She’s back!! After a very successful debut in Toronto in 2022, en route to a successful Broadway run, Mirvish Productions bring back & JULIET where it all began.

Mirvish Productions’ & Juliet mashes-up William Shakespeare and wife Anne Hathaway‘s actual story, with his masterpiece Romeo & Juliet, set against a backdrop of Pop mastermind Max Martin‘s catalog of smash hits! It is the perfect pick-me-up out of these winter blues, asking what would happen if Juliet survived?

I don’t know how they did it, but I loved it even more the second time! This Ensemble pairs together so wonderfully, led by Vanessa Sears, who is a 10 out of 10 vocally, a perfect Juliet. Julia Mclellan as Anne Hathaway also is a true powerhouse, drawing us into this magical, uplifting place!

We were left with tears – not of sadness – but of joy and hope from this! A truly special Musical which SHOULD adapted into a Film!

& JULIET is on now at Royal Alexandra Theatre till May 17, 2026. Tickets on-sale now at mirvish.com.

Some highlights from opening night!

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Mirvish Productions have brought back fan favourite WE WILL ROCK YOU for a limited engagement at CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre! This latest version adds in some dashes of new to keep things current and fun even! The run goes till January 18, 2026 and trust me, you don’t need even to be familiar with Queen‘s legacy to catch that infectious spirit the show possesses!

The Musical, set against a soundtrack of Queen‘s beloved hits, centers on Galileo (Callum Lurie) who could well be a prophet or not as the all-powerful Globalsoft is looking to abolish Bohemians and any trace of creativity under the iron fist of the Killer Queen (Maggie Lacasse). This comes at all costs and severe punishments if you show any signs of originality in the land of Artificial Intelligence. Galileo meets Scaramouche (Paige Foskett) and together they must escape Globalsoft’s iron clutch, where they unite with a band of misfits, Bohemians, uniting in a fight to save Rock ‘n’ Roll and humanity. There also might be a little love in the air too! I don’t know…

Some highlights from premiere night!

So fun and campy! By the end of the night, everyone was stomping, clapping and cheering!

Tickets here, don’t forget to check it out.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

By Amanda Gilmore

This Broadway touring production of The Sound of Music has made its way to Toronto, and we couldn’t be more excited! After seeing the opening night performance, we can confirm that it’s everything we had hoped for from this timeless tale. Given that this is the Broadway touring production, it should come as no surprise that the lighting and set design are outstanding. They propel you into the grandeur of the Abbey and The Von Trapps’ home.

All the beloved songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein II are sung with heart and bravado. The classics such as “The Sound of Music” and “My Favorite Things” will make audiences want to burst into song along with Maria. Cayleigh Capaldi is perfectly cast as the lively Maria and makes this familiar role her own. The seven Von Trapp children are a joy to watch. Each delivers many memorable moments throughout the production. And this rendition of “Do-Re-Mi” will stay with audiences long after the curtain call!

This production of The Sound of Music is a great way to spend time with your family this Holiday Season! Make sure to catch it before it finishes its run at the Princess of Wales Theatre on January 4, 2026.

Some highlights:

By Justin Waldman

Playing from now until November 30, 2025 (which is already an extension) is the incredible transfer from New York of Ava: The Secret Conversations. This is the Canadian Premiere that stars Elizabeth McGovern alongside Aaron Costa Ganis, which the former had adapted herself from the book written by Peter Evans and Ava Gardner about their conversation in 1988 about Hollywood icon Gardner‘s life.

What it becomes is a perfectly-paced and beautifully-acted show about the life of Gardner, but elements that she didn’t always share – it wasn’t the story about Howard Hughes, Frank Sinatra, Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw but it was about Ava Gardner, herself. She wanted to ensure that she got to tell her story the way she wanted to, and the translation to stage was nothing shy of exceptional.

