Posts in Canada
Port Perry, Ontario's Theatre on the Ridge announces its Summer 2021 Slate

Our summer company of artists feature…guest artists Amanda Jane Smith and James Dallas Smith. Amanda has previously appeared with Theatre on the Ridge in The Valley (2019) and God of Carnage (2015) and plays Maureen Poole in Cottagers and Indians. She is joined by James Dallas Smith playing Arthur Copper. In 2019, James was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore award for outstanding performance for his work in Soulpepper Theatre’s production of Almighty Voice and His Wife.

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TORONTO'S TARRAGON THEATRE ANNOUNCES ITS 2021-2022 SEASON

According to its recent press release, reuniting artists and audiences under one roof, Tarragon should be accessible to everyone. So, in the tradition of founding Artistic Director Bill Glassco who introduced pay-what-you-can Sundays to Toronto, Tarragon invites patrons to dream and devise their personal lineup and decide what they pay. This will be a pay-what-you-can subscription season

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TORONTO ALLIANCE FOR the PERFORMING ARTS (TAPA) ANNOUNCES NOMINATIONS FOR 2020 DORA AWARDS

On June 8th, 2020, in an online presentation broadcast on YouTube, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts announced the nominations for the 2020 Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the performing arts. The Doras are to Toronto what the Tonys are to New York or the Oliviers to London, although, unlike in New York, where a popular show can run years and producers campaign for Tony wins to boost ticket sales, the Doras mostly recognise shows that have already closed their runs

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"Better than This" with Cathy Wilmot

A new show chronicling the evolution of women’s roles in musical theatre is coming to the stage in February. The audience will enjoy songs from many of the most beloved musicals of the past century, including West Side Story, Chicago, Wicked and more.

It features a foursome of talented female performers including Cathy Wilmot, recently seen in the Arts Club Theatre’s production of Mamma Mia. We take some time to chat with her about the show and her experiences.

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Canadian Schools Pull Theatre Book with LGBT Characters from Elementary Libraries

The Ottawa Catholic School Board has quietly removed a popular book from its elementary school libraries after parents complained about its LGBT content.

Drama, a 2012 graphic novel by American author and illustrator Raina Telgemeier, is about a student who wants to be part of her middle-school theatre production.

It features a side story about two boys who are attracted to one another, and who share an onstage kiss. The novel was a top pick by the editors at the New York Times and named a Stonewall Book Award "Honor Book" in 2013 for its portrayal of LGBT issues.

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CanadaChristopher Peterson
New Musical “Mary And Max” Takes the Stage in Canada

Developing new musicals often happens outside the shiny marquee lights of New York City. Recently, Chicago and Boston have played host to a number of new shows while a few theaters in Connecticut have done similar work, both recently and as far back as “Annie” and “Oklahoma.” But even further away in Alberta, Canada a new musical is taking the stage for the first time.

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Geeking Out with Fairlith Harvey, and chatting about “The Nightmare Before Christmas LIVE”

It’s been 25 years since the world of cinema and animation was changed with the premiere of “The Nightmare before Christmas”, conceived and produced by Tim Burton, with songs by Danny Elfman and originally directed in stop motion by Henry Selkirk.

It tells the story of Jack Skellington, a resident as well as The King of "HalloweenTown" who stumbles through a portal to "Christmas Town" and decides to celebrate the holiday, with some dastardly and comical consequences.  I sit down with Fairlith Harvey, director and founder of Geekenders ( a nerdlesque musical troupe based out of Vancouver, Canada)  to chat about the show.

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An Empowerment Cabaret is Coming to Vancouver

It’s an age of powerful movements. Unprecedented numbers are using age-old platforms to boost their voices -- coming from marginalized and imprisoned communities -- and they have finally begun gaining their rightful footing and amplification. Folks are stepping forward from the shadows in every industry the world over with their stories, with their struggles, and it’s not something that the universe of theatre is impervious too. Which is exactly what the Board of Directors at Fabulist Theatre has in the back of their minds as they set forth to give amazing artists a moment to express themselves as human beings, and tell their tales.

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Meet the youngest cast members of "Once on the Island” Vancouver

Talking with Arta Negahban and Peilani Rasmussen, the two youngest cast members of the production “Once On This Island” directed by Damon Bradley Jang, only solidified my interest in going to see this show Saturday night at the Red Gate Revue Stage on Granville Island! The two young actors are already so mature and gave great insight into what this show will hold for theatre goers of all ages. They describe an emotional show, with themes of self-discovery and independence.

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