NEXT Magazine Winter 2023

ESSENTIAL TORONTO / WINTER 2023

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TERRA LIGHTFOOT Road warrior gets help from The Hammer

Sort Of CBC’s next Schitt’s Creek

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Crow’s Comet Out of this world 90 days of Essential events NEXT WINTER 2023

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S R HAND U O Y T GE OF THE E M O S ON LES T I T T S H O T TSEE D T H I S Y E A R RELEA

SHOP ALL YOUR MUSIC NEEDS IN STORE

YUKON BLONDE SHUGGIE

CITY AND COLOUR THE LOVE STILL HELD ME NEAR

THE DIRTY NIL FREE REIN TO PASSIONS

MONK ROCK

EDWIN RAPHAEL WARM TERRACOTTA

NOBRO SET YOUR PUSSY FREE

CAM KAHIN WHEN IT’S ALL OVER

SINGLE MOTHERS ROY

GHOSTWOMAN HINDSIGHT IS 50/50

864 EASTERN AVE. TORONTO, ON. MONDAY - FRIDAY · 10AM - 6PM 2 WINTER 2023 NEXT

FIND US ONLINE

DINEALONESTORE.COM

FOOD

As patios close, it’s time to cosy up to the most canoodle-friendly restos in Toronto as cuddling season still delivers dining delights.

CONTENTS

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COVER STORY

Sizzling guitar player Terra Lightfoot has forged her soulful rock sound on the road — with helping hand from hometown friends like Dan Lanois and Tom Wilson.

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MUSIC

Forever promising Montreal punk rockers NOBRO have finally released their debut album. It’s fantastic and they want you to Set Your Pussy Free.

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STAGE

Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, an eccentric musical adaption of War and Peace, makes Canadian premiere with Hailey Gillis starring as Natasha. We catch up with the star.

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SCREENS

Sort Of star Bilal Baig goes deep about the next CBC series to have a Schitt’s Creek-like international breakout on streaming. It’s spectacular.

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COMEDY

Rising Jordanian-Canadian comedy star Nour Hadidi has to navigate looking for laughs in wartime

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THE CLOSER

Who doesn’t love Kensington market? We might “love it” to death as bars and restos replace the independent food stores that made it a market. We de-code the issues and offer some tips on how to save Kensington.

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NEXT WINTER 2023

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TOP 6 SIX IN THE

Winter

The 6 can’t-miss things happening in The Six this season

1 CANADIAN SUPER GROUP AT THE SHOE

Trans-Canada Highwaymen When: Wed., Dec. 13 Where: Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen St. W. What: Fresh from the release of their awesome Explosive Hits Vol. 1 tribute album, Canadian indie supergroup TransCanada Highwaymen play beloved Canuck ’60s and ’70s hits as well as their chart-topping tracks. TCH features: Moe Berg (The Pursuit of Happiness), Craig Northey (Odds), Chris Murphy (Sloan) and Stephen Page (Barenaked Ladies).

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ANDY KIM BRINGS EVERYONE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS The Andy Kim Christmas with Special Guests Where: Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St. When: Wed., Dec. 6, 8 pm Why: Every holiday season, Canadian pop-rock legend Andy Kim brings together the nation’s biggest musical acts together for an excellent cause at Massey Hall. Last year’s show featured guests such as Broken Social Scene, Metric and The Sadies. This year’s edition promises another star-studded showcase to close out 2023, with all event proceeds donated to CAMH’s Gift of Light.

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JOAQUIN PHOENIX HAS A COMPLEX NAPOLEON Napoleon Where: In theatres When: Wed., Nov. 22 Why: It’s the first silver screen biopic to examine the rise and fall of the famous, world-conquering Corsican general since Sacha Guitry’s 1955 film of the same name.

Joaquin Phoenix stars as the titular future French emperor, with Vanessa Kirkby as his empress Joséphine. The story of how Napoleon rose from obscurity to seize control of revolutionary France will be director Ridley Scott’s third film over a two-year span, after 2021’s The Last Duel and House of Gucci, and promises equal doses of palace intrigue and epic battle scenes to rival 1970’s Waterloo.

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WALK WITH CANADA’S BIGGEST STARS Canada’s Walk of Fame 25th Anniversary Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front St. W. When: Sat., Dec. 2 Why: Canada’s star-studded path will be adding a packed list incliding global poprock superstar Avril Lavigne, comedian-turned-national-conscience Rick Mercer, NEXT board member Gary Slaight and the internationally beloved, multi-generational teen drama Degrassi as part of a 25th-anniversary celebration scheduled for this year.

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THE WEATHER STATION REWINDS IN RESIDENCY The Weather Station three-night residency at the Great Hall Where: The Great Hall, 1087 Queen St. W. When: Mon., Dec. 11 to Wed., Dec. 13 Why: The Weather Station are coming home to Toronto for an extended stay this December and will be performing six entire albums, including unreleased songs, across a three-night residency at the Great Hall. Tamara Lindeman will also be re-releasing her first album, 2009’s The Line, for the first time on vinyl as part of the residency.

Featured on the cover of NEXT in February of last year and currently on tour with First Aid Kit, this homecoming promises an epic journey across Lindeman’s entire body of work, examining the evolution of her music over a decade and a half over the span of three nights.

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BALLROOM FASHION, BIPOC AND 2SLGBTQIA+ TALENT World AIDS Day Ball 2023 When: Sat., Dec. 2, 4v pm Where: History, 1663 Queen St. E. What: The third annual edition of the World AIDS Day Ball is all about “Fashion Icons,” celebrating the BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ talent behind the innovative designs and craftsmanship that have shaped contemporary ballroom culture, as well as highlighting the importance of HIV awareness, education and access to care. Featuring DJ Byrell the Great, Kevin JZ Prodigy, Precious Basquiat and Toronto’s Bambam 007.

NEXT Magazine

Top 6 In The Six

Editor/Publisher Michael Hollett Associate Editor Rayne Fisher-Quann Advice Columnist Amy Millan Content and Marketing Specialist William Molls Art Director Jefferson Wilde Contributors Away, Adam Davidson, Liam Donovan, Latoya Elle, Neal Ganguli, Daniel Hartman, Barb Hefler, Ammar Karam, Sarah Khan, Zack Kotzer, Amy Lloyd, Gabrielle Marceau, Ozioma Nwabuikwu, Nicole Richie, Laura Robinson, Chris Short, Nicholas Sokic, Sierra Stone, Helen Toner, Karen K. Tran, Von Valdez, Caely White, Sanjeev Wignarajah Advertising Inquiries: sales@nextmag.ca Published by NEXT Magazine Enterprises Inc. NEXT Magazine Enterprises Inc. Board of Directors Michael Cohl, Michael Hollett, Gary Slaight Distribution NEXT Magazine is distributed in bars, clubs, restaurants, theatres and retail venues across Toronto and the GTA. For distributor info: distro@nextmag.ca Contact Us 115 Danforth, Suite 302 Toronto • ON • M4K 1N2 T. 416.519.5004 email: info@nextmag.ca All content property of NEXT Magazine Enterprises Inc. ©2023

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nextmagcanada NEXT WINTER 2023

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Food

Winter

Cosy Spots for Cuffin’ Season By: Nicole Richie

Sometime during the last 10 years the zeitgeist decided that the moment the temperature dropped, and night turns to day around 5 pm, is also the official marker of cuffing season. Due to this romantic phenomenon, this time every year more and more new and long-time couples are ditching their park parties for cozy hideaways to cuddle up, one on one.

Le Tigre - 1060 Yonge St. 2nd Floor 6 WINTER 2023 NEXT

Food

D

aters have many things to consider when scoping out where to share their romantic tête-à-tête. Neighbourhoods across Toronto boast inviting, dimly lit spaces, perfect for you and your boo to catch up and canoodle. And if there’s another equally vibey spot in walking distance from your first location, there’s sure to be a rave review in your future. Lighting and music are both obvious contributors to romance, while food and drink are the pearl of what date night is all about. Love watching your date take a bite and do that adorable little dance in their chair? Take them to any of these restaurants and they’ll be dancing all night long.

The East End

Lake Inez 1471 Gerrard St. E This relaxed, candle-lit restaurant on Gerrard Street East is full of dark corners for you and your sweetie to snuggle up over a bottle of orange wine. Lake Inez is a fun spot to bring someone new as the menu and wine list are full of whimsical descriptions and drawings that will have you leaning in close under the candlelight. Beautiful small plates on mixed and matched China are as endearing as they are delicious.

Looking for something a little adventurous? Try the secret patio dinner series. Snuggle up under a blanket on the upstairs terrace and be led through a mystical and magnificent dining experience.

Goods & Provisions 1124 Queen St. E After enjoying a myriad of small plates at Lake Inez, head south towards Leslieville for an “Old Fascist” cocktail and a dozen oysters at the lively neighbourhood bar, Goods & Provisions.

Covered in prohibition-era decor and strewn with tea lights, this charming spot is an ideal place to get lost in conversation over a snack and a drink. Coming here without an appetite is a missed opportunity, but as long as there is room for dessert it’s not a complete tragedy.

The Comrade 758 Queen St. E If you’re looking for a nightcap before calling it quits, head east from Goods & Provisions and make your way over The Comrade. This Commie-inspired bar harkens back to a time where debauchery was a little more acceptable and intellectual conversations were hosted in far less intellectual spaces. A last-minute venture into this lively saloon is the perfect way to cap off your night. Order a cocktail or a glass of vino as the conversation flows under the dim red lights of this iconic East End bar.

Little Italy

Find yourself ensconced in the red hues of this old-world tavern. Recently inducted into the Michelin Guide, a reservation at this romantic tapas bar may win you partner of the year.

Grant van Gameren’s rustic yet focused dishes spark emotions that will leave you and your date in a culinary trance. Jazzy tunes move through the space and add to the timeless appeal of this Spanish-inspired space. Share a slice of the Basque cheesecake for dessert before heading off to your next stop.

Contrada 537 College St. New to the neighbourhood, this intimate Italian restaurant is the perfect stop on your date night tour of Piccola Italia. Pasta, like Lady and the Tramp clearly showed us, is the ultimate dish for stirring up some romance between you and your date. Not to stay you’re going to meet in the middle of a piece of spaghetti for a mid-dinner kiss, but this intimate corner hideaway is the place for it. Taste through the carefully crafted cocktail menu and swoon over the modern Italian fare.

alone are enough to have you in a frenzy. Charring vegetables and fresh bread, fragrant spices, and the faint smell of Turkish coffee looms overhead while you sit back at one of the candlelit tables. As most of the menu is cooked in a wood-fired oven, the cozy atmosphere is a perfect place to warm up on a cold autumn night.

Archive 909 Dundas St. W. This intimate wine bar is a great stop to escape the crowd of Ossington Avenue. Shortly after opening, this bar became a haven for natural-wine lovers. Sporting a casual atmosphere where wine knowledge is celebrated but not expected, this is a great place to bring your date if they enjoy wine and want to snuggle up and discuss tasting notes. Try a blind flight or enjoy a glass and some charcuterie before heading off on your next adventure.

Communist’s Daughter 1149 Dundas St. W. This snack bar just north of the strip couldn’t be more perfect for your last drink of the night. This tiny one-room hallway makes for a shoulder-to-shoulder atmosphere but in a way leaves you feeling comfortable, not claustrophobic. Great music, romance and casual drinks collide and bring you both into a state of inebriated bliss before making the venture homeward.

West Fest

Bar Isabel 797 College St.

Loop Line Wine & Food 643 Dupont St. After a multi-course meal, treat your date to another round at Loop Line. This Annex wine bar has all the makings of a romantic cozy hideaway. Dim lighting and smooth contemporary music, all enclosed by bottles and bottles of wine. Choose a bottle or a glass from the extensive list of producer-focussed, classical wines with the help of the wickedly knowledgeable team.

Make sure to ask about the Last Drop, as this wine bar is known for opening some spectacular bottles when the time is right.

North of Bloor

Bar Pompette 607 College St. A little further west you’ll find Bar Pompette tucked away from the hustle and bustle of College Street. Vintage wood fittings and whitewashed brick add to the Parisian vibe of this quaint cocktail bar. Taking your honey out on a Sunday? This French-inspired café fills with the sounds of local jazz musicians making this cozy room even more enchanting.

Ahzar 96 Ossington Ave. Warm up by the wood-fired oven and get seduced by the magnificent plates of Middle Eastern food at Ahzar. The aromas in here

ton is Actinolite. With a prix fixe menu that is nothing short of extraordinary, this ode to local ingredients and artful curation of food is made for special occasions. If you’re celebrating or want a reason to, make a reservation here to taste through this incredible string of Canadian culinary masterpieces. Seriously, this is one of Toronto’s best-kept secrets and is sure to impress.

Actinolite 971 Ossington Ave. Tucked away in a hideout on the corner of Hallam and Ossing-

Le Tigre 1060 Yonge St. 2nd Floor Rosedale’s all-pink martini bar is hidden atop a nesting place for Steinway pianos. Head up the stairs through a dark, yet decorative hallway and tuck into a table for two made for quiet conversation. From the team behind Cry Baby Gallery, this neighbourhood spot is an ideal place to have one more beverage before the night is done. The cocktails here lean a little more classical than the the ones at the Dundas Street counterpart, but there are a handful of house recipes that set them apart from any other bars in the area.

NEXT WINTER 2023

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Winter

TERRA LIGHTFOOT Sizzling guitar player, soulful singer inspired by family, friends and mentors to fulfill her musical dreams

By Michael Hollett

S

pend two minutes with Hamilton, ON-forged singer/ songwriter and sizzling lead guitar player Terra Lightfoot and it’s easy to see why some of the best musicians in Canada are lining up to write with her.

She has a “let’s do this” smile that promises adventure and a lock-in conversation gaze that lets you know she’s listening.

Ten years into a career that sees her touring extensively, except during lockdowns, road warrior Lightfoot recently released her best album yet, the rocking, bluesy Healing Power, which has hints of Sheryl Crow and Adele, all powered by her fluid and funky guitar.

