A quick run through some of the events happening this week in the world of art, music and film.
Monday
Monday Night Film Series: La Belle Époque
In this high-concept comedy from Nicolas Bedos (Mr. & Mrs. Adelman), a luddite cartoonist suffering an existential crisis hires a VR company to recreate a happier time in his marriage, as he tries to reconcile the golden-hued past with an inescapable digital present. Starring Daniel Auteuil, Fanny Ardant, and Guillaume Canet (Cézanne et moi), La Belle Époque blurs historical eras while tracking a charismatic curmudgeon’s existential reckoning.
Victor (Auteuil) is a sexagenarian cartoonist whose long-time publisher has eliminated their print edition and, with it, his gig. No fan of AI or VR, Victor likes turning pages, touching flesh, and seeing what’s actually before him. Alas, what’s before him is a resentful wife, Marianne (Ardant), who can no longer stand him. “I think you’ve been alive too long,” Marianne confesses during one of her rages.
Longing to escape the present, Victor opts to return to the past – or a simulacrum of it. Enter Time Travellers, a service that immerses clients in a painstaking re-enactment of whatever historical moment its actors, designers, and builders can conjure. Victor hires Time Travellers to return him to May 16, 1974, the day he first met Marianne in a Lyon café. He finds himself beguiled by every detail, from the vintage editions of Libération to the punchy plastic egg holders to Margo (Doria Tillier), the actress he accepts as the Marianne he fell for 45 years ago. It feels like a beautiful dream. But what happens when it’s time to wake up?
Recalling the films of Charlie Kaufman – and Olivier Assayas’ Non-Fiction, which also starred Canet – La Belle Époque invites us to peer into the past, consider how it made us who we are, and to muse on who we might still aspire to be.
La Belle Époque| Monday Night Film Series | Tilley Hall, Room 102, UNB Campus | March 9, 2020 – 7:30 p.m.
TNB presents It’s a Girl! at Open Space Theatre. Join us for a special public performance of Michelle Raine and Alexis Milligan’s play, currently touring NB schools with this season’s TNB Young Company. How do we perceive differences and how do these perceptions relate to personal identity, gender, and stereotypes? Inspired by the true story of a child struggling with gender identity, It’s A Girl! creates a safe environment where people can ask questions, have conversations, discuss identity and what it means to be perceived as different. Content Warning: Contains sexual themes and references.
This show will be presented free of charge but donations will be accepted in support of Clinic 554. 7:30 p.m.
Paper Bag Singers at Christ Church Cathedral. We’ll be a wee bit early, but we’re breaking out the St. Paddy’s Day songs anyway! Think you can’t carry a tune in a paper bag? Together we all sound great! This is a singing group for people of all ages and singing abilities. There is no commitment; join us when you can. It’s only $5 for an evening of music and fun. 7:30 – 9 p.m.
Tuesday
Open Mic Night at The Capital. Dylan Ward hosts this weekly event at The Capital. If you are a duo, or a band, stop by and try out a new tune in front of a very encouraging crowd. 9 p.m. No cover.
The Thomists at Nashwaaksis Middle School. The Thomists will play a pay-what-you-will performance in the school’s theatre. It is sure to be a great night of swing jazz, and all proceeds will go to support the school band as they fundraise for a chance to compete at Atlantics this spring in Halifax! Tickets are not required. Everyone is welcome. A collection for the band will be taken at the end of the performance. 7:30 p.m.
Antonio Formaro Concert Pianist Performance at McCain Hall. Antonio Formaro is an Argentinian concert pianist of international stature, regularly appearing as a soloist with the most prestigious orchestras. In recent years, he has been programmed as a soloist in the seasons of the Teatro Colon, the National Symphony Orchestra, the National Orchestra of Argentine Music, the Argentine Theater of La Plata, the Symphony of Lima (Peru), the Antofagasta Symphony (Chile), Chamber Orchestra of the Gewandhaus Leipzig (Germany) and the Mendelssohn-Remise Saal (Berlin). In 2019 Formaro won the very prestigious Konex award as Argentina’s Best Piano Artist, right before starting an extensive European tour which concluded with a concert accompanied by the Berliner Symphoniker. All are welcome, and admission is free. 7 p.m.
Shameless Hussy presents Dissolve at The Playhouse. By Meghan Gardiner; directed by Renee Laci, and starring Emmelia Gordon. Ever woken up beside a stranger? What if it was planned that way? Shameless Hussy presents the acclaimed one-woman, 16 character, theatrical tour de force. At turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Dissolve confronts the topic of drink spiking and drug facilitated sexual assault. The play follows a young girl on a night out and the people she encounters. Designed to provoke thought and dialogue about sexual consent, Dissolve challenges us to change our beliefs and behaviour surrounding alcohol, drugs and sexual assault. Please be advised this performance contains mature themes or subject matter. 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday
Ria Mae at the Delta Ballroom (14+). Ria’s self-titled major label debut, released in 2016, features the Platinum-selling “Clothes Off” and the anthemic “Ooh Love” (certified Gold). The critically acclaimed album garnered multiple award nominations including ‘Single of the Year’ at the 2016 JUNO Awards and ‘Best New Canadian Artist’ at the iHeart Radio MMVAs.Ria has toured Europe with Tegan & Sara, North America with Dido, and Canada with Scott Helman. She has performed with Elle King, Xavier Rudd, Shawn Hook, Family of the Year, Francesco Yates, Coleman Hell and more. To date, Ria’s music has been streamed over 60 million times worldwide. Doors at 7. Show at 8.
From Russia with Love at Memorial Hall. Paul Merkelo (trumpet) and Serhiy Salov (piano) team up to create the powerhouse duo Merkelo & Salov. Recognized for their “unusual lyrical gifts” and “glittering technique” respectively, Merkelo & Salov are reuniting for a nine concert tour throughout that will explore some of the greatest works by Slavic composers, embracing the many personas of the trumpet – from expressive to virtuosic. 7:30 p.m.
Clothing Swap 2.0 at the Tipsy Muse Café. Love to change up your style but your budget doesn’t? Want to save money while adding beautiful pieces to your wardrobe?Then join us on March 11th from 7-9 at the Tipsy Muse Cafe for Clothing Swap 2.0. 7-9 p.m.
Tertulia: Katie Thorsteinson on Sara Ahmed at Milda’s Pizzas.What is a tertulia? A tertulia can be described as a literary and artistic social gathering or philosophy cafe where participants talk about ideas. Tertulias combine words, music, poetry, art and whatever else speakers want to share. Sara Ahmed is a scholar of feminist theory, lesbian feminism, queer theory, critical race theory and post-colonialism, and author of several books, including Living a Feminist Life. Katie Thorsteinson is an Assistant Professor of English at St. Thomas University. 7 p.m.
Thursday
Ventus Machina & Alain Clavette in Envol/Take Flight at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre. Inspired by the freedom, flight and songs of our winged friends, this show features works by Canadian Emily Doolittle, American David Picton, Latvian Peteris Vasks, and Italian Otterino Respighi plus new arrangements of greats by Leonard Cohen and the Beatles. Alain’s beautiful photography, amazing stories and colourful personality combined with the music promise to send audiences soaring!
For tickets, call Symphony New Brunswick at 634-8379, or purchase at the door. Adults are $26; Students are $10; and those 12 years and under get in for free. 7:30 p.m.
Theatre St. Thomas presents Scooter Thomas Makes it to The Top of the World. (March 12-14). Scooter Thomas Makes It to the Top of the World is a timeless story written by Peter Parnell. The show reflects how life changes from adolescence to adulthood. We follow Scooter and Dennis, and their very different world views about what it was like growing up, and what it means for us to “make it to the top of the world.” How do we measure success as humans? What would you want to do if you died tomorrow? What would you regret not doing? Were you “successful?” Directed by Ben Smith, featuring two students, Scooter Thomas shows us the variation of what it’s like entering the real world, and what it would be like if we never got the chance. 7:30 p.m. nightly with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday.
Friday
TIPSY 3 at the Tipsy Muse Café. TIPSY 3 is a Canadian trio of musicians who have each made their own mark in the traditional music scene: Jocelyne Bourque from New-Brunswick, Kimberley Holmes from Nova Scotia and Susie Lemay from Quebec. With their fingers dancing on their instruments, they share their passion for the traditional music of Quebec, Acadie, Ireland, Scotland, Ontario and the Maritimes. 7 p.m.
