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Weekend Roundup: Best Bets for February 24 to 26

A still from "Bruce-O-Rama" by Claire Hodge.

Friday, Feb. 24
The spirit of martial arts — and Bruce Lee — comes alive in “Bruce-o-Rama,” an interactive exhibition by Claire Hodge at the Ottawa School of Art that opens Feb. 23. You may feel like you’re entering a cinema when you first walk into the gallery, but this is no movie theatre. Here, floor pressure sensors trigger footage of Bruce Lee’s films, which plays in loops. Clips interact with each other in new and complex ways, fitting together like a mixed-up jigsaw puzzle. You don’t have to be the world’s biggest Bruce Lee fan to enjoy this exhibit — you just need an open mind and a willingness to see things in a new light.

“Pay it forward” is today’s theme for Ottawa Kindness Week, which began on Feb. 17 and ends today. The idea behind Kindness Week is to promote different kind actions in order to build a sense of community, which will hopefully last beyond this dedicated week. So, in sticking with the “pay it forward” mantra, the next time someone is kind to you, make a conscious effort to pay that kindness forward by being kind to another person, which will help make a positive difference in the daily life of our society.

Saturday, Feb. 25
Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm has been producing authentic maple syrup since the 1800s. Be part of this experience on opening day when maple syrup season kicks off with a flurry of family friendly activities. See horse drawn sap collection, enjoy tasty taffy in the snow, go for a sleigh ride, visit the Sugar Shack, and have a pancake brunch at the Pancake House in this celebration of Canadian traditions. The season runs until April 8.

Spontaneous hilarity and imagination are all part of the experience at the Canadian Improv Games: Regional Tournament Finals taking place this Saturday at the National Arts Centre, which sees high school students from around the city compete. See the final four teams and the wild card winners battle it out in this final round of the tournament that will make you LOL. (more…)

Where in Toronto: Getting Back to the Theatre

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…)

Vinyl Vaudeville at Performance Works

By Caitlin Dawson

Vinyl Vaudeville at Performance Works. Photo by Justin Eckersall

Roll up, roll up, ladies and gentlemen, and prepare to witness the jaw-dropping performances of Vinyl Vaudeville—a dinner cabaret at Performance Works on Granville Island (to Feb. 18).

If you’re new to the concept, vaudeville was a popular art form in the US and Canada at the end of the 19th century, lasting until the early 1930s. Jugglers, dancers and comedians rubbed shoulders with magicians, acrobats and instrumentalists on one diverse bill, offering an exhilarating display of varied showmanship. (more…)

Hot Dates: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast

February 8 to 12

Beauty and the Beast photo by Joan Marcus

The beloved Broadway musical rolls into town this winter, filling the Queen Elizabeth Theatre with tunes such as the toe-tapping “Be Our Guest,” the heart-wrenching “If I Can’t Love Her” and the unforgettable title song. Catch Mrs. Potts, Chip, Lumiere, Cogsworth and all your other favourite characters in this tale as old as time.—Sheri Radford

W-F 7:30 pm; Sa 11 am, 3:30 and 8 pm; Su 2 and 7:30 pm. $25+. Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Hamilton St. at Dunsmuir. Tickets 1-855-985-5000. www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca

Hot Dates: Fighting Words

Fighting Days image courtesy of Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre

FEB 9-MAR 3 Winnipeg’s volatile early history comes to life in The Fighting Days. The drama follows farm girl Francis as she moves to the big city and lands a job at the local newspaper. After meeting suffragette Nellie McClung, Francis joins the fight for women’s right to vote. Francis’ story about finding herself will have audiences rethinking the role women played in shaping Manitoba. Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, 174 Market Ave, 204-942-6537 for tickets.

Weekend Roundup: Best Bets for February 3 to 5

Quinsin Nachoff is just one of the performers taking the stage at the Ottawa Winter Jazzfest.

Friday, Feb. 3
Jazz up your weekend by taking in the international and local talent at the first annual Ottawa Winter Jazzfest. Whether you’re a seasoned jazz enthusiast or looking to diversify your musical tastes, this festival promises to thaw that winter chill. Hop all over downtown Ottawa, from the National Arts Centre to Club SAW to the Mercury Lounge to catch the smooth sounds of artists such as Megan Jerome, Quinsin Nachoff, Remi Bolduc, and the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble of Chicago.

