Sky Gilbert’s “The Little Show” – one act, two scenes, two songs, and three monologues – until Oct 31, 2021

The Little Show by playwright Sky Gilbert, starring Keith Cole, Veronika Hurnik and Shaun McComb will have its World Premiere at Chez BonBon, at 234 Queen Street East (near Sherbourne), in Toronto, Ontario, from October 21 to October 31, 2021.

The Little Show is a new theatrical revue written by Sky Gilbert with music by Stewart Borden. Gilbert’s production is inspired by the original The Little Show, a musical revue with lyrics by Howard Dietz and music by Arthur Schwartz which ran at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway from 1929 to 1930. The show’s original producer described the original The Little Show as “really nothing more than a high-class vaudeville show but far more artistic than the Sunday night variety programs being offered at the Winter Garden.”

Broadway’s The Little Show starred Clifton Webb, Libby Holman and Fred Allen, and introduced the famed torch song Moanin’ Low. Inspired by the notion of an artistic and classy musical revue, writer and director Gilbert’s The Little Show is indeed little. Only one act consisting of two scenes, two songs and three monologues. The Little Show chronicles pandemic life, visiting where we are now, for good or ill; obsessed with social media, infection, and smack in the middle of a much ignored opioid epidemic, but because it’s a musical revue, it’s also kind of fun.

All performances of The Little Show are presented by Little-On-The-Run Productions and will take place at Chez BonBon, at 234 Queen Street East (near Sherbourne), in Toronto, Ontario. Tickets are $25 (plus processing fees) and can be purchased online via Brown Paper Tickets.

Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 8:00pm (Opening)

Sunday, October 24, 2021 at 2:30pm

Sunday, October 24, 2021 at 8:00pm (Book Launch)

Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 8:00pm

Sunday, October 31, 2021 at 2:30pm (Closing)

Facebook Event

Before the Sunday, October 24, 2021 evening performance of The Little Show, there will also be the official Book Launch of Sky Gilbert’s new novel I Gloria Grahame at 4:30pm. Published under the imprint Rare Machines by Dundurn Books. Books will be available to purchase at the venue.

I, Gloria Grahame is a scandalous, humorous novel of taboo desires and repression. Denton Moulton, a shy, effeminate male professor, lives inside his head, where he is really a long-dead movie star: the glamorous Gloria Grahame, from the golden age of Hollywood. Professor Moulton is desperate to reveal Gloria’s shocking secret before he dies. Does he have the right to tell this woman’s story? Who, in fact, has the right to tell anyone’s story at all?

Chez BonBon is a unique space in downtown Toronto available for all kinds of creative projects including performance rehearsals, fundraisers, art shows, burlesque shows, music performances, book readings, bachelorette parties, weddings, special events, classes, photography sessions, televison and film shoots. The studio is approximately 1000 square feet with a basement area for set up and storage as well as a back garden area (about 900 square feet). Chez BonBon has been used in the hit television series Kim’s Convenience and The Umbrella Academy.

Seating is limited and socially distanced. Audience members must wear face masks and present proof of vaccination as per Ontario COVID-19 protocols.

CREATIVE TEAM BIOS:

KEITH COLE (CAST): …just ask around.

SKY GILBERT (WRITER/DIRECTOR): Sky Gilbert is a poet, novelist, playwright, filmmaker, theatre director and drag queen extraordinaire.  He was Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Toronto’s Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, one of the world’s largest LGBTQ theatres, from 1979 to 1997. He has had more than forty plays produced and has written seven critically acclaimed novels and three award winning poetry collections. He has received three Dora Mavor Moore Awards as well as the Pauline McGibbon Award and The Silver Ticket Award. There is a street in Toronto named after him – Sky Gilbert Lane. His play about the criminalisation of AIDS, It’s All Tru, was published by Playwrights Canada Press in 2019. His accessible, yet well documented analysis of the appeal of Shakespeare, Shakespeare: Beyond Science: When Poetry Was the World, was released by Guernica Editions in September 2020. In October 2021 Dundurn Press will publish his eigth novel – I, Gloria Grahame. He is presently working on his second book about Shakespeare – Shakespeare Lied. Dr. Gilbert is a Professor of theatre at the University of Guelph.

VERONIKA HURNIK (CAST): Veronika Hurnik is delighted and blessed to be working again with Sky Gilbert and this wonderful crew. Hurnik was previously seen in Sky Gilbert’s Independence, The Emotionalists and The Secret Life of Haddon Mackenzie.  Other plays include The Bird, Snowman, Camera Woman, This Hotel and Paula and Karl. Film and television credits include The Recruit, The Uncles, Eleventh Hour, Bliss, The Associates and Foreign Objects.

TYLER KRUSPE (STAGE MANAGER): Tyler Kruspe is a Toronto based producer, stage manager and designer. His most recent work has been for Luminato 2021 and Gilbert’s recent breathtaking adaptation of Titus Andronicus – Titus at a Distance. He is the recipient of the 2018 Goethe Institute Toronto Prize and an international gold medalist in Rowing. Other projects include, Cherri (Al Green Theatre), Shakespeare’s Criminal (Factory Theatre) and A Nice Day in the Park (Chez Bon Bon).

SHAUN MCCOMB (CAST): Shaun McComb is primarily an acting coach and instructor. His home base is the Dirt Underneath Actors’ Space in Toronto where he teaches on-camera scene study classes and coaches a roster of private clients. At the University of Guelph, Shaun teaches an intro to acting course that fuelled much of his Master of Arts thesis research. This is McComb’s second play with Gilbert, the first was Bungalow, produced for the 2019 Hamilton Fringe. McComb played the lovable dirtbag, Lloyd, opposite the wildly fun Tim Walker.

STEWART BORDEN (COMPOSER): Stewart Borden creates music and soundscapes for theatre (Toronto, NYC), film and various web series. He has recently arranged and played on several tracks for MANifesto’s current album, Pinky Swear. He is the bassist for Men In Suits, who The Globe & Mail called “Bay Street’s hardest working band.” His piano CD Fermata features Chopin and Beethoven melodic highlights. Borden is also a graduate of the International Culinary Centre in New York City and the author of Kitchen Tidbits.