Shake off the holiday doldrums as we plunge right back into the busy whirl of cultural activities in Montreal!
The annual No Pants Subway Ride jolts you out of your winter reverie this Sunday: head to Mont-Royal metro station at 2:30 pm. At that time, the participants will strip to their underwear then infiltrate the metro system to bring some much-needed fun to transit users.
Centaur's Wildside Festival, a showcase of indie theatre, has begun: I love this festival because the shows are short and eclectic, and it's a great way to jump back into theatre after the Christmas break. There are seven shows over two weeks, but my pick is a show that is only on this weekend, Outta Here: An Original Musical. The show follows Trey, a student who resents his school for children with disabilities. He decides to skip on a field trip, and four of his peers join him. Outta Here stars actors from Summit School, an institution in Ville St-Laurent for students with disabilities. Stick around after the shows for the late-night Offside: on Friday, there will be a tribute to Madonna, and a clown show on Saturday.
Theatre aficionados will want to march up to Place-des-Arts for Kinky Boots, the Cyndi Lauper-penned, Tony-winning Broadway musical. Charlie is a fourth-generation shoe factory owner, but not for much longer if he doesn't find a way to save his floundering business. So he seeks out a niche market for his men's shoes: men who want to wear women's shoes. This American cast flubs their British accents a tad, but the show is brightened by plucky performances from the factory workers and impressive drag queen scenes. On until Sunday.
Also in the neighbourhood: the Grand Balcon art show at the MAC is on for two more weekends. I finally checked out the show this week, and it's a fun grab bag of pieces. My favourites included Red Deer-born artist Elaine Cameron-Weir's strips of 'snakeskin' hanging from the rafters, a rusty telegraph cable on the floor and the words of a dying man, saved by his nephew and affixed to a wall.
It's been a year since David Bowie celebrated his last birthday, then passed away from cancer. Celebrate his life and oeuvre with David Bowie Nite at Bar Le Ritz Friday night at 10pm.
Urban winter festival Barbegazi (which means frozen beard, I'm told) sets up shop right next door to Kinky Boots at Ilot Clark, the field at Clark and Ste Catherine this weekend and next. Part of the big 375th birthday bash, there will be Christmas tree tossing, arm wrestling, wood chopping and a winter obstacle course.
You may think that Instagram comedy star the Fat Jew was tarnished by accusations that he ripped off jokes that did not belong to him, but the busy social media vedette brings his party tour IRL to Montreal's Theatre Berri Friday night at 9pm. You have to RSVP here.
Did you get engaged over the holidays? Kickstart your months of planning with the Let's Get Married Salon, Saturday and Sunday at Place Bonaventure.
Get your story on at Confabulation's first raconteur session of 2017, Saturday night at MainLine Theatre. The theme is coincidences and chance encounters.
Darryl Purvis of Antigonish headlines at Comedyworks and Dave Merheje (Just for Laughs) is at Comedy Nest. There is also a special show at The Sketch Republic this Saturday at Theatre Ste Catherine to raise funds for two local comedy troupes, Ladies and Gentlemen and HOT RAW FIRE. The two are travelling to the States for comedy festival in the coming weeks and funds will go towards transportation costs.
On the burlesque scene at the Wiggle Room this weekend: sexy bottoms and a good cause go hand-in-hand at Friday night's Indecent for the Indigenous. The dancers, some of whom have First Nations heritage, like Lou Lou la Duchesse de Riere and Harlow Holiday, will be fundraising to support the environmental protesters at Standing Rock. On Saturday night, find out what's beneath a Dementor's robes with Harry Potter and the Peelers of Asskaban.