Along with the theatre critics from the Toronto Star and the National Post, I'll be performing in a charity concert performance of Mel Brooks' The Producers on September 13. (I'm playing Leo Bloom; Richard Ouzounian is Max Bialystock; Robert Cushman is Franz the Nazi playwright.)
This all started as a joke, but now it's actually happenning - I know, because I read it in Playbill.
This turning of the tables is a fundraiser for the Actors' Fund of Canada, a great organisation that supports arts workers when they fall on hard times. (I'm a fan and have supported them before.)
With the roles of reviewer and reviewed reversed, this will be an entertaining (possibly) and embarrassing (definitely) night. A few people who can actually sing will be of a part of it as well, including Cynthia Dale and Camilla Scott. Adam Brazier is directing.
Gulp.
Few things I have written have generated the volume of response my recent column on Edmonton actor Jeff Haslam's online outburst against a couple of blogging subscribers did. I ended it by saying I hoped Haslam would come to his senses and apologize - I'm very glad to say, he has.
If you scroll down to the bottom of Mack D Male's original post on the comment heard 'round the world, he has an update marked August 26:
Sharon and I received a handwritten apology from Jeff Haslam in the mail today, along with a signed copy of Stewart Lemoine's At the Zenith of the Empire and a refund for the unused portion of our season subscriptions.
There you go. Haslam's private apology hasn't received the attention that his comment did, so I thought I should point it out.
In my round-up of Canadians at the Edinburgh Fringe last week, I forgot to mention the Canadian critics who went over as well.
Eleven emerging theatre critics from the University College Drama Program at the University of Toronto went on a class trip to Edinburgh with Professor Antje Budde and plaid-loving instructor Michelle MacArthur. You can read their reviews on this blog.
Another theatre-related website I wanted to draw your attention to: the Canadian Theatre Opening Night Directory: 2010 - 2011.
I used to keep track of all the major professional openings across the country in a personal document, but this year I thought I'd share it online in this Wiki. If you don't see your company's dates there, add them in.