The Big Smoke

The "gourmet" burger bistro has been a burgeoning trend on the food scene for a while now. Toronto has its fair share of these chains like Gourmet Burger Co., Hero Certified Burger.  Since moving to the city Craft Burger has been my favourite local mid-to-high-end burger joint.

My favourite burger in the city so far has to be the Craft Red; 6oz fresh, never-frozen Ontario AAA ground chuck made and cooked to-order, roasted red peppers, gorgonzola cheese, rosemary mayo and lettuce. Dee-lish. I'm salivating thinking about it right now.

Interestingly, after 4 years, Craft Burger just underwent a major re-branding.  Well, maybe not an entire re-branding, its core brand identity is the same but the strategy involved changing its name to Big Smoke Burger. Thankfully, I'm told the menu and staff/management are the same.

A mid-course name-change is a bold, risky move for any business, especially one like Craft which has been building steady word-of-mouth around its product.

However, I really like the new name. "Craft" was a bit ambiguous and potentially confusing.  It could easily be confused for Kraft (and I'm sure the association with common, mid-range grocery items and process cheese slices is incongruent with the image of a higher-end burger place) and Tom Collichio's restaurant, Craft in New York and Las Vegas.  Incidentally, Collichio also has a spin-off chain of high-end sandwich shops cleverly named 'wichcraft. 


I love the double entendre of Big Smoke; it conjures images of burgers on a smokey grill but "The Big Smoke" is also a pejorative nickname for Toronto that the chain has reclaimed and spun into a positive.


I guess they're firmly rooting the brand in Toronto's identity which is probably a good move to reinforce the fact that they're a local business.


I also noticed they kept the word "craft" in their tagline "hand crafted burgers" which I guess is the original reason they called themselves "Craft" in the first place so they get to keep that messaging and highlight that point of difference without the confusing name. 


At the end of the day, whether it's called a Craft Burger, or a Big Smoke Burger, I just want my same juicy, satisfying hunk of dead cow.

Christopher Plummer in Barrymore

I had the chance to take in a performance of Barrymore starring Christopher Plummer, a man many consider a living acting legend.  Plummer is a legend not only because he can deliver brilliant performances but, in the case of Barrymore, because he can single handedly transcend a rambling script full of throwaway one-liners to deliver a sublime, engaging performance.

The play details one of the last days in the life of famed actor John Barrymore as he attempts to rehearse for a revival of his triumphant title role in Shakespeare's Richard III.  It is essentially a one-man show (though Barrymore does banter with his off-stage prompter, Frank).  

The script for Barrymore can generously be described as a scattershot caricature.  It lacks depth and focus.  It's peppered with humorous anecdotes and one-liners but never really delivers anything other than a superficial examination of who Barrymore was as a man.  Any time the script seems to veer in the direction of making some sort of point or profound comment it never follows-through.

If somebody had presented me with the script for Barrymore and asked me, "What do you think?  I'm gonna rent out the 1,500-seat Elgin Theatre for a 30-performance run and charge $120 per ticket for this show and it's gonna be a hit!"  I would've told him he was insane.

Fortunately, the script for Barrymore is merely a pedestal for Christopher Plummer's superb performance.  If the script isn't layered or nuanced, Plummer's performance certainly is.  In the hands of a lesser actor the play would have been a total bore.  Plummer is a spry, energetic 82-year-old.  He imbued Barrymore with a strangely magnetic charm that was irresistible.  Plummer delivered the role with a sharp wit, ably navigating Barrymore's wild mood swings and ultimately made this unlikely character endearing.  There's no denying Plummer is a joy to watch.

It's the mark of a true master to be able to transcend mediocre material to deliver a captivating performance.





BARRYMORE will be staged for 30 performances from January 27 – March 9, 2011 at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre

Tickets may be purchased by phone by calling (416) 872-5555, online at www.ticketmaster.ca, or in person at the Elgin Theatre Box Office, 189 Yonge Street-Toronto.

For additional information about BARRYMORE, visit www.BarrymoreThePlay.com

Sunset Boulevard by Signature Theatre

On my recent trip to Washington, DC I had the opportunity to check out a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard by Signature Theatre; a DC regional theatre company.

Signature is renowned for its musical productions and Sunset Boulevard is a prime example of why the company receives so many accolades.

Sunset Boulevard is a musical adaptation of the classic noir film directed by Billy Wilder about faded silent screen star Norma Desmond, desperate to make her return to a film industry that abandoned her when "talkies" became the norm, and her relationship with Joe Gillis, a down-on-his-luck Hollywood writer who is equal parts cynic and opportunist.