It’s no surprise that the night before we meet at a Front Street bar, a few weeks before an upcoming gig at the Horseshoe (Dec. 1), she was sharing a bill on the Cariboo Express fundraising concert with Barney and Dustin Bentall, Matt Mays, Geoff Kelly from Spirit of the West, fellow Hamiltonian Tom Wilson and his son Thompson, Blue Rodeo collaborator Anne Lindsay, and Jim Cuddy’s sons Devin Cuddy and Sam Polley, among others.

Lightfoot’s only beef with the gig was Polley kept making her laugh just as she was heading 8 WINTER 2023 NEXT

out on stage to sing a serious song.

“They’re all my friends at this point,” says Lightfoot of the many top Canadian artists who have mentored or worked with her on a career that kicked off when she was 25. “But these are big stars in the Canadian universe, and they’re meeting a kid from Hamilton and, suddenly, they’re helping you out.

“That’s pretty special I think, right?” asks Lightfoot convincingly, and it’s easy to agree.

“I’m being inspired by singing and playing with all my friends.”

Many of these acts brought Lightfoot on tour with them as she was starting out. Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland saw Lightfoot playing in a small club in Hamilton in 2015 and invited her to open for their band, Whitehorse.

“I was in the van with Whitehorse when I found out I was going to be on the Blue Rodeo Tour.”

She toured with Bruce Cockburn after that.

“It was also amazing to play with him. I remember, at the time, I was so afraid of playing solo, which is not the case anymore; he helped me with that.

Bruce Cockburn has been an amazing friend.”

Legendary producer and another Hamilton original Dan

Lanois (U2, Robbie Robertson) was an early Lightfoot supporter when she was just starting out and playing in the adorably named country band Dinner Belles. The Belles had a gig as part of Lanois’ Harvest Festival, just outside Hamilton, in 2012.

“He just kind of took me under his wing when I played his festival,” says Lightfoot.

She reluctantly showed up to be “talent” at a press conference for the fest, finding only Lanois and another seasoned musician there.

“Their amplifier broke so they asked to use mine and Dan came over and chatted with me after we all played. From then on, he mentored me, and this year, we finally started working together.”

Their working together includes working with another Hamilton legend, Tom Wilson.

And the trio has been holding regular, intense songwriting sessions over the last year.

“Dan’s Hamilton connection is always still real,” says Lightfoot of the singer who, like her, has moved out of the city. She headed north to a place in the country.

“That’s what I am learning, too.

I’m realizing that, even though I’m not living in Hamilton anymore, I’m still held by that community.

“Hamilton has always been a place where people support each other — they’ve had to.

People are very tight-knit; there’s always a connection there, and Dan feels it too.”

Wilson fronted the legendary Steeltown band Junkhouse before launching a successful solo career as well as playing in bands Lee Harvey Osmond and Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.

Wilson runs tight writing sessions that start at 9 am, much to Lightfoot’s surprise.

“Crazy right? But then you’d be done by 11. You have the whole day to do whatever.”

Wilson introduced Lightfoot to his Rodeo Kings bandmate, legendary guitarist Colin Linden.

“The biggest thing Colin taught me was to expand my playing with study — so I’ve been learning more tunes. And to go out and play solos and not be afraid.”

“He’s so in the blues world.

Dan jokes, ‘Why is everyone in Hamilton playing the blues?

You can’t take the blues out of Hamilton.’”

But make no mistake, Lightfoot wasn’t waiting to be mentored. She decided early that a career in music was a must.

“I wanted to be a musician since I was a kid. It’s in my family: my grandmother played Continued on pg 11

Music

COVER STORY

TERRA LIGHTFOOT Healing Power

Terra Lightfoot photos, including cover, by David Hawe

Genre: Roots rock If you like: Lucinda Williams, Sheryl Crow, Kathleen Edwards Best track: Cross Border Lovers Rating: NNNN (out of 5) Why you should listen: Always a great guitarist and passionate voice from the Hammer, Terra Lightfoot’s latest has something new: hits. Packed with hooky songs and jammed with empowering choruses, these tracks need to be blasted from a muscle car radio while cruising past the flaming smoke stack passing

by Hamilton Harbour. Great next step for rising Canadian talent.

NEXT WINTER 2023

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Fall

10 WINTER 2023 NEXT

Music Continued from pg 9 professionally and so did my great-aunt.”

Lightfoot’s grandmother played “honky-tonk piano and requests” on the bar car on the train between Montreal and Toronto for years in the late ’60s through early ’70s.

“She had four kids at the time and she’d bring three of them on the train and tell them to just be quiet in the corner: ‘I’m going to play for the people.’”

Her aunt on her father’s side played in country bands. “She ended up playing with a woman

and they say sorry. Just don’t touch my amplifier, you wouldn’t touch anybody else’s amp!” she says with hints of the Hammer in her intent.

“It makes me so mad,” she adds.

She speaks of feeling unconscious competition with other women early in her career — as if they were all fighting for the same, limited spot.

“When you’re the only one, the notion is there is only one spot.

That comes from a long line of women not playing electric guitar very loudly.

“All the long-held musical idols

“musician Part of my purpose as a is to help people feel that they belong in this world and that they are not alone in how they feel.” who I later wrote a song about — and I never knew.”

Lightfoot’s song Norma Gale celebrates the Canadian musician from Moncton, NB, who made it in Nashville in the ’70s and who played bass at the Horseshoe for years when it was a country bar.

“My aunt called me and said, ‘I knew Norma; I used to play in a band with her.’”

A few years ago, the aunt stopped playing and gifted her delighted niece her 1973 Telecaster, which Lightfoot sometimes uses on stage.

When facing the endless challenges for women in music, Lightfoot says, “I’m happy to kick the door down.”

“I always felt confident because I felt it was normal to be a woman in music. This is what my family has done so this is what I’ll do. I had a thick skin when it came to people making judgements and saying those things that are said to women in the music industry.”

That said, she still gets really pissed off when she shows up at a gig and finds a sound person “playing with my amp” with the obvious assumption that “the girl” needs help.

“There are silent biases everywhere. And then I start playing

I could see growing up — The Pixies, Bonnie Raitt, Joni Mitchell, Emmylou Harris, Dorothy Ashby — shared an unspoken rule that there seemed to be space for only one woman in every touring party, if there was a space at all.

Many of the bands I loved didn’t even involve women, and this wasn’t always something that I even noticed.

“When I curated The Longest Road Show in 2019, I wanted to showcase all the amazing musicians I knew who had been the lone woman in their respective touring bands and put us all together. The result was astonishing and so different from any other band I’ve ever played in. I found that we listened to each other more, both on and off stage, and our way of playing together had this undeniable groove because we were so present with each other. Also, every one of those women was a masterful musician. I can’t wait to do it all again when the time comes!

“And the talk in the van was some of the worst I ever heard,” she laughs.

“That was an amazing realization for me: how much more I could do if I was lifting up.”

Lightfoot’s future husband

worked on that tour but was told “You have to drive behind us, you can’t come in the van.”

“He was happy to,” she says and while she isn’t related to that other Lightfoot, her husband brings some pretty heavy musical pedigree to the family. He’s John Auer, half the creative team for ’90s indie rock legends The Posies. He currently joins fellow Posie Ken Stringfellow as part of another legendary indie band: Big Star. The couple met when Lightfoot opened for The Posies in 2019.

Given her love of collaboration, working on musical projects with her husband seems natural.

She answers instantly and definitively.

“No, church and state. Now he’s in the crew.” Those roles will reverse when she joins Auer and Big Star when they tour Spain later this year.

Things appear good in the Lightfoot-Auer household: Healing Power is definitely an upbeat album, written while the couple waited out the pandemic in the countryside.

With pain purported to be the most powerful muse, I wonder if Lightfoot fears domestic bliss might empty her creative well.

“Part of me is wondering, ‘Oh my god, is this disgusting for people?’” she laughs, admitting there is lots of hope on the new album.

But she also thinks this album represents where she is now, the results of her own personal journey.

“Part of my purpose as a musician is to help people feel that they belong in this world and that they are not alone in how they feel. I searched for a long time to find places I could belong in, places I could be myself in. I’m just getting to that space now in some ways, in my 30s.

“That’s what music is about to me now: loving and understanding the people we all are.

I’ve found so many places where I feel like I belong now, and I’ve seen so much beauty all over the world. What I’m trying to do with Healing Power is bring some of that beauty to the listener.”

Mission accomplished: it’s a gorgeous, powerful record announcing an impressive new stage in Lightfoot’s career.

Listen to the Full Album

Spotify

Apple Music NEXT WINTER 2023

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Music

Winter

NOBRO DEMANDS LISTENERS JOIN THE RALLY CRY TO SET YOUR PUSSY FREE

Montreal modern punks take cues from Fergie and Beyoncé on their debut album

By KAREN K. TRAN

Listen to the Full Album

Spotify

Apple Music

12 WINTER 2023 NEXT

Montreal’s NOBRO — Sarah Dion (left), Karolane Carbonneau, Kathryn McCaughey, Lisandre Bourdages

H

ow do you convince people to listen to your problems for a moment when the world is going through a dark time? Well, maybe more people than you think are actually going through the same things as you.

Spurred by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn abortion access in 2022, NOBRO singer/bassist Kathryn McCaughey declared at a show, “This next song is dedicated to setting our vaginas free!”

That sentiment led to the song Set That Pussy Free, the grungy, autobiographical anthem that evinces a punk Hokey Pokey-esque dance instruction, makes an unexpected reference to Fergie’s hit song Glamorous, and leads a chant: N-O-B-R-O! It sets the tone for the rest of the album. Set Your Pussy Free is a little bit political, rhythmically raucous and outright silly at times.

The camaraderie of the four women of NOBRO really shines throughout the album. Recording live off the floor, you can hear how tuned in they are with one another, mistakes included. They’ve released two EPs previously, in 2020 and 2022, but Set Your Pussy Free is exactly how the band want to introduce themselves as NOBRO — they’re four

Winter Music Preview musicians who don’t take themselves too seriously and want to have fun.

To take a sample of the album, there’s the relatable and hilarious track Delete, Delete, Delete for the regretfully online people, the sarcastic sing-talking I Don’t Feel Like It and the admittedly offensive Let’s Do Drugs. Sometimes, you just have to blindly go for it without worrying about the potential backlash, they explain when they join a casual video call from their practice space in Montreal.

“My mom hates Let’s Do Drugs,” says percussion and keys player Lisandre Bourdages. “But I personally love that song.”

What’s more punk than doing whatever the fuck you want and not caring what anyone thinks? So why not take inspiration from pop icons like Fergie and Beyoncé? Perhaps there will be some negative feedback about some of their music, but McCaughey points to the Beyoncé lyric from Formation, “You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation.”

For the band, music and good humour are some of the things that keep their

NOBRO

Set Your Pussy Free Genre: Punk If you like: Bad Waitress, The OBGMs, Avril Lavigne Best track: I Don’t Feel Like It Rating: NNNNN (out of 5) Why you should listen: Debut album from Montreal punk powerhouses delivers on the big things these women have been promising for years with legendary live gigs across the country. Relentless punk rock with brains, killer choruses and badass lead guitar, NOBRO create unapologetic punk whose hooky tracks might spawn crossover hits in spite of them not giving a shit.

NEXT: The Garrison, Toronto, Sat., Jan. 27

spirits up during dark times. In the midst of all the seemingly relentless despair of world news, it can be jarring to promote your music and to keep forging on.

“We’re definitely acutely aware of just the ever-changing world that we live in. But, at the same time, you have to keep pushing forward and doing what you believe in and being passionate because it’s like if you’re stripped of your ability to do that, then it does become even more hopeless and even more depressing,” says McCaughey. “You’re releasing music at a very dark time in history and you’re asking people like, ‘Hey I know you have problems but come listen to us sing about ours.’”

“I don’t know. How do you escape?” drummer Sarah Dion adds. “You can’t just stop doing things for fun because everything is going to shit. What’s my purpose, who am I helping? I don’t have the answers, that’s just sometimes how I feel.”

They might be writing self-deprecating songs about partying and being losers, but the members of NOBRO keep their heads up in the real world.

“I think that you do have to have a point of view, especially when you’re an artist and you’re making music,” says McCaughey. “It’s so integral to what you do as artists — you have to stand for something, you have to have a voice. I would say we are political in our own way, but we have a shared sense of values and what we think is right — and especially on matters of equality.”

Equality is part of how the band started in the first place — McCaughey details the band’s humble beginnings in the song Where My Girls At. It was a response to feelings of inadequacy and being known just as someone’s girlfriend. That’s why it was important to build an all-female band where sexism isn’t a factor.

“It feels more like a safe space,” explains Dion. “We play in other bands with guys and the dynamic is just different, and I feel safer all around giving my opinion [in an all-female band].”

“And there’s no shame in talking about your period while you’re on tour!” guitarist Karolane Carbonneau chimes in.

Now 10 years in the making, NOBRO have undoubtedly proven those ex-boyfriends wrong about their value as artists. They’ve been touring the world and holding their own playing alongside bands like PUP, The OBGMs and blink-182. NOBRO may not have the answers to the world’s problems, but for 29 minutes and 18 seconds, they want to help you forget about life and join in the party.

NEXT WINTER 2023

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Winter

KISS swears it’s the last time, Bryson Tiller might sing a carol, Geddy Lee talks bass and baseball, NXNE faves Fionn, return and Noname brings it to the Phoenix in packed music season LIVE MUSIC PREVIEW Who: GET BACK — The Rooftop Concert The Beatles Never Gave When: Fri., Nov. 17 Where: Hugh’s Room, 296 Broadview Ave. Genre: Tribute Why you should go: The Beatles’ rooftop concert was stopped by the police after the group performed only five songs. What would they have played if they had been allowed to continue? P.S. They’ll be playing inside the still relatively new east-end home for Hugh’s.

Who: The 1975 When: Sat., Nov. 18 Where: Scotiabank Arena, 40 Bay St. Genre: Rock / Indie Why you should go: The British rockers bring their At Their Very Best tour to Toronto, undoubtedly one of the most talked about tours in years. From stirring controversy in Malaysia or being joined on stage by Taylor Swift in London, there’s no predicting what the Matty Healy-led band will produce.

What you can guarantee, however, is nostalgic music and supreme showmanship.

