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Listings to get the most out of the city: where to dine, what to see, where to shop, and more.
Harbour Sixty's surf and turf of bone-in rib steak and black tiger shrimp
When it comes to steakhouse fare, there’s less of an emphasis on panache than on quality cuts of beef, subtle seasoning and perfect grilling. The menus at these 10 Toronto meateries are therefore bound to have some similarities, but each place does things a little bit differently, and they all dish out worthwhile meals. (more…)
FEBRUARY 23 An impressive assortment of classic and contemporary big band music is on the playlist as the renowned Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra swings into Toronto. Touring in honour of co-founder and music director Wynton Marsalis’s 50th birthday, the group is slated to perform selections from the trumpeter’s vast compositional output, such as his Pulitzer Prize-winning Blood on the Fields, as well as other new works. Of course, the ensemble is also dedicated to preserving the spirit of traditional jazz, through interpretations of tunes by the likes of Thelonious Monk, Lee Morgan and more. Massey Hall, 8 p.m., $39.50 to $99.50; call 416-872-4255 or visit here to buy.
Friday: Only a few shows remain for Cruel and Tender (photo by Bruce Zinger)
Friday, February 17
Don’t miss one of your final opportunities to see Atom Egoyan’s return to his theatre roots as he directs his wife, Arsinee Khanjian, in Martin Crimp’s tour-de-force Cruel and Tender. This drama, which contrasts private battles and public wars, is on stage at the Bluma Appel Theatre until February 18.
Independent music showcase Wavelength celebrates its 12th anniversary with a four-night extravaganza of the newest and brightest in pop, rock and electronic music. Tonight’s lineup features Toronto’s own critically lauded hardcore band F*cked Up.
Virtuosic pianist Leon Fleisher commands the attention of the audience at Koerner Hall, as he and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra perform a bold selection of works by such masters as Ravel, Beethoven and Prokofiev.
Bonus Pick! Make your way to Indigo‘s Manulife Centre location tonight to hear newly minted Giller Prize winner Esi Edugyan discuss her acclaimed novel, Half-Blood Blues, with the Globe and Mail‘s Sandra Martin. (more…)
Inside the Ed Mirvish Theatre
Each week, our intrepid interns reflect on life
and times in the big city.
When I think of theatre, I time-machine back to junior high, where I discovered an interest in acting. Encouraged by Ms. Olsen, who was as cool and as in-love-with-Shakespeare as drama teachers come, I auditioned for—and won—a role as a Men in Black–style agent in a ridiculous student-written play called Phlegm and Larry in the Search for Elvis (don’t ask). It was the complete opposite of classics like The Wizard of Oz and Annie that I had seen performed in previous years; of course it was an instant hit.
Unfortunately, after that successful debut, my play-acting ambitions largely took a backseat to academics. It was not until university—and a few courses on Shakespeare—that theater and I were truly reacquainted. In a class full of drama majors, I took comfort in at least knowing the difference between upstage and downstage and being able to identifying a soliloquy. But reading drama isn’t the same as watching it on stage. (more…)
Curried apricot and red lentil soup from RaviSoups
For a wintery warm-up, nothing tops a hot mug, bowl or bucket full of tasty soup*. The kind of soup that tickles your taste buds en route to warming your body after an afternoon of skating, skiing or snowball fighting. So raise a spoon to these ten Toronto soup slingers. (more…)
photo by Aislinn Laffan
The standard bearer for Toronto’s thin-crust pizza craze has expanded to serve even more diners who know the rules of the Verace Pizza Napoletana Association by heart. Pizzeria Libretto is now ensconced at a new location on The Danforth. With 144 seats, this second space is twice as large as the original on Ossington Avenue, and naturally features not one, but two huge, Naples-made wood-burning ovens to ensure that perfectly blistered, flash-baked crust. The margherita ($13) is a must-try, of course, but once you’ve had that authentic taste of Italy, make a return visit for signature pies made with Ontario-fresh ingredients like prosciutto, arugula and shave grana padano cheese ($16), and house-made sausage with caramelized onions and chili oil ($16).
