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Wednesday, June 15th, 2016
Hosted by Pauline Nesbitt
Stories written by Patricia Petit Liang, Saturn De Los Angeles, and Julian Mackenzie, with additional help from Catlin Spencer
Produced by Saturn De Los Angeles
FRINGE 2016: Sexpectations
Going into to SEXPECTATIONS, we'll admit to having a certain degree of SEXPECTATION. Having seen Maxine Segalowitz (aka Moxy Scallywag) perform numerous times -- whether it be dancing in Festival Bouge D'Ici; her frenzied presence in Mainline Theatre's Rocky Horror Picture Show (2015); or her sassy comedic stylings in last year's fringe hit Is This Prententious? (by Team Greco), she's set her personal bar pretty high. Spoiler alert: She does not disappoint.
In our CJLO Fringe preview (which you can listen here if you missed it), we described the quadruple threat (writer/performer/composer/dancer) Segalowitz as being the perfect combination of vaudevillian glamour and riot grrl grime. True to form, Sexpectations opens with Segalowitz in full Liza Minnelli drag, louche in floor-length black, mouthing along to Liza cracking wise about a divorce. Maxine is perfection as Minnelli and her ensuing turn as Liza's Sally Bowles is spot-on.
The cabaret costume cast aside, the piece then shifts gears, taking us into a multi-media and multi-disciplinary exploration of performance and expectation, both within sexual relationships, as well as within the relationship between performer and audience. Notions of transaction, exchange and anticipation in a sexual liaison are explored in a piece of dance set to looping inner dialogue. Segalowitz dons both vertiginous black heels and a hoodie, elucidating the ways in which we perform desirability and "sexiness". She further explores these themes in a brilliant video marrying clowning and feminism, as Moxy Scallywag shares her make-up tips for success. The folly of over-consumption shines through a surrealist comedic lens- this is at once both a master's thesis and a hilarious bit, one might say key ingredients for comedy genius.
As this video plays, a shadowy figure struts up to the bar: a rebel-hearted Moxy Scallwag orders a beer and prepares to enter the audience. This sold-out Sunday matinee is filled to the brim. Moxy slips through the crowd, perching on laps, running fingers through hair, engaging the audience directly. Questions circulate, feedback is solicited, and the audience becomes key in deciding where the show will go next, and ultimately, how it will end.
Whether this is your first taste of Moxy, or you are well acquainted, it surely won't be your last. When it is truly over, Moxy Scallywag will linger - encompassing your senses with a sensual folly - questioning your next move, and daring you to do the same.
Somewhere on the cusp of freedom and obligation, Moxy Scallywag will kiss off, leading a chorus of one woman glory.
Catch her next performance, Tuesday (That's tonight!!) at Petit Campus (57 Prince Arthur E.) at 22:00, and for the rest of the festival at the following days and times:
- Friday June 17 from 23:30
- Saturday June 18 from 16:30
- Sunday June 19 from 19:00
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Ellen Smallwood and Sue Snyder are both part of CJLO’s Official Fringe Team covering the sights and sounds from the 2016 St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival.
Sue is one of the several new Fringe Correspondents for this year; and Ellen is CJLO's Promotions and Fundraising Director; and the creator and co-host of The Audio Penpals, every Friday afternoon from 4pm – 5pm, only on 1690AM in Montreal and online at CJLO.com.
Psychic City- Wednesday @ 11am- Paranormal Debate and Summer Rock Preview
Wednesday's episode of Psychic City on CJLO - 1690AM is a two part special!! The first half I have guests Amrew Weekes and Catlin Spencer, and we will be discussing the paranormal (stay tuned for topics).
The second half of the show will feature touring band The Scowls' bassist Valerie Trainor, Wild Wolf Productions founder Preston Ward (HEAVY MTL Nights), and Americano musician Mike Terry (The Jukebox Romantics) and solo artist Kyle Trocolla (They've been compared to punk rockers The Gaslight Anthem.) We will be talking about everything from Rockfest, to the dos and don'ts of touring and their upcoming show in Montreal on the 17th at Piranha Bar. Tune in and if you can't, we will have the podcast up and ready for ya!
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of Plot Ideas
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows
Produced by Michael Bay, directed by David Green
I don't know what I was thinking when I subjected myself to reviewing producer Michael Bay's latest epic gem Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: Out of the Shadows, directed by David Green. As my friend put it "Ughh!!! Remi why are you subjecting yourself to this?". My answer before walking in was to see how bad this diamond in the rough or polished masterpiece of a film this is.
