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An Ode to Broadway Musicals in Toronto
By: Joanne Liang
Image by So Sumi. In the image is Hades (Matthew Patrick Quinn) and Eurydice (Morgan Siobhan Green), surrounded by the Three Fates.
Last Saturday, I watched the Hadestown musical with my sister in Mirvish Theatre, Downtown Toronto. It was a stroke of luck that I had managed to buy rush tickets the night before at a discounted price, that I managed to catch another train after missing the original 11:45am one, and that I had unknowingly snagged tickets for the musical on its last weekend run in Toronto. Looking back, it felt like the stars had aligned themselves just to convince me that yes Joanne, you have to go watch more musicals in all of their live-performance glory instead of listening on Spotify like a fake fan.
I don’t actually mean that, by the way. I’ve been listening to Beetlejuice on Spotify for years now, and for all that I’ve been claiming love for Hamilton since the YouTube animatics era, I saw the Disney+ version before I saw it on Broadway.
That said, being able to watch Hadestown with two of the original Broadway casts and a whole crew of talented singers, actors, and dancers was an experience on a whole other level. I suddenly understood the appeal to gatekeeping “authentic experiences”, because it was genuinely, utterly, overwhelmingly impressive from start to end.
See, there’s something about live musicals that captures the magic of performance where recordings and films fail to hit the mark. It’s like a rollercoaster that the actors––note: the actors, not the characters––bring you along, and I’ll explain why. That feeling of excitement when a fan favourite makes their way onto the stage is like no other because of several resounding facts: In the exact same room where you sit, AV is working on dimming lights and surround sound. The chorus is rushing through with dress changes while supporting the leads with vocals.
And at the front of the stage, the centre spotlight has hundreds of eyes on them, watching their every move. That feeling of anxiety, wondering whether or not they’ll hit the falsetto note, or if they’ll be able to dodge or catch a prop as part of a rehearsed gig, is overwhelmingly present. It’s impossible to ignore these thoughts when watching Broadway, because you are faced with the reality that this is live and these are real people on the stage.
And that’s what makes live performance all the more impressive when it is successful. I cheered like a lunatic at the end of every one of Persephone’s belting songs, I clapped until my hands hurt during "Road to Hell", and I struggled and failed to hold back tears at the inevitable, tragic end of Orpheus and Eurydice’s story. Never have I been so emotionally touched by a performance like in live musical theatre, and as I left the Mirvish Theatre with a crumpled programme book and tear-stained face, I realised that those two hours were experiences of a lifetime.
See, I’ve had my own share of experiences in musical theatre. Maybe that’s why I’m so passionate about the gritty details of production whereas normal, sane people would be talking about the story or the singing (sorry for dissing you, theatre kids). My high school put on a show (search up Markville Music We Will Rock You) that ran for 1,500 people over the course of two days––laser beam lights, audio mics, all that fun and blinding stuff. Needless to say, it was stressful. I probably lost weeks off my lifespan and lots of hair in the shower over musical theatre. But it was worth it––because on that stage, I felt a kind of purpose like no other. I felt fantastic.
To all the hardworking casts who make these experiences so magical and memorable, thank you. You create those kinds of memories that I’ll fondly recall weeks, months, and even years after, snotfaced or not. And to the rest of you reading this, go check out your local theatres. Show week is in full gear this year and I assure you, a lot of good ones are coming up. You don’t want to miss them.
New Senior Housing Building Opening in the Heart of Unionville
By: Joanne Liang
A general look at Unionville Commons, York Region’s biggest residential construction project to date (image from Markham Review)
On May 31st, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the Regional Municipality of York celebrated the opening of Unionville Commons, a 265-unit building with two connected towers. According to the York Region Government, this is their “largest residential construction project to date.”
The location of the building is accessible and close to many major hubs in Unionville. Located at 4310 Highway 7 East, it’s a 10 minute walking distance to Main Street Unionville and a 15 minute drive from Markham Stouffville Hospital.
As for the interior design, the building is impressively senior-focused, featuring wide hallways to accommodate mobility devices, easy-to-access walk-in showers, and exactly forty barrier free units. The building also provides accessible senior-focused recreational activities, promoting a sense of community and activity from within.
What do the residents have to say about their experience here? Well, they seem impressed and immensely satisfied with their stay.
“Overall, I’m very happy to be here. I really like my place, my apartment. I arranged it the way I like it. I love it,” says Susanne L, a resident at Unionville Commons.
And it’s true: This project is very impressive, demonstrating how intense attention to detail can significantly improve the function of a unit. All in all, it looks to be a great start for accommodating Markham's growing upper load dependency as well as alleviating housing demands.
As the school year comes to a close, so does this newsletter's 2023-2024 run. We have one more month, and our writers are working to pour our hearts and souls into it––this is going to be the best and possibly longest installment yet. So, keep your heads up! Stay tuned for more, but above everything, thank you guys so much for sticking with us throughout the year. It means a lot for us writers :)
Your favourite writers,
Grace, Rachel and Joanne