THESE WEEKEND EVENTS AND PERFORMANCES ARE GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOUR TIME IN TORONTO EVEN MORE MEMORABLE!

This weekend, see Mary Walsh in all her glory at Toronto’s Panasonic Theatre

Crazed Comedy
One of Canada’s best-known comediennes, Mary Walsh, has brought her wickedly funny one-woman show to the Panasonic Theatre. Incorporating all of the This Hour Has 22 Minutes star’s most iconic characters—including Warrior Princess and Marg Delahunty—Dancing With Rage is outrageous, original and brutally honest.

Sounds of the City
What does Toronto sound like? We’ll all find out on Saturday night, as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s New Creations Festival concludes with the premiere of Tod Machover’s A Toronto Symphony. Machover invited all Torontonians to collaborate with him during the final stages of composing his newest work, and the result is an orchestral tour de force by, for and about North America’s fourth largest city. The evening’s programming also features recent compositions by Steve Mackey and Andrew Staniland.

Hey, Geeks!
Toronto’s ComiCon is “putting the pop in pop culture” with a massive lineup of stars and artists from your favourite sci-fi, fantasy, horror and anime films and TV shows. No doubt the highlight of this two-day extravaganza (on Saturday and Sunday) at the Toronto Convention Centre is the appearance by the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Meet Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), rakish first officer William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), plus Worf, Counselor Troi, and even Data! But that’s not all! Expect to see Michael Hogan of Battlestar Galactica, Sean Astin from Lord of the Rings and many other celebs at this, the final frontier of fan expos.

Tale of Betrayal
They say that misery loves company, so this weekend give an audience to renowned actress Clare Coulter, who takes on the title role in Lear, a contemporary take on Shakespeare’s King Lear. Presented by Harbourfront Centre‘s World Stage, the infamous story of jealousy, betrayal, regret and an aging ruler who loses everything is as shocking as ever, yet remains eminently relatable.

Yuk It Up
The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival began on Thursday and continues this weekend (and all of next week) wit performances, parties and laughs. This weekend’s highlights include standup from Flight of the Conchords contributor Eugene Mirman, plus bucketful of wacky sketch and improv shows by local and visiting troupes such as Hot Thespian Action and The Sketchersons. If you’re a fun-loving, merry-making, laugh-aholic, this is the event for you!

A Family’s Odyssey
Join the Bundren family’s 40-mile funeral procession across the Mississippi countryside as Theatre Smith-Gilmour premieres its stage adaptation of William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying. Opening Friday at Theatre Passe Muraille, the Southern Gothic show is “an absurdly tragic journey through the grotesque intersection of character and circumstance.”