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VideoAs the Luminato festival draws to a close this weekend, festival-goers bid farewell to this year’s celebration of all things dark and dreary.
In recognition the 200th anniversary of the birth of American author Edgar Allan Poe, Luminato featured an eclectic mix of theatre, cabaret, literary readings and film devoted to the memory and influence of the tragic poet. (More …)
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A distinct difference lies between emotional and intellectual reactions. The emotional, heart- and gut-wrenching visceral response can prompt tears in the absence of sadness, or laughter without being able to identify precisely what is humorous.
Jonathan Christenson hopes to achieve such a response with his new play Nevermore: The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe. He transports viewers into a dreamlike state, where the conscious and sub-conscious merge and there exists a blurred line between life and death, tragedy and comedy, experience and imagination. (More …)
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People of all ages danced to the beats of different drummers in Queen’s Park on Saturday, exploring cultural and spiritual differences in percussion music from around the world.
The Muhtadi International Drumming Festival, celebrating its 10th anniversary, featured drummers playing African, Caribbean, Chinese and Celtic beats. First Nation’s troupe Mexicree performed Aztec ritual music – harmonizing elements such as fire and water to worship Aztec goddesses. (More …)
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Nestled amongst hi-rise office buildings and a busy theatre district, people of all ages and cultural backgrounds convened in Metro Square to experience an afternoon of blues music.
The Traveling Blues Concert, part of Toronto’s Luminato Festival, showcased international talent such as Maple Blues award winner Harry Manx and Australian blues artist Fiona Boyes throughout Saturday afternoon. The Taj Mahal Trio headlined the event, uniting musicians Kester Smith and Bill Rick with legendary artist Taj Mahal. (More …)
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VideoTwenty years after the release of their first album, Pretty Hate Machine, Nine Inch Nails waves goodbye to thousands of devout fans at the Molson Amphitheatre.
Coming on the heels of three tours – all technologically spectacular – Nine Inch Nails (NIN) front man Trent Reznor promised a scaled-down, back-to-basics showcase of the band’s raw talent. Gone are the light shows of Nights in the Sky and the performance art of the With Teeth tour. Instead, nearly 15,000 fans packed the Molson Amphitheatre to hear Trent sing a finale worthy of the tears shed by many long-time fans. (More …)
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The body of a missing Lindsay, Ont. teenager was recovered from Toronto Harbour by police divers yesterday morning.
The body of Mason MacPhail, 16, was discovered in Lake Ontario near Polson Pier. MacPhail was reported missing on Tuesday night after attending a concert by heavy metal band Disturbed at the Sound Academy. Reports indicate that security removed McPhail from the nightclub during the show. Toronto Police spokesman Const. Smith said police are investigating the timeline between when the victim left the bar and went into the water. (More …)
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Supermodel hopefuls lined up in the Eaton Centre this afternoon, hoping to impress scouts for Ford Models Inc. Surrounded by proud parents, friends and curious onlookers, each potential contestant hoped to become the next Elle MacPherson or Cheryl Tiegs. (More …)
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While average Torontonians may never have the opportunity to dine with celebrities during the Toronto International Film Festival or attend a gala fundraiser, today they had a chance to see where it all happens.
Simple geometric shapes in the ceilings, floors and architecture are accented with black, white and shades of beige and brown. The industrial metal fixtures (fingerprint-proof) are contrasted with warm lighting that casts a yellow hue. Visitors were welcomed to wander through lounges, the concert hall and prestigious Round Room dining room. (More …)
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Visitors to the Eaton Centre don’t often stop to acknowledge or admire the modest Anglican Church nestled outside the glassed walls of the shopping centre.
The church hopes to change that ambivalence by opening its doors for city-sponsored events such as Nuit Blanche, or this weekend’s Doors Open Toronto. Today, people of all faiths were welcomed inside to admire the intricate stained glass windows, receive instruction on the church organ, or admire the original pine woodwork and solid oak pulpit. During the self-directed tour, staff escorted visitors through a kitchen and into a hidden spiral staircase to access the open-concept chapel upstairs, inviting them to ring the great bell on their way. (More …)
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Tourists and residents of Toronto may be familiar with the historic Canon Theatre. Known as the Pantages until 2001, it is known for the second-longest running stage production in Toronto, after Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, but few know of its colourful history.
Visitors were permitted a rare glimpse inside the theatre today – without the necessity of expensive tickets. The Canon Theatre opened to the public until noon for Toronto’s annual Doors Open event and permitted guests to wander through the ornately decorated building.
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Torontonians visited the world’s last remaining stacked theatres, which date back to the Edwardian period, in droves this morning.
Visitors lined up around on Yonge Street before 10 a.m. for a rare glimpse at the renowned theatre duo. Elgin Theatre staff directed visitors through the space – restored by the Ontario Heritage Foundation 20 years ago – and regaled the audience with tales of the painstaking measures taken to return the theatres to their original splendour. (More …)
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Toronto is stockpiling equipment and antiviral medications in anticipation of a worsening global pandemic of the H1N1 flu.
In the monthly Board of Health meeting at Toronto City Hall earlier today, Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe confirmed the city has accelerated measures in their ongoing Pandemic Influenza Preparedness plan. Purchases of personal protective equipment and infection control supplies, such as gloves, gowns, face masks and hand sanitizers, have increased. (More …)
