One tends to forget that it is the behind-the-scenes people who make stars stars. Sam Phillips, owner of Sun Studio and Sun Records, was a shrewd man and one of the early brand marketers. Million Dollar Quartet, a Tony Award winning musical, tells the story of his tens of thousands of miles journeyed going from radio station to radio station trying to get air time for the musicians he believed in. It’s been said that he had the magic ear and could sense a star after hearing him play for just ten seconds. Elvis Presley in the show utters, “He seen something in me I’d never seen myself” and if not for Phillips, “I’d be driving a truck”.

On this magical day, December 4, 1956,  Jerry Lee Lewis wound up playing piano during a Carl Perkins (king of rockabilly music) recording session at Phillips’s Sun Studio. When Elvis Presley walked in unexpectedly, Phillips called in Johnny Cash, leading to an impromptu session featuring the four musicians.

Perhaps Phillips was thinking strategically, so he coined them the Million Dollar Quartet, and he eventually turned that session into a record. Perhaps he was also seeing the writing on the wall as each neophyte he nurtured (Cash, Perkins and Elvis) was leaving him in order to be represented by a major record company.

Sky Seals shows versatility playing Johnny Cash on edge as he is worried about telling Phillips about leaving yet still is able to portray his calm deep hypnotic voice when he croons. James Loye playing Sam Phillips, blocks out the story, telling us how hard it was trying to get the DJ’s to play the “devil’s music”, as it was being banned by laws and shunned by the church. It is hard playing the straight man to a bunch of high energy music masters, but Loye plays it brilliantly.

Christo Graham as Jerry Lee Lewis steals this show with his showmanship – and – over the top (literally) piano playing.  I don’t know how George Krissa’s leg (as Elvis Presley) doesn’t just fling off with all that shaking going on. He plays the ingenue Elvis understatedly well. Having been to Sun Studio in Memphis I can confirm that set designer, Brian Dudkiewicz, hit it bang on.

Though people thought Phillips was plain dumb selling off Elvis’s contract to save his recording studio, let it be known that he smartly flipped the cash into shares of a new company called “Holiday Inn”, and he too became one of the million dollar players (and we all know what happened to Elvis).

Director Lisa Rubin kept the show nice and tight, balancing out the jamming we wanted to hear along with the history that must be told. And she orchestrated the best planned curtain call ever. It’s rare for a member of the “orchestra pit” (Evan Stewart) to get his moment to shine too. You will be rocking and rolling out the door to this one.

Location: Segal Centre, 5170 ch. de la Cote-Ste-Catherine, Montreal H3W 1M7
Dates: til May 14
Phone: 514-739-7944
Tickets: $40-$50 ( group, senior, student and under 30 discounts available)
www.segalcentre.org
Metro: Cote-Ste-Catherine, Snowdon Bus: 129, 51, 17

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The Tailored Man, is considerate of the Canadian consumer. Due to the value of Canadian dollar, they are offering new and lower pricing and complimentary shipping and handling. Since 1969, The Tailored Man has been coming to North America fitting men (and women too) with made-to-measure suits at Hong Kong’s prices. these are the March and April specials:

For the Budget Minded: 2 suits & 3 shirts US $1,100
For the Executive: 2 suits & 3 shirts US $1,475
For the Discerning: 1 suit & 1 shirt US $950

The suits come with extras you don’t usually see in North American stores: sweat shields, cell phone pockets and the pants have a heel guard and knee lining. When you order a shirt, you choose collar, style, cuff and monogram.

“When you wear individually tailored clothes you need individual attention”   Thus they work by appointment only.

Sunder Daswani’s team is back in Montreal so make a personal appointment: 866-751-7868 or 647-989-0555 or www.tailoredman.com/appointment. To be added to their mailing list: goodfit@tailoredman.com.

Locations and Dates: Thurs Mar 30 & Fri Mar 31:  Le Centre Sheraton, 1202 boul Rene-Levesque O / Google Maps: http://bit.ly/1RCB ; Sat Apr 1 & Sun Apr 2: Ruby Foos, 7655 Decarie:
Tel: 866-751-7868 or 647-989-0555
www.tailoredman.com
goodfit@tailoredman.com

You probably think of Cameo for sofa beds, and you’d be correct however they have gone way beyond that now. Two very interesting concepts are their Kangaroo bed in which the bed is hinged and there is storage in the base and the Ottomon bed which has a bed hiding inside an ottoman.  Or how about their  pop-up bunk beds which functions as a couch and then voila, inside, a bunk bed duo pops up when you need it. These are great space saving ideas for condos, your den, kids rooms or guest rooms and are hugely popular.

If it’s sofa beds you want, then come to this family-owned manufacturer and buy direct for every kind, style and price of sofa (and chair) bed you can imagine. Moved to a new showroom right next door, the high-quality couches are known for their fine workmanship and can be made into singles, jr. doubles, doubles or queen size beds. You choose your own fabric to match your decor and budget, and they will turn it into a well-made piece of furniture as well as a comfortable bed with an extra firm inner spring or a memory foam mattress (an upgrade). The mattresses can even be pulled up into a TV headrest.

