Arts & CultureComments Off on Theatre Notes – Beckett: Feck It!
Beckett: Feck it!, a world premiere production from Queen of Puddings in association with Canadian Stage, is a provocative and elegiac show that juxtaposes shorter plays of Samuel Beckett with contemporary classical music from outstanding Irish composers inspired by his appreciation for the absurd.
This new production reunites the renowned Canadian Beckett director Jennifer Tarver with Dáirine Ní Mheadhra & John Hess (music direction), and showcases a dynamic Canadian cast comprised of actors Laura Condlln, Michal Grzejszczak, Tom Rooney, and Sofia Tomic, sharing the stage with soprano Shannon Mercer and trumpet player Michael Fedyshyn. Queen of Puddings brings their signature contemporary twist to this invigorating evening of music, theatre, and Irish madness.
I had the chance to pose a few questions to artistic director Dáirine Ní Mheadhra. Here is our exchange…
HM: Once you had decided on Beckett for this year’s production, how did you narrow down the featured plays in Beckett: Feck it!?
DNM: We wanted to do shorter plays of Beckett, as any of the long ones would be a whole evening in themselves and we wanted to add music to the show so that wasn’t possible. Our choices were made from plays John Hess (my Co-Artistic Director) and I had seen over the years, along with talking to Jennifer Tarver[director].
HM: In the video you discuss your choice of music for this production. Was the fact that Beckett was ‘obsessed’ with classical music part of the reason in your choice of contemporary composers?
DNM: Classical music was a constant and important ingredient in Beckett’s life and he himself was a very good pianist. Music had always been for him the art form that came closest to pure spirit. In shaping his plays he drew on his knowledge of musical structures and terminology, repetition and repetition with variation, counterpoint, and changes of key, rhythm, tempo, and pitch.
HM: Could you please discuss the cast involved in this production and how you combine the actors with a soprano and a trumpet player?
DNM: Jennifer [Tarver] chose the actors and John and I chose the singer and trumpeter. The music in the show happens in juxtaposition to the plays, not together, so it was easy to incorporate the cast. Ultimately the show was conceived because I was very homesick for Ireland and Beckett’s Irish humour came into my head and that was followed with thinking how Irishness was manifest in Irish contemporary music and then I thought about putting the two things together, as we don’t tend to think of Beckett as Irish given that he has such an international reach.
HM: Lastly, has anything like this been done with Beckett’s short plays here in Canada or even in Ireland, that you know of?
DNM: As far as I know, nothing like this has been done either here or in Ireland.
Arts & CultureComments Off on Human Rights Watch Film Festival 2012
The 9th annual Toronto Human Rights Watch Film Festival will open on February 29 with the screening of director Fernand Melgar’s critically acclaimed documentary Special Flight, which focuses on the plight of refugees seeking asylum in Switzerland’s Frambois Detention Centre.
The Festival will run until Friday, March 9. All screenings take place at 8 pm at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Here is their full schedule:
For those of us who missed some of these films during their festival run last year, this is a great opportunity to finally see them and join in the discussion.
Tickets to the Human Rights Watch Film Festival are available at the door for most screenings or can be purchased in advance online at tiff.net, by phone at 416-599-TIFF (8433), or in person at TIFF Bell Lightbox Box Office, Reitman Square, 350 King Street West, Toronto.
**For tickets to the Closing Night Reception, please call Human Rights Watch Canada at 416-322-8448.
In celebration of Black History Month, CFC (Canadian Film Centre) and Clement Virgo are pleased to host a special evening in conversation with iconic actress Pam Grier. For more than 40 years, starting out as cinema’s ‘first female action star’, Grier has been a trailblazer for strong women on-screen. From her early starring roles in hit blaxploitation films Foxy Brown and Coffy, to Quentin Tarantino’s Jackie Brown, and the acclaimed Showtime series The L Word, she has captivated and engaged audiences with her character portrayals. The evening will explore her inspirations for entering the film business, the choices she has made as an actor, and the challenges she has faced along the way. Grier will also draw on her personal experiences to discuss the impact of being a role model both on and off the screen.
