New Age Aquarians

Yesterday night I had the privilege of attending UC Follies' production of 'HAIR' performed at HartHouse Theatre on the St. George Campus at U of T. Directed by the ever-impressive Shak Haq, and comprised of a cast reaching numbers of at least thirty, this was a production full of that 60s flare which is often forgotten about in the culture of the youth of the 00s.

Emmett O' Reilly played the rather, intense, character of Burger. Aidan Sharp played the sensitive character Claude, Bronwen Drummond was Sheila, Madeline Foley the rumbunctious Jeannie and Arianna Benincasa the heartbroken Chrissy. Each of these actors abound in talent and radiated a heat of talent which wafted around and smacked each audience member sitting there that night. O' Reilly in particular used his hands and the intonation of his voice to raise the bar in terms of character development and his consistent attention to detail of the character's nuances and quirks. Foley's slapstick humour brought the rather meek audience to chuckle with laughter, and brought me and a friend of mine to roar with it. Her solos were something fantastic as well. Benincasa's Chrissy was light and likeable and her solo embodied the definition of vocal control.

The ensemble seemed to have been experiencing the after-affects of a long day and long haul through the blizzard. Or maybe they had U of T's mountainous heap of readings on the brain. Whatever it was, the seemed to lack the extra ounce of chutzpah, however continued on with the show just the same. 

The costumes were out of this era. Colours and patterns and bell-bottoms, the movement on the stage was a spectacle in itself.

And the music...oh, the music.

Listen for yourself,

I highly recommend those of you who want to experience the trip of the 60s once again, or for the first time, to head on out to HartHouse Theatre and support the talent UC Follies has to offer.


www.uofttix.ca




Peace, Love.

You Must Experience!

Seeing as the summer break is finally here for all those college and university-goers, many of us have tons of time on our hands and no idea where to begin to make the most of it. Well, may I provide you with a few suggestions?

Go out for a night on the town with your best friends or your loved one, and catch a flick! Specifically make a mental reminder of "Water for Elephants". Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson (although not a personal fan of either) really shine as it appears they are in their element in this movie as circus performers. I mean not to say they are clowns in any way, just that their partnership in creativity under a circus tent is phenomenal. Definitely a must-see this summer.

Go for a bike ride! Biking is an awesome way to work your muscles and get out there and catch some rays. Ride through a part of town you are unfamiliar with and stop by the local bakery for a pastery or milkshake! You really can't go wrong.

Catch some local theatrical talent! Tomorrow night I will be watching "Forrests" at the Terragon Theatre in downtown Toronto! The talent is supposed to be mind-blowing, so I'm uber excited. Check out what kind of plays are being produced around you!

Spend the day at the spa. If you live in Toronto, you might want to check out The Elmwood Spa and venture out to visit a masseuse. Apparently they really know how to get right in their and mend your broken mind and body! If you're like me and trying to mend a broken heart, a spa and massage might be just the way to go.

Need more suggestions? Check out What's On Toronto.com for a great list of restaurants, free gigs, best jazz bars and local shows to catch!

Enjoy!!