Who: Big Smoke Brass When: Sat., Nov. 18 Where: DROM Taberna, 458 Queen St. W. Genre: Brass funk Why you should go: Almost every night at this Queen West treasure is a party that starts early and runs late. Toronto’s Big Smoke Brass brings their horn-powered take on funky classics as well as new current hits to the stage around 11:30 pm on a day packed with acts.

Who: Kiss When: Wed., Nov. 22 Where: Scotiabank Arena, 40 Bay St. Genre: Rock Why you should go: Get ready to Rock and Roll All Nite as the rock 14 WINTER 2023 NEXT

maestros bring their End of the Road world tour to town. The band claims this is their final tour — we’ll see — but they’re going out in style with huge arena shows, playing their many hits from their five-decade run.

Who: Jeremie Albino When: Thurs., Nov. 23 – Sat., Nov., 25 Where: The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. W. Genre: Folk Why you should go: Toronto-based rising roots fave Jeremie Albino brings his unique spins on Americana, folk and country to The Drake for three special nights for his debut headlining tour.

Who: Lil Tjay When: Fri., Nov. 24 Where: Coca-Cola Coliseum, 45 Manitoba Dr. Genre: Rap Why you should go: The Bronx rapper was shot seven times last year in a botched robbery and, in the space of a year, is back and better than ever with a critically acclaimed album, 222, and in the midst of a worldwide tour. He is one of the most exciting rappers of this next generation and this excitement translates to live performances as he effortlessly shifts between slow jams and trap.

Who: Fionn When: Fri., Nov. 24 Where: Rivoli, 334 Queen St. W. Genre: Folk-pop Why you should go: NEXT summer issue cover stars, Vancouver pop-rock twin sisters Fionn, return after two killer NXNE gigs last summer in support of their latest, excellent album, I Might Start Smoking, which dropped this summer. A NEXT pick.

Who: Mariah Carey When: Mon., Nov. 27

Where: Scotiabank Arena, 410 Bay St. Genre: R&B, Pop Why you should go: The Queen of Christmas, Mariah Carey has defrosted and will bring the festive spirit to Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena for her annual Christmas-themed tour.

Who: Noname When: Wed., Nov. 29 Where: Phoenix Concert Theatre, 410 Sherbourne St. Genre: Hip hop Why you should go: In support of her third studio album, Sundial, Chicago rap poet Noname brings her tour to Toronto. Noname has endearing confidence in live performances as she powerfully delivers her music that speaks in a meaningful way on politics, racism and war.

Who: Let Us Be Frank When: Wed., Nov. 29 Where: Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St. W. Genre: Big band Why you should go: Smoothvoiced crooner Jamie Oliver is one of the sweetest voices in town and usually fronts some of the city’s best C&W bands (Big Tobacco and the Pickers, Double Cuts), but once a year, he assembles an incredible Frank Sinatra Big Band tribute show that is a stunning re-creation that makes the Lula feels like The Sands for one night.

Who: Stephen Stanley Band When: Fri., Dec. 1 Where: Redwood Theatre, 1300 Gerrard St. E. Genre: Roots-rock Why you should go: Check out another cool re-vitalized east-side venue as ex-Lowest of The Low member Stephen Stanley and his intelligent tunes will be perfectly suited to this retro room.

Who: Ama Lou

When: Sun., Dec. 3 Where: The Axis Club Theatre, 722 College St. Genre: R&B Why you should go: The British singer-songwriter is a rising force in music with her soulful R&B and cemented this with her much-anticipated debut album, I Came Home Late, which showcases her versatility and songwriting prowess.

Who: Confidence Man When: Wed., Dec. 6 Where: The Velvet Underground, 508 Queen St. W. Genre: Dance / Electronic Why you should go: Australian electro-pop duo Confidence Man return to Toronto for a party like no other. The duo describe their live shows as “all the fun without any faff,” and you can expect to see high-octane dance moves, champagne bottles being popped and stunning visual effects.

Who: Bryson Tiller When: Wed., Dec. 6 Where: History, 1663 Queen St. E. Genre: R&B Why you should go: After supporting Canadian rapper NAV at his arena show earlier this year, Bryson Tiller is back in Toronto for a headlining show at History. The artist will showcase his versatility on stage with everything from Christmas songs to R&B/pop and trap music.

Who: Karkwa When: Thurs., Dec. 7 Where: The Garrison, 1197 Dundas St. W. Genre: Rock Why you should go: The 2010 Polaris prize-winning Montreal art-rockers returned from a 12-year hiatus in September with the album Dans la seconde. In support of this new release, the French-language band will come

to Toronto as their only tour date outside of Quebec.

Who: Geddy Lee — MY EFFIN’ LIFE In Conversation When: Thurs., Dec. 7 Where: Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St. Why you should go: Canadian Rock icon and top Blue Jays fan Geddy Lee comes to Massey Hall in support of his memoir, My Effin’ Life. The Rush frontman takes fans on a trip down memory lane as he talks about everything from his YYZ childhood to his legendary music career. There will be a Q&A. Who: TSO — HOME ALONE IN CONCERT When: Thurs., Dec. 7- Sat., Dec. 9 Where: Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. Genre: Classical Why you should go: Home Alone is a favourite Christmas movie, so this year, watch it with a live score. This year, there will be four screenings of the Macauley Culkinled classic at Roy Thomson Hall as the Toronto Symphony Orchestra perform John Williams’s score live with the movie.

Who: To All A Good Night When: Thurs., Dec. 7 – Sat., Dec. 9 Where: Harbourfront Centre Genre: Holiday show Why you should go: The Art of Time Ensemble have been bringing “a different kind of holiday show” to the season for eight years. Performers that include Tom Wilson – who could play a pretty bad ass Santa himself – Jackie Richardson, Thom Allison, Jessica Mitchell, Julian Richings, David Wall plus a string and horn laden band are why this is such a reliable tradition.

Who: Dogstar When: Sat., Dec. 9 Where: Lee’s Place, 529 Bloor St. W. Continued on pg 16

Music Who: Tiger Balme When: Wed., Nov. 29 Where: Hugh’s Room, 296 Broadview Ave. Genre: Indie pop Why you should go: Dreamy harmonies power this Toronto band that draw on their Asian heritage for some of their inspiration. A breakout hit at NXNE 2023 and the youngest act to hit this east-end stage.

Listen to the Full Album

Spotify

Apple Music

Tiger Balme — Danielle Sum (left), Estyr, Anda Zeng and drummer Yang Chen NEXT WINTER 2023

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Winter LIVE MUSIC PREVIEW Continued from pg 14 Genre: Alternative rock Why you should go: From John Wick to rhythm stick for this homecoming show for Toronto’s bass-playing Keanu Reeves as his band Dogstar come to Lee’s Place in support of their third studio album, Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees. Great chance to see an A-lister up close but also to see great live music from the ’90s alt-rock band.

Who: Terence Blanchard’s E-Collective with Turtle Island Quartet When: Sat., Dec. 9 Where: Koerner Hall, 273 Bloor St. W. Genre: Jazz Why you should go: Oscar nominee and seven-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard returns to Toronto for a spellbinding night as he is joined by the double Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet to perform the music of Wayne Shorter along with original work.

Who: Doja Cat When: Mon., Dec. 11 Where: Scotiabank Arena, 40 Bay St. Genre: Rap, R&B Why you should go: Toronto gets two of the hottest names in music as Doja Cat, with opener Ice Spice, will support her new album Scarlet with a huge night of rap and R&B. The setlist is dominated by songs

from Scarlet and features incredible choreography, visual effects and crowd control from an artist at the top of her game.

Who: Blue Rodeo When: Wed., Dec. 13 – Thurs., Dec 14 Where: Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St. Genre: Roots Why you should go: Beloved Canadian roots rockers Blue Rodeo return to one of their favourite venues for two nights to celebrate their groundbreaking 1993 album, Five Days In July. Melissa McClelland from Whitehorse joins them to sing the Sarah McLachlan parts among others.

Who: Roy Woods When: Wed., Dec. 13 Where: History, 1663 Queen St. E. Genre: R&B Why you should go: Toronto’s Roy Woods returns to his hometown as part of his extensive North American tour. The OVO Sound signee will treat his fans to a show to remember with songs from his new album, Mixed Emotions, and other seductive R&B tracks in his back catalogue.

Who: Trans-Canada Highwaymen When: Wed., Dec.13 Where: The Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen St. W. Genre: Alt-rock Why you should go: Canadian

TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT 8 A DIFFERENT KIND OF HOLIDAY SHOW

DEC 7, 8, 9 16 WINTER 2023 NEXT

indie supergroup, featuring Moe Berg (The Pursuit of Happiness), Chris Murphy (Sloan), Craig Northey (Odds) and Steven Page (Barenaked Ladies) unites to perform Canadian Top 10 Hits from 1969-1975 from their awesome album Explosive Hits Vol. 1, including songs by The Guess Who, Joni Mitchell, Paul Anka, The Poppy Family, April Wine and more. And they’ll each play their own hits too!

Who: Kenya Grace When: Thurs., Dec. 14 Where: The Drake Hotel, 1150 Queen St. W. Genre: Dance / Electric Why you should go: Kenya Grace has had quite the 2023. Her latest single, Strangers, has propelled her to fame as the British artist hit No.1 in the U.K. charts and hit the top of the Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart, the first track entirely produced and performed by a woman to ever do so. Riding the wave of success, Grace will bring her tour to The Drake Hotel so fans can catch a glimpse of a future star in the making.

Who: Stark Naked and the Fleshtones When: Sat., Dec. 16 Where: Bovine Sex Club, 542 Queen St. W. Genre: Punk rock Why you should go: Vintage Toronto punk rockers Stark Naked and the Fleshtones are joined by

The Screwed for a punk rock/new wave holiday show. A rare chance to see these one-time Toronto club mainstays.

Who: David Celia When: Thurs., Dec. 23 Where: The Cameron House, 408 Queen St. W. Genre: Pop Why you should go: Toronto-based singer-songwriter David Celia, described by CBC Radio 2 as “one of Toronto’s best guitar players,” heads to The Cameron House for a homecoming show.

Who: Travis Scott When: Thurs., Dec. 28 & Fri., Dec. 29 Where: Scotiabank Arena, 410 Bay St. Genre: Rap Why you should go: In support of the critically acclaimed album Utopia, Travis Scott brings his Circus Maximus tour to Toronto for two nights of hedonism just before the new year. Expect high-octane energy, innovative set designs and plenty of mosh pits.

Who: Madonna When: Thurs., Jan. 11 & Fri., Jan. 12 Where: Scotiabank Arena, 40 Bay St. Genre: Pop Why you should go: After delaying her original tour because of nasty health issues, The Queen of Pop

brings The Celebration Tour, featuring four decades of greatest hits, to the Arena. Through a night of provocative fun, Madonna takes the audience on a journey through her legendary career in what will be the perfect cure to the January blues.

Who: MEET ME @ THE ALTAR When: Tue., Jan. 30 Where: The Axis Club Theatre, 722 College St. Genre: Pop-punk Whyyou should go: With Olivia Rodrigo’s success, among others, poppunk is in a new golden era and one of the bands at the forefront of this revival is the American trio MEET ME @ THE ALTAR. The band bring their Say It To My Face tour to town to perform tracks from their most recent album, Past // Present // Future, and continue to fly the flag for the resurgent genre.

Who: Brittany Howard When: Fri., Feb. 9 & Sat., Feb. 10 Where: Danforth Music Hall, 147 Danforth Ave. Genre: Americana, Rock Why you should go: Lead singer and guitarist for the rocking R&Bers Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard heads out on a solo headlining tour. Fans can expect solo material, including new track What Now, as well as covers of classic tracks by Jackie Wilson and Funkadelic, which have become a staple of her live performances in recent years.

featuring THOM ALLISON, JESSICA MITCHELL, JULIAN RICHINGS, JACKIE RICHARDSON, DAVID WALL and TOM WILSON

plus a stellar aot ensemble Tickets on sale now at harbourfrontcentre.ca

CHXRRY22 Toronto-born R&B star Chxrry22 talks about her latest EP, ‘Siren,’ evolving her sound and upcoming stadium tour with The Weeknd.

By: Adam Davidson

CHXRRY22

Siren Genre: R&B If you like: The Weeknd, Maeta, Nia Sultanna Best track: More Release Date: Out now Rating: NNNN (out of 5) Why you should listen: Whether you want to turn up at a party or be in your feelings alone, Siren has a range of songs for every occasion.

Chxrry22 is a rising star who has a fearless approach to her music and is willing to take risks and experiment with new sounds and beats, and this unpredictability is what makes her so exciting.

NEXT: Upcoming Australia and New Zealand tour with The Weeknd in early 2024; Toronto, Sat., Jan. 27

Listen to the Full EP

T

his time last year, rising R&B artist Chxrry22 had only just released her debut EP, The Other Side. A year later she’s collaborating with Offset from Migos and opening for The Weeknd — whom she now counts as a mentor — for his stadium tour of Australia and New Zealand.

Plus, she has just dropped her excellent second EP, Siren.

The artist, who was raised by Ethiopian immigrants in Scarborough, first went viral in 2017 as she uploaded covers on social media. She eventually caught the attention of fellow Torontonian The Weeknd and became the first female artist to sign for his XO Records. Despite the rapid rise to fame recently, Chxrry22 doesn’t feel like an overnight success.

“I don’t think there’s ever been a breakthrough moment. It has just been a series of moments,” says Chxrry22 via Zoom from New York. “The more you do, and the more fans get to know you, and the more you break through to them, then they feel more connected to you.”

The recently released Siren is a captivating EP that showcases Chxrry22’s beautiful vocals, her confidence and her versatility in tackling different moods throughout her music. Unlike her previous release, Chxrry22 puts her vocals at the forefront on her new EP. “This time around, I wanted to make music that was a little more upbeat and had more energy. I wanted to make stuff you could hear at a party, because I’m always at parties, so I want to hear my song in the club or on a boat.

I wanted a song for every mood.”

Chxrry22 puts a different spin on R&B and writes about how “messed up” she or a situation can be, and that is where her vulnerability stems from.

This vulnerability can be seen throughout the album, especially on the brief track, Around.

‘Around is like a drunk voicemail and you regret it in the morning.

