Three longtime Shaw actors, Sharry Flett, Patrick Galligan and Sanjay Talwar, sat down to chat with theatre critic Anthony Chase about their journeys as actors and careers at the Shaw. The result? "They shared a love and total commitment to what they are doing," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"Who were these famous and groundbreaking Jewish women? What did they have to overcome to succeed? What drove them forward? Ambition, drive, resilience for certain," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
With quality performances from its two leads, superb production value and creative direction from Philip Akin, Adrienne Kennedy's story of love and betrayal is well-realized at the Shaw, writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
The 65th season will feature Rodgers and Hammerstein’s "South Pacific," "The Color Purple," "Arsenic and Old Lace" and "Grimm Tales," among 11 productions across three theatres in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
"I left feeling detached, that form had superseded content, that the visceral theatricality that Shaffer so brilliantly offers by his gifts of storytelling had been denied," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
Niagara-on-the-Lake's vibrant summer season is just around the corner, and the community of Virgil is readying to welcome it in with the 59th-annual Virgil Stampede this upcoming May long weekend.
The Niagara Bethany Handbell Choir, one of Niagara-on-the-Lake's longest-running music ensembles, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a special concert on Sunday, May 3.
Sisters Marcy and Melissa Mussari put their building and designing prowess to the test as contestants on the new season of Home Network's "Renovation Resort."
Running May 8 to 11, the festival will transform Old Town into a flower-filled showcase, with organizers promising expanded installations and new events for this year.
From chess and cards to cribbage, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit, participants can take part in a whole host of board gaming. The sessions will run Monday and Friday afternoons starting April 17.
The Niagara-on-the-Lake native is set to record his first standup comedy special and second album at Navy Hall on April 11, marking what he calls a milestone moment in a career more than a decade in the making.
An affable, easygoing sort, Michael Bloss, is currently the music director at St. Mark’s Church in Old Town. And, up until this past fall, a full-time pilot for Canada’s leading air service company, Cargojet.
The Icebreakers Comedy Festival returned to the Prince of Wales last weekend, bringing nationally known comics back to a venue residents may have remembered from the festival’s early years.
Matt Finlin's latest documentary, "Matter of Time," will debut on Netflix on Feb. 9, the story of the fight to cure a rare genetic disorder called epidermolysis bullosa.
On Saturday, the front doors opened for the last public entry into the Royal George before the careful work begins of taking apart the little theatre occupying a big place in the town's heart
A sold-out improv comedy show set during the War of 1812 brought a different kind of history lesson to Navy Hall in Niagara-on-the-Lake during the Icewine Festival weekend.
Vivienne Atwood's star is rising: the 11-year-old actress from St. Davids made her debut at the Shaw Festival this past holiday season as Susan Waverly in Irving Berlin's "White Christmas."
A bevy of giggles, goofs and good times will be had by comedy fans at the end of this month, when the 12th annual Icebreakers Comedy Festival returns to Niagara-on-the-Lake from Jan. 29 to 31.
"Some will mourn the final performances of 'A Christmas Carol' at the Royal George for the foreseeable future. Others will mourn the passing of the theatre itself," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"Why is this production so satisfying? Irving Berlin's songs are pure genius. The orchestra sweeps and swirls us along. We unabashedly sing on request," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
The season includes “Funny Girl,” running April 24 to Oct. 3, with Sara Farb making her Shaw debut as Fanny Brice alongside Qasim Khan as Nick Arnstein. Eda Holmes directs.
"Their shared dreams rise and fall, worn down by circumstances caused by a multitude of factors. These include the onset of the Great Depression, economic uncertainty, job losses and racism," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
The end is near for the Shaw Festival’s Spiegeltent in Niagara-on-the-Lake, with its final show scheduled for Sept. 28. After that, it'll be returning to its original home in Belgium.
Other highlights include the Broadway musical “Funny Girl,” opening April 24 at the Festival Theatre under the direction of Eda Holmes, and the farce “One for the Pot,” directed by Chris Abraham and set to premiere May 27.
"Improv is hard work. If the goal of Murder-on-the-Lake is to take very good care of its audience, this production succeeds admirably," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"Please, bring back the Spiegeltent in whatever future form it may take and do plan more of these innovative, imaginative offerings. Let's have more opportunities to tap, swing and lift our spirits," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"In 'Major Barbara' of the Salvation Army, we hear the voices of Victorian women aspiring to liberation, to work, to earn money and have the right to social, political, legal and gender equality," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
