13 minute read
In search of style
The fall 2021 fashion runways were mostly virtually but they signalled a return to normalcy with cheerful styles for evenings out on the town and large celebrations with friends and family. Their vibrancy indicate that a return to joy; think bright colours, lots of sequins and sparkle, and a return to animal prints. With over a decade of fashion reporting, I’ve learned that trends come and go, but certain styles are forever.
Your world COLOUR
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)Oscar de la Renta Salvatore Ferragamo Versace Balenciaga Off White
Make space in your closet for colour and embrace wardrobe joy! While neutrals are always the backbone of any look, designers injected their shows with bright, punchy colour. Super saturated hues were spotted all over the fall 2021 runways at Louis Vuitton, Prada, Tory Burch and several more. Wear one juicy colour head-to-toe or just add a pop to ease yourself in gently.
“I believe that colour affects people’s mood.”
passionate vibes creativity lively energy a sense of calm
PHOTO: WINTER LOTUS PHOTOGRAPHY
selfassurance a hopeful mood happy, joyful feelings
Looking for some colour therapy? Pick your mood and wear it on your sleeve!
What does your favourite colour say about you? The colours that we wear can secretly work some magic on our emotional state. Our mind subconsciously knows this, which is why we often gravitate towards specific shades at specific times. Colour can trigger an emotional response, which is why surrounding yourself with a bright shade can enhance your mood.
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No matter the year or season, animal prints are a constant in fashion. This year, fashion’s longstanding love affair with animal prints will take you beyond fall/ winter and well into spring 2022. Recently, the spring runway shows have came to a close featuring a heavy rotation of animal prints, specifically tiger stripes. If you’re looking for an investment piece, consider shopping for separates that will take you through the winter and in to the summer months.
Find Alex Hunt on Instagram @ottawastyle and Twitter @alexhuntstudio
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WHO KNEW IT WAS SO EASY TO LAUGH IN OTTAWA?
Whether it’s the House of Commons, or our Crazy Clown train, Ottawa’s always good for a laugh, especially to the rest of the country. Locally and internationally though, we have a lot to be proud of in the wonderful world of comedy. The two Macs, for instance.
Mike MacDonald’s professional-grade class clownism tormented teachers at Brookfield High in the 1970s. When he wasn’t destroying a drum kit, he was provoking pants-wetting laughter with his insane improvisations and cartoon face. Late boomers may remember him playing power chords on a tennis racket air guitar in the basement of the Beacon Arms Hotel, or at some joint on Carling that’s been everything from a Chinese restaurant to the Church of Whoever. Mike headed to the U.S. where his career soared and led to an appearance on Letterman.
Norm Macdonald was a true original. The native of Quebec City grew up in North Stormont and never fudged his Canuck accent while enjoying enormous success in the U.S. After a start in stand-up, Norm wrote for Roseanne and Dennis Miller. The big time came on Saturday Night Live, where he held the much-coveted host spot on Weekend Update. He never looked back. Norm’s recent death at the age of 61, following a nine-year battle with cancer, inspired glowing tributes from fans and peers alike.
Howard Wagman has owned Yuk Yuk’s Ottawa since the club opened in the early 1980s, and he’s launched the careers of the funniest who have graced his stage. Tom Green, Angelo Tsaruchas, Jeremy Hotz, Jon Dore, and Chris Finn owe him their start to fame. Norm Macdonald once did new talent
ABOVE: (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Mark Breslin with Howard and Tammy Wagman; Mike MacDonald with Howard Wagman and Mike Wilmot; Russell Peters, Howard Wagman, Dave Martin, Derek Supple and Dean; Mitch Muirhead and Howard Wagman; A young Howard Wagman; Jason Rouse, Dave Martin, Bill MacInstosh, Jon Dore and Howard Wagman.
night. “For someone [Norm] to step on stage for the very first time and be great is one in a million,” Howard says. “But, Norm thought he bombed and left after his short set, and I thought he has no idea what he’d just done, so I left the club and followed him up to Sparks Street and told him ‘you’ve got it’ and you need to come back and do this again and again.”
