JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
November 2021/January 2022
Princess of Wales Theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar is an iconic musical phenomenon with a world-wide fan base. In celebration of its 50th Anniversary, a new mesmerizing production comes to North America. Originally staged by London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and helmed by the acclaimed director Timothy Sheader (Crazy for You, Into the Woods) and award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie (King Kong, Strictly Ballroom), this production won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival garnering unprecedented reviews and accolades. Appealing to both theatre audiences and concert music fans, this production pays tribute to the historic 1971 Billboard Album of the Year while creating a modern, theatrical world that is uniquely fresh and inspiring.
Featuring award-winning music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, Jesus Christ Superstar is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas.
When they reduced capacity at theatres due to COVID-19, we were given the option of going to the theatre, getting a credit or a gift card. Lisa and Jordana were going to attend and they decided not to to to the show. So, Lisa and I decided on a credit for a future season.
As a result, the first show of the season is CANCELLED!
LEOPOLDSTADT - CANCELLED
January/March
Princess of Wales Theatre
Leopoldstadt is the Olivier Award-winning new ‘masterwork’ (Evening Standard) by Tom Stoppard which opened to overwhelming critical acclaim and to sold out houses last year/in early 2020 in London’s West End. Now, Stoppard’s ‘unforgettable play from the heart’ (The Telegraph) makes its North American premiere in Toronto!
At the beginning of the 20th Century, Leopoldstadt was the old, crowded Jewish quarter of Vienna. But Hermann Merz, a manufacturer and baptised Jew married to Catholic Gretl, has moved up in the world. Gathered in the Merz apartment in a fashionable part of the city, Hermann’s extended family are at the heart of Tom Stoppard’s epic yet intimate drama. By the time we have taken leave of them, Austria has passed through the convulsions of war, revolution, impoverishment, annexation by Nazi Germany and – for Austrian Jews – the Holocaust in which 65,000 of them were murdered. It is for the survivors to pass on a story which hasn’t ended yet.
On December 20, we received an e-mail saying this production was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. So, the second show of the season is CANCELLED! (Actually, they changed our date on this one, so we would have seen this third.)
April 5 - May 8
Princess of Wales Theatre
Original Run: February/April 2022 - CAA Theatre
Emma Donoghue’s bestselling novel Room has now been adapted as a new play with songs by Scottish songwriters Kathryn Joseph and Cora Bissett. Previously adapted by Donoghue for the screen, the film won Academy Awards®, Golden Globes and BAFTAs.
What a great start to the 2021-22 season. Yes, we know Room was not planned as the season opener, but life has a way of getting in the way of the best of plans. Initially, I didn’t even want to see the play, but I decided to be open-minded. I’m so glad I did. In the end, we both loved the production. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is no happy, light musical. There are songs, but the production’s mood is grim, and in the first 10 minutes, I wondered why I was there. However, I stuck it out to the intermission. Lisa asked me if I wanted to stay, and I answered quite honestly – YES! I’m so glad we did! While this is a dark production, the story is compelling, and the acting is first-rate. Overall, I would give this show a 9/10, while Lisa rated it a 7, so we get a final rating of 8/10.
Kidnapped as a teenage girl, Ma has been locked inside a purpose built room in her captor’s garden for seven years. Her five year old son, Jack, has no concept of the world outside and happily exists inside Room with the help of Ma’s games and his vivid imagination where objects like Rug, Lamp and TV are his only friends. But for Ma the time has come to escape and face their biggest challenge to date: the world outside Room.
April 19 - May 29
Royal Alexandra Theatre
Original Run: April/June 2022 - CAA Theatre
…And the hits keep coming! This was the second show of this strange season, and we both loved it. It was something very different, basically a one-man show (can you still say one-man?) Jake Epstein was the star and solo performer in the 80-minute production chronicling the high and low points in his theatrical life. Lisa gave the show 9/10, and I rated it 8/10, giving us a combined score of 8.5. Let’s hope the rest of the 2021-22 season continues to be as good as the first two shows.
Jake Epstein’s been “that guy from Degrassi”, starred in the US National Tours of Spring Awakening and American Idiot, played Spider-Man on Broadway and originated the lead role of Gerry Goffin (Carole King’s husband) in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Not bad for a kid who dreamed about performing on Broadway in the back seat of his parents’ minivan on their annual family road trip to NYC.
But the thing about dreams is, they don’t always go as planned. Through a series of entertaining and soul-baring stories and songs, ranging from touring the US, to surviving Spider-Man, to withstanding steroid shots and Broadway boos, Epstein shares the rejection, stage fright and heartbreak behind a seemingly successful career in this showbiz tell-all. Boy Falls From The Sky is a must-see for anyone who’s ever tried to go after their dreams.
June 4 - July 17
Royal Alexandra Theatre
Original Run: March/May 2022 - Princess of Wales Theatre
This is one time that I can not comment on the play as I did not see it. After watching the online preview I decided to give this production a pass, so Lisa asked our sister-in-law, Jennifer, if she was interested in attending. Both Lisa and Jennifer said they loved the play, with Lisa giving it an 8/10 rating, while Jennifer gave it a 9/10. So we have an overall rating of 8.5/10. This is shaping up to be a very good season (so far).
After performing to standing ovations around the world since 1996, Ted and Richard will slip on their tuxedos for an exclusive presentation of their smash hit comedy.
2 PIANOS, 4 HANDS (2P4H) is a warm and funny musical entertainment about two lifetime obsessions with 88 piano keys. It’s a story of aspiring talents, teachers, lessons and competitions – of disappointment and triumph.
Begins May 31
CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child originally cast a spell over the world as an epic two-part event. Now, the show has been boldly restaged as one singular performance by the award-winning creative team. With just one ticket in hand, audiences will enjoy all the adventures the continuation of Harry's story entails in one magical afternoon or evening.
Nineteen years after Harry, Ron and Hermione saved the wizarding world, they’re back on a most extraordinary new adventure – this time, joined by a brave new generation that has only just arrived at the legendary Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Prepare for spectacular spells, a mind-blowing race through time, and an epic battle to stop mysterious forces, all while the future hangs in the balance.
For this magical production we get a number of reviews done over the course of a month. Starting in June, Jordana and her friend went to see it on a Saturday afternoon. They gave it a 9/10. She said the play was very well done with all the magic. "We really enjoyed it. We would rate it a nine as it was very well done but it was long." Lisa and I followed up in July.
"You're a wizard, Mr. Mirvish!" He must be for turning out such an amazing production. First off, turning the theatre into Hogwarts was amazing. The extra leg room was much appreciated. The technical effects were perfect, equal to something you would see in a movie. Some of the actors were spot-on ringers for their younger movie version characters. The story, although a bit long, was interesting and despite the four-hour length, held our interest. Both Lisa and I rated the show 10/10.
June 22 - August 14
Princess of Wales Theatre
You will roar with joy at & Juliet, London’s “dazzlingly brilliant” (Evening Standard) new musical that’s packed with some of the biggest pop anthems of our time. “A kind of raucous Shakespeare comedy in itself” (The Stage), & Juliet asks: what if Juliet’s famous ending was really just her beginning? What if she decided to choose her own fate? And what if she got over Romeo by running off to Paris with her best friends on a whirlwind journey of self-discovery and second chances? This is Juliet’s story now. Brought to life by the iconic music of the internationally acclaimed songwriter Max Martin, & Juliet features some of the most successful songs of the last three decades including Hit Me Baby One More Time, I Want It That Way, Teenage Dream and many more. Experience the songs you know and love in thrilling arrangements by the Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning orchestrator Bill Sherman and story by David West Read (Netflix’s Schitt’s Creek) as & Juliet offers a brilliant new take on the world’s greatest love story.
Once again, we're all seeing this play, although in different months. Jordana saw it first in July with a friend and they both rated it 10/10. She said the music was fantastic and it was very funny. Everyone in the theatre was clapping along, she said. It was so good, that both she and her girlfriend said they would see it again if they could.
On the other hand, I thought the play was good, summer-fun entertainment, but hardly ranks in my top 10 list. The songs fit the story perfectly, and we both enjoyed it. I gave the play 7/10, while Lisa was far more generous, rating it a 10/10. It was great, though, with free parking and two free drinks, courtesy of the Mirvish subscriber card. One more play to go in this season, and then we rate 2021-22.
September/October 2022
Princess of Wales Theatre
A smash-hit at Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End, Jonathan Church's critically acclaimed production of Singin' in the Rain journeys back to the glamour of Hollywood during the roaring 20s. Silent movie star Don Lockwood has it all, a string of hit films and a studio-engineered romance with the most beautiful actress in town. What Don doesn't know is that the silver screen is about to find its voice, and a chance meeting with a talented young chorus girl set to steal his heart promises to change both Don, and Hollywood, forever.
Andrew Wright's high-energy choreography and Simon Higlett's sumptuous set design (including over 14,000 litres of water on stage every night) combine with the charm, romance and wit of one of the world's best-loved films. Singin' in the Rain features the glorious MGM score including "Good Morning," "Make 'em Laugh," "Moses Supposes" and the legendary title song.
What a great end to the 2021-22 Mirvish season. The play is a true classic, cute story, timeless music and incredible effects (for a theatrical production). All the actors hit their marks and did a great job. Sadly though, I kept thinking about the stars of the 1952 film, which starred Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor. Of the play’s three main characters, I believe Alastair Crosswell failed to live up to O’Connor’s portrayal of Cosmo Brown. But then again, probably no one could. Donald O’Connor was so underrated in his profession. After it was all over, Lisa and I each gave the show 10/10, the perfect ending for the strange season.
Well, that’s a wrap. The 2021-2022 season got off to a rocky, pandemic start that saw the first two productions cancelled. The season finally got underway in April and the six shows were all winners (apparently even the one I missed). I have to say that overall, this season was better than most. Based on play ratings, we are giving 2021-22 an 8.75/10 rating. That’s excellent in my books.
While one season is over, the new one has already started and we have scheduled performances in November and December. So, one with the show this is it!