SonyaHappy World Theatre Day! As an arts lover I can always find a favourite or something new-to-me to theatre experience right here in Toronto. There are wonderful stage productions eager to welcome audiences to the incredible spaces. Often entertaining and sometimes thought-provoking but always conversation worthy works await!
Seven spectacular musical theatre productions are coming to our city (via Mirvish Productions as announced with their main subscription series more details can be found here) and I’ve got my calendar marked! And if you’re looking for a great idea for date nights, or night out with friends in the city, even something to do solo, a subscription may just be the ticket for something to look forward to! BTW, theatre is also a great idea for a wedding or birthday gift!
IN DREAMS (North American Premiere)
If you had the chance to catch &Juliet and LOVED IT as much as I did then this will probably be of interest. IN DREAMS is a NEW MUSICAL from the creators of & JULIET that will features the songs of Roy Orbison.
In Dreams is the touching and surprisingly funny new musical from the creators of the Broadway and West End smash-hit musical & Juliet. It 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.
In Dreams is the follow-up musical from writer David West Read (the Emmy-winning Schitt’s Creek) and director Luke Sheppard – the team behind & Juliet, who had their pre-Broadway North American premiere engagement right here in the city with Mirvish. It was AMAZING!!
SIX
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!
This musical 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 SIX: LIVE ON OPENING NIGHT Broadway album debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard cast album charts and surpassed 6 million streams in its first month.
SIX Broadway Cast. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.
JAGGED LITTLE PILL
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.
Directed by Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus (Waitress, Pippin, 1776) with a Tony-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno) and Grammy-winning score, this electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family.
Jade McLeod and the North American Touring Company of JAGGED LITTLE PILL. Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade, 2022
42nd STREET
You may have seen 42nd Street before but this is a brand spanking-new production of the OG showbiz musicals!
Jonathan Church (Singin’ In The Rain, The Drifters Girl) directs the iconic song-and- dance 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.
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.
42nd Street is a larger-than-life, massively entertaining celebration of musicals and the irrepressible spirit of Broadway that’s will lift anyone’s spirits.
DISNEY’S ALADDIN
Discover a whole new world at Disney’s Aladdin, the hit Broadway musical. (yes, I’m singing it now too!)
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.
Hailed by USA Today as “Pure Genie-Us,” Aladdin features all your favourite songs from the film as well as new music written by Tony and Academy Award-winner Alan Menken (Newsies) with lyrics penned by the legendary Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast), Tony Award-winner Tim Rice (The Lion King, Aida), and book writer Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer).
Directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Something Rotten!), this “Fabulous” and “Extravagant” (The New York Times) new musical boasts an incomparable design team, with sets, costumes and lighting from Tony Award-winners Bob Crowley (Mary Poppins), Gregg Barnes (Kinky Boots), and Natasha Katz (An American in Paris).
Arabian Nights Men in Aladdin on Broadway. Photo Credit: Deen van Meer
LES MISERABLES
Cameron Mackintosh presents the acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, Les Misérables.
This brilliant staging has taken the world by storm and has been hailed as “Les Mis for the 21st Century” (Huffington Post), “a reborn dream of a production” (Daily Telegraph) and “one of the greatest musicals ever created” (Chicago Tribune).
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.
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.
“One Day More” from Les Misérables. Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade.
TINA – The Tina Turner Musical
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.
Featuring her much loved songs, TINA – The Tina Turner Musical is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall and directed by the internationally acclaimed Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!).
