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dealiah
Mar 11th, 2009, 08:05 PM
LUMINATO UNVEILS 2009 MUSIC PROGRAM

TORONTO (March 10, 2009) – Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity, proudly announces its 2009 music program. Featuring a number of world and Canadian premieres, Luminato honours the art of the guitar and the power of music. Kicking off the 10-day celebration, Canadian icon Randy Bachman rocks out at Yonge-Dundas Square during Luminato First Night. As part of Luminato, New York Guitar Festival founder David Spelman co-curates the largest Guitar Festival in Canada. Luminato’s Guitar Festival features: Three Girls and their Buddy; Goran Bregovic; The Traveling Blues; and The Canadian Songbook: A Tribute to Neil Young’s Live at Massey Hall. Plus, Luminato attempts to break a Guinness World Record in The Great Canadian Tune. Now in its third year, Luminato is an annual celebration of the arts where Toronto’s stages, streets, and public spaces are infused with theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, film, literature, visual arts, and design. Luminato brings a world of creativity to the city for ten days June 5-14, 2009. Tickets for Luminato events go on sale April 16.

= * * YES THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER EVENTS HAPPENING TOO!

“Luminato’s music program presents a fusion of the best in global music with performances for all tastes and audiences,” says Janice Price, Luminato’s CEO. “From South America to the Balkans to the United States and Canada, Luminato showcases a world of music in Toronto and reminds us of the critical role that music plays in our everyday lives.” “Luminato’s music program travels the globe without ever leaving Toronto,” says Chris
Lorway, Luminato’s Artistic Director. “Our programming team really enjoyed finding the intersection between music and other genres. As a result, we’ve compiled an exciting program that includes theatre, film, and photography – all of which have music as their inspiration.”

Luminato’s Guitar Festival line up:
Luminato’s Guitar Festival is Canada’s largest celebration of the guitar. Co-curated by the New York Guitar Festival’s David Spelman, signature programs and performers transcend genres and pay tribute to the creativity and inspiration drawn from the guitar.


* * what I culled from some of the free highlights on offer:


Luminato First Night
Luminato takes over Yonge-Dundas Square on Opening Night with a free performance by one of music’s most eclectic and prolific performers. Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO) kicks things off as Luminato welcomes the Canadian guitar legend for a free outdoor Opening Night concert.
Friday, June 5 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


Artist Lounge
Located at the Hard Rock Cafe at Yonge-Dundas Square, Luminato’s Artist Lounge will be the place for the Toronto arts community and general public to gather each evening during the Festival to hear some great music and spontaneous jam sessions. Hosted by NOW Magazine’s 2007 Best Blues Artist Raoul Bhaneja and his band, The Big Time, the Artist Lounge will be a late night watering hole for Festival artists and those in the know.
Friday, June 5 – Friday, June 12 at Hard Rock Cafe
FREE


The Traveling Blues
Luminato’s The Traveling Blues showcases the rich history and compelling sound of Blues music from the dusty streets of Africa to the deep heart of the American South. A soulful and cathartic expression of one’s self, blues’ influence is intimate yet widespread. The Traveling Blues at Toronto’s Metro Square features headliner Taj Mahal along with: Fiona Boyes; Kevin Breit & Harry Manx; Mamadou Diabate; Alpha Yaya Diallo; Alvin Youngblood
Heart; Madagascar Slim/Tri-Continental; and Michael Pickett.
Saturday, June 6 at Metro Square
FREE


The Great Canadian Tune
Luminato attempts to break the Guinness World Record for Largest Guitar Ensemble as Yonge-Dundas Square hosts a jam session with guitarists playing ten of the greatest Canadian tunes. The current record is held by Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany where 1,802 guitarists assembled to perform Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water.” In the weeks leading up to the Festival, audiences are asked to log on to luminato.com to place their votes for The Great Canadian Tune. The Great Canadian Tune is presented by OLG.
Saturday, June 6 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