I knew three sure things about this film before going in, given that producer Michael Bay is attached to this project. Loud explosions that will leave a ringing in my ears for at least an hour after the credits role. CGI overkill, this time in the form of turtles and other amphibians/reptiles. Veteran Bay actress Megan Fox will be starring in this film, since Veteran Bay performance artist Shia LaBeouf is hitch-hiking across America.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 is being hailed as the one that stays true to the animated series. The series is about four turtle brothers named Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo, who fight crime in the Big Apple. Sadly, I was not raised on the animated series so this review may be a bit biased.
After defeating Shredder (Brian Tee), the Ninja Turtles are feeling under appreciated. Vernon Fenwick (Will Arnett) is soaking up all the glory for putting Shredder behind bars. Cut to mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) breaking Shredder out of a police-armoured vehicle, enlisting him in plans for scientific chaos. The scenario is creating a time portal of doom for Krang (Brad Garrett) to destroy New York City. Beebop and Rocksteady are the worst henchmen you would ever want to hire, as they are stuck in their own style and era.
Thank God the Turtles have April O'Neil (Megan Fox) and beat cop Casey Jones (Stephen Amell) to stick their necks out and protect the Turtles' identities and break the law. A reluctant Fenwick decides to help out the Turtles as well. The ending is heart-warming overkill, as everyone finds their place and another instalment of the franchise is sadly set up.
Let me start off by saying that I have lost all respect for Tyler Perry as an actor. What made him stand out in Gone Girl is now overshadowed by the role of a goofy scientist who runs out in oncoming traffic. None of the characters are interesting, there is no clear indication of the archetypes they are meant to play, as seen with the villains of the film, who are weak with no lack of style or substance. The Turtles' friends are laughable, as seen when the police captain (Laura Linney) is reprimanding Casey Jones on how he will never make detective and he should just get out of the way.
I can see where the heart lies with the Turtles, who add the motional substance to the film. However, it took me to the very end of the film to get over their childish antics and their annoying and limited vocabulary—"Cowabunga Dude!" This film is for one audience member only. To quote Fenwick, "Why aren't we going with the Turtles? When something bad happens, you want to be with the Turtles!". This film is only for the true nostalgic fans of the '80s franchise.
Rating: 1/5
--All of what is new and out! Tune in the At the Movies (with Iconic Sounds), every Tuesday at 8AM, only on CJLO 1690AM.
FRINGE 2016: Falling Awake
I would be lying if I said that I didn't tear up at the end of Falling Awake. I would be lying if I said that I struggled not to break down crying on the walk home afterwards, as the events of the last hour sank in.
Presented by RAGMOP Theatre, Falling Awake plays at Mission Santa Cruz, located at 60 Rachel O. at the following times:
- Thursday June 16 from 19:00
- Friday June 17 from 16:15
- Saturday June 18 from 19:00
- Sunday June 19 from 15:00
Erica Bridgeman is part of CJLO’s Official Fringe Team covering the sights and sounds from the 2016 St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival. She also hosts The F Hole every Monday afternoon from Noon – 2pm ET, only on 1690AM in Montreal and online at CJLO.com.
FRINGE 2016: The McSorley & Chung Magic Hour
The mark of a good magic show is wondering to yourself how on earth these tricks were done.
My uncle used to do magic tricks for my sister and I when I was younger. I remember truly believing it was magic when I was a kid. And then as I grew up, I started learning how some of them were done. I would watch really closely and try to figure out how to recreate them. I'm not claiming to be an expert by any means and I'm certainly no magician myself.
But I will say this about McSorley and Chung: I have no idea how they performed most of the tricks in their show.
I found the pacing of their show fairly slow, but it worked for what they were doing. Their formula was this: start off with something that looked basic and easy, then out of no where whip out something impressive really non-nonchalantly. They were both humble and modest, so whenever they did something particularly impressive it was even more unexpected. Of course, like all magicians, they sometimes had about them an air of bravado, but you could tell that beneath the showmanship were two genuine, friendly guys who really loved what they were doing.
Their whole show was really light-hearted and low key. They were funny and sweet and they embraced their own awkwardness in a way that was comical and relatable. They cracked jokes throughout the show (but never any eggs), and even talked about the history of magic and where some of their tricks came from.
I don't know how to say this without sounding patronizing and condescending, but they were both adorable and the show was really cute. I mean this is the best way possible. It was family-friendly so bring your well-behaved children who understand the concept of silent-amazement.
They're at the Black Theatre Workshop Studio this Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. See you there!
