Luminato

I know I shouldn't complain about how much there is to do in Toronto during the summer but just this once, I want to take a second to whine about how this is the most difficult time of year to blog about all that I T.O. See & T.O. Do (see what I did there?) in a timely manner, which irks me to no end. That being said, if I'm not blogging about doing stuff then it's probably because I'm out doing stuff, which is awesome.

Okay. Now that THAT's out of the way, let's talk about something infinitely more interesting: Luminato!

The Luminato Festival is one of those Toronto events that, despite its publicity and popularity, is difficult to sum up in a single sentence whenever I'm asked "What's Luminato?" The short answer is that it's a festival that celebrates creativity. The long answer is that it's a festival that celebrates creativity in visual art, music, theatre, dance, food, spoken word, film and literature. Throughout Luminato, a host of established and renowned artists from around the world descend on Toronto to delight and captivate with some of the most original and innovative artistic works/performances that will grace the city that year. Luminato took place this year between June 6-15, and I was fortunate enough to attend many events/performances. In no particular order, here are my personal highlights of the festival:

1. Green Porno, Live on Stage - A perfect example of what I meant by "original and innovative", I'd wager that Green Porno is unlike anything you've ever seen performed on stage. The luminous Isabella Rossellini explores her recent academic pursuits in the field of biology by delivering a lecture concerning some of the more particular and bizarre mating habits within the animal kingdom. This lecture is enhanced by props, costumes and film clips from her Green Porno series of shorts (if you haven't had a chance to see any of these shorts, I suggest you get to YouTube'ing). Fair warning, you will never look at a duck's vagina the same way again.

Isabella Rossellini in 'Green Porno'
Photo Credit: Mario del Curto - Courtesy of Luminato (2014)

2. Cardboard Beach at the Festival Hub - During the press conference announcing this year's Luminato programming, I was very intrigued by the concept of the Cardboard Beach, a large-scale art installation by Los Carpinteros that would occupy a big chunk of the Festival Hub at David Pecaut Square. I feared it was a concept that would work better in theory than in practice (like so many ambitious Nuit Blanche projects) but I was delighted to discover that it was actually executed quite well. Cardboard umbrellas provided shade to the cardboard chaise lounges and allowed for festival attendees to sit back, recline, and take in a show on the Festival Hub's main stage (admittedly it was easier to hear than to see a performance from this angle). I visited the Cardboard Beach between shows so instead I helped myself to some delicious Hub grub, courtesy of Parts & Labour.

Cardboard Beach installation by Los Carpinteros
Photo Credit: David Leyes - Courtesy of Luminato (2014)

MMM... Hub grub!

3. Kid Koala's Nufonia Must Fall Live - I was so impressed with Nufonia Must Fall that it's hard to know where to begin. Let's begin with the concept: "a graphic novel animated in real time with a live soundtrack". (WHAT? HOW?) Taking place in a movie theatre at the TIFF Bell Lightbox, the stage was set with three smaller stages atop platforms. On these stages were the small puppets who would be manipulated from all angles by puppeteers, acting out the story of a robot in love. Cameras moved carefully around the action on stage, projecting everything in real time onto the screen. The "soundtrack" was in actuality a score to this (mostly) silent film and was performed live by DJ Kid Koala and the Afiara String Quartet. Nufonia Must Fall Live was directed by K.K. Barrett (famed Production designer for all of Spike Jonze's films, who has also worked with Sofia Coppola, Michel Gondry and David O. Russell), and it was beautifully executed with exactly the right amount of romance and whimsy. An absolute delight!

Image from Kid Koala's 'Nufonia Must Fall'
Photo Courtesy of Luminato (2014)

4. All the Sex I've Ever Had: The International Edition - If you're someone who is horrified by the idea of your parents, or more accurately, your grandparents having a sex life, sitting through All the Sex I've Ever Had might be a little torturous. However, if you acknowledge that we are all sexual beings for pretty much the entire time we're alive, then you would find this production very informative and quite interesting. A panel of elderly speakers from around the world take the mic one by one and chronologically (from birth) divulge very personal stories of their sexual experiences, exploits and follies. No topic was off-limits and proclivities that might normally be regarded as taboo were discussed without judgement in the safe space of the Isabel Bader Theatre (I would go into more detail here, but we were asked to take a vow of "no gossip"). Though the stories and anecdotes of the participants were quite enjoyable and compelling, certain aspects of the production felt a little laboured. Having the speakers dance to songs representing a particular decade as a linking device lost its quirky appeal very quickly as by the fourth or fifth song the participants seemed as tired of it as the audience.

Image from 'All The Sex I've Ever Had' (Prague Performance)
Photo Credit: Lucia Eggenhoffer - Courtesy of Luminato (2014)

5. If I Loved You: Gentlemen Prefer Broadway - An Evening of Love Duets - Another winning premise, which felt like it was tailor-made for me. If I Loved You was the first Luminato event I purchased tickets for this year, and if it was the only thing I ended up seeing, I knew I'd be satisfied. Singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright (and husband of Luminato's Artistic Director Jorn Weisbrodt) conceived this evening of Broadway love-song standards, performed by an entirely male cast. And what a cast! David Byrne, Boy George, Josh Groban, Brent Carver, Ezra Koenig, Steven Page, Brennan Hall and, of course, Rufus Wainwright himself all turned in wonderful performances. Admittedly, some were more wonderful than others. Brent Carver and Josh Groban inspired the most audience swooning with their impressive vocals, while David Byrne and Ezra Koenig (the rockers of the group) had a bit of a fish out of water feel among the rest of the cast (which I still found quite charming). In spite of a few missteps and fumbles throughout the night, I found it to be a lovely and heartfelt performance (I cried... more than once).

The lobby of the Sony Centre, pre-show.

'If I Loved You' Brochure Image
Photo Courtesy of Luminato (2014)

6. Toronto Symphony Orchestra: Salute to the Americas - Quickly becoming a Luminato tradition, I can't think of a better way to end the festival than with a free outdoor performance by the TSO. The 'Salute to the Americas' was a program inspired by Toronto's hosting of the PanAm Games in 2015 and included works by composers such as John Weinzwieg, fan(boy)-favorite John Williams, Ernesto Lecuona, Villa Lobos and Alberto Ginastera. This event always makes me wish that the TSO played more al fresco concerts. The combination of the open air and the majestic sounds is quite moving (YES I cried... more than once... I really shouldn't be allowed out in public). Congrats to Luminato on another great year!

TSO Performing at 2013 Luminato Festival
Photo Courtesy of Luminato (2014)