This event will take place on Thursday, February 2nd at Cineplex Odeon Varsity and VIP Cinemas 55 Bloor Street West, Toronto. It will run from 7 – 8:30 p.m.
Tickets are $20.00 (all proceeds will go towards the CFC Diversity Scholarship) and can be purchased in advance through T.O. TIX in person or online at www.totix.ca, or at the venue on the night of the event.
This event is part of TD’s Then & Now series, an inspiring and entertaining cultural showcase of one of Canada’s prominent communities. The lineup of events includes films, concerts, exhibitions, and performances by a host of Canadian and international artists. Visit the Then & Now website www.td.com/thenandnow for more information.
Arts & CultureComments Off on 32nd Genie Awards Nominees
The nominations for the 32nd Annual Genie Awards were announced by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television today at simultaneous news conferences in Toronto and Montreal.
Director Jean-Marc Vallée’s Café de Flore received 13 nominations and David Cronenberg’s A Dangerous Method received 11 nominations—both films are nominated for Best Motion Picture and Achievement in Direction.
Rounding out the Best Motion Picture category are the awardwinning Monsieur Lazhar; the suspenseful The Whistleblower and the crowd-pleaser Starbuck.
ACHIEVEMENT IN ART DIRECTION/PRODUCTION DESIGN JEAN BÉCOTTE – Funkytown AIDAN LEROUX, ROB HEPBURN – Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster JAMES MCATEER – A Dangerous Method PATRICE VERMETTE – Café de Flore EMELIA WEAVIND – The Bang Bang Club
ACHIEVEMENT IN CINEMATOGRAPHY MIROSLAW BASZAK, C.S.C. – The Bang Bang Club PIERRE COTTEREAU – Café de Flore JON JOFFIN – Daydream Nation JEAN-FRANÇOIS LORD – Snow & Ashes RONALD PLANTE – Monsieur Lazhar
ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN DENISE CRONENBERG – A Dangerous Method FARNAZ KHAKI-SADIGH – Afghan Luke GINETTE MAGNY, EMMANUELLE YOUCHNOVSKI – Café de Flore HEATHER NEALE – Keyhole MARIE-CHANTALE VAILLANCOURT – Funkytown
ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTION DAVID CRONENBERG – A Dangerous Method STEVEN SILVER – The Bang Bang Club JEAN-MARC VALLÉE – Café de Flore PHILIPPE FALARDEAU – Monsieur Lazhar LARYSA KONDRACKI – The Whistleblower
ACHIEVEMENT IN EDITING JEAN-FRANÇOIS BERGERON – The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom MICHAEL CZARNECKI – In Darkness PATRICK DEMERS – Jaloux STÉPHANE LAFLEUR – Monsieur Lazhar RONALD SANDERS, C.C.E. A.C.E. – A Dangerous Method
ACHIEVEMENT IN MAKE-UP CHRISTIANE FATTORI, FRÉDÉRIC MARIN – Café de Flore AMBER MAKAR – Amazon Falls VIRGINIE PARÉ – BumRush TAMMY LOU PATE – Snow & Ashes LESLIE ANN SEBERT, DAVID R. BEECROFT – Take This Waltz
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC – ORIGINAL SCORE RAMACHANDRA BORCAR – Jaloux MYCHAEL DANNA – The Whistleblower MARTIN LÉON – Monsieur Lazhar PHILIP MILLER – The Bang Bang Club HOWARD SHORE – A Dangerous Method
ACHIEVEMENT IN MUSIC – ORIGINAL SONG JAY BRANNAN – Cloudburst – My Love My Love CAROLE FACAL – Starbuck – Quelque part MALAJUBE – Good Neighbours – Oeil pour Oeil STEVEN PAGE – French Immersion – A Different Sort of Solitude JEAN ROBITAILLE, STEVE GALLUCCIO – Funkytown – Waiting for your Touch
M. Lazhar cast
