Dogs lead the pack
as we slide into December
A rundown of local entertainment that heralds the beginning of the month
By Byron Toben
SuperDogs: The Musical
The Segal Centre has led off the December return of live events with the world premiere of SuperDogs: The Musical. These talented canines, or their predecessors, have been performing for decades after the show was created by Herb Williams. Montreal television personality Leonard Chase later hooked up with and developed a television series SuperDogs, SuperJocks.
In this current show, he is aided by trick dog coach Danielle Pichette and SuperDogs general manager Amy White. Leonard, Danielle and Amy were all interviewed at the November 28 Sunday @ theSegal by the ever cheerful and knowledgeable Sarah Deshaies of CJAD radio.
I will catch the show on December 5 and look forward to meeting the 20 dogs in the cast. I understand that they each have unusual names (no Rovers or Spots).
SuperDogs: The Musical runs (or trots?) until December 19, when it embarks on a cross Canada tour.
Two closing on December 5
The Sighlence of Sky – Image: courtesy of Infinitheatre
THE SIGHLENCE OF SKY
Infinitheatre continues its innovative ways despite the retirement of founder Guy Sprung, under the guidance of Zack Fraser. The current show, The Sighlence of Sky, opened on November 25 and will close on December 5. A solo mask and mime show, it brings back Anana Rydvald who impressed at her 2015 Infini show Love, Child, winning a META award. Born in Denmark, she has performed internationally and also teaches masking and mime at Sir John Abbott College.
BOWSER AND BLUE
Montreal’s ever-popular duo, fresh from their inclusion in Four Anglos Surviving the COVID Apocalypse, opened on December 2 out at Hudson Village Theatre with songs new and old and will conclude on December 5.
Always appreciated every December, is Infinitheatre’s annual Pipeline series. New Quebec-written or associated scripts are given dramatic readings by top local performers for audience feedback hopefully leading to a full production…
Infinitheatre Pipeline
Always appreciated every December, is Infinitheatre’s annual Pipeline series. New Quebec-written or associated scripts are given dramatic readings by top local performers for audience feedback hopefully leading to a full production, which has indeed happened to many of them. This year’s array is on December 9 to 12, with a different play each day. The titles and authors are:
December 9 at 7 pm – Ostinoto by Nick Carpenter
December 10 at 7 pm – Albumen by Mishka Lavigne
December 11 at 7 pm – Fix by Joy Ross
December 12 at 2 pm – The Wage Gap by Jenipher Busy-Nowanda
All readings are at Kin Experience, an art gallery space at 397A Ste-Catherine W. Free but donations urged and worth it.
infinitheatre.com/the-pipeline
DeAnne Smith – Image: courtesy of DeAnne Smith
David Novek – Yiddle With A Fiddle
Sponsored by the Cummings Centre, film publicist and historian David Novek, who lectured on a terrific Sammy Davis, Jr. retrospective with many film clips back on October 14, was slated to follow up with this online study of Yiddish films, primarily from Warsaw and New York on October 28, but it had to be postponed to this new date December 9 at the usual 1:30 pm. For those who had not prepaid for the earlier date, the fee is $10.
The subject puts me in mind of my review of Momedy Comedy, part one of a three-part series where, at the Jewish Public library, documentary whiz Irene Angelico lectured live on early female Jewish comics, wherein the iconic Molly Picon was featured in the film A Yiddle and His Fiddle.
DeAnne Smith & Acquaintances
Montreal is blessed with many truly funny ladies. Playwright Colleen Curran and actor Felicia Shulman come to mind. Also in that category is stand-up comic DeAnne Smith who is presenting a one-night Zoom wonder on December 10 at 8 pm. This “tender comedy for tough times” lasts an estimated 75 minutes. A $12 donation is suggested, less also appreciated and more ecstatically welcomed. And you don’t even have to leave home to enjoy it.
Warm December song
At each month’s beginning or end, I try to find an appropriate song. June and September were easy, others more difficult. Newly discovered is the sultry Julie London’s rendition of Warm December, which, with global warming, it may well be.
Feature image: promo shot for SuperDogs: the musical
More articles from Byron Toben
Byron Toben, a past president of The Montreal Press Club, has been WestmountMag.ca’s theatre reviewer since July 2015. Previously, he wrote for since terminated web sites Rover Arts and Charlebois Post, print weekly The Downtowner and print monthly The Senior Times. He also is an expert consultant on U.S. work permits for Canadians.
There are no comments
Add yours