Torontoist » events

Weekend Planner: May 18-19, 2013

Torontoist — Fri, 17 May 2013 23:00:38 +0000

In this Weekend Planner: a festival of bikes, a Bugs Bunny symphony, and an Expormidable Moose.

Jessica Salgueiro, Ben Irvine, David Christo, and Sochi Fried caught in each other’s mind games in The Charge of the Expormidable Moose. Photo by Yuri Dojc.

Wheels: Attention cyclists! The 4th MEC Bikefest is here to offer you a full day to satisfy your inner cycling needs. There’ll be plenty of things here to keep you occupied, like group rides throughout the city, tune-up tents (these are the best), workshops, exhibitor booths, and more. Online registration starts on May 4th. Trinity Bellwoods Park (155 Crawford Street), Saturday at 11 a.m., FREE. Details
Music: You don’t see too much of the Looney Tunes gang these days, so here’s a chance to take a trip down memory lane. Bugs Bunny at the Symphony projects classic cartoons onto a huge screen while the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony plays the original Carl Stalling score live. This one-night-only show follows the performances done here back in 2011. Sony Centre For The Performing Arts (1 Front Street East), Saturday at 7 p.m., $39 – $69. Details

Ongoing…

History: Looking to brush up your cultural and history knowledge on all things Toronto? Heritage Toronto 2013 Tours offers you an enormous chance to learn tons and tons about the city you love via walking tours, bike tours, and more. Some of the events on the agenda of this weekly series include tours of Fort York, Korea Town, Don Valley, and Black Creek. It’s running all summer long so don’t miss out! Multiple venues, Saturday at 12 a.m. and Sunday at 12 a.m., FREE. Details
Photography: David Kaufman’s Early Sunday Morning photography exhibit simultaneously celebrates the heritage of Toronto’s architecture, while pleading for its preservation, in the face of gentrification and condo development. The building facades and structures, rich in texture and colour, are each captured at their most beautiful—basking in the light of early morning. Twist Gallery (1100 Queen Street West), Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m., FREE. Details
Music: The Lula Music and Arts Centre’s annual Lulaworld festival kicks off on May 10 with Ethiopian jazz innovators Jay Danley and Fantahun Shewankochew. The festival travels around the world for the month of May, with performances most nights (and some afternoons) from local world music purveyors Uma Nota, Cuban player Bobby Carcasses, the Ukrainian Telnyuk Sisters, and more. (For a full schedule, prices, and reservations, visit the Lula Lounge website.) Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas Street West), Saturday at 12 p.m. and Sunday at 12 p.m., FREE–$25. Details
Theatre: If you’ve been paying attention to musical theatre news over the past two years, you know that The Book of Mormon has a passionate and devout following of fans who swear it’s the long-awaited saviour of the artform. The show won nine Tonys in 2011, the cast recording reached number three on the Billboard chart, and tickets for its Broadway run are rare and expensive. Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West), Saturday at 2 p.m.,8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., Prices vary. Details
Theatre: It becomes clear rather quickly in the first scene of BEA, Actors Repertory Company’s North American premiere of British playwright Mick Gordon’s 2010 work, that the title character doesn’t live on quite the same level as the nervous young man she’s interviewing for a job. As Beatrice, a young but physically infirm woman, Bahareh Yaraghi begins by bounding around a bedroom set, swinging acrobatically from the four-poster bed frame and a somewhat mysterious ladder, and dancing circles around Brendan McMurtry-Howlett’s Ray, who is applying to be her caregiver. We soon learn all this physical exuberance is an outward manifestation of Bea’s busy mind, which has been confined in the bedroom, and in a bedridden body, for years. Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), Saturday at 2 p.m.,8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., PWYC–$25. Details
Theatre: David Yee examines life’s interconnectivity in Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave. The play follows an escort in Thailand, a housewife in Utah, and a Catholic priest in India, and how their lives are simultaneously brought together and torn apart by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), Saturday at 2:30 p.m.,8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., $21-$53. Details
Theatre: Ben and Gus are on a job, holed up in a basement, wondering who is in charge, and waiting for “the call” in Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter. Presented by Wordsmyth Theatre, the play ranges from tense and claustrophobic to ridiculous and surreal, while posing the question: how do you escape from a situation when there is no exit? Odyssey Studio (636 Pape Avenue), Saturday at 4 p.m.,8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m., $15-$25. Details
Theatre: Fans of the seminal 1968 horror-film classic, Night of the Living Dead, will delight in Night of the Living Dead Live, a new theatrical production of the story. Despite a weak second act, it’s a fun black-and-white romp with some inventive deaths—and even a chipper musical number. Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson Avenue), Saturday at 7 p.m.,11 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., $20–$80. Details
Comedy: Classic comedy series Theatresports is back for another season of improv hilarity. Now in its 30th year, this comedy tournament continues the tradition of allowing the audience members to choose the content of the scene and letting them judge the results; finals will be held at the end of May. Among the planned guests are comedic greats including Lisa Merchant and Craig Anderson (Canadian Comedy Award winners), Kerry Griffin (Second City alum), and many more. Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street West), Saturday at 8 p.m., $12. Details
Theatre: Delve into the world of dating, love, and marriage—sans commitment—with Angelwalk Theatre’s presentation of the off-Broadway musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Offered as a series of vignettes set to music, the show focuses on the disastrous, hilarious, and touching aspects of love and dating. Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge Street), Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., $25-$45. Details
Theatre: The 2012-2013 Buddies in Bad Times season goes out with a bang, and a growl, with the world premiere of Ecce Homo Theatre’s Of a Monstrous Child: a Gaga Musical. Bruce Dow plays legendary performer and master of ceremonies Leigh Bowery, with Kimberly Persona as Mother Monster herself. Using the music of Lady Gaga as a backdrop, the show is a crash course in the history of queer performance, celebrating everyone from Yoko Ono to Madonna, and Boy George. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street), Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., PWYC-$37. Details
Theatre: Videofag, a performance venue in Kensington Market, has played host to a variety of events since it opened last November. It has transformed itself into a cinema, an art gallery, a nightclub, or whatever else has been needed. But its transformation for The Biographer, a new play from Daniel Karasik, is something else entirely. Videofag (187 Augusta Avenue), Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., $15-$23. Details
Theatre: The experience of watching The Charge of the Expormidable Moose is a lot like the experience of reading the play’s title. At first, it’s a little strange, a little off-putting, and very ambiguous. But eventually, its oddness becomes its appeal. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., $13-$28. Details

Happening soon:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday

Urban Planner is Torontoist‘s guide to what’s on in Toronto, published every weekday morning, and in a weekend edition Friday afternoons. If you have an event you’d like considered, email us with all the details (including images, if you’ve got any), ideally at least a week in advance.

Urban Planner: May 17, 2013

Torontoist — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:00:23 +0000

In today's Urban Planner: a sound-art symposium, a comedy fundraiser, and a TV-themed party.

Ryan G. Hinds, host of Comedy, Cabaret, and Coffee Talk. Photo by Tristan Harris.

Offbeat: New Adventures in Sound Art is co-presenting the Trans X Transmission Art Symposium, a four-day meeting of artists who use sound as their medium. You may not be so intrigued as to join for the full four days, but for the layperson, there are also public exhibits launching at Theatre Direct at the same time, as part of the Deep Wireless Festival. Eleanor King’s Barns opens Friday, as do weekend installations of works by Csenge Kolozsvari, Alyssa Moxley, Robert Mackay, and more; admission for these installations only is set at $15 ($10 for students.) Artscape Wychwood Barns (601 Christie Street), 9 a.m., $10–$15/$40–$70. Details
Comedy: Comedians Dylan Gott and Bryn Pottie are teaming up with filmmaker Dustin MacLean to make a comedic web series about conspiracies entitled Truth X-Posed. But to fund their weird “research,” they’re going out on some weird limbs. At their comedy show fundraiser, the two have committed to all manner of embarrassing tasks, including the cinnamon challenge, a make-out session, and if they hit their target of $1000, getting “tramp stamp” tattoos. (Some of Gott’s friends have already declared they’ll pay big money to ensure this happens.) Also performing and making fun of the two: Todd Graham, Freddie Rivas, Brian Ward, and more. Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street West), 8 p.m., PWYC fundraiser. Details
Comedy: Cabaret performance artist Ryan G Hinds hosts Comedy, Cabaret, and Coffee Talk monthly at the Flying Beaver Pubaret. This month, Hinds welcomes musically talented guests Bobby Hsu, Kiki Moritsugu, and El Toro. The Flying Beaver Pubaret (488 Parliament Street), 9 p.m., $10 in advance / $15 at the door. Details
Performing Arts: Trading on some nostalgia for “the golden age of television,” TV PARTY has paired musicians like Rae Spoon, Laura Barrett, and Vanessa Fischer (of Lioness) with filmmakers, and the collaborative works will be presented live in front of (and “on”) a 30-foot mock-up of a wooden CRT television, recalling the Saturday morning cartoons, early ’80s MTV heyday, and groundbreaking programming on cable before the rise of the world wide web. SPK Beverley Halls (206 Beverley Street), 9:30 p.m., $12 in advance, $15 at the door. Details

