How would your town (population of only about 10,000) handle it if 38 planes with 6,579 passengers landed on your doorstep unexpectedly? In Newfoundland, they have a local expression about visitors – they call them “the come from aways” – so that’s how the hit Broadway Show Come From Away got its name.

David Hein and Irene Sakoff, Canadian husband and wife librettists and composer-lyricists, took the thousands of stories of passengers and residents on that infamous day, September 11, 2001, when those jets landed in Gander Newfoundland, and turned them into a heartwarming award-winning Broadway musical.

The 90-minute show is drawn from real people’s experiences in Gander on Sept. 11 and on the subsequent days, and  turned them into 12  composite characters: American Airlines Captain Beverley Bass – the first woman captain in the airline’s history, gays, an anxious passenger worried about a missing relative, a man ignored because he looked Mid-Eastern, Southerners, Northerners and foreigners,  These terrified passengers are set down by frightening unexpected circumstances in an unfamiliar land, and are forced to depend on the kindness of strangers.

One can’t even imagine the needs of so many people, besides language, religious and cultural barriers on top of it. Cultures clash and nerves run high, but uneasiness turned into trust when the Newfoundlanders came through with untold hospitality, opening their hearts, their homes, their schools and their stores. When a volunteer went to round up supplies at the town pharmacy, the manager simply said “Take whatever you need off the shelves”.

The dozen in the cast are marvelous, and they somehow 3-D print themselves into a community of people. It’s truly an ensemble, all equally acting and singing their hearts out. To me the superlatives have to go to the set designer, as I’ve never seen chairs star in a show before. Bob Verini of Variety wrote, “passengers and officials…, shuffling set designer Beowulf Boritt’s furniture pieces into a range of evocative public and private spaces”.

Come From Away is now the longest-running Canadian musical in Broadway history. Producer Corey Brunish said, “It’s about how people respond to tragedy.” It shows, he said, that “there’s hope in the world, there’s hope for us as a human race.” “I can’t imagine a musical we need more right now”, Entertainment reported.

Now that eighteen years have passed, you can google the story and learn that the gratitude grew into enduring friendships, and how the passengers paid it forward.

Come From Away is “celebration best of humankind, and an uplifting piece of art for all our times” said The Daily Beast. Go see it and uplift your life.

Location: Elgin Winter Garden Theatre
Address: 189 Yonge St, Toronto, ON
Dates: til September 29, 2019
www.mirvish.com

Smart Shopping tip: Mirvish is proud to offer CAA/AAA Members up to 25%* on select shows. … view the Visit the Come From Away show page show page … USE CODE MIRVCAA

If you want an entire day of intelligent entertainment for the whole family, head to the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium which moved next door to the Olympic Stadium. It’s a perfect activity if the weather is rainy or if it gets really hot in the summer, or any days in between.

The action is mostly in the 2 theaters and it’s quite the deal that your entrance fee covers all the shows. It’s important to look ahead online to figure out how to organize the times for the performances in English or French. You can then manage to get in about 5 shows in one day as most are 20-30 min . In between these, there are some table top games, interactive touch screens and wall displays. Visiting here is the closest you will ever get to rocks from Mars. We also got to see meteorites and learn where they landed.

In the the first theatre where we saw the exquisite Aurorae (Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights), we reclined in the soft comfy seats, It was amazing watching close ups of solar wind and plasma flowing gas on the sun.

The other theatre called Chaos was anything but as the kids got the opportunity to relax on beanbag chairs. The show Aboard the SSE-4801 was kid interactive as they were allowed to shout out answers to the questions of the animator. We learned new things: that Uranus rotates on its side and that there are 88 constellations but we can only see 44 at a time. The kids had fun being allowed to yell “To infinity and beyond”, found out where all the lost socks wind up as well about methane farts. Do you know how many moons Jupitor has? 69

Next up was Polaris which was more juvenile with cartoony Vladimir the Bear and James the Penguin teaching us how to be a scientist.

After lunch we got to see the newest show, Passport to the Universe, narrated by Tom Hanks. It was a well done and instructive documentary connecting us to our ancestors by showing us we are looking at the same sky today as they did (by simply erasing the light pollution). I was wowed by the knowledge that for each star we can see there exists 50,000,000 that we can’t see. We were taught that stars are born and that we humans are made of “stardust”. Carl Sagan stated, “We’re made of star stuff,” because the carbon, nitrogen and oxygen atoms in our bodies, as well as atoms of all other heavy elements, were created in previous generations of stars over 4.5 billion years ago.”

