Author Archive

WEEKENDER: Tired Paws, Birds with Skymirrors, burlesque, plus the start of Sunday Bikedays and more great gigs

Rhapsody Blue is best known for her fire-breathing. She also dances with fire fans and, according to her bio, performs a mean strip tease. Photography by Ben Ripley

FIRST OTTAWA BURLESQUE FESTIVAL FUNDRAISER
In an effort to raise money for an Ottawa Burlesque Festival next year, the burlesque community has come together to put on an intriguing fundraiser involving local burlesque performers and music by DJ Lowpass. Proceeds from the event will help to fun a a three-day bilingual celebration of art, sensuality, and diversity. $10 tickets at the door. Must be 19. Sunday, May 26 at 8 p.m. Held at Yuk Yuk’s, 292 Elgin St.

JEFF ELLIOTT AT YUK YUK’S
Known for his “clean” and canny comedy, Jeff Elliott has become a major talent in the Canadian comedy scene. Jeff also writes for MSN.ca, freelances for major advertising companies, and can be seen in a number of commercials. Warning: you may find yourself laughing in an uncontrollable manner. Tickets at $18. 379 Preston St., Friday, May 24 at 9:30 p.m. and Saturday, May 25 at 8 p.m. 292 Elgin St. Saturday, May 25 at 9:30 p.m. www.yukyuks.com

BIRDS WITH SKYMIRRORS AT THE NAC
A pioneer in the evolution of Pacific contemporary dance, Lemi Ponifasio and his company MAU will be performing their internationally renowned production of Birds With Skymirrors at the NAC this weekend. Inspired by an event where Ponifasio witnessed birds carrying magnetic videotape in their beaks, this dramatic performance will challenge audiences to reflect on the future of the environment. Sit back, relax, and take in this provocative and enchanting 90 minute multi-media production. Tickets starting at $38. Friday, May 24 and Saturday, May 25 at 7:30 p.m. National Arts Centre, 53 Elgin St. www.nac-can.ca

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  |  May 22, 2013 at 10:00 am

ON NEWSSTANDS: Sneak peek at the contents page of the Ottawa Magazine Eating & Drinking Guide

EAT: Ottawa’s most exciting new food businesses and best restaurants

New and Noteworthy
Fifteen of the tastiest new additions to the city’s simmering culinary landscape
By Shawna Wagman

Restaurants
Our authoritative guide to dining in the city features 100 must-try restaurants
By Anne DesBrisay

Must-Try 
Sandwiches, doughnuts, bar snacks, pickles and preserves, bread

 

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  |  May 21, 2013 at 1:07 pm

ASK A LOCAL: 5 Ottawa notables discuss political junkies, canal spying, bad drivers, and other city stereotypes

Mark Monahan
Executive/artistic director of the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest and the Ottawa Folk Festival 

Why I came to Ottawa: I was born here and never left.

First Ottawa job: Working a Crown and Anchor game for the Ottawa Ex at the age of 14.

My neighbourhood: The Glebe.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: Political junkies obsessed with The Weather Channel.

Least accurate Ottawa stereotype: Sleepy government town.

Proof I’ve made it in Ottawa: Private parking spot at the Greyhound bus station (Bluesfest is housed inside the bus station).

Five words that describe Ottawa now: Scenic, safe, energizing, green, interesting.

Five words I hope will be used to describe the city in 15 years: Scenic, safe, energizing, green, interesting.

Favourite spot: Any golf club on a sunny day.

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  |  May 18, 2013 at 10:00 am

WEEKENDER: Chinatown Remixed, International Museums Day, Star Wars, and four more ways to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday

CHINATOWN REMIXED (FREE!)
The fifth annual arts festival on Somerset Street West, aka Chinatown Remixed, launches this weekend. This unique month-long event includes exhibits of visual and performance art of all kinds located in various establishments from restaurants to hair salons. Take a stroll through Ottawa’s vibrant Chinatown to experience over 40 artists’ works in unconventional locations. One of many displays is Christine Mockett’s The Machine Project, a video installation presented at Tang Coin Laundry. Live music, workshops, and local foods are all part of this one-of-a-kind celebration. Takes place on Somerset Street between Bay and Preston streets. Grand opening and vernissage from 1:30-5:30, May 18. Exhibits continue until June 18th. www.chinatownremixed.ca

Get to know Star Wars on a whole new level at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum.

