Volume 24 Issue 3 - November 2018
Reluctant arranger! National Ballet Orchestra percussionist Kris Maddigan on creating the JUNO and BAFTA award-winning smash hit Cuphead video game soundtrack; Evergreen by name and by nature, quintessentially Canadian gamelan (Andrew Timar explains); violinist Angèle Dubeau on 20 years and 60 million streams; two children’s choirs where this month remembrance and living history must intersect. And much more, online in our kiosk now, and on the street commencing Thursday November 1.
Reluctant arranger! National Ballet Orchestra percussionist Kris Maddigan on creating the JUNO and BAFTA award-winning smash hit Cuphead video game soundtrack; Evergreen by name and by nature, quintessentially Canadian gamelan (Andrew Timar explains); violinist Angèle Dubeau on 20 years and 60 million streams; two children’s choirs where this month remembrance and living history must intersect. And much more, online in our kiosk now, and on the street commencing Thursday November 1.
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C. Music Theatre<br />
Beat by Beat | Mainly Clubs, Mostly Jazz!<br />
The Panto. Written, directed and visual effects<br />
by Antonio Sarmiento. Cameco Capitol Arts<br />
Centre, 20 Queen St., Port Hope. 1-800-434-<br />
5092. $<strong>24</strong>-$39. Opens Nov 15, 7:30pm. Runs<br />
to Dec 23. Days and times vary. Visit capitoltheatre.com<br />
for details.<br />
●●Randolph Academy. 9 to 5, the Musical.<br />
Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, book by<br />
Patricia Resnick, based on the film. Annex<br />
Theatre, 730 Bathurst St. 416-9<strong>24</strong>-2<strong>24</strong>3.<br />
$22. Opens Nov 27, 8pm. Runs to Dec 1. Tues-<br />
Sat(8pm), Sat(2pm).<br />
●●Romulo Delgado. Opera Serenade. Romulo<br />
Delgado, tenor; and guests. Old Mill Toronto,<br />
21 Old Mill Rd. 416-207-2020. $25. Nov 15,<br />
Dec 13, 8pm.<br />
●●Ross Petty Productions. The Wizard of Oz.<br />
Tracey Flye, director/choreographer. Elgin<br />
Theatre, 189 Yonge St. 1-855-599-9090.<br />
$34-$107. Opens Nov 30, 7pm. Runs to Jan 5.<br />
Days and times vary. Visit rosspetty.com for<br />
details.<br />
●●Royal City Musical Productions. Annie.<br />
Music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin<br />
Charnin, book by Thomas Meehan, based on<br />
the comic strip. River Run Centre Main Stage,<br />
35 Woolwich St, Guelph. 519-763-3000. $42;<br />
$39(sr/st); $27(ch). Opens Nov 21, 7:30pm.<br />
Runs to Nov 25. Wed-Sat(7:30pm), Sat/<br />
Sun(1:30pm).<br />
●●Royal Conservatory. Glenn Gould School<br />
Opera. Hindemith: Hin und Züruck; Martinů:<br />
The Tears of the Knife. Peter Tiefenbach,<br />
music director; Anna Theodosakis, stage director.<br />
Mazzoleni Concert Hall, Royal Conservatory,<br />
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208. $20.<br />
Nov 2-3, 7:30pm.<br />
●●Scarborough Music Theatre. Oklahoma!<br />
Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics and book<br />
by Oscar Hammerstein II. Scarborough Village<br />
Community Centre, 3600 Kingston Rd.<br />
416-267-9292. $30; $27(sr/st). Opens Nov 1,<br />
8pm. Runs to Nov 17(mat). Thurs-Sat(8pm),<br />
Sun(2pm).<br />
●●Stratford Festival. The Music Man. Music,<br />
lyrics and book by Meredith Willson. Donna<br />
Feore, director and choreographer. Festival<br />
Theatre, 55 Queen St, Stratford. 1-800-<br />
567-1600. $25 and up. Previews begin Apr 17,<br />
2pm. Runs to Nov 3. Days and times vary. Visit<br />
stratfordfestival.ca for details.<br />
●●Talk is Free Theatre. Hedwig and the Angry<br />
Inch. Music and lyrics by Stephen Trask, book<br />
by John Cameron Mitchell. Five Points Theatre,<br />
1 Dunlop St. W., Barrie. 705-792-1949.<br />
$40 and up. Opens Nov 22, 7:30pm. Runs to<br />
Dec 1. Wed/Thurs(7:30pm), Fri/Sat(8pm),<br />
Sat(2pm).<br />
●●Theatre Ancaster. Chicago. Music by John<br />
Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Fred Ebb<br />
and Bob Fosse. Ancaster High School, Theatre<br />
