The Great Christmas Market has just launched at the Quartier des spectacles. Grab a hot drink (mulled wine!), pick up a gift from local businesses, with items ranging from food items to bath and body products to purses, socks, jewelry and more. There will be musical performances throughout the Market's stay, until January 2.
The Segal Centre is going to the dogs! The world premiere of Superdogs: The Musical is this coming week, but previews begin this Sunday afternoon. We meet young Chloe, a new arrival to Montreal who is convinced her beloved SPCA rescue, Bear, deserves a shot on the SuperDogs stage. Will the pair get their chance to dazzle the audience? The musical features 24 dogs, five trainers, live music and a talented cast. The family-friendly show runs until December 19. And if you want to know more about what it takes to be a dog trainer, tune in for Sunday at the Segal at 11am this Sunday! I'll be hosting a panel with participants from the show, live at the Segal's YouTube and Facebook pages. Grab a cup of coffee and join us at 11am, or view it at your leisure later on.
Also for the kids: a new show called Jonathan: a seagull parable riffs on the iconic novella by Richard Bach. Jon Lachlan Stewart of Surreal SoReal Theatre has teamed up with Geordie Theatre to present Jonathan, a seagull who is tired of his humdrum life... so he tries to fly differently, risking exile from his own family. This unique production features both disabled and non-disabled performers, including star dancer and choreographer Luca Lazylegs Patuelli. On now at Fred Barry Hall, until December 11.
Mime and mask pro Anana Rydvald explores what it is like to have family members living on the spectrum in her new, solo non-verbal show Sighlence of Sky. This new Infinitheatre-Level 4 co-production runs until December 5 at Kin Experience, 397A Ste Catherine W.
Raise a toast to Bob Dylan on his 80th birthday, and do some good for the local music scene! Our pal Mitch Melnick is putting on a bash to benefit Montreal musicians, with a rock solid lineup including The Damn Truth, Lil Andy, Shane Murphy, Dawn Tyler Watson, Annakin Slayd, Jason Rockman - to name a few! At Club Soda, Saturday, doors at 6:30pm. Call 514-286-1010.
Repentigny's néo-trad folk-rockers Les Cowboys Fringants hit up the Bell Centre, Friday at 8pm. Opener is Emile Bilodeau, who famously serenaded people waiting to get their vaccines at Palais des congrès last spring.
Matt Enos and The River Men perform at Théâtre Ste Catherine, with openers electro-funk band Ultrafox, Friday at 9pm.
The pride of Sussex, New Brunswick comedian Tim Steeves (writer on This Hour Has 22 Minutes and The Rick Mercer Report) headlines at Comedy Nest, with Mike Paterson joining in tonight. Friday and Saturday, 8 and 10:30pm.
New show at the McCord: Parachute: Subversive Fashion of the '80s looks at the style and messaging of the decade through the stylings of Parachute, a made-in-Montreal label created by a British fashion designer and an American architect. Their bold concept stores were soon found in New York and Los Angeles, and their creations were in demand from the likes of Madonna, Peter Gabriel and Daivid Bowie! By the way, the McCord is marking its 100th anniversary by offering free admission for 100 days, until January 19. You can also check out the tribute to cartoonist Serge Chapleau and the enlightening Indigenous Voices of Today.
Last weekend to see Below the Ice with Mario Cyr, a new immersive walk-through exhibit by Cirque Éloize. You will journey north to follow Cyr, a documentary filmmaker, to nearly inaccessible spots in the Canadian Arctic. Marvel at the polar bears and narwhals and walruses, and learn more about what a precarious position their environment is in. At the Éloize Studios In Old Montreal, at 417 Berri.
Quebec's biggest contemporary art fair Papier is at the Grand Quay at the Old Port, until Sunday. Don't forget to book your ticket online in advance.
The Salon du livre de Montréal continues online and in person at Palais des congrès this weekend, with lots of discussions and opportunities to meet with writers of all genres. Until Sunday.
Bareoke - 'the place to be if you want to strip if you've ever dreamed of being a rockstar while stripping!' The strip-while-you-sing experience returns to Café Cléopatra this Saturday, at 9pm. All body shapes and sizes are welcome, naturally!
Or maybe you'd rather see someone else take it all off: this weekend at The Wiggle Room, sip a cocktail while Pastel Supernova, Celesta O’Lee, Black Mamba and Enshantay hit the stage on Friday and Saturday.
ONGOING
A clumsy elf named Ginger has trouble holding down a job at the North Pole, but she gets a fresh start when she goes to work in the mailroom at Santa's Workshop. But a mysterious package promises to make her first day on the job *eventful*. Rebecca Northan, who was formerly seen at the Centaur in her hit show, Blind Date, directs her pandemic play, All I Want for Christmas, for Centaur Theatre. The feel-good romp is the perfect early gift for the theatre lover on your list! Until December 5.
Discover emerging ceramics artists at Projet Casa, a 1912 mansion on Esplanade that faces Jeanne-Mance and Mount-Royal. The owners, Danielle and Paul, have opened their doors this year to artists, charging minimal fees for hosting exhibits. Check out the pieces in the new show L'Abri-Désir (Clay and Ardent Substances) while wandering the halls of this architectural gem until December 18.
Pointe-à-Callière has just launched a new show chronicling the history of circus, It's Circus Time! Over 350 objects will explore the 200-some year history of the art in Quebec, through costumes, props, training equipment and more.
The Montreal Science Centre has reopened! Learn more about our evolution in Human, the moon in Water in the Universe and the process of invention in Fabrik - Creativity Factory. The 3D IMAX theatre is also open, with Superpower Dogs 3D delving into the work of rescue canines.
The Biosphère on Ile Ste Helene has finally reopened, joining the Space of Life constellation that also includes the Biodome. With the recent "red alert" climate report from the UN, the Biosphère's mission is as urgent as ever: to educate Montrealers about the environment and how best to care for it.