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)

After resounding commercial and critical success, HAMILTON finally has arrived in Toronto at Ed Mirvish Theatre now through May 17, 2020.  The Musical centering around America’s founding father Alexander Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, has been setting the world on-fire since its debut off-Broadway at The Public Theatre in New York back in 2015.  Since then it has won a whopping 11 TONY Awards and Pullitzer Prize with an inclusive, modern way of telling American history through Hip-Hop and R&B.  The Production makes its way now in Toronto – known as the Phillip Ty our – with a Touring Cast led by Joseph Morales in the leading role. Morales will be in Toronto till end of March, when the role will be taken over by a new star.  As expected, ticket sales have  been feverish with Torontonians resorting to a daily digital lottery in hope of tickets.

See some of this talented Cast!

Joseph Morales as Alexander Hamilton

Jared Dixon as Aaron Burr

Stephanie Jae Park as Eliza

Marcus Choi as King George

Elijah Malcomb as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton

Desmond Sean Ellington as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison

Ta’Rea Campbell as Angelica

Darilyn Castillo as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds

Warren Egypt as Lafayette/Jefferson

Aaron Albano – Swing

Trevor Miles – Ensemble

DeMarius Copes – Ensemble

Conroe Brooks – Standby

Jonathan Christopher – Ensemble

Gabe Hyman – Swing

More here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Hot off the success of runs in the UK, Chicago and Broadway, 17-time Grammy winner STING brings his musical THE LAST SHIP to Toronto.

Based on his Album The Soul Cage and his own personal childhood experiences growing-up just north of England, The Last Ship is centered on family, community and defiance in the face of deindustrialization.

The Cast includes new talent and veterans of stage and screen including: Frances McNamee, Jackie Morrison, Oliver Seville, Marc Akinfolarin, Joe Caffrey, Rebecca Gilhooley, Philip Childs, Orla Gormley, Sophie Reid and more! Lorne Campbell directs the Musical which is told in the Geordie dialect.

On Valentine’s Day, Sting and the Cast ventured east to Oshawa at Tribute Communities Centre to show their support to GM workers who are facing something very similar to the characters in the story.

The Mirvish Production runs till March 24, 2019 at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Sting has committed to appearing at every performance.

See some Snaps with the Cast:

More here.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)

Running February 11 through April 9, 2017, THE BODYGUARD THE MUSICAL graces Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre after a smashing debut in London’s West End from 2012-2014. Since then, the production based on the 1992 Blockbuster starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, has toured Seoul, the U.S., Netherlands, and Cologne, among other parts of Europe (including a London revival!) and it next is set to reach Australia. Reprising the lead role is award-winning British Soul Songstress Beverley Knight, while others like Deborah Cox, Heather Headley and Alexandra Burke also have had the distinction of playing the lead role of superstar diva Rachel Marron.

After much debate, we decided finally to see THE BODYGUARD and although we were expecting some degree of melodramatic campiness based on our recollection of its source material, we pleasantly were surprised by some of the performances which the Musical very much is dependent on.  Penned by Alexander Dinelaris, this stage adaptation incorporates even more of Whitney Houston‘s phenomenal repertoire, doubling as a tribute to the career of the deceased megastar and also a stage translation of the Film.

Knight is outstanding, a vision of stamina who powers her way through the show’s two-and-a-half hours plowing through Houston’s demanding catalog of hits. Also fantastic is Rachel John, who plays Rachel Marron‘s sister Nicki.  While Knight and Lead Actor Stuart Reid Frank Farmer might lack the chemistry Houston and Costner had on-film in part due to issues with the script, this is outshone  by the dazzle of Knight‘s solo numbers.  It is impossible not to be affected by the power of nostalgia when you hear Run to You, I Have Nothing and powerful finale I Will Always Love You. You come to The Bodyguard wanting to reconnect with Houston‘s legacy and because you want carefree, soapy escapism and that you get.

Don’t forget to check-out the “I Will Always Love You“-inscribed cookies and the official Queen of the Night Cocktail!

More and how to get tickets here.

See our Pics with the Cast and Snapstory!

With Beverley Knight (Rachel Marron)