Admittedly, I've never been a huge fan of Sunset Boulevard as a piece of musical theatre. It isn't the most tuneful of Lloyd Webber's shows with only two or three noteworthy songs. Neither lead character is relatable or particularly likeable; Norma is, for all intents and purposes, totally bat-shit crazy and Joe is jaded and humourless.

Sunset Boulevard first debuted in the era of the mega-musical; the original production design on Broadway and the West End featured gigantic, mechanized set pieces such as Norma Desmond's mansion which rose up from the floor of the stage. Also, the show has almost always had to rely on having a "name" in the lead role; Glenn Close on Broadway, Diahann Carroll in Toronto, Petula Clark in the national tour.

Given all the above I had pretty much dismissed Sunset Boulevard as a mediocre show that requires empty razzle-dazzle and celebrity star-power to attract an audience.

Signature Theatre's approach to the production really shed a new light on the piece for me and allowed me to appreciate the show in a way I couldn't before.

Florence Lacey played the lead role of Norma Desmond and acted the part brilliantly. Lacey's Desmond starts off subtly crazy; at first she just seems a little eccentric but throughout the course of the show her level of craziness ramps up to full-blown delusional insanity at the show's climax.

D.B. Bonds puts in an admirable effort as Joe. While not entirely likeable, you can get the sense that his character struggled with the notion of "selling-out" and was not always a cynical opportunist.

The venue; the Max theatre is a small, intimate performance space (fewer than 300-seats) yet the production is as grandiose as it would be in an opera house. Signature's Sunset feels grand and lavish. Daniel Conway's scenic design is elaborate and employs automated set elements. The attention to detail is immaculate, the set seamlessly transforms from an old Hollywood soundstage to Norma Desmond's mansion.

The full orchestration of Andrew Lloyd Webber's score is performed by a 20-piece orchestra perched on the balcony of the mansion.

Director Eric Schaeffer's staging is dynamic and the scenes flow into each other with seamless transitions.

The production is performed on a thrust stage and the seating is arranged in a half-round. The choice to stage the production nearly in-the-round brings the characters closer to the audience members. The intimacy of the space combined with the performances of the leads really humanize the characters in the story. As we watch Lacey's progression as Norma Desmond throughout the course of the show; her facial expressions and her energy, we get an understanding of the character and can at least see the pathos of Norma Desmond even if we still don't fully empathize or sympathize with her.

What I took away from the Signature Theatre production of Sunset Boulevard is that the show actually can work as a compelling piece of theatre if it's done on a smaller, more intimate scale with an emphasis on the characters.



Sunset Boulevard by Signature Theatre

Book and Lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Based on the Billy Wilder Film Sunset Boulevard
Directed by Eric Schaeffer

December 7, 2010 – February 13, 2011 at the Signature Theatre in Shirlington, Virginia

Cirque Éloize: iD at the Sony Centre

I saw iD, Cirque Éloize's newest creation tonight as it finished up a run as the first show to open up the renovated Sony Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto.

Having fallen deeply in love with the previous three Cirque Éloize shows I've seen; Nomade, Rain and Nebbia, all directed by Éloize's previous director Daniele Finzi Pasca as part of his "Sky Trilogy", I was taken aback when I saw the first promo videos of their new show iD. The images of Bboys dancing in front of graffiti-laden cityscapes to electronic music couldn't be a further departure from the languid, old-world romanticism that defined Finzi-Pasca's Sky Trilogy. I had some reservations going into the show. Done poorly a "young and urban" approach to nouveau cirque could be a tacky disaster. Happily, this is not the case.

Sure, iD is a huge departure for Éloize but while the style of the show is completely different, the performance quality, the artistic direction and the sheer talent and energy of the company remain at the same consistently high level. iD is a stunning, energetic tour-de-force. It is an exhilarating meeting of urban dance and circus framed in a simple but effectively drawn-out through-line of a rivalry between two street gangs. The show sizzles with youthful, exuberant energy, it's gritty and sexy and thrilling.

As is always the case in Cirque Éloize shows the cast consists of several talented, multi-disciplinary full-fledged and learned circus artists.

iD features a hand-to-hand act, it is the first act after the opening of the show which features characters hurriedly walking about the stage to create a bustling urban street scene, a chance encounter between a man and a woman leads to a beautifully-choreographed hand-to-hand number.

The juggling act takes place on a construction site. It's the kind of contrived scenario that could easily come off as hokey if done poorly but somehow director Jeannot Painchaud is able to focus the staging of the act and the construction worker characters on the stage so that it works as a clever context for the jugglers.