Light On Your Feet
Back again after a spectacular launch last year, Light On Your Feet brings dancing to the streets as Yonge-Dundas Square plays host to five evenings of free dance lessons and concerts featuring music to make you move from all over the world. Hosted by Vince Parrell, Light on Your Feet features salsa, produced in association with Salsa Festival Group (June 6), country (June 7), Bollywood, produced in association with Masala! Mehndi! Masti! (June 8), disco (June 9), and big band/swing (June 10). Light On Your Feet is presented by OLG.
Saturday, June 6 – Wednesday, June 10 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


The World of Slide Guitar
Embodying a rich musical history, the slide guitar has been played using metal pipes, batteries, spoons, and even broken bottles. Luminato celebrates The World of Slide Guitar with an all-day concert at Yonge-Dundas Square featuring headliners The Derek Trucks Band along with: Debashish Bhattacharya; Kevin Breit and FolkAlarm; The Campbell Brothers; Jerry Douglas; Sonny Landreth with Cindy Cashdollar; Daniel Lanois featuring
Brian Blade; and Don Rooke. The World of Slide Guitar is presented by OLG.
Sunday, June 7 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


Tales of The Uncanny
Richard Oswald’s 1919 silent German film Unheimliche Geschichten, or Tales of The Uncanny, makes its Canadian debut at Yonge-Dundas Square. Berlin artist and electronic musician Robert Lippok performs a live musical score of the gothic film alongside two top Canadian indie bands. Curated by North by Northeast and presented in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Toronto, Tales of The Uncanny is the story of an old bookstore where literary characters such as Death and the Devil come alive to read stories about
themselves.
Thursday, June 11 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


Goran Bregovic
One of the Balkans’ iconic composers and musicians, Bregovic and his Wedding and Funeral Orchestra take over Yonge-Dundas Square on June 12. The raucous night of Eastern European music features a Serbian gypsy brass band, string ensemble, all-male tuxedoclad choir, and two Bulgarian sisters singing back up. Born in Yugoslavia, Bregovic fuses dance tunes of a Roma brass band with traditional Eastern European choral music, all with a modern rock ’n’ roll edge.
Friday, June 12 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


National Bank Yorkville Festival – Brazilian Guitar Marathon
Luminato’s National Bank Yorkville Festival – Brazilian Guitar Marathon is a daylong exploration of the guitar’s rich history in Brazil – from Jazz and Samba to Bossa Nova and Chorinho. Village of Yorkville Park hosts a stellar line-up of Brazil’s most distinctive guitar masters, including: Grammy Award®-winners Sérgio and Odair Assad, often hailed as the best classic guitar duo in the world; virtuoso Celso Machado; Badi Assad (sister of Sérgio and Odair); Romero Lubambo; and seven-string sensation Yamandú Costa making his Toronto debut. National Bank Yorkville Festival – Brazilian Guitar Marathon is presented in association with the Bloor-Yonge BIA.
Saturday, June 13 at Village of Yorkville Park
FREE


See, it IS time to get excited about the summer offerings!

ENJOY and you're welcome.
.

dealiah
Apr 7th, 2009, 01:21 AM
bumping as a reminder;

it'll be sooooooo good!

Dash
Apr 7th, 2009, 10:26 AM
for anyone who wants to volunteer at Luminato here is the info:

http://www.luminato.com/festival/eng/mainvolunteer.php?id=2

YLSF
Jun 2nd, 2009, 01:40 PM
Bump reminder

It is on this weekend

sprung
Jun 2nd, 2009, 01:48 PM
for anyone who wants to volunteer at Luminato here is the info:

http://www.luminato.com/festival/eng/mainvolunteer.php?id=2

I'm volunteering there. Woofstock too. Amazed at how quickly the volunteer spots for Luminato performance/paid events filled up! I couldn't get any of those premium volunteer shifts so far :evil:

Dash
Jun 2nd, 2009, 02:12 PM
I'm volunteering there. Woofstock too. Amazed at how quickly the volunteer spots for Luminato performance/paid events filled up! I couldn't get any of those premium volunteer shifts so far :evil:

oh yea? which volunteer session did you go to? I'm a Team Leader.

