My favorite Christmas moment of 2016

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Right now, while I am in the morning of Christmas Day, and in the heart of the 2016 Christmas holiday season, I am easily reminded of one of my favorite moments during this season, and it took place over a month ago in the heart of the Ozark Mountains of Missouri.

In the middle of November, a week before American Thanksgiving, I was fortunate to participate in a press tour with a group of fellow travel writers to Branson, Missouri. To say that this town of 10,000 residents is totally immersed in Christmas is indeed an understatement. From downtown Branson, to its historic district, to the 50 theatres that make up its "strip"-- and the 100 shows that inhabit them -- to the very impressive Branson Landing outdoor mall, Christmas is a celebration that takes over Branson from November 1 to December 31. Why, you may ask? According to any resident who is asked that question, they simply reply "because Andy Williams said so!". 

It was 25 years ago that the veteran signer/entertainer moved to Branson and built his own theatre (now called the Andy Williams Performing Arts Center), and helped attract plenty of mainstream entertainers to perform in Branson, and in turn transformed Branson into a major entertainment hub and tourist attract. 

Although he passed away in 2012, Andy Williams’ Christmas legacy is captured every year in Branson. One of those events that captures his legacy is the annual the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Parade, which the fourth edition was held on November 19, and ran along the entire length of Branson Landing. 

Parade emcees Kelly Smith (left) and Billie Yates

Before the parade, myself and the group of travel writers on the press tour were invited to breakfast at the Black Oak Grill restaurant, which was also the meeting place of the selected Branson entertainers who were participating in the parade. While enjoying the delicious breakfast buffet, we were given the chance to interview with as many of the entertainers that we wanted (as long as time permitted). I decided to speak to the amiable Branson duo who were about to emcee the live broadcast of the parade: Billie Yates and Kelly Smith. Yates, who is a veteran Grammy Award-winning songwriter, stars in a rather unique country music tribute in Branson called "Raiding the Country Vault". 

Parade grand marshalls the Lennon Sisters

"Raiding the Country Vault takes 30 of the most iconic songs in country music, add an n all-star cast, along with three giant screens and a laser light show, and the result is a show that celebrates these songs and the stories behind them," said Yates, who added that Glen Campbell's "Wichita Lineman" and Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" are the songs that are featured on the show which are constant favorites with the audience. 

Ms. Smith is also a veteran Branson entertainer. She has performed as Cher in the Legends in Concert show, and is the host of a daily lifestyles TV magazine show called “Ozarks Live”, which airs on the local CBS station. As well, she is about to tour in a tribute show in Australia as Olivia Newton-John; and what makes this singing gig so special for Ms. Smith is that her tribute performance was given the official approval by Olivia Newton-John herself. 

"When I perform any character, I always take it seriously. To prep myself for the Olivia Newton-John role, I carefully listened to her songs, and did everything to get her accent right. Getting every nuance of the character perfectly is the most important way of what I do as a performer. And as a result, I will get the chance to perform as her for a future two-week tour in Australia," she said.

The parade itself attracted a large number of Branson residents and tourists, who braved the unseasonably chilly temperatures to get their Christmas holidays off to the right start. It featured several of Branson’s top entertainers, such as the Baldknobbers (who began performing in Branson in 1960), the Hughes Brothers, Six, and the Lennon Sisters (who served as this year’s parade grand marshals), along with a stream of classic cars and floats that were provided by many of the city’s shows and local sponsors. However, this day of holiday celebration didn't end with the parade. It was followed by an hour-long Christmas concert, which showcased many of the entertainers that were on the parade route, and took place in front of the fountains of the main square at Branson Landing. On the line-up were the following Branson entertainers: the Baldknobbers, New South, Clay and Tina Cooper, the Hughes Brothers, Voices of Glory, Dean Z (as Elvis Presley), Six, Brian Dupre (as Frank Sinatra), Pierce Arrow, Billy Yates, and the Lennon Sisters (together with their grand daughters), in which they each sang a popular Christmas song, (and also acted as a sampler of Branson shows that one did not get the chance to see, or sparked one's interest to catch in the future). All in all, the parade and concert capped off a wonderful morning, and vividly illustrated to me why Christmas in Branson is indeed "the most wonderful time of the year".

The Lennon Sisters perform at Branson Landing

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For more information about visiting Branson, Missouri during Christmas time or any other time of the year, check out the Branson/Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.explorebranson.com.

Following in the footsteps of LBJ in Texas Hill Country

FREDERICKSBURG, TEXAS – Last month, while in the midst of the maelstrom and madness that was the 2016 U.S. presidential election campaign, I decided to take a somewhat presidential escape and participate in a press tour of the Texas Hill Country region, and follow in the footsteps of the 36^th President of the United States, Lyndon Baines Johnson, or LBJ for short.

Johnson, who served as president from 1963 to 1969, was known for his hardworking, bombastic style of leadership, especially when it came to working with the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to pass much vital legislation. Although his presidency will forever be known for being bogged in the quagmire of the Vietnam War, Johnson’s administration was also known for passing a great multitude of social legislation as part of his “Great Society” program, such as the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act,  and Head Start.

