Results tagged “broadway”

Gossip no longer, culture vultures. We've finally got confirmation on CanStage's upcoming season. Like it or not, it looks like the rumours are true. As we reported before, the Bluma Appel Theatre's rather commercial lineup is entirely free of any Canadian-written shows, which has some folks in quite a tizzy. And as we suspected, CanStage is getting its CanCon through co-pros at the Berkeley Street Theatre. They're calling it The Berkeley Street Project, and it seems intended to supplement the Bluma's playing-it-safe season with "edgier, more provocative works." The first show, Wild Dogs (a co-production with Nightwood Theatre), is a stage adaptation of Helen Humphreys' eponymous novel. Up next, Studio 180 co-produces the Canadian premiere of Blackbird, a West End and off-Broadway hit by British (and consequently not Canadian) playwright David Harrower. The final co-production (with Necessary Angel) is the Toronto premiere of HARDSELL, a new work by Bigger Than Jesus team Daniel Brooks and Rick Miller. (Although, the only reason CanStage can claim "Toronto premiere" status is that the workshop presentation Brooks and Miller were going to present at Passe Muraille a month ago was cancelled due to illness.)

Leave it to CanStage to somehow, in the midst of extreme internal upheaval what is maybe their darkest financial hour, be simultaneously running two of their strongest shows by far in recent memory. In fact, Palace of the End (which closes tomorrow night) and The Clean House (which runs until March 8) aren't just good shows for CanStage, they would be amazing shows for anywhere. Hopefully, they can win the audiences they deserve, but it's certainly disheartening to finally see the company do something really, really right while knowing what's in store for the future. The abrupt departure of new Artistic Director David Storch a few weeks ago was enough of an unpleasant surprise. But further news reported in The Toronto Star was even more alarming. A total of 10 CanStage staff members have apparently been laid off, including dramaturge Iris Turcott, who, like Storch, will henceforth bear the dubious title of "consultant."

Reg Hartt, everyone's favourite dude with a movie theatre in his basement, is promoting the new(ish) film version of off-Broadway tittilator Naked Boys Singing by screening a mini Queer Film Festival at the Cineforum over the next few weeks. Each Thursday night for the next four weeks, he'll screen Naked Boys (which is exactly what it sounds like) at 9, with a different gay movie as a lead-in at 7.

Toronto seems to get its annual dose of legendary outsider filmmaker John Waters around this time.

As Torontoist reported yesterday, the Hummingbird Centre is changing its name to the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, marking the second change in corporate naming rights during the venue's half-century existence. Support of the site has ranged from a philanthropic brewer (O'Keefe Brewing head E.P. Taylor) to a multinational media company.

Last night, the seats of Harbourfront Centre's studio theatre were packed with a mix of middle-aged art aficionados and well-coiffed hip, young homos all dying to see Francesco Vezzoli give a lecture and screen his notorious Trailer for a Remake of Gore Vidal's Caligula. Vezzoli is an Italian artist known for his work in video and embroidery (yes, embroidery) who set the art world ablaze a couple of years ago with his re-imagining of the infamous, semi-pornographic swords and sandals schlock-fest that actually was written by Gore Vidal. Vezzoli's trailer for an imaginary remake features Vidal as himself, as well as a ridiculously A-list cast, including original Caligula star Helen Mirren, Milla Jovovich, Justine Bateman, Karen Black, Gerard Butler, Benicio Del Torro and Michelle Phillips of The Mamas and The Papas fame. The title role is played by both Vezzoli himself and Courtney Love and the costumes are designed by Donatella Versace.

We don't know about where you are, but it seems like spring can't decide whether or not to happen. Some days are warm, some days are cold, and sometimes you aren't sure which. Baseball may have started up (and soccer/football winding down) but it still seems cold out there. Unless it's not. Anyway, onto the -ists.

Almost 200 men auditioned to be the new faces of Harlequin romance novels at a Toronto casting house on Saturday. Studies showed that Harlequin's main readership (female in their mid-40's) were "upset when slight, young cover models clashed with the brawny, mature heroes described within [the books themselves]." Canada's Next Top Harlequin Cover Model, anyone? Hosted by Fabio?