It was very timely that the video let us peek into a black hole in the same month that the Event Horizon Telescope gave us photos of one. In fact, in the really out-in-space swoopy-designed cafe where you can grab a lunch, there is one section with a wall of changing screen shots of moments in space. Got to see Canadian astronaut David Saint Jacques who is up in Space Station right now – and-  the new photos of a black hole.

Our last video, Secrets of Gravity, used a cartoon kid to try to explain Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity. We discovered that a second isn’t always a second and time moves faster on the moon. Einstein famously said, “”Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.”

The shows at the Rio Tinto Planetarium lets everyone use their imagination. The 8-year-old who accompanied us was excited throughout the day. She said about the planetarium, “You can learn a lot more than you know”.  And we all sure did.

Location: 4801 Pierre de Coubertin Ave
Hours: Sun & Mon 9-6, Tues-Fri 10″30-9, Sat 9-9
Tel: 514-868-3000
www.espacepourlavie.ca/en/planetarium

Two-time Governor General’s Award-winning playwright Morris Panych takes simple ideas for plays, he says, “you take small events and spin them into larger issues”.  I see this play, The Shoplifters in that light, a bit like the TV series Seinfeld – they start out as Nothings – or the mundane aspects of life;  Panych takes something about nothing and makes it into something. This humorous yet poignant play as he notes, is about a “little grocery store episode”.

Along with Alma and Phyllis, we are thrown into the (fabulously imagined) back storage room of a grocery store as they are being questioned about a couple of steaks.  Though this seems a simple story about a woman and her preponderance for “five finger discounts”,  she sees it  more as her giving the “middle finger” discount –  taking from corporate profit and dispersing it in her neighborhood to those in need.

The Shoplifters was shoplifted from Morris Panych’s background; The two steaks go back to his Calgary boyhood. Panych admits that as a teenager “I also stole steaks. Lots of them. For fondues.” He also said, “If we wanted any joy in life, we had to steal it.”  Adding, “we were taking from The Man.” Aha, the theme of the play.

Another theme (and perhaps inspiration for Alma) came from a story he heard about a “an old woman in Florida who was arrested for shoplifting and didn’t want ‘rehabilitation’ because she actually enjoyed stealing”.

As usual Ellen David who, as Alma, lights up the stage with her spot on wise-cracking performance and subtle acting. She thrashes out to rookie security agent Dom in his ill-fitting new cop suit, “so those are training pants”. It’s not all laughs though as she bemoans to the guards, “We play the bad guys and you play the good guys”.

A wonderful pied-a-deux battle of wits with Alma is man-handled by Michel Perron as Otto, the world weary, seen-it-all, being-pushed-out-of his job, older security guard. Otto is aware of Alma’s sticky fingers and is fascinated by her “breezy confidence, daring-me-to-catch you” ways.

Alma is mentoring Phyllis, (played by Marie-Eve Perron) her twitchy nervous young accomplice, in the fine art of shoplifting, Phyllis unfortunately dropped a steak from under her skirt. Frustrated Phyllis, yells, “That’s what the double-sided tape is for!”  She’s caught by the brand-new (too) high strung security hire Dom (played by Laurent Pitre) and his crime fighting evangelist ways. He’s the black and white agent to Otto’s more learned greys.

The set developed by Ken MacDonald is brilliant. The Centaur stage became a giant Lego construction of perhaps 2000 supermarket boxes piled floor to ceiling.

Lucky for us, the playwright changed the play to make it sound like it’s actually happening in Montreal by hiring two francophone actors and sprinkling French throughout.

Panych wrote this  shout out about capitalist culture and how it affects the haves and the have-nots. He wants us to learn about ,  “people and how they rise or fall to the challenge of just living.”  But then adds, “Sometimes we secretly applaud the evening of the score.”

