Tag Archives: saturday night live

Tapestry Briefs: under where?

Posted on October 17, 2025 by barczablog

I had my first look at the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre on Yonge St Thursday night with the first of Tapestry Opera’s experimental programs, titled “Tapestry Briefs: under where?” Cute title, right? I was in the audience for … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera | Tagged comedy, Michael Hidetoshi Mori, saturday night live, Tapestry Briefs, Tapestry Opera, theatre | Leave a comment

Spaceman is lightyears away from Operaman

Posted on April 24, 2024 by barczablog

After a friend described Spaceman as Adam Sandler’s best film I had to have a look, especially given that nobody I know takes Sandler seriously, and quite a few grimace at the mention of his name. I recently quoted CS … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals | Tagged Adam Sandler, Anger Management, Claude Debussy, comedy, criticism, CS Lewis, Eddie Murphy, Franz Kafka, improv, improvization, Jack Nicholson, Operaman, Pelleas et Melisande, Robert Altman, saturday night live, Spaceman | Leave a comment

Questions for Tammy Wilson

Posted on February 21, 2024 by barczablog

Tamara Wilson is one of the best singers in the world. Yes we import Europeans to sing opera but some Americans have no equal. We’re lucky to have heard that voice in Toronto, usually the most impressive sound in that … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Opera | Tagged Aida, COVID, Die Fledermaus, Giuseppe Verdi, Isolde, Kenan Thompson, Richard Wagner, saturday night live, Savannah Bananas, Tamara Wilson, Turandot | Leave a comment

The Master Plan, Toronto vs Google

Posted on September 14, 2023 by barczablog

Crow’s Theatre opened The Master Plan tonight, the world premiere of Michael Healey’s adaptation of Josh O’Kane’s book Sideways: the city Google couldn’t buy. Directed by Chris Abraham featuring a powerful ensemble cast this is the most fun I’ve had … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals | Tagged Amelia Scott, Ben Carlson, Bill Denning, Chris Abraham, CNN, Crow's Theatre, Dan Doctoroff, Google, Jennifer Keesmaat, Josh O'Kane, Joshua Quinlan, Michael Healey, Mike Shara, Peter Fernandes, Peter Hinton, Philippa Domville, Robert Lepage, saturday night live, Sideways, Tara Nicodemo, The Master Plan, Yanna McIntosh | 2 Comments

Pete Davidson’s Bupkis

Posted on May 26, 2023 by barczablog

Pete Davidson’s new series Bupkis is in the twilight zone between reality tv and fiction. It’s a kind of fiction made from reality…? I’m not sure, perhaps I’m giving it too much credit. It feels original. And so we watch … Continue reading →

Posted in Popular music & culture | Tagged Brad Garrett, Bupkis, Edie Falco, King of Staten Island, Pete Davidson, saturday night live | Leave a comment

A Blue Christmas pointing me to Elvis’s redemption

Posted on December 26, 2022 by barczablog

The recent Saturday Night Live hosted by Austin Butler persuaded me to watch the recent biography of Elvis Presley, starring Butler. As we watched, Erika pointed to the similarity between Butler and Elvis, two men who both lost their mother … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Popular music & culture | Tagged Austin Butler, Blue Christmas, Cecily Strong, Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis, Elvis Presley, Forrest Gump, Gabor Maté, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Moulin Rouge, saturday night live, Strictly Ballroom, The Great Gatsby, Tom Hanks | 10 Comments

Moving memoir from Molly

Posted on September 14, 2022 by barczablog

I’m re-reading Hello Molly, the memoir of Molly Shannon. It’s likely a bestseller mainly because of the fame of its author, a star on Saturday Night Live from 1995-2001. But I didn’t expect to be so moved, reading the book … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Popular music & culture | Tagged Brian Cox, Hello Molly!, Lorne Michaels, Mary Katherine Gallagher, Molly Shannon, Sarah Polley, saturday night live, Tom Rooney, Uncle Vanya | Leave a comment

Pete Davidson – The King of Staten Island

Posted on July 4, 2020 by barczablog

You might know Pete Davidson a couple of ways. He’s a regular on Saturday Night Live. He could be the avatar of sensational relationship failure, famously dumped by Ariana Grande, among others. Pardon me, I have no idea what he’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Popular music & culture, Reviews | Tagged Judd Apatow, Marisa Tomei, Pete Davidson, saturday night live, SNL, Steve Buscemi | Leave a comment

Saturday not quite Live

Posted on April 26, 2020 by barczablog

SNL in the era of quarantine? It’s impossible in the usual way: The eager audience in Studio 8H of the Comcast Building (the one many of us know as the “RCA Building”) The cold opening The monologue The musical guests … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Popular music & culture | Tagged Adam Sandler, Anthony Fauci, Big Papi, Brad PItt, Colin Jost, comedy, COVID-19, David Ortiz, Kenan Thompson, Michael Che, Miley Cyrus, Pandemic, Pete Davidsen, saturday night live, SNL, Weekend Update, WFH, What's up with that | Leave a comment

Bed and Breakfast

Posted on December 18, 2011 by barczablog

While the audience for Puppetmongers’ Bed & Breakfast includes children, the play contains plenty of adult laughs of which the kids are blissfully unaware. Originally a one-person show written by and for Ann Powell (if it’s accurate to call something … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged Ann Powell, anthony minghella, Bed & Breakfast, David Powell, Julie Taymor, madama butterfly, Puppetmongers, saturday night live, Sue Miner | Leave a comment