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Performance Reviews

Comments and criticisms on theatrical performances.

Low Fidelity (Performance Review)

Originally written for the issue published  January 21, 2010.
While mix tapes and vinyls might have gone largely out of style, music elitism and snobbery certainly have not. If nothing else, director Mark Selby’s High Fidelity, the musical stage adaptation of the 1995 Nick Hornby novel, certainly reminds us of that.
Rob (David Light) owns the last [...]

Urinetown (Performance Review)

Originally written for the issue published February 26, 2009.
It’s hard not to be a little offset after hearing the words “Urinetown: The Musical”. While musicals are generally enjoyable, the notion of a vulgar musical evokes a rather bitter taste thanks to the recent “Jerry Springer: The Opera” debacle. While enough time has passed to once [...]

Jerry Springer: The Opera (Performance Review)

Originally written for the issue published January 29, 2009.
“I laughed so hard I accidentally broke wind!” - A writer for the Toronto Star who probably has trouble tying his shoes, on Jerry Springer: The Opera
Perhaps my inability to laugh at any one of the many “jokes” hurled fromJerry Springer: The Opera is a symbol not of [...]

Don’t Look (Performance Review)

Originally written for the issue published January 15, 2009.
It could be argued that in today’s ever progressive society, all manner of taboos are being shattered as if there is a high score to be achieved. It all started with those damn hippies a generation ago, and now prime-time animated irreverence is attempting to break down [...]

Hamming it up (Performance Review)

Originally written for the issue published January 8, 2009.
Hart House was host to a special one night only performance of Hamlet by the Classical Theatre Project on Friday, December 5th, and it was quite the treat. After over 400 years of circulation, most of the nuance of Shakespeare’s classic comes from personal interpretation of the [...]