Mr Smith wasn’t Born Yesterday

Posted on April 4, 2021 by barczablog

TV programming sometimes brings us serendipitous discoveries. TCM’s Good Friday offering was Mr Smith Goes to Washington. This morning we watched Born Yesterday.

I never noticed how many similarities there are between the two films.

An innocent recently come to Washington DC, witnesses corruption in a person that they trusted, then (learning how their country works from a new friend), they take a stand against that corruption, and eventually find romance.

That describes both films.

Maybe I’m extra sensitive to the parallels given the news on TV, Derek Chauvin and the attack in DC that left a police officer dead. The darkness matches the Lenten season. Perhaps it’s the time of year that has me seeing these films in a different light? In both there’s a genuine reverence but not for religion, so much as a faith in the American experiment. There’s a sense that the buildings of the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial are holy ground, that documents such as the Gettysburg Address or the declaration of independence are as sacred as Biblical scrolls. I find it magical, especially when seen through innocent eyes.

And in both films the press plays a key role. For Mr Smith there are different versions being published in print media, of the struggle that he’s facing. One comes from the huge invincible political machine he seeks to oppose/ The other is put out by the naive amateurs in boys’ clubs that he associates with. The scariest part of this film comes when we see the brutality with which that opposition (especially the children) is silenced.

In Born Yesterday Paul Verrall (William Holden) is a writer, hired to teach Billie Dawn (Judy Holiday). “Ver” is truth, so surely she can trust someone named “Verrall”.

Both stories remind us of the role of a free press. Both stories take us to (spoiler alert) happy endings that seem fragile, vulnerable in a world full of liars & con artists.

In the USA Fox News has changed the landscape, altering the conversation so extremely that one might well ask whether there is a conversation at all. Left & right are estranged. Conspiracy theories receive more support from people than ever before, after a presidency that cast huge doubts upon the press, popularizing the concept of “fake news” and “alternative facts”. Many believe the election was stolen. This belief was behind the January 6th rally in DC, including the assault on the Capitol.

The world is changing of course…

Speaking of “making America great again”, sometimes I wish it were possible to stop the onrush of change. I like The Simpsons, but sometimes their stories & images freak me out. The images in this episode first shown in 1999 eerily anticipate some of what we saw January 6th.

For Holy Week, on Good Friday, sometimes I can imagine that time really is standing still at least for the celebrations. But lately I’m not so sure. This was the first time I had seen either film since the January insurrection. They are if anything even more poignant than ever. I wonder if any of the insurgents has seen either film before, films that would suggest that one must treat the Capitol as holy ground, and not a place to be vandalized.

Although I’m grateful that I don’t live in the USA, I worry that our Conservative Party in Canada (who may be about to take power) plan to privatize the CBC, as you can see in this piece from a conservative source. Here’s a tweet from Erin O’Toole. He made the tweet in February 2020, becoming leader in the summer of 2020.

The party are soft-pedaling it now given that they hope to win the next election.

Where would we be in this country if we were similarly at the mercy of for-profit organizations such as Fox? I shudder to think….

I support Friends of Canadian Broadcasting. Who are they & what do they stand for? Their website says this as their purpose:

Canada enjoys a distinct cultural and democratic identity that brings us together and sets us apart. Generation after generation, vigilant citizens have fought against powerful interests to carve out space for Canada in the broadcasting system, to protect our culture and identity.

FRIENDS works to advance Canada’s rich culture and the healthy democracy it sustains. A strong CBC, fearless journalism, and our shared story make us who we are. We conduct leading-edge policy and opinion research on issues affecting Canadian media and related issues. This research demonstrates that millions of citizens care deeply about the future of Canadian media, journalism, and programming. This is why we work tirelessly on behalf of all Canadians to make sure that public policy reflects the will of citizens.

There’s lots more to the conversation. You can contact Friends of Canadian Broadcasting here or by email to friends@friends.ca.

The world is changing.

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Popular music & culture, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Young Cassidy, Old Stoppard

Posted on March 28, 2021 by barczablog

Celebrating World Theatre Day in a pandemic that prevents one from going into a theatre might seem to be an oxymoron. Or it might be the best time to really understand what one has lost. Absence and abstinence make the heart grow fonder.

Speaking of contradictions, I’m pondering theatre from at least two directions, as the title might suggest, and they bear on one another. As I mentioned recently I’m reading Hermione Lee’s biography of 83 year-old Tom Stoppard, whose voice & whose talent I associate with the joys of youth. His spirit of fun is unquenchable, a natural successor to The Goon Show and contemporary with Monty Python. Yes I associate him with a brand of British wit.

