mi piace gelato

I was taking photos of this gorgeous ice cream parlour on College St. The owner was very proud of it. It's been open four months. I asked him if he was concerned about winter coming on but he said "People like ice cream all year. I'm not worried"

Fright Night is coming

Halloween is a really big deal in Canada and the States. There were lines of kids and their teachers making the rounds of the shops for 'trick or treat' and people were filling the costume shops and vintage clothes stores for their party drag.  Here's some grabs from today's Little Italy and Kensington Mkt trek

This one begs thought.

Such fun on a grey and grizzly day

cosmic art

In all brouhaha of this week I forgot to mention that Sheldon had bought me a ticket to see the incredible Miss Barbara Cook at the Royal Conservatory. The newly built and beautiful Koerner Hall was packed to the gills. This was exactly what she wore but the wonderful accompaniment was piano, bass and percussion not a full orchestra.

When she walked on, lit by a silver blue spot, my skin tingled from head to butt crack.  She just glowed with soul . The face of Cunegonde and Marian the Librarian was there as fresh as it ever was... and .we're talking 54 years. She has lost a couple of top notes but her voice was still like a silver stream. And she was so so funny. Her 82 years have given her the right and the freedom to say what she thinks.

She opened with "There's A Rainbow Round My Shoulder"..... a woman a couple of seats from me turned to her companion and said "Oh, I just LOVE her!" with delighted surprise. Then "Wonderful Guy" from South Pacific, a glorious version of Gershwin's "Nashville Nightingale", "I Got Lost In His Arms" and loads more.

 She admitted that rarely if ever does she sing any Porter.. but her version of "Under My Skin" was sublime with a piano underscoring that sounded like water in a river. She did "Where or When" with a cello line beneath that sent me to the moon and back!

She is a Youtube addict and purloined one number from a claymation short of Ethel Merman doing "Chicken Tonight, Feathers Tomorrow" and told us she has collected a few more bizarre song titles like "When You Wrapped My Lunch in a Roadmap I knew it was Goodbye" and  "If My Nose was Running Money I'd Blow It All On You".  She admitted to a two year obsession with a married singer and fell just short of mentioning his name.  Sheldon worked out who!!! .. but if she didn't want to name him then so be it.

Mabel Mercer, who she first encountered in cabaret in 1949, was the most important influence on her. And like Mercer she now seems to fall into the material and let it become one with her both musically and in spirit. She said, "I'm willing to go where the writer wants me to go"..then devastated us all with an Alec Wiilder song called, "Goodbye, John" and a haunting medley of "No One is Alone", "Lost in the Stars" and "No More". Shen followed "Halellujah ,I Just Love Him So" with her closer,"Here's to Life" which we and she all knew is now in its final years. And it was bitter sweet to see her walk into the wings and to think "I  have a feeling I won't see her perfom live again."  Mind you I thought that of Dame Edna four shows ago!

We all rose in a real , not obligatory, ovation. And she returned for one more number. Unamplified.
Her voice was so powerful and the acoustics so perfect I remember thinking that I would have loved to have heard her unmiked all night.

That very morning I had been singing a phrase that was running wild in my head. Just 9 notes. But over and over. And I in fact heard myself saying, "Oh shut up, Taylor" probably just before Sheldon did.

That tune was Miss Cook's encore, "We'll Be Together Again"    So those 9 notes came back with me for the subway ride home.

Halfway down the warren

Now that the excitement of opening week has passed and the routine is set it was time for TT to take to the streets and explore more of the city while Sheldon did his his matinee.  

I have been walking past these for weeks. I had thought how kind it was of the building management to provide some resting places for the weary passersby.  Actually tried to move one and then looked on the wall and saw that they were  part of a sculptural piece.

Don't think they would be very comfortable in the middle of winter or summer but I do love them and they are by Michael Goulet.

And now a brief homage to the underground maze called

Here is one portal to the nether land.

And like Alice I was swirled down a spiral shaft to .....

As for rest of the experience well it really is like Chadstone stretched sideways.

....... this

and this   X   forever.

Actually I got a bit hot and stir crazy after an hour and longed for some fresh air so I decided to abandon the whole walk.  But not before I spotted this.....

Well at least the albinos down here know it's on up on the surface.

hollyonto

There are more films being made in Toronto than in New York. I saw Sam Neill in the street the other day. This morning I was in Dundas St West when I saw this crew and watched a bit of filming

The guy in the centre is the lead actor in the scene which involved him walking through Chinatown while following this girl in denim and being attacked by youths with samurai swords

Here is a piece of nonchalance which any actors out there should note to add realism into their work

He rises after the attack

If you recognise him please let me know his name and what he is famous for

Here is his quarry. She was either a very bad actor or a great extra. You can tell rotten walking a mile off.

Broadway.Com

Bruce Glikas is the official photographer for Broadway.Com and one can see why. Pop over to the site and take a peek at his gorgeous portraits of the cast at the opening night party.

