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LuminaTO

Luminato 2010-Pre-sale for Prima Donna

Talk about an "early bird special"! I just got an email offering registration for "special access to an exclusive seven day pre-sale period" for tickets to Wainwright's opera "Prima Donna", June 11-20, 2010! I remember they did this last year with "Lipsynch", but was it this early?

http://www.luminato.com/attending/2/?adminpreview
 
Dark Star Requiem-Koerner Hall

YAY! Luminato is here again! Dark Star Requiem, at Koerner Hall, was my first event of the festival. A world premiere of a new work, composed by Andrew Staniland, libretto by Jill Battson, it's a history of the AIDS epidemic told very cleverly in chronological order. Neema Beckersmith, Krisztina Saboo, Peter McGillivray and Marcus Nance are backed by The Elmer Isler Singers and The Gryphon Trio. A tight, slick production with video accompaniment features 14 movements in eighty minutes. I found "Beauty Mark" in which Beckersmith personifies Kaposi's Sarcoma to be particularly poignant, and "Cuba Libra", a witty take off on the " drug cocktail" that has saved so many lives . Unfortunately, there's an emotional distance in this work; a lot of history but not much gut punching.

Often, a cast will milk the applause at the end of a production, returning again and again, leaving a lot of sore hands in their wake. Not this one; they ended the show and walked off stage, not to return again, no matter how much we wanted them to come back.


http://www.luminato.com/2010/events/124

Reminder of the twenty dollar seats available at TIX at Dundas Square on the day of the performances. Maximum of two per person, CASH only. A real deal!
 
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The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer- Massey Hall

Based on the real-life story of Jack Unterweger, pardoned murderer, author, serial killer and suicide. John Malkovich played the title role, accompanied by two sopranos, Bernarda Bobro and Marie Arnet, backed by The Vienna Academy Orchestra. The crowd at Massey Hall bore witness to the drawing power of a “nameâ€.

What I saw on stage were two separate events; a beautiful concert, featuring the two aforementioned sopranos singing arias, from Mozart, Vivaldi, Beethoven, Haydn and Weber, interspersed with John Malkovich… being John Malkovich. Not a bad thing, but neither helped the other. Jack is back from the grave, flogging his autobiography and teasing us with an offer of an explanation. The sopranos (poor things) represent the women in this monster’s life, most of whom end up dead. I just kept thinking how much better this evening would have been had they found the courage to write new music to accompany the words rather than pack half the show with centuries old chestnuts, no matter how lovely they are. As it was, I loved the singing and liked the acting. The concert was worth the price of admission. Added bonus: John Malkovich.:cool:
 
Is it just me or is Luminato really under the radar this year? I didn't even know it had started nor have I seen any significant press or buzz. Perhaps it's because the G20 is stealing a lot of limelight, but I couldn't even tell you who is playing or what is going on.
 
It's really under the radar this year. The first two years Luminato was a hug event. The festival seems to get smaller every year.
 
jn_12 said:
Is it just me or is Luminato really under the radar this year? I didn't even know it had started nor have I seen any significant press or buzz. Perhaps it's because the G20 is stealing a lot of limelight, but I couldn't even tell you who is playing or what is going on.
Click to expand...

I agree. I think the G20 flack has overshadowed the publicity for Luminato. I've attended two events so far and attendance was good at both, but for me, YEAR ONE is the festival to beat. There's been a lack of " in your face" public art installations that attract the attention of people who don't know anything about the festival. The weather last night was iffy, so the crowd at Dundas Square was good but not great. (Spiffy new set up there, by the way). We'll see how this unfolds over the coming week. And for those who want to know what's going on:

http://www.luminato.com/2010/
 
Two Faced Bastard-Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre

I’ll quote Gideon Obarzanek, Artistic Director & Choreographer of Two Faced Bastard.

"Dance was dissected and killed by discussion and words were assaulted and mowed down by feverish dance."

That’s about as good a summary, and as good a statement of intent as there is. I think this Australian dance company got trapped by "The Clever Idea" of dividing the stage in half with vertical blinds so part of the audience gets to see one facet of the performance and the other gets to see another, with teasing glimpses between the slats of what is happening on the other side. It worked sometimes, but there wasn't enough dance, nowhere near enough dance, “The Clever Idea" just kept getting in the way. They were good dancers, by the way, with some very funny bits and “assaulted” words, not to mention great lighting. But there wasn’t enough movement between the vertical blinds to unify the work. Near the end, the blinds are opened and both audiences are united, but too late for me.
 
Just received an email from the Toronto branch of the Goethe Institute listing their Luminato co-sponsored events:

Theatre
"The Africa Trilogy" at the Luminato Festival 2010

Copyright: Volcano Theatre10-13 (previews), 15 (opening night)-20 June 2010
"The Africa Trilogy" with a commissioned drama by Roland Schimmelpfennig (Berlin)
Fleck Dance Theatre, 207 Queens Quay West, Toronto


Presented by the Luminato Festival, Volcano Theatre and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
Supported by the Goethe-Institut.

A triple bill of new plays, the world premiere of “The Africa Trilogy†examines the complicated relationship between Africa and the West. All three distinct parts pose crucial questions: How do we see and imagine each other – and what is the human reality of a global relationship?

Further information

Theatre
Rimini Protokoll: “Best Before“ at the Luminato Festival 2010

16-19 June 2010
Rimini Protokoll: “Best Before“
The latest production by Helgard Haug and Stefan Kaegi
Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley Street, Toronto


Commissioned by PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. Co-produced with: Goethe-Institut, Brighton Festival, Hebbel am Ufer, Luminato - Toronto’s Festival of Arts and Creativity, PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, Rimini Apparat, The Cultch, La Bâtie-Festival de Genève

Every night, an audience of 200 will find themselves immersed in the world of video games, in a digitally simulated city, shown on a gigantic video screen. Real-life gamers and game designers are among the expert protagonists, while every audience member, equipped with a game controller, is represented by an avatar. From their interaction emerges a simulated city – whose fate you, as one of the players, will help determine in a drama as spontaneous and unpredictable as life itself.

Further information

Film
Rimini Protokoll: "Call Cutta“ at the Luminato Festival 2010

20 June 2010, 1pm
Produced by the Goethe-Institut
Rimini Protokoll: "Call Cutta“ at the Luminato Festival 2010
Mobile Phone Theatre: An urban exploration of Berlin guided by an Indian Call Centre
National Film Board, Toronto Mediatheque, 150 John Street, Toronto
Admission free

Another Rimini Protokoll creation, this film documents a theatre piece by the company that explores how Kolkata and Berlin continue to differ and unite. The unique theatre piece is based on outsourcing, as performers located at a call center in Calcutta guide a single cell-phone caller through the narrow streets of Berlin. Re-developed with the Goethe-Institut Kolkata.

Further information
 
I probably won't be going this year - working later most nights. Ran into wild party animal TonyV after Yundi and Bruckner on Saturday night and he was heading over to Yonge and Dundas to celebrate. I hope one of you sees Prima Donna and reports back.
 
Urban Shocker said:
I probably won't be going this year - working later most nights. Ran into wild party animal TonyV after Yundi and Bruckner on Saturday night and he was heading over to Yonge and Dundas to celebrate. I hope one of you sees Prima Donna and reports back.
Click to expand...

I gritted my teeth and got a ticket, willing to forgive Rufus Wainwright his Toronto slagging in hopes of seeing something different, if not good. I see it on Saturday.
 
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