Theater in Toronto

[RadioTV2]

Posted: 8/3/04 at 9:29pm

Please post any information. I'd especially like information on and 1/2 price booth or favorite shows. It is greatly appreciated!

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/4/04 at 12:47pm

Go see Hairspray! It's the best production in the city right now, IMO. It's absolutely fantastic. Mirvish (the producer family) doesn't really give steep discounts, but I know they have a great deal right now that includes a ticket to the show, a night at a hotel, a three-course meal and a restaurant and a tour of the city all for $159.99 (or $99.99 without the hotel). Check the Mirvish website at www.mirvish.com (there's also a great deal for $250/4 tickets; I might take advantage of that.)

I've also heard that a couple Hairspray tickets have been making their way to T.O. Tix (the Toronto equivalent of TKTS), located at Dundas Square at Dundas & Yonge (across from the Eaton Centre).

Urinetown is also amazing; they have $10 rush seats (less than a movie! It's insane). If you can't get rush, try T.O. Tix.

Those are the musicals (and Mamma Mia!, which I'm gonna leave out, although the Toronto production itself is fabulous). I don't know much about what straight plays are in the city right now, but you can always check out the hip NOW Magazine (online version is at www.nowtoronto.com). The direct link below with get you to the theatre listings and reviews for the city.

Have fun in Toronto! It's a wonderful place!
NOW Magazine Theatre Listings

Updated On: 8/4/04 at 12:47 PM

[sabrelady]

Posted: 8/5/04 at 6:29am

There is a bunch of Shakespeare in the Park on now many PWUC. Also Soulpepper does rush tkts too.

[taperina]

Posted: 8/6/04 at 11:57pm

You can get 40% off Mamma Mia tickets week nights, and Sunday/Wed. matinees by entering the coupon code "Rosie" online or quoting "RD 05" when you call the box office. I highly recommend Hairspray, Urinetown and Mamma Mia.

[judy_in_disguise]

Posted: 8/7/04 at 12:58am

..........because that's about all that's playing right now.
I love Toronto theatre. Really I do. But it's about friggin time they booted out Lion King and brought in something new. I do love Mamma Mia, but it's got to go. Toronto doesn't have many huge theatres, so we need to have good turnovers with the ones we've got! Enough of the hanging on to the same show for years while theatregoers must see it eight times to stay entertained!

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 8/8/04 at 12:57am

I back up Bluw Wizard's HAIRSPRAY suggestion...I saw it in previews and it was amazing...can only imagine how much better it is now. I can't wait to fly back there in a few weeks to see it again!...Even though I a sill pissed I didn't get Link :)

Akiva

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 8/8/04 at 3:02am

Check out today (yesterday's?) Arts section in the NAtional Post. They were talking about Woody Harrelson-directed "This Is Our Youth" with Jason Lewis (aka Super Sexy Jared in Sex and the City), and Katherine Isabelle, and "Matt & Ben" (from off-Broadway). Both in TO. Sounds fab!

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/8/04 at 11:30am

I can't wait to see Matt & Ben! I can't believe I missed it at the Fringe a few years ago.

But it's about friggin time they booted out Lion King and brought in something new. I do love Mamma Mia, but it's got to go. Toronto doesn't have many huge theatres, so we need to have good turnovers with the ones we've got!

Actually, Toronto has quite a few huge theatres (Princess of Wales, Royal Alex, Canon/Pantages, North York Centre, Elgin, Hummingbird, Bluma Appel....). Part of the problem is filling them with shows, so I don't think "squatting" productions is an issue in terms of making theatres available. (When it opened, I thought that the Lion King would be in the city for 6 or 7 years at least; but then SARS came, and with TLK's high running costs, it had to close. But I agree, Mamma Mia! has outstayed its welcome. I hate when people see it and love it, and think they've seen "real theatre.")

Actually, squatting productions are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's true that a lot of tours probably skip Toronto because there are already two or three megamusicals playing that will drain the audience pool. On the other hand, an original Canadian production is much, much better than just getting a touring one (not only does it employ Canadian performers and crew, but usually the quality of the production is Broadway-calibre and much better than a run-of-the-mill tour). But it takes awhile for a Canadian production of a megamusical to recoup its investment, so it has to play for a few years to make a profit.

I'm hoping that Hairspray will play in Toronto for a few years. That's why it's important to spread the word; I've been telling all my friends what a fantastic show it is, and that they can't miss it at any cost.

What the Mirvishes have to do is aggressively promote the fact that Toronto is a theatre city. That was the impression years ago, when everyone who came Toronto saw Phantom (that's why it ran for 10 freakin' years). Now, too many tourists come to Toronto and not see a show; they should know that the city has some of the highest-quality theatre they'll catch anywhere. Toronto's reputation as a city for live theatre seems to have been lost under the weight of SARS and other issues.

(Also because, let's face it, there's a huge amount of theatre this summer - I really want to catch Hairspray again by the end of the summer, but there's a whole list of plays and musicals I haven't even seen yet that are just running this summer, like the Summerworks festival and As You Like It at High Park. So an awful lot of theatre, coupled with fewer theatregoers, equals a very perilous time at the box office.)

[taperina]

Posted: 8/9/04 at 8:42pm

I agree...I hope Hairspray stays around for a few years (I'm sure it will). I also saw the show during previews and would be very interested to see it again. Also, my seats were not great the first time so I would like to see it from close up. As for Mamma Mia, apparently it is still playing at 91% capacity and they have began to select a new cast which I assume means it will go on for a least another year. Blythe Wilson will be taking on the role of Donna...she was in "The Last Five Years" put on by CanStage. Many members of the cast are leaving so it will be interesting to see who the new leads are. I have a friend in the ensemble that understudies a lead role so I only go when she is on. I went to NY last weekend and saw Wonderful Town twice with Donna Murphy (and got to go to her dressing room and chat with her after the show). What a great show! Wish more broadway shows would come to Toronto! Seeing the tour cast of Chicago in Hamilton at the end of August...saw the Broadway production at the beginning of May...it will be intersting to compare...

