Archives

Cooking with Acrobats   In 2002, seven self-described circus artists came together in Montreal to form Les 7 Doigts or The 7 Fingers. Following on the success of Cirque de Soliel, they have been gathering acrobats, gymnasts and trapeze artists from around the world and putting together shows for the last 15 years.  Their latest […]

Appreciating Joni’s Lyrics and Music The show Joni Mitchell: River is the season opener on stage at London’s Grand Theatre.  Before I can tell you about it, I need to tell you what it’s not. It’s not the story of Joni’s life; there are no words spoken, nor any account acted.  It’s not an impersonation

Please Note: This review was written in July 2015 when this production of Footloose was in Grand Bend.  The show has now been remounted at the Dunfield Theatre, Cambridge, on stage until October 30, 2016. There are some cast changes.  Call the Box Office: 1-855-drayton (372-9866) for tickets.  Everybody Cut Loose! Time-travelling back to the 1980s is the

Terry Fox Musical Remembers and Raises Hope You might think that Terry Fox’s story isn’t suitable material for a musical.  Or maybe you think the subject matter is too depressing. But strangely enough, this new Canadian musical making its debut at St. Jacobs Country Playhouse is actually uplifting.  We know the outcome – Terry doesn’t

Student Ensemble Thrills Audience with Glorious Anthems of Les Mis The Grand Theatre is celebrating 20 years of High School Projects with the opening of Les Misérables which includes a cast of 47, plus 17 crew members and three student musicians.  And this year, the ensemble shines, raising the roof and filling the house with

Canada’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Deejay A fascinating story is being told on stage at the cabaret-style Schoolhouse Theatre in St. Jacobs.   Here in Ontario we aren’t familiar with this west coast legend, so this lively little musical is actually an educational experience as well as very entertaining.  We learn about ground-breaking disc jockey Red Robinson,

So Much Heart in Country Music There’s another crowd-pleaser on stage at The Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia: The Men of Country ~ From the Heart.  In a season full of box office hits and happy audiences, co-artistic directors David Hogan and David Rogers have done what they set out to do.  As Mr. Hogan told

How Does He Do It? Reviewing a magic show is outside of my usual fare – I am much more comfortable blogging about musicals or plays.  This promises to be different, I thought.  And it was! Guests for The Ruse are ushered into a special room at Kitchener’s Walper Hotel where we see a short

From Our Old Favourite Musicals Around the Piano is a musical revue where the team at Victoria Playhouse does what they do best.  With Mark Payne at the grand piano and David Rogers singing favourites from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s songbook, they have created another wonderful show, sure to please the VPP audience. Mark Payne brings

Scatology on the Festival Stage The Hypochondriac, which has just opened late in the season on the Stratford Festival Stage is full of scatological humour, but thankfully offers a satiric look at the medical profession which redeems it.  Otherwise it would just be Borat dressed up for the Festival Theatre. The Hypochondriac is one of