However, when the stresses of Washington, D.C. and the White House got to be too much for him, LBJ would board Air Force One to the Hill Country, in particular, his ranch in Stonewall, Texas, where he could get some work done, entertain VIPs and heads of state, and physically and emotionally recharge his batteries in the much-relaxed atmosphere of the sprawling 2700 acres that made up his ranch. In fact, he spent a total of 490 days of his administration taking care of the business of the nation and relaxing at the ranch.

“This is a special corner of God’s real estate,” Johnson once said about his beloved Texas home. “It really moulds the character of people.”

In 1972, a year before his death, LBJ and his wife Lady Bird Johnson donated 600 acres of the ranch area to the U.S. National Parks Service, as a means to share the beauty of the Texas Hill Country landscape and the historic places that not only shaped his life, but also the history of the state of Texas. The end result was the LBJ State Park and Historic Site  and the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park.

Inside LBJ's Texas White House office

This impressive historical complex, which attracts about 75,000 visitors annually, is jointly operated by the State of Texas and the U.S. National Parks Service, and is dedicated to preserving the life and legacy of Lyndon B. Johnson and his pioneering Texas roots. Through visiting the preserved properties that were associated with his life, such as his birthplace and boyhood home, the Junction School one-room schoolhouse where he spent his early school days and the Texas White House, you get the authentic story of LBJ by literally following in his footsteps.

To get a vivid idea of what life was like in LBJ’s Texas world before he embarked on his political career, check out the Sauer-Beckmann Farm to start your visit. This farmhouse was actually resided by a family who were the Johnson family’s neighbours about a century ago. What is so amazing about visiting this farmhouse is that the people who serve as your guides (all of them volunteers) not only wear authentic clothing from that period (circa 1916), but they conduct actual homestead chores and prepare meals using the tools and appliances from that era, without any modern technological convenience in sight.

As you make your way along the trail to the Texas White House, you can’t miss the presence of the many Hereford cows that LBJ raised through his lifetime that still roam around the property. Make sure to visit the Show Barn facility, which was built 50 years ago. During his presidency, when Johnson hosted many special guests and heads of state at the ranch, he made it a point to make the Show Barn a stop on his personal guided tours of the ranch, and showed off the cattle and show bulls he raised at the barn, to give them the idea of what a typical Texas ranch looked like, which also helped to soften or change any negative opinions these visitors might have had of him. Also, the Show Barn is still run as a functioning  cattle ranch, in which the livestock still sport the distinctive “LBJ” brand on their horns.

Another stop to make before visiting the Texas White House is LBJ’s personal airplane hangar, which also serves as the visitor centre and the gift and book shop, where you can purchase a wide range of books about LBJ and his presidency (including Robert A. Caro’s monumental four-volume biography of LBJ), replicas of his famous Stetson hat, and even an LBJ bobble head figurine. For an ideal souvenir of your visit to the LBJ Ranch, I recommend purchasing a copy of the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park audio CD/DVD package, which costs only $7. The audio CD contains detailed descriptions of 18 of the sites that make up the entire facility (which includes quotes from LBJ himself, along with his daughters Luci Baines Johnson and Lynda Johnson Robb, as well as the Reverend Billy Graham and Johnson administration aide Joseph Califano); the DVD contains 39 photographs of the site, as well as a selection of documentary featurettes, including a 1968 tour of the ranch that was personally conducted by LBJ and Lady Bird Johnson (and judging by the relaxed tone of voice LBJ uses when he speaks in this doc, it readily shows how the ranch and the house was such an important part of his life throughout his 64 years).

The hangar also has a mini theatre, which shows a 14-minute featurette film about the story of LBJ and the Texas White House (highly recommended). Also, it stores the many presidential souvenir items in their original packaging, such as cigarette lighters, cufflinks and his trademark Stetson hat, that LBJ loved to give to visitors as gifts, as well as his small private jet plane that he used for his short flights to the ranch (which he referred to as “Air Force One-Half”).

The living room at the Texas White House

The Texas White House itself, which was officially opened to the public in 2008, a year after Lady Bird’s death and to mark the 100^th anniversary of LBJ’s birth, is a testament to the relaxed, laid back way of life the Johnson family enjoyed during their time there. Compared to the opulent residences of some of LBJ’s presidential predecessors – such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello --  Johnson’s Texas White House is indeed quite modest-looking, yet no less comfortable. Whether it be the living room (with LBJ’s trademark three TV sets placed side by side, so he could watch the newscasts of CBS, NBC and ABC simultaneously and Lady Bird could watch her favorite TV show “Gunsmoke”, and the table where he liked to play dominoes), his wood-panelled office, the kitchen (in which the clocks are fixed at 1 p.m., the exact time on November 22, 1963 when John F. Kennedy was pronounced dead and Johnson officially became president) or his separate bedroom (which had a phone console with several phone lines … a similar device was also installed in the nearby bathroom), the visitor gets the impression that the Texas White House was not a museum piece, but a place where LBJ really did call home and was where he can retreat from the crazy world of the Washington corridors of power, yet not lose sight of his presidential responsibilities. Visits to the Texas White House are done via guided tours only (tickets are available for purchase at the airplane hangar visitor centre); the national park rangers who conduct the tours are excellent and have a vast knowledge of the world of Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson, and what this house meant to them.

