NEWS ITEM: Luminato: Arts festival lights up Toronto
10 Jun'10

JOHN COULBOURN - QMI Agency

TORONTO - This year, Luminato will be pulling a few rabbits out of hats in the fourth edition of their city-wide celebration of arts and creativity.

But they won’t be stopping there; for while there will no doubt be more than a few bunnies caught napping in top hats in Luminato’s all-new MASTERS OF MAGIC series (running at the Panasonic Theatre from June 17-20), there’s plenty of magic on offer in the more conventional disciplines of the performing arts as well, proving that whatever the discipline, there is nothing slight about sleight of hand.

On the opera front, for instance, interest has been high in the North American premiere performances of Rufus Wainwright’s PRIMA DONNA — June 14, 16, 18 and 19 at the Elgin Theatre — since it was first added to the Luminato lineup. But that’s not the only high notes Luminato will be hitting, with an opera program that also includes the world premiere of DARK STAR REQUIEM, an oratorio composed by Andrew Staniland and featuring a libretto by Jill Battson. DARK STAR explores issues of HIV-AIDS In Africa and is produced in association with Tapestry New Opera Works and is slated to run June 11 and 12 at the Royal Conservatory.

Also on the opera front, THE INFERNAL COMEDY: CONFESSIONS OF A SERIAL KILLER is an opera-cum-monologue written and directed by Michael Sturminger and starring John Malkovich. It too runs June 11 and 12, with performances at Massey Hall. Meanwhile, on a more conventional theatre front, our own Volcano Theatre Company has been working hard with an international team of artists towards the world premiere of THE AFRICA TRILOGY, slated to play June 10-13 and June 15-20 at the Fleck Dance Theatre.

Nova Scotia’s 2b Theatre Company brings its acclaimed production of HOMAGE to the Joey & Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre, June 17-19, while Germany’s Riminia Protokoll is slated to mount its ground-breaking production of BEST BEFORE in the Berkeley Street Theatre, June 16-19. On the border between the world of dance and the world of theatre, Australia’s Chunky Move will be on hand to heat things up at the Joey & Toby Tanenbaum Opera Centre June 11-13, as they present their acclaimed production of TWO-FACED BASTARD.

But if it’s a purer form of dance you crave, chances are it will be hard to beat the National Ballet of Canada’s night of mixed programming at the Four Seasons Centre, when it joins the Luminato lineup. They’re performing a new work by choreographer Jorma Elo in a mixed program that includes Jerome Robbins’ hugely popular WEST SIDE STORY SUITE and OPUS 19/THE DREAMER, running in Luminato, June 11-13.

On an edge more cutting than classical, the world premiere of Erika Batdorf and Company’s multidisciplinary work, titled ONE PURE LONGING: TAHIRAH'S SEARCH, promises to have fans flocking to Buddies in Bad Times June 11-14. Meanwhile, dance fans who prefer a little bit of folk with their frolic, will no doubt want to check out Syria’s Enana Dance Theatre and the North American premiere of their JULIA DOMNA, which charts the rise and fall of a Roman empress, running June 18 and 19 at the MacMillan Theatre.

Additionally, you might want to check out Coleman Lemieux & Company, who will be bringing dance to the people and people to the dance at Nelson Mandela Park Public School at 1 p.m., June 12.

And finally, if you’re searching for a banquet that promises something for every taste, take in the Waves Festival, June 19-20, as it transforms the Young Centre into a hotbed of multidisciplinary artistic innovation. Just another rabbit Luminato has managed to pull out of the hat.