The Viaduc 375 festival, part of Montreal's 375th birthday celebrations, has closed the Van Horne Viaduc in the Mile End, allowing pedestrians to walk on it and observe the Urbanukshuk statue, a giant inukshuk statue made of traffic cones. There’s live music, including a set by DJ Socalled, and food around the area, between Waverly and St Denis. Nearby Moment Factory has opened up its doors for an audiovisual show, MAPP x MUTEK.The full programming, in French, can be found here.
The full-bodied story of NHL hockey legend Theo Fleury is on stage in Playing with Fire, which just opened at the Centaur. Based on Fleury's memoirs about his troubled childhood, abuse at the hands of Graham James, and spiralling drug and alcohol addictions, this one-man show is quick and riveting. Shaun Smyth, an actor who was born in Glasgow and raised out west, and who never played hockey before he got the gig, looks and sounds remarkably like the scrappy Fleury. Playing with Fire has played in a variety of cities, including Saskatoon, Regina and Edmonton, and it now starts what I'm sure will be a comfortable run in this hockey-mad, art-loving city.
Fringe Encore: The hottest shows of the Montreal Fringe Festival are back for another airing at MainLine Theatre, so this is the perfect chance to catch a show that a) either you missed because it sold out or b) you loved so much you'd liek to see it again! There's improvised cop comedy Precinct, space opera Captain Aurora and feminist solo thinkpiece tldr;smh. The Fringe's nightly talk show, the 13th Hour, is also back Saturday at 1am.
Montreal’s bilingual crossover star Mike Paterson (you heard him with Andrew Carter on Thursday) is headlining at the Comedy Nest at the Forum tonight and tomorrow. I can’t wait to hear him gush about his new baby and driver’s license. Special guests include the droll Derek Seguin and Abdul Butt.
Last First Friday of the season! The biggest food truck rally in Canada takes over the Esplanade at the Big O, with live music to go along with it.
Andrew Lloyd Webber's megahit Phantom of the Opera is visting at Place des Arts until October 15. Based on a 1909 novel by French writer Gaston Leroux, the tale of a mysterious ghost haunting an opera house and falling in love with an ingénue is perfect for the fall season. (It's been 25 years since a touring production of Phantom came to town!)
Performers of all talent levels, sizes, sexual and gender identities are welcome at Bareoke! The striptease karaoke event returns to Café Cléopatra, 10pm on Saturday.
La Ronde is open on weekends for the Halloween season with Fright Fest Night! Visit a haunted maze, the vampire lair and the percussionist zombies - oh, and they’re bringing the chainsaw guys back! Remember: you do have to pay extra for the haunted houses. The amusement park opens at 11am Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
It's your last chance to catch the fantastic Revolution exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: take a deep dive into the politics, music and fashion of the 1960s. My favourite part: stretching out on turf to look at a ginormous projection of footage from the Woodstock festival.