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05/16/12
Don’t let his name fool you. Old Man Luedecke (née Chris Luedecke) is a banjo-pluckin’, foot-stompin’ one-man-show — and arguably the most original solo act out there. His style is reminiscent of old school bluegrass and folk musicians such as Dock Boggs and Pete Seeger. It’s hard to pin the Torontonian-turned-Nova-Scotian’s music into one genre — is it folk, blues, roots, bluegrass or, dare we say it, country?
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05/16/12
Whatever your feelings are about Conrad Black — genius, criminal, fine historian — you cannot deny that he had a way with words. He added to many vocabularies a few years ago when he was being interviewed and mentioned how, upon first seeing his future wife Barbara Amiel, his mouth “fenestrated” (a Latin-inspired way of saying it fell open).
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05/16/12
Since Casa Loma’s pretty much bankrupt, Sir Henry Pellatt’s great grandniece thinks the castle should go back to its roots and become a major player in the party scene again to recoup some dough. If this picture is any indication of the mansion’s former glory days, we think she’s onto something. Have you ever seen Casa Loma this blown up? And a zip line? By the looks of these crunked people, this place was off the hook. Whatever the heck a musicale is, we want another one.
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05/15/12
Though Black Swan pretty much scared the bejesus out of us (we’ll never look at a broken toenail the same way again), you can catch the inspiration for the film when Swan Lake pirouettes into town, courtesy of the world-renowned Bolshoi Ballet.
Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St. E., 1-855-872-7669. May 15-19.
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05/15/12
An innovative theatre festival that will shine a light on human rights issues kicks off tonight at Theatre Passe Muraille. For two weeks, Panamerican Routes will explore such topics as immigration, displacement, Canadian mining in Latin America and revolution, through theatre, dance and multi-media shows, as well as workshops, a conference and a photography exhibit.
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05/15/12
It’s pretty gross when couples match their clothes. Especially when they’re wearing matching dirty coveralls with the suggestive “Enquire Here” stamped on their chests. We like how the dude on the left still tries to keep it classy with a proper tie and hat, though. And at least we know they’re open-minded. But their expressions sure aren’t friendly, are they?
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05/14/12
West Side Story is a remarkably good musical, surely one of the greatest. Since I first saw it half a century ago, this musical has lived in my memory — and those of several million others — with profound pleasure and meaning, like a first kiss in high school.
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05/14/12
A lot of people think the origins of The Village People were in the ’70s disco era, but in truth, it started with these two guys: The Village Twosome. The musical duo soon broke up because it couldn’t be decided who, exactly, the guy on the left was supposed to be. A sultan? Lord of the Leaves? It frustrated the hell out of the Native American, so he jumped ship, met up with a cop, a construction worker, a cowboy and a biker, and the rest is history.
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05/11/12
At the 2009 L.A. Film Festival, Swedish filmmaker Fredrik Gertten was anticipating the premiere of his documentary Bananas!, about a legal battle between Nicaraguan farmers and U.S. food-giant Dole. Unexpectedly, Gertten received a letter from Dole threatening legal action. The four-person film company fought back against Dole — and they made another film. Big Boys Gone Bananas! is showing at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema.
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05/11/12
The Woolgatherer is a play from New Jersey’s William Mastrosimone currently playing in the Junction. Starring Dayle McLeod as Rose and Mark Wiebe as Cliff, the two-act play is an intimate portrayal of an uneasy one-night fling between two broken souls. Performed Chicago-style in an empty storefront — a first for the Junction — the audience is seated with their backs to the street. With only four rows of chairs, you cannot help but be immersed in the action.
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