I got a few performance shifts just for the hell of it. I wanted to get Nevermore, but couldn't.

Also, i'm just going to say that I'm disappointed with the Canadian Tune. Neil Young's great and all, but Helpless isn't exactly the greatest song, or the most lively. At least it's easy to play.

western
Jun 2nd, 2009, 02:59 PM
I'm volunteering there. Woofstock too. Amazed at how quickly the volunteer spots for Luminato performance/paid events filled up! I couldn't get any of those premium volunteer shifts so far :evil:

keep checking shifts open up occasioanlly when people drop them.

YLSF
Jun 3rd, 2009, 01:24 AM
I am volunteering also... Will keep an eye out for your Dash (Sprung, don't think I have met you before but you seem to be involved with a lot of events throughout the city so sure I will see you eventually)...

Seems like they must have got a big group of volunteers this year. I went to the returning volunteer signup but I was busy that weekend (Doors Open,etc) so I didn't try to pick shifts until Monday morning and a lot of stuff was gone (opening weekend, etc). Some stuff opened up later (the concerts on Sunday at YD), etc. I also am doing a few performance shifts (was refreshing my page like mad on Monday at noon). I am really looking forward to the festival again this year.

almostfreeman
Jun 3rd, 2009, 10:41 AM
Ty, bump

Dash
Jun 3rd, 2009, 11:07 AM
I am volunteering also... Will keep an eye out for your Dash (Sprung, don't think I have met you before but you seem to be involved with a lot of events throughout the city so sure I will see you eventually)...

Seems like they must have got a big group of volunteers this year. I went to the returning volunteer signup but I was busy that weekend (Doors Open,etc) so I didn't try to pick shifts until Monday morning and a lot of stuff was gone (opening weekend, etc). Some stuff opened up later (the concerts on Sunday at YD), etc. I also am doing a few performance shifts (was refreshing my page like mad on Monday at noon). I am really looking forward to the festival again this year.

yea, shifts went fast. There are definitely alot of volunteers in comparison to shifts available. Good to see you got some performance shifts though. When I'm not volunteering, I'll be checking everything out, so I'll definitely be around.

ildara
Jun 5th, 2009, 12:45 PM
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/645922

Today's Luminato Events

The Luminato Festival of Arts and Creativity kicks off 10 days of theatre, dance, music, discussion, visual arts, literature and more. Many events are free, tickets for others can be purchased at 416-872-1111 or at the T.O.-TIX booth at Yonge-Dundas Square. More information at thestar.com/luminato (http://www.thestar.com/luminato) or luminato.com (http://www.luminato.com/).

Music

The Children's Crusade is a new full-length opera from Canadian composer R. Murray Schafer, based on an episode in 13th-century France when thousands of children and young people were persuaded to take part in an ill-fated expedition to the Holy Land. Sensible shoes recommended since patrons stand during the show. Not recommended for children under 12. Starts tonight 8 p.m., continues to June 11 ($40), 153 Dufferin St.

Luminato Artist Lounge features house band Raoul and the Big Time performing with guest artists from other Guitar Festival events. Nightly at 10 p.m., Hard Rock Café, Yonge-Dundas Square.

Luminato First Night takes over Yonge-Dundas Square with featured performer Randy Bachman plus Digging Roots and Canadian Tenors tonight; 7 p.m.-11 p.m. (free).

Three Girls and Their Buddy features Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin and Buddy Miller sharing songs and stories. Tonight 8 p.m., Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St. ($59.50-$79.50).


Theatre & Dance

Tono, co-choreographed by Sandra Laronde and Roger Sinha, explores the themes of shamanism and the majesty of the horse. The three-country project – Canada, China and Mongolia – begins tonight at 7:30 p.m. and continues to June 7. Fleck Dance Theatre, Queen's Quay Terminal, 207 Queens Quay W. ($35-$45).