After experiencing the life and world of Lyndon B. Johnson and his family by visiting the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, it gave me an eye-opening glance at the human side of this controversial president beyond the upheaval of the 60s that made up a great deal of his presidency. I can readily understand why he wanted to share his home with the rest of the world, which was echoed in the message that was inscribed on the mat that is placed on the front door of the Texas White House: “All the World is Welcome Here”.

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For more information about visiting the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, go to www.nps.gov/lyjo. And to find out more about the Texas Hill Country region, in particular the city of Fredericksburg, and what is has to offer, go to wwwvisitfredericksburgtx.com.

(This article originally appeared in the November 9, 2016 edition of "Wednesday")

Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation holds successful masked ball

Over 400 people attended the 6^th edition of the Incognito Masked Ball, which was held by Young Leaders Circle of the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation on October 28, at the Entrepots Dominion, on St. Ambroise Street.

Presented by Engel & Volkers and McGill Real Estate, this year’s Incognito Masked Ball went under the theme of “Meet Me at the Ball”. The multitude of guests were dressed in their semi-formal cocktail chic and masked best,  whether it be Halloween style, classic masquerade, super heroes, commedia dell’arte or even Star Wars. As soon as they entered the site of the ball, they were greeted by some unique musical entertainment, which included a pair of Genji pianists from Japan, who played a selection of classic and contemporary compositions in tandem without breaking their rhythm, and Gabrielle, a local violinist who played the instrument with a great deal of flair and passion.

The main site of the masked ball was a breathtaking mixture of light, music and several stations that gave the guests an ambiance of romance, mystery, reverie and roses in an enchanted fairy tale setting. There were photo booths, an oyster raw bar, a candy bar, a “truth or dare” table that was sponsored by Apothic Wines (in which guests can choose a truth or dare card and write or perform whatever is requested on the card in question), and a silent auction table, where guests can bid on a large selection of top drawer items such as jewellery, cosmetic gift baskets, hotel packages, a Mountain Lake PBS mother/daughter surprise box, a McLaren Team F1 hat autographed by one the team drivers, and a Montreal Canadiens jersey signed by Alexander Galchenyuk. 

Proceeds from the masked ball benefitted the hospital’s H.B. Williams Craniofacial and Cleft Surgery Unit, so that it could continue to remain at the forefront of both these important surgical fields across Quebec and Canada, and continue its mission of aiding and treating children with craniofacial disorders, which affect the bones of both the skull and the face. The ball is one of the events that is organized by the Young Leaders Circle, whose mission is to make a positive impact on pediatric care in Quebec through original, creative fundraising programs.

Cote St. Luc synagogue welcomes new spiritual leader Rabbi

Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich of the TBDJ Synagogue

When Rabbi Yechezkel Freundlich officially assumed the post of spiritual leader of the Tifereth Beth David Jerusalem (TBDJ) Synagogue in Cote St. Luc this past August, after serving as an Associate Rabbi for a synagogue in Atlanta, Georgia since 2007, one of the first conversations he had with a member of the TBDJ congregation dealt with a matter that was more meteorological than spiritual.

“The weather was indeed a starting point. It was 88 degrees that day, and he told me that it must have felt more like the temperature in Atlanta for me. I replied to him that after being used to a place where the temperature would be 96 degrees with the humidity at 11 a.m., 88 degrees was gorgeous for me,” said Rabbi Freundlich during a private luncheon with several journalists early last month.

Born the son of Holocaust survivors in Louisville, Kentucky and raised in New Jersey, Rabbi Freundlich (or “Rabbi Y”, as he was affectionately known as by the members of his congregation in Atlanta), brings to the TBDJ a wealth of experience and knowledge. He holds three degrees (including a Master of Science Degree in Professional Counseling from Georgia State University); was part of group in Atlanta that promoted personal and religious growth through family meetings, personal development classes and social programming; directed an advanced nightly Torah study group and held outreach sessions for university students and preschool parents; developed and produced a “Strengthen Your Marriage” workshop that was presented across the U.S.; and developed a “3 Minute Parenting Through the Parsha” online video series.

Rabbi Freundlich, who replaced Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz, the TBDJ’s spiritual leader for 19 years who left the synagogue to accept a position in New York, was part of rigorous selection process that began nearly a year ago. But what was so unique about it was that the members of the congregation took an active role in the process as well.

“The committee decided to involve the members in the selection process,” said TBDJ President Judah Aspler. “We sent out a survey to them, so they could provide us with the necessary feedback, and it helped solidify the criteria of what we were looking for in a spiritual leader.” After the final three candidates were chosen, they were invited to spend a weekend with the members to give them a hands-on feel of what the synagogue, its members and the community were all about, and participated in a wide range of activities from services to classes, to personally interacting with the members. “Each of our guest Rabbis commented to me on how impressed they were by what they saw in terms of member involvement, care and passion for the shul,” said Aspler. “Our candidates were impressed, and I think we all were as well. We demonstrated who we are, and who we will be.”

