June is really busting out all over
With Louise Pitre, Remember Me, the Fringe Fest, Bloomsday Montréal, Shorelines and more
By Byron Toben
May 29, 2021
No month has such a rousing song as does the month of June, ever since it was featured in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Carousel.
Here’s the lineup for events beginning on its first ten days, with a bow to the last two of May.
May 30 and 31
On the Rocks is a new piece by the wonderful singer/actress Louise Pitre who so impressed Segal Centre audiences during her past appearances in Montreal, especially her Edith Piaf role in the 2018 The Angel and the Sparrow.
The rocks here do not refer to the timely Shaw play of the same title, which I covered in the Niagara-on-the-Lake Shaw Festival, but rather to the ice cubes in drinks which should be “shaken, not stirred”. Husband singer/actor Joseph Matheson accompanies her.
This streamed event began on May 27 and ends on May 31.
Tickets are $11.62 and can be obtained at Eventbrite.
Scene from a previous St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival – Image: courtesy of the St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival
May 31
At 7:30 pm, New York’s Bedlam Theater celebrates the U.S. Memorial Day with Remember Me, stories of courage as told by Bedlam veterans on a Zoom benefit reading for veterans.
June 1
The pre-Fringe excerpts Fringe For All is digital this year on Facebook live and Fringe TV. The live theatre shows take place from June 9 to 20, with 154 local performances in 30 companies at five venues. Shows “from away” are streamed digitally.
June 2
Free ticket registration opens for Bloomsday Montréal 2021, which will run from June 12 to 16. Details will be listed later but include world-famous dancer Margie Gillis with a piece based on Molly Bloom’s famed soliloquy.
bloomsdaymontreal.com/2021-events
June 3
At 1:30 pm, Cummings Centre continues film publicist David Novek’s four-part series on his favourite movie musicals with Part two. Part One ranged from Al Jolson to Busby Berkley and included rare clips of Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Ginger Rogers, Carmen Miranda and Esther Williams, among many others. The fee of $32 includes all three remaining parts on June 3, 10 and 17.
cummingscentre.org/course-detail
Shorelines – Image: courtesy of Théâtre Tableau d’Hôte
June 9 to 20
St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe begins on June 1, but the theatre-related presentations begin on June 9. To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Montreal Fringe there will be an interview with founders Kris Kieran and Nick Morra.
Out-of-town shows will be streamed but many local shows will be performed in person. I covered it from the first year and even in pre-internet days, distributed my own printed handout, The Daily Playlet, with more elevated comments than the “Buzz Notes” stuck on fences could provide.
montrealfringe.online.red61.ca/events/
June 10 to 20
At 7 pm, Théâtre Tableau D’Hôte presents a live world premiere of Shorelines by Mishka Lavigne. It deals with a “not too distant future” where rising tides destroy coastal cities and the poor are left to fend for themselves. This all takes place at a unique venue, Espace Ethel, a multi-level parking garage at 4000 Ethel, in the heart of Verdun (seating provided).
In celebration of June busting out, here is a short lockdown version by Leslie Uggams:
Feature image: Louise Pitre, louisepitre.com
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