Lauren Gienow

The Stratford Festival’s Opening Week wrapped up last night with director Molly Atkinson’s production of Samuel Beckett’s WAITING FOR GODOT at the Festival Theatre. As I sit here contemplating what I want to say about it, I suspect I could write a One Act play called Reviewing Godot. How does one review what has been described as ‘a play in which nothing happens…twice’? One can of course highlight the brilliant performances of Tom McCamus, Paul Gross, Jonathan Goad, and David W. Keeley as Estragon, Vladimir, Pozzo, and Lucky – but even as I sit here reflecting on the performances, I find myself continuing to reflect (in a good way) on the absurd profundity of ‘nothing’ happening.

This season at the Stratford Festival, audiences young and old are invited to challenge their imaginations, look inward and reflect on their own values as they adventure to Middle Earth with THE HOBBIT, now playing in repertory at the Avon Theatre. Director Pablo Felices-Luna brings the classic fantasy story of Dwarves, Trolls, Elves, Goblins, Dragons and Hobbits to life in a production that is sure to capture the imaginations of those who grew up with the book as well as those who are discovering it for the first time.

In the most delightful case of déjà vu, Stratford Festival audiences once again can take in Director/Choreographer Donna Feore’s masterful production of SOMETHING ROTTEN (last seen in 2024) at the Festival Theatre this season. For a production that is being repeated, it is ironically part of a lot of firsts! This is the first time (in my recollection) that a show has been brought back by popular demand, and it is also the first time Feore has both musicals on the Festival Theatre stage (with mostly the same company of actors between them). What is affectionately being called SOMETHING ROTTEN 2.0 opened to thunderous applause (and two mid-show ovations) Friday night and I've never been able to say with more certainty that it will be a hit!

After a comparatively upbeat first three nights of the Stratford Festival’s Opening Week, there was a palpable tone shift with the opening of Dean Gabourie’s excellent, but devastating production of famed Arthur Miller play DEATH OF A SALESMAN at the Avon Theatre. The shift in tone was due entirely to the heartbreaking story, as the production itself was incredibly impressive and moving

Opening Week at the Stratford Festival continues with an outstanding production of William Shakespeare’s A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at the Tom Patterson Theatre. With a phenomenal cast and inventive design, Director Graham Abbey’s production is infused with such humour and vitality that the show itself feels like a living, breathing organism.

Festival Theatre audiences last saw GUYS AND DOLLS in 2017. Like this current production, that production was also Directed and Choreographed by Donna Feore. Audience members who had the opportunity to see the previous production will undoubtedly notice delightful similarities between the two. There are some familiar costumes and set pieces, the (magnificent) opening 'Runyonland' number feels almost identical, and there are a few familiar faces on stage from back in 2017 as well. It’s clear Feore was unafraid to lean into the familiar in an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ sort of way, but this current production still feels like a fresh new take on the classic show. It’s always so wonderful to see Feore reinvent a show for the Festival Theatre stage. This time, we get to see her tackle a show she has done before through new eyes, with a (mostly) new cast of leads. The result is a boisterously fun night at the theatre.

The Stratford Festival's 74th season officially opened last night and it is fitting that the play on stage for Antoni Cimolino’s final Opening n=Night as Artistic Director is THE TEMPEST. It was famously the final play that Shakespeare wrote solo, and it follows the protagonist Prospero as he lets go of one way of life and moves on to the next. Cimolino directed this stunning production which possesses beauty and magic in its design and effects as well as in the message it delivers.

Next week, the North American tour of SHUCKED begins performances at Mirvish’s Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto. Broadway World had the opportunity to catch up with Danielle Wade, who plays Maizy and who also happens to be Canadian! We talk all things corn, her tour family, and making her grand return to Canada with this special show.

Sunday night was the Toronto opening of the Canadian premiere of KIMBERLY AKIMBO – the 2023 Tony Award winner for Best Musical. Directed by Robert McQueen, this quirky musical boasts a fabulous cast and is chock full of heart. With an incredibly strong (and Tony Award Winning) book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire and music by Jeanine Tesori, this musical weaves together comedy and drama in the same way that real life does. Offering performances that are both funny and heartbreaking, KIMBERLY AKIMBO is a very special show that is not to be missed.

