Kelly Cameron

Les Miserables has been delighting audiences in Toronto since it opened in October of last year, and a few of its cast members are now Broadway bound for the show's big debut in March. St. Thomas native Aaron Walpole is one of those Canucks headed to the Great White Way. Walpole has been with the new production of Les Miserables longer than most involved in the current production, as he actually joined the US tour before it came to Toronto and performed across Canada as well. He's an ensemble member as well as being the Valjean alternate, and in Toronto has been playing the role of Valjean every Thursday night. We sat down to talk to Aaron about what Les Miserables means to him, what it's like alternating roles and how he keeps his voice and body in shape to tackle the very demanding role of Jean Valjean:

If you were a passerby outside The Princess of Wales Saturday night, you might have thought there was a rock concert going on inside. The audience reaction when Colm Wilkinson, the man who originated the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables, stepped on stage was nothing short of deafening. That level of energy continued throughout the night as Wilkinson performed alongside Ramin Karimloo, who was inspired to become a musical theatre performer after seeing Wilkinson in the original Canadian production of The Phantom of the Opera.

Toronto's critically acclaimed production of Les Miserables was responsible for bringing Ramin Karimloo back 'home' to perform on Canadian soil, and now for one performance only, he will share the stage with the man who helped inspire his dream to pursue musical theatre - none other than stage legend (and original Jean Valjean) Colm Wilkinson.

2013 is quickly coming to close, which means it's time for the ever popular year end lists that feature the cream of the crop of the year that was. 2013 was an incredible year for Toronto theatre, with many organizations posting record numbers for attendance and lots of productions quickly becoming critical darlings.

Les Miserables opened on October 9th in Toronto, kicking off the 50th Anniversary Season for Mirvish Productions and marking the long-awaited Canadian return of the mega musical. The new '25th Anniversary Production' has been receiving rave reviews, and is Broadway bound in March of 2014. BWW has been bringing readers coverage featuring many of the cast members as we discuss the importance of Les Miserables and of this new production to Canadians. Today we're talking with the deliciously dynamic duo who take on the despicable roles of The Thenardiers - Cliff Saunders and Lisa Horner. They bring a unique flavour to the roles, portraying the characters darker than I've ever seen them while still getting some of the biggest laughs of the show.

Toronto's critically acclaimed production of Les Miserables was the vehicle responsible for bringing Ramin Karimloo back 'home' to perform on Canadian soil, and now for one performance only, he will share the stage with the man who helped inspire his dream to pursue musical theatre - none other than stage legend (and original Jean Valjean) Colm Wilkinson.

God of Carnage, the hit play by Yasmina Reza that won the 2009 Tony Award for Best Play, Best Director and Best Actress (Marcia Gay Harden) opened last week at The Panasonic Theatre as part of Mirvish Production's second annual Off-Mirvish season. The production is a joint venture with Toronto based Studio 180 Productions, and boasts a stellar Canadian cast including Sarah Orenstein, Linda Kash, Tony Nappo and John Bourgeois. BWW is catching up with the women of GOD OF CARNAGE and looking at some of the behaviours that cause grown ups to act like children.

Once the Musical opened this past Thursday at Toronto's gorgeous Royal Alexandra Theatre, proving to Torontonians that a musical doesn't need to be big, brassy and full of fancy special effects to move an audience and shake their emotional core.

It was a true 'Arabian Night' in Toronto where the Broadway bound production of Disney's Aladdin had it's 'world premiere' last night. Promising to be a revamped interpretation of the classic 1992 cartoon film, the show had the unbelievable sights but sadly struggled with the indescribable feelings. BWW is thrilled to bring its readers one of the first reviews of this brand new production.

It's Always Something is a once a year special event in Toronto that raises money for Gilda's Club, an incredibly important charity that honours the memory of the late Gilda Radner by providing a place for those suffering from cancer to go to escape, to laugh and to connect with others. Co-produced by Rick Muller and Fred Levy, this year's show featured Corey Hart's return to a Canadian stage, as well as Matt Dusk, Nikki Yanofsky, Colin Mochrie and more. It was hosted by the incredibly funny Ron James, and BWW is thrilled to bring readers photos from the red carpet and the show.

Torontonians who love musical theatre seem to have something to shout about this morning, as The Toronto Star is reporting the Broadway smash hit musical 'NEWSIES' will grace our stages in 2015 as part of the Mirvish 2014-2015 season. The newspaper states this is as yet unconfirmed by Mirvish Productions or Disney Theatrical, but suggests that Toronto will see 'an exclusive six-week premiere engagement at the Princess of Wales'

Literary lovers will be delighted to know there's a unique new theatrical event starting this week - a site specific performance piece that examines the life and works of Virginia Woolf. The brainchild of Naomi Wright (who will play Woolf in the production) the show is a fully immersive production that features an all female cast and crew and will take place in Toronto's historic Campbell House. BWW sat down to talk with Wright about how the project evolved over the last decade, the immersive nature of the show, and the challenges of tackling such an iconic and well known literary figure. Set in 1928, the show will feature Woolf delivering her iconic text for the very first time while guests are treated to a reception that includes live music, cash bar and light refreshments. To help create the uniquely hands-on experience, the audience will be encouraged to explore the library, read newspapers from 1928 and peruse Woolf's living quarters to get a better feel for the woman behind the iconic works.

