blogTO | Posts by Graeme

blogTO | Posts by Graeme http://www.blogto.com/ Toronto blog Copyright 2010 Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:47:23 PST http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Theatre Review: Moliere Billy Joel once explained that he would rather "laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints." An insightful point, especially given his later thoughts on the relative merits of uptown girls.

This question - whether it is better to laugh or scowl through life - is at the heart of Tarragon Theatre's superb production of Sabina Berman's Moliere. This is an ambitious, entertaining and ultimately thoughtful play, and one of the most expansive Tarragon shows I've ever seen.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/12/theatre_review_moliere http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/12/theatre_review_moliere Theatre Fri, 19 Dec 2008 08:17:29 PST Theatre Graeme 2008-12-19T08:17:29 Thursday Theatre Review: A Christmas Carol For me, A Christmas Carol is Christmas. I'm not a religious guy, so the story's emphasis on the spirit (or spirits) of the season and distinct lack of god-talk really resonates. Plus, it has a bunch of ghosts and a time travel plot. Which, in case you were wondering, is totally awesome.

Suffice it to say I was predisposed to enjoying Soulpepper's production of Dickens' classic tale. But even if I hadn't been, I'm sure the excellent performances and nifty staging would have won me over.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/12/thursday_theatre_review_a_christmas_carol http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/12/thursday_theatre_review_a_christmas_carol Theatre Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:45:48 PST Theatre Graeme 2008-12-04T12:45:48 Theatre Review: Legoland Atomic Vaudeville's Legoland is very good.

I would normally try to open this review with something a bit more clever. But anything I could come up with would pale next to the creativity, wit and sheer enthusiasm of this excellent play. It is a weird and warm-hearted piece of theatre, and you should go see it. Tonight, if you can.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/11/theatre_review_legoland http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/11/theatre_review_legoland Theatre Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:44:49 PST Theatre Graeme 2008-11-21T11:44:49 Get your toga on with Rome'd The toga, chief among all robe-based attire, is comedy gold. Animal House knew it. A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum knew it. And the Bad Dog Theatre knows it too.

Their latest mainstage show, Rome'd, makes heavy use of the classical garb as it spoofs HBO's Rome. While the original TV show is heavy on the intrigue and gore, Rome'd is all about the funny.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/11/get_your_toga_on_with_romed http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/11/get_your_toga_on_with_romed Theatre Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:52:24 PST Theatre Graeme 2008-11-13T08:52:24 Theatre Review: Bashir Lazhar In the wake of Barack Obama's historic Presidential win, there has been a lot of talk about a new "post-racial" or "post-ethnic" world. While this type of buzz-speak is always rather vague, I took it to mean that it's time to start looking at the actual individuals behind catch-all categories like race and immigration.

It is interesting that this same week saw the premier of Tarragon Theatre's Bashir Lazhar. Although it cuts across topics of immigration, violence, childhood and teaching, it is ultimately a portrait of one, complicated man who both embodies and transcends the grand ideas. It is an audacious play, covering vast amounts of territory for a one-person, 80 minute show.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/11/theatre_review_bashir_lazhar http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/11/theatre_review_bashir_lazhar Theatre Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:20:35 PST Theatre Graeme 2008-11-07T12:20:35 Thursday Theatre Review: Hot Doctors in Love Of all the various television templates created by man to variously entertain and sell advertising, few are more intolerable than the medical drama. With the exception of House, these shows are the broadcast equivalent of smashing yourself repeatedly in the face with a hammer, because it feels so good when you stop.

So imagine my delight when I heard the Bad Dog Theatre- Toronto's source for low-budget, gonzo comedy- was doing an improvised send-up of this hated genre. And Hot Doctors in Love doesn't just roast medical drama. The cast of this entertaining show immolates it, leaving nothing but comedic gold in their wake.

More...

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/10/thursday_theatre_review_hot_doctors_in_love http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/10/thursday_theatre_review_hot_doctors_in_love Theatre Thu, 23 Oct 2008 11:57:42 PDT Theatre Graeme 2008-10-23T11:57:42 Thursday Theatre Review: The Crackwalker When it first premiered at Theatre Passe Muraille 28 years ago, Judith Thompson's The Crackwalker was a kind of lighning rod for Canadian drama. Not only did it mark the arrival of a major new theatrical voice, but it signalled a new maturity among Canadian playwrights. Grit and brutal honesty had arrived.

Staged and Confused's production of The Crackwalker, also at Theatre Passe Muraille, is a worthy tribute to the significance of that first production. But it fails to generate any relevance of its own or achieve the resonance of its forebearer. Legacy, as it turns out, can be a tricky burden to bear.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/09/thursday_theatre_review_the_crackwalker http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/09/thursday_theatre_review_the_crackwalker Theatre Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:21:04 PDT Theatre Graeme 2008-09-25T12:21:04 Thursday Theatre Review: Norway.Today Up until this Tuesday, I knew exactly three things about Norway. 1) Vikings come from there. 2) My friend Magnus lives there. Sadly, he is not a Viking. 3) It has fjords. And presumably Fords, although that's far less interesting from a tourism perspective.

But thanks to Theatre Smash's superb production of Norway.Today, I know a fourth thing about the Scandinavian nation: it is home to a 2000 feet-high cliff called the Preikestolen. Not only is it a scenic wonder, it's also an ideal place for the histrionically-inclined to off themselves. And, as it turns out, the backdrop for a very interesting piece of theatre.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/09/thursday_theatre_review_norwaytoday http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/09/thursday_theatre_review_norwaytoday Theatre Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:01:20 PDT Theatre Graeme 2008-09-11T12:01:20 Thursday Theatre Review: Waiting for Godot Waiting for Godot is the theatrical equivalent of a mine field. Full of starving grizzly bears. Surrounded by a shark-infested moat. On fire.