When crafting a show that doesn’t let up on the audience and ensures that there is no intermission that entire act is crucial, there is no room for a lag, no room for anything dull – just has to be power hit after power hit and thankfully McGovern and Costa Ganis manage to deliver that tenfold. Ava: The Secret Conversations may be about a series of conversations that people weren’t entirely aware of their happenings, but the performance and show itself should be far from a secret.

A video review:

AVA: THE SECRET CONVERSATIONS plays at Mirvish’s CAA Theatre till November 30, 2025.

Tickets here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong/Justin Waldman/Mirvish Productions)

Last night at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Mirvish Productions opened their latest, Tell Tale Harbour which is based on The Grand Seduction by Ken Scott and co-written by Great Big Sea’s Alan Doyle (who also stars). The show is a simple story, but one that captivates the heart of the audience effortlessly, this small Atlantic Canada town is about to lose its fish plant – which is the primary way this town sustains itself. They’re offered an opportunity though, along with the other neighbouring towns – they can secure a state of the art frozen french fry factory – but one thing stands in their way – they need a resident doctor so the town bans together to try and swoon the English doctor into making Tell Tale Harbour his home.

The hilarious Musical Comedy focuses on Frank (Alan Doyle) who is determined to do everything in his power to make his little town a warm welcoming for Dr. Chris (Kale Penny) even if that means making the town seem like a slice of London. Caught in the middle of all these lies, indifferent but wanting to ensure she and her loved ones are safe but cannot partake, willingly, with the lies is Frank’s niece, Kathleen (Melissa MacKenzie) who slowly warms up to the Doctor despite her uninterest in playing with the façade. Tell Tale Harbour is hilarious, heart-warming and charming that is lifted by its wonderful Cast and an important part of the 2025/2026 Mirvish season.

Be sure to catch Alan Doyle in Tell Tale Harbour at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto before it leaves November 2, 2025. Tickets now on sale at mirvish.com.

The King of Pop Michael Jackson certainly needs no introduction. To this day, his title remains undisputed. Perhaps MJ THE MUSICAL -nominated for ten TONY Awards – is that closure many fans never got with his premature passing, or even the chance to see and feel him live when they never got the opportunity. Whatever your reason, the production with a book by Lynn Nottage, and direction & choreography by Christopher Wheeldon, is a resounding smash, not to be missed as it runs at CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, here only till November 2, 2025 before it tours other cities in Canada.

Completely floored by the attention to detail, the seamless transitions, the singing, the dancing, how in-sync the Cast were with one another, particularly the three Actors playing Jackson at various stages in his life: Quentin Blanton Jr., Brandon Lee Harris, and Jordan Markus. Absolutely tremendous and I am already itching to see it a second time!

Severable notables were in attendance for the Toronto Premiere of MJ THE MUSICAL including The Podemski Sisters, members of the Toronto Raptors, Jully Black, Erica Ehm, and more!

Some highlights from the evening:

Tickets are on-sale now here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

It isn’t every day we get an invite to Theatre, so it’s always a pleasure when it happens. Such an emotional experience seeing Britta Johnson‘s LIFE AFTER, a new Canadian Musical playing now till May 10, 2025 at CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre.

The Musical which has won multiple DORA Awards already, centers on a teen girl named Alice who is trying to make sense of her father’s sudden passing, beginning to question if she caused it all after they had a disagreement on her birthday. Some phenomenal performances from this Ensemble Cast which includes Isabella Esler in the lead role, supported by Jake Epstein, Mariand Torres, Chilina Kennedy, Valeria Ceballos and Julia Pulo. The story is told concisely at 90 minutes, no intermission, but packed with vulnerability and heart.

Tickets here.

(Photo/video credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Running now through April 21, 2024 at Toronto’s CAA Theatre, Mirvish Productions present HYPROV! The innovative stage show brings together the talents of comedy legend Colin Mochrie and world-renowned hypnotist Asad Mecci for twisty, unpredictable and wildly-entertaining time!

Each show 20 volunteers go up on stage and are placed under hypnosis by Mecci, and from there Mochrie joins on-stage, guiding them through a series of improvisational sketches. You just never know what you’re going to get and the results that ensue are bound to be hilarious. It’s so magical what the mind can do when uninhibited!

