Urban Planner: May 28, 2013

In today's Urban Planner: a whole festival of clowns, West Side Story at the orchestra, and CATS.

By Torontoist

Whether you like it or not, the clowns are coming. Image courtesy of Toronto Festival of Clowns.

• Performing Arts: If you suffer from coulrophobia, this might be a good week to get out of town. Why? The Toronto Festival of Clowns is descending upon us, bringing over 100 playful (or terrifying, you decide) clowns, bouffons, and physical-theatre artists with it. Choose from a variety of experimental clown shows, playing at two different venues. Multiple venues, 6:30 p.m., Tickets $15. Details
• Music: If you’ve ever watched a musical on DVD and complained that your TV speakers aren’t doing justice to the sound, this is an event for you. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra presents West Side Story with orchestral accompaniment. Under the direction of conductor Steven Reineke, the TSO will play Leonard Bernstein’s original score, including ‘I Feel Pretty’ and ‘America,’ alongside a remastered hi-def screening of the film. Roy Thomson Hall (60 Simcoe Street), 7:30 p.m., $40-$110. Details
• Theatre: Broadway’s second longest running show prowls into Toronto, boasting an entirely Canadian cast. The all-new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS combines established acting talent, a known and loved score, and holographic set design. Directed by Dave Campbell, and featuring performances by Eric Abel, and original Canadian company member Susan Cuthbert. Panasonic Theatre (651 Yonge Street), 7:30 p.m., $40-$110. 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
• Photography: Canadian indie music label, Arts & Crafts, are celebrating their tenth anniversary. As part of the celebrations, they’re showing a new exhibition from Toronto photographer, Norman Wong. The exhibition features images of various artists over the years including Feist, Kevin Drew, Emily Haines, and many more. You’ll be able to buy a book of photography there and a portion of the proceeds from the event will go to Testicular Cancer Canada and MusiCounts. 1093 Queen Street West, Unit 2 (1093 Queen Street West), 7 p.m., FREE. Details
• Theatre: One of the Fringe Festival’s greatest successes, and definitely Soulpepper’s biggest post-millennial hit, Ins Choi’s corner store comedy Kim’s Convenience returns for another extended run into the the summer season. Most of the principal cast, including Paul Sun-Hyung Lee as larger-than-life patriarch Appa, are back. Here’s our review of the first Soulpepper remount. Young Centre for the Performing Arts (50 Tank House Lane), 7:30 p.m., $5–$68. 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: 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: In 1996, Theatre Columbus premiered playwright Michael O’Brien’s “freely adapted” take on the famous Beaumarchais play The Barber of Seville, which was written in 1775. O’Brien’s version mixed in music from the 1816 opera of the same name by Gioachino Rossini, as well as original tunes by composer John Millard. The adaptation also propelled the story forward a couple centuries, with pop culture references galore. With Theatre Columbus co-founder Leah Cherniak at the helm, the musical ended the season with six Dora Award nominations (it won three) and plenty of critical acclaim.

  Seventeen years later, Soulpepper Theatre is remounting this zany reimagination of The Barber of Seville, updated once again by O’Brien, Millard, and Cherniak. But, for some reason—the change in decade, or company, or sense of humour—whatever had made the original so magical, has faded, save for a few key performances. Young Centre for the Performing Arts (50 Tank House Lane), 8 p.m., $32–$68. Details

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.