Preview: Toronto Fringe 2011

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Brian in Fringe, Theatre | Leave a comment

Toronto – Fringe is here! Toronto’s annual summer theatre spectacular runs July 6 through 17 with something like a billion shows, with only about a quarter of them by local playwrights with perspectives on last summer’s G20! The problem with so many shows is, especially in the early going before the reviews come out (particularly ours, of course), how do you pick what to see? Fortunately, at the Panic Manual we have anticipated your every need. Here are some humble suggestions, based on nothing more than what sounds interesting from the three line show descriptions on the Fringe website. Our scientifically proven formula!

The Soaps – The Live Improvised Soap Opera (Venue 3, Bathurst St. Theatre)

National Theatre of the World’s Fringe show this year is a long-form improv soap opera, set behind the scenes at the “Shawford” Festival. Featuring NTOW regulars Ron Pederson, Matt Baram, Chris Gibbs and a host of others, including special guest stars, if I didn’t have to see and review a bunch of other shows I’d consider seeing this nightly.

Abra-Cadaver! (Venue 2, Tarragon Theatre Extra Space)

Ever heard of Dorothy Parker? She tried to kill herself a lot but never quite managed it. This play is inspired by her life. It’ll be dark, there’ll likely be a few laughs, Maya Rabinovitch directs it, it’ll be good.

Breaking News (Venue 7, St. Vladimir’s Theatre)

The first thing I noticed about Breaking News’ listing is that it has a HUGE cast. Like, 14 people. I don’t recognize any of the names in the cast. The second thing I noticed is that it’s about Orson Welles’ “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast, featuring real reaction to this cultural phenomenon that had people convinced aliens had invaded. I’ll definitely be interested to see if there’s some insight into how people were so fooled.

The LOVE Octagon (Venue 10, Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace)

I expressed my adoration for shows involving Chris Craddock last year, when PUBLIC SPEAKING was one of my two favourites of the Fringe. The previous year he brought Moving Along to town, and it was also excellent. There’s little reason to think The LOVE Octagon won’t be great too, especially with NTOW’s Ron Pederson co-collaborating in an improv-heavy show.

The Last Rock N’ Roll Show (Venue 3, Bathurst St. Theatre)

Featuring original tunes by show creator Jeff Jones, it’s a rock show AND a solo performance drama AT THE SAME TIME (sort of). A music journalist wants to cap off her writing career with one last review, and decides to make it about the show that inspired her to write about music in the first place. Might it rekindle her love for writing about music? I don’t know! Last time I saw a rock-themed Fringe show at Bathurst Street Theatre it was my other favourite show of last year’s Fringe. Hopefully this one will be just as good. Check out preview clip on YouTube.

Bursting Into Flames (Venue 9, Robert Gill Theatre)

I don’t know much about Martin Dockery, but he’s doing the Canada-wide Fringe circuit this summer and has gotten excellent reviews of past shows, so he must be doing something right. Worth a look.

Trotsky & Hutch: On Patrol (Venue 2 Tarragon Theatre Extra Space)

Another improv show, Trotsky & Hutch is long-form improv about cops, as you might guess from the title. Performers Kevin Patrick Robbins and Sean Tabares are both accomplished improvisers, and cop shows are certainly fertile ground for comedy, so this could be very good.

Boyfriends (Venue 13, Factory Studio Theatre)

What better way to celebrate the recently deceased Peter Falk than seeing a fictionalized play about him? More specifically, this play is about Falk, John Cassavetes and Ben Gazzara gettin’ all wild in New York City in the 60’s. Best of all, two of the three aren’t around to sue for libel anymore! (Too soon?)

When Harry Met Harry (Venue 2 Tarragon Theatre Extra Space)

Another Fringe veteran, Allan Girod has taken When Harry Met Harry across Canada and Australia with great success. His Harry character is a button-down type who’s life unravels on stage. This is definitely the kind of thing that makes for good solo comedy shows with insight.

Dungeons & Dragons, (not) The Musical (Venue 17, Snakes & Lattes) & The Godot Cycle (Venue 19, Honest Ed’s Parking Lot)

Finally, I’m not sure I’ll actually get in to see either of these shows, but man, talk about ambitious. Dungeons has three performances of six hours each with people playing D&D while “live sound artists create a unique soundscape for each tournament.” Godot is “The Waiting for Godot performance that never ends,” with two performances of 30 and 54 (!) hours. Both shows allow you to enter and leave when you like, so check in late in the performances when sleep deprivation has set in for maximum fun!

Whatever you decide to see this year, enjoy the Fringe, and be sure to check back here for reviews once the fest gets rolling.

TO Jazz Review: Vijay Iyer, June 28, Glenn Gould Studio

Posted on July 5, 2011 by Brian in Concerts, Toronto Jazz Festival | Leave a comment


Toronto – Going into Tuesday’s Vijay Iyer show at the Glenn Gould Studio, I knew very little about Iyer aside from what’s written on the Jazz Festival’s website. Not knowing what to expect, I was a little dismayed when I heard the opening tune; abstract, seemingly without melody, it felt like this was going to be the kind of contemporary jazz show that turn people off the music as too expressionist and inaccessible.

