Sep 18 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — If anyone is looking for activist folk singer Bruce Cockburn to deliver a passionate lyrical rebuke for our tumultuous times, they're not going to find it on his newest album. The 74-year-old musician has a respected history in the craft of protest songs, but he's not taking the bait anymore. He doesn't find inspiration in the anger […]
Sep 18 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Pop singer Andy Kim, rockers Chilliwack and alt-country band Cowboy Junkies are among the acts being added to the Canadian Music Hall of Fame this year. The ceremony, which takes place at Calgary's Studio Bell on Oct. 27, will also posthumously induct teen idol Bobby Curtola, who died at 73 in 2016. The latest […]
Sep 17 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Haviah Mighty has won the 2019 Polaris Music Prize for her album "13th Floor." The project, the first awarded to a female rap artist, was selected by an 11-member jury as the Canadian album of the year based on its artistic merit. At the ceremony in Toronto on Monday night, Mighty's album won over nine others by artists that […]
Sep 15 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The Toronto International Film Festival capped off with a surprise win for Taika Waititi's "Jojo Rabbit," which picked up the People's Choice prize on Sunday, putting a global spotlight on the Nazi satire ahead of awards season. The film, set during the Second World War, follows a German boy who's training in a cartoonish Hitler […]
Sep 13 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Punk road warriors Pup missed their first opportunity to bask in a Polaris Music Prize nomination three years ago, so when they landed a second shot at the event on Monday, all other priorities were tossed aside. Not that deciding between the notoriously off-kilter Polaris awards or a now-cancelled show in Jacksonville, Fla. was really a tough choice, they […]
Sep 10 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — As if there wasn't enough to watch on TV already, Apple is throwing its hat into the streaming wars this fall, with a roster of original programs it hopes will lure viewers away from Netflix and other competitors. Apple TV Plus has marked Nov. 1 as the Canadian launch date for a selection of celebrity-stacked […]
Sep 10 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Meryl Streep accepted her TIFF Tribute acting award on Monday with a message for her fellow performers and filmmakers: be mindful of what you send out into the world. The three-time Oscar winner used her speech at the exclusive fundraiser for the Toronto International Film Festival to reflect on the power of cinema, and how it can affect […]
Sep 9 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — David Foster may be one step closer to his dreams of Broadway. The Grammy-winning producer says that after years of trying to launch a stage musical, he's confident one of them is finally taking shape. Foster says he's working on a production by off-Broadway playwright Todd Almond that'll tap into his extensive catalogue of pop […]
Sep 5 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Robbie Robertson has spent more than half a century as one of Canada's most active musicians, earning him the privilege to take a load off. But after a documentary about his career opened the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday, he says that's definitely not happening. In fact, the 76-year-old guitarist and film composer can rattle off […]
Sep 4 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Whether it's a semi-autobiographical comedy or sharp parodies of the documentary genre, the boundaries separating truth and fiction are especially blurry on streaming services in September. Here's a look at several film and TV series worth adding to your must-see lists: "Ramy" Comedian Ramy Youssef digs deep into his own experiences for […]
Sep 3 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — OTTAWA — Stage director Muriel Miguel is beaming as she shuffles among the cast members of the inaugural production in Ottawa's new Indigenous Theatre. Opening night, set for Sept. 11 at the National Arts Centre, is inching ever closer, and there's a crackling energy in the air at this late-August rehearsal for "The Unnatural and Accidental Women." It's a […]
Aug 29 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — YouTube is introducing a new option to watch full seasons of its original TV shows for free, as long as viewers are willing to sit through a few commercial breaks. The Google-owned company says it's lifting the paywall on upcoming seasons of marquee programs after they were previously only available through its ad-free subscription service called YouTube Premium. The ad-supported alternative will […]
Aug 27 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Ask Ian & Sylvia how they feel about their new album, and you'll get two starkly different opinions. While the singers in the long-separated folk couple still get along, they don't always see eye to eye when it comes to their music. That includes their opposing views on "Ian & Sylvia: The Lost Tapes," a newly discovered […]
Aug 19 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The Walt Disney Company is swooping into the Canadian market with its powerful new streaming platform Disney Plus in November, and analysts say the menu of Marvel superheroes, Pixar characters, and Disney animated classics could give viewers another reason to drop cable altogether. The company says Disney Plus will cost $8.99 per month, or $89.99 […]
Aug 15 2019 — David Friend, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Life can lead to the most extraordinary of crossroads when you're the grandson of a billionaire auto industry magnate. That's where Frank Walker found himself three years ago when he faced a rare career quandary: should he settle into a comfortable job at Magna International, the auto parts giant his grandfather Frank Stronach built, or pursue his dream of becoming a globally […]