Brief Rant About the Indy

This morning while I was getting dressed, I was dimly aware of an annoying droning noise. Then I realized it sounded like racecars. Then I realized it was racecars; the Indy starts today. Thing is, I live at Coxwell.

I used to be amazed that the race would shake windows at my previous house at Parliament. I thought that moving to the other side of the city would get me out of earshot, but at this moment, sitting in my kitchen with the door closed, I can clearly hear the characteristic whining of large engines downshifting fast. Ironically, the only place I've lived in Toronto where I wan't bothered by it was Liberty Village – virtually on the track, but just behind a big warehouse that must have bounced the sound to other locations. Like here.

Pages Book Shop Will Close on August 31

Pages books & magazines (256 Queen West, 416-598-1477) has announced it will close on its 30th anniversary due to the hike in rents at the city-owned property. Owner Marc Glassman reports he has not yet found a new location. In an official notice posted to Facebook Friends of This Is Not a Reading Series, he wrote "I have to see this as an opportunity ... Old business models are crumbling, but new technologies will not eliminate books as objects. Beautifully produced books, art books, graphic novels, and books signed by authors will always have a place."

TTC Subway Station Wall Decals

I know other people have written about this before, but I like it too: Michael Warning and Derek Watson of Walloper, a self-described "collection of art geeks, design wonks and new-urbanist cheerleaders" have designed stick-on vinyl wall decals featuring TTC station typography for your kitchen, bedroom or office. They come in 4'x2' and 2'x1' sizes, and cost $25 to $36. We have an orange wall; I'm wanting Dupont tiles. Then again, Spadina's a classic, isn't it?

Rest in Peace, Rick Bébout

I'm so very sorry to hear that Rick Bébout has died. I never met him, but I loved his writing about this city; his essay on Temperance Street was especially dear to me. That's where he wrote: "I am ever heartened, in citizenship, to find people who know where they live."

City Strike Cancels Canada Day Fireworks

The City of Toronto's Labour Disruption Information site announces that "all City-run Canada Day events have been cancelled". This includes the Ashbridges Bay Fireworks. However, you can still see free Canada Day fireworks at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, July 1 at Downsview Park. The Toronto Ribfest at Centennial Park in Etobicoke promises fireworks, but I don't know what time.

Also, the Festival of Fire starts at 10:30 p.m. on July 1 and July 4 at Ontario Place. It costs $11.75 to $17.75, but if you bring a picnic blanket to the Rose Garden (near the wind turbine) at Exhibition Place, you can see most of the show for free. If you also bring a radio, you can tune in to the simulcast of the show soundtrack at CHFI 98.1 FM.

Other Canada Day festivities that are cancelled by the City strike:

• Amesbury Canada Day, Amesbury Park
• Weston Lions Canada Day Event, Weston Lions Park
• Canada Day Event, Earlscourt Park
• Somali-Canada Day, Earl Bales Park
• Ontario Australian Football Championships, Colonel Samuel Smith Park
• Peanut Town Festival, Oriole Park - North
• East York Toronto Canada Day, Stan Wadlow Park
• MPP Canada Day Event - Don Valley West MPP, Flemingdon Park
• Shomoy Mela, Dentonia Park
• Canada Day Celebrations, Thompson Memorial Park/ Miliken District Park
• Canada Day Celebration, St.James Park
• 16th Annual Neighbours Together, Riverdale Park East
• Canada Day Festival, Kew Gardens
• Canada Day, Mel Lastman Square

Other Canada Day celebrations that will go on as previously announced:

• Canada Day at Harbourfront Centre
• Canada Day at Ontario Place Chinguacousy Park
• Toronto Ribfest and fireworks at Centennial Park
• Canada Day at the Toronto Zoo
• New Country Canada Day Jam, Woodbine Park
• Queen's Park Canada Day
• Canada Day at Downsview Park

Dora Award Winners 2009

Oh what a night! The 2009 Dora Mavor Moore Awards were handed out in a sensationally efficient (under three hours) gala a few hours ago. In fact, as I write, the after-party continues to rage at the St. Lawrence Centre (whither it was moved when the City strike closed Metro Hall).

The photo above shows big winner Waawaate Fobister (right), whose play Agokwe picked up six awards, including Outstanding Production of a Play and New Play. Seeing a Native-written play stealing the show in this 30th anniversary year made me remember my first Doras, the 10th anniversary in 1989, when Tomson Highway's Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing won four awards (or was it five?), including Outstanding Production of a Play and New Play. Billy Merasty (above, left) played the tragic Simon Starblanket in that show. (Merasty has a Fringe show coming up: Artifacts, written by Anthony Furey and dierected by Jani Lauzon. It runs July 2 to 10 at Theatre Passe Muraille.)

Among other notable award winners, Sound of Music took three awards, including Outstanding Production of a Musical, Oustanding Set Design and a performing award for Elicia MacKenzie. Jersey Boys was also honoured three times. It received awards for its direction and for Jeff Madden's performance, and also took home the overall People's Choice award. The COC's War and Peace was named Outstanding Opera Production, while Sanctuary Song was named Outstanding New Musical/Opera.

Eternal Hydra won four Doras in the Independent Theatre category, and, in the Dance division, Innovation: Emergence swept all four possible awards. Walking the Tightrope won both Doras in the Theatre for Young Audiences division.

