Mathew's Big Broadway Bash

I went to see Mathew’s Big Broadway Bash at The Heliconian Club, part of the Toronto Fringe Festival. It’s produced by Toronto Cabaret Productions and stars the barefooted crooner himself, Mathew Mac Lean.

First, let’s talk about the venue — the Heliconian Club is adorable. Unconventional, yes, but it created the perfect ambiance. It felt like we were attending Show Tunes Church. (How would I know, some of you may ask? Fun fact: I sang alto in a church choir for a year and will always fondly remember my one and only year sitting in a pew every Sunday.) That joyful, communal feeling was “yes, and”-ed by the handing out of lyric sheets for sing-alongs. We all sang to Do-Re-Mi from The Sound of Music, Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid, You're the One That I Want from Grease, and Dancing Queen from Mamma Mia. Pure joy.

Mac Lean’s personality is incredibly endearing, his voice pleasant and on pitch, and his presence makes you feel like you’re catching up with an old friend. He explained that the cabaret format means no fourth wall — so he’d be chatting with us the whole time, and he did, with warmth and humour.

The set list was a mix of Broadway classics and playful surprises: Magic to Do from Pippin, Tomorrow from Annie, a mad-libbed version of Memory from Cats (audience provided), and a hilarious song called What Do You Do With Your Arms? A special guest, Hannah (apologies — I didn’t catch her full name and couldn’t find it after; I think she’s a sound designer too?), delivered a lovely and entertaining rendition of Life of the Party.

A highlight for me? Hearing Ring Them Bells again — that long, chaotic, delightful Liza Minnelli song I’d completely forgotten about. Thank you, Mathew. This is exactly why I came — to rediscover the musical theatre gems I all but banished from my life (long story, more on that another time).

He also performed What a Feeling from Flashdance while Jada Prato danced a lovely solo. And he closed with Goodbye from Catch Me If You Can, which I adore.

With sing-alongs, a guest performance, and even a dance number, the show was adorable and scrumptious. Fun for the whole family. And the bonus of having a dedicated venue? A consistent 7:00 PM curtain time mostly every night. There are still 5 more shows before its done. Happy Fringe.

Get your tickets here:

9th July 7:00pm Tickets

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12th July 7:00pm Tickets