Ongoing…

Photography: David Kaufman’s Early Sunday Morning photography exhibit simultaneously celebrates the heritage of Toronto’s architecture, while pleading for its preservation, in the face of gentrification and condo development. The building facades and structures, rich in texture and colour, are each captured at their most beautiful—basking in the light of early morning. Twist Gallery (1100 Queen Street West), 11 a.m., FREE. Details
Music: The Lula Music and Arts Centre’s annual Lulaworld festival kicks off on May 10 with Ethiopian jazz innovators Jay Danley and Fantahun Shewankochew. The festival travels around the world for the month of May, with performances most nights (and some afternoons) from local world music purveyors Uma Nota, Cuban player Bobby Carcasses, the Ukrainian Telnyuk Sisters, and more. (For a full schedule, prices, and reservations, visit the Lula Lounge website.) Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas Street West), 12 p.m., FREE–$25. Details
Theatre: Fans of the seminal 1968 horror-film classic, Night of the Living Dead, will delight in Night of the Living Dead Live, a new theatrical production of the story. Despite a weak second act, it’s a fun black-and-white romp with some inventive deaths—and even a chipper musical number. Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson Avenue), 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., $20–$80. Details
Theatre: David Yee examines life’s interconnectivity in Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave. The play follows an escort in Thailand, a housewife in Utah, and a Catholic priest in India, and how their lives are simultaneously brought together and torn apart by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $21-$53. Details
Theatre: Delve into the world of dating, love, and marriage—sans commitment—with Angelwalk Theatre’s presentation of the off-Broadway musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Offered as a series of vignettes set to music, the show focuses on the disastrous, hilarious, and touching aspects of love and dating. Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge Street), 8 p.m., $25-$45. Details
Theatre: The 2012-2013 Buddies in Bad Times season goes out with a bang, and a growl, with the world premiere of Ecce Homo Theatre’s Of a Monstrous Child: a Gaga Musical. Bruce Dow plays legendary performer and master of ceremonies Leigh Bowery, with Kimberly Persona as Mother Monster herself. Using the music of Lady Gaga as a backdrop, the show is a crash course in the history of queer performance, celebrating everyone from Yoko Ono to Madonna, and Boy George. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street), 8 p.m., PWYC-$37. Details
Theatre: If you’ve been paying attention to musical theatre news over the past two years, you know that The Book of Mormon has a passionate and devout following of fans who swear it’s the long-awaited saviour of the artform. The show won nine Tonys in 2011, the cast recording reached number three on the Billboard chart, and tickets for its Broadway run are rare and expensive. Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West), 8 p.m., Prices vary. Details
Theatre: Videofag, a performance venue in Kensington Market, has played host to a variety of events since it opened last November. It has transformed itself into a cinema, an art gallery, a nightclub, or whatever else has been needed. But its transformation for The Biographer, a new play from Daniel Karasik, is something else entirely. Videofag (187 Augusta Avenue), 8 p.m., $15-$23. Details
Theatre: The experience of watching The Charge of the Expormidable Moose is a lot like the experience of reading the play’s title. At first, it’s a little strange, a little off-putting, and very ambiguous. But eventually, its oddness becomes its appeal. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $13-$28. Details
Theatre: It becomes clear rather quickly in the first scene of BEA, Actors Repertory Company’s North American premiere of British playwright Mick Gordon’s 2010 work, that the title character doesn’t live on quite the same level as the nervous young man she’s interviewing for a job. As Beatrice, a young but physically infirm woman, Bahareh Yaraghi begins by bounding around a bedroom set, swinging acrobatically from the four-poster bed frame and a somewhat mysterious ladder, and dancing circles around Brendan McMurtry-Howlett’s Ray, who is applying to be her caregiver. We soon learn all this physical exuberance is an outward manifestation of Bea’s busy mind, which has been confined in the bedroom, and in a bedridden body, for years. Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), 8 p.m., PWYC–$25. Details
Comedy: Comedy and life partners Matt Baram (CityTV’s Seed) and Naomi Snieckus (CBC’s Mr. D) are workshopping a new show format (“come see it get built right before your eyes!”) in a weekly residency in April and May at Second City’s Training Centre. The master improvisers and co-creators of Script Tease have been busy touring and on television of late, and these Baram and Snieckus shows will be a rare opportunity to see our 2010 hero nominees in a back to basics comedy format. John Candy Box Theatre (70 Peter Street), 8:30 p.m., PWYC. Details
Theatre: Ben and Gus are on a job, holed up in a basement, wondering who is in charge, and waiting for “the call” in Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter. Presented by Wordsmyth Theatre, the play ranges from tense and claustrophobic to ridiculous and surreal, while posing the question: how do you escape from a situation when there is no exit? Odyssey Studio (636 Pape Avenue), 9 p.m., $15-$25. Details

Happening soon:

Tomorrow Sunday Monday

Urban Planner: May 16, 2013

Torontoist — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:00:26 +0000

In today's Urban Planner: a talk about censorship with Lawrence Hill, a lecture on the art of the horror-film poster, and a bevy of theatrical options.

The Black Museum explores the artistry of horror-film posters. Image courtesy of Justin Erickson/Phantom City Creative.

Talks: Putting an award-winning author and a university professor on stage to open up a frank dialogue on racism and censorship may sound like a volatile proposition. Even so, on Thursday, PEN Canada, in association with the Royal Ontario Museum, will present Sir, I Intend to Burn Your Book: Lawrence Hill and Carol Duncan on Race, Censorship, and Free Speech. Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queens Park), 7 p.m., $25. Details
Film: Movie posters have always been more than just marketing when it comes to the horror genre. Often seen as stand-alone pieces, horror movie art can be found in many a collector’s stash, or even tattooed on a rabid fan’s skin. The last Black Museum lecture of the semester focuses on the Iconography of the Horror Film Poster. Films to be discussed include Carrie, Psycho, Frankenstein, and Don’t Go In the Woods Alone, along with posters from contemporary artists such as Ken Taylor, Jason Edmiston, Olly Moss, Daniel Danger, as well as Rue Morgue Magazine‘s ‘Ghoulish’ Gary Pullin and Justin Erickson. Big Picture Cinemas (1035 Gerrard Street East), 8 p.m., $12 advance, $15 at the door. Details

Ongoing…

Photography: David Kaufman’s Early Sunday Morning photography exhibit simultaneously celebrates the heritage of Toronto’s architecture, while pleading for its preservation, in the face of gentrification and condo development. The building facades and structures, rich in texture and colour, are each captured at their most beautiful—basking in the light of early morning. Twist Gallery (1100 Queen Street West), 11 a.m., FREE. Details
Music: The Lula Music and Arts Centre’s annual Lulaworld festival kicks off on May 10 with Ethiopian jazz innovators Jay Danley and Fantahun Shewankochew. The festival travels around the world for the month of May, with performances most nights (and some afternoons) from local world music purveyors Uma Nota, Cuban player Bobby Carcasses, the Ukrainian Telnyuk Sisters, and more. (For a full schedule, prices, and reservations, visit the Lula Lounge website.) Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas Street West), 12 p.m., FREE–$25. Details
Theatre: David Yee examines life’s interconnectivity in Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave. The play follows an escort in Thailand, a housewife in Utah, and a Catholic priest in India, and how their lives are simultaneously brought together and torn apart by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $21-$53. Details
Theatre: Delve into the world of dating, love, and marriage—sans commitment—with Angelwalk Theatre’s presentation of the off-Broadway musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Offered as a series of vignettes set to music, the show focuses on the disastrous, hilarious, and touching aspects of love and dating. Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge Street), 8 p.m., $25-$45. Details
Theatre: The 2012-2013 Buddies in Bad Times season goes out with a bang, and a growl, with the world premiere of Ecce Homo Theatre’s Of a Monstrous Child: a Gaga Musical. Bruce Dow plays legendary performer and master of ceremonies Leigh Bowery, with Kimberly Persona as Mother Monster herself. Using the music of Lady Gaga as a backdrop, the show is a crash course in the history of queer performance, celebrating everyone from Yoko Ono to Madonna, and Boy George. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street), 8 p.m., PWYC-$37. Details
Theatre: Ben and Gus are on a job, holed up in a basement, wondering who is in charge, and waiting for “the call” in Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter. Presented by Wordsmyth Theatre, the play ranges from tense and claustrophobic to ridiculous and surreal, while posing the question: how do you escape from a situation when there is no exit? Odyssey Studio (636 Pape Avenue), 8 p.m., $15-$25. Details
Theatre: Theatre company One Little Goat presents the English-language premiere of The Charge of the Expormidable Moose, an adaptation of Québecois playwright Claude Gauvreau’s story of a embattled poet who may or may not be a prisoner. Gauvreau, a noted figure in Quebec’s radical movement in the mid-20th century, wrote the play in the ’50s while in and out of a mental institution. The show, which was not produced until the ’70s, has become a landmark of Quebec theatre. The seven-member cast includes veterans like Hume Baugh, established indie actors like David Christo, and up-and-comers like Jessica Salgueiro. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $13–$25. Details
Theatre: If you’ve been paying attention to musical theatre news over the past two years, you know that The Book of Mormon has a passionate and devout following of fans who swear it’s the long-awaited saviour of the artform. The show won nine Tonys in 2011, the cast recording reached number three on the Billboard chart, and tickets for its Broadway run are rare and expensive. Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West), 8 p.m., Prices vary. Details
Theatre: Videofag, a performance venue in Kensington Market, has played host to a variety of events since it opened last November. It has transformed itself into a cinema, an art gallery, a nightclub, or whatever else has been needed. But its transformation for The Biographer, a new play from Daniel Karasik, is something else entirely. Videofag (187 Augusta Avenue), 8 p.m., $15-$23. Details
Theatre: It becomes clear rather quickly in the first scene of BEA, Actors Repertory Company’s North American premiere of British playwright Mick Gordon’s 2010 work, that the title character doesn’t live on quite the same level as the nervous young man she’s interviewing for a job. As Beatrice, a young but physically infirm woman, Bahareh Yaraghi begins by bounding around a bedroom set, swinging acrobatically from the four-poster bed frame and a somewhat mysterious ladder, and dancing circles around Brendan McMurtry-Howlett’s Ray, who is applying to be her caregiver. We soon learn all this physical exuberance is an outward manifestation of Bea’s busy mind, which has been confined in the bedroom, and in a bedridden body, for years. Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), 8 p.m., PWYC–$25. Details