You can also order made-to-measure couches, sectionals, chairs and upholstered beds. Beds can be made to fit in any doorway, since they can come apart if needed. It only takes 4-6 weeks from the time you order it to the time you can enjoy sitting on it at home.

Their quality includes:
– complete hardwood frame, birch or maple
– assembled without staples
– collapse resistant, quality foam cushioning and padding
– a tight heavy 8-gauge spring support system with 277 coils
– zippered cushions
– well stuffed backs
– fitted arm caps
– custom tailoring

Sofa-bed size cotton sheets are available here too. You can always find a sofa-bed on promotion for only $1,400 with the same time-honored Cameo quality mechanism and mattress.

It’s nice to be able to buy something made right here in Montreal and owned by a local family. They now offer financing.

Location: 7955 Transcanadienne, Ville St-Laurent
corner: Cote Vertu
Tel: 514-337-2933
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 11-5
www.cameo-sofa.com
FB:  http://on.fb.me/1nb9jcm

It is really hard to take the boring authenticity-proving side of the modern art world and make it into a delightful audience loving (2 standing ovations on opening night) theatre piece.

Stephen Sachs, the playwright, took on the true story of Terry Horton, a former truck driver who scavenged a painting for $5 at a second-hand shop as a gift for a friend who needed cheering up. Maude Gutman, as she is called in this play, is a lover of kitsch – her trailer is overwhelmed by it (A congratulatory shout out here for the jam-packed shelves created by set and costume designer Pam Johnson, who really needed my Smart Shopping Montreal book to find all that stuff!). At a yard sale, the local art teacher noticed the painting and mentioned it might be a Jackson Pollock; and so begins the tale. Somehow Gutman managed to get a major art house in NYC to send an expert over to check out her claim.

And therein lies this sparring pied-a-deux. A foul-mouthed bourbon drinking trailer park madam vs. the snooty elitist artsy gentleman. Human authenticity versus art authenticity is set to be proven. Nicola Cavendish walks the walk and talks the talk. Her sneaker grounded stalking moves her around the trailer while her expert verbal comedic timing keeps the pace going. She even manages to give the garbage pail “a line”.

Jonathan Monro (Lionel Percy), himself a renaissance man (competitive swimmer, piano prodigy, singer, director, lyricist, actor), glides around her, expertly dodging her verbal and physical attacks. My take-away forever (as a former NYC art teacher) is the exuberant and sexually suggestive way in which Monro teaches us the how and why a Jackson Pollock painting is important – and not just a bunch of paint splashes on a canvas.

Though Percy always trusts his “first blink”, it is Nicola Cavendish who summed it up brilliantly when she observed Pollock’s paintings, “You can see that what emerges is layers and layers and layers. I think it’s a lesson on how we can learn to look more closely, whether we are talking about a piece of art or whether we’re talking about the woman who lives across the street who’s offensive.” Modern art is beyond the understanding of the ordinary citizen, and this play opens the door a crack as to what it is all about, how it works and doesn’t work. The show makes it all fun and drives Maude’s trailer expertly to the end to find out if she goes from rags to riches.

Location: 453 St-Francois Xavier
corner: Notre-Dame
Tel: 514-288-3161
Dates: Jan 31-Feb 26, 2017
Prices $28- $51
www.centaurtheatre.com
Metro: Place d’Armes

Today at 11:30am on CJAD 800AM, you can listen to  me  on the radio (or Internet) on the Leslie Roberts Show. We’ll be talking about what to buy in January that’s of good value – and anything else that comes up about shopping. You’ll always learn something new.

If you miss the show you can always write to me here at my website.

Location: CJAD 800AM
Time: 11:30 am
Date: Wed Jan 4
www.cjad.com

Q1 – Can I just expect to be able to just return a gift?A purchase is like a contract you have made with a store. You decided to buy it at the price they offered. The contract is completed and you are both satisfied. No returns are considered. If they choose to change the terms, it is solely up to each business and not a consumer law. Don’t assume when you buy something you can just return it.

Q2- So they don’t have to take it back?

Right. They can choose to offer an exchange policy, a store refund, a one week or one month return allowance or none at all, a final sale

Q3 – How can the customer know this? Are there any rules that a store must follow for returns policies?

– Posting return rules near the cash register or stamp the policy on receipt itself
– Ask at the store what the policy is. Often after Christmas, there’s more leniency and some stores even have a stamp which can allow you to return months later if you are an early shopper.

Q4 – What if it’s broken?
A defective product has to be returned to the manufacturer and it depends on the retailer’s policy and it is up to you to find out if you or they have to do this.

Q5 – Any other important suggestions?
Don’t be rude or super aggressive and make sure you are talking to the person that has the authority to remedy the situation

Everyone has to shop and I’ve tried to make it easier for all of you by compiling Montreal’s best stores into a guidebook. In English it’s Smart Shopping Montreal ($21.95)and in French Le Consommateur Averti Montreal ($20.95). If anyone is driving South to warm up, I’ve also written a guide about what to find at every exit on the way to Florida called Drive I-95: Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and Trivia ($24.95). You can have them autographed too!

