What's on: In Queer Toronto Theatre Scene?
Live Theatre and Stage Productions?
OuteXpressions Newspaper: Theatre events for culture queers.
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being seen.
A Brimful of Asha. @ Tarragon Theatre mother
and son Asha and Ravi Jain to reenact their true story of generational and culture
clash, between traditional Indian and modern Canadian values. The Jains stage
and recount how Ravi, an Indian Canadian on vacation in the motherland, meets
his parents by surprise, after which they attempt to fix him into an arranged
marriage. Runs January 24 to February 18, 2012. Tarragon Theatre ExtraSpace,
30 Bridgman Ave. www.tarragontheatre.com
Beckett: Feck It! @ Berkeley Street Theatre One
of the great playwrights of the twentieth century gets his due in Beckett: Feck
It!, a tribute show to Irish writer Samuel Beckett. A co-production of the Canadian
Stage Company and Queen of Puddings Music Theatre, the show is directed by Jennifer
Tarver, with musical direction by Dáirine Ní Mheadhra and John Hess. One of
the key figures of the Theatre of the Absurd movement, Samuel Beckett is best
known for Waiting for Godot and Endgame. Beckett: Feck It! features text from
the playwright's shorter works, as well as modern classical music from Irish
composers inspired by his work. Runs February 17 to 25.https://www.canadianstage.com/Online/
Cabaret by Joe Masteroff, John Kander and Fred Ebb
(Hart House Theatre) In the midst of Nazi Germany, the cabaret is
an oasis where people go to escape reality and share in some scrap of happiness.
In the cabaret anything goes: loose women, looser men and a cocktail of drugs,
booze and music that keeps the fantasy alive. This dark, sexy musical has played
around the world to great acclaim and now Hart House Theatre’s skilled, young
and dynamic artists will produce the work for the first time the Theatre’s long
history.. Opens Jan 13 and runs to Jan 28, Wed-Sat 8 pm, mat Jan 28 at
2 pm. $25, stu/srs $10-$15. 7 Hart House Circle. 416-978-8849, harthousetheatre.ca.
Cruel And Tender @ Bluma Appel Theatre by
Martin Crimp (Canadian Stage). A general fighting a war in Africa sends a local
woman back home to his pampered wife in this modern update of Sophocles' Trachiniae.
Previews Jan 21-25. Opens Jan 26 and runs to Feb 18. $22-$99.
Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front E. 416-368-3110, canadianstage.com.
Dark Matters @ Bluma Appel Theatre Multiple-award-winning
choreographer Crystal Pite's Dark Matters features six dancers and an original
score by long-time collaborator Owen Belton. The piece explores dark matter,
both the kind explored by scientists in a lab and the kind that is within the
human mind. Dark Matters combines pure dance and puppetry and explores Pite's
curiosity of the unknown. The show was created by Pite's company Kidd Pivot.
Runs February 28 to March 3. 416-368-3110 https://www.canadianstage.com/Online/
Divisadero @ Theatre Passe Muraille:
A Performance based on the novel by Michael Ondaatje (Necessary Angel/the Film
Farm). A family is forever changed by a violent event in this musical adaptation
about memory, identity and love. Previews Feb 8. Opens Feb 10 and runs
to Feb 26. $25-$35, preview $10, Sun pwyc. Theatre Passe Muraille,
16 Ryerson. 416-504-7529, necessaryangel.com.
Funkyland (Famous People Players).
The blacklight theatre company presents a twist on Lewis Carroll's Alice In
Wonderland. Opens Jan 24 and runs to Apr 28. $62, srs $56,
child $40 (includes meal). 343 Evans. 416-532-1137, fpp.org
Hamlet Live (Hamlet Live Team) @ Annex Theatre.
Shakespeare's tragedy is adapted to a dystopian post-apocalyptic future in this
production that can be viewed live onstage or via computer live stream. Opens
Jan 26 and runs to Feb 11. $5-$40. Annex Theatre, 730 Bathurst. hamletlive.com
Henri Fabergé's Heligoland Follies (Stages).
