BIG BOLD MUSICALS
SEE IT NOW October 3 to January 11 How do you solve a problem like Maria? Well, if you’re one of the organizers of the new Toronto production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein­­—inspired musical The Sound of Music, you ask a televised audience to do it for you. And do it, they did. After more than four nail-biting weeks in which contestants had to impress the likes of show producer Andrew Lloyd Webber himself, a TV audience chose unknown Elicia Mackenzie to play the coveted role of Maria von Trapp. “It’s pretty tough being judged all the time and being under constant surveillance,” explains Mackenzie. “Not only are you auditioning for a role and putting yourself out there but you’re having all of Canada see you falling on your face sometimes.” With the competition done and won, the performer is pumped for opening night. “I am so excited for everyone to see the breathtaking sets. It’s such a great cast and I am so blessed to be working with such professionals,” she enthuses. That great cast includes Broadway actor Burke Moses as Captain von Trapp. The revamped production, courtesy of Lloyd Webber and David Ian, comes off a successful run in London’s West End, where it was called “enchantingly fresh and ardent” by The Independent. Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. W., $26 to $120; 416-872-1212.

COME BACK October 28 to November 30 If it’s good enough to tread Broadway’s vaunted boards for 15 years, then it’s definitely welcome here. (It’s just a pity the run is so brief.) The Pulitzer Prize– and Tony Award–winning musical A Chorus Line is an exhilarating extended audition set to the music of Marvin Hamlisch and choreographed by Michael Bennett. Seventeen performers try to dance and sing their way into an eight-person chorus line in this emotionally compelling tribute to the hardscrabble life of the working performer. Canon Theatre, 244 Victoria St., $20 to $99; 416-872-1212.

A BITE TO EAT Around the Princess of Wales Theatre: go Italian at yummy Kit Kat Italian Bar & Grill or nearby La Fenice. Near the Canon Theatre, find contemporary grub at Superior Restaurant and Louisiana-style ribs and more at Bâton Rouge. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse is known for its sensational sizzlers.

Megan Follows (far right) dines with some impressive female power including (left to right) Cara Pifko as Griselda and Kelli Fox as Isabella in Top Girls.

Image © Sandy Nicholson

CLASSIC FARE
SEE IT NOW October 15 to November 15 Soulpepper Theatre Company, well known for its classic repertoire, presents its own rendering of Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 drama, A Raisin in the Sun. Set in 1950s Chicago, the play tells the story of a black family, the Youngers. After years as a domestic for a white family, matriarch Lena Younger longs to retire and buys her first house in an all-white neighbourhood. Racism soon rears its ugly head in the form of Mr. Lindner, a “friendly neighbour” who lets the Youngers know they aren’t welcome. The family is faced with a difficult choice: to stay or to go. Weyni Mengesha (’Da Kink in My Hair) directs. Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill St., $34 to $65; 416-866-8666.

COME BACK October 25 to November 22 Top Girls by British dramatist Caryl Churchill is acclaimed for its surreal first act in which protagonist Marlene sits down to dinner with a collection of fantastic mythical femmes. The celebration of female power doesn’t last long, though. It’s soon dispelled as wishful thinking by the grim reality of the second act, which makes pointed comment on the lives of women in the workplace. Soulpepper pulls out all the stops for this show, and the stellar cast features Megan Follows as Marlene and Ann-Marie Macdonald as Pope Joan/Louise. Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Distillery Historic District, 55 Mill St., $34 to $65; 416-866-8666.

A BITE TO EAT Within the Distillery Historic District there are several great dinner options. The Boiler House (647-430-1111) is an impressive industrial space with a chophouse-style menu; there’s seafood aplenty at Pure Spirits Oyster Bar. Along King Street, check out tiny Toba, or La Maquette and Biagio Ristorante are elegant options, too.

Scratch playwright Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman

HOMEGROWN TALENT
SEE IT NOW October 4 to November 2 The eminent Factory Theatre kicks off its 39th season with the world premiere of Scratch, written by Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman when she was just 16. The play has particular resonance for the playwright: it’s inspired by the author’s own experience dealing with the death of her mother, novelist Carole Corbeil. Corbeil-Coleman also stars in the show, playing the role of Anna, a teenager facing her mother’s death. Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst St., $15 to $37; 416-504-9971.

COME BACK January 31 to March 1 Factory’s got another world premiere on its roster: the debut of Toronto the Good by Andrew Moodie. Don’t be taken in by the title. The Chalmers Award–winning playwright uses an incident with a black boy and a white police officer to take on the provocative issues of racial profiling, racism and justice. Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst St., $15 to $37; 416-504-9971.

A BITE TO EAT Around Factory Theatre: très cool Czehoski (678 Queen St. W., 416-366-6787) offers a posh take on comfort food, or tuck into deluxe vegan items at Fressen. Nearby, find chic bistros Brassaii and Crush Wine Bar.