And I watched Young Cassidy, a 1965 film based on the early part of playwright Sean O’Casey’s autobiography. “John Cassidy” was what the playwright called himself.

Professor Emeritus Michael Sidnell

A third direction might be to recall the professor at the University of Toronto who introduced me to both playwrights, namely Michael Sidnell. You may recognize the name from his multiple volume Sources of Dramatic Theory, the text used by many Canadian professors, especially if they studied with him. As an undergrad I recall a certain reverence with which Sidnell spoke of Synge & O’Casey, and Yeats.

And I remember when Sidnell read parts of Stoppard in class (especially the short versions of Hamlet) that were huge fun. Now of course this third direction is a nostalgic recollection that goes back to a previous century. While it hasn’t been that long since I was in a theatre seeing a show (although it’s now more than a year), it’s the same direction if you’re looking back: whether it’s just over your shoulder by a matter of months, or years. Or decades.

I understand that Young Cassidy was a commercial disappointment, at least according to the commentary on TCM, and it’s no wonder. We’re in that curious transition period between Ben Hur and The Last Temptation of Christ, when studios were losing or loosing their grip, when the whole idea of film and what’s to be filmed were changing.

Lee’s bio of Stoppard offers a critique of Young Cassidy, that can be seen via a pair of quotes, the key words boldfaced.

Quote #1 “Scribbling a few notes to himself on a cold November morning’s rehearsal of Dogg’s Our Pet, with Geoffrey Reeves directing, he noted that his “suspicion of participation theatre” was being remarked on, and observed wryly to himself:
“My idea of theatre: audience sits, listens and goes home.”

Quote #2 “In those interviews he was constantly asked about how serious a writer he was, whether his plays had a message, whether he was conservative, and wrote against the prevailing trend of political theatre, and what his views were on the issues of the day. His response, which knowingly risked sounding dandyish or frivolous, was always to resist being fitted into a slot or a single fixed point of view—except in his firm belief in theatre as entertainment.“

Stoppard is a towering figure of the 20th century theatre, and big enough to cast a shadow that looms over the first part of the 21st as well. We’d never think of Beckett that way, probably not Pinter either. Maybe Stoppard’s such a huge success—artistically & commercially—because he was so clear-minded and purposeful about what he was doing. After an apprenticeship as a theatre critic Stoppard wrote plays that never threaten to contradict the aphorisms we might draw from those two quotes:

…that the audience sits, listens & goes home,

…that theatre is entertainment.

Never mind academic studies of plays & drama, is this perhaps how the studios understand film? I wonder.

I wish MGM had been that lucid in preparing the trailer for Young Cassidy. They sound somewhat conflicted, unable to reconcile the pure artist & the carnal man. Perhaps their anxieties about the project are showing? It didn’t make as much money as the studio might have expected, for the investment in talent. Rod Taylor gave a spectacular performance, and yet because the film did poorly at the box office, this notion that he couldn’t deliver was probably held against him with the inevitable unfortunate impacts on his career.

Although clearly the film’s failure is not Taylor’s fault. There are several possible suspects, such as the direction done by two people. And then there’s the promotion & marketing. The trailer suggests that the studio didn’t really know how to sell the film.

But if you’re curious don’t let the trailer dissuade you.

Nora, the lover & admirer of Cassidy portrayed by Maggie Smith, is so in awe of the great man that she fears she will hold him back. I fear this could describe the way they promoted the project, a bit paralyzed in the presence of the subject.

The film may be flawed but it’s far better, far deeper, far more fun, than you’d ever know from the trailer. I wonder what O’Casey or Yeats might have thought of the film.

Perhaps I should ask Professor Sidnell?

William Butler Yeats (as played by Michael Redgrave), admonishing the Abbey Theatre audience.
Posted in Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, University life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

St Patrick’s week at Kingston Social

Posted on March 21, 2021 by barczablog

It can be a kind of March madness. With the arrival of St Patrick’s Day we celebrate a change of season through indulgence. It’s supposed to be fun.

I remember the St Patrick’s Day in my late teens when I went to the Brunswick House tavern before a piano lesson. While I did not consume enough green beer that I started to resemble the Hulk, it was still memorable. I remember the discussion with my piano teacher (who saw red rather than green), and who listened to me play even though I was obviously intoxicated. I played accurately because I had memorized the pieces. We were both surprised, actually… much better than I had any right to be considering what I had been doing. But it was a good exercise, confirming what Frank Zappa might tell you if he were still here: that whether you’re stoned or drunk in rehearsal, you must sober up when you perform.