Zisele by Tel Aviv's Beit Lessin Theatre fuses theatre, dance and music to give a nostalgic and humorous look at the relationship between mothers and daughters. Featuring the original cast from Israel, the Harold Green Jewish Theatre production begins tonight at 8 p.m.; continues to June 13 ($50-$60), St. Lawrence Centre, 27 Front St. E.


Visual Arts

Luminato Box is a temporary experimental gallery giving 10 artists a day each to present their latest work. Today has OpenCity Projects with Ice Breakers, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. at Sam Pollock Square at Brookfield Place, 181 Bay St.

Raphael Mazzucco, renowned fashion photographer, presents new and commissioned works that draw upon Luminato's festival programming and other sources. It's on display today to June 14, Mon.-Wed., 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Thurs.-Sat., 11 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sun., noon-6 p.m. Burroughes Building, 639 Queen St. W., 3rd floor (free).

Tony Oursler, one of the most controversial multimedia artists on the world scene, has a public art installation today to June 14, 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Grange Park, Dundas St. W. & McCaul St. (free).

Shadow Notes photography exhibition features the work of Danny Clinch, Ralph Gibson and Andy Summers. All day today through June 14, Yonge-Dundas Square (free).

Six String Nation Portraits, part of this year's Guitar Festival, features portraits by Doug Nicholson. The photos are on display today to June 14 at Roots, 100 Bloor St. W., during regular store hours (free).


More Events

Illuminations — Lunchtime Conversations series kicks off today with a festival overview featuring several key Luminato personnel. Today, 12:30 p.m., Roots, 100 Bloor St. W., 2nd floor (free).

RedBall Project from Kurt Perschke features a giant red ball that uses the city itself as a canvas. It will be at a different location every day: today it's at Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen St. W., at 11 a.m.

ildara
Jun 5th, 2009, 12:51 PM
RedBall Project from Kurt Perschke features a giant red ball that uses the city itself as a canvas. It will be at a different location every day: today it's at Nathan Phillips Square, 100 Queen St. W., at 11 a.m.

Pic and article on the "Red Ball project":

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/646194

It reminded me of Star Trek *cough* :cheesygri

Sanhedralite
Jun 5th, 2009, 01:23 PM
I'm volunteering there. Woofstock too. Amazed at how quickly the volunteer spots for Luminato performance/paid events filled up! I couldn't get any of those premium volunteer shifts so far :evil:

When is Woofstock?

espeed
Jun 6th, 2009, 11:45 PM
I don't see any June 14 event?


LUMINATO UNVEILS 2009 MUSIC PROGRAM

TORONTO (March 10, 2009) – Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity, proudly announces its 2009 music program. Featuring a number of world and Canadian premieres, Luminato honours the art of the guitar and the power of music. Kicking off the 10-day celebration, Canadian icon Randy Bachman rocks out at Yonge-Dundas Square during Luminato First Night. As part of Luminato, New York Guitar Festival founder David Spelman co-curates the largest Guitar Festival in Canada. Luminato’s Guitar Festival features: Three Girls and their Buddy; Goran Bregovic; The Traveling Blues; and The Canadian Songbook: A Tribute to Neil Young’s Live at Massey Hall. Plus, Luminato attempts to break a Guinness World Record in The Great Canadian Tune. Now in its third year, Luminato is an annual celebration of the arts where Toronto’s stages, streets, and public spaces are infused with theatre, dance, classical and contemporary music, film, literature, visual arts, and design. Luminato brings a world of creativity to the city for ten days June 5-14, 2009. Tickets for Luminato events go on sale April 16.

= * * YES THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER EVENTS HAPPENING TOO!

“Luminato’s music program presents a fusion of the best in global music with performances for all tastes and audiences,” says Janice Price, Luminato’s CEO. “From South America to the Balkans to the United States and Canada, Luminato showcases a world of music in Toronto and reminds us of the critical role that music plays in our everyday lives.” “Luminato’s music program travels the globe without ever leaving Toronto,” says Chris
Lorway, Luminato’s Artistic Director. “Our programming team really enjoyed finding the intersection between music and other genres. As a result, we’ve compiled an exciting program that includes theatre, film, and photography – all of which have music as their inspiration.”