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE FELLAG – Monsieur Lazhar GARRET DILLAHUNT – Oliver Sherman MICHAEL FASSBENDER – A Dangerous Method PATRICK HUARD – Starbuck SCOTT SPEEDMAN – Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ANTOINE BERTRAND – Starbuck KEVIN DURAND – Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster MARIN GERRIER – Café de Flore TAYLOR KITSCH – The Bang Bang Club VIGGO MORTENSEN – A Dangerous Method
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE CATHERINE DE LÉAN – Nuit #1 PASCALE MONTPETIT – The Girl in the White Coat VANESSA PARADIS – Café de Flore RACHEL WEISZ – The Whistleblower MICHELLE WILLIAMS – Take This Waltz
PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE ROXANA CONDURACHE – The Whistleblower HÉLÈNE FLORENT – Café de Flore JULIE LEBRETON – Starbuck SOPHIE NÉLISSE – Monsieur Lazhar CHARLOTTE SULLIVAN – Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
ACHIEVEMENT IN OVERALL SOUND STÉPHANE BERGERON, YANN CLEARY, LISE WEDLOCK – Marécages / Wetlands PIERRE BERTRAND, SHAUN NICHOLAS GALLAGHER, BERNARD GARIÉPY STROBL – Monsieur Lazhar JEAN MINONDO, JOCELYN CARON, GAVIN FERNANDES, LOUIS GIGNAC – Café de Flore LOU SOLAKOFSKI, STEPHAN CARRIER, KIRK LYNDS – The Bang Bang Club OREST SUSHKO, CHRISTIAN COOKE – A Dangerous Method
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND EDITING FRED BRENNAN, JAMES BASTABLE, GABE KNOX, JOHN SIEVERT – You Are Here CLAUDE BEAUGRAND, OLIVIER CALVERT, NATALIE FLEURANT, FRANCINE POIRIER – Marécages / Wetlands WAYNE GRIFFIN, ROB BERTOLA, TONY CURRIE, ANDY MALCOLM, MICHAEL O’FARRELL – A Dangerous Method MARTIN PINSONNAULT, BLAISE BLANCHIER, SIMON MEILLEUR, MIREILLE MORIN, LUC RAYMOND – Café de Flore JEREMY MACLAVERTY, DANIEL PELLERIN, GEOFF RAFFAN, JAN RUDY, JOHN SIEVERT, JAMES MARK STEWART – In Darkness
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY ANNE ÉMOND – Nuit #1 EILIS KIRWAN, LARYSA KONDRACKI – The Whistleblower KEN SCOTT, MARTIN PETIT – Starbuck JEAN-MARC VALLÉE – Café de Flore RYAN WARD, MATTHEW HEITI – Son of the Sunshine
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY PHILIPPE FALARDEAU – Monsieur Lazhar RYAN REDFORD – Oliver Sherman DAVID SHAMOON – In Darkness STEVEN SILVER – The Bang Bang Club
ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS DENNIS BERARDI, MATHEW BORNETT, MIKE BORRETT, WILSON CAMERON, OVI CINAZIN, JASON EDWARDH, OLIVER HEARSEY, JIM PRICE, MILAN SCHERE, WOLCIECH ZIELINSKI – A Dangerous Method ÉVE BRUNET, JACQUES LÉVESQUE, PHILIPPE ROBERGE – Snow & Ashes MARC CÔTÉ, STÉPHANIE BROUSSAUD, GARY CHUNTZ, VINCENT DUDOUET, CYNTHIA MOUROU, ERIC NORMANDIN, MARTIN PENSA, LUC SANFAÇON, SYLVAIN THÉROUX, NATHALIE TREMBLAY – Café de Flore GEOFFROY LAUZON – BumRush TOM TURNBULL, IAN BRITTON, ROBERT CROWTHER, TONY CYBULSKI – Edwin Boyd: Citizen Gangster
BEST FEATURE LENGTH DOCUMENTARY BEAUTY DAY – Jay Cheel, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Roman Pizzacalla FAMILY PORTRAIT IN BLACK AND WHITE – Julia Ivanova, Boris Ivanov THE GUANTANAMO TRAP – Thomas Wallner, Amit Breuer, Patrick Crowe LA NUIT, ELLES DANSENT / AT NIGHT, THEY DANCE – Isabelle Lavigne, Stéphane Thibault, Lucie Lambert WIEBO’S WAR – David York, Nick Hector, C.C.E., Bryn Hughes, Bonnie Thompson
BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY 75 WATTS – John Cullen DERAILMENTS – Chelsea McMullan SIRMILIK – Zacharias Kunuk, Joel McConvey, Kristina McLaughlin, Kevin McMahon, Michael McMahon, Geoff Morrison, Ryan J. Noth
BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT DRAMA DOUBLES WITH SLIGHT PEPPER – Ian Harnarine HOPE – Pedro Pires, Phoebe Greenberg, Penny Mancuso ORA – René Chénier, Philippe Baylaucq LA RONDE – Élaine Hébert, Sophie Goyette
BEST ANIMATED SHORT CHOKE – Michelle Latimer LA CITÉ ENTRE LES MURS / INNER CITY – Alain Fournier MUYBRIDGE’S STRINGS – Koji Yamamura, Michael Fukushima, Shuzo John Shiota, Keisuke Tsuchihashi ROMANCE – Georges Schwizgebel, René Chénier, Marc Bertrand WILD LIFE – Amanda Forbis, Wendy Tilby, Marcy Page, Bonnie Thompson
The 32nd Annual Genie Awards will be broadcast on Thursday, March 8 at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) on CBC Television.
Arts & CultureComments Off on A World of Shorts January Installment: Past Perfect
A World of Shortsis back this month with short films relating to the theme “Past Perfect.” There’s a difference between relishing the past and slavishly reliving it, but it’s a fine line for this cast of characters who can’t seem to let go of yesterday – whether it’s a favourite song, a discarded piece of trash, or a buried memory. Take a nostalgic trip back, to a time and place full of firsts and lasts.
In the line up this month are…
NOCTURN Leanne Welham| UK | 2010 | 15 minutes
Unable to sleep one night, Jody goes to the local 24-hour garage and meets a young couple who turn her night, and her life, upside down.
REPRESSED (FÖRTRÄNGD)
Jimmy Olsson | Sweden | 2010 | 15 minutes
On club night, the after-hours bus plays host to the usual drunken banter and rowdy cliques. When Kristoffer notices a dangerously sedated teen, he is confronted with a serious situation from his past – and it propels him to take matters into his own hands.
JUST BEFORE DAWN
Loren Slater | UK | 2010 | 11 minutes
Two female besties, on a mission to recapture the heady days of their youth, have a bad trip en route to discovering that the past has passed.
SIBYLLE
Näel Marandin| France | 2011 | 12 minutes
Can Sibylle rebuild her self-esteem at the expense of the stranger she just met?
SECOND HAND
Isaac King | Canada | 2010 | 8 minutes
Two neighbours have different ideas about wasting time and saving stuff. The ticking clock, and the art of recycling… who knew that hoarding could slow down time and conservation could reorganize it?
1994
Kaveh Tehrani | Norway | 2010 | 29 minutes
An Iranian family moves to Lillehammer, Norway during the early 90s. At first welcomed with open arms by a population preparing for the ’94 Winter Olympics, the new arrivals realize that people are not as friendly as they seemed. A comedic mockumentary that is stuck in the past!
A World of Shorts:Past Perfect will take place next week, Wednesday, January 18th at the NFB Mediatheque. There will be two screenings; at 6pm and again at 8pm. Tickets are $6 Adults, $4 Students, Seniors, NFB Members.
Arts & CultureComments Off on Filmmaker Ingrid Veninger honoured by the Toronto Film Critics Association
Ingrid Veninger – Photo courtesy of GAT PR.
“Ingrid Veningeris a true independent, a maker of intimate films that seem born of the moment. Her work is infused with a spirit of generosity that extends to her presence in the film community as Toronto’s queen of low-budget cinema,” said Toronto Film Critics Association (TFCA) President Brian D. Johnson, film critic for Maclean’s magazine.
