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Entertainment June 20, 2018

Chicago’s 20th anniversary tour a hit

Last weekend I went to see Chicago with my boyfriend at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. I had never seen it onstage before, though I was familiar with the majority of the music. With so many Broadway stars, classic songs, and charismatic performances, I’m glad I saw the musical before the tour moved on.

Directed by Walter Bobbie (Bright Star, Footloose), this tour of Chicago brought many seasoned Broadway actors to the stage to reprise their roles including Dylis Croman (Oklahoma!, In Your Arms), Terra C. MacLeod (The Addams Family, Spamalot), and Paul Vogt (Hairspray, Oliver!).

Croman stars as Roxie Hart, who was easily one of the best performances of the evening. It’s not surprising that Croman crushed her role given that she starred as Roxie on Broadway. Croman shone as Roxie, nailing down Roxie’s narcissism and desperation for fame, even if she has to kill a man and fake a pregnancy to get it.

Another standout performance was that of MacLeod who starred as Velma Kelly. I’ve always loved Velma as a character more than Roxie; she’s just as hungry for fame, but her character oozes an initial confidence that is then shaken by Roxie’s arrival. To watch MacLeod take Velma to heights of vanity and bring her down to self-loathing and confusion was a treat to see.

Of course, Jennifer Fouche (Babes in Toyland, Hairspray) and Vogt were also standout additions to the cast. They played Matron Mama Morton and Amos Hart respectively and were delightful side characters that each had their moment in the spotlight to highlight their onstage personas.

I was particularly taken with Vogt since Amos is such an easily manipulated sap and needs to be won over by the crowd. Throughout his performance, particularly when he asks the orchestra for his background music and is met with silence, Vogt earned several sympathetic “awws.” Vogt has played Amos before on Broadway and he brought the same sympathetic charm, particularly during “Mr. Cellophane.”

The only one who stood out from the others was Eddie George, former NFL player who donned the role of Billy Flynn. He’s played parts in other plays as well such The Whipping Man and Othello, but Flynn was the sore thumb that stood out in a cast of Broadway stars or more charismatic cast members. His voice was drowned out by the music, which was a problem no one else faced, and lacked the confidence his character demands. This was most obvious during “Razzle Dazzle;” the song calls for a much stronger performance and is one of the defining pieces of the entire play. Though, George fell short in a role that was ill-suited for him. This was, in fact, the first thing that my boyfriend and I discussed during the intermission.

The house was nearly packed, but a week or two after I ordered my tickets (in the back of the mezzanine) I was mailed an additional pair of tickets that moved me a few rows closer. Initially I thought they were meant for someone else, but when I brought them to the theatre I was told that my original seats were closed and I was now being moved forward. It was unfortunate to see that some of the seating was closed off, more than likely because of poor sales.

Given that this is Chicago’s 20^th anniversary tour, people’s attention may have drawn more so to tough competition like Come From Away, a show that extended their run until February. However, I was surrounded by passionate theatre-goers at Ed Mirvish; the man beside me was quick to voice his disapproval of certain comedic elements to his partner while a woman behind me sang along to 85% of the music.

Regardless, I was glad that I saw Chicago before the tour ended.

Living September 6, 2017

How to survive your final year of university

This is not your classic back to school article. Over the next week, most media outlets will post a guide for froshers or first- year students, but not Women’s Post. Today, I am writing for the seasoned student. Going to university is a big transition in any student’s or parent’s life. It is essential to be prepared when dealing with a completely new environment, but what happens when you’re almost at the end of the four years? Students often need that extra motivation and a slight push to survive the daunting final year of university. By my third year the stress and assignments were overwhelming, and I was already worrying about if I would survive the final semester. With looming dissertations and logging co-op hours, there are certain things you should be aware of if you want to successfully survive your final year of university.

Plan It Out

Remember those useful school agendas they give you at the beginning of the school year? It’s time to use it and schedule your life properly. If you are trying to manage an internship along wth your final projects or thesis, it is wise to manage your time. You should essentially have a to-do list planned for every day, so you know how to properly divide your time.

Get Help

You know the ropes of the school and you should be familiar with all your professors and deadlines. Don’t become stressed; seek help or advice if you need it. If you need an assignment extension, most professors can be understanding once you put in the work. Their only goal is to mentor you to success.

Get Sleep

It might sound difficult to do, but by fourth year you should be over the ‘all nighters.’ The better your sleep quality, the more mental clarity you will have to execute tasks. If you plan out your schedule you can hopefully avoid having to stay up too late doing work.

Work Hard

This is your final lap. It is your chance to close off the four years the way you want to. If you’re not used to working hard, it’s time to do so now. You should make sure all your credits are in order and maybe even have a chat with your advisor to ensure you are on the right path to be cleared for graduation. There is a fun game my friends and I used to play in university called ‘’what’s the minimum percentage I need in order to pass this class.’’ It’s not a fun game. However, there are moments that you may feel this way. Just push harder and spend those extra hours at the library if you need to. You should also balance this out with friends, have study groups or enjoy your study breaks reflecting on how you made it this far. These are the little moment you will miss.