Here’s a synopsis of the Smart Shopping Montreal book:

There’s no reason to waste time shopping for price when the job has already been done by this bestselling book. Thousands of loyal readers for the past 28 years have learned to buy it to find all the discount stores where they can save money. Reading it will save you time too.

All it takes to be a smart shopper is knowing how to save time and money while shopping. If you know where to go for the bargains, who to call when something breaks, or where to buy that something special, you’ve accomplished that goal. This book covers all three topics:

Part I of this book covers over 800 locations around the city (and then another 200 in factory buildings) where the smart shopper can save at least 20% on clothing, household, food and leisure products. Why not make your dollar go as far as possible?

Part II helps the smart shopper resist the throw-away nature of our society by leading you to the wonderful repairmen and master craftsmen who can fix those treasures or broken household items (and save you money by not having to buy a new one!).

Lastly, Part III explores the wonderful variety of unique or unusual specialty stores (which can sometimes get a bit pricey) that one can browse through and shop in. The smart shopper knows where they are. Develop a spirit of adventure and an inquiring mind, and seek out these terrific spots in Montreal – a city which is a wonderful blend of European couture and craftsmanship with American know-how.

The first bargain you’ll find is this book.

Synopsis of Drive I-95:

Road trips are back and to help those who travel up and down the East coast, Drive I-95 is a new style of guidebook which combines colorful easy-to-follow pictorial maps and fun stories.

Look ahead exit by exit to see which motels (with 800 numbers), gas stations, restaurants, campgrounds, 24-hour pharmacies, radio stations or radar traps are there.

We share stories: history on I-95, museums, trivia, towns to explore or places to run the kids or your pets. These can be read for entertainment during the drive, and may entice motorists to stop, stretch their legs and discover someplace new.

You can order the guides online (autographed):
www.smartshoppingmontreal.com
www.drivei95.com
Tel: 514-684-4020 (If you want to make arrangements to buy in person)

The weather has made it a hard weekend to shop, but if you haven’t finished your holiday list yet, I will be on CTV News on the 6 o’clock news on Saturday talking about cool gifts for under $30. It should repeat at 11:30 and can be seen online afterwards.

www.ctvnews.ca
Date: Dec 17
Time: 6pm

When you want to revitalize your Holiday decor with new accessories, look no further than Décors Véronneau.

They sell a vast selection of snowy, frosted, white, black or pine trees, most them already illuminated. Whether for a residential or commercial space, their design team can even decorate them and delivery and installation are possible too.

They have an immense selection of plants and artificial flowers, along with the pots and vases for both indoor and outdoor foliage arrangements.

Perhaps you might want a new centerpiece, You can find one here easily. Nowadays, a tablecloth is not necessary if you have a beautiful table. However candles really warm up the atmosphere. For already overcrowded tables or for groups including toddlers, opt for candles without flames or pick some pretty assorted lanterns. Small garlands of miniature lights can also be concealed in a centerpiece.

Their extensive lines of decorative items include: hand-painted paintings, wall hangings, creative mirrors, accent pieces, lamps, rugs and colourful throws and cushions.

Search no further if you are looking for that special something to make your room come alive: wall murals, trunks, sculptures, tables, colored wicker balls, rugs, animal skins rugs, clocks, candles and holders and even home fragrances.

With their expert design team, the company can help both residential and commercial customers with any indoor or outdoor projects. Advice is available on decorating, home staging or an entire renovation project.

Locations: Laval, 2965 Boul. Le Courbusier H7L 3M3 (450-680-1989), Terrebonne, 1200 Ave Yves-Blais J6V 1P7 (450-585-555); Granby, 922 Rue Principale J2G 2Z4 (450-991-1554); Quartier DIX30, 8240 Boul.Leduc J4Y 0K7 (450-678-5060)
www.veronneau.com

Orlando, Fl Exit 260 to Route 4 : Thinking about taking the family to Florida for vacation but  you’re discouraged with the high exchange rates? Why not consider the newly re-imaged Sonesta ES Suites in Orlando,  which is located in the heart of Orlando‘s International Drive resort area and across from the Orlando Eye.

Now the piece de resistance: Take advantage of a special Visit Orlando Canadian resident offer where you save 22% on 2-bedroom / 2- bathroom suites. Whether you’re there for a few days or twenty, you’ll find convenience with their newly renovated and redesigned oversized two-bedroom suites, that sleep up to 6 or 8 people, with all of the comforts of home. This special is designed to allow Canadian residents the opportunity to purchase the suites in Canadian dollars at par (or close to par).

Plus, you’ll enjoy delightful extras like convenient work stations and fully equipped kitchens. On-site laundry facilities are available, and complimentary breakfast, parking, and wi-fi are offered to all  guests.

This promotion only runs until April 30, 2017 book your reservations now!

The promotion can be booked by visiting their website at sonesta.com/orlando and using promo code VOR,  Or using the link below which  features the special offer: sonesta.com/us/florida/orlando/sonesta-es-suites-orlando/canadianspecial 

Location: Sonesta ES Suites Orlando, 8480 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819
Tel: 407-352-2400
sonesta.com/orlando