This weekend I picked up from The Kingston Social, whose St Patrick’s Day menu extended until Saturday.

Sam greeted me at the door when I brought dinner home, obviously intrigued by what her nose was telling her. We’re still being careful what we feed her as she’s not fully recovered from her December illness, so we couldn’t give her any…

I had a Guinness braised lamb stew (diced lamb, turnips, carrots, new potato, shallots & even as Irish as the Guinness in the gravy) served with soda bread. Erika had the smoked blueberry back ribs dinner, and then she shared with one another.

We enjoyed the accompaniment of the Konzelmann Shiraz that I find so congenial to just about anything.

The portions were generous, perhaps in keeping with the spirit of over-indulgence that I associate with St Patrick’s Day. We were both so stuffed at this point that we had to adjourn for a bit,… I took the dog outside for a walk.

No I didn’t forget to feed the dog.

Before partaking of the dessert that we had from Kingston Social I made coffee. The cupcakes were also St Patrick’s- themed, a bit of an allegory of the treasures one might find at the end of the rainbow.

The moral of the “story”? Eat it!

Notice the gold on top of the chocolate, and the actual rainbow.

No leprechauns in sight

We split one Saturday night, with another for Sunday morning.

I hope the lamb stew will be back and won’t just be once a year. It’s one of the most delicious creations I’ve discovered in a long time.

Here’s the Kingston Social menu for future weeks.

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Meditation with dog

Posted on March 15, 2021 by barczablog

My title might be an unconscious imitation of Tom Robbins’ Still-life with Woodpecker.

Might?

I suddenly felt the need to make a parenthetic google search. Tom Robbins. Is he still alive?

And I see that he was born in 1932, author of lots of books, several that I’ve read. Holy cow he’s going to be 90, and seems to be alive & well.

Yes he’s an influence on me, someone I realize I’ve long been imitating for better or worse. Robbins is one of my touchstones of writing & coolness.

I am thinking about this as I read Hermione Lee’s new biography of Tom Stoppard.

He’s another writer named Tom, another hero of mine come to think of it. Stoppard & Robbins both manage to be funny, to be cool, to be profound, sometimes in the same sentence.

I was already doing lots of retrospective thinking, pondering who I am and where I came from in this curious time-out that has been upon us since 2020 and continued into 2021.

Stoppard was born in 1937, five years after Robbins. Both men are engraved in my head as the witty writers of my youth: even though they are no longer youthful.

Sigh.

Whether you work at home or continue to work in the front-lines, everything looks a bit different. Rush hours tend to be quieter. Pedestrians in Toronto often behave in new ways, usually honoring physical distancing but eyes twinkling behind their masks.

It can be an opportunity if you notice.

Every day I walk Sam. I worry about her mortality looking for evidence that she’s healthy while disquieted by symptoms like lumps (the big one in her side is growing).

The lump is bigger today than when this picture was taken. But it doesn’t seem to bother her.

And yet she seems okay. She outruns me, which come to think of it isn’t such a great achievement. But she runs..!

When we’re outside we watch the sky. Okay, she looks up and I think she sees the moon sometimes, where I’m probably being a little more finicky in my observations. She’s very calm, grounded in the here and now, at least until she begins barking at possible intruders or meals.

When someone walks by I can’t be certain whether she thinks of people as threats or appetizers.

Are we humans overthinking? If it smells good taste it. If it tries to hurt you, bite it.

Of course humans have invented lawsuits & liability so maybe we had better not be quite so quick to bare our teeth at others.

The sky is a safer place to look. Will it rain? Will it be cold? I can’t deny that I have all sorts of help, from the weather network, from my iPhone’s weather app. In February & March these are important questions to ponder before venturing outside, given that the temperature variation can be rather large. Last Thursday we hit +19 while just last night the wind chill was -17.

Not so long ago

No wonder the plants seem confused.

I hope those cute little flowers will be okay.

The path that the sun seems to follow changes every day.

I say “seems” because of course it’s not the sun moving, it’s the planet. We’re circling the sun once every year, and rotating on our axis once every day. Every day there’s a time when the sun seems to come over the horizon aka “sunrise” and later a time when it seems to go under the horizon aka “sunset”. Because of that orbital traveling each day the sun’s arc (the path from sunrises to sunset) in the sky is a wee bit different.