Location: Centaur Theatre, 453  St. Francois Xavier
Phone: 514-288-3161 or 514-288-3161
Dates: til Apr 7
www.centaurtheatre.com

Schwartz’s The Musical was such a success when it played here 7 years ago that Centaur Theatre’s artistic director Eda Holmes decided to bring back the original cast as a treat for their 50th Anniversary celebrations. This hors d’oeuvre is being offered this weekend only. It’s been re-sandwiched as a musical reading, so you get all the best parts – the funny musical numbers along with the clever spoken words. The storyline: a Torontonian trying to come here and buy Schwartz’s in order to franchise the concept. There is a wonderful  melange of Toronto/Montreal angst, love, Montreal’s special “characters”, Jewish humor, the history of Schwartz’s and as always, Quebec government regulations thrown in.

The show is a must for any Montrealer, as Bowser and Blue and Gazette columnist Bill Brownstein have written about all our dirty little secrets and in jokes. Loved the repartee using Metro station names! George Bowser and Rick Blue are onstage too, and even have small speaking roles doing credible acting jobs. Loved watching their faces as they enjoyed watching their numbers come alive onstage.

Bowser and Blue’s score, always with creative wordage, is available to take home so you can appreciate the subtleties of their humor. You can sing along with the original cast to all the great songs, including: Why is Saint-Lawrence called the Main?; It’s my fault; They kicked us out, The Promise and, of course, Schmutz.

The cast is cast perfectly for their parts. So if you missed it the first time around, hurry over to the Centaur Theatre this weekend. It could be a memorable holiday gift for someone in your circle. And you can buy the T-shirt to remember the taste of it.

Location: Centaur Theatre, 453  St. Francois Xavier
Phone: 514-288-3161 or 514-288-3161
Dates: Dec 15 -Dec 16
www.centaurtheatre.com

It’s special when we can get to view a play which was honored with a Tony nomination and garnered a Pulitzer Prize.  Glengarry Glen Ross, now playing at the Mainline Theatre (produced by Acts to Grind Theatre), shows off David Mamet’s ability to write profound dialogue.

This story highlights the cynical, difficult, pushy life of real estate salesmen in Chicago. I was not surprised to learn that the play is also often referred to as “Death of a Fuckin’ Salesman”, because it is notorious for its use of profanity. That hardly resonates in today’s foul language world – on the other hand, today’s politically correct society would flinch at the prejudice shown against East Indians and Polish people.

Mamet’s characters are drawn down and dirty as lying, backstabbing, double-dealing tricksters willing to toss out ethical principles to justify their work. Yet they really are passionate about selling, and especially enjoy the nitty gritty details of closing a deal.  One of Mamet’s goal in writing this play was to highlight the plight of so many people who go about their lives performing regular jobs yet often having to endure indignities while doing so.

Actor Zag Dorison (Shelly Levene) does an amazing job of making you feel his nervousness and despair; we twitch and pull on our lapels right along with him. Dorison, commenting on his character, “This play will always be relevant. There will always be those who exploit others and are out
for a buck at the expense of someone’s savings and dignity. Although the character of Shelly Levene is down on his luck, he believes that
it’s just a streak that will break; he had been a shark and wants to be one again. It is interesting that in spite of this, the audience still
sympathizes with him when his whole world comes crashing down upon him.”

Michael Aronovitch (George Aaronow),  Izak Benrobi (Ricky Roma) and Jake Caceres (Dave Moss) have all been cast well for their parts, and they make their distinctive personalities apparent. Bryan Libero (John Williamson) really makes you dislike him while the company man, Olivier Ross-Parent (Blake/Baylen) is properly detestable.  Davyn Ryall (James Lingk) does well as the meek patsy trying to get his money back.

Be prepared for Mamet’s long soliliquys for each of them – with the other salesmen there mostly as an audience for their rants.  Since this is a small theatre, you too feel as though you are right next to them in the room. Be careful though because as Levene says, these guys are so manipulative, they know how to sell you something you didn’t even want.