When Rabbi Freundlich was officially selected to lead the TBDJ, he and his wife Rifki, along with their seven children ranging in ages from 3 to 16, were given a large scale Shabbt dinner on August 19 to formally welcome them to the community, which attracted over 300 people.

Rabbi Freundlich realizes he has big shoes to fill as the successor to a long-serving and popular spiritual leader, and wants to make the synagogue a vibrant focal point of the community. “I know it is very hard to fill the shoes of such a beloved rabbi, especially the impact Rabbi Steinmetz made on the shul and how he left it as a very strong place,” he said. “I would like it to be a vibrant place both socially and spiritually, and engage more people to what we have to offer, so that it can be an important centre of the community, and an important place in people’s lives.”

As well, Rabbi Freundlich and his family relished the exciting challenge of adjusting to a new way of life in Montreal, especially adapting to its unique culture and learning how to speak French. “I like Montreal because it’s such a diverse, multicultural city. And we are bringing our car in from Atlanta so we can get around the city much easier. And all that road construction? Well, I believe that’s being done so that the roads can be fixed up especially for me and my family,” he said. “And I was a big sports fan when I was in Atlanta, so I am looking forward to finally support a winning team in Montreal!”

Cross Kill by James Patterson (Little, Brown, $5.95)

Let’s face it. Mega best selling author James Patterson is a virtual writing machine.

Every year, Patterson and his team of co-authors release a slew of books, which are usually his series of best-selling thrillers, such as the crime thrillers involving Washington, D.C. police detective Alex Cross, the Womens’ Murder Club and the Michael Bennett mysteries, amongst others.

This past summer, Patterson’s publisher Little, Brown introduced a new way to enjoy and appreciate his prolific output of novels, which are called “Bookshots”.

Advertised as “stories at the speed of life”, Bookshots are a continuous series of compact, affordably-priced paperbacks, in which new titles  are released on a regular basis, and feature many of Patterson’s best-known series of books. Basically, you can read a James Patterson Bookshots release in one sitting (or maybe two, but no more than that).

The question for Patterson’s many fans is can a condensed, shorter version of one of his novels be as captivating and entertaining as his full length ones? Well, after reading Cross Kill, the first book issued in the Bookshots, the answer is a resounding “yes”.

In beginning of this story, Alex Cross and his police partner John Sampson are seen volunteering their time at a local elementary school breakfast program, when they are unexpectedly ambushed by a lone gunman. Cross survives the fusillade of bullets, but Sampson suffers a serious bullet wound to the head that becomes life threatening.

However, the eerie thing about this deadly assault is that the gunman resembles serial killer Gary Soneji, who was pursued by Cross in one of his earlier thrillers Along Came A Spider. The strange thing is that it can’t be Soneji, because Cross saw him meet a fiery death at the end of that story. …Or is Soneji really alive and didn’t really have an incinerating death?

Seeing the first titles in the Bookshots series on display at a magazine store in Milwaukee this past July reminded me of what Signet Books did 20 years ago with Stephen King’s novel The Green Mile, and decided to issue the story in six monthly installments in the form of attractive, easy-to-read compact pocket paperbacks. All six installments became instant best sellers, and are regarded as collector’s items after The Green Mile was re-issued in a single volume. Bookshots is indeed a new way to enjoy James Patterson’s growing fiction library. And it does succeed, because they are just as thrilling and suspenseful, but at a fraction of the size. And the narrative of Cross Kill provides a couple of interesting plot twists at the end that leave the reader waiting in anticipation for the next Alex Cross installment in the Bookshots series.

This new series of books is great reading for those on their public transit commute to work, or for those long waits at the airport.

Spike Lee wows large audience at Black film festival appearance with Michael Jackson documentary

Acclaimed film director Spike Lee has been a life-long fan of Michael Jackson and his music. “His joy for life was demonstrated in his music and performing,” he said. “And in turn, he has had a lasting impact on a new generation of artists.”

Lee was in town on October 1 for a special screening to mark the Canadian premiere of his documentary “Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall”, as part of the 12^th edition of the Montreal International Black Film Festival, and attracted a huge crowd that packed the Hall Theatre at Concordia University.

Through plenty of concert footage, TV appearances and interviews with many of Jackson’s contemporaries (i.e. Berry Gordy, Suzanne de Passe, Valerie Simpson), family members (brothers Marlon and Jackie), and some of today’s leading recording artists (i.e., John Legend, Pharrell Williams and even Kobe Bryant), Lee chronicles the crucial 10-year period from 1969 to 1979 when Michael Jackson transformed himself from the cute idol of millions of teenyboppers to the iconic King of Pop.

