Lob a ball at a circus performer, see Andrew Carter perform standup, dance the Last Waltz and meet Aislin among other options.
Morning show producer Sarah Deshaies (that's me!) rounds up a list of fun and offbeat things to do in and around Montreal the weekend of November 25-27.
My top pick this week is A Simple Space, a 75-minute circus ensemble from Down Under at the Centaur until Sunday. The show is like a Gap commercial, filled with handsome, likeable acrobats (six men, two women, one male percussionist) wearing khaki and colourful t-shirts. But it's obvious why this Australian troupe, Gravity & Other Myths, sold-out their previous runs in Montreal... this is charming, playful, intimate and accessible circus. Highlights: a round of strip jump rope, a ball fight and a guy who attempts to solve a Rubik's cube... while standing on his head. I smiled throughout the performance.
On the theatre beat:
The Watershed is the tale of the fight to save a valuable but obscure research area in Ontario called the Experimental Lakes Area. Our storyteller Annabel Soutar, who specializes in docutheatre, decides to find out why the Harper government is abolishing the project, with the help with her real-life husband and two daughters. The Montreal playwright's script is composed of real dialogue and interviews from her home and travels across the country... it's a very Canadian play with an unceasing pace that touches on science, government, the economy, oil - and family.
Hair, the 60s rock opera about hippies living large, just opened at MainLine Theatre.
J'ai rasé mes jambes six fois and no sex happened is a three-person dance piece that examines male and female gender constructs through a variety of motifs: lumberjacks, ringside girls, beards, oil wrestling and Beyonce. Creator Philippe Dandonneau (who is one of the two male performers) has choreographed a bold, risqué performance. My favourite part: a bottomless two-person dance to a Beyonce song. The run wraps up at Théâtre La Chapelle on Friday night.
Comedy:
The irreverent Canadian comic Nile Seguin headlines at Comedyworks all weekend.
Mt Rushmore of Comedy is a one-night only comedy show raising money for Movember with a who's who list of Montreal standup, including our own Joey Elias, Derek Seguin, DJ McCarthey and yes - Andrew Carter himself. Come to Comedy Nest Sunday night - a drink and snacks are included in your ticket.
The Atwater Holiday Pop-Up Book Fair is a two-day celebration of books at the Atwater Library, with more than 65 local anglo authors stopping by for conversation and autographs... pick up some books for the winter months or holiday shopping. Staring with a focus on mystery novels and a wine-and-cheese with CJAD contributor/Gazette cartoonist Aislin on Friday, there are readings, activities for kids until Saturday.
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts opens its doors for free on Sunday... check out the beautiful Robert Mapplethorpe photography exhibit.
tim is only 25 minutes... but it's a wild ride. This short experimental film is screening at the SAT Dome, which means you get to gaze up at a series of colouful scenes that reflect the inner world of tim, the show's narrator (while sitting on comfy couches). Last screening is Friday night at the SAT.
Lots of buzz (get it?) around Bal des abeilles, an inaugural performance and visual art show inspired by beekeeping in Montreal. Curator Ornella Calisti worked with the venue, Studio 303, and the Montreal Miel Co-op, to put on a mix of live music and art that draws on bees, honeycombs and the four seasons. There will honey and mead available for consumption! Satuday at 8pm, Sunday at 4pm.
And Blue Light Burlesque takes over Cafe Campus Saturday night... performers include Trixie Cups, Oui Oui Encore and Bibi Lolo Bangbang.
It's apparently sold out, but I wanted to mention the 40th anniversary celebration of The Band's farewell marathon concert, The Last Waltz. On Friday night, Montreal musicians like Shane Murphy and Arcade Fire'ss Tim Kingsbury, as well as long list of performers from The Band`s home province of Ontario, will recreate the love from that one night. Our TSN friend (and concert producer) Mitch Melnick has orchestrated a fine list of performers. If some tickets loosen up later in the day, you'll want to visit The Corona theatre website.
And join me here on CJAD 800 on Sunday morning, 9am to noon, when I co-host The Trivia Show with Dan Laxer!