Monthly Archives: June 2022

TSO + Rajaton = ABBA

Posted on June 30, 2022 by barczablog

This week the Toronto Symphony under their pops conductor Steven Reineke presented three concerts of the music of ABBA featuring Rajaton, the Finnish vocal ensemble. While they describe themselves as an a cappella ensemble –singing their vocals accompanied—it was electrifying … Continue reading →

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The Mel Brooks Songbook

Posted on June 29, 2022 by barczablog

Happy Birthday Mel Brooks. He turned 96 today. And no joke, there really is a Mel Brooks Songbook. When I picked it up from the shelf in the Indigo bookstore I was a bit disbelieving myself. Mel Brooks, songwriter? The … Continue reading →

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TOT: A Waltz Dream

Posted on June 20, 2022 by barczablog

Insights sometimes sneak up on you. I was blind-sided by one today watching the Toronto Operetta Theatre Canadian premiere production of Oscar Straus’ A Waltz Dream at St Lawrence Centre. TOT play an important role offering local artists a place … Continue reading →

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Joyful Gimeno + Virtuosic TSO

Posted on June 17, 2022 by barczablog

The title of tonight’s performance by Toronto Symphony was “Gimeno + Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy”, a celebratory concert. It’s the TSO’s centennial season and a perfect way to bring Gustavo Gimeno’s first in-person season as music director to a conclusion. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | 1 Comment

Amazing Immersive Sweeney Todd from TIFT

Posted on June 11, 2022 by barczablog

I’m never going to see a better Sweeney Todd than the one I saw tonight from Talk is Free Theatre at the Neighbourhood Food Hub, Glen Rhodes Campus. Wow. Each night there are just 44 seats available, a cohort providing … Continue reading →

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Art Canada Institute presents Kent Monkman

Posted on June 8, 2022 by barczablog

The title of the lecture was “Art Canada Institute presents: The Making of a Masterpiece– Kent Monkman.” Monkman is an enormous star, famous far beyond the immediate milieu of art dealers and galleries. But I have no real idea who … Continue reading →

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CCOC Alice in Wonderland

Posted on June 5, 2022 by barczablog

Today I watched an outdoor performance of Alice in Wonderland presented by the Canadian Children’s Opera Company. Over the past few weeks it’s been a joy to see productions that signal a return by many companies forced to the brink … Continue reading →

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To rewild

Posted on June 5, 2022 by barczablog

“No mow May” is over. It’s June which means the back-lawn has had its first complete trim. In front I’ve been able to dodge this question – between protecting pollinators by letting dandelions & weeds grow vs trimming and cutting—by … Continue reading →

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From the Met: Jocelyn and Dean create a Hamlet

Posted on June 5, 2022 by barczablog

Adapting a play into an opera can be fascinating work, especially when it’s as well-known a play as Hamlet. I’ve seen several attempts to turn this play into something else including a couple of musicals, an opera long ago, and … Continue reading →

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Singulières in Toronto

Posted on June 4, 2022 by barczablog

Singulières is a piece of theatre about single women in Québec, although the most remarkable things about the show are not what I expected. Five women fill the stage of Crow’s Guloien Theatre with vibrant life, sometimes throbbing with joy, … Continue reading →

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