Being outside with the dog I see the changing seasons in the sun’s daily arc. If you find a reference point, you can see the differences in where the sun is rising and setting. It varies ever so slightly each day just as the length of day varies a tiny bit each day. On the shortest day of the year I made a note of where the sun set. Currently it’s a bit further north, moving yet further north every day. That makes sense right? In the depths of winter, the sun is further to the south of us, its rays indirect and not terribly warming, giving Argentina & Australia their longest days, while leaving those who are further north, like the Scandinavians, let alone the Arctic, in darkness. And on the summer solstice (that longest day), the sun will be more overhead, its rays more direct: and for that reason, much warmer.

With the help of my iPhone weather app I see the times for each sunrise and sunset.

Sounds like a song doesn’t it?

Today March 15th for example, it tells me that the sun will rise at 7:26 and set at 7:23. It’s almost exactly 12 hours. That makes sense. The equinox will be upon us soon. Equinox comes from Latin, when the night is equal to the day. The magic day is probably sometime next weekend (around the 21st), and after that date the days will be exceeding the night, gradually getting longer and longer until the peak is reached sometime around June 21st. And then it all turns around the other way, with the days getting shorter, the nights getting longer, and equal on or about September 21st.

In December the sunset was much earlier and further to the left (south) using this building as my reference.
And by June sunset will be way further north.

The last of the snow has melted this week, although it was still very chilly this morning with that -17 windchill.

Sam likes it all the same.

I hear people complain about the weather. Never mind that it’s beyond your control (although if you’re living in Toronto and want the weather to be warm why stay if you could move south?). I have the dog as a reminder. She appears to be happy when she’s warm. I meant to get a photo of her this morning after being outside in the cold , when she basked in the sunshine on the living room floor like a big pussy cat.

And she rolls around in the snow when she gets the chance.

As I have mentioned before, she’s a good teacher.

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Personal ruminations & essays, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SFO Rheingold

Posted on March 8, 2021 by barczablog

As I ponder the future of streaming performances & concerts, I’m checking out Wagner’s Ring Cycle as produced by the San Francisco Opera in 2018 in their co-production with the Washington Opera. If you go to https://sfopera.com/opera-is-on/ you choose between “stream for free” and “subscriber/donor”, the latter presumably offering greater options.

I wonder if we’ll see something like this one of these days from the National Ballet of Canada or The Canadian Opera Company? As a free visitor I’m enjoying the offer of one Ring opera each weekend beginning with Das Rheingold.

Whether you think of Rheingold as the first night of a tetralogy or the prologue to a trilogy I’ve had great fun watching Francesca Zambello’s creation, a director I only know through her production of Les Troyens that I saw at the Met a few years ago. Both operas are epic works requiring vision, indeed they’re among my favorites. Could Zambello repeat her Troyens magic on the Wagner opera? I think so.

On the SFO site, she offers the following commentary on her production, that’s often called “the American Ring” for its approach to the materials.

“The Ring is always contemporary. We are presenting a world in some ways familiar to our audience but also one that will feel very mythic as we look to our country’s rich imagery. The great themes of the Ring—nature, power and corruption—resound through America’s past and haunt our present.” –Francesca Zambello, Director

I don’t think there is an opera that offers more opportunity for directors or designers to show us their creative brilliance. Presented as written –that is without any embellishments—the work requires us to see giants, dwarves, gods, a giant serpent, a toad, nymphs swimming in a river, a mountain-top, subterranean caves, a rainbow bridge to a distant castle, and scene changes traversing the transformation from one setting to another. Zambello’s American orientation means that for example the building of the castle offers us a modern construction crane, while the gods (awaiting their new home) look eagerly at the blueprints. But the production hasn’t strayed far from the text, at least not in the first of the operas.

I like some of the performances, but must say that the best thing about this streamed opera is Zambello’s inspired direction. Yes there are wonderful things in the design, but I’m indifferent if the eye-candy isn’t purposeful. It must be redeemed by a soul, by something in the text to make it truly good. It’s early to be concluding anything, but so far I’m totally enamored of this production.

A few moments stood out for me.

The usual dynamic in the story involves a misguided bargain to pay the giants for building Valhalla by giving them the goddess Freia. The gods must get her back, and so conspire to steal the ring Alberich has made out of the Rhinegold, a prize that the giants will accept as ransom in lieu of Freia.

Got that?

In Freia’s part –as written– she complains when she is threatened and then given (temporarily) to the giants in scene two, and she’s expected to show relief when she is released in the last scene, as part of the bargain for the ring. Of course some modern directors have played with that a bit.

