...and, after all these years, there's a good reason. They know their way around a love ballad and home town dance tune better than most. Starting the show at the front of the stage with a single snare drum and acoustic guitars drew focus on the musicianship of the team. Solos and harmonies alike were cheered by the welcoming crowd with Try appearing early in the program. Once the central black curtain was torn down, the light show kicked in and they rocked. And you just know the evening ended with a sing-along. Thanks to NOW Magazine for the front row, balcony seats!
Full Moon Eclipse - Feb 20
Also on Feb 20 - Disaster downtown:
6-alarm fire at Queen and Bathurst at dawn. 50 fire vehicles, 150 Firefighters, 14 buildings were affected including Duke's Cycle. Smoke was visible over downtown and the smoky smell reached 25 blocks away and into nearby subway stations.
In Bruges - aka The Thousand Faces of Colin Farrell - will lay to rest any question of this young man's acting abilities. The movie is more than the promised dark comedy/travelogue. Fasten your seatbelt and prepare for a wild ride. Actually, it's a tragedy by definition, but provides many absurdly comedic moments along the way. Only in the twisted world of writer Martin McDonagh can a would-be killer stop his victim from committing suicide. On the surface this is a story about paid killers on the lamb, but when all is said and done it is a warm-hearted buddy film with a conscience. Even Ralph Fiennes' mob boss character adheres to his own standard of honour. And, we were amused that he did. Please let me know what you think.
(a pre-show lobby concert set the mood)African Footprint Sony Centre, Feb 7-9
Exuberant, energetic, enchanting. My only quibble is: with such a short run (three days) I was hard pressed to get my recommendation out to friends. It was a feel-good show from the start (with drums representing the heartbeat of Africa) to finish (in a hip hop flourish). In between, there was enough world-class tap dancing to keep me going for a couple of months. To call these performers dancers would be an understatement, as each of them is an athlete in top form, some proving they could step into Cirque du Soleil. The first major tap number got most of the men on stage tapping solo and eventually in concert 
while working with a small barrel as a prop – kicking it, drumming it, sitting on it, jumping on it. The second big tap number began as a friendly competition between the red-hued gum-boot and the yellow-clad tapper. It was an even match as a small army of back-ups joined each side. What unfolded made my jaw drop. And, I couldn’t forget a major component of the show – with minimal sets, the lighting provided the atmosphere in a simple yet effective way. Glad I didn’t miss it.
Robert Lantos: In Conversation Tues, Feb 5th Cinematique
Thanks to the fact that he’s not afraid of talking about himself, “warts and all” it was a very pleasant evening indeed. A jet-lagged Lantos capped TIFF’s Canadian Top Ten mini-festival recently, with the promise of returning admission prices if he or the audience fell asleep. Not a chance, while his professional career as film producer-plus was revealed casually over the course of the evening. Lantos put together six separate presentations, each representing a “chapter” in his evolution. From the heady days of In Praise of Older Women up to the current, award-winning Eastern Promises, he offered amusing insights into the Canadian film-making industry as well as his contributions to it. Admitting that he has learned more from his (very public) mistakes than his successes he managaed to add an extra soupçon of charm. And this 58-year-old national treasure has no plans to slow down, anxious to fulfill his vision on a number of projects he still has in mind. To use his own words: “projects he has to do” - it’s all about the passion.
Art at the Castle - Casa Loma hosted the Canadian Art Show with more than 85 artists, live music and reception. It was a much-needed breath of fresh air and splash of colour in the grey days of February. There was something for everyone: from glass work and acrylics to photographs and sculpture. The venue was a perfect showcase for the artists to discuss their work and perhaps make a sale.
