(I’m thinking it’s only fair to begin randomizing which topic starts off the week’s update, so they all get a chance to be “above the fold”. of course, that means you have to click “More” to read about “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot”,  “Bonnie & Clyde”, “Appetite”, and.. well, more! - Steve)

In Music,

This weekend, what with it being the Easter Weekend and Passover, is a little quieter than usual for concerts of note (though Stillepost.ca still has plenty of punk and metal shows listed). Things start to pick up as of Easter Monday when moody folk rock husband and wife duo The Rosebuds drift into town. On Tuesday, Metric and Holy Fuck play an all ages show, and math rock outfit DD/MM/YYYY play an in-store at Soundscapes, to ramp up interest for their CD release at Lee’s on Thursday.

But the hottest show of the week is undoubtedly local-boys-made-good Woodhands, who’re headlining a stellar night of rock you can dance to next Friday at the Phoenix Nightclub. Woodhands, back from several well reviewed SXSW showcase performances in Austin, TX, have gotten their hometown fans to drip sweat at venues all over town, but the Phoenix is by far the largest venue yet for the dynamic duo - and the tickets are priced the same ($10) as what we’ve previously paid to see them in much smaller joints (with less floor to dance on).

In Comedy,

This Saturday sees a number of noteworthy shows, including the fourth anniversary show for Lunacy Cabaret, the clown, acrobat, and comedy showcase at the circus training facility in the east end; a special performance by Bruce Horak of his tour de force show “This is Cancer“, featuring Horak as a conceited blowhard embodying the pervasive disease, at a fundraiser for The Cancer Society; and a late night fundraiser for Comedy Bar’s ongoing renovation efforts, featuring sketch duos like Hawkmail and Punch Drysdale.

The holiday makes for a quieter Sunday, with quite a few weeklies (Ghost Jail Theatre, Sunday Night Live) taking the night off. But Laugh Sabbath is sticking to their guns, programming stellar acts like The Williamson Playboys and Andrew Johnston on their “Talent Show” monthly.

Speaking of Johnston, the stand-up hosts his monthly “Bitch Salad” on Tuesday. It’s one of several all female comedy shows this week, including a ladies-only edition of Catch 23 Improv on Monday, and a prep set by WDWMKR on Tuesday before the troupe heads off to the Chicago Improv Festival.

(Film and theatre recommendations, plus the week’s nightly picks, await your perusal below).

In Film,

Camera Bar’s free offering this week is the classic amoral caper film “Bonnie and Clyde“, screening Saturday afternoon. The rep cinemas have a few festivals of interest to film buffs, like the Images Film Festival, and Reelworld Film Festival, but in truth, nothing jumps out at yours truly.

There are, however, a few new films of interest being released this weekend. It may serve as a final reminder of a great talent now bent on destroying his reputation, but Joaquin Phoenix has received universal praise for his role as a conflicted adulterer vacillating between Gwyneth Paltrow and Vanessa Shaw in “Two Lovers“; and Micheal Fassbinder’s portrayal of an Irish prisoner taking a suicidal stand in Steve McQueen’s “Hunger” helped that film snag the Camera D’Or at Cannes, and the Discovery Award at last fall’s TIFF.

In Theatre,

“Dedicated to the Revolutions” wraps up this weekend at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. I found myself drawing intriguing parallels between Small Wooden Shoe’s science lectures by actors showcase, and Birdland Theatre’s gripping drama “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot“, which also ends a too brief run this Wednesday. Whereas the personable actors in “Revolutions”  play versions of themselves and dispense with the “fourth wall” to share their own comprehension of the more esoteric concepts in science, the sterling cast of “Judas” immerse themselves in historical characters to explore issues of religious faith and forgiveness, using a court room in Purgatory to highlight the extremes of hope and despair inherent in the human condition. The first show invites us to consider the mystery and wonder of the world around us; the second, to give some thought to those personal mysteries we all grapple with.

Now, this update strives to highlight “cost-effective” ways to see shows, but sometimes, the higher priced shows (with no matinees or previews) are worth that extra $10 or $20. Shows you should consider digging a little deeper for this week include “Judas”, with its cast of Broadway alumni and Canadian theatre veterans, and Artistic Fraud’s “Afterimage“, featuring a large ensemble from Newfoundland performing on a fully electrified stage. Of course, there’s still plenty of smaller worthwhile shows around town right now if you’re feeling light in the pocket, like Cart/Horse Theatre’s one man show “Rum and Vodka” at the Cameron House, and Column 13’s double bill of David Mamet plays at Theatre Passe Muraille.

Finally, there’s two shows previewing this week, that you might want to catch early in the run, before the tickets become pricier, or just plain hard to get. Rick Miller and Daniel Brooks collaborate on Miller’s follow-up to “Bigger Than Jesus”, “Hardsell“, a examination of the inevitability of being influenced by advertising; and Volcano Theatre brings “Appetite“, a lusty and darkly comic examination of human desire, back for a proper run, after the clown and dance creation scored big at Summerworks two years ago.

