From its opening moments, the world premiere of Born to be Bad: The Villains of Broadway establishes a confident and playful tone anchored by soloist Tahirih Vejdani with attentive musical support from accompanist and Music Director Douglas Price.
Vejdani works the opening-night audience with ease and aplomb, using charm, timing, and wit to frame the material. Her stage presence evokes echoes of Chita Rivera’s Aurora from Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bebe Neuwirth’s Velma Kelly from Chicago, and Morticia Addams from The Addams Family, while remaining distinctly her own. Moving across the stage with controlled confidence, she brings a clear interpretive point of view to songs associated with Broadway’s villains (and others).
Stylist Aubree Erickson gives Vejdani a visual identity that nods to classic Hollywood glamour, particularly the controlled playfulness associated with Marilyn Monroe. Vejdani wears a green corset, black skirt, and high heels that support the show’s blend of rich elegance and kittenish mischief without overwhelming the performance. Vejdani’s audience interaction with one audience member adds an improvisational element, reinforcing the cabaret atmosphere while maintaining a polished tone.
The production’s highly posh visual environment reinforces that sense of stylized theatricality. In the upstairs Sculthorpe Theatre at Port Hope’s Capitol, Creative Consultant Sarah O’Brecht’s placement of a throne chair at centre stage gives the performance a suitably regal focal point. Matthew Skopyk’s warm lighting choices accentuate the purple and gold tones of the setting, strengthening the show’s visual connection to power, excess, and theatrical villainy.
Vocally, Vejdani demonstrates range and control, beginning with a number from the now-closed Broadway production of Death Becomes Her. Brady Van Druenen’s sound design allows the vocals and accompaniment to register clearly throughout the room. Among the more effective selections are “Poor Unfortunate Souls” from The Little Mermaid, “Little Girls” from Annie, and “You’ll Be a Dentist” from Little Shop of Horrors. The Act 2 closing number title is best left undisclosed, but it provides a fitting conclusion and lands strongly in the Sculthorpe space.
Born to Be Bad: The Villains of Broadway is built around the premise that “a hero is only as good as their villain.” The show uses that idea as a flexible framework rather than a strict narrative device.
The result is a showcase that depends less on plot than on personality, vocal interpretation, and theatrical style.
On those terms, Vejdani proves to be a persuasive guide through Broadway’s darker character repertoire.
Born to Be Bad: The Villains of Broadway offers an entertaining and well-shaped cabaret-style evening, led by a performer with the presence and vocal assurance to sustain its concept.
Running time: approximately 100 minutes with one intermission.
Born to Be Bad: The Villains of Broadway runs to July 5 in the Sculthorpe Theatre upstairs at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen Street. For tickets: https://capitoltheatre.com/events/born-to-be-bad-the-villains-of-broadway-2026-07-03-730-pm/seats/ or call (905) 885-1071.
BORN TO BE BAD: THE VILLAINS OF BROADWAY
(The World Premiere)
Created and Performed by Tahirih Vejdani
Music Director/Accompanist: Douglas Price
Creative Consultant: Sarah O’Brecht
Sound and Lighting Designer: Matthew Skopyk
Stylist: Aubree Erickson
Venue Technician/Head of Sound: Brady Van Bruenen
