A MOVING TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL JACKSON!

"In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope.

In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort.

In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream.

And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe."

- Michael Jackson

I will never forget where I was when Michael Jackson passed away in 2009. It was a few days after I packed up all my stuff and embarked on the incredible journey that was Cavalia, preparing for the premiere in Chicago.

When Cirque du Soleil announced that they would be preparing not one but two shows paying tribute to the King of Pop, I knew they would find a way to make the legend live on. They secured Jamie King to direct and choreographer extraordinaire, Debra Brown, would be one of ten choreographers to help shape this hybrid arena rock show.

A departure from Cirque’s traditional tented shows, The Immortal World Tour uses a live band and more than 70 performers to bring an incredible stage alive. The voice is that of Michael Jackson with live musicians and backup singers. I have to admit that throughout the show I was waiting for Michael to appear on stage, you could just feel his energy.  

I was curious to see the stage, lights, and acrobatic elements as this would be in an arena and a show that has to move every night or so. With regard to a tented show, it stays in a city for a few weeks and large-scale staging and props are secured without having to be moved frequently.

It is important to note that this was a dress rehearsal, so Cirque has 24 hours to work out the kinks for the world premiere tonight. Security was really tight on photos and I respected that. In truth, no photo can really do this show justice, you just need to go and see it.

Debra’s work did stand out! Not knowing which numbers she put together, it was going to be fun to see if I could guess. Some of the most beautiful moments of the show were choreographed by Debra. 

MY TOP 10:

1. Costumes: Incredible. Cirque really delivers here. My favorite was the use of these LED suits that light up in intricate patterns and amazing colors. Really beautiful on stage!

2. Dangerous (Debra Brown): The most beautiful woman on a huge pole set the tone for Dangerous. Everything about this number oozed Michael. Simply, HOT!

3. Scream (Debra Brown): Janet and Michael in the background with a troop of acrobats.

4. Hoop (Debra Brown): When the hoop number took over the entire stage, I immediately knew this was Debra’s work. Intricate aerial work with LED costumes – one of my favorite moments of the show.

5. Straps (Debra Brown): People don’t realize how hard this is (you have leather piercing into your arm while a couple does all sorts of moves suspended high above the stage). There was something special watching this with a  backdrop of Michael’s music.

6. Debra Brown: Having choreographed 11 Cirque du Soleil shows, this was just another example of her uber talent. She has dedicated her life to art of movement. Inspiring!

7. Jamie King: There is a reason why he is the most sought after director. He also was once a dancer for Michael Jackson.

8. Band: All Michael’s hits were present, all brought together by musical director Greg Philliganes. The iconic BEAT IT electric guitar solo had two incredible musicians – electric violin/cello (a personal favorite) and electric guitar. Just awesome!

9. Staging / Props: A giant sequenced glove, elephants a la Lion King, metal aerial apparatuses in the form of different animal heads, a hot air ballon, and a massive tree…all gorgeous! The stage was always alive with movement.

10. Dancers: The spirit and essence of the show!

As with most shows, there are some kinks to be worked out. I wasn’t that impressed with the Thriller number. Some transitions from numbers need to be worked on. A live audience really does speak volumes in terms of feedback. It was apparent that the audience didn’t really know when to clap at certain points. The show is around two hours and with a “20-minute intermission” 10 minutes in, I would re-evaluate if and when there should be an intermission.

Overall, the show was filled with Michael’s positive messages of love, hope, passion, and making this world a better place.

A truly inspiring evening and a must see live event!

We must still dare to believe...

The Femme de Spectacle

The Princess of Performance did indeed deliver! I guess that’s what happens when you combine an extremely talented woman with a wizard in the world of live entertainment, Jamie King (the Director of Britney’s Femme Fatale World Tour). I’ve seen countless shows done by King. After all, he is the go-to director/choreographer for such international superstars including: Madonna, Ricky Martin, Christina Aguilera, and of course, Britney. He’s currently in Montreal working on the highly anticipated CDS Michael Jackson show with its world premiere in Montreal at the beginning of October. Cannot wait!

I have been a Britney fan ever since she appeared on the international stage with her mega-hit Baby One More Time. Through the good and bad, I always believed in her and wanted her to shine because of the level of performance that she is capable of delivering to an audience.

The last time Britney came to town with her Circus tour, and I was getting ready to head out on tour. Coincidence, maybe! Fate, I like to believe so! A few months later, she included a horse in a new music video. I didn’t work with just one horse but over 50. Just a few signs I wanted to point out. Not sure what they mean, but I do hope Britney and I have the chance to work together someday.

