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The Theatre Centre presents Cabaret brise-jour, created by Quebec-based L'orchestre d'hommes-orchestres (LODHO), from Mar. 25 to 29. The second production presented at The Theatre Centre's new venue and permanent home at 1115 Queen St. W., Cabaret brise-jour retraces the controversial path taken by exiled musician Kurt Weill throughout his career, infusing his songs with everything from punk rock to hip hop and recreating his impressive musical world of 1928 to 1949 on stage.
LODHO, an artist-run collective recently awarded The City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé Prize by the Glenn Gould Prize Laureate and theatre visionary Robert Lepage, uses unusual instruments, invented or recycled from everyday life, to create raw productions of 'music that can be seen' as well as heard. Their live performances are at the crossroads of theatre, cabaret, visual arts and music, and the result is innovative, perfectly unhinged and always entertaining.
"The Theatre Centre's relationship with L'orchestre d'hommes-orchestres stems back to our 2010 and 2011 presentations of LODHO Performs Tom Waits. Their frenzied multi-instrumentations were like nothing I had ever seen before. Every night the audience could barely wait for the final note to stand up and cheer," said Franco Boni, General and Artistic Director, The Theatre Centre. "We were honoured to be the first Canadian company to present the group's work outside of Quebec and are so excited to present their newest work, Cabaret brise-jour, as part of the inaugural season in our new venue to kick-off the show's cross-country tour."
Set in a high-society salon of the early 20th century, in Cabaret brise-jour eight musicians (Danya Ortmann, Philippe Lessard-Drolet, Lyne Goulet, Simon Elmaleh, Simon Drouin, Jasmin Cloutier, Gabrielle Bouthillier, and Bruno Bouchard) borrow from the repertoire of Weill to sing about the best and worst of the human condition. From Berlin cabaret and Parisian nostalgia to New York's Broadway, LODHO transforms Weill's dramatic and musical journey for the stage. Superimposed over the music are fanciful and surrealist images that create surprising tableaux vivants (living pictures) that are at once strange and fascinating.
Weill, one of the most versatile and influential theatre composers of the twentieth century, was no stranger to controversy. Forced to flee Germany in 1933, re-establishing in Paris for two years and finally landing permanently in New York, his music is a mixture of jazz, tango and folk. Known for his collaborations with Bertolt Brecht, Weill's most popular compositions include The Threepenny Opera, Mahogany and Lady in the Dark.
Robert Lepage, winner of the Tenth Glenn Gould Prize, selected LODHO as the recipients of the $15,000 City of Toronto Glenn Gould Protégé Prize in recognition of their fascinating and ingenious work. Lepage will present the award to members of LODHO immediately following a special performance of Cabaret brise-jour on Mar. 29 at 2 p.m. at The Theatre Centre. The special matinee performance is part of the Tenth Glenn Gould Prize celebrations. A limited number of $50 tickets are available for this special matinee performance, and can be purchased by calling The Theatre Centre at 416-538-0988 or online at www.theatrecentre.org.
Following the Toronto performances of Cabaret brise-jour, LODHO will tour the production to Calgary and Vancouver. Tickets from $25 to $30 are available online at ticketwise.ca, by phone at 416-538-0988, or in person at The Theatre Centre box office after Mar. 19. For more information visit theatrecentre.org.
Venue: Main Hall, The Theatre Centre (1115 Queen St. W.)
Dates: Mar. 25 to 29; Opening and media night: Tuesday, Mar. 25, 8 p.m.
Tickets on sale: Tickets $30 ($25 for Artsworkers, Seniors and Students), at http://tickets.ticketwise.ca/event/3809740 or 416-538-0988
