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Urban Planner: November 27, 2009
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 all of its details—as well as images, if you’ve got any—to [email protected].
Toronto-based Nagata Shachu Japanese Taiko and MusicGroup in action. Photo by Diana Hung-Cheng.
MUSIC: And now for something completely different (and spectacular)… Hailed as one of the world’s best Japanese taiko drumming groups, Nagata Shachu is based out of our very own city. Tonight, this group of seven musicians will enthrall audience members with their command of more than twenty-six instruments in the world premiere of “Kotama – Spirit of Taiko.” A “percussive love letter” to the art of Japanese drumming, company members blend traditional and modern techniques to tell a series of wordless tales set to enchanted rhythms and charged with raw energy. Some of the highlights of the show include “Araumi” (stormy sea), in which a variety of instruments emulate the calm before, then raging power of, a storm at sea, and “Batta” (grasshopper), a light-hearted combination of music and dance that features the shimmering sounds of the chappa (brass cymbal). Spoiler alert: the show will also feature some seriously chiselled bodies and, perhaps, some bare ass cheeks. Al Green Theatre (750 Spadina Avenue), 8 p.m., $30 adults, $20 seniors and students (available online or by calling 416-978-8829).
TREASURE HUNT: Why not ditch the mid-afternoon coffee, smoke, and gossip huddled against the November elements to spend your break time hunting for treasure? Leisure Rules’ latest public treasure hunt begins today (and runs until December 6). Register for free online, then get started by reading the clues and trying to figure out where they lead. Each clue found must be documented by digital camera and submitted along with a description of where you discovered it. Not only does it pay to be observant in a game like this, but it also pays (one hundred dollars) to win. Regardless, anyone who’s taken part in previous hunts will attest that it’s a fun way to explore Toronto’s downtown core. Leisure Rules website, various locations in downtown Toronto (first location: Queen’s Park), anytime, FREE.
THEATRE: Soup Can Theatre—dedicated to reinterpreting older theatrical works for a current-day audience—proudly presents their inaugural production, Love is a Poverty You Can Sell, tonight in Kensington’s favourite performance space. Step into a 1920s Berlin cabaret for a flamboyant tribute to the music and influence of legendary composer Kurt Weill. Helmed by director Sarah Thorpe, the talented cast showcases not only actors but classically trained singers, rockstars, drag performers, and sundry bohemian riff-raff. A live nine-piece orchestra rounds out the production, which promises to be truly memorable. Bread & Circus (299 Augusta Avenue), 7:30 p.m., $15 general admission, $12 seniors, students, and art workers (available at the door, online or by calling 416-336-3399).
FILM: It’s a film noir–inspired evening at Free Film Fridays. Fritz Lang’s M (watch the trailer) and Aldrich’s Kiss me Deadly go head-to-head in a highly anticipated (and sure to be packed) double-bill screening. The night will kick off with a presentation on the genre by Professor Charlie Keil, “one of the most captivating professors,” according to the event’s Facebook page. Made in 1931—around the time when sound had just been introduced in cinemas—thriller M made a distinct impression on the public back then and still has an effect today. For its part, the stunning 1955 adaptation of Mickey Spillane’s hard-boiled novel Kiss Me Deadly plays around with the conventions of film noir to portray the compelling and twisted story of private eye Mike Hammer. Innis Town Hall (2 Sussex Avenue), 7 p.m., FREE (first come, first served, so arrive early).