Brian Morton

I have seen the future of musical theatre at the Fringe, and without question it is A MOMENT FOR FRAYED NERVES at Theatre Passe Muraille as part of the Alliance for Canadian Musicals.

This extraordinary production, with music and lyrics by Kevin Wong, choreography and co-direction by Alysa Pires of the National Ballet of Canada, and dramaturgy and co-direction by Rielle Braid, is built around the simple idea of a meal. The audience is presented with a menu of ten musical numbers, each one serving as another course in an evening that nourishes both heart and soul.

The opening image is unforgettable. A desperate homeless woman struggling with addiction, played with astonishing vulnerability by Delia Clark-Bautista, stands alone at centre stage, surrounded by darkness and searching for purpose, belonging, and hope. Logan Raju Cracknell's evocative lighting creates a haunting visual landscape that reflects her emotional isolation while illuminating the production's breathtaking choreography.

Two restaurant servers discover her and invite her inside, offering warmth, kindness, and a place to rest. What begins as a simple act of compassion gradually becomes something much deeper. As they prepare a meal for their unexpected guest, every dish becomes another expression of care, healing, and human connection. The meal itself becomes the emotional spine of the musical, reminding us that sometimes the smallest gestures of generosity can change a life.

The production features an ensemble of ten performers, and every one of them contributes something essential. There are no weak links. Standout performances come from Violet Legarde, Marissa Monk, Chris Otchere, and Bryan Nothling, whose deeply moving performance as a figure of hope and inspiration becomes one of the emotional anchors of the evening.

Kevin Wong's score is magnificent, filled with memorable melodies, rich harmonies, and lyrics that reveal new layers of meaning as the story unfolds. Three songs lingered with me long after the curtain call: "Good Time," "Bubbling Over," and the beautiful closing ballad, "Things That I Could Know Forever." Each captures a different stage in the protagonist's emotional journey, moving from despair toward acceptance and finally hope.

The show's most unexpected delight is a potato, portrayed with irresistible charm by EJ Candelaria. Constantly rejected by the exuberant chef, played with infectious energy by Helena Shields-Ballantyne, the potato becomes much more than comic relief. Beneath the laughter lies a touching metaphor for anyone who has ever felt overlooked, unwanted, or convinced they had little to offer. It is impossible not to root for this unlikely character.

What makes A MOMENT FOR FRAYED NERVES so powerful is that it never loses sight of its humanity. It reminds us that people are not defined by their worst moments, that dignity can be restored through compassion, and that healing often begins with someone choosing to see another person instead of looking away.

The standard of productions presented through the Alliance for Canadian Musicals is exceptionally high this year, and this is unquestionably one of its finest achievements. It succeeds because every element works together. The music is superb, the choreography is inspired, and the emotional storytelling resonates with remarkable honesty.

Performances are already selling out, and after experiencing this remarkable production, it is easy to understand why. I count myself very fortunate to have been there.

SONGS FROM MOBY DICK Composed and performed by Peter Thompson An Ubu Opera production

As I have written before, one person shows are the cornerstone of the Fringe festival movement. Most are storytelling pieces, often drawn from personal experience, while others rely on self-deprecating humour in the form of stand-up comedy. This production, however, is something entirely different.

It is a serious work of contemporary classical music. Peter Thompson, who composed the score and performs the piece, is a powerful baritone who has appeared frequently with the Brott Music Festival in Hamilton. A classically trained singer, he brings a rich, resonant voice and commanding stage presence to the performance.

Thompson has adapted one of the most admired works of nineteenth century North American literature, Herman Melville's MOBY-DICK. It is the story of Captain Ahab's all-consuming obsession with hunting and destroying the great white whale, Moby Dick. The novel has long stood as one of literature's greatest explorations of humanity's struggle against nature and the destructive power of obsession.

As in Melville's novel, the story is told through the eyes of the imperfect narrator Ishmael. Thompson fully inhabits the role, guiding the audience through the tale with precision and emotional restraint over the course of this sixty-minute performance.

