Shaw Festival Theatre — Attraction in Niagara-on-the-Lake

In one word: superlative‼️ Over the course of a number of decades, Niagara-on-the-Lake and its outstanding theatre venues have been thoroughly enjoyed. All the actors, singers, dancers and those behind the scenes are memorable for their multitudinous talents, patience and desire to enhance the performance arts.

Folks travel from afar to experience a magnificent afternoon and/or evening. In the summertime, my favourite was a group of elegant ladies standing in front of the Vaudevillian Royal George Theatre. Their discussion centered around how their favourite lines were delivered from a long-awaited play. This particular one was, "The Importance of Being Ernest." Critics, were they four. On this particular day and evening, their plans included partaking of a number of assorted productions. It was marvelled that they would not intermingle these varied ongoings. Obviously, what seasoned theatre buffs were they!

Everyone whomsoever was interested in attending was invited and accompanied me. Our residency is in Toronto, Canada. Then it seemed like a hop, a skip and a jump.

Such fine sojourns from The Prince of Wales Hotel to The Country Inn & Suites in Niagara Falls, Ontario were selected.

My current desire would be to partake of a memorable High Afternoon Tea and some R & R (rest and relaxation) time, and also rejuvenation at a local spa whilst staying in towne.

Not to be remiss, it must be mentioned that the following were and still remain awesome, the abundant Bed & Breakfast accommodations which were pleasant, sumptuous, fine dining establishments being in the forefront of my mind and Niagara-on-the-Lake's unique and unusual shoppes.

Be it winter, spring, summer or fall are all highly prized as each has specially planned activities and correspondingly lower price points for lodgings. It is a superb place for the young and the young at heart. Thank you to all who make it possible for the ongoing presence of our enduring, 🇨🇦 superb Canadian tradition: The...

Saw matinee of "Anything Goes" today. Huge disappointment. Expensive disappointment. Cole Porter would turn over in his grave. So sad when others think they can make something better or try to bring it to current day. It's a period piece!!!

The end of the show is completely ruined and falls flat due to the politically correct tone - including the reason why Sir E should marry Sweeney. #plumblossom

If you're a fan of the original show, gird your loins.

PROs: Sir E knows his role and plays it authentic vs the majority of the cast trying to upstage each other. HE was a joy to experience. Creative choreography kept my attention. Live orchestra vs tracks, beautiful and functional set, perfect costumes and the theater itself is a lovely space.

CONs: Too many to include in this review. Honorable mention....Billy immitates the Godfather during the opening of Act II. (Are you kidding me?) The assistant choreographer pops in at key moments vs using the talented male chorus. Randomly dropping in but having no relationship with Sweeney, other than the various dances. Why not let the very talented and capable male chorus have those spotlights or at least create a connectio that helps us understand why they are together? Lastly, why all the cigar and cigarette props? Very distracting and pulled attention away from the scenes.

To make matters worse, the entire show, the house music was playing through the auditorium speakers. Tried to get the staff to fix it but they were unable to identify the cause.

Every bit of dialog was obscured with jazz and what sounded like flute. Those around me were equally irritated by the staffs inability to resolve the issue.

I went having high hopes but left feeling disappointed, offended and just sad at yet another classic musical being negatively impacted by current...

One of the best theater experiences you will ever have, the Shaw Festival's acting troupe are highly talented and the plays are varied from fun to deep and thought-provoking. There are different educational opportunities like the four-day Shaw Seminar where you can delve deeper into the playwright's mindset, the history of the production and the deeper meaning behind the plays. Visiting Phd's in literature, etc give talks, actors and directors provide insight and your days are filled with six plays to satisfy your theater-loving obsession. In addition, you will love the charming little town where the Festival is located. Niagara-on-the-Lake is in Canada's Niagara wine region where you can also go to wine tastings at many local wineries and enjoy gourmet meals at their highly-rated restaurants. There is plenty of shopping in this lovely town, and many historical sites to enjoy in the area. You can rent bicycles to get some fresh air, and you can stop at many a fruit stand for delicious produce from the Niagara farmers. There are many hotels and B&B's from which to choose, but please make sure to reserve your vacation well in advance or just be flexible, because those already in the know reserve up to a year in advance to have their preferred itinerary with repeat stays at favorite hotels and already purchased theater tickets. Go once, and you will become a...