Yesterday's Star had an interesting article that shed some light on the inner workings of Tourism Toronto, now famous for its embarrassing (and perhaps plagiarized) Toronto Unlimited campaign. Especially of interest to us was the contrast between New York's and Toronto's approaches to attracting visitors with external offices:

NYC & Company spokesperson Chris Heywood said the Toronto office will mainly promote leisure travel.

Continue reading "Marketing Toronto: Work vs. Play"

Ah, "beautiful music." A term rarely attached to current radio formats, this middle-of-the-road mix was the mainstay of many powerhouse radio stations in the 1970s. Two versions of the format tended to exist:

Tobogganing: Canada's deadliest backyard winter pastime. Vaughan Councillor Sandra Yeung Racco is campaigning for a helmet law in Ontario to prevent sled-related injuries amongst children with a need for speed. Okay, but quid pro quo, Mom and Dad. If you want us to wear safety gear while tobogganing, I want a more bad-ass sled. Like a double-length GT Snow Racer...with flamethrowers.

Once a month Torontoist would like to encourage you to drag yourself off the couch and across the room to that nice, comfy swivel chair in front of your computer, to experience something from the wonderful world of streaming. Anyone who's visited YouTube or eBaum's World knows how gratifying watching two Asian kids lipsynch to Jessica Simpson can be! So in the interest of expanding your horizons (or at least giving you some way to kill time at the office without actually having to do any work), we'll find some interesting, funny, or just plain stupid and entertaining way to amuse yourself with your computer (without the need for pornography).

Sure, we all know John Travolta's in town after the notorious man-kissing episode at Hamilton Airport two weeks ago.

After all that Torontoist has heard about Welcome To Eden, Population 2 (a divine musical), I knew I was in for a treat. With so many layers in the story of Eden, so much that can be explored. What better place to do it than the Fr!nge Festival, a venue to break boundaries and experiment with theatre?

What began in Toronto as a bachelor party gift, then a Fringe Festival production, then a Mirvish produced play several years ago, has turned into a Broadway hit! Leading the pack, it garnished thirteen Tony nominations, the most of any play this year. The New York Post even predicted it as the big winner.

news and reviews, go visit JKelly - he saw the show on Broadway a few weeks ago and he hasn't been able to shut up about it since.

Frank over at OMG Blog passed along this ludicrous looking poster that he spotted along Queen West. It's yet another condo development with yet another silly marketing slogan, this time the Bohemian Embassy. Frank goes on to critique the co-option of the word bohemian by various things including Broadway musicals, and now really really inept condo marketers.

One of Toronto's larger theatres will soon be dominated by singing, dancing knights, killer Rabbits and farting Frenchmen. Yep, Spamalot will be making a quick jaunt up to Toronto sometime next year as part of Mirvish's 2006-07 season.

with a stunning score by Leonard Bernstein, marked the beginning of Stephen Sondheim's career as a Broadway lyricist known for his clever, catchy rhymes ("Everything free in America/For a small fee in America..."). In this New York, gang warfare is balletic, accompanied by Bernstein's haunting tunes, and grande jetés have never looked more macho. We dare you to walk away without imitating that signature whistle and finger-snap.

"I'm a Conservative with a strong social conscience and a sense of civility that hasn't just manifested itself since I entered provincial politics." - John Tory in the National Post, March 5, 2005

. TOist understand the unions' gripes, but we cannot condone any unionization process that would inhibit amusing weirdos and amateur thespians from painting themselves blue and banging on PVC pipes in front of a choreographer. Still and all, TOist JKelly gets good quote and makes us see why the Blue Men have ruffled more than a few theatrical feathers.

Doyle, a graduate of Northwestern University's theatre program (she was a freshman there when Zach Braff was a senior), returned to her home town of Toronto after graduating and joined Second City, playing in such mainstage shows as Bush League of Justice, Armaget-it-on, and Invasion Free Since 1812. Torontoist caught up with the dynamic Doyle over the weekend and asked a few questions -- e-mail style!

Questions we suspect are not answered in include: “Why does every theatre artist who had a strict Catholic upbringing have to write a play about the religion he/she has left behind?” and “But is it bigger than Dick Cheney?"