As indicated in the last post, weekends are usually pretty full for me. This weekend, I am off to see a play at Canadian Stage, then see a Soundstreams concert (and I plan on going to the gym this morning). I didn't have a lot planned on Sunday -- just swimming and then going to see a movie (Rohmer's La Collectionneuse) at Paradise. However, I was just at Hirut for two evenings of great jazz with Mike Murley, Reg Schwager & Neil Swainson (and I managed to get quite a bit of work done on revising my Fringe play!). I saw that they will have Dave Young playing a set on Sunday, starting at 4. I don't have to be at the Paradise until 6, so I could probably stay as late as 5:20, but through the first set anyway, so I am leaning towards doing that.
But things get really crazy next Sunday. I was trying to get to one of the Mooredale Concerts where the guest artist was going to play several Prokofiev piano sonatas. The concert starts at 3:15, but I have to be over at TIFF to see another Buñuel film at 4, so that wasn't going to work. I decided to try the "kids" version instead, which starts at 1:15 and wraps up by 2:15 or so. (It might make going to the gym beforehand a bit challenging, so I need to really start on time next weekend!) Now years ago, I took my son to one of the Mooredale children's concerts and it was interesting in how they really explained things to the kids, so it was very educational, but a bit annoying in how they broke the main piece up into separate movements and talked between each of them. My guess is they won't break up individual sonatas, but I guess I'll find out. I'm sure I would have preferred the full concert at 3:15, but this should still be entertaining. Anyway, at 8, I then will mosey on over to the Rex to see a group led by Ewen Farncombe playing a couple of sets dedicated to Monk's music, so that should be great. (Murley did one Monk tune on Thurs., and I believe 3 on Fri. They even took requests! I wasn't thinking quickly enough, so if I see him back at the Rex or Hirut and he takes requests again, I will ask for "Someone to Watch Over Me." Murley played a bit of Kern and Cole Porter over the past two evenings, but no Gershwin; I don't think I've heard him play Gershwin.) I don't think I need to worry about reserving a seat on Sunday, but I guess I'll find out.
I'm actually going to the Rex at least once and probably twice next week (before the Monk showcase). I'll be seeing Gary Smulyan, backed by Neil Swainson and Terry Clarke. I reserved a spot on Sat. (and I'll likely stick around for the late set). I doubt I need to reserve on Wed., so I didn't do that. Again, I'll find out... I'm also seeing a movie at the Revue (De Palma's Blow Out) and another Buñuel at TIFF. And seeing Some Like It Hot at Mirvish with my son. So I am out virtually the entire week, aside from Monday. (Maybe I'll run over to the AGO on Monday just for something to do...) But I will be able to focus a lot on writing while I am at Hirut or The Rex, so it definitely doesn't feel like wasted time!
Sometimes you just can't make things work out, however. I was supposed to see a RCM concert featuring the music of Golijov, but there was the big storm and they rescheduled it. However, they rescheduled it to conflict with an Amici concert (indeed the only Amici concert I see all season!). I wrote back trying to shame them into moving it, but I don't think I'll have much success. I've also not managed to see Allison Au very often, as her gigs usually conflict with something else I am seeing. I think I might manage to see her at the Rex in March, but even that is looking dicey.
My reading is going reasonably well, especially with all the time I am spending on the subway or streetcars. I am halfway through Martyr! and will probably finish it over the long weekend. I've read through more poetry, including two collections by Jana Prikryl. I don't enjoy her work as much as Solie's, but there are some solid poems. I've generally struggled to find poems about cycling. Prikryl has written one short poem about cycling called "A Banquet" from her Midwood collection, and I could see including that in the anthology. Once in a while, when I am feeling exceptionally ambitious, I also gather up poems about travel and tourism (for a second anthology!), and I thought "Jet Lag" would fit in with the others well. So that's going along ok. I have 5 or so poetry collections out from the library, and then I need to start going through the huge stack of poetry books I own and haven't read (probably half of which are from Brick Books).
But my main focus this week, when I have any free time is to get the second draft of At Home with the Bard done. It's really shaping up, and I think I can circulate this by Monday. That's the goal anyway. At that point I need to get much more serious about casting and landing a stage manager and someone who can run the lights.
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