Luminato’s Guitar Festival line up:
Luminato’s Guitar Festival is Canada’s largest celebration of the guitar. Co-curated by the New York Guitar Festival’s David Spelman, signature programs and performers transcend genres and pay tribute to the creativity and inspiration drawn from the guitar.


* * what I culled from some of the free highlights on offer:


Luminato First Night
Luminato takes over Yonge-Dundas Square on Opening Night with a free performance by one of music’s most eclectic and prolific performers. Randy Bachman of The Guess Who and Bachman Turner Overdrive (BTO) kicks things off as Luminato welcomes the Canadian guitar legend for a free outdoor Opening Night concert.
Friday, June 5 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


Artist Lounge
Located at the Hard Rock Cafe at Yonge-Dundas Square, Luminato’s Artist Lounge will be the place for the Toronto arts community and general public to gather each evening during the Festival to hear some great music and spontaneous jam sessions. Hosted by NOW Magazine’s 2007 Best Blues Artist Raoul Bhaneja and his band, The Big Time, the Artist Lounge will be a late night watering hole for Festival artists and those in the know.
Friday, June 5 – Friday, June 12 at Hard Rock Cafe
FREE


The Traveling Blues
Luminato’s The Traveling Blues showcases the rich history and compelling sound of Blues music from the dusty streets of Africa to the deep heart of the American South. A soulful and cathartic expression of one’s self, blues’ influence is intimate yet widespread. The Traveling Blues at Toronto’s Metro Square features headliner Taj Mahal along with: Fiona Boyes; Kevin Breit & Harry Manx; Mamadou Diabate; Alpha Yaya Diallo; Alvin Youngblood
Heart; Madagascar Slim/Tri-Continental; and Michael Pickett.
Saturday, June 6 at Metro Square
FREE


The Great Canadian Tune
Luminato attempts to break the Guinness World Record for Largest Guitar Ensemble as Yonge-Dundas Square hosts a jam session with guitarists playing ten of the greatest Canadian tunes. The current record is held by Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany where 1,802 guitarists assembled to perform Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water.” In the weeks leading up to the Festival, audiences are asked to log on to luminato.com to place their votes for The Great Canadian Tune. The Great Canadian Tune is presented by OLG.
Saturday, June 6 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


Light On Your Feet
Back again after a spectacular launch last year, Light On Your Feet brings dancing to the streets as Yonge-Dundas Square plays host to five evenings of free dance lessons and concerts featuring music to make you move from all over the world. Hosted by Vince Parrell, Light on Your Feet features salsa, produced in association with Salsa Festival Group (June 6), country (June 7), Bollywood, produced in association with Masala! Mehndi! Masti! (June 8), disco (June 9), and big band/swing (June 10). Light On Your Feet is presented by OLG.
Saturday, June 6 – Wednesday, June 10 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


The World of Slide Guitar
Embodying a rich musical history, the slide guitar has been played using metal pipes, batteries, spoons, and even broken bottles. Luminato celebrates The World of Slide Guitar with an all-day concert at Yonge-Dundas Square featuring headliners The Derek Trucks Band along with: Debashish Bhattacharya; Kevin Breit and FolkAlarm; The Campbell Brothers; Jerry Douglas; Sonny Landreth with Cindy Cashdollar; Daniel Lanois featuring
Brian Blade; and Don Rooke. The World of Slide Guitar is presented by OLG.
Sunday, June 7 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


Tales of The Uncanny
Richard Oswald’s 1919 silent German film Unheimliche Geschichten, or Tales of The Uncanny, makes its Canadian debut at Yonge-Dundas Square. Berlin artist and electronic musician Robert Lippok performs a live musical score of the gothic film alongside two top Canadian indie bands. Curated by North by Northeast and presented in partnership with the Goethe-Institut Toronto, Tales of The Uncanny is the story of an old bookstore where literary characters such as Death and the Devil come alive to read stories about
themselves.
Thursday, June 11 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


