DANCAP PRODUCTIONS

[carlalax]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 2:05pm

i just got back from a trip to toronto to see a new production of Trojan Women - brilliant. While there I saw an announcement for a new season from DANCAP - what's a dancap? Should be DUNCECAP, the new season features "happy days, the musical" and "anne of greengables". Oy is this the titanic or what? what happended to Toronto? It used to be vibrant and full of theatre and now this Duncecap is doing happy days, after i googled the company, i noticed these novices produced pirate queen, gone with wind and some 5 other movie losers. So sad that the millions going down the dandrain productions can't inspire new work or perhaps do what the mirvish gang does - pick winners!!!

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 2:06pm

[footlights99]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 2:11pm

i live in toronto and this company has been one of the great failed experiments. lame touring productions, bad theatre locations and confusing theatre packages. plus whomever this dancap is...all of his newspaper ads and other marketing screams his name larger than the show, a sure sign of a small you know what. this company will be a footnote with productions like napoleon, carrie and gone with the wind. And you are right, pirate queen was the worst.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 2:34pm

Oh my, two members who joined today for the sole purpose of bashing DANCAP. Imagine that! I'm not a huge fan of Aubrey Dan but, seriously, people, you're not fooling anyone.

And to answer the question, what has happened to Toronto? Surely, you must be kidding if you are equating what DANCAP is doing to the state of theatre in the city. Do a little research. It is still "full of theatre". 219 productions were eligible for the Doras this year.

[lola_actor22]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 6:31pm

i agree with erinrebecca...
Toronto has lots and lots of theatre, just not on the same scale as Broadway per-say
However, Dancap first season appeared to be a great one and basically another company to put on productions at the same scale as Mirvish. And then when Mirvish saw they were getting attention and that they were potential competition... Mirvish brought out a great season for next year. And then Dancap took like months later to bring out their ****ty season. So either they are going downhill or I don't know... but I did see most of their shows, and they were excellent. So no bashing of Dancap until at least you have SEEN a show... :)

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 10:27pm

The phrase is per se.

[tshell88]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 10:31pm

I'll agree that Dancap's first season wasn't as successful (so far) as probably anticipated, but I love what it's done for commercial theatre in the city. Mirvish had no competition for a long time and so they started getting lazy, knowing people would come regardless of what they put on because there were no other options in terms of large-scale productions. Well, Dancap changed that and Mirvish took many of the big touring productions for next year.

Unfortunately there is a lack of theatres in Toronto to accommodate more than a couple long-ish running shows, so Dancap will be focusing further north, but I still think there's a big enough audience up around there and enough people willing to travel the extra subway stops for it to work. Jersey Boys will be the real test of that.

Oh, and as for their season next year - I believe that's only a portion of what they will be producing. I'd imagine they just wanted to announce something rather than keeping everyone waiting even longer.

I've also heard that Dancap is planning to begin producing more of their own shows in addition to bringing in the tours. I always like when a Canadian company decides to showcase Canadian talent rather than sticking mostly with American tours.

[footlights99]

Posted: 6/7/08 at 10:53pm

first off, i did not sign up to bash dancap, im not an investor nor do i know who aubrey dan is. I have seen urinetown, spelling bee, my fair lady and dancap's dismal production of hair - which would make you buy a cap to put on dan, yech! This is not about Toronto's season or lack of shows; with people like albert's soulpepper and others, and seasoned mass appeal producers like mirvish, all will be well. But lets not compare dancap, who has $50million to blow to mirvish. David has an ethic about art and cares, dancap is in the scrap business picking up whatever canadian rights he can get with his amex card. If there was a hope it's over, launching a season with happy days and fighting over a theatre to put that drek in is PURE desperation. Toronto deserves better. And as for the theatre up north - the old Ford or Edsel - dead on arrival. People want to go downtown , to broadway - that theatre although technically superb is like going to new jersey...and it's near dancap's massive theatre empire....what a shlemiele!