Patrice Chereau (1976) for instance follows the usual template until the moment when Freia is released: and she dashes away from the giants AND away from the gods, perplexed by what she’s been put through.

Robert Lepage in his recent production has Freia revolted at first but starting to warm up to Fasolt by the end.

Zambello takes this much further. Where Freia is afraid of Fasolt at first –a creature who resembles a giant Edward Scissorhands—by the end she seems smitten with him, and genuinely upset when he dies.

Initially Fasolt’s rough handling of Freia terrifies & alienates her…..

Fasolt is played by Andrea Silvestrelli, Freia is Julie Adams.

…but Freia seems to be smitten by the end.
(from left) Fafner (Raymond Aceto), Fasolt (Andrea Silvestrelli) and Freia (Julie Adams)

The opening scene likely would please the composer if he were alive, compared to so many productions that mess with the content. We see almost exactly what we should be seeing.

The Daughters of the Rhine, namely Woglinde(Stacey Tapan), Wellgunde (Lauren McNeese) & Flosshilde (Renée Tatum) mock Alberich (Falk Struckmann)

Yes Zambello’s Alberich does enter looking a bit like a prospector looking for gold in California, but once we get past the funny hat, he’s more or less like any other Alberich: except that Falk Struckmann gives an exceptional portrayal. Struckmann has a vulnerable charm as he makes his futile play for the Rhine-maidens, who dance around him mocking & teasing. Zambello’s interpretation is very relatable, her characters all wonderfully fleshed out. When Alberich’s frustration boils over his anger is stunningly three-dimensional & entirely sympathetic. In the subterranean scene –where we meet him after he has renounced love & forged the Rhine gold into a ring—he is brutally scary, bullying the Nibelungen dwarves, some played by children whom he lifts up in his arms.

Alberich (Falk Struckmann) terrorizing the Nibelungen

I have never seen the dynamics of the scene when Wotan & Loge come to visit his underground home so perfectly enacted. As Loge & Wotan flatter him, Alberich grabs Wotan’s hat, provoking the angry eruption that’s in the score, while Loge struggles to keep a lid on that anger.

Alberich (Falk Struckmann) with Wotan’s hat in his hand

Stefan Margita is a superb Loge, admittedly in the most fun role in the opera, the provocative trickster- liar. Greer Grimsley brings a lot of authority to the role of Wotan although I found he yelled through much of the role, missing many of his notes. Jamie Barton was his wife Fricka, constantly contradicting her husband, and deliciously contrary to Grimsley in her perfect singing.

Wotan (Greer Grimsley) and Fricka (Jamie Barton)

I also love what Zambello makes of Erda the Earth goddess, gloriously sung by Ronnita Miller.

Erda reaches towards Wotan, advising him to let go of the ring upon his finger.

In a few short minutes Zambello has Wotan worshipfully kneeling to Erda, whom he will impregnate before the next opera.

Wotan (Greer Grimsley) kneels to Erda (Ronnita Miller)

Sir Donald Runnicles leads the SFO orchestra & the cast in this production. I was very fond of the CGI, projections making scene change magic, including S Katy Tucker whose name may be familiar for her work with Against the Grain & on the COC’s Hansel and Gretel just over a year ago. In addition to Zambello & Tucker I must also mention others on this wonderful team, namely set designer Michael Yeargan, costume designer Catherine Zuber, lighting designer Mark McCullough and the original projections designer Jan Hartley. It all hangs together beautifully, a superb experience.

Next week it’s Die Walküre.

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Cinema, video & DVDs, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Techno-salvation, or a real Canadian Opera Company / National Ballet of Canada

Posted on March 7, 2021 by barczablog

The pandemic has offered a measure of clarity to the world of performing arts. Artists have been knocked for a loop by the lost pay due to gigs that couldn’t happen. Businesses are badly messed up by lost revenues, wondering whether they’ll recover when the threat from the virus abates and we begin to emerge from hiding places, resuming our normal lives, if at all possible.

And in the meantime we’re all relying on our computers & phones. Instead of going in to the office many work from home, relying on Zoom or other virtual tools. To keep from going crazy we’re consuming arts & entertainment through our devices rather than live.

This week I’m nostalgic as I recall the first week of March in 2020, one year ago.

On March 1st I saw the National Ballet, including Angels Atlas, in my final visit to Four Seasons Centre before the cancellations began.

Artists of the National Ballet in Angels’ Atlas. (Photo: Karolina Kuras)

On Thursday March 5th I saw my last concert in Koerner Hall, the only Beethoven 250 event I would see.