Goran Bregovic
One of the Balkans’ iconic composers and musicians, Bregovic and his Wedding and Funeral Orchestra take over Yonge-Dundas Square on June 12. The raucous night of Eastern European music features a Serbian gypsy brass band, string ensemble, all-male tuxedoclad choir, and two Bulgarian sisters singing back up. Born in Yugoslavia, Bregovic fuses dance tunes of a Roma brass band with traditional Eastern European choral music, all with a modern rock ’n’ roll edge.
Friday, June 12 at Yonge-Dundas Square
FREE


National Bank Yorkville Festival – Brazilian Guitar Marathon
Luminato’s National Bank Yorkville Festival – Brazilian Guitar Marathon is a daylong exploration of the guitar’s rich history in Brazil – from Jazz and Samba to Bossa Nova and Chorinho. Village of Yorkville Park hosts a stellar line-up of Brazil’s most distinctive guitar masters, including: Grammy Award®-winners Sérgio and Odair Assad, often hailed as the best classic guitar duo in the world; virtuoso Celso Machado; Badi Assad (sister of Sérgio and Odair); Romero Lubambo; and seven-string sensation Yamandú Costa making his Toronto debut. National Bank Yorkville Festival – Brazilian Guitar Marathon is presented in association with the Bloor-Yonge BIA.
Saturday, June 13 at Village of Yorkville Park
FREE


See, it IS time to get excited about the summer offerings!

ENJOY and you're welcome.
.

YLSF
Jun 7th, 2009, 11:26 PM
There are June 14th events. Just go on their website. The main stuff will be happening at Harbourfront including the big Cirque de Soleil show that night.

dealiah
Jun 8th, 2009, 12:20 AM
There have been so many events added since I first posted, I highly recommend checking out their website. You can search by 'free' or even just the day you want to go out.

There will be lots of L'oreal sponsored tents happening over the last weekend. Largely Harbourfront and Yonge Dundas Square, I believe, with makeovers, samples, and coupons.

ildara
Jun 8th, 2009, 09:52 AM
I don't see any June 14 event?

Check the "Festival at a Glance" page:

http://www.luminato.com/2009/glance

Raddo
Jun 8th, 2009, 10:09 AM
FYI, just saw this on CP24, Binary Waves Luminato exhibit closed today due to unsafe wiring! Might be safer to check it out tomorrow or when they reopen it! :D

YLSF
Jun 8th, 2009, 10:44 AM
Yeah, seems like Binary Wave might be shut down for good... (i.e. they removed that one from their website!). The one at BCE/Brookfield place is interesting. The one at Exchange Tower is okay but not really worth going out of your way.

The art exhibit around Queen/Bathurst is worth checking out. This fashion photographer did some art thing. I think it is 3rd floor at 636 Queen west but double check the address on their site (Raphael someone or other). Yeah, I am full of information today.

YLSF
Jun 14th, 2009, 12:09 AM
Anyone go down to Harbourfront today? Luminato has removed any comments about Cirque de Soleil on their site! I am curious if it is badly organized as people said in their comments (before they were deleted!)....

matdwyer
Jun 14th, 2009, 01:43 AM
Anyone go down to Harbourfront today? Luminato has removed any comments about Cirque de Soleil on their site! I am curious if it is badly organized as people said in their comments (before they were deleted!)....

Cirque de Soleil was the biggest disappointment ever to me. We went down specifically to see it, and walked to the music garden one. First of all tons of people, and all these little old ladies were trying to get up to the front, but no one would let them (or bend down). Then they would try to go to this raised platform and this security guard was telling them off, then they would all get bitchy. That was a bit entertaining. Anyway, waited for 20 minutes for the show to start and these three people dressed in what was supposed to be "modern" clothing but really was just super colourful started like half dancing around a bedroom set up in a dome. It was just messed up. There wasn't anything cool about it, no interesting dance moves, no interesting acrobatics, nothing. It was just boring and stupid.

