Spring is usually the busiest time for Canadian theatre as companies in big cities make their final push before the summer lull while major festivals prepare to raise the curtain on their seasons. In Toronto, the upcoming spring lineup includes a bevy of new productions and remounts of past successes. Here are four musicals, plays and dance shows I’m most looking forward to seeing (or seeing once again).
Inside American Pie
Mike Ross and Sarah Wilson have perfected the docu-concert — theatrical productions that blend brilliant new arrangements of classic tunes with documentary-style storytelling. Over the years, they’ve given us shows like “The Golden Record,” “A Moveable Feast: Paris in the 1920s” and “The 27 Club.” “Inside American Pie,” which returns to Mirvish this spring after a hit run last year, may be their best work yet. It’s an invigorating 90-minute concert that sheds light on Don McLean’s enigmatic chart-topper “American Pie,” parsing every minute reference — like who Miss American Pie is and why that Chevy is being driven to the levee. The show is more than just a music lesson. It’s packed with gorgeous new covers of iconic songs like John Lennon’s “Imagine” and the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” April 14 to May 3 at the CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge St.
The Tragedy of Hamlet
Two years ago, Canadian theatremaker Robert Lepage partnered with dancer and choreographer Guillaume Côté to present something extraordinary: a wordless adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” told exclusively through movement and dance. Their full-length ballet, which is being remounted in Toronto this April, was exquisite, diving into the subtext of Shakespeare’s tragedy and accompanied with a dance palette that dug into the primal forces underlying the work. The draw of this remount, undoubtedly, is the chance to see Côté, the prince of Canadian ballet, stepping into title role of the Danish prince. But I’m perhaps even more excited to see Sonia Rodriguez, former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Canada, back on a Toronto stage in the role of Gertrude, Hamlet’s mother. April 24 to 26 at the Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge St.
Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish
Tony Award nominee Steven Skybell will star as the Jewish milkman Tevye in this revival of “Fiddler on the Roof,” arguably the most high-profile show set to open in Toronto this spring. The production, which was previously mounted off-Broadway in 2018, picking up a slew of awards in New York City, will be performed entirely in Yiddish, with English and Russian subtitles. It’s to be directed by Tony and Academy Award winner Joel Grey and will be rounded out by a Canadian cast that includes Gabi Epstein (Stratford Festival’s “Little Shop of Horrors”), George Masswohl (Mirvish’s “Come From Away”) and Tracy Michailidis (Talk is Free Theatre’s “Sweeney Todd”). Co-written by Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick and Joseph Stein, the musical tells the story of a Jewish milkman who tries to hold on to his traditions in a rapidly evolving Imperial Russia. May 25 to June 7 at the Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge St.
Paranormal Activity
Horror rarely works on stage. Without the framing of a camera, the jump scares are almost always lame and the tension diffuse. (And I say that as someone who usually gets scared by everything and anything.) But I’m cautiously optimistic about “Paranormal Activity,” which will haunt the Mirvish stage later this spring. Inspired by the supernatural film series of the same name, Levi Holloway’s new play has received strong reviews in the UK and across North America. Director Felix Barrett’s big budget production relies heavily on special effects and illusions — and it seems very much in the vein of splashy shows like the “Stranger Things” and “Harry Potter” stage plays. Bring on the screams. June 9 to July 5 at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St.