The McSorley and Chung Magic Hour plays at 3680 Jeanne-Mance with the following times:
- Tuesday June 14 from 23:30
- Thursday June 16 from 22:15
- Saturday June 18 from 14:30
- Sunday June 19 from 19:00
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Erica Bridgeman is part of CJLO’s Official Fringe Team covering the sights and sounds from the 2016 St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival. She also hosts The F Hole every Monday afternoon from Noon – 2pm ET, only on 1690AM in Montreal and online at CJLO.com.
FRINGE 2016: Bedrock Burlesque
Revisiting nostalgia at its finest with an all-grown-up lens
By Danilo Bulatovic
Although The Flintstones were admittedly well before my time, there was something intangible about the “first animated prime time television series in America” that resonated with me since childhood. As a show concept it’s so wacky, that it could only be conceived with no predecessors.
A recap: Stone-age cavemen are imagined as the wholesome 50’s all-American, wholesome blue-collar nuclear family. Long - extinct animals are resurrected to assume their role as props for household chores in an endless orgy of animal cruelty. The shameless promotion of consumer goods exist symbiotically in a world of grey rough stone, in an absolutely preposterous pre-historic take on a 50’s Capitalist utopia.
Seeing Bedrock Burlesque in the listing of this years’ Fringe, I knew I owed it to my seven-year-old self to revisit Hanna Barbara Studio’s absurdly wondrous universe of Bedrock. Dan Derkson’s creation is an extremely enjoyable, erotic homage to perhaps the most question-raising family in popular culture, the Flintstones.
The cabaret show complete with a musical numbers, “Rodney Dangerfield-esque” stand up, and Burlesque striptease, opened with the series’ credits projected onto red velvet curtains. Upon hearing the jingle, etched into my cerebrum since infancy, I immediately assumed a giddiness I recalled so clearly as a child awaiting their favourite cartoon. An unmistakable sense of positivity and playfulness immediately filled the intimate opening night show.
Both performer and spectator participate in the fun of revisiting the shared cultural knowledge of this beloved cartoon, in clever dialogue that affirms our childhood suspicions of the obvious sexual tension between Fred and Barney. Cheesy “pre-history” puns, “commercial breaks”, slapstick, and ample sexual innuendo accompany titillating Burlesque performances, in a narrative that follows the Hunters’ (Fred and Barney) and Gatherers’ (Wilma and Betty) journey to perform alongside Bedrock heartthrob “Dita Rock Teese”.
What distinguishes Bedrock Burlesque as a parody, is the dialogue very often easily passes as the original. Like the series, its’ just ambiguous enough to imply a salacious adult subtext. Hanna Barbara’s naive vision of archetypical gender roles and the nuclear family in his prehistoric utopia is left intact in Bedrock Burlesque but is laced with a celebratory body positive and sex positive message.
After the show, I overheard some of the audience discussing childhood memories of the series. Perhaps admitting to crushes they’ve had on characters as children (we’ve all had them) or remembering how the Quebec-dubbed version of Fred was always a syllable away from swearing. “Bedrock Burlesque” is a complete success.
My nostalgia for the show since childhood came full circle, abeit 16 years later, in a highly enjoyable performance of gyrating tassels, and leopard print underwear. Come to the show and be sure to order a few Pterodactyl lemonades from Pebbles.
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With a burlesque so enjoyable, you'll have a grand 'ol time!
By Erica Bridgeman
Yabba Dabba Boobs! Bedrock Burlesque was everything I could have hoped for and more in a 60s cartoon-themed burlesque show. It was fun, silly, absolutely riddled with puns and cheap gags, and it had beautiful women removing their clothing. What more could you want?
Have you ever seen a really cheesy porn parody of a favourite TV show you haven't seen in years, and the pre-sex banter ends up being a walk down memory lane? That's what this was, and it was amazing.
The show was very well cast, with Divine Danny D as Fred, Elle Diabole as his lovely wife Wilma, Fifi Fantome as Barney and Aria Delanoche playing Betty. All of the characters stayed true to the original series, with the exception of Betty who was a bit more sex-crazed than she probably was on a children's cartoon. Details like Betty's giggle and Fred's clumsy and inconsiderate nature were not forgotten in this fun, fabulous fantasy, and Fifi Fantome had Barny's voice nailed down to a tee.
Like the classic cartoon, this show carried the same plot that so many episodes had: Wilma and Betty were expecting something from their husbands and Fred and Barney blew off their wives to do their own thing, then spent the rest of the time plotting to get themselves out of the dog house that they just put themselves in.
Also true to the show, there was a bit of casual sexism and misogyny that was prevalent in the 60s, but unlike the cartoon, beautiful women danced their clothes away.
Let's talk about that for a while: the burlesque numbers were all interesting and creative and all of the performers were skilled, captivating and shameless. Each number was varied and imaginative, sometimes even experimental – I never thought I'd see a burlesque number involving a laundry machine (Honeysuckle Pussywillow)! The 60s roller-skate diner feel and comically large food was even carried through an equally awesome number (Fairy Floss).
Seasoned burlesque dancer Elle Diabole convincingly portrayed being awkward and unskilled as Wilma nervously got into the spirit of dancing – it takes particular talent to make something look like you're bad at it on purpose. I don't want to spoil too much of the fun for you, so the only thing I'll say about Magenta Haze is that her face is as expressive and hilarious as always. Her ability to bridge the gap between comedy and sexiness is impressive.
But it wasn't just burlesque, either. There was singing, swing dancing, slapstick, and even stand-up by the infamous Karl Knox, one of CJLO's very own. You can catch his weekly radio show, New Media & Politics 2.0, every Monday from 8-10 am.
I highly recommend this show to everyone from the burlesque fanatics to the first-timers and from the Flintstone fiends to the...less enthusiastic.
But get your tickets soon, they've been having sold out shows. You can catch them at The Wiggle Room this Thursday through Saturday night. See you there!
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Bedrock Burlesque, Dan Derkson’s tribute to our favourite Stone-Age neighbours, plays at Montreal’s world-famous cabaret, The Wiggle Room, between June 15th to 19th - all at the following times:
- Thursday June 16 from 21:30
- Friday June 17 from 22:00
- Saturday June 18 from 22:00
- Sunday June 19 from 21:00
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Danilo Bulatovic and Erica Bridgeman are both part of CJLO’s Official Fringe Team covering the sights and sounds from the 2016 St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival.
Danilo hosts Computer Sourire every Tuesday afternoon from 4pm – 5pm, and you can follow his Mixcloud for more of his amazing curations; while Erica hosts The F Hole every Monday afternoon from Noon – 2pm ET, only on 1690AM in Montreal and online at CJLO.com.
FRINGE 2016: Atomic City is The Bomb!
Directed by Sara Rodriguez and starring the talented Jeff Gandell and Mariana Vial, Atomic City is an explosive romantic dramady (that's drama and comedy, folks) set in 1944 and is performed in the intimate confines of the OFF B: Freestanding Room.
In Atomic City, Gandell and Vial play two star-crossed lovers conducting important scientific research with the goal of ending World War II. While working on their project, Gandell and Vial are forced put their careers and relationships on the line in order to create the ultimate weapon of mass destruction.
Atomic City is one of the darkest, yet sweetest shows I’ve seen at the Montreal Fringe Festival. Gandell and Vial deliver very convincing and stellar performances. The chemistry between them filled The Freestanding Room with tension. It was exciting to watch Gandell and Via as gazed into each others’ eyes with tender passion and yearning while developing deadly weapons together.
Vial recited her lines with an excellent 1940s accent and mesmerised the audience with her beauty. Gandell delivered an energetic yet serious performance that made one of the audience members extremely giddy. Gandell made her grin so much over the course of his entire performance that I couldn’t help but feel elated by her infectious cheerfulness. Gandell really made her night!
Like the nuclear weapons created in the show, Atomic City is the product of a caring, passionate and extremely meticulous crew. The wooden walls of The Freestanding Room were plastered with posters filled with imagery of the war effort, Hitler and Uncle Sam. Rachel-Anne Germinario did an excellent job designing Atomic City’s set and costume design!
During the show, Vial even picks up a newspaper that was made specifically for the show and was full of details about life in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The notebooks used by the main characters were also filled with detailed calculations and graphs. Gandell and Vial drank real coffee during their performance, which they accidentally spilled all over the table. Vial handled the accident like a star and subtly avoided the mess. In addition to all of this, the set also included a machine that transformed into a chalkboard, another great idea by Germinario!
Lights and sound technician Jason Allman is also highly deserving of praise as without his careful timing, the show would have never been as charming and smooth as it was!
Atomic City is a lovely, heart-warming play about nuclear destruction! Gandell, Vial and the rest of their team’s talents are showcased beautifully in this show. My only complaint was that the transition between monologues and performances was a bit confusing. I only realized at the middle of the show that Gandell and Vial were telling separate stories to the audience! However, that slight issue didn’t ruin the show that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Jeff Gandell is a Montreal playwright, actor, storyteller, and teacher. He wrote and starred in The Balding, which was nominated for best comedy at the 2013 Festival St-Ambroise Fringe Montréal / St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival. Mariana Vial appeared in the 2011 edition with the bilingual improv show Improspection presents B, and can frequently be seen performing improv and sketch comedy locally.