LA NUIT DES NUITS

TT Here. Well it's been and gone.  We are sitting in our little apartment with nary a sound except the clacking of computer keys (Sheldy's emailing his Mum) and the spectral thump thump of the aftershow party still ringing in our ears. We had to leave cos Sheldon started to scream at people over the music and was losing his voice.

 The major Toronto review is already on line and is an unqualified rave.  There is one other niggly one but if word of mouth is anything the show will sell like hot petits fours.

I am not going to tell you what I thought of the show except that my face is scalded with tear acid and I had a major melt down on my gorgeous date who you will see in the pics. So here follows a visual impression of tonights splendid evening.

This is the media bus which was parked outside the thartar. Because it was raining they had to cancel the pink carpet.

The invitation said to come fabulous.Well this lady certainly complied

Here is the gorgeous Lisa Stevens, actor, dancer (Chicago amongst loads) choreographer (with Jeff Calhoun on High School Musical 2 and the latest 9 to 5) and thoroughly the nicest date one could wish for.

The clothes are off the bed and on the bod

Sneaky pic from the fifth row just before the mirror ball snow storm which had them all screaming.

Imagine the show in between

LA GRANDE FINALE

Here come the Antoinettes. By now with five minute to go the audience in true North American style was on its feet. I thought 'Fuck it. I'm snapping'

That's the Leaning Tower of Pisa they are trying to make up there. There was a small glitch in the evening when a drag queen's knickers got caught in the treadmill but C David Johnson ( bearded kanga)  handled the situation with superb aplomb. The curtain was lowered and within seconds they picked up where all had clanged and the audience couldn't have cared less.

The three musketeers in delighted triumph

That's me fella

Kyle, Tad, C. David & Nathan

Is that pure unadulterated joy or what?  Nathan Lee Graham and Jacquie B Arnold.

 And here follows a mixed bag of mixed bags all taken from standing and clacking indiscriminately with shaking hands so please forgive the quality and accept them with grace. And to any of the brilliant cast who got left out you may kneecap me when next we meet.

Jessica

Luke

Jeff

Keala & Nathan

Mike

Tad

Gavin

Ashley

Mike & Jessica

Steve

Ashley, J. Elaine & Staci

Kyle, Tad & C. David

(R) Thom

Kyle

Thom

Steve

J. Elaine

Jeff

J. Elaine

THE AFTERMATH

This is all I saw as Lisa led me sobbing into the foyer. This is only the seventh time I've seen this show in all its continents. and I won't see it again now til New York. That way it always comes over as fresh and surprising. They really all were fucking brilliant.  Matt and Nick and C David just blew me away. Sheldon was quite good.

The Torontonians milling after. The lady in the wheelchair looked fab in the thartar with feathers galore. Sheldon thinks it was Mrs Mirvish.

Gift shop not doing much biz cos all the punters were given everything for zilch.

Clifford, our chauffeur, drives us to the party

Ms Stevens a study in elegance

The welcoming ladies. A study in decadence

The brilliant Simon Phillips and Caroline, his most loving right arm on the left

Sheldon and company face the pippiruzzi

Mr Nick Adams

Mr (gulp) Will Swenson

The principals

Mr C David Johnson

Lisa and Sheldon

Lisa and Thom Allison. Ms S choreographed a production of Spelling Bee with Mr A and adores him!

Ms Jacqueline B Arnold

Mr Tad Wilson with Emily

 Ms Audra McDonald, the first of the stars to be seen. Surprisingly Ms Midler who is supposed to have hands on involvement was not in evidence, The cast is wondering if they will ever meet her or get a card or a nod.

The sumptuous interior of the Westin ballroom. No expense was spared. All the drag queens of Toronto were rounded up, swathed in pink and red and made to kneel down as chairs.

The central bar

There were five separate food stations all serving different delicacies

I was just taking a photograph of a group of ladies when one of them succumbed to a sushi attack

This is Woody, who looks after Sheldon and whips his frocks on and off.

The second of the celebs we spotted. Mr Bruce Vilanch, who seemed to be having a good time.

 

And two of our favourite people Colin and Justin. They make the most wonderful series of makeover shows of people's homes. Their finest achievement is the Scottish housing estate which, against all odds, they helped transform from a spiritless almost hopeless ruin into a vibrant caring community. Justin asked Sheldon if he had anything to do with the show and was shocked at his not recognising him as Bernadette. We were secretly thrilled!

THUMP THUMP THUMP

And Ms J Elaine Marcos. You could mistake her for the dessert table

THUMP THUMP THUMP   WHAT DID YOU SAY? OH, RIGHT, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE

We wait for Clifford to bring the car round

And trusty Clifford drops us home. We take the lift up and open a can of Wolfgang Puck.

This is where you came in.  Night, DAHLINGS!