Friday: War Horse gallops on to the stage (photo by Brinkhoff/Mögenburg)
Friday, February 10
Mirvish Productions sounds the charge tonight as the highly anticipated play War Horse begins its run at the Princess of Wales Theatre. Follow the touching story of Joey, a horse sold to the British cavalry at the outbreak of World War One, and the lengths to which his young friend Albert goes to bring home his beloved stallion.
Juno Award-winning musician Dallas Green, better know as City and Colour, kicked off his cross-Canada tour in January; he makes a stop at Massey Hall this evening to perform tracks from his latest album, Little Hell.
Treat yourself to Cantabile: An Evening of Live Italian Music at the Enwave Theatre, where the Art of Time Ensemble offers up a range of music, including familiar classics by Verdi and Puccini, as well as popular songs by Lucio Battisti. (more…)
FEBRUARY 11 TO MARCH 4 J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series runs seven books and thousands of pages long. The eight Warner Bros. films total almost 20 hours of viewing. For those who are tight on time, Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience condenses life at Hogwarts into 70 madcap minutes. Starring former Children’s BBC hosts Dan Clarkson and Jeff Turner, the production uses music, a bit of manic theatre magic and even a game of quidditch with the audience to skewer the book and movie phenomenon that swept the world over the past decade. Fun for the whole family, it’s sure to have even the most grim-faced Death Eaters in stitches. Panasonic Theatre, $29.75 to $99.75; call 416-872-1212 or click here for showtimes
and to purchase tickets.
Our writer's going to miss the friendly confines of Roncesvalles Avenue
Each week, our intrepid interns reflect on life
and times in the big city.
For some time now there’s been talk of a housing shortage in Toronto, particularly when it comes to rental units, so when my boyfriend and I began our search for a new place, we were spooked. And yet, fortune smiled on us and gave us not only a (light-filled, two-level) space, but the very one that we’d fallen for head over heels. After a great deal of whooping and hugging, we decided to celebrate by walking from our current nabe, Roncesvalles, to our future ‘hood, Queen Street West at Trinity Bellwoods Park. (more…)
photo by Angela Mabray
A heart-shaped box of chocolates? A dozen red roses? C’mon now, you can do better than that for the man or woman you love. For something Cupid would classify as next level, head to one of these shops that prove Valentine’s Day gifts need not be tawdry and flowers need not be cliché. (more…)
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (photo by Cylla von Tiedemann)
Just as theatre company Mirvish Productions was announcing its upcoming schedule, so too was another of the city’s performing arts institutions, the National Ballet of Canada, presenting its own highly anticipated 2012/13 programming—a selection that promises to thrill and inspire with its diverse mix of celebrated classics and groundbreaking new works.
The fall season opens with a whimsical bang when Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland returns to the Four Seasons Centre stage from November 10 to 25, 2012. Having received rapturous reviews when it premiered at last year’s Luminato festival, this lavish co-production with England’s Royal Ballet reimagines Lewis Carroll’s most beloved work through the grace and lyricism of dance. (more…)
The Book of Mormon comes to Toronto in May 2013
Toronto’s biggest producer of theatrical entertainment yesterday announced an all-
singing, all-dancing slate of must-see shows for its upcoming 2012/13 season. Mirvish Productions’ six major stagings comprise an energetic lineup of familiar fare that’s sure
to energize the city’s theatre goers. Check out our photo gallery for a glimpse of what
to expect—and what to come back for!
—Faiza Siddiqui
OPENS FEBRUARY 10 After his horse is sold to the British Cavalry at the outbreak of World War I, young Albert begins a perilous mission to bring him home in War Horse. This acclaimed play, based on a novel by Michael Morpurgo—and recently turned into a film by Steven Spielberg—is a poignant tale of courage, loyalty and friendship, rounded out by rousing music. The visual showpieces are a set of full-size, incredibly life-like horse puppets, created by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, which gallop and charge on stage. Princess of Wales Theatre, Tuesday to Saturday 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday 1:30 p.m., $45 to $150; call 416-872-1212 or visit here to reserve seats.