The ceremony itself was relatively short and sweet. Host Jian Ghomeshi got off a few good Billy Bob Thornton lines and remarked that Dora organizers had cleverly manged to pick an Iranian host for the only time in history that being Iranian is considered cool. In an evening that stuck pretty much to the script and the clock, there was welcome levity from comic diva Mary Lou Fallis, who sang the opera nominations, complete with irreverent synopses – and spoiler alerts. Dan Chameroy positioned himself well to be considered as a show host in some other year (Toronto's answer to Hugh Jackman?) with his presenting antics, including a spot-on and impressively athletic ballet parody.

Most of the thank-you speeches were predictable; warmest was perhaps the one from Alison Sealy-Smith, accepting her acting award for Raisin in the Sun, who said she had been prepared to get upset that Soulpepper Theatre would attempt to stage a play that required an inside track on black cultural esthetic... but that she had been happily proven hasty.

Here's the complete list of winners:

GENERAL THEATRE PRODUCTION DIVISION
Outstanding New Play: Waawaate Fobister, Agokwe
Outstanding New Musical/Opera: Abigail Richardson (Composer) & Marjorie Chan (Librettist), Sanctuary Song
Outstanding Production of a Play: Agokwe, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Outstanding Production of a Musical: The Sound of Music, Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian, David Mirvish
Outstanding Direction of a Play: Ed Roy, Agokwe
Outstanding Direction of a Musical: Des McAnuff, Jersey Boys
Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role - Play: Waawaate Fobister, Agokwe
Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role - Play: Alison Sealy-Smith, A Raisin in the Sun
Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role - Musical: Jeff Madden, Jersey Boys
Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role - Musical: Elicia MacKenzie, The Sound of Music
Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role in a Play or Musical: Raven Dauda, Miss Julie: Freedom Summer
Outstanding Set Design: Robert Jones, The Sound of Music
Outstanding Costume Design: Erika Iserhoff, Agokwe
Outstanding Lighting Design: Kimberly Purtell, Agokwe
Outstanding Sound Design/Composition: John Gzowski, It's a Wonderful Life
Outstanding Musical Direction: Anne Manson, A Midsummer Night's Dream
Outstanding Choreography in a Play or Musical: Denise Clarke / Peggy Baker, Radio Play
Outstanding Touring Production: Black Watch, Luminato presents The National Theatre of Scotland

INDEPENDENT THEATRE PRODUCTION DIVISION
Outstanding New Play or New Musical: Anton Piatigorsky, Eternal Hydra
Outstanding Production: Eternal Hydra, Crow's Theatre
Outstanding Direction: Chris Abraham, Eternal Hydra
Outstanding Performance by a Male: David Ferry, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me
Outstanding Performance by a Female: Maja Ardal, You Fancy Yourself
Outstanding Set Design: Gillian Gallow, Appetite
Outstanding Costume Design: Gillian Gallow, Appetite
Outstanding Lighting Design: John Thompson, Eternal Hydra
Outstanding Sound Design/Composition: Waylen Miki, An Inconvenient Musical

DANCE DIVISION
Outstanding New Choreography: Crystal Pite, Innovation: Emergence
Outstanding Production: Innovation: Emergence, The National Ballet of Canada
Outstanding Performance: The Ensemble, Innovation: Emergence
Outstanding Sound Design/Composition: Owen Belton, Innovation: Emergence

THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES DIVISION
Outstanding Production: Walking the Tightrope, Theatre Direct
Outstanding Performance: Wayne Robson, Walking the Tightrope

OPERA DIVISION
Outstanding Performance: Paolo Gavanelli, Simon Boccanegra
Outstanding Production: War and Peace, Canadian Opera Company / English National Opera

SPECIAL AWARDS
Pauline McGibbon Award: Brendan Healy
Silver Ticket Award: Marlene Smith
TAPA's Audience Choice Award for Outstanding Production: Jersey Boys
Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award: Colin Mochrie
George Luscombe Award: Leah Cherniak and Martha Ross
Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award: Naomi Campbell

All attendees received a commemorative book chronicling the Doras' 30-year history. It will be available for sale to the general public at Theatrebooks. For more Dora news and history, check out the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) site.

Art On the Move Art-Wrapped Buses

Some shots of the finished art bus created by Patrick Thompson and Jenifer Rudski with youth at the Belka Enrichment Centre. It'll be used in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood as a mobile homework drop-in spot. I wrote about it in the National Post.

A Bit of Old Liberty Spirit in New Liberty Village

Canadian Opera Company's New Website Look: Opera 2.0?

You've gotta hand it to the Canadian Opera Company; they really have been trying very hard to keep a younger audience engaged with what they do. Today they've relaunched their website with every conceivable Web 2.0 bell or whistle: Twitter feed; podcasts; a blog called "In His Own Words" penned by general director Alexander Neef; interactive quizzes; photos, and embedded YouTube videos like the sample above. Have a look. But I think their very best youth-attracting initiative is their Opera for a New Age program, which offers $20 tickets to people under 30.

Double Rainbow Over Hanlan's Point

I've been meaning to post this since last summer: taken after a crashing thunder and wind storm on the islands during the Cycle Messenger World Championships, June 15, 2008.