Review: ANASTASIA at the National Arts CentreSeptember 1, 2022Although there may be nothing earth shattering about Anastasia, the scenery, costumes, and cast performances are all excellent reasons to see the show during its national tour stop in Ottawa.
Review: DEAR EVAN HANSEN at National Arts CentreAugust 10, 2022What did our critic think of DEAR EVAN HANSEN at National Arts Centre? The opening night performance of Dear Evan Hansen at the National Arts Centre lacked some of the buzz that was palpable at Hamilton a couple of weeks ago. Perhaps that was because of pent-up excitement for Hamilton following two years of pandemic-related delays or maybe it's because Hamilton is still widely considered one of the hottest shows around. Normally there would be a bigger gap between shows, but thanks to the pandemic, Broadway Across Canada's 2021-2022 season has been condensed into a shorter time frame (Aside: not that I'm complaining - the more shows, the better, if you ask me). The beautiful thing about Broadway shows is that no two shows are alike, and the audience can appreciate each on its own merit.
BWW Review: THE SECRETS OF PRIMROSE SQUARE at The GladstoneMay 29, 2022Claudia Carroll's The Secrets of Primrose Square is the first show at The Gladstone since the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered it and every other theatre in the city over two years ago. Her fifteenth novel, Carroll's The Secrets of Primrose Square was first published in 2018 and this marks the debut of the author as a playwright.
BWW Review: HEARTLINES at the Great Canadian Theatre CompanyMarch 27, 2022Heartlines, presented by TACTICS at the Great Canadian Theatre Company, is based on the true story of two artists living and creating surrealist art together at a time when neither unconventional art nor homosexuality, was widely accepted.
BWW Review: BLISSFUL STATE OF SURRENDER at The Great Canadian Theatre CompanyFebruary 27, 2022Blissful State of Surrender is the first play by Bosnian-Canadian playwright, Sanita Fejzić. Fejzić fled the Bosnian genocide as a child and spent her formative years as a refugee in Europe before settling in Ottawa. Her experiences are reflected in her work and, given what is happening in Ukraine right now, the show feels almost too close for comfort.
BWW Review: DAISY MAKES A WORTHY RETURN TO LIVE THEATRE AT THE GCTCDecember 5, 2021Daisy tells the true story of the controversial ad campaign surrounding Lyndon B. Johnson's presidential run in 1964. The attack ad that was created to support Johnson used fear marketing, playing on people's emotions to convince them that a vote for Johnson's rival, Barry Goldwater, would send America into nuclear war.
BWW Review: Broadway Across Canada's Touring Production of CATS Proves Its Enduring AppealMarch 11, 2020The touring production of CATS has changed in the more than fifteen years since I first saw it, but all of the elements that make the Andrew Lloyd Webber show a classic remain intact. The set is fairly simple: a junkyard where the cats congregate to celebrate the annual Jellicle Ball, when Old Deuteronomy (Adam Richardson) will choose which cat goes to the Heaviside Layer to be reborn.
There are many contenders for the coveted position. We have Jennyanydots (Dani Goldstein), the seemingly lazy Gumbie cat who sleeps all day but works hard all night, demonstrated in a wonderful tap dancing sequence replete with a roaring twenties style flapper outfit. Then, there is the Rum Tum Tugger (McGee Maddox), the narcissistic, spoiled cat with the sexy swagger, who is a favourite of the lady-cats. Grizabella (Donna Vivino), the once glamourous cat, now past her prime and ostracized by the others. Gus, the Theatre Cat (Timothy Gulan), when aided by a toothful of gin, regales the audience with stories of his career on the stage, when he acted alongside theatre greats and once even 'understudied Dick Whittington's cat'. The Magical Mister Mistoffelees (PJ DiGaetano), shows off his impressive tricks and manages to conjure Old Deuteronomy, who was been kidnapped by Macavity (Brayden Newby), the nefarious 'Napoleon of crime'.
Okay, so the plot is, perhaps, a little odd and the story may be disjointed. This is only natural, considering that the musical is based on a collection of whimsical poems written by T.S. Elliot for children. I think the reason CATS remains so popular after nearly forty years is because of the level of detail given to each character, from the costumes and make-up to each cat's story as they are introduced one by one, song by song, to the audience. Even the chorus cats have their own personalities. There is truly something for everyone in this show.