The contortion in iD is performed as a pas de deux between the contortionist (Leilani Franco) and a Bboy, in the loose storyline they are from rival gangs so there is a "forbidden love" pre-text to the act. Throughout their dance they mirror each others' moves in their own unique styles, they come together and create a beautiful, tender moment in the show. The act is original and cleverly staged, it presents contortion in a new context audiences have never seen. The two performers have great chemistry and performance quality and the act works brilliantly.

Urban dance plays a huge part in iD. There are several featured Bboy soloists but group dance numbers are infused throughout the show during the different numbers and really serve as the pulse that connects the show together. Too often urban dance isn't incorporated well into choreography and it just looks like a bunch of competing solos. This isn't the case with iD. Though the choreography isn't anything avant-garde, the dance is presented organically, the ensemble radiates energy and the choreography flows and makes sense with the presentation.

Other stand-out acts of the evening included a breathtaking dance-trapeze act by Evelyne Lamontagne and an interesting mixed-discipline pas-de-deux which Cirque Éloize does often. This time it's a dance between an aerial silks artist and a roller blader and made for another gorgeous moment in the show.

The set features a blank outline of a cityscape which is filled in with different projections during the show. The use of projections was very well-done and enabled the setting to keep up with the dynamic pace of the show. The projections were especially effective during the trampoline-wall finale. The backdrop is constantly shifting, windows open, ledges slide in and out, walls are rotated into place. The act is well-paced and builds to an ovation-inducing climax.

I guess you can pretty much gather that I really enjoyed iD and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. It's not my favourite Cirque Éloize show (a battle between Rain and Nebbia) and it certainly doesn't have the deep layers of emotion and soulfulness that the previous Éloize shows have but what it lacks in depth and subtlety it makes up for in style and energy and is well worth going to see.

Summerlicious at Nyood

I had dinner at Nyood, a restaurant in Toronto's Queen West neighbourhood by Chef Roger Mooking of the Food Network's Everyday Exotic, since I heard the prix-fixe menu on offer for Summerlicious was good.

I really like the place. The decor was interesting, I love the "modern baroque" theme.

The food was good. To start, I had the tuna tartare served with a black olive tapenade, plaintain chips and a soft boiled quail egg. The balance of the flavours was really nice, I was afraid the olive would overpower the delicate flavour of the tuna but it worked out quite nicely . . . I'm not sure what the quail egg added to the dish it may have just been there for presentation or maybe it was a clever wink to the salad niçoise.

For my main I had the European sea bass with sides of purple potatoes, lime-pickled red onions, sweet plantains and a charred lemon. The pickled red onions were delicious, kind of kimchi-like but zestier because of the lime juice. The fish was served in a very Cantonese-influenced style; fresh ginger and scallion were dominant in the flavour profile of the dish. My friend ordered the striploin with a chimichurri sauce. It was interesting to see one main with a predominant Asian influence and another with a South American influence.

For dessert; a hazelnut, chocolate tart with chantilly cream and mint syrup along with a nice café americano.

Overall, I enjoyed the meal, the decor, the atmosphere (the place was hopping but I like that frenetic energy) and the service. I'd definitely go back sometime.

Presto . . . change-o?

I just used my new Presto card to get onto the subway; an RFID, unified Ontario transit systems payment card.

Welcome to the world of tomorrow!

Er, well, unless you count similar services available for years in Tokyo (Suica and Pasmo cards), Hong Kong (Octopus card) and London (Oyster card) ... Welcome to the world of ten years ago!

So far GO Transit is phasing in Presto across its system over the next year. Oakville and Burlington transit both have it fully implemented, Mississauga Transit and Brampton Transit are implementing it this fall and Durham, York, Hamilton and OC Transpo in Ottawa will apparently all be adopting it sometime in late 2011.

The sole hold-out is TTC! It's only implementing Presto on a trial basis in 12 of its 69 subway stations right now (Bloor/Yonge being one of them so it benefits me).

C'mon, get on the ball TTC!!! Presto should be accepted at all subway stations, busses, street cars and Toronto Island Ferries!

I remember in Shanghai you could even use them to pay for cabs! That'd be awesome too.

Cirque du Soleil's Viva Elvis at the Aria Resort: Las Vegas

I was invited to the premiere of Viva Elvis the new Cirque du Soleil tribute show to Elvis Presley in residence at the newly opened Aria Resort in Las Vegas.

