Tag Archives: theatre

Mojitos and Music Appreciation…

on June 22, 2008

Earlier this week, my very best man friend and I stopped into Cafe Paradiso for a quick bite to eat before heading over to see a heart-warming, provocative show at the Ottawa Fringe Festival.

If you’ve ever been to Cafe Paradiso, you’ll know that it offers a friendly atmosphere, hip ‘retro’ influenced decor and great live jazz.  What you might not know however, is that they make a killer mojito.  I still don’t know what possessed me to order one up, but it was an inspired choice.  

Originating from the legendary La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana, Cuba, the mojito is reputed to have been the favoured drink of bar regular Ernest Hemingway.  A delectable combination of white rum, sugar, mint and lime…this celebrated cocktail can cool, quench and satisfy in one slow sip through a straw.  On a hot night, so close to the summer solstice, what could be better than that? 

mojitos for summer

Just as the jazz was getting started we had to dash out to make it in time for an early performance at the Fringe.  We were lucky we did, as we were to be treated to some genuine music appreciation when we arrived. 

Singing at the Edge of the World, is an autobiographical solo performance by San Francisco based Randy Rutherford. There are still a few of his shows to go, and this is definitely worth seeing if you like to leave the theatre feeling good but with a little something to think about for the road. 

Randy, a singer-songwriter in 1970′s Alaska, tells the story of his premature progressive hearing loss.  Still accompanied by his guitar, he vividly describes the onset of hearing loss, chronicles its impact on his personal relationships, and reflects on the shift it imposed on his life’s work.  With quiet humour, Randy reveals his determination and slow acceptance, testifying that “good things do happen after bad”.   His most poignant and powerful insights are shared with his audience like lyrics in a folk song, including the observation that blindness for some might mean a loss of connection to things, but for him, hearing impairment has represented a loss of connection to people.

Taking the advice of his then girlfriend Molly, it is clear that Randy Rutherford has not given up anything he didn’t have to.  He made a strong connection with me. 

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Good vs. Great Nights Out

on June 15, 2008

This past week, I enjoyed a lovely meal and a glass of cabernet at the 107 Fourth Ave. Wine Bar & Cafe before catching one of the final performances of political comedy Plan B at the Great Canadian Theatre Company.  The evening stands out from many others I’ve experienced, and is still running around in my mind. 

The back deck at the wine bar is just that.  It is a simple, small, raised space that embraces the trunk of an old leafy tree and accommodates a few nonchalantly placed potted geraniums.  A little slice of urban heaven, the deck offers a quiet, intimate spot, hidden from the noise and heat of the city.  I noticed the late day sunshine filtering through fire escapes high above.   I welcomed the lengthening shadows as they overlapped the messy chaos of the back lot.  I detected a warm breeze - but instead felt cool -protected by the rough historic brick of the surrounding buildings.  I let go of my day easily, and watched dusk settle in.

Later, at the theatre, I waited outside for the show to begin.  In front of impressively tall and heavy doors, I mingled anonymously with those who were awaiting the start of the show.   I could see in when I was outside and out when I was inside, and I felt a part of many communities at once.  Walking up and down the street, I was reassured.  It seemed clear there would be a lively place to go afterwards, and that others just out from the show might also join. 

On the corner of Wellington and Holland Ave., the new Irving Greenberg Theatre is a modern, airy and unpretentious structure that somehow evokes nostalgia.  No post production parking garages, no long lonely corridors or back door exits, this is a place where the audience lingers and the players play.

The success of a production or the quality of cuisine is only part of the equation.  What distinguishes a great night out from just a good one is the sum of the experience. Be open to the intangibles, as difficult as they may be to decipher. They are most responsible for lasting impressions.

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