Though it boasts a cartoon rooster for its mascot, Le Kensington Bistro & Rotisserie is hardly some KFC or St. Hubert knockoff. Instead, this homey little spot is the more casual cousin of Loire, a fine French favourite on Harbord Street. Of course, rotisserie chicken ($32 for a whole bird, $16 for half) is prominently featured, but it’s not the only palate-pleaser on chef Jean-Charles Dupoire’s menu—classics like beef tartare ($12), steak frites ($22) and a diverse charcuterie ($15 or $25) are uncomplicated, but nonetheless go far beyond the offerings of take-out chicken joints. And what sommelier Sylvain Brissonet’s Ontario and French wine list lacks in breadth, it makes up for in affordability.
photo by John Daughtry
FEBRUARY 7 TO 19 Toronto gets a dose of hot Latin flavour this month courtesy of In the Heights, a modern musical that honours Broadway traditions. Winner of four Tony Awards—including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Choreography—the production pulls audiences into the story of a Latino community in Manhattan’s Washington Heights district, and how the immigrant residents cope with life’s struggles while holding on to their dreams. Brimming with energetic salsa-meets-hip-hop music and beautifully choreographed dancing, it’s certain to get your head bobbing and feet tapping. Toronto Centre for the Arts, $40 to $135; visit here for more information and tickets.
An image from Tasman Richardon's haunting Necropolis (photo by Alex Grigorescu)
FEBRUARY 4 TO APRIL 1 The Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art kicks off its 2012 season this weekend with a trio of engrossing installations.
Three years in the making, Tasman Richardson‘s Necropolis is an immersive multimedia project that addresses the modern world’s loss of emotional engagement through six audio-visual installations set within a darkened, winding superstructure. Curated by Rhonda Corvese, each installation segment offers scenes from films re-contextualized into themes of narcissism, idolatry and oblivion, and their mounting sense of dread transforms the exhibition into a visceral experience. Richardson conceived the display as a response to what he terms “death culture,” or video and culture as a “false intimacy where moments are becoming emotionally oversimplified.” The use of odd frame rates and interlacing further emphasize real experience over than consumption of life through a screen. “Everything that can be recorded,” says Richardson, “is a kind of pseudo-death.” (more…)
Friday: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre performs Revelations and more (photo by Christopher Duggan)
Friday, February 3
Witness the legacy of one of the world’s finest choreographers in action when Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater visits the Sony Centre to perform some of Ailey’s best-loved modern dance pieces, including Revelations.
Explore the movement, folklore and theatrical traditions of Africa with COBA, the Collective of Black Artists, when the group brings traditional dances from Guinea and Senegal to Harbourfront Centre this weekend.
Embrace African culture even more broadly at Harbourfront Centre‘s Kuumba festival, which celebrates Black History Month. All manner of family-friendly activities are on offer—from film screenings and dance performances to a fashion workshop and drum exhibit. (more…)
First Canadian Place offers a bevy of upscale stores in the PATH system
Each week, our intrepid interns reflect
on life and times in the big city.
I thought it was an urban legend, like a story that’s passed to you when you start working in Toronto. I mean, you never hear of special walkways snaking beneath the streets of Mississauga. I’d heard people talk about
the PATH, but I’d never actually walked it. Friends suggested that I use it to get to work, but I shrugged off the notion, thinking I’d rather not stride through an unfamiliar subterranean labyrinth. But on a January day when the windchill was well into the minus-20s, I pushed aside my worries and sought refuge underground. (more…)
Two examples of Toronto jewellers' fine work—in tourmaline by Anne Sportun, and onyx by Mark Lash
Whether for yourself or that special someone, the best jewellery is unique in both design and sentiment. Our January/February issue showed off some of the city’s most desirable baubles; the bespoke jewellers listed below are glad to apply their skills to help achieve your own vision of the perfect, sparkling piece. (more…)
FEBRUARY 2 TO 22 A 12th-century love story gets a 21st-century makeover when director Daniele Finzi Pasca brings his striking visual style to Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s opera, Love from Afar. The Canadian Opera Company presents this story of a world-weary medieval troubadour from France who sets sail to find the Countess of Tripoli, his vision of ideal love. Baritone Russell Braun plays the troubadour Jaufré, while Erin Wall makes her COC debut as the object of his desire, Clémence. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, $12 to $318; for showtimes and tickets, call 416-363-8231 or click here.
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