Happening soon:

Tomorrow Saturday Sunday

Urban Planner: May 15, 2013

Torontoist — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:00:59 +0000

In today's Urban Planner: learn to write with feeling, take a guided tour of the neighbourhood around the Royal Ontario Musuem, or see The Biographer before it closes.

Earl Pastko and Miriam Fernandes in Daniel Karasik’s The Biographer. Photo by Emily Lockhart.

Books: Got writer’s block? Need help bringing dimension to your stories and characters? Writing with Feeling is a workshop you won’t want to miss. Presented by Forest of Reading Festival of Trees, authors Megan Crewe and Lena Coakley will discuss the development of story ideas and how to draw on your own emotions. Harbourfront Centre, York Quay Centre, Miss Lou’s Room (235 Queens Quay West), 1 p.m., Included in Forest of Reading pass price ($15). Details
History: How often do you stop and take a good look at the buildings on the streets you walk every day? Do you know the history of your own neighbourhood? Get better acquainted with Toronto on guided ROM Walks, with this edition focusing on the ROM and its Neighbours. Learn about the Bloor and Queen’s Park area, and how it transformed from a quiet residential and student-based community to a major cultural hub. Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queens Park), 6 p.m., FREE. Details
Music: Skip the rush hour crush and take in some culture (and complimentary pre-show hors d’ouevres) with the last performance in the TSO Afterworks Series. Under the direction of conductor Giancarlo Guerrero, pianist Kirill Gerstein will perform Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe Street), 6:30 p.m., $29-$82. Details
Poetry: Promote the art of poetry recitation, while supporting young talent at the Poetry in Voice National Finals. The competition will see 39 high school students from all over Canada meet in Toronto for an evening of both contemporary and classic poetry, in both English and French. Isabel Bader Theatre (93 Charles Street West), 7 p.m., $10, $5 for students. Details
Theatre: Ben and Gus are on a job, holed up in a basement, wondering who is in charge, and waiting for “the call” in Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter. Presented by Wordsmyth Theatre, the play ranges from tense and claustrophobic to ridiculous and surreal, while posing the question: how do you escape from a situation when there is no exit? Odyssey Studio (636 Pape Avenue), 8 p.m., $15-$25. Details

Ongoing…

Photography: David Kaufman’s Early Sunday Morning photography exhibit simultaneously celebrates the heritage of Toronto’s architecture, while pleading for its preservation, in the face of gentrification and condo development. The building facades and structures, rich in texture and colour, are each captured at their most beautiful—basking in the light of early morning. Twist Gallery (1100 Queen Street West), 11 a.m., FREE. Details
Theatre: Mick Gordon’s BEA tells the story of a young woman suffering from a debilitating illness that has left her bedridden for eight years. She needs someone to feed her, wash her, dress her. But she still controls her right to live or die; a decision with which she struggles. BEA features performances from Bahareh Yaraghi, Deborah Drakeford, and Brendan McMurtry-Howlett. Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), 12 p.m., $10-$25. Details
Music: The Lula Music and Arts Centre’s annual Lulaworld festival kicks off on May 10 with Ethiopian jazz innovators Jay Danley and Fantahun Shewankochew. The festival travels around the world for the month of May, with performances most nights (and some afternoons) from local world music purveyors Uma Nota, Cuban player Bobby Carcasses, the Ukrainian Telnyuk Sisters, and more. (For a full schedule, prices, and reservations, visit the Lula Lounge website.) Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas Street West), 12 p.m., FREE–$25. Details
Theatre: If you’ve been paying attention to musical theatre news over the past two years, you know that The Book of Mormon has a passionate and devout following of fans who swear it’s the long-awaited saviour of the artform. The show won nine Tonys in 2011, the cast recording reached number three on the Billboard chart, and tickets for its Broadway run are rare and expensive. Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West), 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Prices vary. Details
Theatre: Fans of the seminal 1968 horror-film classic, Night of the Living Dead, will delight in Night of the Living Dead Live, a new theatrical production of the story. Despite a weak second act, it’s a fun black-and-white romp with some inventive deaths—and even a chipper musical number. Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson Avenue), 7:30 p.m., $20–$80. Details
Theatre: David Yee examines life’s interconnectivity in Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave. The play follows an escort in Thailand, a housewife in Utah, and a Catholic priest in India, and how their lives are simultaneously brought together and torn apart by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $21-$53. Details
Theatre: Bad Dog Theatre Company unites sci-fi, comedy, and improv fans with their production of Final Frontier. Based on Star Trek, the unscripted show follows the adventures of a new ship and crew, using plot suggestions from the audience. Featuring improv from Etan Muskat, Jess Bryson, Liz Johnston, Alastair Forbes, and Craig Anderson. Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street West), 8 p.m., $12, $10 students. Details
Theatre: Delve into the world of dating, love, and marriage—sans commitment—with Angelwalk Theatre’s presentation of the off-Broadway musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Offered as a series of vignettes set to music, the show focuses on the disastrous, hilarious, and touching aspects of love and dating. Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge Street), 8 p.m., $25-$45. Details
Theatre: The 2012-2013 Buddies in Bad Times season goes out with a bang, and a growl, with the world premiere of Ecce Homo Theatre’s Of a Monstrous Child: a Gaga Musical. Bruce Dow plays legendary performer and master of ceremonies Leigh Bowery, with Kimberly Persona as Mother Monster herself. Using the music of Lady Gaga as a backdrop, the show is a crash course in the history of queer performance, celebrating everyone from Yoko Ono to Madonna, and Boy George. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street), 8 p.m., PWYC-$37. Details
Theatre: Theatre company One Little Goat presents the English-language premiere of The Charge of the Expormidable Moose, an adaptation of Québecois playwright Claude Gauvreau’s story of a embattled poet who may or may not be a prisoner. Gauvreau, a noted figure in Quebec’s radical movement in the mid-20th century, wrote the play in the ’50s while in and out of a mental institution. The show, which was not produced until the ’70s, has become a landmark of Quebec theatre. The seven-member cast includes veterans like Hume Baugh, established indie actors like David Christo, and up-and-comers like Jessica Salgueiro. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $13–$25. Details
Theatre: Videofag, a performance venue in Kensington Market, has played host to a variety of events since it opened last November. It has transformed itself into a cinema, an art gallery, a nightclub, or whatever else has been needed. But its transformation for The Biographer, a new play from Daniel Karasik, is something else entirely. Videofag (187 Augusta Avenue), 8 p.m., $15-$23. Details

Happening soon:

Tomorrow Friday Saturday

Urban Planner: May 14, 2013

Torontoist — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:00:58 +0000

In today's Urban Planner: a panel discussion with LGBTQ writers, a Lady Gaga musical, and a little springtime comedy.