“Receiving the Jay Scott Prize for Emerging Talent from the Toronto Film Critics Association is a great honour,” said Ingrid Veninger. “… In 1990, I saw Jay Scott at the TIFF screening for ‘H’. I had a small role in the film and he smiled at me after the screening. This might not seem like a big deal, but it meant a lot to me, because his smile was full of encouragement. Now, I make personal, micro-budget films and I hope they are genuine and provocative… And I am grateful to every person who comes out to see the films in the end, because that exchange with an audience is the point of the entire process.”
Arts & CultureComments Off on Have You Donated to the Ron White Shoe Drive?
It’s that time of the year again! The Ron White Foundation kicked off its 16th Annual Shoe Drive last week, Jan 6th. An initiative of the foundation, The Ron White Shoe Drive is the largest of its kind in Canada and over the last 15 years has collected and given back more than 21,000 shoes and boots for the men, women and children. Music legends Celine Dion, David Foster,Paul Anka, The Canadian Tenors, and prodigious newcomers Nikki Yanofsky and Charice have all signed and donated their shoes.
All donations are welcome now and will be collected through Sunday, February 5 at all five Ron White locations across the Greater Toronto Area. Gently worn shoes and boots collected in all locations will be sorted, cleaned and distributed to shelters and organizations in need. This year’s charity partners include: Dress for Success, Halton Place, Out of the Cold, New Circles and Ve’ahavta.
This is a chance to help those in our local community. So go into that closet and do some cleaning…it’s for a good cause!
Arts & CultureComments Off on American Idiot Opens in Toronto Tonight
Broadway hit American Idiot will launch its First North American tour, as well as launch the Dancap 2012 Broadway Series, at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, beginning TONIGHT with the official opening night tomorrow, December 29.
Four Canadians leading the charge include Jake Epstein as Will, Scott J. Campbell as Tunny and Talia Aaron and Gabriel Antonacci in the ensemble. Original Broadway cast member Van Hughes will star as Johnny, the role in which he concluded American Idiot‘s Broadway run, along with Broadway cast member Leslie McDonel as Heather, Gabrielle McClinton as Whatsername, Nicci Claspell as The Extraordinary Girl and original Broadway cast member Joshua Kobak as St. Jimmy.
Winner of two Tony Awards, American Idiot is the story of three boyhood friends, each searching for meaning in a post 9-11 world. American Idiot features the music of Green Day with lyrics by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong. The musical features the hits “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday” and the blockbuster title track “American Idiot” from Green Day’s 2004 Grammy Award-winning, multi- platinum album. Also included in the score are several songs from Green Day’s Grammy Award-winning 2009 release “21st Century Breakdown” including “21 Guns” and an unreleased love song, “When It’s Time.”
Performances run from December 28, 2011 to January 15, 2012. Tickets are available oline at www.DancapTickets.com or by calling 416.644.3665 or toll-free at 1.866.950.7469.
Arts & CultureComments Off on Tango Pasión Comes to Toronto!
Born in the brothels of 1880s Buenos Aires, the tango began as a dance and evolved into an art form treasured by its nation. If you have not seen tango dancing live, this is your chance!
With a successful Broadway run, and tours in North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East, on its mantle, Tango Pasión is an alluring Argentine dance musical that has made audiences wide-eyed on three continents since 1992.
Artistic Directors Mel Howard and José Libertella, accompanied by choreographer Hector Zaraspe and painter Ricardo Carpani, spent months in the heart of Buenos Aires creating this production that weaves together a collection of tango stories uncovered by a cast of dexterous dancers representing the full range of Argentine society.
Set in a quaint Buenos Aires café, Tango Pasión features 10 intense dancers; five women full of coquettish charm and five men of pure strength and charisma, backed live by the Tango Pasión Sexteto Orchestra.
Tango Pasión will be on stage for one night only Saturday, February 18, 2012 at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts. Tickets range from $45-$80; they can be purchased by calling 1-855-872-SONY (7669) or online at www.sonycentre.ca
