Things To Do

The October edition of the AGO’s superb art party is a sneak peek at Nuit Blanche, featuring a conversation with mysterious Paris photographer JR—whose work will take over City Hall two days later—and music by k-os and Rollie Pemberton (the artist formerly known as Cadence Weapon). Art Gallery of Ontario, 217 Dundas St. W., ago.net.

The Parisian polymath is best known for his impeccably detailed miniature interiors, painted dioramic duplicates of real-life bedrooms, studios and libraries. This retrospective reveals a largely unseen oeuvre of in-process snapshots and other photography. Artwork $3,500–$12,500. Stephen Bulger Gallery, 1026 Queen St. W., bulgergallery.com.

The prolific playwright Jordan Tannahill continues his takeover of the Toronto theatre scene with a production of Late Company, which occurs months after a young boy’s suicide, when his parents invite their son’s bully and his family over for dinner. $30. The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen St. W., theatrecentre.org.

The 40-year-old makers’ market is an IRL Etsy, uniting hundreds of artisans and vendors to deliver carefully crafted wares for the home, kitchen and wardrobe, including ultra-cool Toronto skyline cufflinks by Sin Kim Jewellery. Enercare Centre, 100 Princes’ Blvd., oneofakindshow.com.

Toronto troubadour Afie Jurvanen’s newest album, Bahamas Is Afie, is a gorgeously restrained record of soft, country-coloured folk rock. Here, he delivers his new, swaying single “All I’ve Ever Known” along with three discs’ worth of other breezy beauties. $19–$29.50. Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., liveatmasseyhall.com.

Find some sweet deals (and Santa Claus) on the streets of Elora during Starlight Shopping, when the quaint, quiet town congregates to pick out Christmas gifts, share some hot wintry beverages and, presumably, appreciate their beautiful surroundings. Various locations, elora.info.

The National Ballet of Canada’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s most popular love story blends the subtle urgency of Sergei Prokofiev’s score with the fresh, folksy energy of Alexei Ratmansky’s rapid, Russian choreography. From $37. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W., national.ballet.ca.

In its first solo exhibition, the Aga Khan Museum presents a series of full-size canvas works by Iranian photographer, poet and filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, who spent two decades documenting weird and weathered doors in Iran, Italy, France and Morocco. Aga Khan Museum, 77 Wynford Dr., agakhanmuseum.org.

Star spouses Paul Gross and Martha Burns turn their offstage chemistry into onstage scandal in this play about a popular politician who’s discovered at the bedside of an ailing sex worker. $24–$53. Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley St., canadianstage.com.

This new snack counter in Kensington Market serves a near-perfect version of Berlin’s unofficial late-night nosh, the döner. Thick slices of spit-roasted veal and lamb are tossed with tomato, iceberg lettuce and red cabbage, then doused with a spicy, garlicky yogurt sauce and served on grilled flatbread. Read our review here. 256 Augusta Ave., ottosdoner.com.

Claire Boucher graduated from underground gigs to world tours with her breakthrough album, Visions. Up next: Art Angels, a diverse collection of punky synthpop tunes that includes the danceable, dubstep-tinged “Go.” $32.75–$40.50. Danforth Music Hall, 147 Danforth Ave., ticketmaster.com.

An international troupe of 18 championship skaters lace up for an ice ballet based on the classic Brothers Grimm tale set to Tchaikovsky’s romantic 1890 score. Expect stilt skating, pyrotechnics and gravity-defying leaps. $55–$95. Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St. E., sonycentre.ca.

The St. John’s outfit Hey Rosetta! headlines with their complex yet cathartic sing-alongs, while Kelowna hippie-rockers Yukon Blonde blaze through their album On Blonde, a repertoire of synth-shaped rock ’n’ roll. $39.50–$49.50. Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., roythomson.com.

This massive and majestic green space is home to the largest number of public yurts in Ontario’s parks. Each of its 16 heated shelters has space for six people, so grab some friends and lounge the weekend away. MacGreger Point Provincial Park, 1593 Bruce Rd. 33, ontarioparks.com.

This epicurean extravaganza features 140,000 square feet of artisanal cheeses, craft beers and luxury spirits, plus complimentary cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs like Mark McEwan. $25–$85. Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 222 Bremner Blvd., foodandwineexpo.ca.

The National Ballet’s new principal dancers Naoya Ebe, Elena Lobsanova and Jurgita Dronina juggle the lead roles in this triumphant take on Shakespeare’s romance about royalty, rage and redemption, in which a king seeks forgiveness after falsely accusing his wife of adultery. From $37. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W., national.ballet.ca.

Long before lampooning hipster culture on Portlandia, Brownstein was a riot grrrl stalwart as the guitarist of the critically acclaimed (and recently reunited) trio Sleater-Kinney. Here, she discusses her new memoir, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl. Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St., torontopubliclibrary.com.

Front man Matthew Caws and his band mates have consistently created poetry out of everyday observations. They set their lyrics to a simple selection of guitar-driven alternative music that’s influenced legions of pop-punk and emo rockers since. $22.50. Horseshoe Tavern, 370 Queen St. W., horseshoetavern.com.

This 19-year-old event stands out as a beacon of excellence in alternative cinema—it digs deep into the catalogue of works created by Asian filmmakers at home and abroad, offering much more than what typically trickles down to North American audiences. $10–$20. Various locations, reelasian.com.

The Freddie Mercury of CanRock has released 11 full-length albums that wander between arena-appropriate glam-rock bangers (remember “We Will Still Need a Song”?) and sentimental piano ballads. $40.75. Phoenix Concert Theatre, 410 Sherbourne St., ticketmaster.com.

Zach Condon, the uke-strumming Santa Fe musician behind Beirut, employs a handful a musicians to deliver the sort of folk-tinged, European-influenced indie pop found on his latest release, No No No. $44–$47. Danforth Music Hall, 147 Danforth Ave., ticketmaster.com.

The weekend-long Christmas Handmade Market in Jordan brings more than 80 jewellers, woodworkers and clothing artisans to the tranquil Honsberger Estate. Anyone seeking more scenery can sneak out to the nearby Jordan Harbour Conservation Area. Honsberger Estate, 4020 Jordan Rd., handmademarket.ca.

Fishmonger extraordinaire John Bil puts his encyclopedic knowledge of seafood to good use at his small Junction shop. There are plump B.C. clams, lush mussels, fish crudo and creamy, shellfish-packed chowder. 2776 Dundas St. W., honestweight.ca

The queen of Canadian fiction chats with George Stroumboulopoulos about The Heart Goes Last, her new post-apocalyptic novel, which follows a jobless young couple trying to ensure a modest middle-class future by selling their souls to a sinister social experiment. Read our review here. Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge St., torontopubliclibrary.com.