Brits show off Southern drawls
MONDAY
Carla Bruni Watch this because: When do you get to hear an AC/DC cover by a former Premiere Dame? Bruni’s loungey “Highway To Hell” won’t win over the scruffy crowd who cracked their skulls on the original, but local Francophiles, Italophiles and the sort of folks who line TIFF red carpets apparently are down with it, having sold out this 1,250-seater long ago. Given her career touching on music, supermodelling, politics and philanthropy, she could draw a crowd just by showing up and telling stories, and she will do some of that. Still, her 20 years as a chanteuse set her apart as more than just a celebrity dabbler, including last year’s David Foster-produced French Touch recording of her rock and pop faves. Expect at least as many of her own originals in French, delivered with classy band backing. (Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 90 Princes’ Blvd., doors 7 p.m.) —Chris Young
TUESDAY
Skindigenous
Watch this if: You think the beauty of body art goes more than skin deep. It doesn’t take an especially keen observer to note that tattoos are ubiquitous these days. But this series from Ottawa-Gatineau’s Nish Media looks at tattooing as a means for Indigenous people to reconnect with the heritage of their ancestors. Its 13 episodes take viewers all over the world to explore traditional techniques and the artists who practise them, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Samoa, Hawaii, the U.S., New Zealand, Mexico and four Canadian provinces. For some, it’s a spiritual practice and a way to keep traditions alive; for others, it’s a form of activism. As one artist says, “Learning how to tattoo is one part, but learning why we tattoo is so important.” Plus, tattoo artists from around the world will be able to display their work on a companion Skindigenous app. (APTN at 7:30 p.m.) —Debra Yeo
WEDNESDAY
Map by Years Watch this if: You want to see a “bookend to a dancer’s life.” Peggy Baker is one of the most celebrated dancers in Canada, winning the Order of Cana--
THURSDAY
da in 2006, the Ontario Premier’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2007 and the Walter Carsen Prize in 2010. But, at 65, she mostly stays behind the scenes, choreographing new works for her company. With Map By Years, she is passing on three of her solo works to new dancers as well as dancing a new work herself: unmoored, choreographed by Sarah Chase. (The Theatre Centre, 1115 Queen St. W., 8 p.m.) —Carly Maga
shy kids Watch this if: You were looking for a matching night out on Be Humble Day (yes, it is a thing). Reticence never looked so intriguing as in the hands of this Toronto foursome, whose marriage of visuals, sonics and lowercase presentation occupies singular ground. They’ll be launching their second recording here: in a
state, it’s called. The video for lead single “i was in new york” has them in a playful mode, swapping the Leafs and Rangers, and the CN Tower for Statue of Liberty. They’ve gained some good notices, including Best Short honours at TIFF 2013. That filmic outlook will be a big part of the show and sets them apart from your garden variety indie-pop crowd. (Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St. W., doors 8 p.m.) —CY
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Watch this if: You want to hear British thespians show off their Southern drawls. A Pulitzer Prize winner for Tennessee Williams in 1955, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof retains its heat and force as a seamy tale of lust, death and dysfunction in a Mississippi clan. Slipping into roles made famous by Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman in the 1958 Hollywood adaptation, Sienna Miller and Jack O’Connell earned raves for their performances in a stage version that was a hot ticket last summer in London’s West End and now hits big screens worldwide as part of the National Theatre Live series. Here in the GTA, Yonge-Dundas is one of four Cineplex locations playing host to Big Daddy’s birthday party. (Cineplex Cinemas Yonge-Dundas, 10 Dundas St. E., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.) —Jason Anderson
SATURDAY
Pepperland Watch this if: You want a new way to enjoy a half-century-old classic. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the Beatles album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club
Band (try reading that title without singing it to yourself), a musical odyssey that begs for equally jubilant, experimental and psychedelic visuals. Leave it to choreographer Mark Morris and his legendary dance company to provide those visuals in Pepperland. Premiering in London last year, the show takes 12 tracks and playfully rearranges them (courtesy of Ethan Iverson) as Morris’s dancers bring out the narratives with his sense of humour. This is a one-night-only performance not to be missed. (Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St. E, 8 p.m.) —CM
The Year of the Dog: A Chinese New Year Celebration Watch this if: You’re wanting to ring in the Year of the Dog. This family-friendly concert series (there are two one-hour performances on Saturday) means that everyone can celebrate the Chinese New Year with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. They’re celebrating the Year of the Dog with lion dancers, comedic host Dashan (a.k.a. Mark Rowswell, the most famous Canadian in China) and, of course, live classical music of both Chinese and Western origin on the violin, pipa and erhu, conducted by Carolyn Kuan. (Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.) —CM
SUNDAY
The Headless Woman Watch this if: You want an introduction to one of world cinema’s most revered female filmmakers. Though its mysterious narrative caused much head-scratching among cinephiles when the movie first surfaced a decade ago, the third feature by Lucretia Martel secured the Argentinian director’s rep as a major auteur. An Antonioni-like psychological thriller about a wealthy woman who’s unsure what (or who) she hit in a car accident, the film plays alongside Martel’s latest film, Zama, and her equally alluring early works in a Lightbox retrospective on the director that starts on Friday. (TIFF Bell Lightbox, 350 King St. W., 6:30 p.m.) —JA
The Walking Dead Watch this if: Spoiler alert — you want to say farewell to a major character When it was revealed in this zombie drama’s mid-season finale in December that original character Carl Grimes (played by Chandler Riggs) had been bitten and was dying, fans took it about as well as villain Negan did when his compound was attacked by Carl’s dad and his friends. Twitter lit up with the hashtag #FireGimple, as in showrunner Scott M. Gimple. An online petition to can him has gathered more than 85,000 signatures as I write this, although Gimple is so far still among the undead. The main reason for the series’ dwindling viewers to tune into this mid-season premiere is to take their leave of Carl and Riggs. (AMC at 9 p.m.) —DY