This is a bittersweet time of year. Summer’s almost over. Soon we’ll be doing things inside and getting ready for Halloween. Before that happens though there’s one more terrific summer festival in Toronto.

BuskerFest starts today – August 23rd – in the St. Lawrence Market area, on Front between Jarvis and Yonge. Yay! I love Scotiabank BuskerFest. It’s the largest busker festival in North America with more than 100 performers from around the world. It’s also a charity event to support Epilepsy Toronto and the charity runs the festival. I think it’s much more fun than a run or a walk and it’s something the whole family can do together.

Busker acts are often really inventive – look at the picture on the right of Fireguy on a skateboard. Based on what I saw yesterday there will be a lot more inventive acts. Continue reading Scotiabank BuskerFest 2012 →

Divergent Dances For Windows and Walls offers a beautiful experience in front of The Bata Shoe Museum.

If you were walking or driving past The Bata Shoe Museum at about 8.30 pm this week you probably saw people hanging upside down on ropes that were suspended from the roof. The were members of the Anandam Dancetheatre performing  Divergent Dances For Windows And Walls.

It’s difficult to describe something as visual as Divergent Dances For Windows And Walls. It’s artistic, athletic, sensual, and above all, beautiful. Continue reading Review: Divergent Dances For Windows And Walls (Anandam Dancetheatre) →

Soulpepper brings some seasoned talent to Toronto’s theatre fold with a Neil Simon production.

Until last night I hadn’t ever seen The Sunshine Boys. The Soulpepper production at the Young Centre was a great introduction.  You can always count on a Neil Simon play to be funny and touching and The Sunshine Boys is both. More touching than I expected. Continue reading Review: The Sunshine Boys (Soulpepper) →

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream gets some spicy Caribbean flavour at Toronto’s Annex Theatre.

Just in time for Carnival Marvin Ishmael’s Caribbean Dream (Speakeasy Productions) – an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream – opened tonight at the Annex Theatre to a sold out house. They even had to turn people away.

It’s an interesting idea to set A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Keele and Finch just before Caribana. Ishmael directed as well as adapted the play and has included costumes, music and dance that make us think of carnival. Continue reading Review: Caribbean Dream (Speakeasy Productions) →