Advertisement

Culture Stage

So Many Shows…

Rating: NNNNN


Thursday, September 26

TO THE WALL — an eclectically comic meander through Andy Jones’s obsessions (Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace).

Genre: Solo performance

Buzz: It’s the celebrated CODCO member’s first local stage gig in eight years. Let’s see if his down-east storyteller’s charm is still salty.

You’ll like this if… you want some Rock-solid humour.

GAVIN STEPHENS — stand-up (Yuk Yuk’s Downtown).

Genre: Stand-up comedy

Buzz: One of the best young stand-ups around, Gavin Stephens — the first black writer on Open Mike With Mike Bullard — is making history again as the country’s first black comic to record a comedy CD. (He’s taping the shows.)

You’ll like this if… you like Bill Cosby and Chris Rock.

THE JACK MILLER SHOW — a 50s variety talk show spoof (Tim Sims Playhouse).

Genre: Comedy

Buzz: As this month’s Heino parody proved, fake live talk shows are hot. So is this new monthly show’s cast, many of them top improvisers (Rebecca Northan, Lisa Merchant, Albert Howell, Peter Oldring and Rod Crawford).

You’ll like this if… you can imagine The Larry Sanders Show half a century ago.

Friday, September 27

LIFE LINES — three new works by choreographers Lata Pada and Anita Ratnam that explore South Asian women’s lives (Premiere Dance Theatre).

Genre: Dance

Buzz: Ratnam, one of India’s prominent choreographers, makes a rare local appearance, while Pada’s first work since last season’s sold-out Revealed By Fire explores a childhood friendship with an Afghan woman. Talk about timely.

You’ll like this if… you realize we’re all sisters under the skin.

OEDIPUS REX/SYMPHONY OF PSALMS — a revival of François Girard’s award-winning Stravinsky double bill (Hummingbird).

Genre: Opera

Buzz: Last month the show wowed audiences at the Edinburgh Festival, not least because of Michael Levine’s striking designs. Buy your ticket now.

You’ll like this if… you need convincing that opera can grab you by the low notes.

BEAUTIFUL CITY — George Walker’s dark comedy pits an idealistic architect against a manipulative mobster (Alumnae Theatre).

Genre: Play

Buzz: George Walker (Suburban Motel) has his fans, but also look for The X-Files’ Chris Owens and Road To Avonlea’s Zachary Bennett in the leads.

You’ll like this if… you want to see social issues played out with razor-sharp wit and quirky humour. Not for the genteel.

JOE AVATI — stand-up (Toronto Centre for the Arts).

Genre: Stand-up comedy

Buzz: If you’re Italian, you’ve probably already got a ticket. If you’re not, you should get one — this Italian Australian comic has across-the-board appeal.

You’ll like this if… you can imagine an Italian Seinfeld.

Monday, September 30

PROOF — David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize winner about mysteries surrounding a brilliant math prof (previewing at the Bluma Appel).

Genre: Play

Buzz: This much-produced four-hander depends a lot on the casting of the prof’s lonely daughter — played on Broadway by Mary Louise Parker and currently Anne Heche. Can relative unknown Jennifer Paterson pull it off? It doesn’t hurt that Martha Henry’s in the director’s chair.

You’ll like this if… you think intellectual game-playing, mystery and seduction add up to a good night out.

Tuesday, October 1

O, VERTIGO — The Montreal company returns with Luna, choreographer Ginette Laurin’s intimate examination of the body (Premiere Dance Theatre).

Genre: Dance

Buzz: O Vertigo’s been on NOW’s Top 10 Dance Shows list before, and this piece — a hit in Europe — sounds visionary. It uses various magnifying glasses to hone in on tableaux or parts of the body. Cool.

You’ll like this if… you like seeing dance up close and personal.

THE LEAGUE AGAINST TEDIUM — Simon Munnery’s multimedia rant against technology, including TV (Bathurst Street Theatre).

Genre: Solo performance

Buzz: No one quite knows how to describe Brit comic mainstay Simon Munnery’s performance, but word is it’s anything but tedious.

You’ll like this if… you like thinking outside the (idiot) box.

Wednesday, October 2

FISH/WIFE — a surreal, clown-inspired look at two aging women pondering evolution while preparing sashimi (Tarragon Extra Space).

Genre: Play

Buzz: Traders and L.A. Doctors actor Rick Roberts debuted as a writer with this 2002 Fringe New Play Contest winner, but can the darkly funny script survive out of the Fringe pool?

You’ll like this if… you want to see Beckett’s philosophizing tramps morphed into Forest Hill matrons. Don’t forget the wasabi.

See theatre, comedy and dance listings for more details.

Advertisement

Exclusive content and events straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

By signing up, I agree to receive emails from Now Toronto and to the Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Recently Posted