Jeff and Mariana have performed together regularly over the past 3 years, most notably in Montreal Improv's House Team, Helmut, and their improvised Law and Order duo, Jerry Orbach’s Eyes.
Come on down to The Freestanding Room, located at 4234 Suite 300, Saint-Laurent - between June 15th to 19th to catch Gandell and Vial’s delightfully charming performances - all at the following times:
- Wednesday June 15 from 20:30
- Thursday June 16 from 22:30
- Friday June 17 from 19:00
- Saturday June 18 from 15:00 and 21:00
- Sunday June 19 from 18:30
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Patricia Petit Liang is part of CJLO’s Official Fringe Team covering the sights and sounds from the 2016 St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival. She also hosts Fatal Attraction every Monday morning from 11am – 12pm, only on 1690AM in Montreal and online at CJLO.com. Follow her show Tumblr, at @fatalattraction1690am
Photos are courtesy of Kirubel Mehari, a Concordia University Comminications student, and the founder of Create and Distribute: a creative agency and niche collective of artists that combine their skills to create content for branding, film and photography.
FRINGE 2016: Caravonica
It's so easy to be turned off by the word clown. Just imagining it can carry collective emotions of childhood fears and whatnot. But there's no need to fear Caravonica.
In fact, I don't think it's possible to be afraid of someone so hilarious, creative and talented. Of all of the theatre and various other performance art I've seen, nothing I've encountered can quite compare to the weird brainchild that Caravonica crafted. Saying it was unique, captivating, and incredibly silly barely scratched the surface of how much fun this show was.
So let's break this down into two categories: Caravonica the clown, and Caravonica the musician.
Caravonica the Clown
The captivating part of Caravonica's performance as a clown was how extremely expressive he was, and how easily he brought different characters to life. With simple changes in demeanour, gesture and voice, he became completely different personalities in no time at a construction site. Through nearly wordless character development and pantomime, he told a simple yet entertaining story of these characters trying to work together on a project. His ability to create sound effects was truly inspiring; and had the audience (ofr me, at least) convinced that he rode in on a pony named Cindy, who he later travelled the world with, singing at each new place he landed.
Caravonica the Musician
I would be curious to know if there is an instrument which Caravonica that he can or cannot play. During his show, he sang, he beatboxed, he played the ukulele, the harmonica, the percussion, and the trombone, and not to mention that all of it was original music. In the fashion of today's one-man-band, he used a loop pedal to create layers and textures to already creative, imaginative music (one can only hope that Caravonica will release an album some day!). As he travelled the world on Cindy, he played music from each place he landed, even singing in Italian, Russian, and Spanish.
His incorporation of pantomime with original music was phenomenal. He used the construction site characters from the beginning of the show to assist in setting up his percussion instruments later on, also taking the time to involve participation from the audience. In general, it's safe to say that people don't like being dragged on stage and being forced to act silly, but Caravonica has just a gentle, open personality and such a warm energy that it seemed easy for the people on stage to open up and get into the spirit of the thing.
Overall, the show was amazing. I loved every second of it. From the weird, awkward noises, to silly gestures and facial expressions. I especially loved the music, and I highly recommend this show to anyone and everyone, whether you're looking for something new or you're a hardcore clown fanatic. There are four more shows to catch beginning Thursday through Sunday at The Wiggle Room. See you there!
This amazing and amusing one-man-clown show continues to play between June 16th to 19th at 3874 St-Laurent with the following times:
- Thursday June 16 from 19:00
- Friday June 17 from 20:00
- Saturday June 18 from 20:00
- Sunday June 19 from 19:00
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Erica Bridgeman is part of CJLO’s Official Fringe Team covering the sights and sounds from the 2016 St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival. She also hosts The F Hole every Monday afternoon from Noon – 2pm ET, only on 1690AM in Montreal and online at CJLO.com.
TODAY @ 8:37PM: TENTACULES. 12
Join us tonight as CJLO - 1690AM's Impossible Music proudly co-presents Tentacules.12. Come watch them live at La Sala Rossa, today @ 8:37pm!
TENTACULES. 12, featuring the works of James O'Callaghan, YlangYlang, Sarah Albu, William Payette, Choros, Schoen-Vanderveken, Hazy Montagne Mystique and Guilaume Vallée. You'll get lost in a haze of experimental sound, projects and 3D magic at Sala!
Check out the event page below for more details and to check out a sampler of their amazing music, and we hope to see you tonight at Sala as the Suoni Per Il Popolo festival continues!
Impossible Music is a medley of sound collage, found sound and field recordings starring your host Gachary - Sundays at 1pm.
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