Howard’s still and always on the lookout for new talent, and recently found it in abundance in the stylings of Simone Holder, winner of the annual 2021 Yuk Yuk’s Mike MacDonaldBe a Donor Summer Comedy Competition, named in homage to the zany great who died in 2018 at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute at the age of 63.
Simone Holder felt a calling to comedy when she was 15 years old watching Eddie Murphy’s frantically hilarious 1983 concert film “Delirious”. It took years for her to overcome the shyness and give it a shot herself. “It never occurred to me before seeing Eddie that regular people did comedy,” Simone says, “and, I mean, he seemed old then but was only like 22! Can you imagine being that confident? When the teacher called upon me in class, my throat closed up and I could barely manage a squeak!”
For years, Simone lived with the dream, only sharing her deep, dark secret with her close confidante and best friend Melissa. “ I realized that my whole life I’d been preparing to do comedy, because I could take any difficult situation and put a funny spin on it somehow, even if it was just in my own head,” Simone recalls. She’s not shy about sharing a very pivotal and very human moment that struck very close to home.
“The morning my father died, I was onroute to Montreal from Toronto and he died when I was in the air. I arrived at the palliative care home and about an hour later the doctor performed the certification. My sister and brother-inlaw left and I stayed with my mother. A nurse eventually came in and tried to make conversation. She commented like, ‘Oh, your husband was a very handsome man,’ and my mother replied, ‘Yes, thank you. He was.’ And the nurse went further and said, ‘You must have had to beat other women off with a stick.’ And my mother said, ‘Yes. Yes, I did.’ And I wanted to burst out laughing at the matter-of-fact way she said it, because I thought it was hilarious! The nurse was just trying to be nice, and my mother was just so deadpan I thought this was gold!”
Simone’s natural knack for comedy finally emerged when she found herself on-stage at both her parents’ funerals. Her eulogies will go down in Canadian
comedy history as one of the most morbidly auspicious debuts of all time. “I had people howling with some of the funny stories I shared about my mum and dad and I was hooked,” she says, with a warm, sonorous laugh. “I thought maybe they were just being nice, but it was genuine and it really helped us all get through it.”
Simone threw herself into the craft with a six-week course at Absolute Comedy taught by Ottawa-based actor, playwright, and stand-up comedian Pierre Brault. After 40 years of aspiration, it was time to learn the basics. How to structure a joke, how to deliver it, how to create a punch line for a funny premise. The moment Simone stepped onto that stage, she knew. “I heard angels singing. I loved the feeling and was totally comfortable. The shyness just kind of melted away. I couldn’t wait to go back every week.” A feature showcase at a local club for select family and friends came next, and Simone hasn’t looked back since.
It took only two years in the biz until her win at the 2021 Yuk Yuk’s Summer Comedy Competition. “The biggest laugh I get is when I talk about how White people try to get me to go into the woods camping or whatever. I mean, you’re afraid of nothing!” she
PHOTO: CTV NEWS/QUESTION PERIOD Norm Macdonald Simone Holder won the 2021 Yuk Yuk’s Mike MacDonal-Be a Donor Summer Comedy Competition.
says. “I heard it could take forever to get out of the preliminary round, but last year my first shot and I got to the semifinals, and I vowed to make it to the finals next year.” The vow paid off. “For Simone to grow this quickly is really quite marvellous and monumental, and we’re all really proud of her,” says impresario Wagman. “I honestly believe she’s got a shot in the business.”
Yuk Yuk’s and other fun events all over town are frequently hosted by Tavis Maplesden, a superb writer-for-hire, comedian and devoted stay-at-home dad who was maybe best known during lockdown for his online show ‘Trevor’s Pad’ featuring fellow comic and friend Trevor Thompson, who, according to Tavis’ meticulous statistics, “has
been watched by tens of viewers!!!” on Facebook Live.
Fund for Kids at CHEO, plus a whole lot of other stuff that really shows just what a bighearted guy he is.
