Montreal - Old Montreal

In Montreal for meetings, I arrived a little early to enjoy the city. With an afternoon to while away I left the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth for a short walk along Boul. Rene-Levesque and then south in Côte du Beaver Hall/Rue McGill to Rue Saint-Paul. Strolling along I picked up local artisan jewellery from Impact Galerie, glass bowls at Le Magasin General, more local artisan jewellery at Boutiques Metiers d Art and machine washable silk blouses at Place Royale. Then I topped off the evening with some Quebec cider and a delicious crepe on the patio Jardin Nelson. Quite simply, a lovely afternoon!

Mirvish - Sound of Music

True to the movie, this was a wonderful performance, with some great casting. Maria was very strong and Mother Superior closed the first half with an amazing rendition of "Climb Every Mountain".

Soulpepper - The Brothers Size

While this is a story we have heard before, there were some unique twists With just the right amount of humour and tension. The presentation, interjected with music and dance, was superb. A really cool set.

Factory - Beautiful Man

Acting as the other gender, the women as men role played a night watching a movie, a man related "her" story of a night out. While interesting, and the second half more so, it was not particularly enlightening or captivating.

TIFF Picture Palace

An enlightening, fascinating and fun exhibit, this 3 part exhibit, provided hands on demonstration of how sound, colour, camera angle influences a film. We really enjoyed the exhibit and were intrigued. Sadly this closes today, so if you didn’t see it, your opportunity is gone....

Theatre Passe Muraille - Ultimate Theatre Challenge

TPM's annual gala was inspired this year, pitting talented actors against each other in a UTC format, as they battled through monologues, special skills and cold readings to take the title. With enthusiasm, laughs and surprises, the audience was enthralled. Complemented with lots of food and drink, a fun night was had by all.

National Geographic - Lynsey Addario

True to form, we can't fathom how someone can put themselves in harm's way, as Lindsay does. However, we have to be grateful for courageous people like this, as nothing tells the story more effectively of the horrors of war than a photograph. And Lindsey is an amazing storyteller.

Catapult Festival - Roxy

The motivational speaker who can scare you. Funny, inspirational, with rapid fire gestures and keen timing, Roxy is fearless! Or is she .......

Tarragon Theatre - Old Stock: a refugee love story

A riveting story of new immigrants, narrated  through song and presented like a travelling show. At times funny, at times sad, this was a genuinely moving story. Performed by a stellar cast of actor/musicians, I particularly liked Mary Fay Cody, whose gestures were charming.

Off Mirvish - Next to Normal

An unusual topic for a musical - mental illness - but handled in a respectful way, portraying the impact on the whole family. Great score, with amazing performances from the entire cast.

TSO POPS - Queens of Soul

Fantastic selection of songs, with outstanding performances  by the TSO, the guest band members and the vocalists. An incredible show!

Mirvish - Dear Evan Hansen

A poignant story about how a lie can spiral out of control, this story threw many emotional punches. Extremely well cast, powerful voices, harmonizing very well together, a fantastic show.

Video Cabaret - Too Good to be True

Video Cabaret's inaugural show in their new venue is everything we expect it to be  - hilarious, campy, a little outrageous and with many unexpected moments. A real treat for those in the east end or willing to venture out this way.

Stars On Ice

Incredible show. Great music, great choreography, awesome skaters. I absolutely enjoyed every one of these amazing Canadian skating medalists.

Ossington Theatre - 9 To 5

A nostalgic play, based in a very mysoginistic time period, but lots of fun nonetheless. William Doyle does an authentically unlikeable chauvinistic boss and the energy, enthusiasm and chemistry between the three female leads makes the show.