I found that Britney was overshadowed by the circus acts during her 2009 visit to Montreal. She clearly played it a little safe, but it was to be expected given what she had been through. With the Femme Fatale tour, I saw her confidence return and her maturity shine. She has gone from a young girl to a woman through countless world tours, virtually growing up under the world’s microscope – not an easy task!

She performed most of her hits with new musical arrangements (minus my personal favourite, Circus) and a healthy selection of the strong tracks off her Femme Fatale album. It was a perfect mix!

Surrounded by incredible dancers, awesome stage and staging, stellar choreography, glittery costumes, lights, projections, smoke, and pyro…Britney put on a true pop spectacle that had every element to ensure a smile on the audience’s face, I know I did!

Britney opened the show to a screaming crowd, to which she replied "Bonjour, Montreal."

The awesome stage!

The stage was filled with movement and props. You didn't know where to look! I'm going to quote acclaimed choreographer Debra Brown here: "It's very important to keep the stage alive." Britney's elite team certainly did. 

Britney with some of her talented female dancers. 

Some arial work!

I love this shot. Clearly Britney is in shape. 

Another shot showcasing Britney's banging body! Oh yeah, they brought a car on stage complete with a stripper pole. Britney later gave Pauly D a lap dance. 

Britney in action. 

Straps. I've seen better. But an overall nice touch. 

A pop princess angel closes the show!

Janet Jackson: All For Montreal!

I have wanted to see Janet Jackson perform live for such a long time, and after my escapades at Heavy MTL, I was really looking forward to seeing her perform all her hits at the Bell Centre. I’m a fan for so many reasons: her voice, her dancing (wow!), her acting, her attention to detail (it’s all in the details), her drive, and her passion for what she does.  She is the embodiment of a talented star and someone that I respect immensely.

Janet is one singer that you definitely want to see live. She is known for her elaborate stage productions creating a virtual spectacle where her music shines with a backdrop of top-notch staging and art direction.

Upon doing some research about this particular tour, it became evident that it was less about the glitz and glam of a large-scale production, and more about connecting her music to the fans in an intimate setting.

With all this information, I wasn’t really expecting to be blown away by the stage, lighting, projections, screens, and costumes…and I was right. But everything was simple and it worked! The music stood out and the choreography was outstanding. Janet and her dancers did deliver – big time.

My favourite photo of the night!

I was able to capture some other amazing photos from the performance...

A nice tribute to her late brother Michael. Janet performed Scream. 

Seeing Janet tonight got me even more excited for Cirque’s new Michael Jackson show that is being directed by Jamie King. 

JFL HAS ITS BEST LINEUP IN TWENTY NINE YEARS!

The San Francisco Chronicle uses rather clever images to rank theatre in the city, and when I was thinking how to rank the Just For Laughs 2011 Festival, only one image came to mind. The highest rank that the Chronicle gives is the above image of a guy jumping on a chair and clapping. In it’s 29^th year, Just For Laughs really did deliver! This year, the Festival got a facelift with its new hub at Place des Spectacles, new venues, new shows, big stars, and world-class emerging talent. A perfect combination! 

There was something for everyone at this year's festival; from 9 blockbuster Galas to the underground Zoofest Comedy shows produced by Just For Laughs, the programming team ensured that all comedy palates were pleased. One night I was watching mega-sitcom star Eric Stonestreet and then later on I was in this intimate theatre watching DeAnne Smith who for me, was a standout comedian at this year’s festival.

Some of my other favs included: Adam Hills, Danny Bhoy, Jimmy Carr, Jeffrey Ross, Modi, Tim Minchin, Garfunkel and Oates, and Bo Burnham.

The Just For Laughs Festival put on more than 1,762 English and French shows during its extended 3-week Festival, hosting more than 3,695 artists and participants, close to 1,000 entertainment industry professionals, over 300 local, national and foreign media, received 2.9 million page views on hahaha.com in July alone, and over 20 countries represented. Many changes were brought forth for this edition that were welcomed with huge success; three weeks of programming, themed galas, venues within walking distance, and creative outdoor programming. Impressive numbers!

ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

Just For Laughs Festival

• This year, the most tickets in Festival history were sold for the prestigious Gala series, including four sold-out shows (over 10,000 tickets sold) hosted by international superstar Russell Peters at Just For Laughs’ new home at Place des Arts.
• A Tribute to Nerds hosted by The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar and Simon Helberg (filmed for The Comedy Network), and Decline of the American Empire hosted by John Oliver (filmed for CBC), were among the new concepts and Gala highlights that appealed to a new, younger demographic.
• Louis CK, "JFL Comedy Person of the Year," performed the show of the Festival. And topped things off by sharing his wisdom in an “In Conversation” in front of a capacity crowd at the Comedy Conference.
• Daniel Tosh (star of Tosh.0) sold out his much anticipated first concert in Montreal.
• Amp’d (Hosted by Weird Al and filmed for The Comedy Network) was a Festival highlight and featured an all star musical comedy lineup including: Bo Burnham, Reggie Watts, Tim Minchin, Garfunkel & Oates, and Tom Green (with Organized Rhyme).
• The Ethnic Show and The Nasty Show sold over 10,000 tickets in the first two weeks. Hosted by Comedy Central Roastmaster Jeffrey Ross (The Nasty Show) and Maz Jobrani (The Ethnic Show), both shows had standout performances by Jay Oakerson and Sebastian Maniscalco respectively.
• Just For Laughs exploded with over 20 intimate 100-seater shows as part of "Zoofest" with an insanely popular and strong lineup. Led by Hannibal Burress, John Mulaney, Paul F. Tompkins, Eugene Mirman, DeAnne Smith, Maria Bamford and concepts like CHEAT starring Bill Burr, Robert Kelly and Joe Derosa and Ari Shaffir’s So I’m F***ing This Girl.
• Hot roster of international stars including Eddie Izzard (performed in English and French), Jimmy Carr, Tim Minchin, Danny Bhoy (sold out run with added shows), Beardyman and Russell Howard.
• The Insider Series, now in its second year, featured tons of cool shows including Kenny Hotz’s Triumph of the Will, The Comedy Network’s Picnicface, Funny or Die’s What’s Going On? with Mike Mitchell, My Damn Channel’s Wainy Days, and Colin Quinn’s Broadway show Long Story Short which was a hit with audiences.
• Podcasts made their first appearance ever at the Festival and were an instant hit:
• Chris Hardwick, Matt Mira and Jonah Ray recorded their popular podcast The Nerdist in front of a capacity crowd.
• Marc Maron’s popular WTF podcast recorded in front of a sold-out crowd.
• Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier received a standing ovation from a full house as they stepped on stage to record an episode of SModcast.
• Adam Hills along with DeAnne Smith, Jimmy Carr, and David O'Doherty visited Hope & Cope’s Wellness Center / Lou’s House to put on a free performance for more than 75 cancer fighters and survivors. Laughter is indeed the best medicine!

Comedy Conference

• More than 400 of the biggest players in the industry, including high-level executives from the worlds of feature film, television, digital media and live entertainment attended the Just For Laughs Comedy Conference and close to 1,000 industry people total attended the Festival. High profile companies and representatives, and shows such as Adult Swim, My Damn Channel, Funny or Die, The Onion, Cracked.com, CollegeHumor, Modern Family, Parks and Recreation, The Simpsons, 30 Rock, YouTube, Blip.tv, IFC, The Comedy Network, BBC America, Comedy Central, FOX, CBC, CTV, CBS, Disney, FX Network, HBO and much more.
• The Podcasts panel featured some of the best podcasters in the business, including Greg Proops (The Smartest Man in the World), Chris Hardwick (The Nerdist), Marc Maron (WTF), Paul F. Tompkins (The Pod F. Tompkast) and Scott Mosier (SModcast).
• Bridesmaids’ director, producer and JFL “Comedy Director of the Year”, Paul Feig, participated in a Q&A Master Class.
• The industries best showrunners – including  David Mirkin (The Simpsons), Michael Reiss (The Simpsons), Michael Schur (Parks and Recreation), Robert Carlock (30 Rock), Steven Levitan (Modern Family) – gathered together, in “Showrunners: The Kingpins of TV.”

Just For Laughs Awards Luncheon

• Garry Shandling received the Just For Laughs Lifetime Achievement Award.
• Steven Levitan (Modern Family) was presented the “Comedy Writer of the Year” award by Eric Stonestreet.
• Ken Jeong (The Hangover 2, Transformers 3, The Zookeeper and Community) was presented the “Breakout Comedy Star of the Year” award by David Wain.
• Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) was presented the “Director of the Year” by Richard Crouse.
• Louis C.K. was presented the “Comedy Person of the Year” award by Tom Green.