Experience Ottawa’s diverse architecture and examine the relationship between architecture, the arts, and politics through music with Polytectures. This sound walk was created by Montreal’s Antoine Bédard and 10 local musicians. Through a variety of musical styles, Polytectures allows visitors and locals alike to experience Ottawa’s architecture in new ways by pairing songs with local landmarks. Although the entire walk is an hour long, it has been divided into sections with warm-up breaks for Winterlude.

If you’re a film buff with a soft spot for independent cinema, then you’re going to want to Get Iced this weekend. The Independent Filmmakers Co-operative of Ottawa is presenting 10 new Super 8 short films made by local filmmakers in cooperation with Winterlude. Afterwards, unwind with drinks at the Soviet-style reception hosted by Avant-Garde Bar and Gift Shop. The party continues at the bar after 9:30pm with live music and no cover charge.

This Friday, Yamantaka //Sonic Titan and Boyhood bring the party to Babylon. Yamantaka //Sonic Titan are a psychedelic opera group that fuses noise, metal, folk, and pop music to create an east-meets-west culture clash extravaganza. Boyhood is new on the Ottawa scene, bringing catchy songs with haunting melodies. (more…)

Hot Dates: Lost: A Memoir

Lost: A Memoir, Actor Jan Alexandra-Smith photo by Trudie Lee.

JAN 28 Brother lost at sea in this prairie drama. Prairie Theatre Exchange Centre.

Hot Entertainment: PuSh International Performing Arts Festival

Almighty Voice and His Wife photo by Nadya Kwandibens

By Caitlin Dawson

Cure those winter blues with the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. The 19-day fest mounts more than 100 groundbreaking performances in theatre, dance, music and the visual arts showcasing local and international talent to more than 2,000 theatre-goers.

There is something on the billing to suit most tastes, whether you’re interested in global issues or seeking out the unconventional. The acts are varied, but always genre-busting, stimulating and intent on pushing boundaries. After all, in what other setting could you watch Dostoyevsky’s masterpiece The Idiot one night, and a performance of Craigslist personal ads set to music the next?

Our top picks from the festival include: Looking For A Missing Employee, a provocative performance puzzle by Lebanese artist Rabih Mroué; quirky duo Bill Richardson and Veda Hille’s Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist Cantata, featuring ditties such as “Slugs for lease” and “Dead moose, free for the taking;” Almighty Voice and His Wife, exploring a tragic intersection of white and native cultures by First Nations playwright Daniel David Moses; and Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Idiot, by Vancouver’s Neworld Theatre.

The PuSh International Performing Arts Festival runs Jan. 17-Feb. 4. Venues and show times at pushfestival.ca.

Hot Dates: Get Lucky at the Casino

The gaming floor is a hot spot at the Casino du Lac-Leamy.

Revel in the energy and excitement at the Casino du Lac-Leamy, where there’s more to do than gamble (although there’s plenty of that, too!). In February, take in one of the shows that are on the bill (ABBA Memories, Dance into the Light, or The British Invasion: Beatles Story). Enjoy dinner at the gourmet Le Baccara or one of the other restaurants, have drinks at one of four bars (including a lounge for cigar aficionados), and then hit the large collection of slots and try your luck on the gaming floor, where someone won $1.86 million in November.

Hot Entertainment: Waiting for Godot

The Cultch stages Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot until Jan. 21

Samuel Beckett’s comedic, existential masterpiece has been described as everything from brilliant to confounding to shocking to a bunch of meaningless hooey. No matter where on the spectrum your opinion falls, you’re sure to find something to appreciate in a new production at The Cultch (to Jan. 21). Deep comedic riches lie in this modern classic, first staged in English in 1955 and now performed by some of Vancouver’s finest actors. A show worth waiting for? Definitely.—Sheri Radford

Tu-Sa 8 pm. Matinees Su 2 pm. $16+. The Cultch, 1895 Venables St. at Victoria. Tickets 604-251-1363. www.blackbirdtheatre.ca