Summer Stages: BWW's Top Summer Theatre Picks - Toronto!

Summer is here, and with it comes one of the best times of the year for theatre lovers - Festival season! With the hot weather comes the opening of the region's world renowned Stratford Shakespeare Festival and Shaw Festival, as well as The Toronto Fringe, Shakespeare in High Park and many other summer stock productions that keep any theatre goer busy on those long summer nights. 

This year BWW is doing something new for the summer season and compiling a list of the Top 5 Shows for the Summer in regions across Canada and the United States.  Toronto has so much great theatre coming to it this summer it's almost impossible to narrow it down, but here are our suggestions for the Top 5 Shows to see this summer: 

1. The Toronto Fringe Festival

July 4th - 15th, 2012

Toronto's largest theatre festival is back and better than ever this year, with over 150 different productions happening all over the city (and of course, the infamous beer tent!).  Don't miss out on this chance to see some of the city's best and brightest, as well as mingle with like-minded theatre goers.

www.fringetoronto.com

2. 42nd Street: Stratford Shakespeare Festival - Festival Theatre

On Now until October 28th, 2012

42nd Street is a lavish production that marks Cynthia Dale's return to a Stratford stage after a five year absence.  Featuring top notch dancing, singing and acting, the show is a toe-tapping delight that showcases Canada's world renowned triple threats.

www.stratfordfestival.ca

3. Ragtime: Shaw Festival - Festival Theatre

The musical that was born and got its first legs in Toronto returns to Canada in a new production by Shaw Theatre's Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell. Featuring a critically praised performance by Toronto fave Thom Allison as Coalhouse Walker, Ragtime is shaping up to be one of the hottest tickets this year.

www.shawfest.com

4. A Midsummer Night's Dream: Canadian Stage - High Park Amphitheatre

June 26th - Sept 2nd, 2012

Dream in High Park, Toronto's outdoor summer Shakespeare production, celebrates its 30th Anniversary this year with the classic and much loved tale A Midsummer Night's Dream. It will be the 7th time the company has produced this show, making it the most popular to date and a wonderful way to celebrate 30 years.  Experience the beauty of High Park and the glory of Shakespeare performed by some of Toronto's finest in one evening of theatre under the stars!

www.canadianstage.com

5. Backbeat: Mirvish - The Royal Alexandra Theatre

July 21st - Sept 2nd, 2012

Direct from London comes this musical about how The Beatles became 'The Beatles', and it features many of the band's hit songs.  Toronto has a long tradition of embracing British music and humour, and Backbeat is shaping up to be the feel-good musical of the summer.

www.mirvish.com

Bonus Show:

A Word or Two: Stratford Shakespeare Festival - Avon Theatre

July 25th - Aug 26th, 2012

After adding an Academy Award to his impressive list of accolades, Christopher Plummer returns home to the Stratford stage for four weeks this summer in a one man show that takes the audience on an autobiographical journey through the literature of his life.  Sure to be one of the hottest tickets of the year, don't miss this opportunity to see one of Canada's biggest and most treasured actors perform in an intimate setting.

www.stratfordfestival.ca

Kelly Cameron's love affair with the theatre began when she was just five years old, on an outing to see the Original Canadian Cast of Les Miserables at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto. She instantly fell in love, and since then has been lucky enough to be involved in various theatre activities and productions, including a regional production of A Midsummer Night's Dream and a local production of Where the Sidewalk Ends. She has also received training from various teachers throughout Southwestern Ontario in both piano and voice, and competed in vocal competitions for which she received a few awards. Her writing career started almost by accident, when she had the opportunity to become a ghostwriter for up and coming businesses. She continues to do this, writing the content for all sorts of companies who are starting websites and looking to find their voice. Her passion and love for theatre led to her becoming involved with BroadwayWorld where she is thrilled to be writing for the Toronto contingent of the rapidly growing website. When she isn't at the theatre, you can generally find her firmly planted in front of her trusty Blackberry - tweeting, Facebooking or partaking in other such social media activities to ensure that those who want to know are kept apprised of everything that Toronto theatre has to offer. Other interests include movies, art, music, shopping, fashion and martial arts with the occasional foray into the world of finance. Follow Kelly on Twitter at @broadwaybabyto Creep her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kelly-Cameron/500187141

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