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... true, but all theatres need bums in seats, whether it's the Humm-Son-O'Keefe Centre or the Factory Theatre, or risk facing perpetual dark nights. The nature of the risk may be different (will Priscilla recover the multi-million dollar capital investment required vs can Stratford/Shaw break even this year vs can Buddies keep its doors open for another month) but risk is present at all levels of the arts food-chain. Even with seemingly obvious slam-dunks like Mamma Mia (which was a little campy fringe show in London before the worldwide phenomenon... who knew?) the only sure bet is that there is no sure bet.

I also understand your point that Mirvish has to play it safe to fill his four theatres but I'm simply questioning that business strategy. Good shows fill seats. I'm not necessarily saying they have to be high art either. The box office at Stratford this season looked truly dismal until the reviews started to come out motivating GTAers to brave the drive, and now the situation has been reversed.

Benc7 said:
I’ll paraphrase an old saying: “This theatre impresario doesn’t put on a play because we want to see one; he puts on a play to make money.â€
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Ouch :) Many producers/impresarios are passionate about theatre and will take risks with shows or performers or crew, even if there are a lot cheesy bad ones out there to be sure. Then again, it is relatively easy to be edgy and inaccessible when you don't have to care about a profit, but it is also relatively easy to eschew quality or true talent for the same reason.
 
My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding-Panasonic Theatre

Good news from Mirvish! As I'd hoped, he's starting to use the small Panasonic Theatre to offer this recent Fringe hit as an off-subscription offering! I'm liking the way the future looks!:)

"My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding...an original, Canadian musical comedy that became the toast of the 2009 Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival last month when it played at Bread & Circus, a new venue in a tiny Kensington Market storefront. We went to see it, and we loved it (and, if you have your doubts, remember that the last "little" musical we picked up from the Fringe Festival for you was the unforgettable The Drowsy Chaperone, so there). Based on a true story, My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding is about a mother and her teen-aged son. The mother feels lost in life, wrestling with her identity, when a new job brings new opportunities and, with it, a chance to truly find herself, discovering her sexuality, rediscovering her faith... and coming out as a lesbian to her son, ex-husband and homophobic Jewish mother."

"It starts November 7, at the Panasonic Theatre, and that's all we can tell you for now, except that it's by David Hein and Irene Carl Sankoff. On sale soon. More to come. "
 
The Harder They Come-The Canon Theatre

The Harder They Come, by Perry Henzell, makes its North American debut at The Canon. It's based on the 1972 film ( I've haven't seen it) that launched Jimmy Cliff and reggae music onto the world stage. The story of the country boy who migrates to the city (Kingston, Jamaica) in search of fame and fortune and instead finds a nasty reality that preys on desperate talent is common to all cultures. There's been much said about how difficult the Jamaican patois is to understand (misspelled as "patios" in one review; rest assured, there are none on stage LOL!) . Forget about it! This production is so strong, so full of talent, both musical and dramatic, that understanding EVERY word is unnecessary. The music, the story, the very natural choreography carries one along with the narrative. Rolan Bell (Ivan) is superb! A voice and a body that...well, BELONG on the stage. Joanna Francis (Elsa) has a marvellous voice; I'd love to hear her in concert. The cast is terrific and, moreover, they play as an ensemble.

I was happy to see such a full house so late in the run and happier that some of the nastier reviews have had little effect. One critic in particular should be taken to task; he shall remain nameless and, one day, I hope he'll be jobless too.

http://www.mirvish.com/thtc/
 
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So, we have friends in town from Germany (one doesn't really speak English), and would like to go see a show with them. It would have to be an accessible musical, since they're not big theatre buffs, yet it would have to be good, since I don't want to have to blow my brains out.

Suggestions?
 
Roy G Biv said:
So, we have friends in town from Germany (one doesn't really speak English), and would like to go see a show with them. It would have to be an accessible musical, since they're not big theatre buffs, yet it would have to be good, since I don't want to have to blow my brains out.

Suggestions?
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I would agree; at the moment,Jersey Boys is your best bet.
 
The Guardsman-Soulpepper Theatre

Soulpepper’s production of Ferenc Molnár’s, The Guardsman, directed by László Marton marks (for me) the beginning of the fall and winter theatre season. And none too soon: I prefer my drama on the stage, where it belongs, and not in real life where it’s been lately.

Written in 1910, the stage set by Camellia Koo and the costumes by Judith Bowden, make an elegant Art Nouveau context for this seemingly light and amusing examination of marriage. The marriage under scrutiny is between Nandor (Albert Schultz) and Ilona (Kristen Thomson), aptly enough a pair of actors who never seem to be able to turn it off, not on stage or at home. They’ve been married for six months and Nandor sees the beginnings of boredom in Ilona. So does her Dresser (lately promoted to Mother) played by Dawn Greenhalgh. A plot to test Ilona’s fidelity is hatched in Nandor’s swelled but thick head; he’ll impersonate an Hungarian Guardsman and try to seduce his own wife. Comedy ensues. Lots of it. Did she know it was he from the beginning, or did she actually fall for the Guardsman?

