I went to the theatre last night with The Fella, and we had our own box! I’ve never sat in one before, and always wondered what those people had done to get those seats; apparently the trick is to not pay attention when clicking through the online ordering. Unfortunately, I’d also not paid attention while rushing to make something for us to eat before the show, and left the hob lit under a pot. When the flatmate got home an hour later, he found the contents carbonised and fused to the pot, and the plastic ladle on fire. Oops. As he said later, “Oh well, if you’re going to attempt to burn the house down, ‘nearly‘ is the way to do it.” “But how was the show, Mrs Lincoln?” We went to see Something Wicked This Way Comes at the Lyceum Theatre, an adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s novel.
Here’s what I wrote to a friend:
My impression of the show is mixed: the acting was way, way over the top. The two young male leads were doing a weird “I’m young!” shouty-shouty acting thing, and a few of the older cast members chewed up the scenery, too, making me think it was some kind of directorial decision — and a bad one, in my opinion. That said, the production was visually and auditorially incredible. They truly wrought magic on that stage last night and showed just what the medium is capable of. They suggested elements — the carousel, the storm, the hall of mirrors — in ways that can only be described as poetic. A friend of mine — he tended bar and presided over the late-night lock-ins after my chorus sessions earlier this year — was the musical director, and created an incredible soundscape of music that extended the play into another dimension. Much of the sound was produced with a strange, forgotten instrument called a “harmonium”, a black box with a keyboard on one side and a bellows on the other. The sounds he wrought from it — from carnival music to a looming, creepy, disembodied presence — were unlike anything I’d heard. So, despite my misgivings with the way the actors produced their lines, I’d still say it’s one to catch.
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My friend Lisa asked me to pass this along: her a-frickin’-mazing gal-band Dirty Dishes are doing another bake sale jamboree thingy. If you’re in Toronto, do go, ’cause I guarantee that it’ll be a bang-up show and a fun evening. Here are the details:
The Second Annual Jamboree and Bake Sale!! It’ll be at Buddies in Bad Times on Thursday, October 30th. The doors will open at 7:30 and the show will begin at 8:00 SHARP! And Check this out. WE HAVE A CONTEST FOR YOU!! Go to our website and win FREE tickets to the show”¦. Tickets for the Jamboree are available in ADVANCE through the Buddies Box Office All tickets will be $12 but you’d better buy early. You don’t want to miss out! Sweet TARTS and SWEET tarts!! That’s what we’re talking about! Dirty Dishes www.dirty-dishes.ca
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