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Toronto Life - The Hype

A critical guide to Toronto’s cultural events, TIFF and high society. Plus, local celebrity news. Sign up for Preview newsletter for weekly updates

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May 17, 2012 | 7:46 am

Today in Toronto: Ron Sexsmith, Kim’s Convenience and more

Evgeny Kissin If anyone can breathe new life into Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, it’s the renowned Russian pianist with the Eraserhead hairdo. The program also features a less familiar work: the overture to Danish composer Carl Nielsen’s opera Maskarade. The TSO will take a run at Strauss’s tone poem Don Juan and the suite from his opera, Der Rosenkavalier. Find out more »

Home David Storey is a former professional rugby player who rocketed to notoriety as a playwright in the 1960s, despite having no theatrical experience. Though not as well known here as his compatriots Tom Stoppard and Harold Pinter, Storey shares their love of humour and surprise twists, as evidenced by this show about two aging gentlemen who aren’t quite what—and where—they seem to be. Previews from May 8. Find out more » Check out more events happening

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May 16, 2012 | 2:18 pm

The Pick: the Bolshoi’s Swan Lake, a breathtaking production of the quintessential classical ballet

Maria Alexandrova as Odette in Swan Lake (Image: Damir Yusupov)

Late last year, Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre reopened after a seven-year, $760-million renovation. There was a splashy gala, where statesmen, billionaires, grande dames and Mikhail Gorbachev all came to show their support. The company marked the occasion with the signature dance from its signature work: the elegant pas de deux from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, which had its world premiere at the Bolshoi 135 years ago. This is a ballet—and a company—that has withstood revolution, totalitarian Communism and censorship, and now the touring company has brought the hallmark show to Toronto for a week of performances.

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May 16, 2012 | 12:48 pm

The Long Weekender: Inside Out Film Festival, Design On Dundas and six other items on our to-do list

Harbourkids: The Toronto International Circus Festival (Image: Harbourfront Centre)

1. INSIDE OUT LGBT FILM AND VIDEO FESTIVAL
The annual Inside Out fest, which focuses on cinematic expressions of queer culture, is obviously all about the movies, but there are also talks and parties on the agenda. This weekend, catch Sagat, a documentary about the enigmatic adult film star François Sagat, and Bullhead, a gritty crime drama centering on the illegal hormone trade in cattle ranching. After digesting a bit of film, there are two after-parties: the special Inside Out edition of Sodom (Saturday) and the trans-focused Transplanetarium (Sunday). To May 27. $6–$13. Various locations, 416-599-8433, insideout.ca.

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May 15, 2012 | 7:30 am

Today in Toronto: Rent, Swan Lake and more

Miles Perkin Trio Canadian double bass player Perkin, who divides his time between Montreal and Berlin, is renowned for honouring both the improvisational qualities of jazz and a compositional approach. His sound could almost be called chamber jazz. He performs with the highly regarded British trumpeter Tom Arthurs and French pianist Benoît Delbecq, recently awarded the prestigious Grand Prix International du Disque. Find out more »

Rent Living the dream of undergraduate theatre geeks everywhere, students of Sheridan’s music theatre performance program have been invited to take their popular production of Jonathan Larson’s leather-and-lace riff on La Bohème to the Mirvish mainstage. Find out more »

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May 10, 2012 | 7:30 am

Today in Toronto: The Shipment

The Shipment Young Jean Lee, a 37-year-old Korean-American and rising star of New York’s theatre scene, has wasted no time since moving from academia to playwriting a decade ago. She takes aim at the self-satisfied notion of post–racial America with a story about being young, black and (arguably) gifted in the U.S.A. Find out more »

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May 9, 2012 | 1:55 pm

The Pick: Dan Dubowitz’s apocalyptically still images of Fordlandia

Vultures from Dan Dubowitz’s Fordlandia (Image: Courtesy Bau-Xi Photo)

In 1928, Henry Ford seemed to epitomize everything noble about America: he was enterprising, industrious and self-made (not to mention the richest man in the world). That year, Ford bought a sprawling 10,000-square-kilometre plot of land in the Amazon rainforest to use as a rubber plantation for his tires and car parts. Adjacent to the rubber trees, he built Fordlandia, an all-American apple pie town where his workers could live. It was a spectacular failure. In a haunting new exhibit as part of the Scotiabank Contact Photography Festival, Dan Dubowitz captures the eerie remnants of Henry Ford’s ghost town.

