Toronto Festival - Icefest

My daughter and I wandered over to the eighth annual Bloor-Yorkville ice carving competition, which offered delicious hot snacks and drinks from exotic outdoor vendors (not your typical hot dog carts here), to consume while wandering along Cumberland street perusing the ice sculptures. I was surprised to see such Iincredible activity with crowds of people taking their pictures with the sculptures. A very nice way to spend an hour or two in a lovely area of town....

Lower Ossington Theatre - Marvellous Wonderettes

If you're a fan of Glee, you may want to check out this show. With a similiar format, set in a high school with a singing club, the selection of songs mirrors the girls' current romantic circumstances.

The first act is set in 1958, at the Prom Queen competition, and the second act takes place 10 years later. This musical comedy features songs consistent with each time period and is a lot of fun. The four singers have lovely, strong voices and harmonized together very well.

Add to that the cabaret style room, where you can enjoy wine and drinks with the show, and it makes for a very enjoyable evening. I noticed quite a few couples enjoying a romantic evening, hands intertwined throughout the show ...

I was surprised at the low turn-out. Could Lower Ossington Theater be an undiscovered gem or did the title of the show throw some people off. I admit I thought it might be an all ages show - I brought my pre-teen daughter with me and, while she really enjoyed the show, there is some adult content ......

TSO POPS - Love Will Keep Us Together

There is nothing more enjoyable then chilling with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Special guests tonight, to sing the love songs, were Betsy Wolfe and Mike Eldred, each with an impressive Broadway pedigree. Their voices were as sweet and strong as the TSO and blended together beautifully.

We were treated to a number of favourites, from Cole Porter "I've Got You Under My skin" to Dirty Dancing to Dolly Parton And "Moon River".

The Pops series never disappoints. There's only two shows left in the series, so book now !

Soulpepper - Guildenstern and Rosencratz are Dead

With outstanding performances from Ted Dykstra (Rosencratz) and Jordan Pettle (Guildenstern), we were thoroughly entertained and not a little bit bamboozled. Devout fans of Tom Stoppard, we were not disappointed by this play. The dialogue was fast paced and witty and the actors carried it genuinely.

Not always clear, the multiple plot lines, some interwoven and some running concurrently, are sometimes hard to keep up with, but most definitely thought provoking. There is much philosophizing on the meaning of life. Guildenstern and Rosencratz are trapped and manipulated by the other characters, as they struggle to unfold the mysteries surrounding them and to gain enough knowledge to know what to do next.

We loved the play and definitely recommend you put in on your list of things to do.

Art Show - 4Artists

We dropped in on an art show on Saturday, held in a private residence, featuring four artists with very complementary work. The gorgeous, earthy and superbly crafted pottery from Leta & Don Cormier was so seductive to hold and look at that we couldn't help but pick up a few pieces. Betty White uses a wide variety of colour and texture in her work, which you can contemplate for hours - we purchased a fabulous drawing from her skeletal series that we just couldn't keep our eyes off of. Keiko Shintani makes the most luxurious and beautiful textiles, to hang on the wall and as clothing accessories, that we just couldn't resist bringing a few pieces home as well. If you are in the market for pottery, paintings/sketches or textiles I strongly recommend you google these artists and watch out for their next show.

Lower Ossington Theatre - [Title of Show]

The theme of this show was an odd concept that interestingly grew on you as it progressed. It seemed to start off with little focus, but as the tale of the creation of the show began to pick up speed, so did our interest. With campy moments and almost slapstick comedy, it definitely captivated the audience.

An interesting assortment of characters balanced each other very well - one male with extremely expressive eyes. one female with a very elastic face and fluid moves and very strong voices from the other male and female. If you're looking for some good, not so clean, fun - definitely check this out.

Off-Mirvish - Clybourne Park

An emotional and impactful exploration of the impact of racism as seen through the lens of a small enclave. This show depicts the impact community can have in isolating those who are different, sometimes elevating their despair, and the struggle of the majority to demonstrate tolerance. There are no clear good guys and bad guys here.

