TIMELESS LIFESTYLE FROM COAST TO COAST
Culture & Passion
with Style
by Diana Di Mauro
Upcoming Events
RIOT at Luminato
A disorderly cocktail of theatre, spoken word,
banging jigs, slapstick comedy and circus.
The Celtic dance-pop duo Up and
Over It reimagined classic Irish
footwork by mixing it into quirky
street scenes. Their energy and skill
kept
the
crowd
thoroughly
pumped.
Kate Brennan stole the scene each
time she came on stage, captivating
the audience with Emmet Kirwan’s
feminist infused, spoken word on
topics ranging from poverty to
abortion. Her presence grounded
RIOT and kept the show from
drifting too far into bubble-gum
pop delirium. She was a critical
anchor in this high-energy show.
T
RIOT Photo by Conor Horgan for THISISPOPBABY.
his year’s Luminato
Festival has an obvious
political theme, but RIOT is where
even the coldest human truths will
be served to you on a platter
alongside Glee-style hits, neon
spandex and graceful aerialists.
There is no doubt that the cast of
RIOT thoroughly enjoy poking fun
at everyone in the audience. The
concept for the show is a bit of an
80s themed, futuristic, sexy
cabaret. Costumes ranged from
Gaga-inspired
overcoats
and
disco-balls to neon spandex and,
impressively, a plastic-wrapped
dancer. The show itself included a
dazzling array of aerial routines,
using hoops and silks, acrobatics,
modernized Irish dancing, spoken
word and comedy.
The cast features the comedic
stylings of The Queen of Ireland
Panti Bliss who presided over the
eclectic evening as ring-leader,
providing a necessary thread of
continuity throughout this mish-
mash of performances.
Megan Riordan, best known for her
role in Once-The Musical, had a
moment during the evening that
allowed the audience to join in her
song. It involved a planned power
outage that inspired us to light up
the stage with cell-phone torches.
Unfortunately, the two people in
the room using actual lighters made
more of an impact than her song,
which slowed down the pace of the
show a bit too much.
Overall, RIOT is a fun night out and
definitely worth seeing.
One of the higlights of the night
came from the hilarious and
subversive duo, the Lords of Strut.
These two play two idiotic brothers
who think they are celebrities, but
everything they do is an absolute
disaster, at the same time they do
impressive dance routines in an
amazing array of costumes.
Another highlight were the aerial
performances by ex-footballer
Adam Brady. His provocative,
tongue-in-cheek
choreography,
taking place high above the crowd,
was mesmerizing and stood out as
he returned throughout the night.
TD Toronto Jazz Festival. Over
150 concerts over 10 days,
including performances by Herbie
Hancock, Seal, Savion Glover,
Holly Cole. Various locations in
Toronto. torontojazz.com. June 22
to July 1.