Victoria Playhouse Petrolia is celebrating New Year’s Eve at a jazz club in the year 1929. But this is perfectly okay: VPP has had to put a hold on this show since 2020. It is a thrill for everyone, from
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The Secrets of Show Biz Reviewed by Mary Alderson People are always keen to hear show business’s inside stories. TV programs like Etalk or Entertainment Tonight exist only to offer a peek into what the stars are doing. Everyone loves to know what’s happening behind the scenes. So Canadian star of stage and screen Jake
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