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May 9, 2012 | 1:45 pm

The Weekender: West Side Story, Chuck Hughes and six other items on our to-do list

Chuck Hughes, West Side Story and Jane Archibald as Semele

1. WEST SIDE STORY
Sharks versus Jets, “I Feel Pretty” and extended dance breaks are just a few of the elements that add up to West Side Story, the seminal 1957 Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim musical. A contemporary adaptation of Romeo and Juliet, it’s set in 1950s New York City and stars two gangs—the Puerto Rican Sharks and the white, working-class Jets—fighting for control of the neighborhood. Meanwhile, a forbidden romance springs up between Sharks-affiliated Maria and her Jets beau Tony. To June 3. $51–$180. Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge St., 416-644-3665, dancaptickets.com.

2. LEONARD COHEN STREET TRIBUTES (FREE!)
Part street concert, part performance art, this Leonard Cohen tribute takes place at locations throughout the city, including Nathan Phillips Square, the CBC building on Front and the corner of Bay and Bloor. The daylong salute to Cohen will feature 25 artists from several disciplines who will perform his songs and poetry. May 11 and 12.Various locations, glenngould.ca/street-tribute-leonard-cohen.

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May 8, 2012 | 7:30 am

Today in Toronto: Pongapalooza, West Side Story and more

Baobab This version of a West African legend uses masks and puppetry to tell the story of a boy born from a baobab tree. The poor kid must find a way to end the drought that has plagued a local village. Remembering to turn off the tap after brushing seems like a snap in comparison. Ages four to eight. Find out more »

How to Disappear Completely Vancouver lighting designer Itai Erdal has created a documentary–style show about the last nine months of his mother’s life, which he recorded through photography and film after moving back to Israel to be with her. Find out more »

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May 4, 2012 | 7:30 am

Today in Toronto: The Gismontis

The Gismontis Musical royalty in Brazil, the Gismonti family is known for their weaving together of jazz, classical and Brazilian popular music. Egberto and Alexandre on guitars and Bianca on piano welcome guest pianist Claudia Castelo Branco and flutist Jane Bunnett for a hot-blooded program that includes works by Egberto Gismonti and VillaLobos and a world premiere by Canadian composer Glenn Buhr. Find out more »

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May 3, 2012 | 7:30 am

Today in Toronto: Adi Nes, Bryan Adams and more

Adi Nes A group of soldiers recreating da Vinci’s Last Supper is this Israeli photographer’s most famous work, but he has courted controversy more than once, focusing on the fraught relationships between Israelis and Palestinians, referencing scenes from the Bible and adding a distinctly homoerotic flavour to his images. Find out more »

Bryan Adams CanRock stalwart Adams is now better known in fashion circles as a photographer, but fans of his power balladry needn’t despair: despite the artsy leanings, he’s still the denim-wearing, guitar-slinging guy who, in his quieter moments, wants to know if you’ve ever really, really ever loved a woman. Find out more »

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May 2, 2012 | 12:45 pm

The Pick: The Mechanical Bride, a new documentary about sex dolls (and the men who love them)

(Warning: the trailer contains mildly NSFW images of sex dolls without clothing and, at times, heads)

Last week, we recommended an opera in which a man falls in love with an automaton. This week, we’ve got the real thing. The Mechanical Bride, showing this Sunday at Hot Docs, delves deep into the bizarre world of sex dolls, fembots and the men who love them. The film is packed with grotesque imagery—Realdolls being groped at a sex show, disassembled body parts in a workshop—but it’s also surprisingly nuanced, venturing deep into the ethics and science of the subculture.