Kimberley Persona bears an uncanny resemblance to Lady Gaga in Of a Monstrous Child: a Gaga Musical. Photo courtesy of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

Poetry: Help celebrate the life of Canadian poet Daryl Hine, along with the release of his last collection, A Reliquary and Other Poems. Readings of Hine’s work will be provided by various poets, including Norm Sibum, Richard Greene, Blaise Moritz, and Nila Matuk. Ben McNally Books (366 Bay Street), 6 p.m., FREE. Details
Books: To mark the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17, the Toronto Public Library is hosting a panel discussion featuring some talented and outspoken young writers from Toronto’s LGBTQ community. Querying the Page includes input from Farzana Doctor, Nancy Jo Cullen, Debra Anderson, and Zoe Whittall, and will be moderated by Vivek Shraya. Toronto Public Library, Palmerston Branch (560 Palmerston Avenue), 6:30 p.m., FREE. Details
Theatre: Delve into the world of dating, love, and marriage—sans commitment—with Angelwalk Theatre’s presentation of the off-Broadway musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Offered as a series of vignettes set to music, the show focuses on the disastrous, hilarious, and touching aspects of love and dating. Toronto Centre for the Arts (5040 Yonge Street), 8 p.m., $25-$45. Details
Theatre: The 2012-2013 Buddies in Bad Times season goes out with a bang, and a growl, with the world premiere of Ecce Homo Theatre’s Of a Monstrous Child: a Gaga Musical. Bruce Dow plays legendary performer and master of ceremonies Leigh Bowery, with Kimberly Persona as Mother Monster herself. Using the music of Lady Gaga as a backdrop, the show is a crash course in the history of queer performance, celebrating everyone from Yoko Ono to Madonna, and Boy George. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street), 8 p.m., PWYC-$37. Details
Comedy: The weather is finally warm, flowers are blooming, birds are chirping; it’s time to laugh again! Celebrate the death of a particularly treacherous winter with My Spring-A-Ling comedy show. Hosted by Video on Trial‘s Sara Hennessey and featuring stand-up from seasoned pros Amanda Brooke-Perrin, Kathleen Phillips, and Chris Locke. The Ossington (61 Ossington Street), 9 p.m., PWYC. Details

Ongoing…

Music: The Lula Music and Arts Centre’s annual Lulaworld festival kicks off on May 10 with Ethiopian jazz innovators Jay Danley and Fantahun Shewankochew. The festival travels around the world for the month of May, with performances most nights (and some afternoons) from local world music purveyors Uma Nota, Cuban player Bobby Carcasses, the Ukrainian Telnyuk Sisters, and more. (For a full schedule, prices, and reservations, visit the Lula Lounge website.) Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas Street West), 12 p.m., FREE–$25. Details
Theatre: A fragile young woman obsessed with an old mechanized box containing an ancient (and possibly deadly) artifact calls upon a clairvoyant, a paranormal investigator, and a parapsychologist to assist in unlocking its secrets. No, it’s not a new AMC series, or an upcoming summer blockbuster—it’s Visitations, the new immersive-theatre experience by The Mission Business, creator of last year’s epic bio-horror theatrical extravaganza, Zed.TO.

As with Zed.TO, the audience is very much at the heart of the action in Visitations, exploring rooms, decoding messages, solving puzzles, and trying to prevent a catastrophe—or perhaps being used to bring one about. The more you bring to the experience, the more fun you’ll have in return. Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West), 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., $40-$80. Details
Theatre: David Yee examines life’s interconnectivity in Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave. The play follows an escort in Thailand, a housewife in Utah, and a Catholic priest in India, and how their lives are simultaneously brought together and torn apart by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $21-$53. Details
Theatre: Mick Gordon’s BEA tells the story of a young woman suffering from a debilitating illness that has left her bedridden for eight years. She needs someone to feed her, wash her, dress her. But she still controls her right to live or die; a decision with which she struggles. BEA features performances from Bahareh Yaraghi, Deborah Drakeford, and Brendan McMurtry-Howlett. Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), 8 p.m., $10-$25. Details
Theatre: Theatre company One Little Goat presents the English-language premiere of The Charge of the Expormidable Moose, an adaptation of Québecois playwright Claude Gauvreau’s story of a embattled poet who may or may not be a prisoner. Gauvreau, a noted figure in Quebec’s radical movement in the mid-20th century, wrote the play in the ’50s while in and out of a mental institution. The show, which was not produced until the ’70s, has become a landmark of Quebec theatre. The seven-member cast includes veterans like Hume Baugh, established indie actors like David Christo, and up-and-comers like Jessica Salgueiro. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $13–$25. Details
Theatre: If you’ve been paying attention to musical theatre news over the past two years, you know that The Book of Mormon has a passionate and devout following of fans who swear it’s the long-awaited saviour of the artform. The show won nine Tonys in 2011, the cast recording reached number three on the Billboard chart, and tickets for its Broadway run are rare and expensive. Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West), 8 p.m., Prices vary. Details
Theatre: Videofag, a performance venue in Kensington Market, has played host to a variety of events since it opened last November. It has transformed itself into a cinema, an art gallery, a nightclub, or whatever else has been needed. But its transformation for The Biographer, a new play from Daniel Karasik, is something else entirely. Videofag (187 Augusta Avenue), 8 p.m., $15-$23. Details

Happening soon:

Tomorrow Thursday Friday

Urban Planner: May 13, 2013

Torontoist — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:29 +0000

In today's Urban Planner: the 2013 Harold Awards, as well as shows by Tyler Kyte & The Nice Guys, Faun Fables, and Fiver.

Simone Schmidt’s band Fiver opens for Faun Fables. Photo by David Waldman.

Offbeat: The 2013 edition of The Harold Awards, an annual celebration of the DIY and indie spirit of Toronto theatre, is hosted this year by Lindy Zucker and Richard Lee—performers and theatre creators both, who wear many different “hats.” The awards, now in their eighteenth year, are named for Harold Kandel, a legendary local theatre aficionado (and heckler). The list of past award winners reads as a who’s who of local theatre creators; and this year, as in the past, last year’s winners will surprise their chosen successors with their “harolding.” Monarch Tavern (12 Clinton Street), 7:30 p.m., $10. Details
Music: Tyler Kyte has been playing the role of a rock star lately, as one of the frontmen of cover band extraordinaire, Dwayne Gretzky. (The band rotates lead vocals.) Most recently, he took part in the band’s recreation of Fleetwood Mac’s classic album Rumours. Now, the rumours are true: Kyte will be playing his own material at a May residency at the Dakota Tavern. Some of Kyte’s Dwayne Gretzky collaborators, like Allie Hughes and Nick Rose, will guest with Tyler Kyte & The Nice Guys. Dakota Tavern (249 Ossington Avenue), 9 p.m., $6. Details
Music: It’s a busy night for fans of dreamy folk pop in Toronto. Youth Lagoon’s playing a sold out (at Rotate This, anyway) show at The Great Hall, while Lady Lamb The Beekeeper’s at the Drake Hotel. But our pick for the night is Faun Fables with Fiver and L CON at Double Double Land, not least because of the excellent local opening acts; Fiver is Simone Schmidt from One Hundred Dollars, and L CON is Lisa Conway from Del Bel. Double Double Land (209 Augusta Avenue), 9 p.m., $10. Details

Ongoing…

Music: The Lula Music and Arts Centre’s annual Lulaworld festival kicks off on May 10 with Ethiopian jazz innovators Jay Danley and Fantahun Shewankochew. The festival travels around the world for the month of May, with performances most nights (and some afternoons) from local world music purveyors Uma Nota, Cuban player Bobby Carcasses, the Ukrainian Telnyuk Sisters, and more. (For a full schedule, prices, and reservations, visit the Lula Lounge website.) Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas Street West), 12 p.m., FREE–$25. Details
Theatre: A fragile young woman obsessed with an old mechanized box containing an ancient (and possibly deadly) artifact calls upon a clairvoyant, a paranormal investigator, and a parapsychologist to assist in unlocking its secrets. No, it’s not a new AMC series, or an upcoming summer blockbuster—it’s Visitations, the new immersive-theatre experience by The Mission Business, creator of last year’s epic bio-horror theatrical extravaganza, Zed.TO.

As with Zed.TO, the audience is very much at the heart of the action in Visitations, exploring rooms, decoding messages, solving puzzles, and trying to prevent a catastrophe—or perhaps being used to bring one about. The more you bring to the experience, the more fun you’ll have in return. Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West), 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., $40-$80. Details

Happening soon:

Tomorrow Wednesday Thursday

Weekend Planner: May 11-12, 2013

Torontoist — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:30:46 +0000

In this Weekend Planner: Bells on Bloor, the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, and a very special performance of Second City's The Meme-ing of Life.

The Meme-ing of Life. Photo by Dan Abramovici, CallbackHeadshots.com.

