Happy Medium

After missing the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year, I was thrilled to learn Happy Medium was coming to Toronto for a one-night show. Kayla Subica's show will take you back to New York City in the 1970s, into the home of a telephone psychic with dreams of being a famous singer. During the show, a trauma-filled past of this psychic will be revealed, tarot readings sung to answer audience queries, all while sing-along arias fill the theatre from stage to the back row.

One of Kayla's strengths is her ability to make a song out of seemingly anything. The psychic on stage could easily be mistaken for a jazz singer in a speakeasy lounge, and from her first note the entire audience was rooting for Joan, the psychic, to succeed. Also demonstrated on stage is Subica's knack for improv comedy. Whenever the audience would suggest something, either at the psychic's request or in the form of a heckle. Kayla effortlesly incorporated that into her scene without breaking character. I believe there is much of Kayla in Joan, making her spotlight solos even more special.

Happy Medium won't dissapoint anyone who enjoys a show with a lot of audience interraction. Volunteers can stand in the aisle to "phone" in their life question to the stage, receiving a tarot card reply sung in a catchy melody. Other moments of interraction occur when everyone can sing lines to one of the psychic songs. The musical aspects of this show are not only wonderful to listen to, they are fun to participate in. Positive energy flows throughout the theatre as a result.

Like many tarot readings I've had, the number five is very much in my brain after seeing

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Rating: ★★★★★

Runtime: 60 minutes

Venue: Comedy Bar Bloor

Date: November 9, 2024