I didn’t want to make it too long,” she says. “These are things you shouldn’t say to somebody. You don’t say four minutes’ worth of drunk thought. It’s usually like a minute of something you shouldn’t say and then you’re like, ‘Oh, fuck — I sent it.’”

Music Working with Grammy-winning rapper Vory as well as Offset is huge for the rising star.

“I was shocked that Offset agreed to do it,” she. “I was really happy because I think he was the perfect addition to the project. I wanted that aggressive tone and perspective.”

Collaborating with world-class rappers has also helped Chxrry22 develop as an artist as she observes their cadence and storytelling and looks to bring that to her own R&B style.

“Rappers have a way of keeping you intrigued while telling a story.

They can make a song about something so deep and personal, but because the beat and the cadence is fun, you don’t actually realize that it is a sad song,” says Chxrry22. “So, I tried to do that a lot with my music.

I’ll say some really fucked up things, but you won’t realize it because of the cadence and the way it sounds just fun.”

When navigating through the unpredictability and difficulties of the music industry, there can be no better guide than a global superstar who has been there and done that.

As part of the XO Records roster, Chxrry22 counts The Weeknd as a mentor and he is always a phone call away if she ever needs advice. However, some of the best moments of inspiration have come from just simply watching him from afar.

“Just based on his music and work ethic alone, I take a lot of inspiration from that,” she says.

“It’s out there for everyone to see, he’s a living example of what a great artist is and how you should go about music and how you should work.”

Chxrry22’s being a support act for The Weeknd’s upcoming stadium tour of Australia and New Zealand — which has been postponed to next year — is another major step. She calls this a “surreal” moment but an exciting opportunity to perfect her craft on the biggest stages.

She recalls how inspiring it was to see The Weeknd’s homecoming show in Toronto last year at a sold-out Rogers Centre.

“It’s insane. Just knowing where we come from and how many years he’s put into this. It’s just so inspiring, and it makes me want to keep going,” she recalls.

“I can’t quit because this is 10 years in the making.”

NEXT WINTER 2023

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18 WINTER 2023 NEXT combo-2023-Nov14-Next-mag-ad.indd 1

THE COMEDY SENSATION DIRECT FROM LONDON’S WEST END

Photography by Mihaela Bodlovic of UK touring company

DEC 9, 2023 – JAN 21, 2024 Princess of Wales Theatre

DEC 14, 2023 – JAN 14, 2024 CAA Theatre

DAVID MIRVISH PRESENTS THE CROW’S THEATRE PRODUCTION

Written by Anton Chekhov | Directed by Chris Abraham | Adapted by Liisa Repo-Martell

Bahia Watson as Sonya and Tom Rooney as Vanya. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

FEB 2 – 25, 2024 CAA Theatre

FEB 15 – MAR 17, 2024 Princess Of Wales Theatre

STILL THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR MUSICAL

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2023-11-14 12:31 PM

Winter

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Stage

Stage

‘Prophecy Fog’ returns

By Liam Donovan

P

rophecy Fog is coming home.

This fall, Coal Mine Theatre is remounting Jani Lauzon’s acclaimed theatre piece in association with Paper Canoe Projects. The stalwart Métis artist also performs in the show, which involves a journey into the Mojave Desert and a girl who roams the mountains of B.C. with a pocket full of stones.

Prophecy Fog was nominated

for three Doras when it premiered in 2019 at The Theatre Centre, winning one for Melissa Joakim’s environmental scenic design. The Toronto return engagement, directed by Franco Boni (as before), comes after a 12-theatre tour that spanned from Ontario to the Yukon and beyond.

“The tour was great,” says Lauzon in an interview at the Coal Mine. “It’s just such a beautiful way to share the story with everybody. We ended the tour in

Whitehorse, which was perfect since so much of the show is connected to the land. And those folks really understand that — it’s a different kind of existence up there.”

Speaking about the upcoming Coal Mine run, Lauzon expresses that she knows Prophecy Fog much deeper than before, thanks to the experience of doing it all over. “What I know more about is the importance of my relationship to the audience. How to really, really be connected in

those moments.”

Lauzon goes on to share that rethinking the performer-spectator relationship is a central goal of her work, especially with Prophecy Fog. “That’s one of the boundaries I’m trying to push,” she says. “I think we’ve become accustomed to sitting in a theatre slightly removed and being entertained … I’m trying with this show to say, ‘Hey, let’s be together, let’s actually be sitting in a circle together’ ... I’m asking a different engagement.”

What: Prophecy Fog Where: Coal Mine Theatre, 2076 Danforth Ave. When: Now until Sun., Dec. 10 Why you should go: Acclaimed Jani Lauzon show reimagines the performer-spectator relationship.

NEXT WINTER 2023

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MONSTER

BY DANIEL MACIVOR A Factory Theatre Production

DIRECTED BY SOHEIL PARSA STARRING KARL ANG

NOVEMBER 16 – DECEMBER 10, 2023

BOOK ONLINE: FACTORYTHEATRE.CA BOOK BY PHONE: 416 504 9971 BOOK IN PERSON: OUR BOX OFFICE

OPENS 1 HOUR PRIOR TO SHOW TIME

FACTORYTHEATRE.CA

BY DANIEL MACIVOR

HERE LIES HENRY A Factory Theatre Production

DIRECTED BY TAWIAH M’CARTHY STARRING DAMIEN ATKINS

NOVEMBER 23 – DECEMBER 17, 2023 22 WINTER 2023 NEXT

BOOK ONLINE: FACTORYTHEATRE.CA BOOK BY PHONE: 416 504 9971 BOOK IN PERSON: OUR BOX OFFICE

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Stage Reviews

On stage right now

By Liam Donovan

A strong local cast powers SIX at The Royal Alexandra into the new year

NOW PLAYING What: SIX Where: Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King St. W. When: Now, until at least Sun., Feb. 11 (open run) Highlight: Julia Pulo’s giggly portrayal of Anne Boleyn Rating: NNN (out of 5) Why you should go: In a rare turn of events, Toronto’s got its paws on a Broadway hit while it’s still hot. SIX, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s high-octane pop musical about the six wives of King Henry VIII, is playing in a shiny new production at Mirvish just two years after it opened in New York.

The show’s sextet of actors, mostly early- to mid-career Canadians, dazzle in the sparkly carnival of riffs, flashing lights and fog. The show’s 80-minute runtime leaves it feeling unfinished — but its concert setting allows for easy access to the

main thing many people want from musicals: great singing.

What: Jagged Little Pill Where: Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St. W. When: Now, until Sun., Nov. 26 Highlight: Allison Sheppard’s vulnerable performance Rating: NNN (out of 5) Why you should go: Does any musical have as clear a high point as Jagged Little Pill? Late in the Alanis Morissette jukebox musical’s second act, the song You Oughta Know arrives, justifying the show’s existence.

Explosively performed by Toronto native Jade McLeod in a sequence perfectly calibrated by director Diane Paulus, it engulfs the theatre in energy.

And though nothing else in the Mirvish touring production touches those divine minutes, the show does much to cap-

ture the universality of popular music. When its characters sing, it’s as if they’re listening to these songs on the way home from school, connecting their lives to Morissette’s lyrics like the rest of us do. That relatability propels Jagged Little Pill throughout.

What: i am your spaniel, or, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare by Gislina Patterson Where: Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. When: Tue., Jan. 16 until Sun., Jan. 21 Highlight: A sprawling and experimental dramatic structure Rating: NNNN (out of 5) Why you should go: A nervous lecture on the punctuation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream gradually transforms into a roving deconstruction of life under capitalism.

Gislina Patterson’s script is stream-of-consciousness, or perhaps stream-of-internet: the show’s dramaturgy is grippingly digital, with projections of dog videos and other online goodies abound.

The resulting odyssey is messy, highly theatrical and Marxist in both content and form. Of the many shots fired, my favourite is aimed at how Canada’s bourgeois theatre culture has historically acted as a gentrifying force.

Patterson and director Dasha Plett make up the collective We Quit Theatre, which practises a kind of (queer, playful and disruptive) anti-theatre. i am your spaniel and two other works will play as an anthology at Buddies during the listed week. All are sure to be essential.

What: Bad Hats’ Alice in Wonderland Where: Soulpepper Theatre, 50 Tank House Lane When: Tue., Dec. 12 until Sun., Dec. 31 Highlight: The synergy between Sue Miner’s lively direction and Cameron Carver’s energetic choreography Rating: NNNN (out of 5) Why you should go: Bad Hats Theatre’s acclaimed musical adaptation of Alice in Wonderland returns to the Distillery District.

Artistic director Fiona Sauder’s wonderful version of the classic tale imbues an old story with new hop. With a stacked cast including Tess Benger as Alice, this kinetic piece is looking to become a new holiday staple. It has the right amount of speed, energy and colour for kids — but it’s smartly staged enough to excite even the grumpiest of adults.

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Winter

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Stage

Toronto stages packed with picks for jammed fall and holiday seasons

By Liam Donovan

42nd Street comes to the Princess of Wales Theatre in December Withrow Park, Now – Sun., Dec. 3 (Tarragon Theatre) This world premiere dark comedy from lauded playwright Morris Panych surveys three people living in Toronto’s east end. Though they spend their days peeping out at the titular park through their living room window, the arrival of a stranger disrupts this melancholic normal. Former Shaw Festival artistic director Jackie Maxwell directs, while frequent Panych collaborator Ken MacDonald designs the set. Cast consists of Benedict Campbell, Corrine Koslo, Nancy Palk and Johnathan Sousa.

Letters From Max, a ritual, Fri., Nov. 10 – Sun., Dec. 3 (The Theatre Centre) American playwright Sarah Ruhl has a sparkling literary career including a memoir, a couple poetry collections, a book of essays and the stunning Letters from Max — a collection of letters exchanged between Ruhl and her former student Max Ritvo, who battled Ewing sarcoma, a rare form of pediatric cancer. Necessary Angel Theatre Company will present Ruhl’s theatrical adaptation of the book, which opened in New York to strong reviews

this February. Maev Beaty and Jesse LaVercombe star in this Canadian premiere production directed by artistic director Alan Dilworth.

The Lehman Trilogy, Now – Sat., Dec. 2 (Canadian Stage) Philip Akin is set to direct the Canadian premiere of this Tony-winning, three-act epic by Stefano Massini and Ben Power.

Three actors (Ben Carlson, Jordan Pettle and Graeme Somerville) play over 50 roles as the show traces the rise and fall of the Lehman family’s Wall Street empire, a tale spanning nearly 170 years. Camellia Koo will design the set at the 867-seat Bluma Appel Theatre.

Whale Fall, Fri., Nov. 17 – Sun., Nov. 26 (Red Sandcastle Theatre) Hamilton-based company Same Boat Theatre presents Stephen Near’s play about a father and daughter’s connection to the extinction of Canadian orca whales.

Part coming-of-age story and part fable for the era of climate change, Whale Fall is an intimate duet between actors Stephanie Hope Lawlor and Raymond Louter. Aaron Joel Craig’s production

arrives from successful runs at fringe festivals in Hamilton and Vancouver.

42nd Street, Sat., Dec. 9 – Sun., Jan. 21 (Princess of Wales Theatre) Jonathan Church’s revival of this showbiz musical set in the 1930s was a minor hit in the West End this June. Videos make it clear why: sharp dancing and dazzling lights. It’ll be at Mirvish with the same cast, including Ruthie Henshall, Adam Garcia, Josefina Gabrielle and Nicole-Lily Baisden. Personally, I can’t wait — the Princess of Wales feels like the perfect venue for something so old school.

Angels in America, Thurs., Nov. 23 – Sun., Dec. 17 (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre) The second show from new theatrical producer That Theatre Company is a biggie: both parts of Angels in America, Tony Kushner’s iconic American drama from the 1990s. Artistic director Craig Pike (of Craig’s Cookies fame) is a green director — but he’ll be helped through this challenging text by a high-powered cast including Jim Mezon as Roy Cohn, Christine Horne as Harper

and Allie MacDonald as Prior.

Goodbye Esther, Thurs., Nov. 23 – Sun., Nov. 26 (The Playground) This solo circus show, presented

by AP Events and creator Emily Hughes, is at an odd little venue: a Leslieville warehouse right across from Crow’s Theatre. A new space is always fun to check out — especially when it’s hosting a show with trapeze, projections, hand balancing, juggling, physical theatre and clown.

Here Lies Henry, Thurs., Nov. 23 – Sun., Dec. 17 (Factory Theatre) Tawiah M’Carthy will direct Damien Atkins in Daniel MacIvor’s seminal one-man show about a self-proclaimed liar. The wonderful Andre du Toit is on board to design lights and set for this mainspace production.

MacIvor fans will surely also want to check out Monster, which opens a week before in Factory’s studio, to complete the playwright double bill.

VUKA, Fri., Dec. 1 – Sun., Dec. 3 (Theatre Passe Muraille) This presentation from VUKA — Theatre Passe Muraille’s

Emerging Black Creation Unit, created and facilitated by Tsholo Khalema — will feature in-progress works from Sky-Ravinn, Selecta Sarah, Courage Bacchus and Dario Dvon. Drag, singing, live music and theatre will come together for a community-oriented night of storytelling.

Sweeter, Sat., Dec. 2 – Sun., Dec. 17 (Native Earth’s Aki Studio) The only full production of indie company Cahoots Theatre’s 2023/2024 season is this world premiere play by Alicia Richardson. Produced in association with Roseneath Theatre, the theatre for young audiences show is set in the American south in 1887 and features a talking mango tree who’s desperate to bear fruit but lacks confidence.

Artistic director Tanisha Taitt will direct a stacked cast made up of Alicia Plummer, Emerjade Simms, Sébastien Heins, Uche Ama and Daren Herbert.

Chris, Mrs. – A New Holiday Musical, Tues., Dec. 5 – Sun., Dec. 31 (Winter Garden Theatre) After 25 years, Ross Petty’s annual holiday pantomime had its final flight at the Elgin Continued on pg 26 NEXT WINTER 2023

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Winter

MUSIC

“WHEN SUPREMACY RHYMES WITH HUMILITY” VAYA has a unique path. Starting music at 4 years old, she first jumped in it through classic music and theory. This method, called Willem’s, put names on notes. She was giftedly able to sing. VAYA has a powerful voice and real wide range. From choir to more alternative singing classes, VAYA tailored her vocals year by year, taking a path on different styles of music, from classic pieces to Chet Baker, arriving on Jim Morrison’s shoulders. VAYA built an eclectic and souful identity. Today, VAYA’s music tends to be more and more experimental. Her last release, BRUTAL, defined as “a highway of emotions”, is getting more and more successful, being an award winner several times with her music video (short movies) “SEXUAL” and “PULSE” at film festivals.