The second half of the documentary is dedicated to Jackson’s monumental 1979 album “Off the Wall” and through those interviews, concert footage and early music videos, gives a song-by-song examination of how and why “Off the Wall” was so important to the rock music world in general, and the future path of Jackson’s career in particular. It was amazing to see how many of the interviewees got giddy when they were discussing the songs, whether they had a role in its production or not, and how much they enjoyed listening to them when they were first released, as well as onto the present day.

Following the screening, Lee held a question and answer session with festival founder and president Fabienne Colas. Sporting San Francisco 49ers/Colin Kaepernick gear, Lee answered a steady stream of questions from the members of the packed crowd, ranging from Michael Jackson’s impact on pop music, how he put together the documentary, his life as a filmmaker, and even some current issues that are currently making the headlines.

Here is a sampling of what Lee said that night:

-On Donald Trump: “Right now, the election has gotten to the point where you have to flip a coin, and that’s scary. Can you imagine Trump with the nuclear codes? It’s more like WTF. This is a scary time right now in America.”

-On former Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban: “Why did they trade my man? He was the face of the team. They should have traded him to the New York Rangers.”

On being an acclaimed, award-winning filmmaker: “This is a dream job for me. When you get to do what you love – and make a living doing what you love – you’re blessed.”

As well, Lee revealed that he is currently working on a 10-episode series for Netflix based on one of his early films, “She’s Gotta Have It”, which follows the characters, and what has happened to them since the time of the film’s release. He also hinted about the possibility of a third documentary about Michael Jackson, which would deal with the story behind his legendary 1982 album “Thriller”.

(This article originally appeared in the Oct. 5, 2016 edition of "Wednesday", the Montreal Times' online-only arts & lifestyles publication).

Door County: exploring the “Cape Cod of the Midwest”

DOOR COUNTY, WISCONSIN – When you visit the area known as Door County, and notice its many charming small towns and villages, its clapboard structures, marinas, beaches and the numerous sailboats and motorboats that make up its maritime traffic, you can’t help to think that someone cut out a chunk of the New England coast and plunked it down in a thumbed-shaped peninsula that juts out of the north eastern side of Wisconsin.

For decades, this peninsular jewel that’s surrounded by Green Bay and Lake Michigan was the ideal summer vacation haven for many Wisconsin and Illinois residents. However, the beauty of Door County gained the world’s attention when a lengthy piece on the area was published in the March 1969 issue of “National Geographic” magazine.

“As an alien thumb of land on the corn-knuckled fist of the Middle West, the Door Peninsula, with its 250 miles of shoreline, draws expression of surprise from first-time visitors,” wrote William S. Ellis, its author. “More often than not, the reactions invoke references to New England, such as ‘Cape Cod on an inland sea.’”

…Not bad for an area that was once referred to by French explorers more than 300 years ago as the “Porte des Morts”, or the “Door of Death”, because the rather hazardous conditions on the peninsula’s northern tip was the chief factor behind the hundreds of shipwrecks that occurred there (hence the reason why it was named Door County).

During a four-day period this past August, I got the chance to experience Door County during a press tour that emphasized its many attractions for those who enjoy outdoor recreation; our focus were on four villages located on the north western side of the peninsula: Egg Harbor, Sister Bay, Fish Creek and Ephraim, with Peninsula State Park serving as the nucleus. For those who like camping, hiking, cycling, kayaking and boating, Door County is the destination for you.

But for those who are visiting the area for the first time, I highly recommend taking a Door County Trolley tour (www.doorcountytrolley.com) to properly familiarize and orient yourself to what the area has to offer and what villages and attractions you would like to see during your visit. Our group took the narrated scenic tour, where we got not only the chance to see many of the stunning scenic bluffs that over look the islands of the area, but learned a lot about the legends and lore behind Door County’s colourful history, from the bloody battles between the Winnebago and Potawatomi tribes, to the settlement of the area by Scandinavian immigrants (and at certain stops, the trolley allows passengers to disembark and take photos). As well, they offer nine other thematic trolley tours, from lighthouses, to food, to wine to their very popular ghost tours.

Not being the overly adventurous type, I decided to explore parts of Door County via boat (but letting someone experienced do the driving). For those who like an adrenaline kick when they take a boat tour, try Door County Adventure Rafting (www.doorcountyadventurerafting.com). Our skipper, Captain Matt Olson, gave us a high-octane ride on his motorized rubber raft (complete with his repertoire of kick ass rock tunes that he played throughout our journey) as we explored some of the hard-to reach islands, lighthouses and geographic wonders along the coast, including my favorite Eagle Cave, which is inhabited by hundreds of bats. And if you go with Captain Matt on a ride when the water is quite choppy (which happened when I took the tour), bring a rain jacket or poncho … you will get wet!