Play Hard

In addition to working hard, many believe you should play hard as well. Don’t feel guilty about taking a night or two off. Have fun — you are in your prime and you won’t get these university moments back. So if your school is hosting the usual mid-semester gala or pub night, give yourself a break and have a fun night off. If you don’t want to party, indulge in other fun activities of your choosing. Yoga is always a fun break and a way to distress.

The Future

So this is the miserable and daunting part that you want to avoid. Talking about an uncertain future. I know i’m not the only one to bring it up. By fourth year, almost every stranger you meet is going to ask you what you have planned for the future. Is it grad school ? Do you have a job lined up ? The questions are relentless and frustrating. The obvious choice is to block it out, but you have to face this reality. If you’re thinking about graduate school, you should already be working on your application by the beginning of the final semester. If you need letters of recommendation from your professors, get on it because professors have deadlines too. As for the job hunting,the same applies. Get started as soon as you can but don’t give yourself unrealistic expectations. Many graduates don’t find a job they are happy with almost one year or more after graduation. Nothing can prepare you for the world outside of school.

Get Experience

It is vital to get as much experience you can through internships and volunteer work while you still have the “student” label. These connections can help you build bridges for future positions and connections. Many companies hire from a pool of school-based interns, so this can be a good way in. The experience will also go toward building your resume.

Don’t Worry

Worry is a waste of time and as the quote goes, “You can’t change yesterday, but you can ruin today by worrying about tomorrow.” These words are more powerful than you know and it would be a shame to spend your final year of university so worried and stressed out that you miss it entirely. In my final year of undergrad there were many sleepless nights filled with worry and tears, but I always tried to envision myself in my graduation gown , going up on stage to collect my degree. Guess what, it happened. The thing is by fourth year you’re burnt out and over it and you just want to be finished already. Just be patient, it’s going to take some time and it wont be easy. Don’t fill your final year with regret and stress. Instead have fun and enjoy the final moments. Laugh with your friends, explore your campus, network with your professors for future contact. It won’t hit you right away but when next September comes around and there is no back to school, you may be surprised how much you miss it.

Some of the best memories, moments, and friends can be made during your university years so enjoy it and cherish them.

Entertainment April 13, 2016

“Princesses don’t grow on trees” is a play for all-ages

“Princesses don’t grow on trees” is a princess story with a modern twist. The play takes children’s theatre to the next level with its discursive themes on technology and the importance of the imagination.

My daughter and I decided to put on our Sunday best and head to Solar Stage theatre’s princess production.

The play features an eight-year-old girl named Calliope (whose name means “storyteller” in Greek mythology). Calliope often feels ignored by her family because they are always on their phones and tablets. She enters an imaginary world in her fairy-tale storybook where she meets a tree named Acer, a gnome named Morty and Queen Mab, a woman strikingly similar to her mother.

Calliope is invited to remain in the imaginary world forever and must decide if she should remain with her fairytale friends or return home to her tech-obsessed family.

The princess character is progressive in this play because Calliope deviates from the norm. She doesn’t want to be a princess, but her wishes are ignored by her distracted family. Her imaginary world gives her a sense of agency to explore who she really is, highlighting the power of the imagination.

The play touches on sophisticated themes about how phones and other gadgets are taking away from much-needed family time. “The company used to be in the practice of doing something light and simple. We don’t want to do that. We want to make an immersive theatrical experience for adults and children,” said co-artistic directors, Dahlia Katz and M. John Kennedy.

Solar Stage Theatre is celebrating its 40^th anniversary. It is considered a “best kept secret” because of its location on the subway line at Sheppard-Yonge station, and the comfortable theatre space itself. Katz and Kennedy were recently contracted to direct the company in January 2015, and have exciting plans for the future of Solar Stage including fewer plays in the next season with more focus on individual themes in each production.

In addition to their public and school shows, a spring and summer camp, and birthday parties, the duo has recently added adults-only performances. The plays run almost identically to the version presented to children and encourages people to sing along and interact with the on-stage performers by singing along and responding to questions. “We think it is important that everyone gets to play like a child,” said Kennedy.

Solar Stage Theatre also boasts a large number of women running the show. This season, eight of the directors were female along with eight playwrights, 50 per cent of the cast, all of the designers aside from lighting, all the stage managers, and the artistic director.

“The vast majority of [Kennedy’s] students [at Randolph Academy] are female but the industry doesn’t represent that. It was important to us that this was not the case. We have an overwhelming network of strong female talent so why not put them to work?” Katz said.

The artistic directors are also open to gender-bending performances and changing typical storylines to include female or male roles. In “Alice in Wonderland”, they changed the storyline to “Alex in Wonderland” and in “Treasure Island”, Jack Hawkins became Jane Hawkins.

“Princesses don’t grow on trees” is running from April 4 to the 22 and is worth checking out. Solar Stage Theatre also has some exciting future plans in store and as a lover of children’s theatre. I hope they can put the venue on the map for must-do’s in the city.

“The all-ages theatre just doesn’t exist yet. It is emotionally sophisticated which is what we are trying to do. We want to make new shows that are high-concept and still acceptable. We want to make good theatre,” said Kennedy.