Location: MainLine Theatre, 3997 St-Laurent, 2nd floor
Dates: Presented in English: Wed-Sat Nov 7-10, 14, 15, 16, 17, at 8pm. Sun matinees Nov 11, 18, at 2 pm
Tickets: (Prices include taxes and service charge) $22 general admission; $20 Seniors; $18 Students
Tel: 514 849-3378
e-mail: boxoffice@montrealfringe.ca
www.mainlinetheatre.ca/en/spectacles/glengarry-glen-ross
youtu.be/kQOG32GINho
NOTE: mature language. Recommended ages 14+

Men, as the air chills, it’s time to re-fresh with new Fall and Winter clothes. Right now you can shop smart at Jaf which is closing its clearance store in Laval. Everything must go – and all up to 80% discount.   You might come across well-known brands – Michael Kors, Robert Graham, Jack Victor, Baumler, Fred Perry, S. Cohen, Jacques Britt, Tombolini, Tommy Bahamas, Victorinox, Ted Baker, m.e.n.s., & Alberto.

Here is the pricing:

Suits starting at $95
Shirts from $10
Pants from $25
Sweaters from $25
Parkas from $49
Trench Coats from $49
Ties from $10
Tuxedos (pre-rented) for only $45

This family owned business is the place to shop for men looking for affordable superior quality products. Whether you dress elegant, casual, stylish or classic, JAF Prêt-à-Porter is the destination that shouldn’t be missed.

Location Laval Centre de liquidation: 1880, boul. Saint Martin O. Laval 
H7S 1M9
Hours: Mon & Wed 10:30– 6, (Tues closed), Thur & Fri 10:30 -9, Sat 10:30 – 5,  Sun 11 – 5
Tel.: 450- 688-3636
jaf.ca

Men, as the air chills, it’s time to re-fresh with new Fall and Winter clothes. Right now you can shop smart at Jaf which is closing its clearance store in Laval. Everything must go – and all up to 80% discount.   You might come across well-known brands – Michael Kors, Robert Graham, Jack Victor, Baumler, Fred Perry, S. Cohen, Jacques Britt, Tombolini, Tommy Bahamas, Victorinox, Ted Baker, m.e.n.s., & Alberto.

Here is the pricing:

Suits starting at $95
Shirts from $10
Pants from $25
Sweaters from $25
Parkas from $49
Trench Coats from $49
Ties from $10
Tuxedos (pre-rented) for only $45

This family owned business is the place to shop for men looking for affordable superior quality products. Whether you dress elegant, casual, stylish or classic, JAF Prêt-à-Porter is the destination that shouldn’t be missed.

Location Laval Centre de liquidation: 1880, boul. Saint Martin O. Laval 
H7S 1M9
Hours: Mon & Wed 10:30– 6, (Tues closed), Thur & Fri 10:30 -9, Sat 10:30 – 5,  Sun 11 – 5
Tel.: 450- 688-3636
jaf.ca

A half century ago, a creative actor/director and immigrant (from South Africa via England), Maurice Podbrey, together with his equal half, Elsa Bolam (and Herb Auerbach and Peter Duffield) managed to knit together a theater company, Centaur, which was and is no easy feat. If that wasn’t nerve wracking enough for a person, Bolam then went on to start another successful one, Geordie Productions.

In an unintentional but perfect nod to the past, Eda Holmes, Centaur’s new artistic director, brings us Choir Boy set in a boys’ prep school while Podbrey’s first production, The Prime of Miss Jean Brody, took place in a girl’s school. The play is written by Tarell Alvin McCraney, who comes with a pretty flashy CV: he’s the Chair of Yale’s School of Drama, where he is also the Playwright in Residence at the Repertory Theatre. and he was also Playwright in Residence for Stratford-Upon-Avon’s Royal Shakespeare Company – and happens to be a member of the renowned Steppenwolf Theatre Ensemble. And let’s just throw in here that he wrote the story of Moonlight which won Oscars for best picture and for the writing.

The story is mostly about Pharus (played by Steven Charles), a gay student making his way through a very traditional private school. Charles commands the stage throughout, and we can’t wait to see where his star takes him (to the Broadway production?). His fellow students talk, yell, fight and sing a cappella as they share intimacies and rivalries when the old school values conflict with our modern world in rules, nepotism, faith, sexuality and school board traditions.  Tight direction by Mike Payette keeps you riveted throughout, while Lighting Designer Andrea Lundy’s magic creatively moves you around the set (loved the purple).

Floydd Ricketts, the musical director and arranger, was the right man in the right place to be able to create new arrangements of spirituals, gospel and jazz songs for a cappella harmonies.  Ricketts notes, “Even though this music comes from pain, there is also joy in it”. Dayane Ntibarikure, assistant director and choir movement facilitator, did a brilliant job of  having the actors move “slave slowly” around the scenes, adding foot stomping  to song and subtly evoking a chain gang in the shower scene.