What makes VAYA move on her creativity every day? LOVE. “LOVE IS THE ANSWER” is now the message you will find all over her work. “LOVE IS THE ANSWER” is her exhibition in downtown Toronto at Remote Gallery where you can discover music through a visual art experience. A dedicated show to “the all behind the scene/stage” and so much more honouring the beautiful crossover Canada-Japan that started between VAYA (singer-composer) and Yumi Sonoda (filmmaker) with the short movie “SEXUAL” in 2019. “It’s all about going over the limits of creativity by sharing ideas all over the world.” And tomorrow? It’s always something that has to be defined by “The Flow”. VAYA is going to Jamaica to meet the Spirit of the Ocean and will record new waves at the Ocean Studio in Nashville, Tennessee in Spring 2024. And who knows where music wil lead VAYA... Another unexpected land to discover and we all are really excited.

Continued from pg 25 Theatre last winter. But Matthew Stodolak and Katie Kerr’s new Boldly Productions is looking to fill that December gap with the world premiere of this family-friendly Christmas musical.

Kerr will direct a star-studded, 17-strong cast of Canadians including Liam Tobin, Danielle Wade, AJ Bridel and Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane.

Hypothetical Baby, Fri., Dec. 8 – Sun., Dec. 17 (Tarragon Theatre) The Howland Company will present the world premiere of theatre artist Rachel Cairns’s solo show about a Christmas Eve abortion. Cairns, creator of the podcast Aborsh, mixes data and drama in this autobiographical work, with the aim of publicly talking about abortion the way people do privately — irreverently, neurotically and honestly.

Directed by Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster.

Casey and Diana, Tue., Jan. 23 – Sun., Feb. 11 (Soulpepper Theatre) Soulpepper’s 2024 season promises to be the company’s biggest and most exciting since the pandemic. A large reason why is this drama by Nick Green, which premiered at the Stratford Festival this summer to huge acclaim. Directed by Andrew Kushnir, the show depicts Princess Diana’s historic 1991 visit to The Casey House, a specialty hospital in Toronto that provides essential care to people living with (or at risk of) HIV and AIDS. With its Stratford cast in tow, Casey and Diana looks unmissable.

The Cunning Little Vixen, Fri., Jan. 26 – Fri., Feb. 16 (Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts) British director Jamie Manton brings his English National Opera production of Czech composer Leoš Janáček’s fairy-tale opera to the Canadian Opera Company. Canadian soprano Jane Archibald stars as clever fox “Sharp Ears,” while music director Johannes Debus leads the COC orchestra through Janáček’s lush score — the first time the company is tackling it in over 20 years.

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Stage

Comet on the Horizon

T

By Liam Donovan

Hailey Gillis in an earlier production

Hailey Gillis

he Canadian premiere of ‘Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812’ has been a long time in the making.

Dave Malloy’s eccentric, sungthrough musical adaptation of a 70-page snippet from ‘War and Peace’ was slated to play at Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre in early 2021. The pandemic blocked that attempt; but the show’s producers, Crow’s Theatre and the Musical Stage Company, are giving it another go this December with a production helmed by Chris Abraham.

‘Great Comet’ will run at the Guloien Theatre, the main performance space at Streetcar Crowsnest in Leslieville. While the Winter Garden seats just under 1000, the Guloien’s capacity tends to hover around 200. This extra intimacy makes sense for a show that premiered at the 99seat Ars Nova in New York four years before hitting Broadway to significant critical success in 2016.

“It feels right to have it be at Crow’s because it takes those two extremes and sort of synthesizes them,” says cast member Hailey Gillis in a mid-rehearsal interview at Streetcar Crowsnest.

“It’s got that ‘reach for the commercial stars’ of big theatre, but also that amazing indie feel… the Winter Garden is a beautiful space, but this is where it’s supposed to be. Now it feels right.”

Gillis plays the titular Natasha, a 19-year-old betrothed to a soldier away at war. Visiting Moscow in 1812, she meets another man, the hot and hedonistic Anatole.

Love, drama and lots else ensues — as the show’s opening number instructs over a punchy accordion beat and the smell of vodka, “It’s a complicated Russian novel / Everyone’s got nine different names / So look it up in your program / We’d appreciate it, thanks a lot!”

That song gives Natasha the label of “young”; likewise, you could call her an ingenue. But

Gillis sees more in her. “She’s young and old. She’s got an old soul, but she’s got this mercurial way of thinking about things and reacting to things,” says Gillis. “I think she’s quite incredible. And I think what the music offers — what Dave Malloy has created — is this immense, emotional, beautiful, chaotic, melodic world for her to live in.”

This isn’t Gillis’s first Malloy adventure. In 2019, she starred in a Marie Farsi-directed Crow’s Theatre production of the composer’s knotty song cycle ‘Ghost Quartet’. Gillis shares that the best way to watch that complexly structured musical is to give up on interpretation and let the spectral four-part harmonies wash over you.

‘Great Comet’ is different. It moves fast, but Gillis thinks it forces audiences to come along for the ride and really invest.

“That’s what it’s doing… it’s like: ‘Come with me now, it’s gonna be really fun, but you gotta keep up, let’s go.’ And then at the end it spits you out,” she says. “I think you have no choice but to get on the train of the show and then get off when it’s over.”

What: Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 Where: Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue When: Tue., Dec. 5 until at least Sun., Jan. 7 Why you should go: Eccentric musical adaption of ‘War and Peace’ makes Canadian premiere with Hailey Gillis starring as Natasha.

NEXT WINTER 2023

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Screens

Winter

Sort Of Season 3 Trailer

Bilal Baig 28 WINTER 2023 NEXT

Sort Of

Screens

Ground-breaking dramedy will be CBC’s next global hit

By Michael Hollett

L

ike their character, trans nanny Pakistani-Canadian Sabi Mehboob, in CBC’s brilliant dramedy Sort Of, Bilal Baig projects a quiet confidence with soft-spoken words that deliver plenty of insight for those prepared to lean in and pay attention.

I’m a little star-struck when Baig sweeps into a CBC conference room at the network’s Front Street HQ in the weeks before the launch of Sort Of’s final season to discuss the ground-breaking show. A sweet waft of perfume announces their arrival milliseconds before they enter the room.

Sort Of is just that good: deceptively dense in storytelling while never beating viewers over the head with issues or political points. Among the remarkable things about Sort Of is the lead character’s trans identity is almost coincidental, at least at the beginning.

Initially, it’s simply an astute story about the complicated relationship between a nanny and the progressive family that employs them. A “member of the family” when it suits them, just an employee when they decide that’s how it is.

“We knew our character was going to be trans,” says Baig of the show’s development process with co-creator Fab Filippo.

“But there was just so much more to say. One of the things that thrilled me about the first season was the relationship between Sabi and their mother. I wanted to talk about South Asian women over the age of 50 who are so complex, and we don’t get to always see them in that complexity.”

Throughout its three seasons Sort Of provides an insightful window into the suburban South Asian-Canadian experience like no other show.

“The other side is I didn’t want

Sort Of

Where: CBC Gem What: Series, Season 3, 8 episodes, 22 mins.

When: Fri., Nov. 17, two episodes weekly Genre: Dramedy Rating: NNNNN (out of 5) Why you should watch: One of the best shows on CBC — ever.

Sort Of manages to be understated yet stunning with co-creator/ writer/actor Bilal Baig leading an incredible cast that tackles major issues gently and powerfully. Baig plays a trans nanny in a show where gender identity is, initially a coincidental, not defining, part of the story. Brilliant television that packs an astounding amount into

it to feel like we were hiding the transness, trying to sneak it in.

It’s just the way I feel like I’ve lived my life and how so many trans people I know have lived their life. It’s part of our every day and it’s sometimes something we don’t talk about for weeks; it’s just who we are.”

The “every-day-ness” of trans life is part of the power of the show and its ability to disarm the “other” in immigrant and gender-fluid communities — all leavened with plenty of laughs among the insights.

I think Sort Of will be CBC’s next Schitt’s Creek, a slowly building show that will eventually garner a dedicated international audience through streaming.

I wonder if Baig is daunted at becoming a trans symbol.

“What helped was we had multiple trans characters from the start. Prior to the show, I consumed a lot of media where trans people were siloed with their own kind; it was a show only about trans people or trans people were dead bodies on an otherwise cis show. To capture the spectrum of gender was really exciting to us.”

Baig says some of their trans friends complained that Sabi was “too perfect” in the first season: “the good trans.”

“I do remember in Season 2 feeling drawn to how Sabi is messy like everybody else. So much of the conversation with my friends has been about how we just need nuance. We don’t need another two-dimensional representation of us; it feels harmful at this point.”

Baig notes a new trans cliché: “I’m seeing the trans characters now as a social justice warrior, the righteous trans person, which is another side of dehumanization.

“Our approach since Season 1 has been, what’s the trope, what’s the stereotype and how can we subvert it? And when is it okay to kind of meet that stereotype?

“That was fun and playful.

We’re really aware of the politicalness of the show; sometimes we’re saying a lot just by having characters stand next to each other.”

Baig says successful people from marginalized communities “talk about the pressure of being the only voice and having to represent an entire community.

But we had South Asian writers in our first season, we had trans writers.”

Despite this, when the “cool producers” after Season 1 asked, “What do you need to do your job, to make it even a little better for you?” Baig’s response was, “I just need more trans people on our set on a daily basis — and

in crew, specifically, which felt really white-male-dominated.

“And then we did it.”

They created a mentorship program for trans youth. Twelve young people got jobs behind the scenes and “they’re getting union jobs now,” says Baig. “It wasn’t just makeup and wardrobe; they were everywhere. It was cool.

“And it wasn’t that hard,” they say of their commitment to inclusion, not to brag but to encourage.

“If you care about it enough, you can build it and it works.

And it does start from the top, with intention. There’s no winning when we say we care about diversity but it’s the first thing we’ll let go of when we’re stressed on budget — that’s not how we approached it, and I really hope it means something to this industry in particular.”

I note that things seem to actually be getting worse for the trans community, not better.

“I think so. In my circles, we talk about increased violence. There’s this myth, some people feel like trans people only started existing a couple of years ago.

“This specific attack on us and our rights is because there’s more of us speaking out, more of us taking up space, sharing ourselves with the world. I think that freaks people out.”

Baig emphasizes Sort Of is very much a team creation. “It’s not the Bilal Show” — their key collaborator from Day One has been Toronto writer/director/ actor Fab Filippo.

Baig’s background is in theatre.

They graduated from Humber in 2016 and had their first play going into production at Theatre Passe Muraille before they even finished school. Filippo and Baig knew each other in the theatre community and in 2018 when they were both performing in the Tarragon Theatre’s production of Theory they brainstormed about

working together.

“Neither one of us were the leads so, lots of downtime. There was a time in my life when I was brown and trans and a nanny and, telling Fab about it, we just thought it was so funny, me working with kids and the image of it. He asked if I was curious about television and I said no, I was terrified — still kind of am.”

As they explored the range bringing their two experiences together would offer, “I wanted to know where his heart was in the storytelling because I was curious. I thought, ‘I want to make something with a cis white dude in his 40s.’ I think that is scary and hard and exciting and something I haven’t done before”.

And, the results are stunning, as Baig brings their unique insights into the character of Sabi while Filippo’s life informs the picture-perfect portrayal of “the dad,” Paul (brilliantly played

by Gray Powell) battling all the contradictions of trying to be a progressive father but still haunted by dad-ism and his own privilege.

So, why are they calling it quits with this season being the last?

“There was something about what we get to do in the third season that feels like it is the third and final chapter of a three-part story. We tell a very specific story about a big moment in time for Sabi — and it just felt right, exciting in a way. It felt cool to be, ‘I think it’s done now’ versus ‘Can we squeeze more out?’

It takes a lot of confidence to step away from something that’s working, but Baig, like Sabi, projects quiet faith in themselves that others find easy to share. Baig says they are eager to get back to theatre.

Great, but with an L.A.-based manager promoting the star, don’t be surprised to see them in major screen productions as well.

NEXT WINTER 2023

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Winter

Screen Reviews Milli Vanilli Trailer

Milli Vanilli’s Rob Pilatus (left) and Fab Morva NOW PLAYING The Gilded Age Where: Crave What: Series, Season 2, 8 episodes, 55 mins.

When: Now, new episodes Sundays Genre: Drama Rating: NNNN (out of 5) Why you should watch: Downton Abbey’s Julian Fellowes brings his soap-opera energy for another look at the upstairs/downstairs world of the bourgeoisie, this time in 1890s New York City.

It’s packed with great performances, enough historical detail to feel semi-educational and enough melodramatic plot lines to fuel 15 Harlequin romance novels. Season 2 is even more action-packed than the first, with satisfying development of the roles of many treasured characters.

Milli Vanilli Where: Paramount+ What: Movie, 106 mins.

When: Now Genre: Documentary Rating: NNNN (out of 5) Why you should watch: Surprisingly honest depiction of one of 30 WINTER 2023 NEXT

greatest scams in music history.

It’s the story of how a couple of broke DJ/dancers became Milli Vanilli and tricked the world — for a while — into giving them superstar status and a Grammy they had to return. All for performing songs they didn’t sing.

Riveting, revealing and ultimately sympathetic to the band. Surviving member Fab Morvan doesn’t run away from his role in the scam, just seeks to hold others accountable and his recovery and abiding love of music offer some hope in this sad tale.

Next Goal Wins Where: In theatres What: Movie, 103 mins., When: Fri., Nov. 17 Genre: Comedy Rating: NNNN (out of 5) Why you should watch: New Zealand superstar writer/director Taika Waititi brings a new look to the underdog-makes-good stories pioneered by Bad News Bears, Cool Runnings and, even more recently, Ted Lasso. Like Lasso, this is a soccer story, but Michael Fassbender, as

the down-on-his-luck American coach forced to try to help an inept team from American Samoa plays it more like Walter Matthau (Bad News Bears) than Lasso. Refreshing to have story told from an Indigenous perspective, with lots of marvelling at the habits of “white people.”