The original song cycle is dark and uncompromising, using the stage as an arena of the imagination. The production is dominated by a towering mast and hanging sail, while lighting designer Sebastian Marziali creates an atmosphere that evokes the dim, oil-lit world of the nineteenth century. The lighting is intentionally subdued, reflecting the harsh northern seas where much of the story unfolds.

Dora Award-winning director Adam Paolozza stages the work with great imagination, combining carefully choreographed movement, mime, and the impressive technical resources of the venue. The word that kept returning to my mind throughout the performance was "atmospheric." Every theatrical element works together to create an immersive world.

Theatre Passe Muraille is serving this year as the home of original Canadian musicals, with all eight productions at the venue exploring different approaches to musical theatre.

This production stands apart, and that is very much to its credit. You will not leave the theatre humming the melodies. Thompson's score is closer in spirit to twentieth century composers such as Charles Ives or Dmitri Shostakovich than to Broadway. After all, no one walks out of a Mahler symphony humming the tunes.

Peter Bellamy's folk opera THE TRANSPORTS came to mind as I watched this production because both works are rooted in the seafaring world of the nineteenth century. The difference is that Bellamy drew upon traditional sailors' songs as his musical language, while Thompson remains firmly grounded in the vocabulary of modern opera.

Having said all of that, I highly recommend this production. It is an ambitious and serious work that deserves a wider audience. While it may not resemble what most people expect from a musical, it is an accomplished piece of music theatre. Toronto has a large and knowledgeable audience for classical music, and I hope they discover this remarkable production.

EMPTY SPACES  Book by Brittany Miranda, Music and lyrics by Fynn Cuthbert  Directed by Saphire Demitrio  Presented by MC Productions 

This clever and engaging three-hander musical reminded me a great deal of the film SLIDING DOORS, while blending in metaphysical questions about fate, second chances, and the nature of the afterlife. It is an ambitious concept, but one that is handled with warmth, humour, and genuine emotional sincerity.

At the centre of the story is Rowan Gray, played with considerable charm by Justin Myers Chapman. Rowan finds himself caught between two women whose presence ultimately shapes the course of his life, and perhaps his death. The first is the woman of his dreams, portrayed by Michelle Chu, whom he meets during a chance encounter on the TTC. Their brief connection is full of possibility, but Rowan's awkwardness prevents him from taking advantage of the opportunity. Even so, it is immediately apparent that he has fallen for her.

Before he has any chance to change that, Rowan dies in an accident and awakens in the afterlife, arriving in a processing area known as the "Gray Space," a playful reference to both his surname and the uncertain place between life and whatever comes next. There he meets Minn, an afterlife guide portrayed with confidence and warmth by Taryn Wichenko. Minn explains that Rowan has two choices. He can move forward into eternity, or, if he believes he has unfinished business, he can return and live his life over again. The catch is that he is supposed to have no memory of his previous life.

Driven by his regret over the woman he met on the subway, Rowan chooses to return in the hope of finding her again and building the relationship that never had the chance to begin. In one of the story's more intriguing twists, however, he somehow retains his memories. This transforms the musical into something resembling GROUNDHOG DAY, with Rowan repeatedly reliving his life, making different choices, and slowly discovering that every decision creates unexpected consequences.

As the timeline shifts and events begin to change, Rowan's pursuit of his dream relationship gradually gives way to an entirely different possibility. The earthly version of Minn, who just happens to live upstairs from his apartment, becomes an increasingly important part of his life. The plot asks whether destiny is something we pursue, or something we discover only after letting go of our original expectations.

On paper, the premise sounds wonderfully improbable, yet the production makes it work through strong storytelling, appealing performances, and an excellent musical score. Fynn Cuthbert's songs are consistently memorable, balancing heartfelt ballads with lighter comic moments. Cuthbert also performs on keyboards, accompanied by an intimate ensemble featuring violin and cello. The result is one of the strongest and most distinctive musical accompaniments among this year's productions in the venue devoted to musical theatre.