STAR WARS™ IDENTITIES
See the characters of Star Wars like you’ve never seen them before at the traveling exhibition currently at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. This weekend, discover how Luke and Anakin turned out to be such different people, view the vast collection of over 200 iconic props, and engage in a multi-media identity quest to see what you would look like as a Star Wars character. $24, teens and senior $20, children (3-12) $13.25. Friday, May 10 to Monday, September 2. See website for hours of operation. Canada Aviation and Space Museum, 11 Aviation Pkwy. www.aviation.technomuses.ca

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  |  May 15, 2013 at 1:06 pm

MY LOOK: ModBox’s Melissa Reeves on how music and architecture influence her personal style

This story appears in the May edition of Ottawa Magazine. Click here to order the back issue or an online edition. 

By Elisabetta Bianchini

Dress by Park Lane, purchased at Roadtrip; Braided Belt: purchased at Roadtrip; Necklace: Purchased on a recent trip to Grand Cayman; Gold Cuff: Purchased in Paris; Shoes: BCBG; Lipstick: "Vegas Volt" MAC. Photography by Rémi Thériault.

You’re the director of marketing for ModBox, the company you and your husband [architect Andrew Reeves] became partners in when you moved to Ottawa a year and a half ago. What is ModBox?

It’s an urban property development company that specializes in high-end urban developments. It’s an alternative to moving out to the burbs — people can stay in the city where the energy is.

How do you distinguish between your workwear and your weekend wear?
When I started working at TIFF [Toronto International Film Festival], after working on Bay Street, I began to meld both closets. I no longer need two closets for my work suits and my day-to-day wear. I just have one wardrobe now.

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  |  May 14, 2013 at 8:55 am

ASK A LOCAL: 5 Ottawa personalities gush on favourite spots, biggest beefs, and hopes for the city

Jim Bryson 
Singer-songwriter

Why I came to Ottawa: I was born into Ottawa.

First Ottawa job: As a youth, I was an Ottawa Citizen paperboy.

My neighbourhood: Stittsville.

Most accurate Ottawa stereotype: I dare say we still occasionally live with a small chip on our shoulder regarding other, um, larger Canadian cities.

Least accurate Ottawa stereotype: The town that fun forgot.

Five words that describe Ottawa now: Hopeful, exciting, promising, changing, alive.

Five words you hope will be used to describe the city in 15 years: A place we still love.

Favourite spot: My wife would tell me to write the Manx in here, but may I also add Union Local 613, the Wellington Gastropub, and Jon Lomow’s newly renovated house? I don’t get out much, to be honest. My yard at night is pretty special as well.

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  |  May 11, 2013 at 10:00 am

COMICCON WARMUP: Ryan Rozumniak extols the virtues of Star Trek

With Comiccon set for May 10-12 at the Ernst and Young Centre, Roger Collier profiles four hardcore fans (and checks out their superhuman costumes). Here’s the fourth:

The Trekkie

Photography by Luther Caverly

Name: Ryan Rozumniak
Age: 29
Occupation: Seeking employment
Moved to Ottawa from: Edmonton
Affiliation: Crew member of IKV Phoenix, Ottawa’s Klingon/Star Trek Costuming & Role-play Fan Club;

lieutenant in the USS Magellan chapter of Starfleet, an international Star Trek fan association

Series ranking:
1. The Original Series
2. The Next Generation
3. Deep Space Nine
4. Voyager
5. Enterprise
“I had a hate on for Deep Space Nine, actually. But as I watched more and more episodes, I realized it was deep. It had great storylines.”

Favourite Star Trek possession: First-edition (1975) Star Trek Starfleet Technical Manual, purchased last year at Ottawa Comiccon for $10. “I saw it and was like, ‘Wait a minute.’ They were going on eBay for ridiculous prices.”