Will Arnett is great as the dickish American rooting against the “good guys.”

For All Mankind Where: Apple TV+ What: Series, Season 4, 10 episodes, 55 mins.

When: Now, new episodes Fridays Genre: Drama Rating: NNNN (out of 5) Why you should watch: Not just for Boomers anymore, this space race-based historical fiction which started with the ’60s race to the moon makes it into the 2000s in its fourth season. It reimagines a world where the Soviet Union never collapsed and John Lennon lived to play the Super Bowl, among other juicy historical twists. It’s a jumble of

truths mixed with “what ifs,” so we get Gorbachev struggling to stay in power, flip phones and joint Soviet/American colonies on the moon and Mars, all with private sector partners. Crew members rock out to The Strokes as they land on the Red Planet and Gorillaz are on the playlist on the moon. Over-acted, sometimes over-wrought but ultimately, the premise is cool enough to be satisfying.

Priscilla Where: In theatres What: Movie, 110 mins.

When: Now Genre: Drama Rating: NNN (out of 5) Why you should watch: Sofia Coppola’s latest film paints a portrait of Priscilla Presley trapped by her own dream life: married to the most famous and desired man on earth, living in the lap of luxury, but deeply lonely. Coppola doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable aspects of their marriage (their age gap, Elvis’s anger and regressive beliefs about sex and marriage)

and the film is pitch-perfect in its attention to period detail, use of music and cinematography.

But as an evocation of Priscilla’s tedious life, it is almost too successful, and the film’s repetitive structure can leave viewers a little bored.

The Marvels Where: In theatres What: Movie, 105 mins.

When: Now Genre: MCU Rating: NNN (out of 5) Why you should watch: An overused, convoluted plot device can’t take away from the fun of Captain Marvel’s (Brie Larson) genre-flipping superhero flick packed with plenty of action, amusing asides and virtually all major roles — along with most major ass-kicking — performed by women. Superfan Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) gains superpowers — don’t ask — earns Ms. Marvel status and is a steady source of amusing riffs on her “How the fuck am I hanging with Captain Marvel?” marvelling. Decent girl-power fun.

Screens

Winter Movies, Festivals and Streaming COMING SOON Fallen Leaves What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Fri., Nov. 17 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: It’s not every year we get a new film by Aki Kaurismäki, the deadpan Finnish director of Le Havre and Drifting Clouds, so when we do, it’s a must-see. A favourite at this year’s TIFF, Kaurismäki’s Fallen Leaves is a touching, gentle drama about finding connection in unexpected places. And there’s a dog named Chaplin!

May/December What: Movie Where: In theatres & Netflix When: Fri., Nov. 17 (theatres), Fri., Dec. 1 (Netflix) Genre: Drama Why you should watch: One of the year’s most hotly anticipated films is Todd Haynes’s new drama, May/December. The director of Far From Heaven and Carol is in his element here, with an unsettling story of a woman at the centre of a national scandal and the actress who has been hired to play her. With an incredible set of stars (Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore), a dash of All About Eve-style rivalry and a ripped-from-the-headlines subject that is deeply relevant today, May/December is shaping up to be the most talked-about film of the season.

Night at the Museum with ROM What: Movie and tour Where: Hot Docs Theatre When: Sun., Nov. 19 Genre: Comedy Why you should watch: Bring the kids to an interactive screening of Night at the Museum (2006) at Hot Docs Cinema, featuring a special introduction by the ROM. A museum ambassador will host museum-themed activities — including touchable

specimens and ancient Egyptian writing — before a screening of the film.

Blood in the Snow Film Festival What: Film Festival Where: Isabel Bader Theatre When: Mon., Nov. 20 through Sat., Nov. 2 Genre: Horror Why you should watch: If you have a taste for horror and a passion for Canadian cinema, then you won’t want to miss this year’s Blood in the Snow Festival. The festival celebrates the best in Canadian-made horror with short film programs, feature presentations, industry events and parties. From hardened private detectives and haunted scotch casques to killer smart homes and queer werewolves, there’s something for every horror fan.

Saltburn What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Wed., Nov. 22 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: After her searing, award-winning debut, Promising Young Woman, Emerald Fennell returns with Saltburn, a thriller that doubles as an examination of class and belonging. Barry Keoghan (Banshees of Inisherin) stars as Oliver, a misfit who gets drawn into the hedonistic world of his extremely wealthy classmate, Felix (Jacob Elordi, Priscilla) while spending the summer at his family’s estate. Expect wild parties and dark deeds in picturesque castles.

Napoleon What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Wed., Nov. 22 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Coming off last year’s underrated Last Duel (and over-the-top, House of

Timothée Chalamet plays young Willy in the chocolatier’s origin story, ‘Wonka’ opening this December Gucci), Ridley Scott returns with another historical drama, the long-awaited Napoleon. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as Napoleon and Vanessa Kirby (Mission Impossible: Fallout) as Empress Josephine. The film charts the emperor’s rise to power in France and his power plays with his ambitious wife. It’s unclear if Napoleon will have a better box-office fate than Last Duel but certainly has the advantage of featuring Phoenix in a role he seems destined to play.

Leave the World Behind What: Movie Where: Netflix When: Wed., Nov. 22 Genre: Thriller Why you should watch: Leave the World Behind is not the first Airbnb-themed horror to hit our screens, but with Julia Roberts, Ethan Hawke and Mahershala Ali, it’s certainly the most star-studded. Directed by Sam Esmai, creator of Mr. Robot, the film follows a family whose idyllic stay at a rental home is interrupted when the owners unexpectedly return.

But this is only the beginning of their trouble as the world’s technological systems start to collapse and the family has to fight to survive (there seem to be a few M. Night Shyamalan-style twists in store).

Maestro What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Wed., Nov. 22 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: After the

critical and commercial success of A Star Is Born, Bradley Cooper had the keys to the Hollywood kingdom, and it was perhaps a surprise that he chose to direct and star in a biopic of the life of conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein and the tumultuous relationship he had with his wife, Felicia Montealegre (Carey Mulligan).

Phantom of the Paradise What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Fri., Nov. 24 Genre: Musical/horror Why you should watch: The film that bombed everywhere except Paris and, of all places, Winnipeg, MB, Brian De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise is a strange and entertaining rock opera romp that has been lovingly reclaimed by cult cinema fans. And what better place to watch the film than Toronto’s own Paradise Theatre? Drag Me to the Movies, a regular series that brings the campiest horror and sci-fi to Toronto is hosting an interactive screening of De Palma’s unhinged epic about a rock and roll composer who seeks revenge on the producer who stole his masterpiece.

The Adults What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Thurs., Nov. 30 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Toronto’s MDFF screening series screens the best of international, independent and arthouse

cinema — essentially films you likely won’t get to see otherwise.

This month, it’s presenting The Adults, by Dustin Guy Defa. It stars Michael Cera, Hannah Gross and Sophia Lillis as adult siblings forced to confront their long-dormant issues during a visit home. The Adults is a sensitive, thoughtful and funny dissection of the difficulties of growing up and moving on.

RENAISSANCE: A Film by Beyoncé What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Fri., Dec. 1 Genre: Concert Why you should watch: Now that the furor over Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour film has died down a bit (to the relief of moviegoers in adjacent cinemas), get ready for another in-theatre pop spectacle.

One of the greatest entertainers alive, Beyoncé has live shows that set a new bar for artistic excellence (remember the Coachella performances?). But this is the definition of a fans-only experience: expect singing out loud, and lots of excited talking and dancing in the aisles.

The Bikeriders What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Fri., Dec. 1 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: If The Bikeriders seems like a throwback, that’s certainly by design.

The new film from Jeff Nichols, the director of Take Shelter and Continued on pg 32 NEXT WINTER 2023

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Winter

Screens

Continued from pg 31 Mud, will give the grease-stained excitement of the biker genre a Hollywood sheen. Starring Austin Butler, Tom Hardy and Jodie Comer, the film follows Benny (Butler) as he rises through the ranks of a fictional Chicago biker gang. Inspired by a photography book by Danny Lyon, The Bikeriders mines our seemingly endless fascination with mid-century American culture (Butler is fresh off his star-making turn in the hit film Elvis).

Eileen What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Fri., Dec. 1 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Based on the first novel by the provocative author Ottessa Moshfegh, Eileen follows the titular, lonely young woman (played by Thomasin McKenzie) working at a prison who is dazzled by Rebecca (Anne Hathaway), the charismatic new educator. But Rebecca’s devotion to helping the prisoners takes a dark turn. Love them or hate them, Moshfegh’s novels (which include My Year of Rest and Relaxation and Lapvona) tend to be the most talked about books of the year, and maybe William Oldroyd’s adaptation will get tongues wagging as well.

Age of Innocence: High Tea Cinema What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Sun., Dec. 3 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Travel back to an age of refinement and repression with the Fox Theatre’s High Tea Cinema screening of 1993’s Age of Innocence. Martin Scorsese faithfully adapts Edith Wharton’s classic tale of lust and keeping up appearances in 19th century high society. Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder and featuring incredible period sets and costumes, Age of Innocence is about as ravishing as it gets.

To complete the experience, your ticket to High Tea Cinema includes a cup of tea and a scone.

The Boy and the Heron What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Fri., Dec. 8 32 WINTER 2023 NEXT

Genre: Family/Animation Why you should watch: A new Hayao Miyazaki film is a true cinematic event. The director’s works (from Spirited Away to Princess Mononoke) are some of the most imaginative, visually stunning and emotional animated films ever made. His latest, The Boy and the Heron follows a lonely young boy who has moved to the countryside following his father’s remarriage.

There, he finds himself stalked by a strange grey heron who may know something about the boy’s late mother. Beautiful, complex and unexpected, The Boy and the Heron is an existentialist fantasy about family and discovering your place in the world.

Origin What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Fri., Dec. 8 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Based on Isabel Wilkerson’s nonfiction book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, Ava Duvernay’s new film is a sprawling examination of the roots of oppression, finding links between Nazi Germany, India’s caste system and racial discrimination (and beyond) in America. Origin dramatizes Wilkerson’s deeply personal process of researching the book, from her own personal tragedy to her explorations of the world around her and human history. Adapting a nonfiction book to the screen is a compelling premise, and the themes, as always with Duvernay, are deeply resonant today.

Love Actually: Holiday slumber party What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Thurs., Dec. 14 Genre: Romantic Comedy Why you should watch: For better or worse, it wouldn’t be Christmas without Love Actually. The Fox Theatre is taking this beloved comfort watch up a notch by hosting a screening and slumber party. You’re invited to wear your pyjamas and enjoy a themed cocktail while you take in the meet-cutes, high-school recitals, romantic cue cards and a myriad of British thespians.

The Zone of Interest What: Movie

about the founder of the luxury sports car empire. Starring Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari (reprising his House of Gucci Italian accent) who, desperate to get his company out of a financial crisis, enters his driver in a famously gruelling race. The star-studded film (it also features Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley and Canada’s Sara Gadon) should appeal to lovers of cinema and Formula 1 alike.

Jason Mamoa returns as Aquaman Where: In theatres When: Fri., Dec. 15 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Jonathan Glazer (Birth, Under the Skin) is one of the most risk-taking and visually arresting filmmakers around, and his latest is no exception. Inspired by the Martin Amis book of the same name, Zone of Interest depicts the domestic life of the Commandant at Auschwitz concentration camp, who lives a life of ease with his family on the other side of the camp wall. A challenging and thought-provoking take on the horrors of the Holocaust, or more precisely, about the challenge of representing those horrors on film.

Wonka What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Fri., Dec. 15 Genre: Family Why you should watch: It’s not clear whether anyone asked for a Willy Wonka origin story, but this holiday season, that’s exactly what we’re getting. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Coleman and Hugh Grant, Wonka tells the story of how Willy became the greatest (and quirkiest) inventor and chocolatier on earth.

American Fiction What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Fri., Dec. 15 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Winner of the People’s Choice Award at this year’s TIFF (which, until recently, was a good barometer for Oscar night), American Fiction is a cutting satire of the publishing world. Jeffrey Wright stars as Thelonious “Monk’’ Ellison, an author whose star is fading,

who decides to manipulate the industry’s fetishization of Black identity in his favour.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Fri., Dec. 22 Genre: Action Why you should watch: If you’re looking for something big and loud this holiday season, you’ll be glad to know that Aquaman is finally getting his sequel. The 2018 Aquaman was DC’s biggest standalone superhero film, but the sequel’s release has been plagued by delays and controversies. In Aquamam and the Lost Kingdom, Aquaman (Jason Momoa) must protect Atlantis from an ancient foe, the Black Manta, with the help of Meera (Amber Heard) and his long-lost brother.

Scrooge Night at The Revue What: Movie Series Where: In theatres When: Sat., Dec. 23 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: The Revue is hosting a double bill celebrating everyone’s favourite Christmas curmudgeon, Ebenezer Scrooge. First is a screening of 1938’s A Christmas Carol, with Reginald Owen and Gene Lockhart, followed by Scrooged, the 1988 modernization starring Bill Murray.

Ferrari What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Mon., Dec. 25 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Michael Mann (Heat, Miami Vice) returns to screens with his first film in eight years: Ferrari, a biopic

The Colour Purple What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Mon., Dec. 25 Genre: Drama Why you should watch: Alice Walker’s classic novel The Colour Purple has had many lives. From the 1995 film adaptation to the 2005 stage musical adaptation and, now, a film adaptation of the stage play. If you aren’t dizzy yet, maybe you’ll love this reimaging of Walker’s heartbreaking and inspirational coming-of-age story.

Griselda What: Series Where: Netflix When: Thurs., Jan. 25 Genre: Crime Why you should watch: If you’re a fan of Narcos (or the numerous shows like it), then be sure to catch the new series, Griselda.

Inspired by the life of Griselda Blanco (played by Sofia Vergara) a ruthless Colombian drug lord, who started her criminal career as a child and went on to lead one of the most profitable rackets in Colombian history.