Chillteens + Chris Meany + Diz at The Cap. A line-up of locals gather for a PWYW performance in support of jack.org. 10 p.m.
Crosscut (Reloaded) at Grimross Brewing Co. A 7-piece blues rock band from right here in Capital City playing tunes from the 50s, 60s, 70s and maybe a few recent jams too. 8 p.m.
Saturday
Emerging Artists Tour 2020 at the Centre Communautaire Sainte-Anne. Jeunesses Musicales New Brunswick presents an impressive cast of emerging classical musicians from across the province. Each of these young musicians has a unique experience, but they all share the same passion for excellence in music, a passion they want to share with you.
Performing will be soprano Marie-Pier Arseneau, pianists Brooklyn Duffie and Zhentong Wang, guitarist Pierre-Paul Ledoux, on saxophone Jack Smith, on percussion Jocelyn Blanchette, on clarinet Emma Morais, flutist Lily Wu, violinist Maggie Zheng and the Saxophone quartet from the Université de Moncton. The Fredericton concert will feature special guest, pianist Adèle LeBlanc. Accompanist for the tour is James Coghlin. There is no admission charge but you may make a donation to the Fredericton Chapter of JM Canada. 7 p.m.
Kendra Gale + The Firey at Grimross Brewing Co. A rocking Saturday night with some kickass women. The Kendra Gale Band, based out of Southern New Brunswick, have been kicking and screaming their way around the Atlantic Provinces, Quebec and Ontario playing house concerts, night clubs, showcases and festival stages for the last 4 years. The Firey is a 4 piece all female rock band hailing from Moncton, NB.We have been described as “Authentic Rock ‘n’ Roll invoking the Riot Girl Spirit”.8 p.m.
Electro Jacques Therapy with Peter Leblanc at Bellweather (384 Queen St.) François Girard, whose mystical, blood-drenched vision for Wagner’s Parsifal became one of the Met’s most intensely visceral highlights in recent seasons, turns to another Wagnerian masterpiece, Der Fliegende Holländer, conducted by Valery Gergiev. Evgeny Nikitin is the mysterious seafarer searching for salvation, with Anja Kampe as the devoted Senta, whose love can set him free. In a nod to Senta’s obsession with a portrait of the legendary title seafarer, the Met stage is transformed into a colossal oil painting. Franz-Josef Selig portrays Senta’s father Daland, Sergey Skorokhodov takes on the role of the huntsman Erik, David Portillo sings the Steersman, and Mihoko Fujimura is Senta’s nurse Mary. Der Fliegende Holländer is a co-production with L’Opéra de Québec and Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam. 1:55 p.m.
Celtic Jam at the Tipsy Muse Café. Come play a tune! 2 p.m.
Leona Burkey with Robyn Merrick at the Tipsy Muse Café. The Tipsy Muse presents two Cape Breton girls with guitars. Leona Burkey & Robyn Merrick, looming St. Patrick’s Day, fine tunes & foolishness guaranteed…leprechauns welcome. 7 p.m.
Little You, Little Me + Kill Chicago + Graeme Kennedy at The Cap. The strongest lineup of New Brunswick rock and roll? Be there or be square or be super-bummed you missed out. 10 p.m.
Sunday
MusicUNB Concert: Moving Images in Memorial Hall.This concert features Nadia Francavilla (violin), Carl Gionet (piano), and Philippe Léonard (multidisciplinary/live video). Music, film, and video have been partners since the creation of moving pictures. More recently, musicians have utilized visual mediums for inspiration and collaboration. In this performance, Francavilla, with the help of long-time collaborator Gionet, and multidisciplinary artist Léonard, will explore the intersection of these three art forms in an all-American program. Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, and $8 for students, and are available at the door. 7:30 p.m.
This Week in Fredericton was created with notes from the Fredericton Arts Alliance‘s weekly newsletter as well as Music Runs Through It‘s weekly Fredericton music update. We encourage you to visit both these valuable community resources for more detailed information on these and other events happening This Week in Fredericton.
