Glenn Sumi

"You have too many opinions," a high school bully told me. Guilty! I've been writing abt the arts for more than 25 years. Now that my regular outlet is dying a painful death, I'm doing it here.

Pride

Toronto Pride Month shows

Bookmark this roundup of day-by-day Pride events, including drag, comedy, cabaret, theatre, burlesque, opera, trivia and more

Theatre

Dora Awards 2023 nominations: snubs and surprises

Red Velvet, Uncle Vanya, Alice in Wonderland and First Métis Man of Odesa received lots of Dora love, while The Seagull, Indecent and other worthy shows got shut out

Theatre

Daniel Brooks: farewell to a titan

No one who knew him or saw his work was unaffected by his artistic integrity and his broad, expansive view of humanity

Theatre

Reviews: BOOM X, The Sound Inside, Shirley Valentine, The Rage of Narcissus and more

Rick Miller's Gen X show, two tales about storytelling and yet another great Deborah Drakeford performance are among this week's must-see offerings; plus the winners of the 5th Jon Kaplan Legacy Fund Awards

Theatre

Reviews: The Chinese Lady, Bone Cage and theatre bars and cafés

Lloyd Suh's play about historical figure Afong Moy and Catherine Banks's play about working-class Nova Scotians both deal with people stuck in literal and metaphorical cages

Theatre

Review: New is a completely absorbing tale about "new" Canadians

Pamela Mala Sinha's play about Indian immigrants living in a 70s apartment complex in Winnipeg is one of the best new Canadian plays to debut this season

Film

Reviews: Opera onstage and loosely adapted for film

Benjamin Millepied's Carmen makes an intriguing movie, while Verdi's Macbeth for the COC is bloody good theatre; plus a Seagull extension giveaway

Theatre

Stoic moms, guilt-ridden dads and Cirque du Soleil: this week in Toronto theatre

Reviews of Maggie: A New Musical, Niizh, Paint Me This House of Love, A Number and Kooza, plus a new Sam Shepard biography giveaway

Theatre

Three new plays grapple with friendship and identity, while Harry Potter play announces closing date

Reviews of Body So Fluorescent, Maanomaa, My Brother and Vierge

Theatre

Reviews: The Seagull and Never the Last

Daniel Brooks's staging of Simon Stephens's adaptation for Soulpepper is one of the finest and most affecting productions of the year

Theatre

Reviews: The Hooves Belonged to the Deer, Love You Wrong Time

Young artists Makram Ayache, Deanna H. Choi and Maddie Bautista explore culture and sexuality with boldness and irreverence

TV and streaming

Review: Schmigadoon Season 2 is a marvellous musicals mashup

The second season of the Apple TV+ series draws from 60s and 70s shows like Chicago, Sweeney Todd, Cabaret, Hair, Pippin and Annie

Members only

Theatre

Reviews: First Métis Man of Odesa, new Second City show, Snowed In Comedy Tour

Theatre

Of the Sea enchants, Bluebeard surprises, Metamorphoses meanders: this week in Toronto theatre

Also included is a call for applications for the IBPOC Critics Lab, why there was no room for Room on Broadway and a contest for Theatre Passe Muraille's Never the Last

Theatre

Reviews: The Land Acknowledgement and Anahita's Republic

A second look at Cliff Cardinal's groundbreaking monologue, plus a bold new play set in Iran, the Jon Kaplan Legacy Fund Awards deadline and a Cirque du Soleil show ticket giveaway

Theatre

10 Toronto shows to see this spring

From radical takes on classics to a love story set against COVID and the brutal war in Ukraine, here are some must-see shows this season

Out-of-town Theatre

Review: Mahabharata soars at Shaw Festival and gets ready to tour

Eight years in the making, Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes's adaptation of the 4000-year-old Sanskrit poem is a remarkable multidisciplinary achievement

Theatre

Under-the-table workers, glam rockers and eco explorers: this week in Toronto theatre

Review roundup includes Behind the Moon, Rock of Ages, I Love the Smell of Gasoline, The Yellow Wallpaper and Fairview

Theatre news

Mirvish season mounts Six in the 6ix, and Come From Away returns to the Rock

Mirvish's main subscription season includes seven musicals, while the most successful show in Canadian history makes a comeback

Theatre

A bold new family drama and three iconic singers: this week in Toronto theatre

Reviews of Paolo Santalucia's Prodigal, the diva-fest Billie, Sarah, and Ella and The Darkest Dark

Theatre

Review: Hamilton settles in for a good long stay

Even if you've seen Lin-Manuel Miranda's revolutionary musical live or on Disney+, this North American tour will make you appreciate its greatness anew

Theatre

Iranian students, intimate Lear and biting cultural satire: this week in Toronto theatre

Reviews of English, The Tragedy of King Lear and Redbone Coonhound, plus a look at my first month as an independent theatre blogger

Theatre

Fractured families, historic storms and brave pilots: this week in Toronto theatre

Reviews of Things I Know to be True, Pressure and The Flight, a list of holdovers and a Redbone Coonhound ticket giveaway

Theatre

Review: Sarah Gadon makes a scorching theatre debut in Yerma

The acclaimed film and TV actor delivers a white-knuckle performance as a woman who desperately wants to have a child

Personal Featured

Goodbye, dad

My father loved Les Mis and Come From Away, did a great imitation of Mr. Kim and taught me never to pretend that I liked something when I didn't