Tolkien fans will gather at Sir Wilfrid Pelletier Theatre to rewatch Fellowship of the Ring, with a live orchestra backing. The first cinematic chapter in the Lord of the Rings trilogy follows Frodo and Co's journey to destroy the One Ring. The sprawling score was composed by Oscar-winner and Toronto native Howard Shore. Friday and Saturday, Place-des-Arts.
He claimed to be a wealthy member of the Rockefellers, but he turned out to be a murderous German con man. The true tale of Christian Gerhartsreiter fascinates Torquil Campbell, the frontman for Montreal indie band Stars (who also happens to be a member of a Canadian acting dynasty and lifelong true crime buff). Curious about the parallels between their lives, Torquil wrote Christian a letter... and visited him in prison. relays this singular experience in True Crime, a play now on at the Centaur until January 27.
Also on at the Centaur this week is the Wildside! Every January, the festival pulls performances from the alternative fringes of the theatre world. My top pick is Crime After Crime (After Crime), a comedy whodunnit that traipses through different genres, from film noir to groovy heists to buddy cop escapades. Using rich imagery and movement, Toronto-based group Sex-T-Rex puts on a real fun one here. And there is Macbeth Muet, a puppet show that presents the Scottish Play with no words, a role of paper towels and found objects like a hockey glove. Wildside continues to January 20.
Barbegazi takes winter to extremes at the Big O with axe throwing, snowskating, Christmas tree throwing and electric fat bikes. Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4pm. (It's also back next weekend.)
Looking for new threads? Regular fashion market Bazar Vintage du Plateau returns with 40 vendors selling retro and vintage items, at Église St-Enfant Jésus. Saturday from 9am to 4:30pm.
Dance the night away when retro band Vintage Wine covers the best of the 50s and 60s. Saturday night, 7pm at the Lachine Legion, 3015 Henri-Dunant.
Long Island siblings, the D’Addarios, bring their rock band, The Lemon Twigs, to the Corona Theatre Saturday night. And Panic! At the Disco brings the party to Place Bell Saturday night.
The Bantam A Hockey team in St Lazare is hosting a comedy night fundraiser, featuring comics Pantelis, Wassim El-Mounzer and headliner Gino Durante. There will be food, drinks, raffle prizes and a 50/50. Friday, 7pm at the Community Centre, 1301 rue des Bois in St-Lazare. Purchase tickets by reaching out to hrsbantamahawks@yahoo.com.
Didn't get enough Gaga at the Golden Globes? The artist formerly known as Stefani Germanotta actually broke out a decade ago with The Fame. The Diving Bell Club hosts 10 Years of Gaga, a drag cover night with performers like Turkish Deight, Matante Alex and more. Saturday, 10pm.
Science - with a side of sexy. Beauty and brains unite for G-String Theory burlesque, featuring dancers Magenta Haze, Honey Dynamite and Mina Minou. Friday at The Wiggle Room, 8pm.
And don't forget: the annual No-Pants Subway Ride is happening around the globe this weekend! Cold snap be damned, Montrealers are invited to gather Sunday afternoon at Sherbrooke metro station at 2:30pm, just past the turnstiles. The plan is to then catch the metro towards Berri-UQAM, then ride around before meeting up for a drink afterwards.