Author Archives: barczablog

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 →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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 →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Books & Literature, Politics, Popular music & culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Popular music & culture | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Art, Architecture & Design, Personal ruminations & essays | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Tafelmusik Tribute to Jeanne Lamon

Posted on June 3, 2022 by barczablog

Tonight I watched a Tafelmusik concert recorded in April, celebrating the life of Jeanne Lamon. I knew the curated experience from Alison Mackay and Christina Mahler would be meaningful, and they exceeded expectation. R.H. Thomson narrated a kind of documentary … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lindsay Anne Black: canary in the mine

Posted on June 2, 2022 by barczablog

Whether your Kafkaesque fate is to wake up to the discovery you’ve turned into an insect, or merely that you have to hide inside your house because of coronaviruses and lockdowns, I think we’re ready for Eldritch Theatre’s current theatrical … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Food, Health and Nutrition, Interviews, University life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Weirdness Told

Posted on June 1, 2022 by barczablog

The sign on the door of Red Sandcastle Theatre facing out onto Queen St portends mystery. Or in other words, I don’t know what it means Metamorphosis and At the Mountains of Madness. Kafka and Lovecraft. A huge rabbit safely … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

RUR A Torrent of Ideas

Posted on May 29, 2022 by barczablog

Tapestry Opera and OCAD University have a new site-specific opera on display. I chose the verb carefully given that many think of the medium as something one hears, when its tradition has often been one of spectacle, design, the Deus … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment