A new season of Anne with an E, MOCA’s grand opening and seven other things to see, hear and do in Toronto this week

A new season of Anne with an E, MOCA’s grand opening and seven other things to see, hear and do in Toronto this week

Photo courtesy of CBC

An Anne of Green Gables revamp
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Now in its second season, CBC and Netflix’s Anne with an E strays even further from the novel as the beloved characters struggle with abuse, trauma, sexism and racism. Amybeth McNulty plays the eternally optimistic Anne, and, in a historic move for the franchise, the series introduces its first black character (Degrassi’s Dalmar Abuzeid as a Trinidadian sailor). Sunday, September 23. CBC.

A boozy 10K run
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It’s unclear whether drinking pints before running a 10K is a good idea, but having seven brewery pit stops across the city to catch your breath and quench your thirst seems like good enough reason to try. Participants stop off at Batch Brewery, Bier Markt, Amsterdam BrewHouse, Steam Whistle Brewing, Northern Maverick Brewing Co., 3 Brewers Liberty and cross the finish line at Henderson Brewing Co. If drunken sprinting sounds unappealing, there’s an alternative option: watch the runners stumble across the finish line like newborn Bambis. Sunday, September 23. $66.49. Batch Brewery. 

Photo courtesy of MOCA

A new art museum in the Junction
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The much-anticipated Museum of Contemporary Art is scheduled to reopen its doors in a space five times larger than its former Queen West home. The new 55,000-square-foot gallery, housed over five floors in the Junction’s Tower Automotive Building, will host three major exhibits each year, in addition to workshops, performances and talks. The debut show, Believe, features 16 artists from Canada and abroad (including Awol Erizku, the photographer responsible for Beyoncé’s viral pregnancy portrait), and asks questions about our pluralistic society. Saturday, September 22. Free. 158 Sterling Road. 

A comedy festival to tickle your funny bone
4Some of the world’s most hilarious minds will unite in Toronto for 10 days of riveting, gut-busting comedy at JFL 42, Canada’s most venerable comedy festival. The roster of big-name yuksters includes The Hangover actor Ken Jeong, Chris Rock Show writer Wanda Sykes, libertarian podcast superstar Joe Rogan and beloved comedian Seth Meyers. 
Thursday, September 20 to Saturday, September 29. $25–$299. Various venues.

Photo courtesy of TSO

A psychedelic symphony
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Bad-boy French composer Hector Berlioz opens the TSO’s new season with the 19th-century equivalent of stoner music. His five-movement symphony tells the story of a man’s self-destructive love for a beautiful woman in what feels like an opium trip gone wrong. The work is famous for myriad orchestral effects that make each part of the composition—from moments of passion to visions of suicide and murder—feel memorable. Selected works from Symphonie Fantastique’s sequel, Lélio, preface the main performance, and conductor Andrew Davis wields the baton. Thursday, September 20 to Saturday, September 22. $52.50–$114.50. 500-145 Wellington Street W.

An annual book-lover’s paradise
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An oasis for local bookworms, the Word on the Street festival returns for its 29th year to celebrate print media and Canadian literature. In addition to hosting the country’s largest outdoor bookstore, the festival offers readings, workshops and author talks, giving attendees ample opportunity to discover their new favourite book. Sunday, September 23. Free. Harbourfront Centre.

Photo by Jim Ryce

A radical Shakespeare shakeup
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Two decades ago, celebrated Canadian playwright Djanet Sears gave Shakespeare’s Othello a radical makeover by setting it in Harlem and retelling the tale from the perspective of a young black woman. Harlem Duet, remounted this month at the Tarragon Theatre, potently mixes love, jealousy and race, exploring what happens when a college professor leaves his wife for a white colleague. Directed by Sears herself, the performance is expected to be just as powerful as it was more than 20 years ago. Tuesday, September 18 to Thursday, October 18. $30. Tarragon Theatre

Brunching for a good cause
8Brunch enthusiasts can dine this Saturday for a good cause. Not 9 to 5—Toronto’s first mental health initiative for people working in the food and beverage industry—is hosting a Gospel Brunch, with all proceeds going to the organization. Tickets include a four-course brunch from local chefs including Charlotte Langley (Scout Canning) and Graham Pratt (The Gabardine), complete with boozy (or non-boozy) beverage pairings and live entertainment from more than a dozen DJs. $42.59. Saturday, September 22. 304 Richmond St. W.

A modern tribute to a legendary pianist
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 In a new exhibit, Glenn Gould’s iconic classical music is remixed with hip-hop, pop and electronic songs. Listeners can experience the modernized soundtrack through a video experiment, where curators manipulated historical CBC recordings to make it seem like Gould is performing the new compositions himself. Thursday, September 20 to Tuesday, September 25. Free. 156 Projects Studio.

Correction

September 21, 2018

An earlier version of this story misidentified Dalmar Abuzeid's character as a Trinidadian soldier.