Outdoors: Meagan’s Walk is returning again for a twelfth year to raise money to find a cure for paediatric brain tumours. This completely doable 5 km walk will take you from Fort York all the way to Sick Kids where you can spend the rest of the afternoon there with a BBQ, street party, and other festivities. Don’t forget to register early and raise as much as you can! Fort York, Garrison Common (100 Garrison Road), Saturday at 8:30 a.m., Registration fee varies. Details
Comics: One of the joys of the Toronto Comic Arts Festival is the way it allows visitors to buy work from a lot of different cartoonists. It’s good to go with a specific budget in mind, otherwise the spending can quickly get out of hand. Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge Street), Saturday at 9 a.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m., FREE. Details
Outdoors: If you’re looking to branch out from your plant-buying habits, which may or may not include getting all your greenery from Metro, the Toronto Flower Market might just be for you. This spring/summer-long market offers a variety of fresh and high quality flower types all pulled from Ontario greenhouses (plus, they’re affordable). You’ll also get a chance to interact with the growers themselves. 99 Sudbury (99 Sudbury Street), Saturday at 10 a.m., FREE. Details
Wheels: If you’re a cyclist in the city then you probably already know that Toronto is sorely lacking when it comes to bike lanes. One such area that needs them badly (and would also fit nicely given the lack of streetcars) is Bloor Street and to make sure the city knows we need them, there’s going to be a group ride called Bells on Bloor. The ride will be meeting at the Bloor Street High Park gate before riding all the way down to Queen’s Park.
High Park (1873 Bloor Street West), Saturday at 12 p.m., FREE. Details
Books: This week’s edition of the great reading series, Impossible Words, features Juno-award winning musician/poet Lillian Allen, as well as author Robert Priest. As per usual, they’ll be interviewed (about their experiences and work) by members of the Toronto Street Writers which will then be followed by an audience Q & A. Academy of the Impossible (231 Wallace Avenue), Saturday at 1:30 p.m., FREE. Details
Art: Milk Glass Co. is celebrating its one year anniversary with a group art show called PARTY ROOM. The exhibit itself features a variety of art from Toronto-based artists across mediums such as painting, photography, installations, and (appropriately) cake design. Toronto DJs will also be on hand to help pump up the party. Milk Glass Co. (1247 Dundas Street West.), Saturday at 6 p.m., FREE. Details
Music: While most think of pop music as being sleek, catchy, simple, and geared to as broad an audience as possible, many artists are successfully challenging that belief. More and more pop performers are pushing the genre to its limits. It’s this spirit of exploration that forms the basis of Pop Avant, a performance series curated and hosted by The Music Gallery and dedicated to the weirder side of pop music. The next event in the series will be the Weird Canada Showcase. The Music Gallery (197 John Street), Saturday at 8 p.m., $17 door, $10 advance. Details
Theatre: If you haven’t yet had a chance to check out The Meme-ing of Life, now’s your chance to do so for a good cause. Toronto comedian, Jo-anna Downey, was recently diagnosed with ALS (so she’s unable to speak), meaning she’s unable to perform. This special matinee performance comes in support of her and all proceeds from the show will go directly to the Jo-anna Downey Fund. Second City (51 Mercer Street), Sunday at 4 p.m., $20. Details

Ongoing…

Photography: David Kaufman’s Early Sunday Morning photography exhibit simultaneously celebrates the heritage of Toronto’s architecture, while pleading for its preservation, in the face of gentrification and condo development. The building facades and structures, rich in texture and colour, are each captured at their most beautiful—basking in the light of early morning. Twist Gallery (1100 Queen Street West), Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 11 a.m., FREE. Details
Music: The Lula Music and Arts Centre’s annual Lulaworld festival kicks off on May 10 with Ethiopian jazz innovators Jay Danley and Fantahun Shewankochew. The festival travels around the world for the month of May, with performances most nights (and some afternoons) from local world music purveyors Uma Nota, Cuban player Bobby Carcasses, the Ukrainian Telnyuk Sisters, and more. (For a full schedule, prices, and reservations, visit the Lula Lounge website.) Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas Street West), Saturday at 12 p.m., FREE–$25. Details
Theatre: Mick Gordon’s BEA tells the story of a young woman suffering from a debilitating illness that has left her bedridden for eight years. She needs someone to feed her, wash her, dress her. But she still controls her right to live or die; a decision with which she struggles. BEA features performances from Bahareh Yaraghi, Deborah Drakeford, and Brendan McMurtry-Howlett. Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), Saturday at 2 p.m.,8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., $10-$25. Details
Theatre: Written and directed by Maya Rabinovitch, I Will Not Hatch! features a cast of 10 actors telling the darkly comic story of how a number of passengers react when their airplane begins losing altitude. It’s a remount of their earlier Fringe show, which sold out house and earned praise in both Toronto and Winnipeg. Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley Street), Saturday at 2 p.m.,8 p.m., $15. Details
Theatre: If you’ve been paying attention to musical theatre news over the past two years, you know that The Book of Mormon has a passionate and devout following of fans who swear it’s the long-awaited saviour of the artform. The show won nine Tonys in 2011, the cast recording reached number three on the Billboard chart, and tickets for its Broadway run are rare and expensive. Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West), Saturday at 2 p.m.,8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., Prices vary. Details
Theatre: David Yee examines life’s interconnectivity in Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave. The play follows an escort in Thailand, a housewife in Utah, and a Catholic priest in India, and how their lives are simultaneously brought together and torn apart by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), Saturday at 2:30 p.m.,8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., $21-$53. Details
Theatre: Fans of the seminal 1968 horror-film classic, Night of the Living Dead, will delight in Night of the Living Dead Live, a new theatrical production of the story. Despite a weak second act, it’s a fun black-and-white romp with some inventive deaths—and even a chipper musical number. Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson Avenue), Saturday at 7 p.m.,11 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., $20–$80. Details
Comedy: Classic comedy series Theatresports is back for another season of improv hilarity. Now in its 30th year, this comedy tournament continues the tradition of allowing the audience members to choose the content of the scene and letting them judge the results; finals will be held at the end of May. Among the planned guests are comedic greats including Lisa Merchant and Craig Anderson (Canadian Comedy Award winners), Kerry Griffin (Second City alum), and many more. Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street West), Saturday at 8 p.m., $12. Details
Theatre: Life x 3 presents the tale of Henry and Sonia, who have to deal with a couple that unexpectedly shows up to dinner a day early. The best part? In this play, you get to see three different versions of the evening’s events. Directed by Andrew Lamb (My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding). Unit 102 Theatre (376 Dufferin Street), Saturday at 8 p.m., $25, $20 for students, seniors, and art workers. Details
Theatre: Falsettos, a groundbreaking and Tony Award–winning musical, comes to town for a short run, presented by The Acting Up Stage Company. The story takes us to New York City in 1979, where the Sexual Revolution is hot, AIDS is on the rise, and Marvin, a husband and father, has decided to leave his family for a man. Directed by Robert McQueen and starring Darrin Baker, Sara-Jeanne Hosie, Sarah Gibbons, Michael Levinson, Eric Morin, Stephen Patterson, and Glynis Ranney. Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas Street East), Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.,7 p.m., $39-$55. Details
Theatre: Fly By Night Theatre Company has put a modern twist on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The dual love story now takes place in Toronto in 2011, against the backdrop of the federal election, as soldiers return home from Afghanistan. Proceeds from the show go to Royal Seed Needy Home, an orphanage in Ghana. Young People’s Theatre Studio Space (165 Front Street East), Saturday at 8 p.m., $20, $18 for Students and Seniors. Details
Theatre: Theatre company One Little Goat presents the English-language premiere of The Charge of the Expormidable Moose, an adaptation of Québecois playwright Claude Gauvreau’s story of a embattled poet who may or may not be a prisoner. Gauvreau, a noted figure in Quebec’s radical movement in the mid-20th century, wrote the play in the ’50s while in and out of a mental institution. The show, which was not produced until the ’70s, has become a landmark of Quebec theatre. The seven-member cast includes veterans like Hume Baugh, established indie actors like David Christo, and up-and-comers like Jessica Salgueiro. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m., $13–$25. Details
Theatre: A fragile young woman obsessed with an old mechanized box containing an ancient (and possibly deadly) artifact calls upon a clairvoyant, a paranormal investigator, and a parapsychologist to assist in unlocking its secrets. No, it’s not a new AMC series, or an upcoming summer blockbuster—it’s Visitations, the new immersive-theatre experience by The Mission Business, creator of last year’s epic bio-horror theatrical extravaganza, Zed.TO.

As with Zed.TO, the audience is very much at the heart of the action in Visitations, exploring rooms, decoding messages, solving puzzles, and trying to prevent a catastrophe—or perhaps being used to bring one about. The more you bring to the experience, the more fun you’ll have in return Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West), Sunday at 6:30 p.m.,9 p.m., $40-$80. Details

Happening soon:

Monday Tuesday Wednesday

Urban Planner: May 10, 2013

Torontoist — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:00:24 +0000

In today's Urban Planner: a block party, Ethiopian jazz, and an expormidable moose (whatever that means).

The cast of The Charge of the Expormidable Moose. Photo by Adam Seelig.

