k.d. lang
Born Kathryn Dawn Lang 55 years ago in Edmonton, the cowgirl chanteuse works with a golden voice, impeccable phrasing and no shoes on her feet. Set lists from her current tour reveal hit Constant Craving, her taste in Canadian covers (Joni Mitchell's Help Me and Neil Young's Helpless) and one classic that covers both those categories, Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Church time. Aug. 30 and 31, 7:30 p.m. $43 to $123. Sony Centre, 1 Front St. E., 855-872-7669 or ticketmaster.ca.
Jay & Silent Bob Get Old
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The American film director Kevin Smith appears live with his sidekick Jason Mewes for a presentation of stories (and more stories), ostensibly about their shared Hollywood experience. Known for their work in the cult-favourite movies Clerks, Clerks II, Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, the duo will riff and carry on in a stoned manner that is likely authentic. Aug. 25, 9 p.m. $49.50 to $69.50, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 190 Princes' Blvd., 855-985-5000 or ticketmaster.ca.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
"The course of true love never did run smooth." "Lord, what fools these mortals be!" It never doth get old, doth it? Shakespeare's enduring romantic comedy is performed outdoors, by the Shakespeare in the Ruff company. To Sept. 3. PWYC. Withrow Park, 725 Logan Ave., shakespeareintheruff.com.
Up Close and Personal with Gordon Lightfoot
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He rhymed "satin dress" with "what ya don't confess" and "Gitche Gumee" with "the gales of November come early." Not bad. In benefit of charities that include the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Gordon Lightfoot engages in an onstage interview with TSN Sports on-air personality Dave Hodge, while artists influenced by the iconic troubadour – Terra Lightfoot, Justin Rutledge, the Dwayne Gretzky Band and Ron Sexsmith – perform the man's material. Aug. 27, 1 p.m. $69. Tawse Winery, Vineland, Ont., 905-562-9500 or tawsewinery.ca.
Deja Revue
Did you know the Revue Cinema was the hot spot for auf wiedersehen-ing in Toronto after the Second World War? There, the German community gathered for the escapist musicals and romcoms popular in the home country in the 1950s and 60s. A three-film mini-festival includes a Sunday screening of Teenage Wolfpack, starring Horst Buchhol, the James Dean of the Rhineland. Aug. 24, 25 and 27. $9 to $12. Revue Cinema, 400 Roncesvalles Ave., 416- 531-9950 or revuecinema.ca.