Silent Revue presents The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog What: Movie Where: In theatres When: Sun., Jan. 28 Genre: Thriller Why you should watch: The Revue’s regular series of silent films returns with Alfred Hitchcock’s most well-known silent film, The Lodger. In the thriller, London is being terrorized by a brutal, unidentified killer. Meanwhile, a mysterious lodger has moved in. Featuring an informative introduction by the series curator and live piano accompaniment, this is the best way to experience one of the great eras of cinema.

Comedy

Comedy

Rising comedy star doesn’t run from issues

By William Molls

What: Nour Hadidi & Friends Where: Comedy Bar on Bloor,

945 Bloor St. W.

When: at., Dec. 2 ,10 pm

N

our Hadidi is one of the brightest comedy stars out of the Toronto scene in recent years; she’s part of a generation of up-and-coming standups like Courtney Gilmour (Canada’s Got Talent) and Brandon Ash-Mohammed (LOL: Last One Laughing Canada) who have gone from performing for small local crowds to finding international success.

Hadidi, who is recording her first album at her monthly show, Nour Hadidi & Friends, on Sat., Dec. 2 at Comedy Bar, is most recognizable for her appearances on CBC Radio’s The Debaters and was a staff writer on This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Originally from Jordan, Hadidi combines her immigrant’sperspective with the relatable struggles of millennial life in Toronto in her act — whether it’s dating, job interviews or her relationship with her family.

She isn’t afraid to get personal, discussing her struggles with anxiety and depression, as well as her experiences with racism and Islamophobia as an immigrant and a Muslim. Through it all, she’s unafraid to sometimes be raw and emotionally vulnerable in her act, but the calculated precision of her material shows just how serious and in control she remains as a performer.

Most recently, she’s been in Boston, opening for Nikki Glaser.

When we connect over the phone, she’s under the weather, resting up ahead of appearing at the New York Comedy Festival.

“I just wish there were more avenues for success in Canada,” she says about performing in the United States. “I think a lot of Canadian comedians love performing in this country. But most of us end up getting visas or green cards to work in the States” because there are more opportunities there.

In her act, Hadidi isn’t afraid to delve into heavier topics that other comedians might shy away from. Recently, she’s been outspoken about Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza following the Hamas attack..

“A lot of my friends are Palestinians. A lot of people don’t know this, but a large majority of people who live in Jordan are Palestinians who were expelled in 1948 or 1967. It changed the fabric of the country that I was born and raised in.” As a result, it’s a conflict she’s been keenly aware of her whole life, she says.

“I don’t know why our parents let us watch the news, but I’d be in the third grade and I’d be, you know, watching gunfire and people dying,” she says, emotionally recalling growing up with a closeup view of the conflict.

“When it became my full-time job, I learned how to compartmentalize.,” she says about how difficult it’s been to balance pro-

cessing and speaking out about Gaza with a career in comedy.

“When I had a day job, comedy was my release, it was fun. But when it becomes your livelihood, it doesn’t matter what you’re going through that day, you’re a professional and you have to show up. But I don’t think anything prepares you for what we’re seeing.”

Hadidi says she’s found solace in being able to bond with the audience about how hard it’s been. “There are times where I don’t do my old set; I’ll just talk about what’s happening that day or what I saw on the news. It can be cathartic — not only for me but for anyone else who’s in the audience who’s Arab or Muslim and doesn’t feel safe expressing the same viewpoints I do.”

Hadidi started her comedy career in Montreal while still an undergrad at McGill, but moving to Toronto changed her perspective on what was possible in

stand-up.

“I was surprised by how many female comics there were, and how many female-only shows there were — or women of colour shows, or POC shows.”

Being based in Toronto offered opportunities that hadn’t been available elsewhere. Still, even in Toronto, for performers who aren’t white, cishet men, “We have a much harder time in comedy.

You need to be incredible as a quote-unquote ‘other’ to be on a show with average white-presenting men on a lineup.”

Reflecting on her 11-year career in comedy, Hadidi says, “When I started, I think I was just like ‘Oh, I just want to write a joke. I just want to be funny.’

Not really thinking about comedy and what I was doing. But now, I’m showing you who I am. And I could say it in this joke, I could say it in that joke. But it’s not the joke, necessarily — it’s me that I’m sharing.”

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Winter

Comedy

Slut Parade, Nubian Showcase, Nate Bargatze, Chelsea Handler and Holidazed Second City among packed season of comedy highlights What: The Jinkx and DeLa Holiday Show When: Tue., Nov. 21 Where: Meridian Hall Why you should go: Drag royalty Jinkx Monsoon and BenDeLaCreme are bringing a bit of holiday cheer to Toronto this November. For Jinkxy, it will be her second time performing across from Berczy Park in as many months, as she closed out the Just for Laughs Toronto outdoor festival back in September just outside the venue’s front door. As DeLa says in the press release for the event, “Whether you consider it the most wonderful time of year or the most troubling, we’re here to tell you … you’re right!”

What: Zabrina Douglas: A Nurse Gone Wild Where: Comedy Bar on Bloor, 945 Bloor St. W. When: Fri., Nov. 24 & Sat., Nov. 25 Why you should go: Zabrina Douglas was working as a registered nurse during the COVID-19 pandemic while also having a thriving career in comedy. As she told NEXT in a recent interview, performing regularly on virtual stand-up comedy shows from hospital breakrooms helped propel her career to new heights.

Prior to her breakout success, she ran Things Black Girls Say, a regular show at Comedy Bar. Her first album, Things Black Girls Say: The Album, was JUNO-nominated this year. Now, she returns to Comedy Bar to record her sophomore LP, A Nurse Gone Wild, with NXNE and JFL alum Tamara Shevon as her opener.

What: Slut Parade Where: Comedy Bar on Bloor, 945 Bloor St. W. When: Sat., Nov. 25 Why you should go: Slut Parade is a sex-positive comedy show featuring Toronto’s top stand-up 34 WINTER 2023 NEXT

comedians sharing their best and worst stories about dating and sex (or lack thereof). This show promises it will be “dirty, flirty and fun with only one rule: no slut shaming allowed!”

What: The Nubian Show Where: Yuk Yuk’s, 224 Richmond St. W. When: Sun., Nov. 26 & Sun., Dec. 17 Why you should go: Hosted by Canadian stand-up legend Kenny Robinson, the long-running Nubian Show at Yuk Yuk’s can boast of having had names like Dave Chapelle, Kevin Hart and Russell Peters in its lineup, as well as playing a role in launching the career of many rising stars in Canadian comedy. A highlight of the regular shows on the Yuk Yuk’s calendar.

What: Dylan Gott Where: Yuk Yuk’s, 224 Richmond St. W. When: Fri., Nov. 24 & Sat., Nov. 25 Why you should go: An alum of Just for Laughs and NXNE, Dylan Gott has been described as “delightfully bizarre” by A.V. Club. He has been nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award and appeared on Comedy Central and Viceland U.K. in Bobby and Harriet Are Getting Married.

What: Ziwe Fumudoh Where: The Royal, 608 College St. When: Fri., Dec. 1 Why you should go: If you haven’t seen Showtime’s Ziwe yet, you need to immediately watch Chet Hanks’s mind-boggling car crash of an interview with its host and namesake. Inexplicably cancelled this year after two seasons, the satirical hit talk show produced incredible viral moments with a wide range of celebrity guests, including the aforementioned lesser progeny of Tom Hanks, as well as Fran Lebowitz, Andrew Yang and Char-

high school” and “I had sex with two of my professors in law school.” The show promises “a night of laughter and connection.”

Elvira Kurt back on stage to record only her second-ever comedy album lemagne tha God. Once an intern on The Daily Show, Fumudoh’s name is now being floated as a potential replacement for Trevor Noah. But after the huge success of Ziwe, taking on that role seems like it would be a step backwards for her. Fumudoh is bringing her post-Ziwe tour to The Royal in support of her recently released collection of short essays, Black Friend.

What: Elvira Kurt Where: Paradise Theatre, 1006c Bloor St. W. When: Sat., Dec. 2 Why you should go: Veteran comedian and LGBTQ icon Elvira Kurt comes home to Toronto to record a new stand-up special at the Paradise Theatre, featuring guest performances by Vong Sho and Mickey Dykeman. Kurt has been a mainstay on Canadian television screens since the 2000s but is probably better known now for regular appearances on CBC Radio’s The Debaters and hosting CBC Gem’s Queer Pride Inside in 2020. She’s also kept busy behind the scenes as a writer on Baroness von Sketch Show, The Great Canadian Baking Show, Canada’s Drag Race and the chainsaw carving competition series A Cut Above.

What: Chelsea Handler: Little Big Bitch Where: Meridian Hall, 1 Front St. E. When: Thurs., Dec. 7 & Fri., Dec. 8 Why you should go: Chelsea Handler promises her Little Big Bitch tour will provide “insight into how I turned into who I am today,” i.e. a world-famous comedian with a prolifically busy schedule. She guest-hosted The Daily Show in February following the release of her latest Netflix

stand-up special, Revolution. She currently hosts the weekly advice podcast Dear Chelsea.

What: Ian Lara Where: Comedy Bar Danforth, 2800 Danforth Ave. When: Fri., Dec. 8 & Sat., Dec. 9 Why you should go: Ian Lara is a rapidly rising star in the New York comedy scene. He’s appeared on Comedy Central Presents as well on the first season of NBC’s Bring the Funny. He made his late-night debut on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last year and returned for his second Tonight Show appearance just last month.

What: Alex Pavone Where: Yuk Yuk’s, 224 Richmond St. W. When: Fri., Dec. 22 & Sat., Dec. 23 Why you should go: Woodbridge’s own Alex Pavone moved to New York City nearly 10 years ago and has since opened for stars like Bobby Lee and Bill Burr.

His Instagram feed is a steady stream of digital skits and podcast clips about his sports fandoms and gambling. This homecoming trip has him headlining three shows at Yuk Yuk’s.

What: Holidazed and Confused Where: Second City, One York Street, 110 Harbour St. When: Thurs., Nov. 23 – Sun., Dec. 31 Why you should go: Second City promises that all who come to this improv-powered “Holidazed” showcase will be “roasted like chestnuts on an open fire.”

What: Steph Tolev Where: Danforth Music Hall, 147 Danforth Ave. When: Thurs., Dec. 14 Why you should go: Toronto’s Steph Tolev was a member of the sketch comedy duo Ladystache along with comedian Allison Hogg, winning Most Innovative Comedy Troupe at Montreal Sketchfest in 2010 and the Just for Laughs Award in 2014. She spent last year opening for Bill Burr on tour and appears on his recent Netflix special, Bill Burr Presents: Friends Who Kill.

What: Nate Bargatze: The Be Funny Tour Where: Scotiabank Arena, 40 Bay St. When: Tue., Jan. 21 Why you should go: The Atlantic calls him “the nicest man in stand-up,” but Nate Bargatze is also one of the hottest acts in comedy right now. Bargatze is your favourite comedian’s favourite comedian. His material is clean and evergreen, which he delivers with a smooth, laidback Tennessee drawl that will instantly put you at ease, no matter how stressful a day it’s been.

Saying that Bargatze is hilarious and a joy to watch is possibly the most uncontroversial opinion any human can have.

What: All of Us Are Asian Where: SoCap Theatre, 154 Danforth Ave., 2nd floor When: Fri., Dec. 15, Why you should go: All of Us Are Asian is an improv show that takes its inspiration from growing up in an Asian family. The show is fuelled by real-life stories about secrets “we kept from our parents,” all of which are submitted (anonymously) by the audience. Past submitted secrets include “I paid someone to change all my report card grades in

What: The Headliner with Adam Christie Where: Comedy Bar on Bloor, 945 Bloor St. W. When: Every Friday Why you should go: Each week, Adam Christie welcomes a different guest to do an extended stand-up set. The program promises “one of the best comedians in Canada,” though it’s hard to tell if that’s meant to refer to the weekly guests or the host himself.

Dance

Dance

Bears on roller skates, medieval enactments and jazzy bops — finish up 2023 and spring forth into 2024 with a true cornucopia of dance offerings!

By Helen Toner

The National Ballet of Ukraine

Assembly Hall What: Medieval history, dance and theatre in one Where: Bluma Appel Theatre, Toronto Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E. When: Fri., Dec. 6 – Sat., Dec. 9 Why you should go: Kidd Pivot’s new production promises to be a unique fusion of drama and theatre. Follow a group of bedraggled medieval re-enactors struggling to put on their much-vaunted but aged event, Quest Fest. Much to their surprise, ancient forces from the past begin to emerge and the mock-medieval tournament begins to take on new meaning.

Is the Board of Directors up to the task? This highly energetic performance will be one for the (dark) ages!

December Dances 2023 What: Breaking-edge modern dance Where: Winchester Street Theatre (additional digital viewing option), 80 Winchester St. When: Fri., Dec. 6 – Sat., Dec. 9 Why you should go: The Dance Art Institute showcases its best and brightest at its annual December Dances event. Students in their 3rd and 4th years present ensemble numbers that you can enjoy from either the historied Winchester Theatre or your very own sofa. The inclusive

digital broadcast may be viewed at any time and as many times as you’d like between Sat., Dec. 9 at 8 pm and Sun., Dec. 10 at 11 pm. With the school’s past rooted strongly in the Graham technique, expect to see modern dance oscillating between contraction and release, and pushing innovation to new extremes.

Wonders of Winterland: Dance + Circus at the Garden What: Aerial dances amongst the flowers Where: Toronto Botanical Garden, 777 Lawrence Ave. E. When: Fri., Dec. 8 – Sun., Dec. 10 Why you should go: The Toronto Botanical Garden has put together an enchanting evening of dance, circus and … botany! As the snow and sleet collect outside, sit amidst the greenery of midsummer and immerse yourself in a fascinating world featuring aerial silks, trapeze, acrobatics and other mind-boggling feats. This event is family-friendly and has both afternoon and evening shows to allow everyone to attend, no matter your bedtime.