Howard Wagman has raised over $2 million through Yuk Yuk’s for various organizations, and brought Dylan onboard as community events coordinator to boost those efforts. “Howard felt my network would help a lot more charities and bring in even more support. It was a beautiful winwin for the club, for the organizations, and for the audience,” Dylan says. “My role is also to put on all kinds of special events that I’ve created to bring people in and make sure they have a great time while helping support some great local causes.”
The pandemic has taken a huge toll on both the city’s nightlife and on charity events that have struggled to maintain donation numbers by substituting virtual events for in-person gatherings. It has not been an easy transition. Dylan hosts an annual extravaganza to celebrate his birthday and drum up support for his favourite local charities. Two years ago, one of the Trailer Park Boys joined in to help raise dollars for the Max Keeping fund at CHEO, with this year’s version held online just a few weeks ago. Despite all the caring and best efforts, so much has come to a standstill, but Dylan is steadfastly determined to reboot the great work.
“I’m a huge believer in the Support Local scene, charities, businesses, the arts and so forth,” Dylan says. “And my ultimate hope is that people do come back with more excitement than ever to live events, live comedy, to support the amazing people who have held on for so long through tough times. The human connection is just so important and I know once we’re reunited it’ll feel great to have fun together again and give generously to so many worthwhile causes.”
Tough times be damned, Ottawa’s comedy scene is alive and well. Be sure and . . . Yahoo Simone, Tavis, and Dylan for all kinds of great upcoming events! g
“My comedy outlet used to be writing TV scripts and pilots, so doing stand-up was never even on my radar,” Tavis says, “until my father-in-law signed up to do amateur night at Absolute Comedy,” [there’s a joke in there somewhere]. It inspired Tavis to give it a shot. “I was nervous for days knowing my appearance was coming up. Once I got up on stage, it felt like it just washed out of me from head to toe. My set was only about four minutes but I felt like I could have stayed up there forever.”
Tavis is a natural when it comes to hosting an event that affords a quick thinker like him plenty of play time to read the audience and guide the interaction, something he does with great skill. It’s not an easy task. “In comedy, it’s known as the bullet when you’re the first act of say a dozen to get up on stage in an evening, especially on amateur nights. It’s considered a bit of a curse, but hey the host is really the first person to get up there when the lights come on to get the place warmed up.” There’s joke by a married guy about the family’. also the opportunity to bounce off the It may be the same stuff told in 6,000 performers. “If I hear a yoga joke, and different ways, but I guarantee you I’ve got one in the back of my head, I can they’ve lived it and it’s true. I mean, how play off them and tie the whole evening much of a laugh is a guy going to get together.” He told me the yoga joke. I sharing how great his life is!?” The trick laughed like hell, but the wholesome is to keep it kind, which is something family quality of OLM prevents me Tavis manages with great finesse. So be from transcribing it. sure and check him out the next chance you get by following him on Facebook Tavis is also a very gifted writer who or Instagram; or, at venues across town, is always on the lookout for new including the new Laugh Lounge at 61 collaborators. There’s a great exchange York Street in the ByWard Market. posted online with the morning crew on Live 88.5 about New Year’s resolutions Dylan Black’s big booming voice is heard that does the near impossible in on BOOM 99.7. He’s also super adept comedy. It’s crafted and spontaneous, at Simpsons impersonations. Dylan universally human and highly original, was voted Ottawa’s Favourite Radio good natured but just a little bit dark. Personality & TV/Media Personality in It takes alot of talent to achieve those 2020 and 2021, and’ll probably make balances. Mind you, the man’s life is a it a three-peat. His goal is to take part balancing act, with days spent being in as many community-minded events SuperDad, nights prowling around as humanly possible. Consider him clubs, and in-between time crafting super-human, because he’s everywhere, excellent material. including fundraising events for The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario “You know, there are a lot of people (Dylan’s done 24 telethons to date!), who say ‘Hey, here comes another hack Make-A-Wish and The Max Keeping
Dylan Black and Howard Wagman
“DYLAN WAS VOTED OTTAWA’S FAVOURITE RADIO PERSONALITY & TV/
MEDIA PERSONALITY IN 2020 AND 2021, AND’LL PROBABLY MAKE IT A THREE-PEAT. HIS GOAL IS TO TAKE PART IN AS
