BREAKDANCING TO BACH
Governor General’s awards gala
For the first time in the 26-year history of the Governor General’s Performing Arts awards, more women than men were honoured with the pomp and pageantry of the nation’s highest honour for the arts.
Pop stars Tegan and Sara, choreographer Ginette Laurin, actor Geneviève Bujold, pianist Angela Hewitt and arts supporter Florence Junca Adenot tipped the 2018 laureates’ gender balance towards female, while singersongwriter Murray McLauchlan, comedy impresario Andrew Alexander and outgoing National Arts Centre boss Peter Herrndorf, alias Captain Canada, as we learned, rounded out the male side.
They were toasted during a lavish gala at the National Arts Centre on Saturday evening. Seated in the upper balcony, the laureates looked out over an elegantly dressed, sold-out crowd that was generous in doling out standing ovations.
Among those on stage to pay tribute to this remarkably talented group were performers such as Hollywood actor James Cromwell, Canadian comedy couple Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath, and roots-rock supergroup Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, while Governor General Julie Payette served as patron, making a link between space and the arts with the revelation that she took Susan Aglukark’s CD, Blood Red Earth, on her space mission.
Each artist was feted with a segment that included a short National Film Board-produced film, a performance and a presentation by a high-profile friend, either recorded or in person.
It’s a format that makes for a wonderfully entertaining evening and often leads to surprises, as we saw with last year’s musical reunion between actor Michael J. Fox and rocker Joan Jett.
Instead of one big knock-out moment like that, this year’s gala spread the punches throughout the evening. Here were five highlights:
BREAKDANCING TO BACH
Angela Hewitt has the rare talent of knowing how to bring out rhythm in Bach, friend and broadcaster Eric Friesen noted before the Ottawa pianist demonstrated just that during an inspired collaboration with Ottawa urban dancer Yves “Crazy Smooth” Soglo. Hewitt worked her magic with Bach’s French Suite No. 5 in G Major and Soglo grooved like it was a slinky new beat.
QUEER PRIDE
The most heartfelt speech of the night came from NAC producer Heather Gibson, who thanked Tegan and Sara for their music and activism on behalf of the LGBTQ community. Describing herself as “perhaps the only out lesbian working at this level as a Canadian music industry executive,” Gibson said she was inspired by Tegan and Sara to stand up and be visible. “The impact of you being awarded this is really overwhelming and it felt really important,” Gibson said.
EMOTIONAL RESCUE
Even burly rocker Tom Wilson was moved by the festivities, although he got a big laugh when he said it might because he loses testosterone every day, likely due to middle age. The 59-year-old Canadian music legend and his Blackie and the Rodeo Kings bandmates Colin Linden and Stephen Fearing were joined by laureate Murray McLauchlan in a rousing, dude-heavy version of McLauchlan’s 1976 single Down By The Henry Moore, made lush with the accompaniment of the National Arts Centre orchestra.
MILITARY PARADE?
Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath, Canada’s first couple of comedy, had a blast with their Broadway-inspired tribute to Second City CEO Andrew Alexander. One of the funniest moments of their performance was their Chorus Line parody: Instead of a line of showgirls, the chorus line was made up of members of the Royal Canadian Air Force pipes and drums, a one-off gig that apparently required military approval.
CAPTAIN CANADA
In the NFB film devoted to Peter Herrndorf, the outgoing NAC CEO became Captain Canada, which was a fun way to highlight his superhero-like commitment to the arts in Canada. Also lining up to sing his praises were all six of the NAC’s artistic directors and Supreme Court of Canada Justice Rosalee Abella, a longtime friend. However, the voice that left the strongest impression was that of Indigenous recording artist Jeremy Dutcher, who sang a beautiful traditional song in Wolastoqey, the language of his First Nation, accompanied by the NAC orchestra under the direction of Alexander Shelley. It was a spine-tingling demonstration of the spirit of collaboration that has marked Herrndorf ’s tenure at the NAC. He will be missed.