It is a play where nothing actually happens. Two guys show up and wait for another guy to arrive. But behind this facade of inactivity lies a vast chasm of existential ambiguity. Sixty years after it was written, nobody is really sure what it's actually about. In fact, the play resists explanation so strongly, any attempt to pin down Beckett's intent seems doomed to failure.

So when I read that Remain in Light Theatre's production of Godot featured a World War II setting and the music of Joy Division, I thought: Uh oh. This might be trouble. And it was. But only a little. Almost in spite of itself, Remain in Light has managed to mount an impressive production of Beckett's classic.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/08/thursday_theatre_review_waiting_for_godot http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/08/thursday_theatre_review_waiting_for_godot Theatre Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:42:42 PDT Theatre Graeme 2008-08-28T14:42:42 Thursday Theatre Review: Summerworks If you haven't been checking out the Summerworks Theatre Festival, let me ask you this: what the heck have you been doing? Standing around in the rain? Putting a lot of effort into a summer romance that, let's be honest, isn't going to work out? Seriously, people. Go check it out. Great theatre, music, dance, art...and you have four days left to take it all in.

Ever your faithful servants, we have been hitting the tarmac and sniffing out the best bets. Continue reading for reviews of Dust, Flux, If We Were Birds, Kid Cosmic, Pelee, Rendevous With Home, and The Performance Gallery.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/08/thursday_theatre_review_summerworks http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/08/thursday_theatre_review_summerworks Theatre Thu, 14 Aug 2008 12:32:32 PDT Theatre Graeme 2008-08-14T12:32:32 Summerworks Cometh Ah, the summer of 2008. If the rain doesn't wash you away, then you're liable to be swamped by theatre. Hot on the heels of the 11 day performance binge of the Toronto Fringe comes the Summerworks Theatre Festival. Think of it as a smaller, more refined version of the Fringe. Unlike its larger cousin, Summerworks is juried. The festival evaluates each show, and only the best applicants get in. So while it lacks the brash irreverance of the Fringe, Summerworks always provides a high-quality product.

And there's a lot of product to choose from. With 42 shows, eight nights of live music and a "performance gallery" at the Gladstone Hotel, the variety can be a little daunting. Continue reading for a few of my early picks.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/08/summerworks_cometh http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/08/summerworks_cometh Theatre Thu, 07 Aug 2008 09:37:37 PDT Theatre Graeme 2008-08-07T09:37:37 Thursday Theatre Review: The Christian Republican Fundraiser in Dayton Tennessee Well, another Fringe Festival has come and gone. But like every year, there are a few shows that will go on to bigger things. In 1999, there was the Drowsy Chaperone. In 2002, Job: The Hip Hop Musical got all the buzz. Last year gave us the Gladstone Variations and An Inconvenient Musical.

And in 2008, we have The Christian Republican Fundraiser in Dayton Tennessee. I reviewed this show during the Fringe and loved it. But since Christian Republican Fundraiser is playing next week as part of Diesel Playhouse's "Best of the Fringe", I thought I'd tell you a bit more about what makes this show so good.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/07/thursday_theatre_review_the_christian_republican_fundraiser_in_dayton_tennessee http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/07/thursday_theatre_review_the_christian_republican_fundraiser_in_dayton_tennessee Theatre Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:39:45 PDT Theatre Graeme 2008-07-17T11:39:45 Fringe 2008 - Day 10 I was talking with my good friend yesterday, a veteran of many a Fringe performance. I asked him: with 150+ shows and 29 venue, is it possible to see everything?

"No. But you can try."

Indeed. And try we might, with only two days to go.

Continue reading for reviews of Lupe: Undone, Einstein's Wife, Putz, Blastback Babyzap, and You Mean Now?.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/07/fringe_2008_-_day_10 http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/07/fringe_2008_-_day_10 Theatre Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:39:39 PDT Theatre Graeme 2008-07-12T11:39:39 Fringe 2008 - Day 9 Well, it's crunch time now folks. Only three days left to see dozens of innovative and occasionally bizarre shows at the 2008 Fringe.

And while you're out there desperately cramming as much theatre into 72 hours as you can, remember to show the Fringe volunteers a little love. It's hard work, but there wouldn't be a festival without them.

Continue reading for reviews of How To Build and Empire, Sarah Hennessey Time, Middle of the End, Viva Vivi!, and Kaliban.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/07/fringe_2008_-_day_9 http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/07/fringe_2008_-_day_9 Theatre Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:30:34 PDT Theatre Graeme 2008-07-11T11:30:34 Fringe 2008 - Day 7 Not even a torrential downpour could stop Tuesday's Fringe festivities. It almost stopped me, but I persevered and saw some quality theatre in soaking wet shorts. Remember, Fringers- only five days left in the 2008 Toronto Fringe. Get out there and see some shows. But bring an umbrella. Or a raft.

Continue reading for reviews of The Barbecue King, Telegrams from the new Canadian cinema, The Tricky Part, Acis and Galatea, Teaching the Fringe, Trust, A Girl Named Ralph, and The Further Adventures of Antoine Feval.

]]> http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/07/fringe_2008_-_day_7 http://www.blogto.com/theatre/2008/07/fringe_2008_-_day_7 Theatre Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:21:48 PDT Theatre Graeme 2008-07-09T10:21:48