A new musical about 9/11, a gourmet food fest and eight other things to do this week

A new musical about 9/11, a gourmet food fest and eight other things to do this week

Photograph by Matthew Murphy

Come From Away, a Broadway-bound musical about 9/11
On September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center attacks grounded thousands of passengers on hundreds of other planes in unfamiliar places. In a small town in Newfoundland, the locals welcomed over 6,000 people from 38 planes into their homes. This Broadway-bound musical from Irene Sankoff and David Hein looks at how generosity and camaraderie can flourish in unlikely circumstances. Tuesday, November 15 to Sunday, January 8. $60–$139. Royal Alexandra Theatre, 250 King St. W., mirvish.com.

Steven Page’s second act
The musician spent several years in the artistic wilderness after his 2009 split from the Barenaked Ladies, but he’s earned some of the best reviews of his career with Heal Thyself Pt. 1: Instinct. The ambitious new album makes great use of Page’s upbeat pop style while frankly describing his struggles with depression. Page will mostly perform new material at his live show, but he will nonetheless fold in some familiar songs from the BNL days. Odds front man Craig Northey and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Fox open. Friday, November 18. $48. Danforth Music Hall, 147 ­Danforth Ave., ticketmaster.ca.

Seu Jorge’s stripped-down tribute to David Bowie
There have been many Bowie tributes this year, Brazilian musician Seu Jorge’s acoustic, Portuguese-language Bowie covers are essential listening. They were such a highlight of Wes Anderson’s film The Life Aquatic that even the Thin White Duke himself praised them. Jorge is the rare performer who honours the songs while also transforming them into ­something totally new, injecting Bowie’s glam-rock funkiness with ­reggae and samba sounds while toning down the vocal gymnastics to suit his own mellow baritone. Tuesday, November 15. $47–$325. Queen Elizabeth ­Theatre, 190 Princes’ Blvd., ­ticketmaster.ca.

The always-enticing Gourmet Food and Wine Expo
The 22nd annual celebration of all things delicious includes a Canadian cheese corner offering daily seminars, cooking demonstrations and samples of the country’s best cheeses. There are also celebrity chefs, live ­entertainment, a pavilion celebrating Toronto’s vibrant cocktail scene and wine appreciation events to enjoy between bites. Thursday, November 17 to Sunday, November 20. $20–$50. Metro Toronto ­Convention Centre, 255 Front St. W., ­foodandwineexpo.ca.

. Photograph by Sarah Abbott

Dollhouse, a dance piece unlike any other
The art of dance is not always graceful. In his new tap piece, Bill ­Coleman portrays a Buster Keaton–esque character disastrously out of step with his environment. He desperately tries to navigate a chaotic world of falling objects (ladders, mousetraps, wires), which—combined with music by Gordon Monahan—form an unusual, jagged soundscape. Wednesday, November 16 to Sunday, November 20. $39–$69. Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley St., ­canadianstage.com.

A note-by-note rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours
Sure, you know all the songs by heart, but when was the last time you actually sat down and listened to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours in its entirety? Well take a seat, because Classic Albums Live is going through the whole track list to mark the mega-selling album’s 40th anniversary. If you’re still nursing pain over Fleetwood Mac’s breakup, or if you just need to be reminded exactly when thunder happens, this is as close to a sure thing as it gets. Friday, November 18. $30–$60. Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., masseyhall.com.

. Painting courtesy of Paul Petro Gallery

Amy Bowles and Gary Evans’ lush art
Flowers blooming from cheekbones, twigs emerging from nostrils, faces grown into tree trunks—in Amy Bowles’s minutely detailed clay sculptures, the intersection between the human and natural worlds is unsettlingly literal. Gary Evans’s colourful, evocative landscape paintings (above) are more abstract—almost like looking at Canada through a stained-glass window. Friday, November 18 to Friday, December 23. Artwork $200–$14,000. Paul Petro ­Contemporary Art, 980 Queen St. W., paulpetro.com.

Conor Oberst’s melancholy comeback
Best known for defining the so-called emo movement with Bright Eyes, Conor Oberst is reaching for a different style with his new tour. In this solo performance, Oberst will unveil the austere acoustic sound he has developed for his new album, Ruminations (recorded in just 48 hours). As Oberst’s first major work in years, the album and the tour can be seen as attempts to get back to basics—and shake off two decades’ worth of baggage. Thursday, November 17. $40–$60. Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., masseyhall.com.

A breezy indie-folk set by The Shuvs
The local folk rockers sound like they belong to another era: their breezy, meandering tunes have more soul than most bands this side of the 1970s, and they drip with a warmth reminiscent of vinyl’s glory days. This week, they release their self-titled LP, which includes “Can’t Find Love,” a swaying single buoyed by ambient guitars and airy vocal harmonies. Friday, November 18. $10. Burdock, 1184 Bloor St. W., burdock.to.

An opera about WWII-era British Columbia
Tapestry Opera kicks off its 37th season with the Toronto premiere of Naomi’s Road, a poignant tale about a Japanese-Canadian girl who is separated from her parents during WWII and taken from her Vancouver home to a B.C. internment camp. After a decade of touring in western Canada, the celebrated production comes to Toronto with two original cast members in tow. $35. Wednesday, November 16 to Sunday, November 20. St. David’s Anglican Church, 49 Donlands Ave., tapestryopera.com.

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