Wants to get: Dress uniform from Star Trek Insurrection and Star Trek Nemesis. “It’s all white. It’s really nice and fancy.”

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  |  May 10, 2013 at 8:45 am

COMICCON WARMUP: Cindy Harper plays dress-up for charity in Star Wars gear

With Comiccon set for May 10-12 at the Ernst and Young Centre, Roger Collier profiles four hardcore fans (and checks out their superhuman costumes). Here’s the third:

I’m dating myself, but I’m one of the very few people in my organization who has been to see every movie at the theatre on original release." Photography by Luther Caverly.

The Jedi

Name: Cindy Harper 
Age: 46
Occupation: Public servant
Moved to Ottawa from: Brockville

Affiliations:

Member of the 501st Legion (bad guys) and the Rebel Legion (good guys), both international Star Wars costuming organizations.

Local group Capital City Garrison is officially part of the 501st, but Rebels are considered “associated” members.

Love at first sight: Watched the first movie with her father in 1977 at the age of 11. “I was awestruck. In a daze. I would have seen it over and over if I could.”

Movie ranking: 1. Revenge of the Sith 2. Attack of the Clones 3. A New Hope 4. Return of the Jedi 5. The Empire Strikes Back 6. The Phantom Menace  

Favourite characters: Anakin Skywalker, Padmé Amidala, Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Han Solo

Costume in the works for Ottawa Comiccon: Lego Slave Leia and Ewok

Bucket-list costume: Stormtrooper, Darth Maladi, Shaak Ti, Battle Decoy Sabe. “Making a trooper costume will run you $1,000. Minimum.”

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  |  May 9, 2013 at 10:30 am

COMICCON WARMUP: Morgan Dunbar embraces the dark (and cheesy) Doctor Who

With Comiccon set for May 10-12 at the Ernst and Young Centre, Roger Collier profiles four hardcore fans (and checks out their superhuman costumes). Here’s the second:

The Whovian

Photography by Luther Caverly

Name: Morgan Dunbar
Age: 23
Occupation: Graphic designer and owner of Geek Charming (Jewelry and Crafts for the geekily inclined)
Moved to Ottawa from: Blind River, Ontario
Affiliation: Member of The Doctor Who  Society of Canada

Why Who?:  “It has a lot of good characters, a lot of good storylines. It’s a little cheesy sometimes, but it’s fun to get into.”

Favourite characters: River Song, the Doctor, Jack Harkness, Rory, Rose Tyler. “River Song is the greatest female character ever written for TV. She’s funny, she’s sexy, she’s cocky, and she’s a badass.”

Worst character: Mickey Smith. “Mickey Smith is the boyfriend of Rose Tyler. Whenever he came along, he cramped the Doctor’s style and really got in the way of the Doctor/Rose dynamic.” 

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  |  May 8, 2013 at 10:45 am

COMICCON WARMUP: Meet the ultimate Ghostbusters superfan

With Comiccon set for May 10-12 at the Ernst and Young Centre, Roger Collier profiles four hardcore fans (and checks out their superhuman costumes). Here’s the first:

Photography by Luther Caverly

The Ghosthead

Name: Matt Provencal 
Age: 27
Occupation: Videographerand graphic designer
Moved to Ottawa from: Montreal

Affiliation: Member of The Ontario Ghostbusters and co-host of Cross the Streams Radio Show, a Ghostbusters podcast

Favourite Ghostbusters memorabilia: A scale proton pack signed by cast members Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson.

Insider knowledge:

1. The Bill Murray role was written for John Belushi, who died before filming began.

2. Pee-Wee Herman actor Paul Reubens was chosen to play villain Gozer the Destructor, but the part was recast with Serbian model Slavitza Jovan.

3. The original script was set in the distant future and featured interdimensional travel.

4. Though he auditioned for a voice part in the cartoon series, Ernie Hudson lost the role he played in the movie to Arsenio Hall.

5. The iconic white Ectomobile was originally black but didn’t film well at night.

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  |  May 7, 2013 at 10:00 am

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