Theatre
Oh What a Lovely War a delightful and touching satire
Oh What a Lovely War, given the Soulpepper Theatre treatment, is a delightful, touching production.It's a bold anti-war musical by Joan Littlewood, Theatre Workshop and Charles Chilton, and directed by Albert Schultz. It's rife with catchy songs that satirize the military's role in what amounted to 10 million lives lost during World War I. The story is chiefly about Britain's role in the war, but there are enough subtle hints of Canada's involvement scattered throughout this show to make it particularly relevant to audiences here.
This production of Oh What a Lovely War opened on Thursday night at Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District. It features an outstanding cast of actors and musicians -- almost always both simultaneously -- as in last autumn's awesome e.e. cummings in song from the CanWest Cabaret Festival, which really ought to get a reprise of its own.
Music
Canadian Music Fest: The Indie Awards
At Canadian Music Fest's Indie Awards, Marianas Trench was among the big winners this year.Marianas Trench, whose singer Josh Ramsay is pictured below, picked up the award for Astral Media Radio Favourite Single and Favourite Video of the Year for Cross My Heart.
City
Massive slumber party brings nostalgic fun to Blansdowne warehouse
Newmindspace threw an elaborate slumber party in forts made of blankets at a 2,000 square-foot private loft Saturday night.Newmindspace are known for their jovial, creative and free events they hold in Toronto. Things like the giant, urban Capture the Flag, Bubble Battles, Light Saber Battles and Pillow Fights. The blanket fort slumber party was a fundraiser ($15 entry fee) that will support the creation of their free events planned for this summer that reflect the Toronto urban playground movement.
I ventured out to a remote warehouse space near Bloor and Lansdowne to take a peek at the playful shenanigans that ensued...
Theatre
The Overwhelming effect of live theatre
The Overwhelming is the type of story that is meant to be told through live theatre.Exploring the complex topic of genocide in Rwanda, this show uses the stage to tell the stories of our recent history. Taking place in Kigali, Rwanda in early 1994, the story isn't an easy one, but an important one.
The Overwhelming is a Studio 180 Theatre production of a relatively new play by J. T. Rogers, which just opened Thursday night at the Berkeley Street Theatre.
Music
Canadian Music Fest opening night party with Platinum Blonde
Canadian Music Fest launched on Wednesday night with the opening night party at The Mod Club, featuring a special reunion performance by '80's new wave rockers Platinum Blonde.Far more than a night of nostalgia, there were three other formidable performances on the bill, including Australian singer Kate Miller-Heidke, Montreal's The Mission District and Toronto's own Sadie May Crash.
But as the night went on it became more apparent by the crowd's reaction that most of them were there to see Platinum Blonde rock The Mod Club, which is incidentally run by singer Mark Holmes since its inception in 2002. And rock it they did.
Arts
I Slept With Adam Giambrone
I slept with Adam Giambrone.Well, I didn't really sleep with Adam Giambrone. But what if I did? That's the question on a lot of people's minds these days, after seeing buttons with this message worn on lapels of people around Toronto.
Since it was revealed that Giambrone had relationships with multiple partners, wearing this button might level the playing field, as it were. The buttons are the brainchild of Sonya Popovich, a production coordinator for a graphic design studio in Toronto.
"I had an outside designer do it, whom I paid for the design," says Popovich. "She gave me five options and I chose one. I had 500 made. They cost me $230 to produce. But I'm giving them away for free."
