Lauren Gienow - Page 4

On June 15, a moving, and at times very funny production of NATHAN THE WISE opened at the Stratford Festival's Studio Theatre. Directed by Birgit Schreyer Duarte, this production of Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's 1779 play is a thought-provoking exploration into humanity, the concept of "the other," and the meaning of tolerance.

This season at the Stratford Festival, a new generation of imaginative dreamers now has the opportunity to be introduced to Michael Ende's THE NEVERENDING STORY. In partnership with Canada's National Arts Centre and presented by Schulich Children's Plays, this play is the perfect out for a family looking to immerse themselves in the arts while visiting Stratford.

MOTHER'S DAUGHTER, the third and final installment of playwright Kate Hennig's 'Queenmaker Trilogy' had its world premiere at the Stratford Festival's Studio Theatre Friday night. The play follows the reign of Mary I Queen of England and like the two previous instalments, it is reimagined (or perhaps 'restored') to be told from the perspective of the women at the centre of the story. Directed by Alan Dilworth, this production provides a fitting end to the intimate story of tradition, family, faith, imperfection and sisterhood that audiences first became immersed in 4 years ago.

Opening week at the Stratford Festival came to a close on Saturday evening with director Antoni Cimolino's production of Shakespeare's THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. Reimagined to take place in the early 1950's, this production is outrageously funny, with charming and distinctive performances by all involved.

If you are in Stratford, Ontario and are looking for a good time, look no further than this season's production of horror comedy rock musical LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. There aren't a whole lot of shows that can call themselves a horror comedy rock musical, but if you frequent these parts…or, you know, have a pulse, chances are you saw one last year too. The success of last season's THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW has sent the message that audiences get a kick out of the subversive escape that this kind of show can offer, and so, Director/Choreographer Donna Feore is serving up another delicious hit in the same vein as ROCKY HORROR (puns intended).

PRIVATE LIVES is one of Noel Coward's greatest works. It is timeless in its humour and with the right cast, it is a delightfully hilarious exploration of all sides of love and passion. The cast assembled in the Stratford Festival's production does justice to Coward's clever use of words and wit, all but guaranteeing the audience a fun night out at the theatre.

The Stratford Festival of Ontario may be known first and foremost for mounting productions of Shakespeare's plays, but there are certain plays by the bard that only seem to come around once in a while. For example, HENRY VIII, a play written by William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, has only been performed three other times in the history of the Stratford Festival--the last one being in 2004. This season, director Martha Henry has created a production of this play that feels relevant and exciting. Stunning performances by Jonathan Goad and Irene Poole elevate it event further.

For the past several seasons, Stratford's Festival Theatre stage has been home to classic musical theatre productions with catchy tunes that audiences might find themselves humming long after the company had taken its final bow. This season, the musical living on that stage is a little different. It is not a classic from the golden age of broadway, the music, while moving, is likely not that familiar ear worm that you will wake up singing, and the story is as gritty and high stakes as many of the Shakespearean productions we have seen on that stage in recent years. BILLY ELLIOT officially opened to a raucous standing ovation on Tuesday evening, making it clear that Stratford audiences are more than happy to branch out to something a little different.

The 67th season at the Stratford Festival is officially underway, and off to an exciting start after Monday's opening night performance of OTHELLO. Directed by Nigel Shawn Williams and starring Michael Blake in the titular role, this production is thought provoking and electrifying from start to finish.

Did you not get a chance to see the Stratford Festival's magical production of THE TEMPEST last season? Or maybe you did see it and are eager to get a taste of that magic again! You are in luck because the production was filmed and will be available for all to see through the Stratford Festival's Stage to Screen Series! With it's theatrical release set for Saturday, BroadwayWorld chatted with the production's Miranda, Mamie Zwettler about the experience of journeying to the magical island over and over again last season.

It's not a secret that there is a vibrant musical theatre community in Toronto. From popular, award winning Mirvish productions to new musicals being developed, to up and coming musical theatre performers honing their craft at the Sheridan College Music Theatre program, there is no shortage of talent or entertainment in the GTA. For the past 7 years, SINGular Sensation has been providing music theatre performers (professional or amateur) with an opportunity to display their talent and work on their performance skills at a musical theatre open mic night. The evening, which now takes place on the third Monday of every month, is the brainchild of host Jeni Walls, a musical theatre performer and producer who was inspired to create an evening of live performances from music theatre artists of all experience levels.

