September 2023 - February 2024
Royal Alexandra Theatre

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.
From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a Euphoric Celebration of 21st century girl power! This new original musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over!
SIX won 23 awards in the 2021/2022 Broadway season, including the Tony Award for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

The first production of Mirvish’s 2023-24 season is titled “Six.” However, both Lisa and I agreed that it merits a 10 rating. The theatrical musical is presented as a concert with the six members of the cast – each portraying a different wife of King Henry VIII – initially competing for having the toughest marriage to the late English monarch. The cast calls out to the audience to judge who had the most demanding life. By the end of the 80-minute show, they agree that what makes them unique is not their individual tales but the fact that they were all married to the same man. As I mentioned, the show is presented as a concert, and the audience fell in with the theme, loudly cheering after each “wife” presented her musical hard luck story. It was a great start to the season. I'm not surprised it is the only production slated for the Royal Alex this season. It has already been extended once, and I bet it will extended for a full season run.

ANOTHER VIEW: Jordana and Eliza went to see Six today (November 11). Jordana rated it a 7,while Eliza rated it a 9. The songs were very catchy and the choreography was very well done.

So, the final tally is 9/10 for the first play of the season!

September - December 2023
CAA Theatre

In Dreams is the touching and surprisingly funny new musical from the creators of the Broadway and West End smash-hit musical & Juliet.
In Dreams tells the story of a country-rock singer who invites her old bandmates to join her for “the party of a lifetime”, while keeping her true motivations a secret.
Through Roy Orbison’s greatest hits, including I Drove All Night, You Got It, Only The Lonely, Crying, Oh, Pretty Woman, and the title song, this unexpected and moving new musical explores our longing for love and connection.

This season is turning out to be a pretty good one so far, actually an excellent one. This was our second of 2023-24, and we have loved both. Lisa gave In Dreams a 10, while I gave it an 8. It’s not that I liked it less – I actually loved the story and music – but found the subject matter dealing with death a bit depressing. Jordana also gave it a 10. She decided she wanted to see the play, so she bought herself a ticket and met us downtown, where we first went for lunch and dinner at Fran’s after the show. The production utilized the music of Roy Orbison to tell the tale. I never realized how great his music is. A number of the tunes were created in collaboration with such artists as Thomas Petty (Tom), Robert Dylan (Bob) and George Harrison.
At times, people in the audience were clapping along with the songs, especially, Oh, Pretty Woman. If this season keeps up the current pace, it could be the best one in many years.
So, with the three Rosens having seen the play, the average review score comes to 9.3.

October - November 2023
Princess of Wales Theatre

Joy, love, heartache, strength, wisdom, catharsis, LIFE—everything we’ve been waiting to see in a Broadway show— is here in the exhilarating, fearless new musical based on Alanis Morissette’s world-changing music.

I can’t believe we have seen three plays already this season and the last one in 2023. Both Lisa and I gave it a 6/10. The story was interesting but depressing, dealing with rape, drug and alcohol abuse and family problems. I like to escape reality when I go to the theatre, not being reminded of real-life issues. At the show’s end, the last before the company disbands, the actor who plays Jo, Jade McLeod, made an impassioned plea for donations for the actors’ charity. I thought it was a bit tacky, but that’s just me. The actors playing Mary Jane and Frankie were outstanding and really carried the show.

December 2023 - January 2024
Princess of Wales Theatre

It’s big… it’s bright… it’s a brand spanking-new production of ‘the original showbiz musical,’ 42nd STREET!
Jonathan Church (Singin’ In The Rain, The Drifters Girl) directs the iconic song-anddance spectacular featuring a hit parade of toe-tapping songs including “42nd Street,” “We’re In The Money,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “Shuffle Off To Buffalo” and “I Only Have Eyes For You.”
Choreographed and designed by Olivier Award winners Bill Deamer and Rob Jones, 42nd STREET is a timeless and inspiring showbiz fairy tale that combines breathtaking tap dance routines, backstage intrigue, classic romance and delightful comedy to dazzling effect. It’s simply irresistible!
Fresh off the bus from small-town America, young and beautiful Peggy Sawyer arrives in New York City dreaming of her name in lights. She quickly catches the eye of a big-time director and lands a spot in the chorus line of Broadway’s newest show… and when the leading lady gets injured, Peggy gets her shot at stardom.

We were supposed to attend the first play of the season without rescheduling, but unfortunately, I woke up feeling lousy in the middle of the night. As a result, I decided to sit this one out, and Lisa chose to stay with me. We gave our tickets to Jordana and her friend, Eliza. We didn't get to see the production, so we have no idea how it went. I can't believe this is the start of the second half of the season. In the end, Jordana did give me her opinion on the production.
From Jordana: I got a pleasant surprise this morning. My parents gave Eliza and me their tickets to see 42nd Street. This was my second time seeing the play, the first being 2012 in Stratford. I found this show very good. Eliza rated it a 10, and I rated it an 8.5. It was the show's final performance.

