The Magnetic North Theatre Festival is currently running - from June 3 to 13 - at various venues around Ottawa.

Last night, the National Arts Centre Salon was the venue for a performance of "Nevermore," a wildly imaginative play based on the life of gothic master Edgar Allan Poe. Poe's life was as macabre and melodramatic as any of his stories and poems (e.g. "The Raven," "The Tell-Tale Heart," "The Cask of Amontillado"), featuring early deaths of tuberculosis, marriage to a 13-year-old cousin, alcoholism, and desperate poverty. 

With this wealth of material, the performers, from Edmonton's Catalyst Theatre, have crafted a thrillingly moving and entertaining spectacle using song, music and dance, whimsical costumes, and sound effects; the entire story is told in verse. The acting is stellar, particularly from Scott Shpeley in the lead role.

Today is the 40th anniversary of opening night of the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

The Ottawa Citizen has a short article and a nice slideshow of performers who have played the NAC over the years. 

In the slideshow, be sure to watch for the photo of (Cult)ure favorite Bob Dylan - whose guitar was stolen backstage at the NAC only to be returned by the roommate of the thief!

Local artist JP Ranger Band will launch their debut CD LIVING HERE, at Tucson's, in Ottawa, Ontario, on Saturday, June 13, 2009. Special guests Him and Her (Eric Vanier and Kristine St.Pierre) will kick off the evening at 9:15 pm. Tucson's is located at 2440 Bank Street. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Tucson's or on the evening of the show at the door for $10.

JP Ranger is a Canadian singer-songwriter and storywriter based in Ottawa. In 2008, JP teamed up with friends that he has known and played with for many years to write a new music project. The band is now set for a June 13 official release of their CD LIVING HERE, a mixture of new classic rock songs with R&B influences. Pre-release reviews in the UK, Belgium, The Netherlands, Australia and New Zealand call Ranger's LIVING HERE "A gritty slab of classic rock chock full of road imagery. Great stuff!" (Robert Forbes, Leicester Bangs, UK); "We were right away impressed by his voice, somewhere in between the voices of T-Bone Burnett and Paul McCartney...LIVING HERE from JP Ranger is a modern record with catchy songs about things happening. And often you don't need more." (Rootstime, Belgium)

www.JPRANGER.com www.myspace.com/jprangerband

Kristine St.Pierre is a singer-songwriter from Ottawa, Canada. Whether reflecting on past relationships, adventures and travels, hopes and dreams, or simply trying to understand the world we live in, it is the simplicity with which she illustrates and shares her emotions that makes her music so powerful. Eric Vanier, also from Ottawa, is an accomplished songwriter, composing for film, television and radio for the past five years. His unique style, combining both unpredictability and wittiness, has earned him much praise. When performing together, the blending of their styles makes for an eclectic adventure. Kristine and Eric perform regularly in the Ottawa-Gatineau region and contribute to multiple causes, including breast cancer awareness and underprivileged children. They are both currently working on a debut album.

www.myspace.com/kristinestpierre www.myspace.com/himandhermusic

Both artists are available for interviews. Press kit and JP Ranger LIVING HERE CD are also available on request at info@jpranger.com

For more information, contact:

J.P. Ranger
1937 Portobello Blvd
P.O. Box 17067
Orleans, ON, K4A 4W9
613-286-5070

I'm sure boatloads of you will go see Up, this weekend's big movie, as people just love their Pixar. I've got nothing against Pixar, but it's just not for me. If you feel the same way,  Anvil! The Story of Anvil, a strange rock doc that feels like Spinal Tap except that it's true, opens this weekend at the Mayfair. Tomorrow night will be your last chance to catch Nightwatching at the Bytowne, the story of how Rembrandt wove clues to the dasteredly deeds of a militia/gentleman's club into one of his famous works. But forget all that because I'm going to see Drag Me to Hell, Sam Raimi's return to horror, which has already scored a truly impressive 82 on Metacritic, and yet is somehow only rated 14A.

Downtown/Byward Market:

Between A Rock and a Hard Place: Contemporary Filmmaking in Atlantic Canada
Curated by Darrell Varga (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
Saturday May 30th 2009 at 9:00pm - FREE Admisison
Club SAW, 67 Nicholas Street (in the basement of the Arts Court building)
For more info: availablelightcollective@gmail.com

square zero three: intimate exchanges
new multidisciplinary works - movement, image, song
Performances: May 29, 30, 31, 2009 - 8:00pm
Movement Arts Ottawa, 111a Rideau Street, 3rd floor
Tickets: $10/12 - Reservations by email collectivegulp@artengine.ca / on sale at the door as of 7:30pm / Limited seating.