The actors were great and the plot twists and surprises effectively caught you off guard. Balanced with ascerbic dialogue and witty interjections, this show was thought provoking and fun.

Another success for Off-Mirvish's inaugural season !

Montcrest Players - Time Machine

The Montcrest Players put on their annual performance and, as parents of a leading member of the prop club, we joined all the other parents of the cast and crew for the evening performance.

Left alone in the room with the time machine that Dad built, with strict instructions not to touch anything (really ...), the inevitable happened. Travelling back to the the dark ages, then forward to the time of Shakespeare and then propelled into the future, the four teens encountered all manner of characters they helped and were hindered by. For grade 5-8 students, their acting chops, timing and projection was quite good. The prop club made some great sets and props, leveraging lots of pizza boxes, duct tape and black paint. Well done !

Factory Theatre - Craig's List Contata

Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craig's List Contata, by Acting Up Stage Company

Whether you are a regular Craig's List user or always wondered what kind of things people would use it for, you will find this show enlightening and entertaining. This piece brings out many aspects of Craig's List, from "Does anyone see me" (people attempting to connect) to "Do you want what I have" (Selling the most bizarre things). This show is a veritable cornucopia of weird and wonderful postings on Craig's List, creatively choreographed to song and dance, creating a curiosity to log on. Everyone in my party of eight loved the show, each having their favourite sketches we shared and laughed about on the way home.

All of the performers were very talented, we particularly enjoyed the amazing physical comedy of Dmitry Chepovetsky, who has a very elastic face.

I am sending my teenage son and his friend on Sunday and recommend you scoop up some tickets before it is sold out.

YPT - Harriet T

Recommended for grades 4-8, but I think the younger grades may not understand most of what is happening. This is a tough story to hear, but one that provokes some good conversation around the plight of the slaves in America, the brutality they endured and the risks that some, in particular, Harriet Tubman, took to secure their freedom. Harriet went on to save many more slaves, navigating them through the Underground Railroad. Told wonderfully through twin characters of Harriet young and old, punctuated by song, this is a show that you and your children will enjoy and that hopefully will keep you talking all the way home.

ROM - Ultimate Dinosaurs

This is a really cool exhibit, with some fantastic dinosaurs and lots of cool interactive features. I spent more time reading the materials and watching the videos than I have in any other exhibit. Our gang of 12 year olds were also quite engaged. This collection complemented the permanent collection very well and I didn't feel any deja vu as I went through the special exhibit. Definitely recommended, but its only around until March, so you better hurry.

Factory Theatre - Every Letter Counts

Told from the perspective of his 6 year old niece, who is the playwright playing herself, we hear about why Benigno Aquino went back to the Philippines to plead with Marcos to heed his people's needs. He fully expected to die young, but was fanatically committed to securing freedom for the Philippine people. Despite Marcus pleading with him to relent, he stayed the course to his inevitable execution.

The acting was superb and powerful. The script was creative, centering around a game of scrabble as a metaphor for life and the power of words, interesting use of video and dramatic conversations. In a very simple set, the characters seamlessly transported from home to jail cell to a museum, without any changes.

I recommend you see it, as it will provoke discussion and questions. But beware, it is one act and you will not be allowed in if you are late, which one person from our party discovered to her dismay.

Royal Conservatory - Koerner Hall - Meow Meow

We had a blast at Meow Meow's show at Koerner Hall. Her irreverant treatment of the audience and generous use of the patrons as props, her musical theatre blend of physical comedy and catchy tunes, delivered with panache, great timing and a beautiful voice makes for a very unique show. He finely honed cabaret act draws in an audience which is clearly filled with fans, gleefully participating as she drags them on stage, shamelessly involves individuals in her romantic ballads and crowd surfs down the middle of the orchestra section.

Even her own band was not safe as she commanded them to strip along with her. We will be joining her legions of fans that patiently wait for her next visit.