At this month’s Grammys, two of the leading Toronto contenders are Melanie Fiona and Forest Hill phenom Drake. Both have a good chance to win, and both are products of the city’s burgeoning hip hop scene. But Toronto wasn’t always such fertile creative ground for young hip hop artists. It took a few breakout artists to pay their dues and break new ground.
No word on what kind of shoes will be involved, but Kim Cattrall (also known as Samantha of Sex and the City fame) will once again be playing a lustful, conflicted middle-ager with excellent hair in her latest project. And she’s coming to Toronto to do it as the lead in Noël Coward’s stage comedy, Private Lives.
John Adams’ Nixon in China is an operatic rendition of Richard Nixon’s famous five-day journey to China in 1972. The COC begins its run of the show tomorrow, with baritone Robert Orth in the role of the former U.S. president. We got a hold of Orth for a quick chat.
Toronto’s testosterone levels are set to spike tomorrow when WWE Smackdown comes to town. We caught up with The Edge, the current WWE heavyweight champion, who opened up to us about making it big, the Edgucator (his signature move) and his Mount Everest aspirations.
It may have been a little less dramatic than we expected, but Snowmageddon 2011 is finally here. Somehow, we’re going to have to cope, but that should be doable with the right gear. Below, five items to make the unthinkable (snow in Toronto) easier to overcome, and where to get them.
Of course, not every classic musical needs a cast of several dozen, any more than classic films need a cast of thousands. One of the most charming, witty musicals is The Fantasticks, which opened off Broadway in 1960 and was performed consecutively 17,162 times until 2002.
Hollywood heavies who rekindle their rock and roll roots with vanity side projects are a dime a dozen. One needs only take a gander at the concert calendar for a local casino to find familiar names. Yes Kevin Costner, I’m talking about you. But to pay your dues, play clubs and earn the respect that comes with consistently proving your musical mettle is a different thing entirely. Kevin Bacon, who fronts the Bacon Brothers along with brother Michael, falls decidedly in to the latter camp.
What to make of mass animal die-offs and the ongoing extinction crisis
Our columnist learns about Chinese New Year, massages and the man who changed the community
Yes, a gift is a good idea, but success is all in the delivery
T.O.’s Jim Carrey and others made their mark doing voices, so why is the genre in such serious decline?
“It’s kind of a weird story,” says Juno Award–winning electro-pop star Lights, when asked about her so-called discovery. “I lived in Owen Sound at the time, and my Mom worked at Walmart. They were recruiting people to appear in their flyer — and I ended up being chosen.”
