North Park Theatre

The English literature canon would not be complete without the famous works of playwright William Shakespeare. His plays, sonnets, and poems are renowned for their literary imagery and social commentary that still rings true today. While he was a man with a complicated life, his works and his legacy continue to hold his place in the world of fine literature.

Born on the cusp of King Henry VIII’s reign, Shakespeare did not reach his peak until the reign of Elizabeth I, a queen who encouraged and supported the arts. In a bid Read more…

Granted, the 2012 film of Les Miserables isn’t the first time the play has made the jump to the silver screen and it most certainly is not Tom Hooper’s first rodeo. There was a film starring Liam Neeson as Jean Valjean that made its rounds before.

There are many differences, as you can imagine, between the 1998 and 2012 versions of the film and it’s not just the singing (which is absent in Neeson’s foray). It’s everything from the pacing of the story to the way in which the film is shot.

In many ways, both good and bad, 2012′s Les Miserables is every bit as accurate and true to the novel as the Broadway music production. Everything from the way no one ever stops singing to the very claustrophobic feel of it all is preserved in this film.

The problem is that the way in which it is shot is somewhat troublesome in the film. You see, in theatre, sets have to be imaginative and claustrophobic because even on the biggest Broadway stages, you don’t have a lot of real estate to work with. It’s not the same with Hollywood and the film somewhat suffers as a result.

That’s not to suggest that the film is bad. 2012′s Les Miserables in fact proves that theatre can make a successful jump to Hollywood and we are no doubt going to be seeing this celebrated classic making its rounds every Christmas on store shelves, Red Box and even direct2tv.com/ movie channels.

From the beginning of the amphitheatre, in countless centuries BCE, during ancient Greek and Roman eras the performers were all men. Women were not permitted on stage. Theatre performances began as tragedies and were delivered in a song version. In the 6th century BC the first recorded spoken performance was accredited to a Greek named Thespis from whose name has derived the word Thespian as a professional title for an actor. Costumes and masks informed the audiences of a character’s intended stage gender.

The all male dominated acting profession continued in Mediterranean and European theatres Read more…

One of the beloved family past times is going to the to a show at the local theatre. All across the world people flock to see the latest productions and play that are offered. Often times you will find that these events are sold out quickly because of their popularity not only with the event but the venue as well.

Some of the most popular theatres are scattered across the world. Started with the Metropolitan Opera House, In New York City.Is this new Read more…

The theatre is a land of make believe that draws you into its world for two and half hours to explore and experience the lives of characters with whom you can relate, despise, or passionately fall in love. The theatres on Broadway in Manhattan New York take all these emotions of passion and magnify them.

The excitement of Broadway’s history over takes you. Theatre on Broadway in New York started around the mid 1700s with the Read more…

Anyone who has purchased tickets to a Broadway show or asked for directions to a particular theatre in New York City has probably heard the term The Great White Way. Just how did The Great White Way become the popular nickname for that area of Broadway Street which is the heart of the Big Apple’s theatre district? The term was first used by the New York Evening Telegram newspaper in 1902 to describe the mile-long stretch of Broadway Street Read more…

William Shakespeare wrote that all the world’s a stage and he was so right. Live theatre is something that plays an important part in our lives. The theatre is a place where we experience situations that we may relate to but do not always get to experience in our every day reality. These situations can be based on real life or they could be based in pure fiction.

Regardless of what you already know about the theatre, you owe it to yourself to check out the plays and shows that Read more…