This monthly six-part performance series features music, comedy, film and narrative
theatre about an 1820s community trying to reach a utopian ideal. Runs Jan
12 at 9 pm. Feb 2 at 9 pm. Mar 1 at 9 pm. Pwyc. Hart House, Arbor Room,
7 Hart House Circle. harthouse.utoronto.ca/arts/stages/henri.
Hughie @ Theatre Centre
by Eugene O'Neill (The Alley Theatre Workshop). A night clerk at a NYC
hotel hears a small-time hustler's tale of woe in this one-act play. Previews
Feb 7. Opens Feb 8 and runs to Mar 3. $25, stu/srs $20, Theatre Centre
1087 Queen W. 416-538-0988 www.theatrecentre.org
La Fille Mal Gardée @ Four Seasons Centre for
the Performing Arts First staged by the National Ballet of Canada
in 1976, Sir Frederick Ashton's famous rendition of La Fille Mal Gardée (or:
The Wayward Daughter) returns to the company's repertoire this year. Arranged
by John Lanchbery from the 1828 score by Ferdinand Hérold, the ballet features
performances by Sonia Rodriguez and Aleksandar Antonijevic. La Fille Mal Gardée
is the comedic love story about a country girl who wants to marry a handsome
farmer, although her mother has set her up to marry a rich fool. The original
version, first performed in Bordeaux in 1789, had a score based on fifty-five
anonymously-written French songs. Runs February 29, to March 4.
tel: (416) 363-6671 or box office: (416) 363-8231 145 Queen St. West , Toronto
, ON http://national.ballet.ca/
Les Rythmes De La Foret Collective of Black Artists
and Harbourfront NextSteps present dances and rhythms from the sub-Saharan
region accompanied by traditional drums and chants. Feb 3-5, Fri-Sat
8 pm, Sun 3 pm. $22-$30, stu/srs $18-$25. Fleck Dance Theatre, 207 Queens Quay
W. 416-973-4000,harbourfrontcentre.com.
Love from Afar Opera @ Four Seasons For The Performing
Arts. The Canadian Opera Company
stages one of the most acclaimed operas of our time, Finnish composer Kaija
Saariaho's Love from Afar. A 12th-Century tale of a search for love, the show
is conducted by Johannes Debus and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, with performances
by Russell Braun, Erin Wall and Krisztina Szabò. Love from Afar follows the
journey of a French troubadour (Braun) who's weary of the common pleasures of
life and, spurred by a pilgrim's (Szabò) stories, sets off to find the Countess
of Tripoli (Wall), who represents his vision of ideal love. Runs February
2 to 22, 2012. http://www.coc.ca
Motown Gold @ Stage West Dinner Theatre Yet
another hit musical revue, this time delivering the heart and soul of the Motown
era! In 1960, Berry Gordy, Jr. incorporated the first record label featuring
artists who infused a “soul” into the industry. It became the future of pop;
Motown churned out artist after artist with hit after hit. Runs to February
5, 2012 Stage West Dinner Theatre -- 5400 Dixie Rd, Mississauga Ontario.
www.stagewest.com
My Granny The Goldfish @ Factory Theatre
A Toronto premiere by Vancouver novelist and playwright Anosh Irani.
This acclaimed comedy by Vancouver novelist and playwright Anosh Irani (http://www.anoshirani.com/)
tells the story of a hospitalized young man and his whiskey-toting grandmother
from Bombay who comes to visit. Runs March 17 to April 15. 125 Bathurst
St. www.factorytheatre.ca
Obeah Opera An opera set during the Salem witch hunt
@ 918 Bathurst Street b current comes a new look at the infamous
Salem, Massachusetts witch hunt and trials of the 1690s. Obeah Opera, a fully
a capella opera written by Nicole Brooks and directed by ahdri zhina mandiela
is a co-production with Theatre Archipelago, starring Saidah Baba Talibah, Joni
NehRita, Ella Andall, Saphire Demitro and Brooks.Exploring the Caribbean connection
of the notorious event, Obeah Opera tells the story of five women accused of
forbidden spiritual acts in their Puritan town. Using music and a ten-woman
chorus, the opera exposes the myth of obeah as a sinful practice. Musical direction
by Tova Kardonne. 416-533-1500 http://www.bcurrent.ca/
Runs Wednesday February 15 to Sunday March 4
Penny Plain by Ronnie Burkett (Ronnie Burkett Theatre
of Marionettes). A reclusive old woman's sanctuary is disrupted by
a chaotic outside world. Previews Jan 20-24, Fri-Sat and Tue 8 pm, Sun 7 pm.
Opens Jan 25 and runs to Feb 26, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $30-$55. Factory
Theatre, 125 Bathurst. 416-504-9971, factorytheatre.ca.
Pinkalicious, The Musical by Elizabeth
Kann, Victoria Kann and John Gregor (Vital Theatre). A girl turns pink after
eating too many cupcakes in this family show. Opens Aug 21 and runs Jan 15-29,
Sun 1 pm. $20. Lower Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington. 416-642-8973, vitaltheatre.ca.
Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience
@ Panasonic Theatre A Parody by Dan and Jeff makes its North
American debut after playing to sold-out crowds in the United Kingdom, Australia
and New Zealand. Written and performed by BBC personalities Daniel Clarkson
and Jefferson Turner, the show condenses the Potter series to a mere seventy
minutes. With Monty Python-influenced comedy, Potted Potter features songs,
costume changes, props and even audience participation in a real-life game of
Quidditch, but with different rules. Runs February 11, 2012 to March
04, 2012 http://www.pottedpotter.com/
| http://www.mirvish.com/theatres/panasonictheatre
Red Snow by Diana Tso (Red Snow Collective).
This story of love and struggling to reconcile the past with the present
is inspired by stories of survivors of the Rape of Nanking. Previews
Jan 12-13. Opens Jan 14 and runs to Jan 28, Jan 19-21 and 23-28 at
7:30 pm, mats Jan 21, 25 and 28 at 2 pm (see website for other times). $30,
stu $15, Sat mat pwyc. Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson. 416-504-7529, redsnowcollective.ca.
The Blue Dragon by Robert Lepage (Mirvish). The
life of a Canadian expat living in Shanghai is turned upside down by two women
in this multilingual dance-theatre piece. Rruns to Feb 19, Tue-Sat 8
pm, mats Sat-Sun and Wed 2 pm. $25-$99. Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King W.
http://www.mirvish.com/
The Children's Republic @ Tarragon Theatre.
a World War II-set drama about a doctor, educator and champion of children's
rights, Janusz Korczak, who runs an orphanage in Warsaw. As the war rages, Dr.
Korczak finds the courage and means to survive from a young boy named Israel.
Runs to Feb 4, 2012 www.tarragontheatre.com/season/1112/the-childrens-republic/
Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Avenue, Toronto, ON,
The Double @ Factory Theatre by Fyodor
Dostoevsky (TheatreRUN). A man tries desperately to fit in with a grotesque
society in this multidisciplinary adaptation. Previews Feb 2. Opens Feb 3
and runs to Feb 19. $20-$28, preview/Sun pwyc. Factory Theatre, Studio,
125 Bathurst. 416-504-9971, theatrerun.wordpress.com.
The God of Hell @ Unit 102 Theatre
Directed by Brandon Thomas. Stage managed by Nikol Pavlidou. Starring: Luis
Fernandes, Jesse Ryder Hughes, David Lafontaine and Jenny Westoby. A tragic
farce about small town dairy farmers, Emma and Frank, trying to live a peaceful
life until Frank's old friend Haynes shows up who is running from the government
for mysterious reasons involving plutonium. Another mysterious stranger named
Welch shows up at the house and his aggressive patriotism puts Frank, Emma and
Haynes to the test concluding in a final showdown over free will vs. conformity.
The Details: Unit 102 Theatre - 376 Dufferin unit 102 ( Queen
and Dufferin) Just south on Dufferin. Starting Wednesday February 1st
– Saturday February 4th @ 8pm and Wednesday February 8th – Saturday February
11th @ 8pm All tickets $15 at door / No latecomers Advance tickets
are available for $12 through Unit 102 e-mail at unit102tix@gmail.com Theatre
info on-line: www.unit102theatre.com
The Golden Dragon by Roland Schimmelpfennig (Tarragon
Theatre). A restaurant's kitchen staff help an illegal immigrant
search for his lost sister. Previews Jan 10-17. Opens Jan 18 and runs to
Feb 19, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mats Sun 2:30 pm (and Jan 21, 28, Feb 4). $20-$51.
30 Bridgman. 416-531-1827,tarragontheatre.com
The Laramie Project @ Toronto Centre for the
Arts A thought-provoking play about a group of ten New Yorkers
who investigated a horrible crime in Laramie, Wyoming, interviewing over 200
residents of the town.Directed by Mario D'Alimonte. Runs January 26
to February 5. 416-733-9388 http://www.tocentre.com/studio/thelaramieproject
The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs @ Tarragon
Theatre The Tarragon Theatre presents Carole Fréchette's play
The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs, translated by John Murrell and directed
by Weyni Mengesha. One of the most important playwrights to come out of Quebec
in the last twenty-five years, Fréchette won a Governor General's Award in 1995
for The Four Lives of Marie; other acclaimed plays include Elisa's Skin, Seven
Days in the Life of Simon Labrosse and Helen’s Necklace.A newly married woman,
Grace, finds out that her husband does not permit her to enter a room in their
house. The play follows her temptations as she wonders what his dark secret
is. Runs February 28 to April 8 30 Bridgman. 416-531-1827,tarragontheatre.com
The Seagull @ Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts American-German choreographer John Neumeier's ballet rendition
of Anton Chekhov's classic play The Seagull comes to the National Ballet of
Canada. Using music by Pyotr Iliych Tchaikovsky, Dmitri Shostakovich, Evelyn
Glennie and Alexander Scriabin, the ballet stars Sonia Rodriguez and Zdnek Konvalina.
