Category Archives: Reviews

Darkly Comic Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

Posted on October 17, 2022 by barczablog

I’ve just come from the matinee of Rajiv Joseph’s play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, presented by Crow’s Theatre in co-production with Modern Times Stage Company. The title tells you the basic premise, a tiger is caged in a … Continue reading →

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COC Carmen Opens

Posted on October 15, 2022 by barczablog

I saw and heard opening night of the Canadian Opera Company’s Carmen tonight at the Four Seasons Centre, a revival of Joel Ivany’s 2016 production. It’s a wonderful take on a well-known work with a very original approach to the … Continue reading →

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COC Flying Dutchman Opens

Posted on October 8, 2022 by barczablog

I saw and heard opening night of the Canadian Opera Company’s Flying Dutchman tonight at the Four Seasons Centre, a revival of a Christopher Alden production directed for this revival by Marilyn Gronsdal. I liked it a lot. The COC … Continue reading →

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Sarah Polley – Run Towards the Danger

Posted on October 4, 2022 by barczablog

I have just finished reading Sarah Polley’s Run Towards the Danger, a book like none I’ve ever read before. It might be the most authentic autobiography I’ve ever encountered. Except that it’s not an autobiography. I notice too that while … Continue reading →

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Gemma New, Kerson Leong and the TSO: “allez grand ou rentrez chez vous”

Posted on September 30, 2022 by barczablog

Last night I heard the first of the Toronto Symphony’s weekend of romantic works, responding passionately to their guest conductor, the New Zealand-born Gemma New. I noticed her intense display of commitment, yet so respectful of every collaborator in this … Continue reading →

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The Drawing Room from Confluence

Posted on September 25, 2022 by barczablog

The Drawing Room is “a dialogue for three voices and a messenger,” Music by composer Ian Cusson, Text by André Alexis. Its 20 minutes of words & music concluded Confluence Concerts opener to their fifth season. It’s something like a … Continue reading →

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Electrifying opener for Gimeno and TSO

Posted on September 22, 2022 by barczablog

Tonight’s concert by the Toronto Symphony was a fitting beginning to their centennial season, a genuinely celebratory evening. The program message from Music Director Gustavo Gimeno is very promising: “The creation of contrast is at the heart of what I … Continue reading →

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Mary Trump’s Reckoning

Posted on September 19, 2022 by barczablog

The title of the book is The Reckoning: Our Nation’s Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal. It’s to be understood as a reckoning for America, but perhaps also a personal one for the author. After watching the Royal Funeral … Continue reading →

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The Palace Papers: forbidden pleasures with Tina Brown

Posted on September 16, 2022 by barczablog

I find myself conflicted. I am not a royalist but I do admire Elizabeth. Tina Brown’s book The Palace Papers is brilliantly timed. Don Lemon mentioned her book during CNN’s coverage of Elizabeth’s passing and Charles ascension to the throne. … Continue reading →

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Uncle Vanya

Posted on September 12, 2022 by barczablog

The new version of Uncle Vanya, by Liisa Repo-Martell, directed by Crow’s Artistic Director, Chris Abraham works very well. I loved it. Chekhov can be a challenge, possibly because he’s often put on such a high pedestal, his name spoken … Continue reading →

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