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May 2, 2012 | 11:26 am

The Weekender: Picasso, Bring It On and six other items on our to-do list

The Weekender: Bring It On, Picasso and Star Wars Day

1. PICASSO: MASTERPIECES FROM THE MUSÉE NATIONAL PICASSO, PARIS
Even if you know nothing about art, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with the great Pablo Picasso. The Spanish painter and sculptor was an artistic pioneer—he co-founded the Cubist movement and collage, and revolutionized several other styles. He was hugely prolific, and the creator of some of the most expensive and most oft-stolen pieces of art. This AGO exhibit, comprised of 150 works from the Musée National Picasso in Paris, covers all of the painter’s major periods and includes works like The Death of Casagemas, Les Demoiselles d’Avignon and the famous The Matador, a self-portrait completed three years before Picasso died. This summer-long stop at the AGO is the final stop of its tour, and the only Canadian one. To August 26. $19.50. Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W., 416-979-6648, ago.net.

2. STARS ON ICE 2012
Spandex and sequins and Salchows, oh my. Four-time world champion Kurt Browning makes the jump from performer to co-director and choreographer with this edition of the annual figure skating extravaganza. He shares the ice with Olympians Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir, Joannie Rochette and Jeffrey Buttle. May 4. $25–$150. Air Canada Centre, 40 Bay St., 1-855-985-5000, ticketmaster.ca.

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May 1, 2012 | 7:30 am

Today in Toronto: Fordlandia and Picasso

Fordlandia: The Lost City of Henry Ford Photographer Dan Dubowitz is drawn to man-made environments in advanced states of disrepair, and the subject of this show more than qualifies. During the Depression, Henry Ford spent a billion dollars to build a city in the Amazon. It’s now largely abandoned, creating endless opportunities for Dubowitz’s decay-loving lens. Artwork $3,900–$8,500. Find out more »

Picasso Along with being the most famous painter of the 20th century, Picasso was a massive narcissist, as evidenced by the thousands of works he kept for himself, which are now in the Musée National Picasso in Paris. Toronto is the only Canadian stop for the touring version of the collection. Find out more »

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April 27, 2012 | 7:30 am

Today in Toronto: In the Miller Mood, Rez Abbasi Quintet and The Original Carmina Burana

In the Miller Mood The Toronto All-Star Big Band is committed to reviving the style and sound of the 1930s and ’40s, an era when big bands reigned. This show channels Glenn Miller, whose hits— standards such as “In the Mood,” “Moonlight Serenade” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo”—have become shorthand for swing. Find out more »

Rez Abbasi Quintet Pakistan-born composer and jazz guitarist Abbasi is all about dismantling walls—in his case, the ones that separate jazz from traditional South Asian music. It sounds a little earnest, but Abbasi has a light, self-aware touch: his first two recordings in this novel genre were called Snake Charmer and Bazaar. Find out more »

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April 26, 2012 | 7:30 am

Today in Toronto: Hot Docs, You Can’t Take It With You and more

A Florentine Tragedy and Gianni Schicchi A death-in-opera double bill. Composer Alexander Zemlinsky based his one-act tragedy on a play by Oscar Wilde that explores the restorative impact a murder might have on a failing marriage. Schicchi, Puccini’s sole, memorably tuneful attempt at operatic comedy, revolves around changing a dead man’s will. Find out more »

Hot Docs Oddsmakers, take note. Last year, North America’s biggest documentary fest screened two docs that went on to nab Oscars nominations, as well as all the films on the Genie Awards short list for the genre. This year’s edition, its 19th, will also be occasion for the unveiling of the recently revamped Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, which will screen non-fiction all year round. Find out more »

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