It's an exciting holiday theatre season in Toronto, with lots of great options for children and grown ups alike! One option which is bound to appeal to people of all ages is the classic tale of ANNIE - being presented by Young People's Theatre and starring newcomer Jenny Weisz in the iconic role. You would be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't know the story of Annie (or it's timeless tunes such as 'Tomorrow', 'Hard Knock Life' and 'Maybe') but it's been a long time since Toronto had a professional production on stage in the city. In the iconic role is newcomer Jenny Weisz, and 'Annie' marks her very first professional gig after graduating from Theatre Sheridan this past year. BWW sat down to talk with her about playing the famous little redheaded girl, reaching her dream of performing with YPT and her musical theatre influence.

It's an exciting holiday theatre season in Toronto, with lots of great options for children and grown ups alike! One option which is bound to appeal to people of all ages is the classic tale of ANNIE - being presented by Young People's Theatre and starring newcomer Jenny Weisz in the iconic role. No version of Annie is complete without the villainous Miss Hannigan and Rooster - the characters who stand between Annie and her future happiness. In this new production, they're played by real life husband and wife Louise Pitre and Joe Matheson - who are teaming up to sink their teeth into the despicable (yet very funny) duo. Louise spoke with BWW about playing the villain, her experiences with Young People's Theatre and the enduring power of Annie:

Evil Dead the Musical is back in Toronto and bloodier than ever! The show opened last week to rave reviews, and audience members are flocking to the Randolph Theatre for a chance to experience this cult classic in all its gory glory. The show takes the cult classic film by the same name and adapts it for the stage, and Torontonians are excited to have the show back in its city. The show had humble beginnings in August 2003 in the back room of The Tranzac Club, and returned to Toronto in 2007 at The Diesel Playhouse where it went on to become the longest running show the city had seen in over two decades and won the Dora Award for Audience Choice. Now that it's back, the city is welcoming it with gory open arms! BWW is thrilled to bring readers production photos of the Toronto cast in action!

Once a year the stars flock to Toronto's largest theatrical venue - The Sony Centre - for a magical evening of music, song, dance and variety called It's Always Something! The event honours the memory and wish of the late Gilda Radner, who died of ovarian cancer in 1989. Gilda loved to laugh and entertain and felt that no one should have to face cancer alone. In a special interview, co-producer of It's Always Something Rick Muller took some time to talk about the importance of Gilda's Club and why it means so much to him to support this cause and produce this event each year. He talks about losing people to cancer, the importance of living Gilda's message of laughter and magic every day, and of course - what we can expect from the incredible It's Always Something event this year.

Evil Dead the Musical is back in Toronto and bloodier than ever! The show opened last week to rave reviews, and audience members are flocking to the Randolph Theatre for a chance to experience this cult classic in all its gory glory. The show takes the cult classic film by the same name and adapts it for the stage, and Torontonians are excited to have the show back in its city. While there are original cast members returning for this new engagement (Ryan Ward and Alison Smyth) there are also a group of new people sinking their teeth into these iconic roles. One of those people is Daniel Williston, who sat down to talk to BWW about the Evil Dead experience so far, the show's history about (of course) all the blood and gore:

BWW is always seeking talented theatre enthusiasts to head up feature coverage our over 130 regional areas. I'm excited to announce that as the Toronto regional site continues to grow, we have a growing need for additional Contributing Editors. In this unique and exciting role, you will have the opportunity to review shows, conduct interviews with local and touring talent, design features for publishing, and work/network with your local theatre press reps to bring exposure to the theatrical offerings in your area.

This upcoming Monday get ready to break out your dancing shoes, as cast members from the Original Toronto Production of MAMMA MIA! reunite for a one-night only benefit in support of FIFE HOUSE. They are a not for profit organization that seeks to provide secure and affordable supportive housing and support services for persons living with HIV/AIDS.

This upcoming Monday get ready to break out your dancing shoes, as cast members from the Original Toronto Production of MAMMA MIA! reunite for a one-night only benefit in support of FIFE HOUSE. They are a not for profit organization that seeks to provide secure and affordable supportive housing and support services for persons living with HIV/AIDS. The event will feature none other than Louise Pitre in the lead role of 'Donna', one in which she originated here in Toronto and then later took to the Great White Way. She will be joined by a group of her fellow cast mates to celebrate the music of ABBA and the success of MAMMA MIA, as well as to raise a toast to the great work that FIFE HOUSE does in our community. Joining her will be Adam Brazier (Sky), Gabrielle Jones (Rosie), David Keeley (Sam), Julie Martell (Sophie), Tamara Bernier (Tanya) and Shawn Wright (Bill). BWW is thrilled to be chatting with the cast to provide a unique retrospective on their time with MAMMA MIA!, including favourite memories and ABBA songs. Today we're focusing on the returning men including David Keeley , Shawn Wright and Adam Brazier.