Thanks everyone for your kind replies, glad I could spark up this thread.
I often think that the “best” show you see is your first one and every subsequent show is compared to that. After all it’s the one that sends you down the merry path of madness, leading you to pi$$ your wages up the wall following the show to the ends of the Earth.
For me the spark was seeing Rhys Kosakowski defining perfection while doing his Dream Ballet. Seeing Cesar perform brought me back to that same distinctive thrill of my own first show.
Anyhow it’s beyond pumpkin o’clock and I should finish these musings on why Canada is so great, un-numbered and in no particular order… or relevance to the show
Niagara Falls
Whoa, the view is much better north of the border. Who’d have thunk water + gravity = such magnificence. A beauty only matched in scale by the horrendous tackiness of the surrounding commercial precinct.
The other lads in the show.
Flawless with the skip rope including some devilishly hard (I assume) crossovers. All have a very solid technique. Myles reminds me a bit of Rhys Yeomans in the UK, in stature and dance talent.
The adults Kate and Armand.
Seemingly more settled than when I saw both last year on Broadway and Chicago respectively. Dad gets much more of a laugh with the Scottish dancer in Toronto. A special mention to Jonathan Cullen who understudied Tony. A nuanced performance especially in the scene with the money and the scab.
Yonge St.
What a trip! There’s Billy, loads of takeaway places, good bookshops and a goodly number of… “adult” houses. It’s like someone’s scanned my brain and built its tangible representation.
Spunky bargirls and $6 moosehead pints at the Imperial Pub.
Nice. Good conversation too…
Colourful money.
It works in monopoly.
The ballet girls.
Particularly like their reactions in the post Solidarity vignette, esp. the girl who does “Yeah, but he was crap” then cowers away.
Toronto audiences.
So positive and appreciative. Not like those mean old Chicagoans…
Ice wine.
Yeah so its pretty much cordial but I can’t say I’ve got hammered on anything quite like it.
CN tower.
Who doesn’t like massive needles?
Ice hockey.
No wait, this should be in the things I dislike pile. Along with having too few exits from the theatre. It’s a trek rivaling Cartier’s journey to try and first, get out of the theatre and second locate the stage door in time to see the cast exit.
All in all, Toronto puts on a truly terrific iteration of the show. The evolution from first preview in Chicago has been profound. I wish it a long and successful run.
Stay tuned for my old pal KiwiT’s review once he has scraped himself off the floor and located his hamster following tonight’s show.
