Mary’s Musings

Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum’s first playbill: largest season for London, Ontario’s Grand Theatre  11 plays on 2 stages, 95 actors, world premiere of Silence & North American premiere of Chariots of Fire Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum announced an expanded program that represents the biggest season in the theatre’s history; one that doubles the number of actors […]

We went to the Princess of Wales, a Mirvish Theatre in Toronto, last night to see Saturday Night Fever.  We were excited about this show, since we know several of the cast members.  And we had the best of the cheap seats – second row balcony, almost centre.  (I don’t like front row balcony –

Hi Friends Looking ahead to the summer 2017 – I am really excited about this show coming to Toronto:   “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”. I saw it in April 2015 on Broadway and I really enjoyed it.  The star is Canadian Chilina Kennedy, playing Carol King.  Chilina is a brilliant musical theatre performer:  You

Year-End Thoughts As we go into 2017, here are some of my thoughts about 2016 – The “Bests”:         Best Musical – Come From Away, Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto         Best Comedy – The Birds and the Bees, Blyth Festival, Blyth         Also a good production

Blyth Festival In announcing the shows of the 2017 summer season at the Blyth Festival, Gil Garratt, Artistic Director, says “On the heels of our wildly successful 2016 season, we are continuing to push boundaries, break rules, and blow our own horn to celebrate this incomparable country. And this year the ribbon will be cut

“Our stories on our stages” – That’s how the Grand Theatre’s new Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum described his plan called Compass.  Garnhum held his first press conference this morning, after just five weeks in his new position, and the atmosphere in the Grand’s poster lounge was crackling with energy. “This is a very exciting time

Drayton Entertainment’s Seven Theatres  I’m excited about Drayton’s plans for 2017 — some old favourites such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat — along with a new Norm Foster comedy, Jonas and Barry in the Home.  Also there’s an usual choice, not the usual Drayton “music and laughter” fare:  Death of Salesman is slated

Stratford Festival  Musicals are my favourites, so I’m excited about Blythe Wilson and Alexis Gordon in Guys and Dolls, on the Festival stage in 2017.  I am also thrilled about Jennifer Rider-Shaw and Mark Uhre, both incomparable triple threats, in Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore.  Romeo and Juliet is always popular:  It’s the show I’ve

Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake There are some interesting shows coming up at the Shaw next season:  Me and My Girl, inspired by Pygmalion — will it be as good as their 2011 My Fair Lady?  I am also very intrigued by 1979.  Who would have thought there would be a play about Joe Clark’s brief interlude

Victoria Playhouse Petrolia VPP has opted to stay with their tried and true musical revues, and in 2017 they will have something to please everyone.  And, they have also added a hilarious comedy — The Birds and the Bees by Glencoe’s own Mark Crawford.  I saw different productions of The Birds and the Bees this