And on the Saturday night March 7th I saw my last theatre performance of the year, Toronto Operetta Theatre’s HMS Pinafore.

Since then, everything has been online. Alexander Neef has just left the Canadian Opera Company, after years of excellent productions. I remember the sadness as they closed, knowing that we couldn’t see them again. Today I watched the first installment of a Ring Cycle from the San Francisco Opera, available for free until tomorrow from their website. Next weekend they’ll offer the next opera via the same URL, and so on.

Erda (Ronnita Miller) cautions Wotan (Greer Grimsley)

Other nights we’ve been able to watch a free recorded performance from the Metropolitan Opera’s accumulated wealth of shows, previously offered in their High Definition series or even earlier as “Live from the Met”.

And of course there’s the content that you pay for.

I’m jealous.

If we had the kind of technology of either the Met or SFO, our pandemic experience could have been lightened by locally produced work rather than foreign imports. I can’t be the only one thinking “gee I wish we had something like that here in Canada”. Sure I like the free shows, but wouldn’t it be great if the tickets were supporting a Canadian company. Imagine if they had the additional revenue stream from the virtual performances to complement live.

And let me add, I know Toronto isn’t really the centre of the world much as it may seem as though Torontonians think so. It’s a bit embarrassing when you notice that we have the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada, perhaps as vestiges of a time when we thought that no other city could support such an endeavour, notwithstanding the many cities across Canada that actually do have lots of opera, symphony, ballet etc. Thank goodness there are occasional tours, although they don’t go to the whole country anymore (if they ever did).

But wow, what if those operas or ballets were captured for virtual viewing..? Then their national names would be fulfilled, because the citizens from Cornerbrook to Cranbrook could see their so-called “national” companies in action without coming to Toronto.

So the recent announcement of federal money to provide “digital infrastructure” at the Four Seasons Centre sounds very welcome indeed, as though the folks on Parliament Hill are trying to be helpful.

For tonight, I was enjoying that SFO production of Das Rheingold, not the COC or National Ballet. I will be catching up on other virtual performances by Canadians when I get the chance.

Tapestry Opera begin offering Our Song D’Hiver, starring Mireille Asselin and pianist Frédéric Lacroix.

Toronto Operetta Theatre will again feature Gilbert & Sullivan, although in a virtual version, as they present The Gondoliers beginning March 19th; further info via this link

And of course there’s lots more available online.

In the meantime, stay safe and soon we’ll have vaccinations & sometime thereafter live performances.

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | Leave a comment

Irresistible

Posted on March 6, 2021 by barczablog

I’m not sure I understand the title, but it’s a perfect description all the same.

I sat through Jon Stewart’s new film Irresistible tonight, sometimes moaning sometimes laughing but unable to tear myself away.

So whatever it means, the title is a pretty accurate description. I surrendered to it.

Whether it’s opera, theatre or film, I’m often less interested in the material than in the opportunity to watch the talent at work. There are some people I’ve never seen in a bad movie.

Chris Cooper? I first noticed him in American Beauty (1999) although in short order he seemed to be in every movie I was watching, making an impact even in small roles. In Irresistible he might be the character to whom the epithet might be applied, as Jack, the former Marine whose youtube diatribe propels him to fame as the great hope of the Democratic Party in rural America.

Ever wonder what Jon Stewart has been up to? This is certainly one answer, namely writing & directing this film. I miss Stewart who was for me the most eloquent yet pointed critic of the American political scene on his Daily Show: until he left in 2015. While Irresistible might be just his second time as a director, based on what I saw, it won’t be his last. The dialogue is authentic, sometimes infuriatingly real, and always fluid. The pace is natural. I couldn’t tear myself away.

I’m a great admirer of Steve Carell, especially his voice work as Gru in the Despicable Me films. I like him, and so was stunned to watch him cast against type as Gary, a total jerk working for the Democratic Party. Carell is well cast given that he resembles a nice guy enough to lull you into believing him to be a nice guy: until you listen to what he’s just said. Repeatedly through the film I was wtf-ing aloud, watching him rampage through the film, and recognizing this energy. I think we’ve seen people just like this. The writing & performance capture something real.

Yes, Stewart is doing something really important, as he dissects the Democrats, especially in Carell’s character, who is pathologically insincere. While he faces off against a blatant liar from the GOP, played exquisitely by Rose Byrne, we see a different species of liar in Gary the well-meaning operative who talks down to people without noticing how insulting & inauthentic he is. For me it captures the ongoing disaster that has been the Democratic Party: perhaps even now.

