Events: July 2009 Archives

Urban Planner is Torontoist's daily guide to what's on in Toronto, published every morning. If you have an event you'd like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you've got any—to events@torontoist.com.

One of the best things about this year's Fringe is that it’s the first to be fully Twitter-enabled. Using the #FringeTO tag, anyone can easily get announcements from the official Fringe office (@Toronto_Fringe) as well as real-time reviews from audience members and press alike. What’s also super fun is peeking into the tweets of performers as they prepared for and live through Fringe week. They're tweeting about everything from pre-performance jitters to post-show euphoria. Here are a few of our favourites.

DANCE: This summer Dusk Dances launches a GTA initiative to introduce its site-specific dancing-in-the-park festival to a wider audience. Earlscourt Park denizens get the initial treatment to five days of dusk dancing under the guidance of host Lisa Anne Ross, who will tour the audience through five different dance pieces by five different dance teams in different areas of the park. Percussionists Samba Squad contribute pertinent beats. Earlscourt Park (1200 Lansdowne Avenue), 7 p.m., pay-what-you-can.

It's official: Fringe has taken over the city. And while we aren't sure about numbers yet, attendance this year has seemed especially high. In past years, getting tickets during the opening weekend of the fest has been a cinch; this year, we noticed a ton of shows that were opening-night sellouts, and many have continued to pack houses, even in tough time slots such as weekday afternoons and Sunday nights. Once again, Drama Club forsakes its usual format to bring you a special Fringe edition to tell you what's been going on in the Fringe venues (and at the beer tent).

Urban Planner is Torontoist's daily guide to what's on in Toronto, published every morning. If you have an event you'd like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you've got any—to events@torontoist.com.

PERFORMANCE: Miranda Mulholland and The Roaring Girl Cabaret kick off their month-long residency at The Cameron House tonight, showcasing a mix of classical musicianship and contemporary jazz, with some folk and opera to round out the sound. Mulholland is a virtuoso fiddler and has worked and performed with the likes of Jim Cuddy and Sarah Slean and appeared in the acclaimed show Bowfire. The Cameron House (408 Queen Street West), every Tuesday night in July, 6–9 p.m., pay-what-you-can.

Due to the climate-controlled museum that shares a wall with St. Vladimir's Theatre, the event space was as chilly as sea air or the review Bert and I received from Eye Weekly on Friday. This must account for the low attendance on Saturday night because the performance surely does not. John E. Nelles, accomplished performer and Hollywood drama coach to the stars (Sam Neill, William Hurt, Jude Law, etc.), can act circles around anyone at Fringe, and he poured his heart and soul into the script, which he adapted from 50s-era humouristic stories centred around the Maine lobster fishery.

FILM: Given that the world's stash of oil is finite (and some say nearing depletion), and that mining oil is proven to be hazardous to the environment, the production of oil in Alberta is a hot-button issue among activists and economists alike. Tonight, Olivia Chow will be hosting a screening of the 2009 documentary, H2Oil, followed by a discussion with H2Oil Director Shannon Walsh, Indigenous Environmental Network activist Clayton Thomas-Muller, and HERO Project advocate David Booz. They will be discussing the environmental impact of oil sands development in Alberta, among other issues surrounding oil production in Canada. Bloor Cinema (506 Bloor Street West), 7 p.m., FREE (reserve tickets by emailing Chowo1c@parl.gc.ca or by calling 416-533-2710).

Shadows in Bloom is one of the best, and certainly one of the bravest, shows you will have the chance to see at this year's Fringe. A woman alone on stage, in street clothes, without scenery or significant staging, with just a single prop—this is the kind of performance where there is literally no place to hide. Fortunately, Gemma Wilcox doesn't need it.

DANCE: Burlesque troupe The Harlettes Burlesque Entertainment take it all off for Canada with their fifth annual Tribute to Canada show. Taking their cues from the national colours—fiery red passion and pure white innocence—the Harlettes embrace the symbols of their beloved country in each dance routine about hockey, Trudeau, lumberjacks, and more. Revival Bar (783 College Street), 8 p.m., $15.

Urban Planner is Torontoist's daily guide to what's on in Toronto, published every morning. If you have an event you'd like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you've got any—to events@torontoist.com.

Urban Planner is Torontoist's daily guide to what's on in Toronto, published every morning. If you have an event you'd like considered, email all of its details—as well as images, if you've got any—to events@torontoist.com.

              

For the second time in a few days, Dundas Square was again home for fans and mourners of Michael Jackson. Unlike the impromptu dance party that landed at the intersection of Dundas and Yonge on Friday, last night's event—a tribute to Jackson and his music that was also billed as a Canada Day celebration, hastily organized by The Manifesto Festival—was prepared a bit more in advance and lasted three hours, concluding just before 11 p.m. with a moment of silence for Jackson.

To celebrate its fifteenth anniversary, and Toronto’s 175th birthday, Heritage Toronto is offering ten new tours as part of its free historic walking tours program. Although the walks have been ongoing since April, there are still several new tours to look forward to during the summer schedule, including Union Station and the Railway Lands, Fringe Festival Sites, and Mackenzie’s 1834 Toronto (a tour of the city as it was 175 years ago, during William Lyon Mackenzie's term as mayor). "We’re trying to increase the number of walks we do across the city," Peggy Mooney, Heritage Toronto’s executive director, told Torontoist. "We want to make people realize—from one part of the city to the other—that there’s a lot of interesting history there. Since amalgamation, we are responsible for promoting heritage across the entire city. It isn’t just about early nineteenth century buildings…we’re trying to make people think about the city they live in, not just about Victorian Toronto, but about more modern buildings, more modern heritage."

“Farce” is one of those love/hate words in the theatre. Done well, a farce can provide an evening of light-hearted entertainment and belly laughs, with the occasional touch of commentary on morality and human behaviour. Done poorly, the audience is subjected to tired jokes and situations that strain the limits of credulity. Because I Can falls in the middle, its energetic performances countered by a script that might have been stronger as a five-minute sketch than as an hour-long production.

MUSIC: The Toronto Music Garden presents free concerts every Thursday evening in celebration of its ten years of sweet musical environment. Tours of the garden, led by Toronto Botanical Garden volunteers, are scheduled at 5:30 p.m. before each Thursday music performance, starting tonight (until September 10—see the web site for the full summer programme). Korean drumming and dance ensemble Samulnori! are scheduled to play, but call 416-973-4000 to confirm in case of poor weather. Toronto Music Garden (475 Queens Quay West), 5:30 p.m. (tour), 7 p.m. (concert), FREE.

Don't try to fool us, Canada Day! While this Hump-Day Holiday means a day off work for some, it means the exact opposite for tons of theatre folks, since it also happens to be the opening of the twentieth annual Toronto Fringe Festival. Gadzoooks! Drama Club is abandoning its usual format today to bring you a special Fringe edition, with all the hot tips and cool buzz we can muster. Check back during the festival for Torontoist's coverage of the festival, running until July 12, where our team will be bringing you fresh reviews daily.