Auditorium, 374 Jerseyville Rd., Ancaster.<br />
905-304-7469. $37; $32(sr); $17(st).<br />
Opens Nov 16, 8pm. Runs to Dec 1. Fri/<br />
Sat(8pm), Sun(2pm).<br />
●●Theatre Aquarius. Elf the Musical. Music<br />
and lyrics by Matthew Sklar and Chad<br />
Beguelin, book by Thomas Meehan and Bob<br />
Martin. Theatre Aquarius, 190 King William<br />
St, Hamilton. 905-522-7529. $40 and<br />
up. Opens Nov 28, 7:30pm. Runs to Dec <strong>24</strong>.<br />
Tues-Sat(7:30pm), Sat/Sun(1pm). Note: also<br />
Dec <strong>24</strong>, 1pm.<br />
●●Theatre Sheridan. The Phantom of the<br />
Opera. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics<br />
by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, book by<br />
Lloyd Webber and Stilgoe. Macdonald-Heaslip<br />
Hall, 1430 Trafalgar Rd, Oakville. 905-815-<br />
4049. $35. Opens Nov 27, 7:30pm. Runs to<br />
Dec 13. Days and times vary. Visit sheridancollege.ca<br />
for details.<br />
●●Theatre Sheridan. The Threepenny Opera.<br />
Music by Kurt Weill, lyrics and book by Bertolt<br />
Brecht, English adaptation by Marc Blitzstein.<br />
Studio Theatre, 1430 Trafalgar Rd,<br />
Oakville. 905-815-4049. $25. Opens Nov 29,<br />
7:30pm. Runs to Dec 9. Tues-Sat(7:30pm),<br />
Sat/Sun(2pm). Note: no mat Dec 2.<br />
●●Toronto Operetta Theatre. Out of Character.<br />
Music from Latin America. St. Lawrence<br />
Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St. E. 416-922-<br />
2912. $29-$49. Nov 3, 4pm.<br />
●●University of Toronto Faculty of Music.<br />
Thursdays at Noon: Opera Spotlight. A preview<br />
of U of T Opera’s production of Weill’s<br />
Street Scene. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson<br />
Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s<br />
Park. 416-408-0208. Free. Nov 1, 12:10pm.<br />
●●University of Toronto Faculty of Music.<br />
U of T Opera: Street Scene. Music by Kurt<br />
Weill, lyrics by Langston Hughes. Mac-<br />
Millan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building,<br />
80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. $40;<br />
$25(sr); $10(st). Opens Nov 22, 7:30pm. Runs<br />
to Nov 25. Thurs-Sat(7:30pm), Sun(2:30pm).<br />
●●Vera Causa Opera. The Fairies / Le Villi.<br />
Music by Giacomo Puccini. Featuring Contemporary<br />
School of Dance, Waterloo. Knox<br />
Presbyterian Church (Waterloo), 50 Erb<br />
St. W., Waterloo. vcopera.ca. $15; free(st/<br />
child). Opens Nov 16, 7pm. Runs to Nov 18. Fri/<br />
Sat(7pm), Sun(2pm).<br />
●●VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert. Werther.<br />
Music by Jules Massenet. St. Lawrence Centre<br />
for the Arts, 27 Front St. E. 416-366-7723<br />
or 1-800-708-6754. $20; $38; $50. Nov 25,<br />
2:30pm.<br />
●●Wavestage Theatre. Hello, Dolly! Music<br />
and lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Michael<br />
Stewart. Newmarket Theatre, 505 Pickering<br />
Cres, Newmarket. wavestagetheatre.com.<br />
$29; $25(sr/st); $23(ch). Opens Nov 22,<br />
7:30pm. Runs to Nov 25. Thurs-Sat(7:30pm),<br />
Sun(1pm).<br />
●●Windsor Light Music Theatre. Elf the<br />
Musical. Music and lyrics by Matthew Sklar<br />
and Chad Beguelin, book by Thomas Meehan<br />
and Bob Martin. St. Clair College Centre<br />
for the Arts, 201 Riverside Dr W, Windsor.<br />
519-974-6593. $36; $31(sr/st); $19(ch).<br />
Opens Nov 16, 7:30pm. Runs to Nov 25. Fri/<br />
Sat(7:30pm), Sun(2pm). Note: extra show<br />
Nov <strong>24</strong>, 2pm.<br />
●●Young People’s Theatre. Mary Poppins.<br />
Music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and<br />
Robert B. Sherman, with George Stiles and<br />
Anthony Drewe, book by Julian Fellowes.<br />
Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front St. E. 416-<br />
862-2222. $10-$65. Opens Nov 5, 10:15am.<br />
Runs to Jan 6. Days and times vary. Visit<br />
youngpeoplestheatre.ca for details.<br />
Vital Role of<br />
Recurring Gigs<br />
COLIN STORY<br />
We are fortunate in Southern Ontario to have access to a large<br />