Alongside Cooper, Mackenzie Davis as Jack’s daughter Diana is the other pillar of integrity. And the rural Wisconsinites in a variety of smaller roles are also understood as honest, while the big city folk who descend upon the small town offer varieties of creepiness. While it may be a bit mechanical as I describe it for you, it works really well, especially once you mix in the surprises Stewart has in store in the last half-hour of the film.

I’m looking forward to watching again tomorrow. And I’m wondering if the Democrats can stop doing what we see in this film, and yes, on the news too. Stewart’s diagnosis feels absolutely right.

But can they change?

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Seraphia in Scarborough

Posted on March 5, 2021 by barczablog

I’m ridiculously late, overdue writing about Seraphia, the gourmet shop in Scarborough that has been as essential to me as my left hand. Maybe that’s why I’ve been so slow to write, clearly taking them for granted.

Peter Captsis is the heart & soul of “Seraphia Inspired Cuisine”.

Peter Captsis, in a 2009 photo from his Facebook page, although he looks the same

Thank God their location at 2979 Kingston Road in Scarborough is not far from my home. If you’re lucky enough to live close by (near where St Clair meets Kingston Rd), you should check it out, although I think it’s worth the trip if you’re further away.

Come to think of it, I realize that I’m writing about a different Seraphia. Like many restaurants, they’ve had to adapt to the pandemic, change or die.

The tables are gone of course, as they’re now exclusively a take-out operation with big plastic partitions for protection even before we get to the masks everyone wears. If more than 3 or 4 (I can’t recall the limit in the space), one stands outside waiting. It may be my imagination but I think his customers are the nicest most polite people, perhaps under the influence of the food.

Their menu is now smaller, although Peter did manage to do some amazing things at Christmas time.

But never mind December, let me simply talk about the daily magic, recalling the ways we continually lean on Peter & his genius. I think it’s not an exaggeration to call him that, given the way he reconciles amazing speed & efficiency with flavor.

Today is Thursday, which means lasagna. I picked up two of them plus a large Caesar salad for dinner.

Earlier today (yes I often go there more than once per day) I also bought soup. Although it’s available hot in a single-serving size, which is how we always used to get it, recently he’s made it available in big beautiful mason jars, cold in the refrigerator.

The view in our fridge, including some remarkable jam. NB the squash bottle was out (for use… see below)

I bought myself the butternut squash, which is a nice prelude to the lasagna I’ll be having shortly, as I type this.

When a butternut squash freak says it’s the best squash soup he’s ever tasted? believe it.

Right now it’s roughly 6:30. Dinner’s at 7. I also bought the lentil which is wonderfully spicy with carrots, that I split with my mom, plus chicken noodle (Erika’s favorite). He also has beef with barley, potato leek & mushroom, and every one of them is delicious.

We take lunch to my mom a couple of times per week, so Peter’s help is invaluable.

At lunchtime today Mom got the lentil soup (roughly one third of the jar, that I heated up for her), a small Greek salad that I split with her, decorated with chicken cooked on a skewer. I take the pieces off the stick and put it on top of the salad. She loves it, and so do I come to think of it.

So in addition to her lunch (soup, salad and chicken) from Seraphia, I also brought a tuna sandwich that will be her snack later today or tomorrow.

Earlier this week, Erika & I had chicken-caesar wraps. I can’t recall what that was paired with, as we do this so often. Sometimes it goes with Peter’s soup, sometimes one of his salads. We also sometimes get Peter’s poutine.

Or a hamburger.

Or a steak sandwich.

I’m not certain but I’m pretty sure that Peter doesn’t use much salt. His usual approach is understated, classic, never over the top but just right. The flavor of that lasagna is as good as anything I’ve ever had in a restaurant: and oh boy I have it for dinner tonight (yippeee!!)…. right after I finish this in fact.

And his breakfasts are good too. The quick easy one is the toasted western, although when we’re hungrier, one gets eggs + choice of sausage, peameal or strip bacon + choice of bread (white, multi—grain or rye) + home-fries, although we usually substitute sliced tomato.

Did I mention that he also has baked items? I often grab a brownie, date square or a tart (butter or pecan tart). And he has loaves of bread, and he has a slicer. And he has different types of muffins. I usually get an apple-oatmeal and/or a bran one, although there are others. He has croissants. He has quiches & meat-pies (and dammit this is the first meatpie I have EVER eaten that I didn’t dislike…. I actually liked it).

And this is his reduced menu…!