Steve’s Weekly Picks for Apr. 10th - Apr. 17th, 2009:

FRIDAY Apr. 10th: The Ark Collective presents “Mourning Dove“, w/ Kimwun Perehinec, Colin Doyle, Vickie Papavs, more, @ the Tarragon Theatre, 8pm, $20-$29     / Mates of State, w/ Black Kids, Sunbears!, @ The Phoenix, 9pm, $20 /     “Haas Goes Hollywood“, w/ Charity & Chastity, Laura Cilevitz, Andrew Johnston, more, @ Comedy Bar, 9:30pm, PWYC     /     White Cowbell Oklahoma (12am) CD release, w/ Grimskunk (11pm), more, @ The Horseshoe Tavern, 10pm, $15

SATURDAY Apr. 11th Aft.: Birdland Theatre presents “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot“, w/ Janet Porter, Shaun Smyth, Morris Panych, more, @ The Fermenting Cellar (Distillery District), 2pm, $40     /     “Bonnie & Clyde“, @ Camera Bar, 3pm, FREE

SATURDAY Apr. 11th Eve: “Upstaging Cancer: Night 2″, w/ Bruce Horak, Laura Burns, Nicole St. Martin, more, @ The Ernest Balmer Studio (Distillery District, Bldg. 58), 8pm, PWYC (donation to the Cancer Society)     / “Lunacy Cabaret“, w/ Lindy Zucker, Fesso the Clown, Sandra Battaglini, more, @ Centre for Gravity, 8:30pm, $12     / Comedy Bar presents “The Chair-ity Show“, w/ Hawkmail, Punch Drysdale, Alex Nussbaum, host Eric Toth, more, @ Comed yBar, 10pm, $15

SUNDAY Apr. 12th Aft.: Small Wooden Shoe presents “Dedicated to the Revolutions” closing show, w/ Erin Shields, Jacob Zimmer, Frank Cox O’Donnell, more, @ Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 2:30pm, PWYC

SUNDAY Apr. 12th Eve: Cart/Horse Theatre presents “Rum & Vodka”, w/ Matthew Gorman, @ The Cameron House, 8pm, PWYC      / Laugh Sabbath Presents “Talent Show!“, w/ The Williamson Playboys, Katie Crown, Kurt Smeaton, host James Hartnett, more, @ The Rivoli, 9pm, $5

MONDAY Apr. 13th: “Monkey Toast: Easter Edition“, w/ Mark Forward, Ed the Sock, Scott Montgomery, host David Shore, music by Jeff Raimondo, more, @ The Gladstone Hotel Ballroom, 8pm, PWYC     /     Catch 23 Improv presents “Attack of the Lady!“, w/ Aurora Browne, Kayla Lorette, Claire Salloum, host Christy Bruce, musical guest Maylee Todd, more, @ Comedy Bar, 9:30pm, $5     /     The Rosebuds, @ Lee’s Palace, 10:15pm, $10.50

TUESDAY Apr. 14th:  DD/MM/YYYY in-store performance, @ Soundscapes, 7pm, FREE / “Bitch Salad“, w/ Katherine Ryan, Deborah Robinson, Nikki Payne, host Andrew Johnston, more, @ Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 8:30pm, $10      /      Metric, w/ Holy Fuck, @ The Mod Club,  8:30pm, $25 (ALL AGES) /       “Pontypool“ closing screening, @ Carleton Cinemas, 9:15pm, $7.95      / Elana McMurtry, w/ Friends are Free, @ The Dakota Tavern, 9:30pm, PWYC

WEDNESDAY Apr. 15th: Soulpepper presents “Glengarry Glen Ross“, w/ Eric Peterson, Jordan Pettle, William Webster, more, @ The Young Centre, 1:30pm, $34-$68 ($5-$20 rush tickets 1 hr b4 show)      /     Necessary Angel presents “Hardsell” preview show, w/ Rick Miller, @ Canstage Berkeley Theatre, 8pm, $20 /      “The Carnegie Hall Show“, w/ Chris Gibbs, Teresa Pavlinek, Matt Baram, musical guest Jill Kirshman, more, @ Bread and Circus, 9:30pm, PWYC      /       “Two Lovers”, @ AMC Yonge & Dundas, 10:05pm, $13

THURSDAY Apr. 16th: Volcano Theatre presents “Appetite” preview show,  w/ Claire Calnan, Adam Lazarus, Lineea Swan, @ Theatre Passe Muraille, 8pm, $15 /     Impromptu Splendor presents “The Splendor of Things“, w/ Kayla Lorette, Naomi Snieckus, special guest Brendan Gall, @ Comedy Bar, 9pm, $10     /     DD/MM/YYYY CD release, w/ Metz(10:30pm), Black Feelings(9:30pm), @ Lee’s Palace, 10pm, $10 (includes LP)

FRIDAY Apr. 17: Artistic Fraud presents “Afterimage“, @ The Harbourfront Centre Enwave Theatre, 8pm, $30 /        Steamwhistle Unsigned presents  Woodhands, w/ The Carps, Golden Girls, more, @ Phoenix, 9:30pm, $10     / Column 13 presents “Edmund“, w/ Scott Walker, Angela Hanes, Luis Fernandez, more, @ Theatre Passe Muraille, 10:30pm, $20

Fine Print:

- All prices listed are advance ticket prices (where applicable). With many of these shows, especially music and theatre, if you show up at the door, you run the risk of being turned away due to a sell out.

- All times are start times, NOT door times. If you show up after the posted time, the show will likely already be underway.

- I typically cap the listed performers at three mentioned per show. The bill of bands / acts / performers is often much larger (particularly for comedy and theatre).

- Theatre and Comedy events are ALL AGES, unless otherwise noted. Music events are 19+, unless otherwise noted.

Filed under: GTS Update by Steve