Justin Myers Chapman gives Rowan an appealing vulnerability, Michelle Chu brings warmth and sincerity to the mysterious young woman, and Taryn Wichenko is particularly impressive as Minn, grounding the show's supernatural elements with humour and compassion.

The performance I attended played to a near-capacity audience, and it was easy to understand why. Positive word of mouth had already begun to spread, and even at its first performance the production displayed remarkable confidence and polish.

The influence of Jean-Paul Sartre's NO EXIT also seemed apparent, at least to this reviewer. Like Sartre's classic work, EMPTY SPACES explores choice, regret, and the possibility that eternity may simply be another opportunity to confront ourselves. Fortunately, it does so with considerably more music, considerably more hope, and a great deal more heart.

Brian Morton The Hammer Monthly

SINNER: A Musical Tragicomedy About Breaking Up With White Jesus Created and performed by Marla Torgerson

Calgary based singer-songwriter Marla Torgerson makes her Toronto Fringe debut with SINNER, a cathartic solo performance, and the result is one of the strongest new musicals I have seen at the festival in many years.

Solo shows are the bread and butter of the Fringe movement. Every year the Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals presents dozens of one-person productions, making it increasingly difficult for any individual artist to stand out. Torgerson succeeds because she brings together exceptional songwriting, powerful storytelling, and a level of personal honesty that never feels manufactured.

Raised in Alberta's Bible Belt, Torgerson blends virtuosic vocals, razor-sharp comedy, and poetic storytelling to examine purity culture, family mythology, and what happens when faith no longer provides the answers. Through a series of memorable original songs and vivid biblical imagery, she explores heartbreak, identity, and the difficult freedom that comes with rebuilding your life after leaving behind the beliefs that once defined you.

What makes the production so compelling is that it is rooted in lived experience. Torgerson draws directly from her own childhood in the Evangelical Christian faith, creating a work that feels deeply personal rather than simply autobiographical. The central struggle is not only about losing religion, but about untangling the emotional lessons that accompanied it. As a young girl she was taught that her worth depended upon remaining thin, attractive, and pure, while navigating the painful reality of family conflict and infidelity. Being expected to choose loyalty to her father over her mother is an impossible burden for a child, and the emotional consequences remain at the heart of the piece.

One of the show's most striking revelations concerns the purity ring she wore well into her early twenties as a symbol of her commitment to abstinence. When she finally lost her virginity while living in South Korea to an unsuitable boyfriend named Rod, she felt compelled to apologize to her father for violating the promises she believed she had made to him. For audience members unfamiliar with this culture, it is both astonishing and heartbreaking.

Presented at Theatre Passe Muraille's venue devoted to new Canadian musicals, SINNER distinguishes itself through the remarkable quality of its score. Torgerson accompanies herself on piano and guitar with effortless musicianship, and every song feels like an essential chapter in the story rather than an interruption to it. Her voice occasionally reminded me of a young Sarah McLachlan, combining technical precision with emotional vulnerability.

Midway through the performance, a band that has quietly waited offstage joins her, transforming the production with a richer musical texture. The addition of the Forte Gay Men's Choir creates one of the evening's most exhilarating moments, expanding the show's emotional and theatrical scale while leading into its most revealing and profound material.

There are moments when the story feels almost too large for the sixty minute Fringe format. You sense that there is enough material here for a full-length musical, and inevitably some difficult choices have been made about what to include and what to leave behind. Even so, the production remains remarkably focused and emotionally satisfying.

I strongly encourage audiences to book tickets early. After more than twenty years of attending Fringe festivals, I can honestly say this is one of the standout productions I have encountered. With its combination of fearless storytelling, outstanding songwriting, and a magnetic central performance, SINNER feels destined for a long life beyond Toronto. It is easy to see why Torgerson is taking the show to the Edinburgh Fringe this August. This is a production with the potential to travel a very long way.

This show is highly recommended, and I urge you to grab tickets while you can.

Brian Morton The Hammer Monthly