Ground central for all things JFL: Place des Spectacles at night!

JFL featured on NBC's Today Show while being shot in MTL.

Pinkarnaval! Awesome free original outdoor programming.

Tom Green on the street! 

Tom Green and AMP'd being featured on ET Canada.

Modern Love hosted by Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet.

Adam Hills performs at Hope & Copes Wellness Center / Lou's House.

DeAnne Smith performs at Hope & Copes Wellness Center / Lou's House.

David O'Doherty performs at Hope & Copes Wellness Center / Lou's House.

Jimmy Carr performs at Hope & Copes Wellness Center / Lou's House.

What an amazing Festival. Looking forward to JFL 3.0 in 2012.

Don't KISS and tell...

Okay. I am! Yesterday, I was invited to see KISS perform at the closing of Heavy MTL. It was a little bit of a departure from what I am used to in terms of concerts and multimedia spectacles, but in my quest to showcase the best in arts and entertainment, I immediately jumped onboard.

Upon arrival onsite, you could just tell this was a hardcore festival and no ballet. So maybe I should have gotten a tattoo, worn black, and gotten some chains, but there I was and ready to dive in. I was wearing a navy polo but I was the only person on site wearing a polo t-shirt; one in-a-series of wardrobe misses.

My sidekick for my night out at Heavy MTL was Donnie Whalberg’s future wife, a music industry professional who has worked with KISS a number of times in the past year.

We arrived early to take in everything that the backstage had to offer. Little did we know that celebrity chef Chuck Hughes (Garde Manger & Chuck's Day Off) did all the catering. I was once told the importance of good food on tour (good food = happy artists). Chuck has been everywhere these days: sitting next to a good friend en route from Toronto to Montreal, NBC’s Today Show in MTL, and now Heavy MTL.

Although I was a bit skeptical to try his food for the very first time where he had to cook for so many people, I did anyway because I was hungry (and I also felt I needed to bulk up for the evening). It was amazing: lentil salad, a mini meatball sub and poutine! Delicious! After chatting with Chuck my sidekick and I were ready for the main stage.


Thousands were in attendance and some people even brought their children. Special shout out to the people at St John Ambulance who were on hand inside the first aid tent! Having friends inside this tent somehow made me feel safe. For example, if I got hurt in the mosh pit, I knew exactly where to go (if I could get out). Luckily, our all access pass enabled us to watch the show from a great location away from the massive crowd.


KISS was amazing (complete with fireworks, lots of pyro, and of course their over-the-top costumes) but this night was all about the experience. Memorable indeed!

Celebrity chef Chuck Hughes and Donnie Whalberg's future wife (or should I say Chuck Hughes future wife)

KISS...

I'd like to end this post with Amy Winehouse. A true talent and the kind of voice that you rarely come across. The definition of a star. She was unique and it's a tragedy that she left this world at only 27. RIP Amy. 

Weekend Picks: All About Laughs!!!!!!!!!!!

Just For Laughs kicked off its English programming on Thursday night with the Nasty Show hosted by  Jeffrey Ross: The Roastmaster General from the Comedy Central Roasts. HSP was in attendance for both shows and it was a solid comedy show filled with lots of laughing. It's a staple at the fest and a must see this year.  Limited tickets are still available for shows tonight. Check hahaha.com for ticket availabilities. If you cannot attend tonight, JFL just added two new shows on July 29 at 8pm and 10:30pm. 

Jeffrey Ross makes an appearance on the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda to promote Just For Laughs. He returns again to host the July 29 Nasty Show's as well.

I love Montreal for so many reasons but my absolute favourite thing about Montreal is the CREATIVITY! When I heard about the Pinkarnaval as part of Just For Laughs street festivities, I knew right away it will be awesome. 

Inspired by fashion icon Jean Paul Gaultier's humour in his designs, Pinkarnaval will host two events on Saturday and Sunday night. Tonight kicks off with a parade paying tribute to Jean Paul Gaultier. In collaboration with the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, more than 1,600 volunteers will take part in this parade that starts at 7:30pm. Costumes inspired by Gaultier's looks and giant 20-foot inflatable puppets (the first of their kind) will light up the streets of Montreal where Gaultier will be in attendance.

On Sunday, at Place des Festivals, a staged outdoor version of the parade will be presented.

Jean Paul Gaultier's iconic stripes have been taking over the city. Even on a taxi!

One final note, don't forget that the Ethnic Show begins next Thursday. hahaha.com for ticket info.