I recently took in two British imports at Mirvish theatres, Singin’ In The Rain and The Shark Is Broken. I was intrigued to note that my reactions to both shows were somewhat at odds with those of the reviewers for the major papers.
Singin’ In The Rain received generally positive reviews whereas my reactions were more mixed. The Shark Is Broken was pretty much dismissed, whereas I liked it quite a bit. So, what’s up with that?
Also, while I have no inside knowledge, I assume that both productions have hopes of making it to Broadway. Isn’t that why any British play comes to Toronto? Or am I totally misreading Canada’s relationship with the Mother Country?
In any event, my feeling is that Singin’ In The Rain, genial though it may be, would be ill-advised to head to the Great White Way, and that if it did it wouldn’t be well received. On the other hand, I have a hunch that The Shark Is Broken might have a shot at getting good reviews in New York.
Have you seen both shows? What do you think?
