Category Archives: Dance, theatre & musicals

Inge(new): in search of a musical criticism

Posted on June 1, 2023 by barczablog

Last night I saw Inge(new): In Search of a Musical from Theatre Myth Collective, a piece by Evan Tsitsias that challenges its audience from the beginning, reminding me at times of an intelligence test. I don’t mean like an IQ … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | Tagged critic, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Evan Tsitsias, Inge(new), Inge(new): In Search of a Musical, Luigi Pirandello, Red Sandcastle Theatre, reviewer, Theatre Myth Collective | Leave a comment

SOLO Traviata in Burlington

Posted on May 14, 2023 by barczablog

Last night was the boldest step forward yet for Southern Ontario Lyric Opera (SOLO), performing a fully staged La Traviata before a rapturous sold-out audience at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC). I’ve been observing the artistic version of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Reviews | Tagged BPAC, Burlington Performing Arts Centre, Corey Arnold, Daniela Agostino, Ernesto Ramirez, Giuseppe Verdi, James Westman, Karoline Podolak, La Traviata, Maria Callas, Michael Robert-Broder, Ryan Hofman, Sabatino Vacca, SOLO, Southern Ontario Lyric Opera | 1 Comment

Barkley: Snoopy or Benjy?

Posted on May 1, 2023 by barczablog

Barkley Barcza is our newest family member. We didn’t choose the name, glad to use the name that he already seems to know. And yes it sounds cute with his surname. Snoopy is the beagle everyone knows, the creation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged André Alexis, Barkley, Charles M Schulz, Crow's Theatre, dogs, Fifteen Dogs, Peanuts, Snoopy | Leave a comment

Creepy COC Macbeth

Posted on May 1, 2023 by barczablog

On a dark rainy day in the midst of Toronto’s traffic chaos I was rendered speechless by the new Canadian Opera Company production of Verdi’s Macbeth directed by Sir David McVicar. I never knew this opera could move me so … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Reviews | Tagged Adam Luther, Alexandrina Pendatchanska, Canadian Opera Company, Clarence Frazer, Four Seasons Centre, Giuseppe Verdi, Louis Quilico, Macbeth, Matthew Cairns, Quinn Kelsey, Tracy Cantin, Vartan Gabrielian, William Shakespeare | 7 Comments

Spring Renewal: Scarborough Philharmonic with Ventanas

Posted on April 25, 2023 by barczablog

If it seems as though spring has suddenly come back, thank Scarborough Philharmonic and Ventanas for their concert “Spring Renewal” on April 22nd. The first half featured popular classical pieces. We began with Rossini’s Silken Ladder overture, followed by Vivaldi’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged Antonio Vivaldi, Benjamin Barrille, Demetrios Petsalakis, Gioachino Rossini, Jessica Deutsch, Manuel de Falla, Ronald Royer, Samuel Bisson, Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra, Tamar Ilana, Tyler Emond, Ventanas, Veronika Anissimova | Leave a comment

Bud Roach’s provocative new recording Affetti Amorosi

Posted on April 22, 2023 by barczablog

Although I listened twice through to Affetti Amorosi, Bud Roach’s new CD of 17th century songs in his light tenor voice accompanying himself on the theorbo, I took a break for holy week as I turned to his other recent … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology | Tagged Affetti Amorosi, Bud Roach, Carlo Goldoni, Carlo Gozzi, commedia dell'arte, Domenico Pietropaolo, lazzi, theorbo | Leave a comment

Resurrection Again

Posted on April 10, 2023 by barczablog

Handel’s oratorio The Resurrection received its belated Canadian premiere in Opera Atelier’s production brought to Koerner Hall, an early work long neglected. Although the production had been prepared in 2021 it had to be filmed because in-person performance wasn’t possible … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Reviews, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged Allyson McHardy, Carla Huhtanen, Colin Ainsworth, David Fallis, Douglas Williams, George Frideric Handel, Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, Koerner Hall, Marshall Pynkoski, Meghan Lindsay, Opera Atelier, Resurrection, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra | Leave a comment

Metamorphoses 2023

Posted on March 27, 2023 by barczablog

Last night I watched a brand new opera featuring a sensual feast of colours hitting the eye and ear. Today I was at Crow’s Theatre, enjoying Metamorphoses 2023 from Theatre Smith-Gilmour, in Ovid’s stories of transformations of gods & humans, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | Tagged Crow's Theatre, Daniel R. Henkel, Dean Gilmour, Metamorphoses, Michele Smith, Neena Jayarajan, Ovid, Rob Feetham, Sukruti Tirupattur, Theatre Smith-Gilmour | 2 Comments

Glorious Of the Sea

Posted on March 26, 2023 by barczablog

Of the Sea opened tonight to tumultuous applause from the Bluma Appel Theatre crowd, a co-production of Obsidian Theatre & Tapestry Opera. Kanika Ambrose (libretto) and Ian Cusson (music) have collaborated to bring a beautiful myth to life. I heard … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Reviews, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged Bluma Appel Theatre, Chantale Nurse, Ian Cusson, Jennifer Tung, Jorell Williams, Justin Welsh, Kanika Ambrose, LibLab, Of the Sea, Paul Williamson, Philip Akin, Suzanne Taffot, Tapestry Opera | Leave a comment

Rhino

Posted on March 10, 2023 by barczablog

Rhino is an adaptation of Ionesco’s 1959 absurdist play Rhinoceros, by Aleksandar (Sasha) Lukac and Emilie Varga. Last night I watched its premiere at Theatre Glendon with students in Lukac’s drama class. It’s much shorter than the original. As I … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | Tagged absurdism, Aleksandar Lukac, Emilie Varga, Eugene Ionesco, Sasha Lukac, Theatre Glendon | Leave a comment