Based on the promos that have been airing all week, it was evident that Thursday's episode of GREY'S ANATOMY was going to be an emotional one. Although the promos were (characteristically) misleading, the episode did not disappoint. The devastating effects of addiction, as well as the complicated ways in which different people view addiction, took center stage as the doctors fought to save the lives of over 50 patients who had overdosed, including Betty/Britney.

If you're a fan of fun cameos, you'll be a fan of this week's Grey's Anatomy! We get 'Baby' from 'Dirty Dancing' AND we get a Hobbit! More than that though, we also get a really compelling episode that explores complicated family matters, gun violence, and having to operate on someone you hate.

After spending last week's fabulous standalone episode fully invested in Catherine Fox's surgery and Meredith's closure with her dying dad, GREY'S ANATOMY viewers had the chance to dive back into all the other storylines that have been playing out in the hallways of Grey Sloan memorial. This week's episode, entitled “Girlfriend in a Coma” delivered some delightful romance, a heartbreaking love story, and a mind blowing bombshell of a reveal. 

Looking for some live entertainment in Niagara-on-the-Lake during these winter months as you await the new season at the Shaw Festival? Look no further than Corks Playhouse Theatre on February 9th when the fantastic George Krissa takes the stage for his 'eclectic but cohesive' concert produced by Something-Something Productions.

And then there was one... The curtain has fallen on the other 11 productions of the Stratford Festival's 66th season, but THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW is still going strong. Originally set to close on Halloween, the show has been so popular with audiences that it has been extended three times throughout its run and will now close on Sunday December 2. It is officially the longest running show in the history of The Stratford Festival. BWW chatted with several cast members via email and they all expressed gratitude and excitement about the show being extended yet again.

Anyone who has had the chance to see a musical at the Stratford Festival will know just how talented each and every company member is. Both of this season's musicals boast true triple threats in their casts-and it now appears that six of them are in fact quadruple threats. In addition to the singing, dancing and acting, a group of inspired young performers may have just have added 'Social Media Influencer' to their repertoires. Six performers who share a dressing room for THE MUSIC MAN at the Festival Theatre have started a backstage revolution that has taken Instagram and the Stratford Festival by storm. Colton Curtis, Eric Abel, Devon Michael Brown, Henry Firmston, Jason Sermonia, and Gabriel Antonacci (whom I have listed last because that seems to be a trend) can be seen each week during their TWO SHOW DAY Q & A that is posted on Curtis' Instagram story (@coltonccurtis). Using the 'Questions' sticker, these imaginative actors make hilarious videos to answer a variety of questions-and they do it all from backstage during one of their shows on...you guessed it...two show days.

There is a buzz about the Stratford Festival's production of PARADISE LOST that is so intriguing that a ticket is about as tempting as forbidden fruit. Tickets for the oft-sold out production are also a little easier to come by at the moment, as it has been extended by popular demand to October 27th. Get your tickets while you can for this mesmerizing and thought-provoking show!

Last week, the Stratford Summer Music Festival teamed with Canadian (and Stratford resident) singer-songwriter, Ron Sexsmith to present SONGS FROM DEER LIFE-an in-concert production of a musical that Sexsmith has written based on his Fairy Tale, DEER LIFE. Along with a group of talented musicians from the INNERchamber ensemble, a fantastic children's choir, and performers Barbara Fulton and Mike Nadajewski, Sexsmith put on a wonderful show filled with intriguing new music. This was the first time this music was heard by the public, but it certainly won't be the last!

It is rare these days that I take my seat in a theatre to watch a play that I know almost nothing about. I was almost embarrassed to admit that fact about Eduardo De Filippo's NAPOLI MILIONARIA! Which is currently being performed in repertory at the Stratford Festival's Avon Theatre. Granted, the original was in Italian and this production, directed by the Festival's Artistic Director, Antoni Cimolino, is the world premiere of the new translation by John Murrell (from a literal translation by Donato Santeramo). It was still not until I was reading the program liner notes that I knew more about this production than the brief synopsis offered on the Stratford Festival website. To my delight, I think this only enriched my experience as an audience member. The universality in a story that was written about a very specific time and place is nothing short of beautiful, and the performances have left me thinking about the play long after the final curtain.