Food: To open the third summer season of the Live Local Marketplace, Market 707 is throwing a free-to-all block party entitled Flavours of the City. Besides the wonderfully diverse selection available from the resident container shops, the street food menu will be bolstered by food trucks, and a number of buskers and music acts will be on hand for the party, as well. Market 707 (707 Dundas Street West), 5 p.m., FREE. Details
Music: The Lula Music and Arts Centre’s annual Lulaworld festival kicks off on May 10 with Ethiopian jazz innovators Jay Danley and Fantahun Shewankochew. The festival travels around the world for the month of May, with performances most nights (and some afternoons) from local world music purveyors Uma Nota, Cuban player Bobby Carcasses, the Ukrainian Telnyuk Sisters, and more. (For a full schedule, prices, and reservations, visit the Lula Lounge website.) Lula Lounge (1585 Dundas Street West), 7 p.m., FREE–$25. Details
Theatre: Theatre company One Little Goat presents the English-language premiere of The Charge of the Expormidable Moose, an adaptation of Québecois playwright Claude Gauvreau’s story of a embattled poet who may or may not be a prisoner. Gauvreau, a noted figure in Quebec’s radical movement in the mid-20th century, wrote the play in the ’50s while in and out of a mental institution. The show, which was not produced until the ’70s, has become a landmark of Quebec theatre. The seven-member cast includes veterans like Hume Baugh, established indie actors like David Christo, and up-and-comers like Jessica Salgueiro. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $13–$25. Details
Comedy: Every second Friday of the month, The Texas Comedy Massacre 2 has been hosting a mix of professional and amateur stand-ups on the third floor of the Fox and Fiddle pub, just east of Yonge and Wellesley streets. Host Xerxes Cortes has been at it since 2006, and he has a typically strong bill to celebrate year seven, including Fraser Young, Rebecca Kohler, and Bryan O’Gorman. (And perhaps there will be cake?) Fox & The Fiddle (27 Wellesley Street East), 8:30 p.m., PWYC. Details

Ongoing…

Photography: David Kaufman’s Early Sunday Morning photography exhibit simultaneously celebrates the heritage of Toronto’s architecture, while pleading for its preservation, in the face of gentrification and condo development. The building facades and structures, rich in texture and colour, are each captured at their most beautiful—basking in the light of early morning. Twist Gallery (1100 Queen Street West), 11 a.m., FREE. Details
Theatre: Fans of the seminal 1968 horror-film classic, Night of the Living Dead, will delight in Night of the Living Dead Live, a new theatrical production of the story. Despite a weak second act, it’s a fun black-and-white romp with some inventive deaths—and even a chipper musical number. Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson Avenue), 7 p.m. and 11 p.m., $20–$80. Details
Theatre: Life x 3 presents the tale of Henry and Sonia, who have to deal with a couple that unexpectedly shows up to dinner a day early. The best part? In this play, you get to see three different versions of the evening’s events. Directed by Andrew Lamb (My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding). Unit 102 Theatre (376 Dufferin Street), 8 p.m., $25, $20 for students, seniors, and art workers. Details
Theatre: Falsettos, a groundbreaking and Tony Award–winning musical, comes to town for a short run, presented by The Acting Up Stage Company. The story takes us to New York City in 1979, where the Sexual Revolution is hot, AIDS is on the rise, and Marvin, a husband and father, has decided to leave his family for a man. Directed by Robert McQueen and starring Darrin Baker, Sara-Jeanne Hosie, Sarah Gibbons, Michael Levinson, Eric Morin, Stephen Patterson, and Glynis Ranney. Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas Street East), 8 p.m., $39-$55. Details
Theatre: David Yee examines life’s interconnectivity in Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave. The play follows an escort in Thailand, a housewife in Utah, and a Catholic priest in India, and how their lives are simultaneously brought together and torn apart by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $21-$53. Details
Theatre: Mick Gordon’s BEA tells the story of a young woman suffering from a debilitating illness that has left her bedridden for eight years. She needs someone to feed her, wash her, dress her. But she still controls her right to live or die; a decision with which she struggles. BEA features performances from Bahareh Yaraghi, Deborah Drakeford, and Brendan McMurtry-Howlett. Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), 8 p.m., $10-$25. Details
Theatre: Fly By Night Theatre Company has put a modern twist on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The dual love story now takes place in Toronto in 2011, against the backdrop of the federal election, as soldiers return home from Afghanistan. Proceeds from the show go to Royal Seed Needy Home, an orphanage in Ghana. Young People’s Theatre Studio Space (165 Front Street East), 8 p.m., $20, $18 for Students and Seniors. Details
Theatre: Written and directed by Maya Rabinovitch, I Will Not Hatch! features a cast of 10 actors telling the darkly comic story of how a number of passengers react when their airplane begins losing altitude. It’s a remount of their earlier Fringe show, which sold out house and earned praise in both Toronto and Winnipeg. Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley Street), 8 p.m., $15. Details
Theatre: If you’ve been paying attention to musical theatre news over the past two years, you know that The Book of Mormon has a passionate and devout following of fans who swear it’s the long-awaited saviour of the artform. The show won nine Tonys in 2011, the cast recording reached number three on the Billboard chart, and tickets for its Broadway run are rare and expensive. Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West), 8 p.m., Prices vary. Details
Comedy: Comedy and life partners Matt Baram (CityTV’s Seed) and Naomi Snieckus (CBC’s Mr. D) are workshopping a new show format (“come see it get built right before your eyes!”) in a weekly residency in April and May at Second City’s Training Centre. The master improvisers and co-creators of Script Tease have been busy touring and on television of late, and these Baram and Snieckus shows will be a rare opportunity to see our 2010 hero nominees in a back to basics comedy format. John Candy Box Theatre (70 Peter Street), 8:30 p.m., PWYC. Details

Happening soon:

Tomorrow Sunday Monday

Urban Planner: May 9, 2013

Torontoist — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:00:09 +0000

In today's Urban Planner: the ROM talks about life in 2030, a comedy classic of the silent screen plays with live piano accompaniment, and Night of the Living Dead Live continues.

Nug Nahrgang, Andrew Fleming, and Darryl Hinds fight off ghouls while Gwynne Phillips looks on anxiously in Night of the Living Dead Live. Photo by David Goodfellow.

Talks: Ever wondered what the future will look like? What will the year 2030 be like for someone who was born today? A talk at the ROM called “Life in 2030” offers the chance to “discuss the future with the people who are creating it.” The talk features a number of professors from various Toronto universities, as well as moderator Ivan Semeniuk, science correspondent for The Globe and Mail. Royal Ontario Museum (100 Queens Park), 6:30 p.m., Free. Details
Art: Looking for a relaxing way to spend the almost-end of the week? Lost At Sea, An Evening of Magical Things offers a line-up of readings, presentations, film, and many other forms of cultural entertainment in the heart of Kensington Market. Among the highlights are readings by David Keyes (who is launching his new book I Do So Worry For All Those Lost At Sea) and Liisa Ladouceur (journalist and author), as well as a musical performance by a mystery String Quartet. Click here to see the full line-up. Augusta House (152 Augusta Avenue), 7:30 p.m., FREE. Details
Film: If you’re looking for a twist on the movie-going experience, and perhaps eager for a taste of the ’20s, you might want to consider this screening of the 1923 silent comedy classic, “Safety Last!” (starring Harold Lloyd). The twist? You’ll get to watch it with a live piano score from composer, Robert Bruce. Take that new Great Gatsby film. St. Paul’s United Church (427 Bloor Street West), 8 p.m., $15. Details