A more relaxed, yet no less informative, boat tour of the peninsula was courtesy of a narrated boat cruise onboard “The Shoreline” (www.shorelinecharters.net). Launching from the peninsula’s most northern tip at Gills Rock, the two-hour tour was a captivating look at the maritime beauty of northern Door County, including its many lighthouses, limestone cliffs, preserved shipwrecks (some, including one that dated back to the Civil War, can be seen with the naked eye) and islands, both populated and isolated. One part of the tour that caught my attention was Pilot Island, which our guide jokingly referred to as “Alfred Hitchcock’s summer home” (pictured above). Originally, I was not aware that the Master of Suspense actually had a summer retreat in this area; and as we got closer to the island, I easily understood the reason behind the Hitchcock reference. The island, which houses a lighthouse and a foghorn station (both now abandoned and victim to years of decay), is now an official state bird refuge. And seeing practically every inch of the small island (and both structures) covered with birds of all kinds was a rather eerie, visual reminder of Hitchcock’s 1963 classic thriller “The Birds”. Although visually fascinating, I cautiously kept still and quiet, so that I would not rouse the many flocks of birds and have them to do me and my fellow journalists like what they did to Tippi Hedren towards the end of the movie.

One evening during our stay, we took an arts and culture break and experienced a performance by the Northern Sky Theatre (www.northernskytheatre.com) troupe, and gave us a vivid example what summer stock and regional theatre are all about. Throughout its summer season (which runs from mid-June until the end of August), the troupe – which makes its home in the beautiful outdoor Northern Sky Amphitheatre that’s located in Peninsula State Park – perform four original, 90-minute family-oriented productions eight times a week, all accompanied with a live musical quartet. What makes this troupe so unique is that they do not perform adaptations of popular Broadway plays or musicals, but productions that have a local flavour to them. The show we saw on the night in question was “Doctor! Doctor!”, an entertaining musical comedy set during the 1930s, in which a young doctor from the big city (Milwaukee) is about to take over his uncle’s medical practice in one of Door County’s small towns .. yet somehow the residents are rather reluctant to adapt to the new doctor in town. And during September and October, Northern Sky Theatre has its fall season, in which two productions are performed at two indoor venues in Fish Creek.

…And now, a few words about the food: When it comes to the food in Door County, two things come to mind: cherries and fish.

First, the cherries. For a period of 100 years – between the 1860s and the 1960s – Door County was regarded as the top cherry producer in the United States (it was even referred to as “Cherry Land USA”). Although it has not retained that status, Door County is still a leading producer of the fruit, with over 2500 acres that grow tart cherries and 50 acres of sweet cherries, and still produces over 12 million pounds a year. No matter where you go throughout Door County, you can’t ignore its cherry presence. There are countless orchards, restaurants and farmer’s markets that offer everything from cherry pies, cherry pie filling, cherry jams and preserves and my favorites, cherry cobbler and dark chocolate-covered cherries.

 

Second, the fish. Perhaps the most dominant type of fish that inhabits the Door County area is whitefish. But half the fun of eating that whitefish is witnessing how it’s uniquely prepared. That’s where the “fish boil” comes into the picture. Dating back to the area’s Scandinavian settlers, a typical fish boil is an event unto itself. Basically, the ingredients are gradually placed into a large cauldron of water that boils over a wood fire by the boilmaster (first the salt, followed by the onions, potatoes and then the chunks of whitefish). The boil comes to a visually stunning climax when the boilmaster throws kerosene into the fire, and in a quick massive ball of fire, all of the oil that gives the fish its fishy taste and essence are boiled away, leaving a sweet, delicious taste to the fish. We caught a typical Door County fish boil at the Rowleys Bay Resort (www.rowleysbayresort.com), located on the Lake Michigan side of the peninsula (pictured above). Before the dinner, we sat around the cauldron and in between ingredients, “Peter Rowley” (actually one of two local retired college history professors) tells in his inimitable way stories dealing with Rowleys Bay’s colourful past as the fish is being boiled for dinner. Once the cooking portion is done, guests try the boiled fish (which is great when you combine it with the onions and potatoes) at the resort’s restaurant, which also includes an impressive 14 foot-long, all-you-can-eat buffet. The fish boil takes place at the resort every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night starting at 4:30 p.m., and reservations are recommended.

And finally, here are three Door County restaurants that you must visit for your dining pleasure. Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant (www.aljohnsons.com) in Sister Bay is a family-owned restaurant that offers diners an authentic taste of Sweden (I recommend the Swedish pancakes, garnished with tangy lingonberries). One peculiar thing that I noticed about the log cabin-type structure of the restaurant is that the roof was covered entirely in grass. And then I found out why; every morning around 8:15, three goats are brought on the roof to graze on its grass-laden covering, which certainly attracts the attention of anyone who passes by the place.

Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor (www.wilsonsicecream.com) in Ephraim has been a fixture in Door County since 1906. And once you step inside, you are automatically taken back in time to when soda fountains and ice cream parlours were a cornerstone on every small town main street. This memorabilia-filled restaurant is a treat to experience (complete with mini 1950s jukeboxes at every booth), and the menu is a delicious throwback. And don’t forget dessert … malteds, ice cream sodas, milk shakes and sundaes are prepared and presented the way they are meant to be, in those classic tall soda fountain glasses with those long, thin spoons (and I highly recommend the Dark Secret sundae, which is the ideal dessert for chocoholics everywhere).