The Nutcracker What: A ballet mainstay to celebrate the holidays Where: Four Seasons Centre for

the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. When: Fri., Dec. 8 – Sat., Dec. 30 Why you should go: A beloved holiday tradition, The Nutcracker tells the story of Marie and Misha, a young brother and sister, whose nutcracker soldier comes to life on Christmas Eve and transports them on a magical journey to the land of sweets. A perfect performance for a date, family time or a night on the town, the National Ballet of Canada’s performance is full of sumptuous costumes, a thundering orchestra and the dance company out in full force.

Keep your eyes peeled for the roller-skating bear, some pesky rats and celebrity cameos on select nights!

Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert What: A celebration of romantic Vienna Where: Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. When: Mon., Jan. 1 Why you should go: Inspired

by Vienna’s famed Neujahrskonzert, this show celebrates the new year in a classy and exuberant fashion. Pull out your New Year’s sparkly best and hum along to classical music warhorses whilst traditional European dancers perform backed by a full symphonic

orchestra! Sometimes the best way to take a step forward into new beginnings is by taking a step backwards (or perhaps a sashay?) into a nostalgic trip full of polkas, waltzes and quadrilles.

Bear What: A solo piece filled with emotion Where: The Citadel: Ross Centre for Dance, 304 Parliament St. When: Wed., Jan. 17 – Sat., Jan. 20 Why you should go: Allison Cummings, a Toronto native whose modern dance works have been performed across the globe, brings her newest piece to the stage as both the choreographer and performer.

Bear is Cummings’s exploration of the interactions between the inner turmoil of the individual and the outer chaos of the world at large. Running at just under an hour, this performance promises to bring forth strong emotions and allow you enough time to get a hot coffee on the way home to discuss.

The Look of Love What: Jazzy retro throwback Where: Meridian Hall, 1 Front St. E. When: Fri., Jan. 19 Why you should go: Beat the winter blues with some jazzy

tunes coming from the Mark Morris Dance Group’s tribute to Burt Bacharach, the jazzy, hit pop songwriter to the stars from the ’50s til the modern day. This piece, which features original Bacharach-inspired music at the behest of the famous writer himself, is a buoyant show that weaves a story told by a cast of dancers, one vocalist and a full jazz band. Whether you’ve heard of Bacharach before or you’re just looking for an uplifting evening, The Look of Love promises to deliver!

The National Ballet of Ukraine What: Best of Ballet Ukraine Where: CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St. When: Wed., Jan. 24 – Sat., 27 Why you should go: The National Ballet of Ukraine is making its Canadian tour this winter!

Sit back and enjoy selections from some of its best ballets, interspersed with traditional Ukrainian dance and music.

This tour is part of a fundraising campaign from the Olena Zelenska Foundation, which is spearheaded by Ukraine’s first lady herself and aims to restore Ukraine’s capital city to its prewar splendour. Tickets support the artists, whilst any while sponsorships and donations directly fund non-profit organizations operating in Ukraine.

NEXT WINTER 2023

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36 WINTER 2023 NEXT

Art

Winter Art

W

hether by design or just good fortune, two shows currently on view at AGO seem programmed to raise the spirits of all who see them. Both the Kaws: Family and Keith Haring: Art Is for Everybody shows are filled with much-needed playfulness for these dark times.

And the gift shop is buzzing as both of the street-artiststurned-fine-artists have churned out instant iconography that looks great on mugs, T-shirts and more.

This is Keith Haring’s first time back at the AGO in 20 years. In many ways, it feels like Haring, who passed in 1990, paved the way for Kaws (Brooklyn-based artist Brian Donnelly) in elevating street art from just graffiti to displays in fine galleries.

Some might say Kaws got the art without the activism. The Kaws show is magnificently inventive and fun. There’s even an GALLERIES VAYA: Love is the Answer When: Now until Sun. Nov. 19 Where: Remote Gallery, 568 Richmond St. W Musician and visual artist VAYA co-presents this exhibit with Yumi Sonoda, with whom she collaborated on the music video and short film Sexual in 2019. The exhibit includes their latest co-production, “The Back the Scene”. As the exhibit’s description says, “It’s all about love.”

Nicole Katsuras: All the Colours of the Moon When: Now until Wed., Nov. 29 Where: Bau-Xi Gallery, 1384 Dundas St. W.

Review: Haring still king of the street

Keith Haring: Art is for Everybody When: Now until Sun., Mar. 17 Where: Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W. Rating: NNNNN (Out of 5) Why you should go: Bathe yourself in the positive vibes of Keith Haring’s fine-art street art where even his activist work leaves you feeling uplifted.

augmented reality piece. I won’t try to explain, but it’s worth loading the required app onto your phone to view.

And the Kaws show is certainly worth going to — smile-inducing, Instagram-able fun. But the arrival of the Haring show feels like the GOAT is now in the room.

The sprawling exhibit celebrates an activist artist whose work was iconic in agitating for AIDS victims’ rights and in the fight against South African apartheid and nuclear arms. The foundation the artist created as he waged a losing battle with Toronto-based painter Nicole Katsuras’s bold abstract oils are featured in All the Colours of the Moon. Her work is rooted in a “stream of consciousness and intuitive mark-making methods, full of movement, colour and form.”

Magdalene Odundo: A Dialogue with Objects When: Now until Sun., April 21 Where: Gardiner Museum, 111 Queen’s Park Circle First North American exhibit for acclaimed ceramics artist Magdalene Odundo and her fulsome, figurative works that are inspired by “dialoguing” with ancient to contemporary sources.

Time of Change

AIDS continues to do important work, using funds from licensing his art to support not-for-profit children’s charities and organizations involved in education, prevention and care related to AIDS. The Haring exhibit is packed with thrilling work throughout his career, including a series of massive canvasses with his trademark figures almost lifesized.

There’s a video of the artist in action, spray painting his tags throughout the New York City subway system, as an aspiring artist and later as a fine artist determined to keep his work accessible.

We get party pics with Madonna and friends and a video of “live art” creation that sees Haring working with dancer Bill. T. Jones.

The Day-Glo room is a highlight, proving a perfect setting for Haring’s work. Quite simply a show not to be missed. What, you don’t like smiling?

When: Now until Sun., Jan. 7 Where: The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery, 231 Queens Quay W. Egyptian-Canadian artist of Armenian origin Anna Boghiguian’s Time of Change uses installations and drawings to illustrate and comment on recent historical figures and events.

Phyllida Barlow: Eleven Columns When: Now until Sun., Feb. 4 Where: Museum of Contemporary Art, 158 Sterling Rd. Veteran British artist Phyllida Barlow, who passed earlier this year, created monumental anti-monumental sculptures out of inexpensive, low-grade materials and was developing this show with MOCA

Keith Haring, Untitled, 1988, Acrylic on canvas, 304.8 cm diameter. Courtesy The Keith Haring Foundation. © Keith Haring Foundation.

staff before her death.

Defaced! Money, Conflict, Protest When: Now until Mon,. May 20 Where: Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W. Turns out there was more than cocaine residue inhabiting those nasty dollar bills — they’re also a source of political commentary through the ages. An exhibition of defaced currency throughout the ages, presented alongside contemporary art, “tells the stories behind the damage, from the French Revolution to the Troubles in Northern Ireland to the Black Lives Matter movement.”

Per Adolfsen: Sensitive to Beauty When: Fri., Nov. 17 – Sat., Dec. 9 Reception Fri., Nov. 17, 7 – 9 pm Where: Dianna Witte Gallery, 1122

Dundas St. E. Solo exhibition featuring the evocative and emotional landscapes of Danish artist Per Adolfsen’s coloured pencil, chalk and graphite art.

Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art, 1950s-Now When: Wed., Dec. 6 – Mon. Apr. 1 Where: Art Gallery of Ontario, 317 Dundas St. W. Collection of over 40 artists and spanning a range of mediums, Life Between Islands: Caribbean-British Art, 1950s — Now, which, if the AGO hype is real, will be a welcome reconsidering of the art of this period from a Caribbean perspective.

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Closer

Winter

Kensington Market

By: William Molls

K E N S I N GTO N ’S DI SA P P E A R I N G MARKET: Oxford Fruit: Closed in 2020 after 40 years, reopened soon after with new owners only to close again last month.

Sun Wah Fruit Market: Evicted in 2021 after 27 years in the market by new owners, who purchased the property for an estimated $4 million.

Castle Fruit: Converted by its owners into a cannabis outlet, The Kensary, in 2021 despite a resident-led petition against it.

Zimmerman’s Freshmart: Closed in 2016, replaced with cannabis mega-store One Plant in 2020.

Emporium Latino: A beloved Latin-American grocer shuttered due to a fire in 2021.

38 WINTER 2023 NEXT

The Closer

K E E P T H E MA R K E T I N K E NSI NGTON

K

ensington Market has what much of Toronto dreams of: walkable streets, locally owned small businesses and food retail, affordable housing and vibrant culture. It’s a blueprint for building liveable neighbourhoods everywhere.

Yet, over the last decade, Kensington Market has been losing what makes it so special. Many beloved local shops have been forced to close due to sky-rocketing rent, only to be replaced by upscale bars, restaurants and cannabis stores that can afford the rising costs. Big chains like Walmart and Starbucks have tried moving in, and Loblaws succeeded in 2016.

Once a home for marginalized outsiders, Kensington Market is becoming a trendy destination for the mainstream.

Dominique Russell, co-chair of the Kensington Market Community Land Trust, describes Kensington Market as having a “complex ecology,” one that’s currently under enormous pressure due to gentrification. “The opening of a Loblaws nearby meant the closure of food sellers, and in their place moved in more bars. That’s what we’re experiencing and now there’s an acceleration of that.”

It’s why she and other concerned residents created the Kensington Market Community Land Trust in 2017.

“Gentrification is a real estate

problem, and it requires, at least to some extent, a real estate solution,” she says. “For the community to have a say in what’s happening in the neighbourhood, we need to own land — collectively.”

The land trust buys properties in the neighbourhood when they go and sale. It’s run democratically by its membership, which includes its tenants, neighbourhood residents and other supporters from across the city. “The idea is: you take land off the speculative market for community use,” says Russell.

Two years ago, the land trust was able to buy 54–56 Kensington Ave. — known as the “Mona Lisa building” for its recognizable mural. Prior to the sale, the landlord had served tenants with fake eviction notices, reportedly planning to set up an Airbnb “ghost hotel.” Thanks to the land trust, the tenants were able to keep their homes. It’s a purchase that was made possible thanks to funds made available by the city and the support of the local city councillor at the time, Mike Layton.

Still, the land trust depends on financial assistance to be able to move quickly to buy at-risk properties in the neighbourhood when they go up for sale. When the land trust wanted to buy 27 and 29 Kensington Ave. earlier this year, the current councillor, Dianne Saxe, was “unwilling to support” the purchase, Russell says.

In an email, Saxe says she, at the land trust’s request and as “a gesture of good faith and as a symbol

of my commitment to the people of Kensington Market,” had already committed all of the roughly $2 million in Section 37 funds at her discretion to a project that will convert the parking lot at 25–35 Bellevue Ave. into new affordable housing.

Her commitment then encouraged the city and the federal government to fully fund the project.

Russell, though glad to have the support of the councillor, disagrees with this assessment, saying work had been underway on this project by the Housing Secretariat since 2018.

Saxe says that after the funds were committed to that project, they could not be later redirected towards the purchase of 27 and 29 Kensington Ave. Russell believes that the use of this funding is ultimately at the councillor’s discretion — pointing to Layton’s ability to quickly unlock funding for the purchase of 54–56 Kensington Ave. that had similarly been earmarked for the Bellevue project. KENSINGTON’S “SAFE STREETS” It’s against this backdrop that City Hall has stepped into a fight over “safe streets.”

With necessary water main and road maintenance projects coming up in the area, city staff saw an opportunity for bigger and more ambitious changes to the neighbourhood.

As the Kensington Market Safe Streets project website puts it, this is a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to redesign the streets in a way

that puts pedestrians first,” with measures such as pedestrian-only zones, raised intersections and sidewalk-widening.

Yet, there’s been vocal opposition to the project’s plans from neighbourhood residents.

Serena Purdy, the Chair of Friends of Kensington Market, has concerns about how the project may change the character of the neighbourhood and says there are questions over “how many stores can survive during the construction process, and how people will get around …

It’s going to be the most major shift we’ve seen in the market for quite a long time.”

Russell agrees. “Big public works projects like this are gentrifying projects,” she says. “A lot of people are like, ‘Well, you know, the market is going to change anyway, so we might as well just accelerate it,’” says Russell. “And I hear from people who think, ‘No, we should pedestrianize it. We should do things like Europe. We should do things like Montreal.’ There’s no understanding of what’s actually there.”

Indeed, the city wants to further pedestrianize a neighbourhood already well known for being pedestrian-oriented, so why fix what isn’t broken?

Becky Katz, Manager of Pedestrian and Cycling Projects for the city, says plans for pedestrianizing Kensington Market came out of consultations with the community and stakeholders. “It was actually

not part of the original scope” of the project, she says.

Saxe says there was “substantial public support” for pedestrianization from residents both “inside and outside the market” over the three rounds of public consultation.

On concerns about how much disruption the project will cause, Katz says that they have been working to “take proactive measures to reduce the timeline of construction.” Their goal is for the project to take a maximum of about two years to complete once underway, but they don’t yet have a firm schedule.

Russell, though, points to the work happening nearby on College Street to install separated bike lanes, saying, “This work was supposed to be finished in May, and it’s still ongoing. And all of that’s understandable, but that has an impact on businesses. And that will have a huge impact on the neighbourhood.”

Staff are reviewing the possibility of “financial mitigation” for businesses hurt by the disruption, Katz says.

“It’s just a mess,” says Russell.

“But I still have optimism in just how strong the community remains, because these forces have been at work for a really long time.” Despite the enormous pressure the market has been under, “There’s one fruit stand, there’s one butcher, there’s two cheese places, there’s two fish markets — and, really, for 2023, that’s kind of still amazing for our neighbourhood.”

W H A T CA N I DO? Become a member of the Kensington Market Community Land Trust and donate to it.

Tell your city councillor to help fund the Kensington Market Land Trust’s mission to protect the neighbourhood’s economic and social diversity.

Write to your city councillor and tell them to support giving financial aid to local businesses impacted by the “Safe Streets” project.

Go to Kensington Market and shop at independent local businesses.

NEXT WINTER 2023

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