It was worth exactly what we paid for it - nothing. I had actually planned to go to a Cirque de Soleil show, but now I'm reconsidering (although I realize the real show would actually be ENTERTAINING). We walked away from this one after 10 minutes so unless something drastically changed, it was a very pointless waste of time.

I am SURE many people agree with me and likely posted it on the site - although I am also sure that theres some people who think it was just so "artistic" and that the meaning behind their dance represents the struggles of humanity blah blah blah.

On another note, 1000 tastes of toronto was very cool, I didn't eat anything as I'm too cheap for $5 for a little portion, but it was super neat seeing everything and checking out the different booths. Anyway, I'm not sure how the other Cirque de Soleil show was, and I'm SURE that the one tomorrow at 9pm will be MUCH better (the stage is big and it looks like they will have acrobatics)

sprung
Jun 14th, 2009, 06:40 AM
I had my volunteer shift last night at Music Garden. Didn't see much of Cirque 'cause of the huge crowds. However, the Brazilian guitar music concert @ 8PM was very good. Vibe was nice and audience really got into it.

I'll be down there again tonight for my last volunteer shift of the Festival.

The Star (http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/650343)still has lots of negative Cirque comments posted.

YLSF
Jun 14th, 2009, 10:34 AM
I think the problem is Luminato built too high expectations by their sales pitch (website/flyers,etc).

It was just suppose to be street performers friday, saturday and sunday until the 9pm show tonight..... I think a lot of people expected a Vegas like show... Heck, even the shows they do in the tent down on Cherry street every few years are tiny compared to teh grand Cirque shows from what I have read about...

Heading down to Harbourfront for the day... Looks like some rain expected tonight so that might help keep some crowds away at least!

Dash
Jun 14th, 2009, 03:22 PM
I think there are mixed reviews. their are complainers and whiners, and then there were people who seemed genuinely impressed with what they saw. I know the things I saw yesterday were pretty cool to see.

I also made sure to tell my volunteers to tell people that there was no set time that the cirque characters would be performing, and theat it is just a street performance/busking type of thing, and not some huge aeriel act.

When free outdoors acts like this happen it's always a first come first serve sort of thing. if you're stuck in the back, then that's unfortunate, but what are you expecting? reserved seating?


I had my volunteer shift last night at Music Garden. Didn't see much of Cirque 'cause of the huge crowds. However, the Brazilian guitar music concert @ 8PM was very good. Vibe was nice and audience really got into it.

I'll be down there again tonight for my last volunteer shift of the Festival.

The Star (http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/650343)still has lots of negative Cirque comments posted.

good job on umbrella guard bud.


I think the problem is Luminato built too high expectations by their sales pitch (website/flyers,etc).

It was just suppose to be street performers friday, saturday and sunday until the 9pm show tonight..... I think a lot of people expected a Vegas like show... Heck, even the shows they do in the tent down on Cherry street every few years are tiny compared to teh grand Cirque shows from what I have read about...

Heading down to Harbourfront for the day... Looks like some rain expected tonight so that might help keep some crowds away at least!

actually....if it rains tonight, I think the show is actually cancelled.....at least, that's what I was told. either way, people will be complaining I'm sure.

YLSF
Jun 15th, 2009, 12:28 AM
So I was down there tonight. Mini review:

It was a REALLY bad venue for this performance. I was less than 30 feet from teh stage but our view was blocked by so many of those trees! Who sets a huge stage show in park covered in trees? The other issue was during some of the aerial acts the big CHAIRS and people sitting on them blocked our view.

So, overall, it was an interesting show but I think in the future Luminato and the performers need to think about logistics for such a large performance.

Oh, and for those that weren't there.... the show was delayed by about an hour because of the rain....It was a long day but I enjoyed it overall...

RestIsHistory
Jun 15th, 2009, 01:08 AM
Show was fine, just wished the trees weren't blocking so many people