If you want good food with a great view, go to Fred & Fuzzy’s Waterfront Grill in Sister Bay (www.fredandfuzzys.com). Located on the shores of Little Sister Resort, Fred & Fuzzy’s offers the ultimate outdoor dining experience, with a wonderful view of the marina that adjoins the restaurant and the multitude of boats that are docked there (and looks even better when the sun sets). And the restaurant’s large menu includes its series of signature grilled sandwiches (I tried their delicious tenderloin steak sandwich), and their famous cherry margaritas.

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For more information about visiting Door County, and what it has to offer tourists,  visit their website at www.doorcounty.com. Special thanks to Jon Jarosh, communications and PR director of the Door County Visitor Bureau, for his tremendous assistance during and after the tour.

(This article originally appeared in the Sept. 28, 2016 edition of "Wednesday").

“Asher Lev” a masterpiece of one man’s choice between life and art

When Chaim Potok’s novel My Name is Asher Lev was published in 1972, it spent six months on the New York Times best seller list, and was widely praised by critics for its powerful, sensitive, moving story, especially, according to the Wall Street Journal, for its “vision of humanity, of religion, of art”.

It is within that spirit that the stage adaptation of Potok’s novel is being presented by the Segal Centre to open its 2016-2017 subscription season, and is playing there until October 2.

The story centres around Asher Lev (David Reale), a young observant Jew who lives in Brooklyn during the late 1940s and early 50s. Asher possesses a natural talent to draw and draw ell, and is eager to draw no matter what surface he finds, whether it be a stray piece of paper or the pages of a prayer book. In fact, he much rather do these drawings than devote his time to his scholarly and religious studies, which compels his mother (Ellen David) to encourage him to develop his talent, and infuriates his father (Alex Poch-Goldin), a travelling emissary for the Rebbe.

When Asher’s artistic talents are nurtured by veteran New York painter Jacob Kahn (also played by Poch-Goldin), he realizes that he has a future transcending his drawings onto canvas for the world to see. However, because the subject matter he paints (mainly nudes and crucifixions) goes against the principles of his faith, Asher is constantly torn to choose one aspect of life over the other: whether he should be a good Jew or a great artist.

The stage adaptation of “My Name is Asher Lev”, which is produced in conjunction with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, is quite faithful to Potok’s novel. It gives the audience a strong picture of how a religious person in modern times who possesses a rare artistic gift sometimes faces that difficult situation of choosing between their faith or their talent, and the long, tortuous road one travels to reach that important personal decision. David Reale is excellent in the title role, and has that uncanny ability to transform Asher from age 6 to 13 to 20 by simply putting on a vest or slightly changing the cadence of his voice. As well, special kudos go to his co-stars Alex Poch-Goldin and Ellen David for successfully accomplishing the difficult task of performing, respectively, all the other male and female roles (from Asher’s parents, to painter Jacob Kahn, to a haughty New York art gallery owner) and make it look not just so easy, but deliver compelling performances with each role they undertake. And Martin Ferland’s set design convincingly evokes the starkness and simplicity of both the Levs’ Brooklyn apartment and an artist’s studio around 65 years ago.

What a masterful way for the Segal Centre to start its 2016-2017 season. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 514-739-7944, or go to www.segalcentre.org.

"Damn Those Wedding Bells!" an entertaining matrimonial family farce

Tony Calabretta (left) and Mary Long

Planning a wedding, especially when it’s just days away, is a process that can be a stressful thing. Not only for the bride in question, but also for the family of the bride in question, especially if one certain family member has trouble finding a date for the nuptials.

And that’s the scenario that is played out in Tony Calabretta’s raucous comedy “Damn Those Wedding Bells!”, which is now playing at the Leonardo Da Vinci Centre, located 8370 Lacordaire Boulevard in St. Leonard, until September 25.

Christina Filippidis (right) and Dawn Ford

The Robertini family is in an understandably frantic state, as the wedding of daughter Connie (Christina Filippidis) is just days away, and she is fretting over every detail and forgetting every other one. But that’s not the only thing that is worrying family matriarch Nunziata (Mary Long). She is concerned that her middle-aged son Anthony (Tony Calabretta), who still lives at home, works at a dead-end job in a slaughterhouse and is an aspiring writer (who has yet to commit a single word to a single sheet of paper), has no date for his sister’s wedding; in fact, he is more comfortable wearing t-shirts and sweat pants than trying to meet a potential girlfriend. That is why Nunziata is doing everything within her power (and connections) to try and set up the right girl for him, much to Anthony’s strong reluctance. Even brother Frank (Guido Cocomello), a local actor and experienced ladies’ man, is recruiting into getting that ideal mate for Anthony.

However, when Angela (Eleanor Noble), an attractive young neighbor of the Robertinis, accidentally encounters Anthony when she drops by the apartment to borrow some cake pans for her mother, he is hit by a thunderbolt, and thinks she maybe THE one for him. But what he doesn’t know is that Angela was actually one of Frank’s old flames from a few years before, and is about to give him a second chance in their previously failed relationship.

