Mikhail Baryshnikov recites the poetry of his late friend Joseph Brodsky.Janis Deinats
Night of Ideas
Where all-nighters are usually borne out of procrastination, a nocturnal event in five Canadian cities is a much more calculated affair. A 12-hour marathon brings together international thinkers to consider the neuroscience, politics and architecture of nighty-night, along with a screening of Andy Warhol's 1963 film Sleep, a broadcast of an eight-hour lullaby and absolutely no counting of sheep. Jan. 25 (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.), Art Museum at the University of Toronto and venues in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Quebec City.
Daniel Romano
Professional singer-songwriter Daniel Romano is the prolific type, not so much releasing albums as having them fall out of his back pocket as he tours. Known for his classy retro-country sounds, the Ontario-based troubadour recently sneak-released two superb albums that depart from that style: Nerveless imagines a power-popping George Harrison; Human Touch contains timeless acoustic balladry. Jan. 20, at Vancouver's The Cobalt; Jan. 21, Victoria's Upstairs Cabaret.
Brodsky/Baryshnikov
Neither a dance piece nor a straight narrative, this one-man show finds ballet star Mikhail Baryshnikov reciting the laureate-level poetry of his late friend, Joseph Brodsky. The English-surtitled production is hypnotic, meditative and, in its Canadian premiere, very much sold out. Jan. 24 to 27, at Toronto's Winter Garden Theatre.
Shivering Songs: Catherine MacLellan
As part of a singer-songwriter festival that includes her tribute show If It's Alright With You – The Life and Music of My Father, Gene MacLellan, PEI native Catherine MacLellan (whose dad wrote Snowbird and Put Your Hand in the Hand) hosts a workshop capped off with a live performance by the mentorees. Other highlights include the appearance of Tim Baker, front man of the Newfoundland indie-rockers Hey Rosetta!, currently on hiatus. Jan. 18 to 21, at various Fredericton venues.
Canada's Top Ten Film Festival
A mini-festival of the best Canadian films of 2017 brings together 10 top-notch documentaries and features. Among the latter is Robin Aubert's Les Affamés, a nuanced riot that resuscitates the zombie subgenre that just won't stay dead. On the documentary side, Catherine Bainbridge's Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World charts the Indigenous influence in rock music, with special attention paid to guitarist Link Wray. Ongoing, at Montreal's Phi Centre, Vancouver's The Cinematheque, Toronto's TIFF Bell Lightbox and Winnipeg Film Group's Cinematheque, with coming runs in Edmonton, Ottawa, Regina and Saskatoon.
Brad Wheeler