Holmes has tweaked the play runs slightly this year by adding (less expensive) preview shows to get the performance just that more perfect for opening night. You know how much I like a deal, and Centaur offers much for FREE with behind-the-scenes info to enrich your  theater experience: Talk Back after the shows , Sunday Chat Up, Thursday Pre-Show Convo and the Saturday Salon.

How perfect that this golden Centaur season started by lifting our spirits with the power of music blended with this timely story. See Choir Boy in Montreal before you can’t get tickets on Broadway (Dec 2018)!

Location 453 St-Francois-Xavier
corner: Notre-Dame
Tel: 514-288-3161
Dates: til Oct 28
www.centaurtheatre.com
Metro: Place d’Armes

Odysseo, the horse centric show, is awesome family entertainment which will WOW every member. If you can imagine taking Cirque du Soleil up a notch by marrying it with a team of gifted equestrians, this would be their offspring.

The show has acrobats, blade-running acrobats and horse acrobats – each team outdoing the other in their antics. There are raucous horses racing through jumps and quiet ballet-like riderless horses dancing to the whims of their female horse whisperer, Sylvia Zerbini.

Then why not throw in some African drumming, singing and dancing – for peace. When you combine 70 horses with 50 performers and all the high technology, multimedia and special effects, you create magic on stage.

The carousel pole acrobatics is  a charming setting for the melange of horse and rider/acrobats, but the white fabric/rope acrobatic act is the perfect “10” for each of the costume designer, set designer, lighting, artistic director and the acrobats themselves.

It’s hard to imagine it fitting into a tent setting, but horses appear on mountaintops, in an ice-scape, the woods, walking down hills, in rain storms, galloping as fast as the wind and even and splashing in a waterfront finale.

This time we attended with a youngster who had enjoyed horse camp this summer. She loved figuring out the equine trivia questions before the show started. In her child-like mind she imagined “horses dancing like people at a party”. We glanced occasionally at her face as she sat in awe, riveted to the stage watching instead a seamless ballet of people and horses.  And she was really hoping to get splashed by the playful horses.

Don’t wait – book tickets now as the run has been extended to Oct 21 and the price reduced to $60.  If you can afford it, the Rendez-vous VIP package, including dinner (roast beef and shrimp options) with an open bar, popcorn and drinks to take in to the show, a dessert buffet at intermission

(so Quebec-like with cheese there too), a stable visit, and a souvenir, really makes the evening special. This is a great idea for a do-ahead holiday gift for anyone – take the family, join co-workers or have fun with friends.

Location: Odysseo White Big Top at the corner of the boul. Rene-Levesque and De Lorimier
Tel: 866-999-8111
Dates: til Oct 21
www.cavalia.com
www.facebook.com/cavalia

In 2014 Casper  which had branded its name for its “outrageously” comfy mattresses, was introduced in Canada  I’m not sure how people buy mattresses online, as to me, it’s one of those purchases where I must lay down (for a good 20 minutes) and make sure it’s the right “fit” for me.

I have in the past (and have heard from other people too) bought a mattress that was way too hard. I chose a “hospital grade” mattress supposed to be good for your back and last a really long time. I made sure it was a company that gave you a trial period so I could return it – and I did. Others just have had to spend more money to put all kinds of fluffy tops on them to try to correct the mistake.

So back to Casper. They have opened up Le Chalet Casper where they give you the opportunity to try out their products (pillows, bedding, bed frames) in person. They’ve showcased them cutely in little “chalet-like” houses.

Nicole Tapscott, Senior Director and General Manager of Casper Canada says, “Le Chalet Casper is designed as an oasis for people to relax as they would in a summer chalet to escape the city heat and bustle. We encourage visitors to touch, feel and experience our sleep products in an environment that will leave them with the feeling of a life well slept.” I agree that you have to experience a mattress before buying one.

You can buy at the shop or have your purchases delivered.

Location: 4367 St-Denis
corner: Marie-Anne
Hours: Wed-Fri 10-8, Sat 10-7, Sun 11-6
Dates: closes July 22