Category Archives: Dance, theatre & musicals

Independence Day Doodle Dandy

Posted on July 5, 2015 by barczablog

I am a Canadian.  I have a conspicuous “cz” in my surname, but then again, what is a Canadian, if not an immigrant or child of immigrants…? If you turn on the television any day of the year you’re deluged … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Personal ruminations & essays | Leave a comment

Remembering Sten Eirik

Posted on June 20, 2015 by barczablog

The sentence in the obituary that rings truest for me says “everyone believed there was so much more to come from Sten’s life.” I discovered the bad news when I went to the Guild Festival Theatre website to see what … Continue reading →

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Operatic Doras

Posted on June 2, 2015 by barczablog

Awards are a wonderful way to celebrate excellence.  They serve to promote individuals and their performances, while also raising the profile of an entire industry.  I hope that nothing I say here in any way diminishes the work done by … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | 1 Comment

Toronto Consort—a new Play of Daniel

Posted on May 23, 2015 by barczablog

I saw something brand-new, from the 12th century. It’s one of the ironies of theatre or music that sometimes recent works give you comparatively little room for invention, every page stipulating how it must be interpreted. If you want real … Continue reading →

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10 Questions for Alex Fallis

Posted on May 9, 2015 by barczablog

Alex Fallis is a Toronto native who has been a part of the Canadian professional theatre for over thirty years. He is an actor, director, singer and teacher. As a performer and director, he has experience in opera, musical theatre, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A Musical, The Importance of Being

Posted on May 2, 2015 by barczablog

I’ve just seen & heard the Toronto Operetta Theatre’s production of Earnest, The Importance of Being, a recent adaptation of Wilde’s play of (almost) the same name.  It was premiered in 2008 by TOT, music by Victor Davies and book … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Reviews | 4 Comments

Towards a new theatre vocabulary: Lepage, Cavalia and the legitimacy of aerials

Posted on May 1, 2015 by barczablog

It’s aerial week in Toronto: Robert Lepage’s pair of brief operas (Bluebeard’s Castle / Erwartung) for the Canadian Opera Company open May 6th at the Four Seasons Centre, including moments when you can’t tell which way is up Robert Lepage’s Needles … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Art, Architecture & Design, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | 5 Comments

#OdysseoTO: the Golden Age of The Circus

Posted on April 20, 2015 by barczablog

I saw Cavalia’s show Odysseo today at their big tent on the waterfront, in the company of my Mom & a rapturous grand-child.  The world has certainly changed. I’m reminded of the Commedia dell’Arte that was featured in the Barber … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | 5 Comments

Bud Roach: Arias for Tenor and Baroque Guitar

Posted on January 6, 2015 by barczablog

Every now and then a recording or performance comes along to challenge your assumptions, possibly giving you a new way of seeing things.    I’ve been listening to two Bud Roach CDs: 1-Sospiro: Alessandro Grandi Complete Arias, 1626 (recorded in … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Soundstreams and Canadian Stage collaborating on Philippe Boesmans’ Julie

Posted on November 15, 2014 by barczablog

Canadian Stage have already shown a willingness to venture into different disciplines, bringing great artists such as Crystal Pite and Robert Lepage to Toronto to broaden the experience of the CanStage audience under Matthew Jocelyn’s leadership. Soundstreams and Canadian Stage have … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Press Releases and Announcements | 2 Comments