BMR Makes Theatre More Affordable
The basement shown left did not exist when Young People’s Theatre (now Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People) moved into a City-owned heritage building on Front Street East in 1977. Built in the 1870s, the property originally housed horses that pulled Toronto’s earliest streetcars; when electric power put the animals out to pasture the building was converted into a generating station. By the time YPT was invited to take over the space, the derelict building had stood empty for 30 years.
The basement was dug out and paid for by YPT, which, like several other local theatre companies, benefits from a long-standing City policy that provides below market rent (BMR) to qualifying not for profit arts groups. The City foregoes rent (in most cases the spaces are let for $2 per year) but the theatre company is responsible for upgrades and regular maintenance. It’s a win/win that in the case of Lorraine Kimsa Theatre provides theatrical and educational opportunities for as many as 80,000 youngsters each year, in addition to about 1,200 participants in year-round drama school.
“We were one of the first below market rent beneficiaries,” says LKTYP Artistic Director Allen MacInnis. “In fact, the City wouldn’t let us install permanent seats initially because they weren’t sure it was going to work. They wanted the space to be flexible in case they had to turn it into a community centre if the theatre didn’t fly. But within five years it was clear this was going to work and the city allowed us to pour concrete and install permanent seating.” READ MORE
Drumming Up Success with The Sadies
If you’re a drummer, unless your name is Peart or Bruford or Mullen, you probably don’t do a heap of press interviews. Everybody wants to talk to the frontman (or woman), which in the case of Toronto’s The Sadies would be guitarists/vocalists Dallas and Travis Good. Bassist Sean Dean wasn’t able to join us yesterday so I had a nice tête-à-tête with Sadies drummer Mike Belitsky, left, a man whose been watching the Toronto music scene evolve since he first landed in town in the late 1980s, a runaway from Halifax determined to make it as a rock ‘n’ roller.
“I remember going to the Cameron House,” says Belitsky, “and seeing Glenn Milchem (Blue Rodeo) drum for the Garbagemen and thinking, ‘Oh man, I gotta go back to the drawing board.’ I wasn’t going to be some punk in a band just because I had a leather jacket; that’s when I knew I’d actually have to learn how to play my instrument.”
Belitsky has learned plenty about drumming in the dozen years since joining The Sadies. Over the course of seven studio albums, one live set and numerous collaborations with artists like Jon Langford, Andre Williams, Neko Case and Jon Spencer, The Sadies have gained a reputation as musician’s musicians, a rep that’s flattering and yes, a little daunting, admits Belitsky.
“Sometimes, if I’m on stage and I know there are really good players in the audience it can throw me a bit if I let it. I have to force myself to stop thinking about it. That’s why I play, to just lose myself in the music.”
Belitsky and company will be getting lost on Toronto Island Saturday opening for Montreal’s Arcade Fire, presently the No. 1 rock act in the world: “We were flattered when they asked us,” says Belitsky.
A SummerWalk on the Existential Side
If actor Lindy Zucker wasn’t nervous in the run-up to her first public SummerWalk (part of the SummerWorks theatre festival) she surely was after checking the comp list and discovering that Globe and Mail theatre critic J. Kelly Nestruck would be among the attendees. I hope Zucker’s not holding her breath for a great review; I kept my eye on Nestruck throughout the performance, observing his crossed arms and blasé demeanour. Then again, maybe he just likes to keep his cards close to his chest.
The audience certainly enjoyed the show, laughing loudly and frequently, even when “Uncle Lindy” was “digressing” into existential conundrums. A philosophical walking tour? Actually, yes. Lindy’s one hour “Quit Your Snivelin’ Tour of Life” was inspired by a sticker that suggested, “We do little to improve our situation.”
And so, with false mustache and a vaguely British accent firmly in place, Zucker proceeded to show us around the darkened neighbourhood surrounding the Factory Theatre, pontificating thoughtfully and humourously about what makes us humans tick.
Crowd Pleasing Dusk Dances
There were more people in Withrow Park last night to see Dusk Dances – I’m guessing 500 – 600 – than lots of small dance companies play to over an entire run. As choreographer Peter Chin, left, points out, the crowd that attends these by-donation performances “is a general audience, often people who don’t go to the theatre to see dance and also, families.”
Which goes a long way to explaining the populist nature of the work that’s programmed in this summer series. Chin’s piece, “The Arrangement” is the most thoughtful of the five works being performed through Sunday at Withrow (7 – 9 pm). Three of the remaining four pieces run from amusing to flat-out funny: Julia Aplin’s crowd-pleasing “Inner City Sirens Part II” (performed in inflatable splash pools) could accurately be described as a clown performance with dance.
Chin, an award-winning composer/choreographer, has been involved with Dusk Dances as a performer or member of the audience, nearly from the beginning (the 2010 season is the 16th annual installment). “I did Dusk Dances maybe 14 years ago as a solo artist. I enjoyed the experience and at that time I was doing a lot of outdoor work and site-specific performances,” he says.
Box Office Attraction
When I asked TO Tix attendant Ken MacAlpine, below, whether he considers himself a culture worker he pressed me to define “culture worker”.
“Someone who works in the cultural realm,” I responded. “Someone who facilitates the cultural life of the city.”
“Then I guess I am,” he affirmed.
Ken has been punching the clock at TO Tix for the past four months. He works six and a half hours per day, five days per week, selling tickets on behalf of Mirvish Productions, Ticketmaster and the Toronto Blue Jays. Unlike New York City’s famous TKTS booth in Times Square, which sells half-price passes to same day shows, TO Tix sells full price advance tickets in addition to a small selection of reduced price same day events. This morning, for instance, the Yonge-Dundas Square booth was selling cut-rate tickets to Jersey Boys, Yuk Yuk’s and Second City.
The question of whether or not manning a box office qualifies one as a culture worker is sort of moot in MacAlpine’s case since he’s a ticket seller by day and an actor by night: he moved to Toronto last summer from Halifax to further his career. So far, he’s landed parts with Alumnae Theatre and dinner theatre company, Big Time Murder, where he performs regularly.
