Revisit some of the past Hart House Theatre productions staged throughout the years.
2011 / 2012 Hart House Theatre Season
The Great American Trailer Park Musical
Music and Lyrics by David Nehls
Book by Betsy Kelso
Directed by Will O’Hare
Toronto Premiere
Sept 23 – Oct 8, 2011
“This play and venue provide a healthy dose of smiles and a million laughs… All seven actors are terrific… It’s exhilarating to see such young talent onstage… Obviously a tonne of work and effort has gone into this production, and it pays huge dividends… We can’t wait to return… Make plans to see it!” – Mooney on Theatre.
“The Great American Trailer Park Musical is fun, funny, bold, and outlandish… Hart House has a truly amazing production, totally worth seeing. This is an example of excellent theatre.” – The Varsity.
“I loved every minute of this show. The singing was better than some of the shows I’ve seen at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. There aren’t enough stars to do this show justice in rating it!” – Audience Member
“Vocal talent abounds in this musical…Set design and costumes are great…no matter what your preference, there is more than one musical act that will satisfy your taste.” – The Medium
The Gentleman Caller
Produced in association with Zadkiel Productions
By James Cunningham and Martin Hunter
Directed by David Ferry
Starring Nigel Bennett as Tennessee Williams
Oct 19 – 22, 2011
“[Nigel Bennett] brings a great deal of believable physicality to the character” – Mooney on Theatre
“Captivating and strangely moving. Nigel Bennett gives a truly moving performance.” – The Varsity
“Nigel Bennett plays this role with a masterful balance of crowd-pleasing flamboyancy and crippling insecurity and doubt.” – The Medium
Macbeth
By William Shakespeare
Directed Jeremy Hutton
Nov 9 – 26, 2011
“This show really did an incredible job of showing his descent from a valiant soldier into a manipulative dictator. It can in fact mirror our own regrets…The performance had incredible energy and passion. I have an urge to go and re-read Macbeth, as it is much better than I remember it…The experience [was] akin to watching a thriller.” – Mooney on Theatre
“The show is marked by well-designed and versatile scenery, stylish costumes. Hutton’s Macbeth is undoubtedly a thrilling piece.” – The Newspaper
“The cast is talented, demonstrating a natural ease with Shakespearean material and producing an infectious energy. The various large-scale fight scenes are ambitiously executed and entertaining. Hutton remains faithful to the original text and setting of Shakespeare’s play. Sticking to tradition, with a few thoughtful updates, serves the show well.” – The Varsity
Cabaret
Book by Joe Masteroff
Based on the play by John Van Druten and Stories by Christopher Isherwood
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Directed by Adam Brazier
Jan 13 – 28, 2012
“…this is a sexy, flashy, entertaining show…makes for a nicely raunchy cure to the January blahs” – Richard Ouzounian, Toronto Star
“It’s brazen, it’s ribald, it’s wonderfully designed and it’s a great night out.” – Mooney on Theatre
FOUR STARS “Michael-David Blostein’s delicious drawl pulls us in from his breathy opening number, Willkommen…Adam Brazier’s razor precision and flamboyant whimsicality is evident in his role directing the show…The show smoulders with the carefree allure of booze and jazz…Hart House Theatre’s Cabaret captures that in its indulgent, irresistible entirety.” – Theatromania
“Friday night’s performance got off to a superb start….Blostein’s Emcee is a wonderful mix of joy and cynicism as he narrates the decline of the republic he loves…Ms. Lamanna’s…playful performance of Mein Herr, and at the show’s end, her Cabaret exuded a disillusionment and weariness that kept the audience on the edge of their seats.” – Charlebois Post
The Night of the Iguana
By Tennessee Williams
Directed by Jeremy Hutton
Starring David Ferry
Mar 2 – 10, 2012
“It is an exploration of the human condition at its most vulnerable, and is tenderly and entertainingly delivered, and well worth watching.” -The Charlebois Post
“This production of Night of the Iguana is a strong finish to the Hart House Theatre’s season.” The Varsity
“Ferry truly shines as the down-and-out protagonist…Ferry showcases both flashiness and despondence with such ease as he effortlessly makes the audience feel his suffering while still endearing himself to them with his charm. His delivery often comes across as completely improvised, not in the sense of being unprepared, but in that his performance is so natural it hardly seems like acting at all.” The Medium