In brief, the show was mildly entertaining, the cast and band were very good, the sets were impressive and there were one or two great moments but, in general, the show lacks cohesion, creativity and vision. It certainly does not move the artistic bar higher for Cirque du Soleil and it essentially felt like a high-budget amusement park song and dance revue.

I thought LOVE, Cirque's Beatles tribute playing down the street at Mirage Resort, did a far better job of marrying Cirque's signature creativity with a classic rock songbook. LOVE was an abstract biography of the Beatles and their career, Viva Elvis was a literal biography of Elvis. Whereas LOVE creatively sketched these abstract tableaux replete with metaphor and symbolism to evoke the spirit of the Beatles and truly create something groundbreaking and original, Viva Elvis felt more like Cirque du Soleil's answer to Jersey Boys. Viva Elvis is just a very average tribute show, it doesn't really work as a piece of theatre and is really pedestrian as a dance show.

I didn't like the Colonel Parker character as a narrator; his numerous monologues literally narrating Elvis' life, "Elvis was born in Tupelo, Mississippi . . ." were long-winded, humourless and hackneyed. The character is utterly charmless and his delivery was unconvincing and flawed (he flubbed his lines a couple times last night). I thought the Col. Parker monologues were too literal and too frequent. I guess I just like my Cirque shows more abstract and interpretive and don't like being "narrated" to.

The dancers were obviously talented and delivered with a lot of conviction but for a show with three dozen choreographers I found the choreography in the show very one-note and for the most-part utterly unremarkable.

The live band was amazing, they really rocked the music and infused it with an amazing energy. The singers for the most-part were okay although none of the four really wow-ed me.

The sound design, however, was absolutely atrocious, at least from where I sat, down in front in section 101. The mix was horribly uneven, often Elvis' vocals were buried in the mix, the volume levels fluctuated throughout the show and sometimes bordered on intolerably loud. I was shocked at how absolutely awful the sound in the Viva Elvis theatre was given the pristine sound design in the LOVE theatre. If you're doing a music tribute show . . . you better make sure the sound isn't completely off.

Viva Elvis lacks a coherent grand vision, it's really just a pastiche of scenes representing different periods of Elvis' life. What I really couldn't get over was how kitschy and cheesy the show was.

The one act I did really enjoy was the aerial cradle duo performed to "One Night", the act took place on a massive guitar-shaped aerial frame and featured two male performers representing Elvis and his stillborn twin brother Jesse. I thought the acrobatic choreography needed more refinement but the scenographic context was nicely drawn out and at the end of the act when the "Elvis" acrobat climbs the neck of the guitar and beckons to his brother only to see him dropping into the abyss was a poignant piece of symbolism.

The massive trampoline contraption used in "Got a Lot O' Livin' To Do" was visually interesting . . . although the Marvel superhero theme of the act was totally cheesy. I thought the set-up for the act was more promising than the delivery, the pacing and choreography of the act was not very refined and the act lacked musicality, i.e. the act is not performed to the song, the act is performed and the song is just playing in the background.

Similarly, the cowboy lasso act performed to Mystery Train was really more fit to be a county fair side show attraction.

This massive prison set was dragged on stage for the Jailhouse Rock scene, there were a lot of performers running around willy-nilly on the set but the scene was chaotic and lacked focus.

The other more "Cirque" type acts, a chair balancing act to Bossa Nova Baby and the mixed-acro duo performing to Suspicious Minds weren't very well integrated at all and felt tacked-on at the last minute. The wedding ring aerial cradle act to Love Me / Don't was totally cornball and the pseudo stripper pole act performed to It's Now or Never was awkwardly staged and ultimately uninteresting as an act.

In addition to the very average material, the transitions in the show are non-existent. The tableaux of LOVE flow and morph into one another, in Viva Elvis the scene ends, it fades to black and the next scene begins. Sometimes the show will come to a dead stop and Col. Parker will deliver a monologue or, a couple times in the show, a movie screen would come down and a song would be performed to a cheesy Elvis film montage (what is this the Academy Awards?)

So in the end, I didn't feel that Viva Elvis delivered the level of creativity one would expect of a Cirque du Soleil show. Sure it's big and flashy but honestly just about anybody could have delivered similar or better content for an Elvis tribute show and Cirque really didn't push the envelope creatively on this project and it feels like their name is just attached to the project to give it creative credibility.

I suppose if you're a hardcore Elvis fan you might enjoy this show but there is definitely not enough "Cirque" content to satisfy someone looking for a Cirque show and somebody just in the mood for a rock tribute show would be far better served by LOVE which is superior to Viva Elvis in almost every conceivable respect.