There’s coffee as well, but I make it at home so I never buy it anymore (although I used to… another really good option btw). When the pandemic is over perhaps we’ll be back to some of the mid-week meal options that he discontinued for the time being.

The guy is very talented. He’s pleasant enough, and plays Q107 (I think) when you go in to make the pickup. We like to call ahead because I think it makes it easier for everyone.

Seraphia can be reached at 416-264-8951, and yes I memorized the number. I know it like the back of my left hand.

Posted in Food, Health and Nutrition, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

We Interrupt This Program: A Conversation with Amplified Opera

Posted on March 4, 2021 by barczablog

The co-founders of Amplified Opera invite you to join them in conversation as they discuss their organization, their new appointment as Disruptor-in-Residence at the Canadian Opera Company, the complexities of the opera industry, and their views on the role the arts play in broader national conversations.

JHI Faculty Research Fellow Caryl Clark (she/her) facilitates this discussion between performers and creators Asitha Tennekoon (he/him), Marion Newman (she/her), and Teiya Kasahara 笠原 貞野 (they/them), and stage director Aria Umezawa (she/her) as they explore what it means to use art as a catalyst for uncomfortable conversations.

Wednesday 10 March 2021, 1-3pm

This event is free and open to all

Register via Zoom:

www.amplifiedopera.com

recent podcast interview: https://soundcloud.com/elmntfm
https://humanities.utoronto.ca

“Press releases and announcements” are presented verbatim without comment

Posted in Opera, Press Releases and Announcements | Leave a comment

Animals in the neighbourhood

Posted on February 20, 2021 by barczablog

Some things are very consistent, the same every year. That doesn’t mean that people notice, of course. When one has nowhere else to turn, there’s always the sky & the planet we inhabit. The manifestations of our celestial journey, the regular movements of earth & sun, signal the changes of our seasons, triggering responses among humans, animals, and the trees.

It can be dark outside, but every day is a little longer. The shortest of the year almost exactly two months ago in December wasn’t as cold as we’ve had recently in February. While you hear about a polar vortex, the winter only started to get serious about a month ago. Yet there’s more sun, and it will gradually warm us. As the sun gets closer to being overhead and spending a slightly longer day its rays are more direct, brighter and warmer. This week the split is getting closer to even with the day just short of 11 hours, the night just over 13 hours. We’ll get to 12 & 12 on the equinox (which is what the word means) one month from today.

The animals here in Scarborough have noticed the changes even if the humans have not.

We’re having reports of coyotes on local streets. While they probably don’t pose any danger to humans there have been reports of small pets getting taken. Apparently it’s mating season, so they’ll sometimes be seen in pairs. I suppose the solo animals are looking for a mate.

A little over a year ago a neighbour posted this photo taken near our home

Even with a dog as big as our Sam (roughly 50 pounds and fiercely territorial), I won’t let her off the leash when it’s close to sun-up or sun-down. While she likely could protect herself, a bite from a sick animal could mean her death, so I’m very careful attentive to the changing lengths of day. Today for instance we were out a few minutes after 7:00 just around sun-up: although the sun wasn’t visible in the overcast sky.

The snow seems to excite Sam, not just because it’s harder work moving through it when it gets deep. She’s very playful, zipping around in circles as you see in this looped gif I made, or when she lies on her back rolling in the snow.

While she may have come from the southern USA she seems to love the Canadian winter. When she’s romping in the snow she’s often snuffling around for traces of animals who have passed. It must be a bit confusing for a creature that relies on their nose, when the cold weather of winter shuts down or reduces many of their nasal stimuli. Sam stopped yesterday to snuffle about with her face into animal tracks, possibly with faint traces of a rabbit or a squirrel.

Skunks are another reason to be careful with the leash. While they’re supposedly nocturnal, they too depart from that schedule when they’re mating. Earlier this week I freaked out when I spotted a skunk in the neighbour’s yard while Sam was off the leash and far from me. The encounter was at 1:00 in the afternoon. I was worried Sam would get through the fence; she has her ways when she’s excited & pursuing prey. Luckily I caught her before she caught wind of the skunk: who once s/he heard us in the yard, sprayed and ran.

A few minutes later (after Sam & I were inside) I saw the skunk emerge in the front, but across the street.

It looks almost like a black cat, and bad luck if you get too close

This is the best picture I could manage. Gee…The animals never stop and let you take their picture.

Domesticated animals not only keep us company, but they mug for the camera.

But if the animals choose to come out during the day is it a sign of anything beyond their desire to mate? Hunger? curiosity? Whether or not they see their shadow, spring is getting closer & closer.

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment