The top things to see and do this month, including the inimitable David Byrne at the Sony Centre, Sail-in Cinema at Sugar Beach and a rip- roaring, artery-busting CNE

photograph by samir hussein/redferns/getty images

1

A night of bad blood with Taylor Swift

muSic | Taylor Swift Aug. 3 and 4, Rogers Centre When Taylor Swift scuffled with Calvin Harris and Katy Perry in 2016, and then with Kim and Kanye, haters spammed her Instagram account with snake emojis. They could have never guessed that she’d reclaim the slithery beast as the central motif of her next tour—but then again, Swift has always found a way to incorporate personal woes into her music. The theme binds together her Reputation tour, where Swift wields a glitzed-out snake microphone and dances around a giant onstage reptile. Her performance will encompass the many phases of her career (dating back to her early days as a country artist) while confronting her less-than-perfect image.

2

A wild ride at Canada’s largest fair

fAmily | cNe | Aug. 17 to Sept. 3, Exhibition Place

The guilt-ridden taste of Tiny Tom doughnuts, the yips of the SuperDogs, the rumblings of the Air Show, the pungent aroma of the farm building—no annual event offers quite the same sensory overload as the Canadian National Exhibition. You know what you’re in for from Canada’s biggest and most gloriously tacky fair: a plethora of rides, concerts, marketplaces, acrobatics, animals, stunts, buskers, butter sculptures and artery-busting food. Performers this year include Stars, Hollerado and Marianas Trench.

3

An opera for amateurs

OperA

Summer Opera Lyric theatre To Aug. 5, Robert Gill Theatre

Semi-professional singers and actors come together in works both mainstream and arcane, capping off months of rehearsals with performances in late July and early August. Sets are minimal, costumes rudimentary, and the “orchestra” consists of a piano, but there’s no lack of fervour or commitment. The best bet of the three shows on offer: Così fan tutte, Mozart’s comedy of (bad) manners, sung in English.

4

A darkly comedic tragedy

BOOKs French Exit by Patrick deWitt House of AnAnsi Press

Aug. 28

In his latest book, B.C.-born author Patrick deWitt— whose debut novel, The Sisters Brothers, is getting the blockbuster treatment this year with Joaquin Phoenix and Jake Gyllenhaal—spins a darkly comic tragedy. Frances Price is an overprotective mother who believes the spirit of her dead husband resides in her aging cat. When she and her grown son flee for Paris to escape bankruptcy, they meet a series of eccentric characters— including a psychic and a doctor who makes house calls with a local wine merchant—that fuel their economic woes and ultimately lead to their self-destruction.

5

A nerdy homecoming

pop culture | Fan Expo | Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Cosplayers, comic artists, panels and geek-chic retailers spread across 400,000 square feet at Canada’s biggest annual nerdathon. Two iconic ’80s reunions highlight this year’s edition: Back to the Future’s Michael J. Fox, Lea Thompson and Christopher Lloyd appear for photo ops, while Cary Elwes, Chris Sarandon and the inconceivable Wallace Shawn discuss The Princess Bride. Jeff Goldblum, Evangeline Lilly, Karen Gillan and that old warhorse William Shatner are among the other high-profile guests at the 24th annual Fan Expo.

6

A dumpling lover’s paradise

fooD | Waterfront Night Market Aug. 10 to 12, Ontario Place

After last year’s chaotic, chockablock opening at the Hearn Generating Station, this year’s pan-Asian food festival gets a location upgrade to Ontario Place. The ninth annual night market is poised to be even bigger and better, with local artisans and food vendors selling every imaginable variation of dumpling, curry and tempura— and some unimaginable kinds too.

7

Back-to-back weekends with Drake

music | OVO Fest Aug. 5 and 6, venue TBD; Drake and Migos: Aug. 10 to 12, Air Canada Centre

A generation was torn apart in the Great Drake/Pusha T War of 2018. More than just a petty diss, “The Story of Adidon” was the culmination of an ongoing campaign to label the 6 God as a mere trend-hopper and meme factory. Battered but not beaten, Toronto’s favourite son returns home for a full lineup of shows: first up, he’ll host a slate of surprise guests during his annual OVO Fest. The following weekend, he’ll take over the ACC with American hip-hop trio Migos to push his newest album, Scorpion. In the midst of all the drama, maybe the normally unflappable rapper will feel a little extra pressure to prove his authenticity.

8

A boozy end-of-summer celebration

DRINK | Toronto Cider Festival | Aug. 24 and 25, Sherbourne Common

As summer comes to a tragic end, the Toronto Cider Festival gives us a good excuse to drink away our sorrows. As part of this year’s Ranch and Rodeo theme, you’ll find a plethora of cowboy boots, straw hats and Canadian tuxedos. More importantly, the weekend also serves up over 100 types of local and imported ciders, a cider cocktail bartending competition, live performances and a mechanical bull.

9

A show fit for a king

TheATRe | The King and I To Aug. 12, Princess of Wales Theatre

Toronto gets to witness the epic Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1951 masterpiece. East and West clash and commingle in this historical romance, set in 1860s Bangkok, where a strong-willed British widow is tasked with teaching the children of a progressive-minded king. The sumptuous new production, directed by Tony winner Bartlett Sher, features a predominantly AsianAmerican cast led by FilipinoAmerican Broadway stage star Jose Llana as King Mongkut.

10

Tales of a daring escape

BOOKs Women Talking by MiriaM Toews Penguin Random House canada

Aug. 21

Acclaimed author Miriam Toews (All My Puny Sorrows, A Complicated Kindness) speculates on the trauma in a small Mennonite community after more than 100 women are drugged, sexually assaulted and told by the men of the colony that the attackers were “ghosts” or “demons.” Inspired by true events that took place between 2005 and 2009, the story is an imagined response from eight of the women, who debate whether to remain in the village when all the men leave to post bail for the imprisoned attackers. Toews brings empathy and acerbic wit to a timely story that reviewers have praised as her most gripping novel to date.

11 SummerWorks’ must-see shows

The PrivaTe Life of The MasTer race

Aug. 9, 14 to 16

The Theatre Centre

Ted Witzel and Susanna Fournier, who deconstructed Frank Wedekind’s Lulu plays at Buddies in Bad Times earlier this year, turn their hand to another German classic. The pair have transformed Bertolt Brecht’s 1938 anti-Nazi play—a look at life in a fear-ridden fascist state—into a flamboyant cabaret performance.

adrenaLine

Aug. 11, 12, 18 and 19

The Theatre Centre

Canadian-based Syrian playwright Ahmad Meree performs in this solo production about a young refugee’s anxiety after leaving loved ones behind in a war-ravaged country. Turning household items into puppets of family members, he recreates scenes from his past, offering a first-hand account of his experience coming to Canada.

The exTincTion of hong Kongers

Aug. 10, 14 to 17

Toronto Media Arts Centre

Using puppetry and a cardboard cityscape, Halifax-based Theatre du Poulet traces Hong Kong’s history of occupation from its time as a British colony to the present day under Chinese control. The play explores the ongoing tension between the city’s communist masters and prodemocracy movement.

café sarajevo

Aug. 11, 18 and 19

Toronto Media Arts Centre

Toronto performance collective Bluemouth Inc.’s latest immersive work is billed as part live podcast, part coffee house debate. Inspired by a 1971 televised bout between intellectual heavyweights Michel Foucault and Noam Chomsky, the show highlights themes of war, civil disobedience and societal flaws.

overhear ToronTo

Aug. 11, 12 and 18

Trinity Bellwoods

Combining GPS, Bluetooth and smartphone technology, participants are invited to shape their own experience in this one-on-one performance experiment. The production leads audience members through Trinity Bellwoods, where they listen to stories of migration and cultural displacement via an audio app.

12

An urban summer camp

music | Camp Wavelength Aug. 18 and 19, Fort York Garrison Common

Last year’s indie weekend was a literal washout— the event was forced to change venues lastminute because of flooding on the Toronto Islands. This year, Camp Wavelength is protecting itself against acts of nature by relocating to Fort York. Headliners include Suuns, Tops, Chad VanGaalen and Moscow Apartment. As a new addition to the two-day festival, local comedians perform on a new Campfire Comedy stage, and artists install interactive on-site exhibits.

13

A floating movie theatre

Film | Sail-in Cinema Aug. 10 and 11, Sugar Beach

Toronto has plenty of outdoor screening series—in parks, on rooftops, in city squares—but there’s only one that you can attend from the comfort of your yacht. Sail-In Cinema returns to Sugar Beach with two popcorn classics chosen by an online vote (voting closes July 12). Cuddle up on the sand or drop anchor in the harbour, and enjoy a movie under the stars on a two-sided screen.

14

A symphonic wartime tribute

clAssicAl | a Tribute to yehudi Menuhin July 30, Walter Hall

In tune with the theme of this year’s Toronto Summer Music Festival, Reflections of Wartime, Toronto’s classical musicians celebrate one of the world’s greatest violinists. Yehudi Menuhin, who died in 1999, is remembered for the concerts he performed for Allied troops and concentration camp survivors. Those same works he played decades ago, including Beethoven’s Kreutzer Sonata, are performed here by violinist Jonathan Crow and pianist Philip Chiu.

15

A harrowing trans memoir

BOOKs I’m Afraid of Men by ViVek Shraya Penguin random house Canada

Aug. 28

Toronto-based multidisciplinary artist and author Vivek Shraya was mocked and mistreated as a child for being too feminine. As a trans woman, she faces judgment for not being feminine enough. In this candid memoir, Shraya layers humour and emotion to document the absurd pressures she faces every day. By exploring how misogyny and transphobia have weaved their way into her life, her story envisions a future that moves beyond old gender paradigms, celebrates differences and helps readers reimagine what gender looks like in the 21st century.

16

a Mamma Mia! reprise

theatre | Mamma Mia! Aug. 9 to 19, Ed Mirvish Theatre

Just in time for this summer’s movie sequel to the ABBA musical, Mirvish is revisiting the original stage version of the much-loved show—which had its North American premiere in Toronto in 2000. Prepare to bop along to a bevy of Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus classics, including “Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You” and, of course, the titular song in this effervescent tale of mothers, daughters, exlovers and big fat Greek weddings.

17

a once-in-a-lifetime night with David Bryne

MuSic | David Byrne | Aug. 3 and 4, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts

Unlike many of his generational coevals, the 66-year-old musical virtuoso continues to create sounds that rival modern-day artists. On his American Utopia tour, Byrne reinvents himself yet again with a show that is both stripped-down and complex. There are no pyrotechnics and very few props—just a densely choreographed and truly democratic showcase for Byrne’s 12-piece band. With a set list split between new material and Talking Heads bangers, this is the kind of concert that comes—wait for it—once in a lifetime.

18

Shakespearean classics with a modern twist

theatre | Shakespeare in High Park To Sept. 2, High Park Amphitheatre

Love, both comic and tragic, is in the (open) air this summer as Shakespeare in High Park celebrates its 36th season. Romeo and Juliet’s timeless tale of starcrossed lovers gets a contemporary urban edge in director Frank Cox-O’Connell’s staging, which parallels the play’s violent family rivalry with today’s soccer-hooligan culture. Tanja Jacobs’ Fellini-inspired A Midsummer Night’s Dream relocates the comedy’s enchanted lovers and fairies to a 1950s Italian amusement park.