number of live-music venues. In the listings below, you will<br />
find over 30 clubs and restaurants that regularly present jazz<br />
and creative music, including Grossman’s Tavern, which celebrated its<br />
70th birthday in September; The Rex, which has been in operation for<br />
over 40 years; and Burdock, which, having opened in April of 2015, is<br />
a mere three-years old. Mixed in among many exciting one-off events<br />
in these listings are a number of recurring gigs, most commonly<br />
once a week or once a month. These residencies form a vital part of<br />
the Toronto gig ecosystem, playing an important role for musicians,<br />
venues, and audience members alike.<br />
To begin, a working definition: to qualify as a recurring gig for<br />
the purposes of this article, a gig must happen at regular intervals<br />
and feature the same artist(s); a one-off, two-or three-night run at a<br />
club does not qualify. A residency is also functionally different than<br />
a series, in which a presenter (not necessarily the venue itself) books<br />
artists who may be representative of a certain genre or theme. A residency,<br />
as the name implies, is about the creation of a kind of home<br />
base for musicians, a (hopefully) comfortable space in which they<br />
build a show and grow over time. As guitarist and York University<br />
instructor Robb Cappelletto puts it, a residency provides an opportunity<br />
“to try out new music, new players, new gear, [and] new<br />
approaches in a real-world setting.” Cappelletto performs regularly<br />
at Poetry Jazz Café with his trio, as well as at 416 Snack Bar with the<br />
group re.verse (with bassist Damian Matthew and drummer Chino<br />
De Villa).<br />
There are a number of different residencies that take place in<br />
Toronto on a regular basis. In addition to a full calendar of (typically)<br />
standalone shows that take place in the late slots throughout<br />
the week,<br />
The Rex has a number of different residencies every month. If you<br />
visit on a Friday at 4pm, you’ll hear the Hogtown Syncopators; on<br />
Saturday at noon, the Sinners Choir; on Sunday at noon, the Excelsior<br />
Dixieland Jazz Band; on Mondays at 6:30, U of T Jazz Ensembles (at<br />
least throughout the school year); and, on the last Monday of every<br />
month, the John MacLeod Rex Hotel Orchestra, which features<br />
many of Toronto’s more established musicians. The Rex also features<br />
month-long weekly residencies in early evening slots; often dubbed<br />
“Rexidencies” on social media promotional material, these short-term<br />
weeklies are unique in the Toronto club scene. In <strong>November</strong>, watch<br />
out for the Brodie West Quintet on Tuesdays, JV’s Boogaloo Squad on<br />
Wednesdays, Kevin Quain on Thursdays, and the James Brown Trio<br />
on Fridays.<br />
Beyond The Rex, many other local venues support residencies.<br />
At The Tranzac, the JUNO-nominated band Peripheral Vision (Don<br />
Scott, guitar, Michael Herring, bass, Trevor Hogg, saxophone, Nick<br />
Fraser, drums) hosts the first Tuesday of every month at 10pm. As<br />
Peripheral Vision typically books a band to play an opening set,<br />
this residency is also something of a series, as there is a curatorial<br />
component beyond the musical work that the band undertakes.<br />
Bassist Michael Herring plays regularly on Wednesdays with a guitar<br />
trio at the tequila bar Reposado, which also features its house band<br />
– the Reposadists – on Thursdays and Fridays. At Poetry Jazz Café, in<br />
Kensington Market, artists such as the guitarist Luan Phung, vocalist<br />
Joanna Majoko, vocalist/pianist Chelsey Bennett, guitarist Robb<br />
Cappelletto and singer/guitarist Dan McKinnon play monthly gigs. The<br />
structure provided by regular performances can give musicians the<br />
60 | <strong>November</strong> 1 - December 7, <strong>2018</strong> thewholenote.com
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