What's Happening

The Tranzac Club on Brunswick is usually busy seven nights a week and this week is no exception. Saturday night the club hosts LIVESTOCK, a Farm Sanctuary fundraiser. Admission is Pay What You Can and it promises to start at 6 pm and end at 2 am.

The Miles NadalJCC at Spadina and Bloor hosts some screenings for the Canadian Sport Film Festival this weekend. The first write up I looked at, for Bad Boys of Summer, sounded fascinating:
"This film follows the charismatic coach of the San Quentin Giants through his final season with the prison baseball program, as he tries to change the lives of the men on his team. Be [sic] peeling back the layers of their dark personal histories, he reveals their inner core as human beings. In the process, he puts a startling new face on America’s national pastime."

On Tuesday, May 20th, author Harold Troper will be at the MNJCC to discuss "the story behind the book None Is Too Many." No start time is listed, but it's free for members and $8 for non-members.

You'll find the Toronto Hispano-American Film Festival at the Bloor Cinema from the 15th to the 25th.

Apparently, there is a clean up scheduled for Ecology Park on Madison Avenue just north of Bloor EVERY Saturday from 9 am to 11 am. Check with the Annex Residents Association for more details.

Devoted to the pipe organ, the Organix08 Festival continues with organ soloist Gordon Mansell performing Paris, C'est Magnifique featuring the works of Parisian composers. The $7.50 tickets can be ordered online and the concert is slated for Wednesday at 6 pm at Church of the Redeemer, 162 Bloor St. W., the quaint edifice with stunning views of the ROM and Queen's Park Circle.

Part of Toronto Poetry Slam, Rochdale Rhymes and Readings with host Mike Lipsius takes place Sunday at the Regal Beagle, 335 Bloor St. W. at 8 pm. Admission is "pass the hat." (The venue is within spitting distance of Toronto's infamous Rochdale College, which I assume inspired the name of the reading.)

The Bata Shoe Museum is offering a free screening of Le Roi Danse May 21 from 6 to 8:30 pm. It complements the museum's current exhibit On Pointe, which features ballet shoes. Here's the details:
"Be sure to join us for a viewing of 'Le Roi Danse', introduced by Cheryl Belkin-Epstein of Canada's National Ballet School. Released in 2000 and directed by Gérard Corbiau, this costume drama set in 17th-century France shows the relationship between King Louis XIV, the court composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, and the playwright Molière.
The film examines how Louis used dance and performance to build his image as the Sun King and consolidate his power. Splendid settings and absorbing performances. Free popcorn too!Seating is limited. Pre-registration required: call 416.979.7799 x242 or email programs@batashoemuseum.ca."

Bar Mercurio is owned by a neighbourhood family and is part of the Italian Seasons Festival, which runs until the end of the month. It's all about food and celebrates spring, when "Italian kitchens come alive with colour and fragrance."

Enjoy your long weekend, despite the predicted soggy weather.
Vanessa