The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum presents "Intracapsular Fractures," an art quilt exhibition featuring textile artist Wendy Fraser.  The traditional art of quilt making is transformed into unique pieces of contemporary art bursting with color and movement. The pieces in this exhibition are further enhanced with different frames and mounting techniques using found objects such as skateboards, a television and a fish bowl.

"Intracapsular Fractures" opens May 27th and runs through to July 12th.  Come and meet the artist Saturday May 30th from 2pm to 4pm.

The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum is located at 3 Rosamond Street East in Almonte, Ontario. For directions to the museum or questions about the exhibit please contact Michael Rikley-Lancaster, Curator at 613-256-3754 or mvtm@magma.ca

In "Absolute Reproduktion," Kathryn Drysdale draws upon a body of stock
magazine illustrations and photographs from the 1940s and 50s which
she inherited from her father, a graphic artist and illustrator. Her
images evoke the hopes and dreams of these decades, which, when seen
from our perspective years later, seem impossibly naive and fatally
optimistic.

Galerie McKenzie Marcotte is located at 26 Sully Road in Wakefield, QC. Open weekends from 10 am to 5 pm and during the week by chance
or by appointment* by calling 819 459-3164. The show runs until June 16.

*Aw, by appointment. How cute is that? 

"Celebration," an art show by Canadian visual artists of Slavic heritage, is presented to you by the Canadian Association of Slavists.* This show is being held at Carleton University in conjunction with the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences (Congress 2009). Over 25 artists will display their works in the show which is curated by Terry Sametz (member of the Foyer Gallery).

The artworks will be displayed in both the Carleton University Bookstore (1st floor of the University Centre) and the Baker's Grill (4th floor of the University Centre). The show runs from May 22 to May 31 and is open to the public from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily. Join the over 8000 Canadian and International delegates to Congress 2009 Humanities and Social Sciences in enjoying this unique exhibit.

*Who knew? 

This just in: you can check out the Canada Museum of Civilization's new exhibit for free this Monday, May 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Why? Because the museum is offering free admission next Monday! Free, baby, free! I assume this has something to due with International Museum Day. I wonder what other local institutions will get in on the act. If you haven't already made plans for Victoria Day, I suggest you include this on your list. 

While hosting the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Gala at the National Arts Centre on Saturday night, Christopher Plummer noted that it was nice to be back in Ottawa, a place of which he has fond memories. He noted that the national capital played host to two significant events in his life: it is where he first became a professional actor; and where he lost his virginity.

Plummer was an immaculately elegant host, from his velvet jacket to his frequent use of French. (The only thing more that some in the audience expressed a desire to see was a sing-along rendition of 'Edelweiss.')

Plummer was not, however, the only highlight of the evening's show. Measha Brueggergosman sang a Mozart aria, Angela Hewitt played a Bach concerto, the jazz piano great Oliver Jones and the powerful jazz and blues singer Dione Taylor played a smoking rendition of "He's Funny That Way" - and, most impressively, Governor-General Michaëlle Jean appeared onstage with a Haitian a cappella group and demonstrated a remarkably smooth, agile voice.

The 9th Annual Centretown Movies Outdoor Film Festival is looking for
short films to screen before its main attractions on Saturday during
the festival which takes place on weekends between July 25th and
August 22nd.

Centretown Movies is a volunteer-based organization created by the
community and for the community committed to organizing an outdoor
film festival that will: revitalize underused space in Ottawa's downtown; charge no admission; and support local diversity.

Send your short film(s) to:

By courier:
Centretown Movies
415 Gilmour Street (2nd Floor)

By mail:
P.O. Box 2787, Station D
Ottawa, ON K1P 5W8

Shorts should be no more than 10 minutes long, and submitted on VHS or DVD format. If you would like your materials returned, please include a self addressed stamped envelope.

Selected works will be paid an artist's fee according to CARFAC rates.

Deadline: May 22, 2009 at 9am.

For more information, please e-mail info@centretownmovies.org.

Free Comic Book Day is a single day - the first Saturday every May -  when comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE to anyone who comes into their stores!

In Ottawa, The Comic Book Shop (on Bank St. and Merivale Rd) and The Cave (in South Keys) often have people in superhero and Star Wars costumes, comic themed music blasting, BBQs, etc going on to help celebrate.

There is always a wide variety of comics to enjoy, from adult targeted art and indie comics, to superhero adventures, to Disney and child focused books.