Ongoing…

Photography: David Kaufman’s Early Sunday Morning photography exhibit simultaneously celebrates the heritage of Toronto’s architecture, while pleading for its preservation, in the face of gentrification and condo development. The building facades and structures, rich in texture and colour, are each captured at their most beautiful—basking in the light of early morning. Twist Gallery (1100 Queen Street West), 11 a.m., FREE. Details
Film: Students of Ryerson’s School of Image Arts showcase their thesis works at The Ryerson University Film Festival (RUFF). Twenty short films, varying in theme and style, will be screened over the course of two nights. Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor Street West), 7 p.m., $12 or $20 for two-night pass. Details
Theatre: Fans of the seminal 1968 horror-film classic, Night of the Living Dead, will delight in Night of the Living Dead Live, a new theatrical production of the story. Despite a weak second act, it’s a fun black-and-white romp with some inventive deaths—and even a chipper musical number. Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson Avenue), 7:30 p.m., $20–$80. Details
Comedy: The Toronto Comedy Brawl is in the middle of a growth spurt. Despite humble beginnings, Ian Atlas’ amateur competition has grown from 64 participants to, this year, a few hundred. The Crown and Tiger (414 College Street), 8 p.m., $5. Details
Theatre: Life x 3 presents the tale of Henry and Sonia, who have to deal with a couple that unexpectedly shows up to dinner a day early. The best part? In this play, you get to see three different versions of the evening’s events. Directed by Andrew Lamb (My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding). Unit 102 Theatre (376 Dufferin Street), 8 p.m., $25, $20 for students, seniors, and art workers. Details
Theatre: Falsettos, a groundbreaking and Tony Award–winning musical, comes to town for a short run, presented by The Acting Up Stage Company. The story takes us to New York City in 1979, where the Sexual Revolution is hot, AIDS is on the rise, and Marvin, a husband and father, has decided to leave his family for a man. Directed by Robert McQueen and starring Darrin Baker, Sara-Jeanne Hosie, Sarah Gibbons, Michael Levinson, Eric Morin, Stephen Patterson, and Glynis Ranney. Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas Street East), 8 p.m., $39-$55. Details
Theatre: David Yee examines life’s interconnectivity in Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave. The play follows an escort in Thailand, a housewife in Utah, and a Catholic priest in India, and how their lives are simultaneously brought together and torn apart by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $21-$53. Details
Theatre: Mick Gordon’s BEA tells the story of a young woman suffering from a debilitating illness that has left her bedridden for eight years. She needs someone to feed her, wash her, dress her. But she still controls her right to live or die; a decision with which she struggles. BEA features performances from Bahareh Yaraghi, Deborah Drakeford, and Brendan McMurtry-Howlett. Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), 8 p.m., $10-$25. Details
Theatre: Fly By Night Theatre Company has put a modern twist on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The dual love story now takes place in Toronto in 2011, against the backdrop of the federal election, as soldiers return home from Afghanistan. Proceeds from the show go to Royal Seed Needy Home, an orphanage in Ghana. Young People’s Theatre Studio Space (165 Front Street East), 8 p.m., $20, $18 for Students and Seniors. Details
Theatre: Written and directed by Maya Rabinovitch, I Will Not Hatch! features a cast of 10 actors telling the darkly comic story of how a number of passengers react when their airplane begins losing altitude. It’s a remount of their earlier Fringe show, which sold out house and earned praise in both Toronto and Winnipeg. Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley Street), 8 p.m., $15. Details
Theatre: If you’ve been paying attention to musical theatre news over the past two years, you know that The Book of Mormon has a passionate and devout following of fans who swear it’s the long-awaited saviour of the artform. The show won nine Tonys in 2011, the cast recording reached number three on the Billboard chart, and tickets for its Broadway run are rare and expensive. Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West), 8 p.m., Prices vary. Details

Happening soon:

Tomorrow Saturday Sunday

Urban Planner: May 8, 2013

Torontoist — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:00:22 +0000

In today's Urban Planner: short films by Ryerson students, a one-man show about sperm donation, and Much Ado About Nothing.

Shawn Hitchins stars in Ginger Nation. Photo by Jen Squires.

Film: Students of Ryerson’s School of Image Arts showcase their thesis works at The Ryerson University Film Festival (RUFF). Twenty short films, varying in theme and style, will be screened over the course of two nights. Bloor Hot Docs Cinema (506 Bloor Street West), 7 p.m., $12 or $20 for two-night pass. Details
Theatre: Shawn Hitchins is on a personal mission to repopulate the earth with redheads, which he recounts in his new one man show, Ginger Nation. But before he debuts the act among his brethren in Scotland, he’ll first practice (and perhaps bomb) on a Toronto audience. Join him for feisty accounts of adolescence, sperm donation, masturbation, brushes with celebrity, and other adventures of gingerdom. The Flying Beaver Pubaret (488 Parliament Street), 8 p.m., PWYC. Details
Theatre: Fly By Night Theatre Company has put a modern twist on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The dual love story now takes place in Toronto in 2011, against the backdrop of the federal election, as soldiers return home from Afghanistan. Proceeds from the show go to Royal Seed Needy Home, an orphanage in Ghana. Young People’s Theatre Studio Space (165 Front Street East), 8 p.m., $20, $18 for Students and Seniors. Details
Theatre: Unspoken Theatre presents a wealth of young, female talent in LOVESICK: An Evening of Dark Romance. Four playwrights will showcase their short plays and monologues with workshop staging. Featuring pieces from Shrikha Khemani, Nina Kaye, Aaliya Alibhai, and Natalie Kaye. Graduate Student Pub, U of T (16 Bancroft Avenue), 8 p.m., PWYC. Details

Ongoing…

Photography: David Kaufman’s Early Sunday Morning photography exhibit simultaneously celebrates the heritage of Toronto’s architecture, while pleading for its preservation, in the face of gentrification and condo development. The building facades and structures, rich in texture and colour, are each captured at their most beautiful—basking in the light of early morning. Twist Gallery (1100 Queen Street West), 11 a.m., FREE. Details
Theatre: Mick Gordon’s BEA tells the story of a young woman suffering from a debilitating illness that has left her bedridden for eight years. She needs someone to feed her, wash her, dress her. But she still controls her right to live or die; a decision with which she struggles. BEA features performances from Bahareh Yaraghi, Deborah Drakeford, and Brendan McMurtry-Howlett. Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), 12 p.m., $10-$25. Details
Theatre: If you’ve been paying attention to musical theatre news over the past two years, you know that The Book of Mormon has a passionate and devout following of fans who swear it’s the long-awaited saviour of the artform. The show won nine Tonys in 2011, the cast recording reached number three on the Billboard chart, and tickets for its Broadway run are rare and expensive. Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West), 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Prices vary. Details
Theatre: Fans of the seminal 1968 horror-film classic, Night of the Living Dead, will delight in Night of the Living Dead Live, a new theatrical production of the story. Despite a weak second act, it’s a fun black-and-white romp with some inventive deaths—and even a chipper musical number. Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson Avenue), 7:30 p.m., $20–$80. Details
Comedy: The Toronto Comedy Brawl is in the middle of a growth spurt. Despite humble beginnings, Ian Atlas’ amateur competition has grown from 64 participants to, this year, a few hundred. The Crown and Tiger (414 College Street), 8 p.m., $5. Details
Theatre: Life x 3 presents the tale of Henry and Sonia, who have to deal with a couple that unexpectedly shows up to dinner a day early. The best part? In this play, you get to see three different versions of the evening’s events. Directed by Andrew Lamb (My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding). Unit 102 Theatre (376 Dufferin Street), 8 p.m., $25, $20 for students, seniors, and art workers. Details
Theatre: Falsettos, a groundbreaking and Tony Award–winning musical, comes to town for a short run, presented by The Acting Up Stage Company. The story takes us to New York City in 1979, where the Sexual Revolution is hot, AIDS is on the rise, and Marvin, a husband and father, has decided to leave his family for a man. Directed by Robert McQueen and starring Darrin Baker, Sara-Jeanne Hosie, Sarah Gibbons, Michael Levinson, Eric Morin, Stephen Patterson, and Glynis Ranney. Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas Street East), 8 p.m., $39-$55. Details
Theatre: David Yee examines life’s interconnectivity in Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave. The play follows an escort in Thailand, a housewife in Utah, and a Catholic priest in India, and how their lives are simultaneously brought together and torn apart by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $21-$53. Details
Theatre: Bad Dog Theatre Company unites sci-fi, comedy, and improv fans with their production of Final Frontier. Based on Star Trek, the unscripted show follows the adventures of a new ship and crew, using plot suggestions from the audience. Featuring improv from Etan Muskat, Jess Bryson, Liz Johnston, Alastair Forbes, and Craig Anderson. Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street West), 8 p.m., $12, $10 students. Details
Theatre: Written and directed by Maya Rabinovitch, I Will Not Hatch! features a cast of 10 actors telling the darkly comic story of how a number of passengers react when their airplane begins losing altitude. It’s a remount of their earlier Fringe show, which sold out house and earned praise in both Toronto and Winnipeg. Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley Street), 8 p.m., $15. Details

Happening soon:

Tomorrow Friday Saturday

Urban Planner: May 7, 2013

Torontoist — Tue, 07 May 2013 11:00:25 +0000

In today's Urban Planner: a TV trivia night at the Gladstone, a planning session for a new theatre, and a play that examines interconnectivity.

Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave. Photo courtesy of Tarragon Theatre.