Three and a half years after making its North American debut at the theatre next door, the now smash hit Broadway Musical & JULIET has made a grand return to Toronto at Mirvish’s Royal Alexandra Theatre with a stellar all-Canadian cast. And based on the audience reaction on Opening Night, it might be here for a while!

The Broadway National Tour of the beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, THE SOUND OF MUSIC has arrived in Toronto this holiday season and it is the perfect excursion for the entire family.

1554. The Tower of London. Lady Jane Grey, the 'Nine Days Queen,' awaits execution. The walls whisper the stories of the women who came before – and those yet to come... Battling sleep and the horrors that lurk within it, Jane retraces her short, tumultuous life. Can she reclaim her own legacy? Grey unearths the humanity behind infamous names: who was Bloody Mary? What does it mean to be remembered? A haunting, thought-provoking journey through grief, fear and hope, woven with a modern, emotive soundtrack. 'Do you think people would write about my love story?' – Lady Jane Grey.

In 2023 TikTok sent a notification to millions of users with Jodie's face, and the caption 'Is She Hot?'. Now, her debut show is a hilarious reflection on womanhood, grief and feminine rage. Told through musical comedy, sharp observations, and her own teenage diary, Jodie delves into the contradictions of modern femininity, balancing girliness and grief, sweetness and fury, and humour and heartbreak. A style that blends charm, candour, and raw emotional depth, Jodie delivers an unforgettable hour that's as thought-provoking as it is funny. A must-see debut from a rising star.

49 and 64 are in the room. They cannot see each other but they can talk and pass notes. All they have is questions, wedding veils and dog tags. Who are they? Where are they? What is going on? And why? And who is J Doe? And why are they watching them? 113 focuses in on the ideas of identity and memory. It asks if memory is what makes our identity, and if we were able to see ourselves objectively, could we change?

There is something very special taking place onstage at the Stratford Festival’s Avon Theatre this season, and if I accomplish one thing in all my writings about Opening Week, it will be to make sure everyone I know goes and sees Kat Sandler’s new adaptation of ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Nothing quite matches the magic you feel when everyone in a room – both on stage, and in the audience, basks in the knowledge that an incredibly special new piece of Art is being shared with the world.

Opening Week at the Stratford Festival continued Friday night with a lively production of THE WINTER’S TALE at the Tom Patterson Theatre. Presented at the Festival for the first time in 15 years, and directed by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino, this beloved Shakespearean tragicomedy boasts an excellent cast that offers powerful performances.

Last night, Director Tracey Flye’s production of DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS opened at the Stratford Festival’s Avon Theatre. One of two musicals mounted at the Festival this season, this production is paired well with its counterpart, ANNIE. As musical comedies go, they simply could not be more different from one another tonally. Patrons who are seeking something edgier or who perhaps have a more cynical outlook on life than optimistic Annie, will enjoy the hijinks of Lawrence and Freddy. I personally suggest seeing both musicals though. After all, as is evidenced in this production, we all contain multitudes.

After successfully changing the game back in 2018 with his innovative production of CORIOLANUS, Director Robert LePage is back at the Stratford Festival with a production of MACBETH that is sure to be the talk of the town. Cinematic, inventive, and captivating from start to finish, this is unlike any production of MACBETH you have ever seen. And it works incredibly well.

Director/Choreographer Donna Feore has done it again! The Stratford Festival production of ANNIE opened on Tuesday evening and the audience reception could not have been more enthused. Feore has assembled an incredible cast of actors, singers, dancers, and dog(s) who have put on a show that expertly balances the saccharine optimism and sentimentality of the story with humour and spectacle, resulting in a delightfully entertaining night at the theatre that audiences of all demographics will enjoy.

The 2025 Season of the Stratford Festival is officially open, and kicking it off is a delightful production of AS YOU LIKE IT at the Festival Theatre. Director, Chris Abraham has assembled a stellar cast to tell this story that brings lots of laughts as it explores themes of love at first sight, uncertainty, resilience, and transformation. With strong performances, exciting set and lighting design, original music by Ron Sexsmith, and at times, a very silly humour that many are craving right now, this production ticks all the boxes for an audience that just wants reassurance that we all can still love and laugh in our own trying and uncertain times.