THE BIG TICKETS
CURRENTS
ARTS
THE BEST EVENTS IN TORONTO THIS MONTH
L-R: Margaret Atwood with choreographer Wayne McGregor, a look at AGO’s Denyse Thomasos exhibition
From a Margaret Atwood & National Ballet collab to the return of an iconic Irish rocker Here are 12 of the best events to check out in Toronto this month
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1. Go to Bono Legendary lead singer of the iconic rock band U2 hits the stage at Meridian Hall on Nov. 6 for a speaking engagement in support of his memoir Stories of Surrender. The night is billed as “an evening of words, music and some mischief,” so expect the unexpected when one of the world’s great rock stars takes the stage to talk up his new book. "When I started to write this book, I was hoping to draw in detail what I’d previously only sketched in songs. The people, places and possibilities in my life. ‘Surrender’ is a word freighted with meaning for me,” said Bono, in a statement. “Growing up in Ireland in the ’70s with my fists up (musically speaking), it was not a natural concept. A word I only circled until I gathered my thoughts for the book. I am still grappling with this most humbling of commands. In the band, in my marriage, in my faith, in my life as an activist. Surrender
is the story of one pilgrim’s lack of progress. With a fair amount of fun along the way.” TOlive.com EVENT
2. Visit the Royal Winter Fair One of the great fall events in Toronto, the Royal Winter Fair and the Royal Horse Show gallop into Exhibition Place Nov. 4–13 for 10 days of family fun. The Royal will kick off its centennial celebration in style with an Opening Ceremony Showcase, hosted by Canadian comedian Rick Mercer and featuring Toronto band Blue Rodeo. In addition, the Royal will include the return of the Royal Dog Show in a partnership with the Canadian Kennel Club. The show is set to reimagine and reanimate the tradition of dog shows as part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. The Royal will also include the classic agricultural show and the Royal Horse Show, ranked as the
number one indoor horse show in North America, as well as culinary offerings, food competitions, the RCMP Musical Ride and much more, including the legendary butter sculptures. Royalfair.org ART
3. Go to Denyse Thomasos To say the new exhibition on the work of Denyse Thomasos is impressive or stunning is not saying enough. Denyse Thomasos: just beyond is showing until Feb. 20, 2023, and it is absolutely a must-see for art lovers in the city or anyone who wants to experience something extraordinary from an artist who passed too soon on the cusp of greatness. One of the wonderful things about the exhibition is the progression shown, not just that she evolved into a startlingly good artist, but that she delved fearlessly into so many different areas. This was a true Toronto artist,
with roots in Trinidad and an upbringing in suburban Mississauga. She worked as a portrait artist at Canada’s Wonderland and Ontario Place. She studied art at the University of Toronto Mississauga. And like so many of our great ones, she achieved significant acclaim outside Canada. Thomasos is described as “one of the finest painters to emerge in the 1990s,” and she certainly was an artist ahead of her time. One glimpse at her sprawling, incredible murals that occupy entire walls of the fifth floor AGO gallery reveals this artist as something special. The size and scale draw you in, and from there it only gets more interesting. This special exhibition spans four decades of artmaking. The exhibition features more than 70 large-scale paintings and works on paper from several series, alongside archival photographs, sketches, interviews and documentary footage of the artist at work.
Do. Not. Miss. Ago.ca DANCE
4. See MaddAddam The National Ballet of Canada is set for the world premiere of its latest ballet MaddAddam by award-winning choreographer Wayne McGregor. The work is based on the MaddAddam trilogy by renowned Toronto author Margaret Atwood. “What an adventure, finally starting with the National Ballet in the rehearsal studio. It’s been a long wait!” says McGregor. “Margaret Atwood’s vivid and visceral MaddAddam trilogy is a breathtaking challenge for us to dialogue with in dance.” MaddAddam makes its world premiere in Toronto at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, Nov. 23–30. National.ballet.ca
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