February - March 2024
Princess of Wales Theatre

Discover a whole new world at Disney’s Aladdin, the hit Broadway musical. From the producer of The Lion King comes the timeless story of Aladdin, a thrilling new production filled with unforgettable beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s an extraordinary theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite.

So far, 2024 is not turning out to be a great year - theatre-wise that is. I had decided long ago that I was not interested in attending this production, so we rescheduled it for Family Day, so Jordana could take my ticket. Finally, February 17 arrived and we were ready to go (I was driving Lisa and Jordana to the subway). Then the zipper in Lisa's boot broke. With no winter footwear, she decided she wasn't going to the play. So, Jordana called her friend Eliza and the two of them went downtown. Let's hoping that all is well for our next play, Les Miz, one of my favourite plays.
FROM JORDANA: Wow, Aladdin was amazing!!! It was funny. The special effects,costumes and the music was amazing. It was sold out. Definitely worth seeing again. Eliza rated it an 8,and I rated it a 10.

March - June 2024
Princess of Wales Theatre

Cameron Mackintosh presents the acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, Les Misérables.
Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. This epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history.
The magnificent score of Les Misérables includes the songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More,” “Master of the House” and many more. Seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries and 22 languages, Les Misérables is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals.

WOW! Now, that was an absolute masterpiece production. We both gave it 10/10. Everything about it was perfect, the acting, songs, music, scenery, etc. The play transferred well from the Royal Alex to the Princess of Wales Theatre, where we saw Les Misérables the last two times. The play requires a smaller stage, and they did well in shrinking the PoW larger stage to fit the show. Great use of background projection in parts of the play where they had to simulate movement, especially during the scenes in the sewer and when Javert jumps into the river. They aged the character well, especially Jean Val Jean. Funny, the first time we saw the play in the early 1990s, we were around the age of the lead characters age at the start of the play. Now, we probably were closer to Jean Val Jean’s age, closer to the end. Would we go see Les Misérables again if the opportunity arose? In one word…YES!
Oh yes, forgot to mention, but this was our first play of 2024.

WICKED

June - July 2024
Princess of Wales Theatre

WICKED, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz...but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships...until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”
Wicked was amazing to see!! It was very different to see now as compared to seeing it when I was younger. It was also different sitting in the balcony. Eliza rated it a 9 and I rated it a 10.

June - July 2024
CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre

An uplifting comeback story like no other, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.
One of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, Tina Turner has won 12 Grammy Awards and her live shows have been seen by millions, with more concert tickets sold than any other solo performer in music history.

What a great way to end the 2023-24 Mirvish season with a fantastic musical. I have to be honest, I have always been just marginal to the music of Tina Turner, but I loved all the familiar tunes. I remember listening to “Proud Mary” back in the 60s, and the tune struck a chord. The performer playing Tina Turner was terrific, with great dance moves and an amazing voice. The girl playing the young Anna-Mae Bullock was a standout. I would not be surprised if she goes on to great things in the entertainment world. As the play wound down to the final number, the entire thing became surreal as the play morphed into a concert with “Tina” playing to the Toronto audience. After the show ended, “Tina” even returned for an encore performance. The audience was on their feet, clapping and enjoying the production. So that’s it, I had to give it a 10. Lisa and Jordana agreed, so it was 10/10 for all of us. Like I said, it’s a perfect way to end the season.

That's it for our 11th season. Overall, I would say that I enjoyed all the plays I saw. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, I missed a number of productions. That’s ok though, because I have a feeling I would have given the ones I missed a lower rating.
All the votes have been tabulated and the 2023-2024 season concludes with a 9.03/10 rating. That’s what I call a great season. We are only including shows that were part of the official subscriber season and including Jordana's vote. This now concludes all reviews for this season. See you in the fall for the 2024-2025 season when we get some pie, sorry I mean Life of Pi.

August 2024
Princess of Wales Theatre

Channeling the spirit of Fleetwood Mac at their very best, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac offers a unique opportunity for fans, both old and new, to rediscover the songs and performances that have ensured Fleetwood Mac’s place as one of the most loved groups of all time.
/b> Personally endorsed by Fleetwood Mac founding member, Mick Fleetwood, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac is the ultimate tribute to one of rock and roll’s most remarkable groups.

This was no play, but a tribute band to one of the greatest bands around - Fleetwood Mac. It was also not part of the subscription season. We met Jennifer and David at the theatre, we all enjoyed the concert and went out for dinner afterwards. As this not a play, I am not giving it a rating.