A reel of highlights from last night’s Media and Influencer preview:

Tickets here.

(Photo/video credit: Ryan Emberley/Mr. Will Wong)

Imagine a world where Juliet goes on to survive after Romeo. What lessons would she have learned in her life about controlling her own destiny? Standing up to her parents? Or throwing it all away for the one she thought she loved? Even William Shakespeare himself must face the Music (thankfully for us, a Soundtrack of Pop Icon Max Martin‘s Greatest Hits) in Mirvish Productions’ & JULIET, against values like equality and inclusion of today.

Toronto is extremely lucky to get to enjoy a run of this phenomenal new Musical, as it continues its extended run in London’s West End currently. Playing at Princess of Wales Theatre till August 14, 2022, & JULIET with its current Cast, will head straight to Broadway.

Emmy-winning Schitt’s Creek Writer David West Read pens the Play, which speaks to an audience of today, bringing pure, blissful joy. Telling its story of Juliet‘s liberation and a catalogue of songs which defined and continue to define an era, it is impossible not to walk away feeling uplifted.

& JULET is empowering, wild and full of heart. Not to mention some outstanding performances from the likes of Broadway veteran Betsy Wolfe (Waitress, The Last Five Years) as William Shakespeare‘s wife Anne Hathaway, Justin David Sullivan as the non-binary May, Melanie La Barrie as Juliet‘s confidante Nurse, and up-and-comer Lorna Courtney in the starring role of Juliet. West Read‘s smart writing, delicately yet at once brazenly approaches angles not pondered by Shakespeare when it comes to asking what his female characters wanted, that the world contained more than just white people and that same sex love existed.

So seamlessly and brilliantly is this Soundtrack interweaved into the story line. Case in point, Bon Jovi‘s “It’s My Life” contains a line “Like Frankie said, I did it my way” and a character, Frankie (Philippe Arroyo) randomly comes out and does the line. Pure genius.

The level of detail is astounding and visually, it is like a Pop Concert-meets-Shakespeare-meets-Moulin Rouge with a relentless energy throughout this two-and-a-half-hour runtime, plus intermission.

& JULIET is invigorating and the perfect lift in spirits we needed this Summer with a huge potential to crossover as Pop Culture phenomenon. More on tickets here.

Some Snaps with the Cast:

We were so lucky to meet Max Martin, in-town recently for the Musical. More here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

You’ll probably not even recognize him, but you know and love him. Trust. Legendary Hitmaker Max Martin is in Toronto for Mirvish’s Production of & Juliet! After a successful run in London’s West End, Toronto is so lucky to get to see the Musical, which asks what would’ve happened if she didn’t end it all for Romeo?

Martin is responsible for the most iconic Pop Hits of our time. And not just one. Several!

…Baby One More Time
As Long As You Love Me
I Want it That Way
Bang Bang
Break Free
Blinding Lights
California Girls
DJ Got Us Fallin in Love
Dynamite
Hot N Cold
I Kissed a Girl
It’s Gonna Be Me
Lucky
Love Me Harder
Oops!… I Did it Again
Part of Me
Quit Playing Games (with my Heart)
Roar
Save Your Tears
Shake it Off
Show Me Love
Since U Been Gone
Style
Teenage Dream
That’s The Way It Is
U + Ur Hand
Who Knew
(You Drive Me) Crazy

You try picking a favourite from this partial list of hits he’s responsible for penning! I love all these songs and I’m sure you do too!

This was an incredible honour. I don’t think he’s used to being recognized as he is so humble, but as a lover of Pop, he is an Idol! Even more important than the stars he’s worked with!

About & Juliet

Set against a Soundtrack of megahits by Martin, & Juliet is from Emmy-winning Writer of Schitt’s Creek David West Read, with Choreography by Jennifer Weber, and Director Luke Sheppard.

& Juliet runs at Princess of Wales Theatre from June 22 – August 14, 2022.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)