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/9/04 at 8:52pm

We should organize a BWW trip to see Hairspray in Toronto!

[StageMom2]

Posted: 8/9/04 at 9:52pm

I am from Ohio and we try to go to Toronto every summer to see a show/shows. I wish there were more shows to see in Toronto. Love the city and the easy way of getting around - mostly walking for us. About 3 weeks ago we went and saw "Hairspray" and "Mama Mia". It was our first time for "Hairspray" and our 3rd for "Mama Mia". We had great seats for both shows and really enjoyed them. We enjoyed "Hairspray" very much. Just a real feel good time for a couple of hours. Probably would not do a repeat of it - not that it was not a good show it is and very much worth seeing. "Mama Mia" is one of our favorites. It is myself, husband and my 20 year old son who is majoring in Theatre/Musical Theatre. We saw an understudy play 'Donna' who was 'Alison Woolridge' - she was excellent - very strong voice and good actress as well. We saw'Anna Madgett' as 'Sophie' and also thought she was very good. The first time we saw it (when it first opened) we saw a Wonderful 'Donna' - not sure of her name right at the moment (she was excellent)but we were very impressed with this understudy as well. It is such a feel good show that no matters what is happening you can go in there for a few hours and come away with a smile on your face - same for "Hairspray".
I understand that "Wicked" is coming next March thru May, 2005 to Toronto. Talked with the man that owns the Shop At the Corner and we asked what the chances of it was staying thru next summer - He said that Mirvish has bought the rights to "Wicked" and if the tickets sell well for the March-May - the word is that Mirvish will recast it and it will be in Toronto for next summer. Not sure what theatre - probably Canon. There are other shows coming next summer also to Toronto but like he said no theatre has been picked as of yet. Don't know whatever happened to the Ford Theatre in North York - but we saw "Ragtime" there when it first opened. Saw the entire original cast except for Brian Stokes Mitchell (darn) because he had just left to go out to LA to do it out there before it went to Broadway. Anyway - it is a beautiful theatre and was wondering why it was not being used much for the shows? Or maybe it is and I am just not aware of it. I realize it is not in downtown Toronto.
Anyway, I realize this is a long post - but to make it short - I love going to the theatre in Toronto!

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/9/04 at 10:14pm

The current Donna in Mamma Mia is....oh, I forgot her name. But she was the original Cosette in Toronto's longrunning Canadian production of Les Miserables (not Regan Thiel, though, who played the role during Les Miz's 1998 return engagement).

I'm pretty sure Wicked is only here temporarily; Toronto is the first stop on the tour. Of course, the Mirvishes have previously turned a tour stop into a permanent production (Mamma Mia was supposed to leave the city on its way to New York, but the Mirvishes negotiated a sitting production too). But I think it's unwise for them to give Toronto a sitting production of Wicked; that would mean three expensive megamusical productions playing at once, which is suicidal considering the current financial state of the theatre scene. Look what happened with The Producers.

Don't know whatever happened to the Ford Theatre in North York

It's still there. But it's been bought up and transferred hands several times - that beast is expensive to keep. It's been renamed so many times, I don't know what to call it anymore. (Is it the Toronto Centre of the Performing Arts, now?) Personally, I think it's a very badly-designed theatre: bad sight lines, confusing hallways, and tacky brass decor (although I like the art-nouveau motifs). It's way too big for its own good. Plus, it's in an awful location, which has probably contributed to its downfall. It's primarily used for concerts and symphonies now. A few months ago, I saw an opera there.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 8/10/04 at 7:39pm

Agree w u BlueWizard. Mirvishes will NOT get an extension. Remember it is part of a subscription series. & considering we could not support Producers for more than 9 months an overabundance of choise for the consumer means a little bit for everyone but not enough for all!
North York Centre is a white elephant left to us by our departed(& unlamented) MAyor Mell Lastman when he was Mayor of North York) What a boondoogle!

[marincrazy11]

Posted: 8/10/04 at 8:01pm

I just saw Urinetown there this past Saturday and it was amazing! The voices were great and I loved the show. And I got the 10 rush tix and was in the second row, so close I could see peoples underwear. I'd highly recommend it!

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 8/10/04 at 8:10pm

You got all 10 tickets?

I really wish I had more free time this summer (damn job), or I'd be all over the shows in Toronto.

[taperina]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 10:10pm

Current Donna in Mamma Mia is Kim Huffman...Anna Madgett (Sophie) was also in Les Mis only she went by Brittany Madgett back then. I have also seen Alison Woolridge as Donna...she's great. She's totally hilarious as Rosie too. I agree as well about the Mirvish's thinking of making Wicked more permanent. Toronto just doesn't get the tourism it used to and really cannot support 3 big shows (hence the Producers). I think Wicked will be far more successful if it stays as a limited engagement...especailly since Hairspray is fairly new...too much competition. One show I would really like to see extended again is Urinetown! I think it's a fantastic show with a great cast...if they could keep it going I would go a few more times for sure (like others have mentioned...work keeps me from going to TO as often as I would like). Think I might try and catch Urinetown one night next week though...

[zepka102]

Posted: 8/12/04 at 10:15pm

since i'm in buffalo, i would really love to see more shows open there like a couple years ago... it was great! sadly i only saw 1 show up there... phantom... but i was a kid... i'd take more trips and i'm planning on seeing wicked... hairspray, i want to... need a 2nd time for both shows! but yeah, i think more should open.