Checkhov's The Seagull, first staged in St. Petersburg in 1896, is about the
struggles of love and art between several actors and writers on a country estate.
After a disastrous opening, the play was remounted in Moscow by Constantin Stanislavski
two years later and has been a standard ever since. Neumeier's adaptation changes
the characters to dancers and choreographers.Runs March 21-25
tel: (416) 363-6671 or box office: (416) 363-8231 145 Queen St. West , Toronto
, ON http://national.ballet.ca/
The Sound And Feel Of It Peggy Baker Dance Projects
presents live musicians alongside dancers performing contemporary
works by Baker. Jan 20-22. Jan 25-29, Wed-Sat 8:30 pm, Sun 4 pm. $28,
stu/srs $22. Betty Oliphant Theatre, 404 Jarvis. 1-888-222-6608,
The Who's Tommy @ Hart House Theatre
by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff (UC Follies). A traumatized boy discovers
his talent for pinball in this rock musical. Opens Feb 2 and runs to
Feb 11. $25, stu/srs $15. Hart House Theatre, 7 Hart House Circle.
416-978-8849, uofttix.ca.
Taptoo @ Jane Mallett Theatre by
John Beckwith and James Reamy (Toronto Operetta Theatre). Set around the War
of 1812, this operetta looks at the founding of Upper Canada and Toronto. Opens
Feb 22 and runs to Feb 26. $66-$95. Jane Mallett Theatre, 27 Front
E. 416-366-7723, torontooperetta.com
Tosca by Giacomo Puccini (Canadian Opera Company).
A passionate woman is caught in a web of corruption, lust and betrayal in this
Italian opera. Opens Jan 21 and runs to Feb 25, Jan 21 at 4:30 pm, Jan 25,
31, Feb 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 16, 21, 23 and 25 at 7:30 pm, Jan 29 and Feb 5
at 2 pm. $12-$318. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen W.
416-363-8231, coc.ca.
University Of Toronto Drama Festival (U of T
Drama Coalition). This competitive showcase features plays written,
directed and performed by students. Opens Feb 15 and runs to Feb 18.
$12, stu/srs $10 (uofttix.ca). Hart House Theatre, 7 Hart House Circle. 416-978-8849,
harthousetheatre.ca
Was Spring @ Tarragon Theatre By Canadian
playwright Daniel MacIvor, Was Spring, comes to the Tarragon Theatre in a production
also directed by MacIvor. Initially written for Nova Scotia's Mulgrave Road
Theatre, the play follows three women of different generations who confront
each other about a tumultuous past event, in order to learn the truth of what
happened.With more than twenty years of influential theatre and film under his
belt, Daniel MacIvor has won numerous awards, including a Governor General's
Award and two Genies. His plays include Never Swim Alone, The Soldier Dreams,
You Are Here, In on It and A Beautiful View. Runs March 27 to May 6, 2012.
Tarragon Theatre 30 Bridgman Ave. www.tarragontheatre.com
Your
Brother, Remember? by Zachary and Gator Oberzan (Zachary Oberzan/brutproduktion).
Home videos, Hollywood film footage and live performance are used to track the
journey of two siblings as they grow apart. Jan 26-28, Thu-Sat 8 pm.
$22, stu/srs $15. Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen W. 416-538-0988, theatrecentre.org.
Zero Hour @ Bathurst Street Theatre,
by Jim Brochu (Lia and Danna Matthow). This solo show looks at the art, humour,
temper and wit of Jewish artist Zero Mostel. Previews Feb 8. Opens Feb
9 and runs to Mar 11. $59-$69.50. Bathurst Street Theatre, 736 Bathurst.
1-855-985-2787, zerohourshow.com
Zone by Marcel Dubé (Théâtre français de Toronto/Théâtre
la Catapulte). A group of young criminals mix love, dreams and
violence in 50s Montreal. Previews Feb 1-2. Opens Feb 3 and runs to
Feb 12, Wed-Sat 8 pm, mats Sat 3:30 pm, Sun 2:30 pm. $33-$57, srs $28-$57.
Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley. 416-534-6604, theatrefrancais.com.