Trivia: Remember the good old days when girls hunted vampires instead of dating them? If so, you should get on over to TV Trivia Night, where the focus is on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Show up alone or with a team and get ready to answer questions in a variety of formats. To sweeten the deal, there will be drink specials, and prizes for those who come dressed up. Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen Street West), 7 p.m., FREE. Details
Theatre: Theatre the Good wants to change our city for the better by creating an arts organization that focuses on residents of Toronto and their stories, histories, and communities. But first, they need your help. Attend their first planning session for the chance to pitch ideas, and get involved in the theatre’s inception. The 519 Church Street Community Centre (519 Church Street), 7 p.m., FREE. Details
Theatre: Mick Gordon’s BEA tells the story of a young woman suffering from a debilitating illness that has left her bedridden for eight years. She needs someone to feed her, wash her, dress her. But she still controls her right to live or die; a decision with which she struggles. BEA features performances from Bahareh Yaraghi, Deborah Drakeford, and Brendan McMurtry-Howlett. Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), 8 p.m., $10-$25. Details
Theatre: If you’ve been paying attention to musical theatre news over the past two years, you know that The Book of Mormon has a passionate and devout following of fans who swear it’s the long-awaited saviour of the artform. The show won nine Tonys in 2011, the cast recording reached number three on the Billboard chart, and tickets for its Broadway run are rare and expensive. Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West), 8 p.m., Prices vary. Details

Ongoing…

Theatre: A fragile young woman obsessed with an old mechanized box containing an ancient (and possibly deadly) artifact calls upon a clairvoyant, a paranormal investigator, and a parapsychologist to assist in unlocking its secrets. No, it’s not a new AMC series, or an upcoming summer blockbuster—it’s Visitations, the new immersive-theatre experience by The Mission Business, creator of last year’s epic bio-horror theatrical extravaganza, Zed.TO.

As with Zed.TO, the audience is very much at the heart of the action in Visitations, exploring rooms, decoding messages, solving puzzles, and trying to prevent a catastrophe—or perhaps being used to bring one about. The more you bring to the experience, the more fun you’ll have in return Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West), 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., $40-$80. Details
Theatre: Falsettos, a groundbreaking and Tony Award–winning musical, comes to town for a short run, presented by The Acting Up Stage Company. The story takes us to New York City in 1979, where the Sexual Revolution is hot, AIDS is on the rise, and Marvin, a husband and father, has decided to leave his family for a man. Directed by Robert McQueen and starring Darrin Baker, Sara-Jeanne Hosie, Sarah Gibbons, Michael Levinson, Eric Morin, Stephen Patterson, and Glynis Ranney. Daniels Spectrum (585 Dundas Street East), 7 p.m., $39-$55. Details
Theatre: Fans of the seminal 1968 horror-film classic, Night of the Living Dead, will delight in Night of the Living Dead Live, a new theatrical production of the story. Despite a weak second act, it’s a fun black-and-white romp with some inventive deaths—and even a chipper musical number. Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson Avenue), 7:30 p.m., $20–$80. Details
Comedy: The Toronto Comedy Brawl is in the middle of a growth spurt. Despite humble beginnings, Ian Atlas’ amateur competition has grown from 64 participants to, this year, a few hundred. The Crown and Tiger (414 College Street), 8 p.m., $5. Details
Theatre: Life x 3 presents the tale of Henry and Sonia, who have to deal with a couple that unexpectedly shows up to dinner a day early. The best part? In this play, you get to see three different versions of the evening’s events. Directed by Andrew Lamb (My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding). Unit 102 Theatre (376 Dufferin Street), 8 p.m., $25, $20 for students, seniors, and art workers. Details
Theatre: David Yee examines life’s interconnectivity in Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave. The play follows an escort in Thailand, a housewife in Utah, and a Catholic priest in India, and how their lives are simultaneously brought together and torn apart by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Tarragon Theatre (30 Bridgman Avenue), 8 p.m., $21-$53. Details
Theatre: In theatre, it’s one thing to have an idea. It’s another to actually see the idea through. And it’s another thing entirely to see it happen a second time.

“It’s nerve-wracking because we’re not new anymore, so it’s not as easy to get people excited about it as it was last year when it was a new and shiny thing. Like, ‘Are those scrappy kids going to pull it off?’” says Alex Johnson, project director of The Playwright Project, which is about to launch its second edition. By “those scrappy kids,” Johnson is referring to the collective of independent theatre companies that joined forces last year to create The Tennessee Project, a week-long festival that toured a series of Tennessee Williams one-act plays through seven Toronto neighbourhoods. The idea was that each play would perform in a new venue each night, but that those venues would be familiar places like bars, restaurants, or community centres, and the crews would not only perform in neighbourhoods (from North York to Greektown to Roncesvalles), but would volunteer for local projects and organizations as well. It was an ambitious gamble for a bunch of young theatre-makers frustrated by a lack of time and resources to stage their own work. But according to Johnson, it was a resounding success. Multiple venues, 8 p.m., $15. Details
Theatre: Written and directed by Maya Rabinovitch, I Will Not Hatch! features a cast of 10 actors telling the darkly comic story of how a number of passengers react when their airplane begins losing altitude. It’s a remount of their earlier Fringe show, which sold out house and earned praise in both Toronto and Winnipeg. Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley Street), 8 p.m., $15. Details

Happening soon:

Tomorrow Thursday Friday

Urban Planner: May 6, 2013

Torontoist — Mon, 06 May 2013 11:00:28 +0000

In today's Urban Planner: Playwrights Canada Press hosts readings, a play set on a crashing plane, and SINGular Sensation.

Daniel Karasik will read at the Playwrights Canada Press launch. Photo by Tim Leyes.

Theatre: Playwrights Canada Press holds a (theatre) star-studded reading event for their spring 2013 book launch. Among the authors reading from their work are Michael Healey, playwright of Proud; MJ Cruise, reading from her play Separate Beds; and Daniel Karasik, whose newest play The Biographer opened May 2. The Tranzac Club (292 Brunswick Avenue), 6:30 p.m., FREE. Details
Theatre: Written and directed by Maya Rabinovitch, I Will Not Hatch! features a cast of 10 actors telling the darkly comic story of how a number of passengers react when their airplane begins losing altitude. It’s a remount of their earlier Fringe show, which sold out house and earned praise in both Toronto and Winnipeg. Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley Street), 8 p.m., $15. Details
Performing Arts: Weekly musical theatre cabaret SINGular Sensation is marking some birthdays. Host/producer Jennifer Walls’ birthday is within a few days of Gabi Epstein’s, so the two triple-threats (both appearing in Stratford’s Springworks Festival this month) are celebrating together. Perhaps regular guest star Chris Tsujiuchi will sing “Happy Birthday” to them, as he did for a patron last week. Other guests this week include cast members of Angelwalk Theatre’s I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, and Kelly Holiff (From Justin to Kelly, Rent). Statler’s Lounge (487 Church Street), 10 p.m., PWYC. Details

Ongoing…

Theatre: A fragile young woman obsessed with an old mechanized box containing an ancient (and possibly deadly) artifact calls upon a clairvoyant, a paranormal investigator, and a parapsychologist to assist in unlocking its secrets. No, it’s not a new AMC series, or an upcoming summer blockbuster—it’s Visitations, the new immersive-theatre experience by The Mission Business, creator of last year’s epic bio-horror theatrical extravaganza, Zed.TO.

As with Zed.TO, the audience is very much at the heart of the action in Visitations, exploring rooms, decoding messages, solving puzzles, and trying to prevent a catastrophe—or perhaps being used to bring one about. The more you bring to the experience, the more fun you’ll have in return Drake Hotel (1150 Queen Street West), 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m., $40-$80. Details
Comedy: The Toronto Comedy Brawl is in the middle of a growth spurt. Despite humble beginnings, Ian Atlas’ amateur competition has grown from 64 participants to, this year, a few hundred.

The Comedy Brawl pits amateur stand-up comics against one another in a round-robin tournament. Each night features eight performers, each of whom does a five-minute standup set. At the end, each audience member votes for his or her three favourite comics. The four highest-scoring comedians from each night move onto the next round, until one winner is chosen on the final night.

This year, the first round features 26 shows and over 300 comedians, a number that will be pared down as the tournament progresses.

Atlas, who has worked in comedy production since he came to Toronto, originally started the brawl as a way to keep attendance up at his open-mic shows over the slow months. “Summer is a time where no one wants to go inside to do things,” he said, “so I started the brawl to [prevent myself from] losing the rooms and my livelihood.” The Crown and Tiger (414 College Street), 8 p.m., $5. Details
Theatre: In theatre, it’s one thing to have an idea. It’s another to actually see the idea through. And it’s another thing entirely to see it happen a second time.

“It’s nerve-wracking because we’re not new anymore, so it’s not as easy to get people excited about it as it was last year when it was a new and shiny thing. Like, ‘Are those scrappy kids going to pull it off?’” says Alex Johnson, project director of The Playwright Project, which is about to launch its second edition. By “those scrappy kids,” Johnson is referring to the collective of independent theatre companies that joined forces last year to create The Tennessee Project, a week-long festival that toured a series of Tennessee Williams one-act plays through seven Toronto neighbourhoods. The idea was that each play would perform in a new venue each night, but that those venues would be familiar places like bars, restaurants, or community centres, and the crews would not only perform in neighbourhoods (from North York to Greektown to Roncesvalles), but would volunteer for local projects and organizations as well. It was an ambitious gamble for a bunch of young theatre-makers frustrated by a lack of time and resources to stage their own work. But according to Johnson, it was a resounding success. Multiple venues, 8 p.m., $15. Details

Happening soon:

Tomorrow Wednesday Thursday