Schultz is one of our best actors and Thomson is both a gifted playwright and actor; watching them bob and weave as they spar with one another was a pleasure in itself. Backed with a supporting cast led by Diego Matamoros (Bela), Michael Simpson (Creditor) Diana Donnelly (Liza) and Jennifer Phipps (usherette), the play is witty, biting, and sharp as tacks.

This is playing in tandem with another examination of the married state, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Programming two different visions of the same subject back-to-back is another reason to love this theatre company.

http://www.soulpepper.ca/performances/09_season/the_guardsman.aspx
 
Mimi, or A Poisoner’s Comedy-Tarragon Theatre

“Mimi, or A Poisoner’s Comedy"

This new musical is based on the true story of La Marquis de Brinvillers, a 17th century French noblewoman who never met a poison she didn't like or a relative that shouldn't be given some. Mimi (Trish Linndstöm) wants to live “la vida loca†with her lover (Ron Pederson) and her acquiescent husband (Martin Julien). Daddy (Victor A. Young), who’s financing her debauchery, threatens to cut her off unless she reforms. He sends her lover to the Bastille where an Italian inmate, (Paul Braunstein), familiar with the ways of poison, instructs her lover on its efficacy as a means of eliminating the inconvenient. Meanwhile, Mimi is faking at being “goodâ€, ministering to the poor, as her late, sainted mother (Tamara Bernier Evans) had done. She and her lover test the poison on an armless, legless beggar named (dear god) Torçeaux, feeding him a toxic pigeon pie. Pretty soon it’s bye-bye daddy and anyone else who gets in her way.

This new work is, of course, reminiscent of that other morbid pie-based musical, “Sweeny Toddâ€; Mimi’s pies are pigeon and poison, Todd’s are (a la Soylent green) “made out of peopleâ€. And there ends the similarity. Mimi just can’t find its legs, can’t make a definitive, comedic, dramatic, or musical commitment. The musical director, Alan Cole, is all over the place and can’t shake himself free of Sondheim, Brecht, or even Cabaret. There are a few moments of fierce wit and authentic emotion, too many that verge on slapstick and far too many that fall dead to the ground, like the unfortunate pigeons (both human and avian). In one number, sung by Mimi in the second act, she’s asked by her soon-to-be-dead husband to swear on her mother’s grave that she hasn’t poisoned the pie he’s about to eat. Her musical response? She begins swearing by everything BUT her mother’s grave and then finally does that too, in her mind the ultimate sin. She’s irredeemable. It was the highlight of the play.


The music and lyrics are by Allen Cole, with book and lyrics by A. Johnson and Rick Roberts. The interesting set, a skewed and wonky take on 17th century décor, is by Camellia Koo. The cast is accompanied by Daniel Rutzen on piano and Paul Braunstein on drums.Everybody onstage can sing and act; there’s no questioning their talent. It’s just too bad those talents are superior to the vehicle that showcases them.

http://www.tarragontheatre.com/season/0910/mimi/
 
Dancap Snags Four Seasons Centre For Summer 2010

Aubrey Dan and the Canadian Opera Company announce that Aubrey Dan will be renting the Four Seasons Centre for the summer, beginning in 2010. Dancap needs a downtown theatre, the COC needs the money; since the Centre is dark for July and August, this is a win-win situation for both parties and the public.:)

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/Theatre/article/699443
 
Albert Schultz Continues to Dream Big for Soulpepper

Interesting tidbit from the Globe:

"His (next) dream: A 600-seat theatre with full fly potential and built-in broadcasting ability so they expand their theatrical empire to theatres and television Metropolitan Opera-style.

And where would this theatre go? How about right across the street from the Young Centre in the under-development West Don Lands? Intriguing."


Intriguing indeed!


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...y-hungry-for-a-bigger-theatre/article1297726/
 
Toronto could probably do with a few more of these 'Broadway' sized houses. It's hard to make a return on a commercial comedy or drama in an auditorium the size of the Princess of Wales or the Elgin etc. Like with We Will Rock You it's also profitable to downize the size of a production when the initial buzz is over so that it can continue to have a life and generate revenue.

I would also think He would want for his theatre to have a presence downtown as the fare he offers is decidely of a commercial 'populist' vein. King Street or Yonge Street would offer the kind of exposure his shows would benefit from.

Edited: oops, sorry I thought you were referring to Dancap in your post. Yes, I could see Soulpepper wanting the kind of place and location you suggest.
 
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