What I’d missed, because I was late getting to the show and too busy settling myself and such to be paying close enough attention, was that Iyer had actually segued in that opening tune from one of his own compositions into “Epistrophy” by Thelonious Monk. After that came a concert that blended Iyer’s complex, and, indeed, somewhat abstract, jazz piano with the more familiar as Iyer covered songs from Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, and even Michael Jackson.

Iyer is a genius, musically and otherwise. Yale undergrad degree in physics and math at 20. Ph.D in Technology and the Arts from Berkeley. Faculty member at multiple New York schools. Compostions and collaborations with musicians from all over the world. He’s also won multiple awards, including a Grammy in 2010 for Best Instrumental Jazz Album. Knowing that now, if his set had been completely above my head it wouldn’t have been too surprising. I mean, I like jazz, but A Love Supreme and In a Silent Way are about as free jazz/fusion as I get. I don’t even like Bitches Brew.

However, any concerns that Iyer’s set would be above my head were dispelled when he launched into “Darn that Dream,” an old Broadway tune and jazz standard. From there, Iyer rattled off Michael Jackon’s “Human Nature,” Ellington’s “Black and Tan Fantasy,” and a Coltrane song who’s name I can’t place (which is driving me nuts, by the way) in succession, adding his own impressionist flare with complicated solos, without losing the melody and rhythm of the tunes. Between songs, Iyer was soft-spoken and charming, though he seemed slightly reluctant to speak much, which is too bad, because hearing such a brilliant person speak a little about their passion is always great. At one point he said he tended to let the piano take him where it wanted to go, and indeed, when he paused before each song, head down over the keys, eyes closed, you could almost believe he and the piano were speaking, trying to decide where they would go.

In the end, Iyer played a few of his own songs after his Coltrane cover, then left without an encore, his hour and a half set ending all too quickly. Even though the small crowd of 50 or so got to see Iyer play, it felt almost as though we’d caught just a glimpse of genius. Maybe next time it’ll be more than just a glimpse.

Song of the Day: San Cisco – Golden Revolver

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Ricky in Song of the Day | Leave a comment

Toronto – In my never ending quest to find the perfect summer song, I stumbled upon San Cisco‘s track “Golden Revolver.” A warm track featuring gang choruses, Vampire Weekend-ish guitar riffs and the cowbell, Golden Revolver certainly makes the case for being one of the better summer tracks this year.

San Cisco is a band from Australia and are an extremely young band, having just recently graduated high school. It’s only fitting that these Aussies write some splendid summery songs, seeing how every day is summer in Australia. Check it out.

TO Jazz Review: Bela Fleck & The Flecktones + 5 After 4, June 30, Metro Square

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Brian in Concerts, Toronto Jazz Festival | Leave a comment

Toronto – Here’s the thing about Bela Fleck and the Flecktones’ (or, the ORIGINAL Flecktones, if you’re a stickler) Jazz Festival set. It was excellent, bordering on utterly brilliant, except for one thing: it would’ve been better if it had been shorter by three songs.

This isn’t about the set going too late (again), and I wasn’t the only one who noticed it, as my compatriot Mark said the same thing. Bela Fleck, along with bandmates Victor Wooten, Howard Levy and Futureman played brilliantly all night. Their solos were breathtaking, their call-and-response playing was mesmerizing, and the band built to an incredible climax with “Big Country” alongside fiddler Casey Driessen…then lost all momentum with a rather indulgent, noodly tune of loosely connected solos called “Rocket Science,” a lengthy introduction of each band member, then two more songs not half as good as “Big Country” before leaving the stage. Granted, they did impress with an utterly insane encore, featuring a long solo by Wooten, who’s bass playing is unlike any I’ve ever seen before. But still, the set sort of resembled a roller coaster where the excitement climbed to a thrilling, dizzying height, then flatlined before climbing again all-too-briefly and ending.

Opening act 5 After 4 were good, but not real memorable after Fleck and his crew ripped up the stage. Drummer Vito Rezza and his band, who are apparently all career session musicians, play 80’s-reminiscent smooth jazz. To my ear, they sound like they could’ve been doing the soundtrack to an 80’s cop movie, actually. A good 80’s cop movie soundtrack, though. You could sort of picture Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte going through a montage where they’re mad at each other to the music, right before they get back together and catch the bad guys. I’m not being as flattering to 5 After 4 as I meant to be here. They were not bad.

I don’t mean to be hard on Bela Fleck and the Flecktones either. The only reason I point out the uneven set and the loss of momentum is because minus the three songs before the encore, this show was probably a five out of five. Fleck’s five-string banjo playing has to be seen to be believed. Levy alternated between harmonica and piano and was excellent on both. Wooten, once again, is unlike anyone I’ve ever seen on the bass with his virtuoso slap technique that demands to be noticed. And I don’t even understand how Futureman’s, aka Roy Wooten’s, drums work. My first reaction to seeing him onstage was “what the hell is that guy playing?” (also, “why the hell is that guy wearing a pirate hat?”) and it took me at least three songs to realize that the thing he had in his hands, apparently invented by him and called a Drumitar, was what he was using to play the drums.

The crowd hung on their every move. Fleck got the biggest cheers for his solos, but Wooten was a close second, and his encore solo, which he capped off by flinging his bass around his body by the strap several times, was epic and got the loudest reaction of the night.

It was a great show. I only knew the band by reputation going in, but came away thoroughly impressed. Still, I can’t help but think that minus a few songs, this could’ve been a set of the year candidate, or at least best of the festival, instead of a very good show.

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