This the setting that makes up the two hours of an entertaining family farce that is “Damn Those Wedding Bells!”. What I found so refreshingly surprising about this play is that at first glance, I thought the focus would obviously be on Connie the bride-to-be, and all of the trials and tribulations she would go through personally and family-wise as her wedding day becomes closer to reality. But the focus on Anthony and his difficulty of finding the ideal woman for him (and the frustrations and insecurities that he has experienced through most of his life), gives this play a much more unpredictable angle and shows that planning a wedding affects everyone in the immediate family, and not just the bride-to-be.

There are plenty of laughs and humorous situations that anyone in a similar situation can readily identify with. The ensemble cast is excellent and each one brings to the table their own perspective to that much revered – and stressful – situation that is the family wedding. And special kudos go out to supporting cast members Shawn Campbell as Anthony and Frank’s best friend (and Frank’s somewhat agent) David Greenberg, who steals the show with plenty of excitable, loud, wildly gesticulating panache (especially during the blister “operation” sequence that closes act 1, which is certainly of sitcom quality); and Ariane Castellanos as Rosa, the Latin spitfire of a potential suitor for Anthony, whose fast-paced seductive scene with Calabretta adds a lot of spice to the show.

So whether you’re Italian, Jewish or Latino, “Damn Those Wedding Bells!” is a wildly entertaining, raucous – and quite sensitive -- farce of the wild ride that a family goes through before one of their own enters the bonds of holy matrimony. So before you say “I do”, see this play!

For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 514-955-8370, or go to www.cldv.ca.

American Heiress by Jeffrey Toobin (Doubleday, $38.95)

The kidnapping of newspaper heiress Patricia “Patty” Hearst was one of the most notorious – and most reported – crimes of the 1970s.

From her kidnapping at her San Francisco home at the hands of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), to her transformation as “Tania” (and her machine-gun toting photo that is one of the most iconic images of that decade), to the Hibernia Bank robbery, to eventual capture in September of 1975 and subsequent sentence commutation and pardon, Patty Hearst and her abduction has come to symbolize the upheaval that dominated America during the early and mid-70s, as well making her the unofficial poster child for “Stockholm Syndrome” (when a kidnapping victim develops a sense of affection and sympathy for their kidnappers).

But throughout her 18-month ordeal at the hands of the SLA, the main question that is brought up regarding the Patty Hearst kidnapping is this: was Hearst a willing convert and participant in the SLA’s violent string of crimes, or was she forced and coerced to commit these crimes under the fear that her life was in constant danger? Jeffrey Toobin, the CNN legal analyst whose book The Run of His life is regarded s the definitive account of the O.J. Simpson murder trial, answers this question to good effect with his latest book American Heiress.

Basically, Toobin effectively argues that it was a bit of both circumstances that ruled Patty Hearst while she was in captivity. First, he believes that Hearst quickly became indoctrinated and influenced to what the SLA stood for – in creating a violent revolution against the establishment in California – as a means of rebellion against her life of privilege as the granddaughter of famed newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst; basically, she felt her life with her parents (especially with her overbearing mother Catherine), and her upcoming engagement to university teacher Steven Weed was a sham and would have led to a life of drudgery and servitude to Weed (and admitted that she even contemplated suicide before the kidnapping took place). Second, that the Hearsts would agree to the demands of the SLA for her eventual release (which was in the form of a food giveaway to the underprivileged of San Francisco), because Patty was constantly living under the threat of death, which was always expressed by the SLA’s self-appointed leader Donald De Freeze (aka “General Field Marshal Cinque”).

Toobin uses his journalistic skills and legal knowledge to craft a complete, well-rounded examination of the Patty Hearst kidnapping case and its violent circumstances, thanks to countless interviews and access to court documents and letters that Hearst wrote during her 18 months in captivity. We get an inside look at the SLA, which was created in a San Francisco that was reeling from a very turbulent, violent period as it was in the midst of the fear that was brought about by the Zodiac and Zebra serial killings that gripped the city, and its rag tag members were made up of young adults from mainly middle class upbringings who were disillusioned by their relatively safe backgrounds, and were committed to a violent revolution (they were influenced by California prison inmate George Jackson and his two bestselling memoirs Soledad Brother and Blood in My Eye); we find out how dysfunctional the Hearst family really was at the time of the kidnapping (and that William Randolph Hearst distrusted his sons so much, he willed that his newspaper and media empires were not to be run by them); and we find out what really went on during the period between the fiery, violent deaths of six SLA members in May of 1974 and Hearst’s arrest in September of 1975 (which involved travelling from one end of the U.S. to the other, and hiding in Pennsylvania and California, as Hearst was gearing her way of thinking from revolutionary to feminist); and how the ego of her lawyer F. Lee Bailey practically derailed her case when it went to trial in 1976 and ended up in a guilty conviction and a prison term.

American Heiress is a compelling, well-researched book that serves as a prime example of how the ideal true crime book should be written.  It shows what motivates a small group of people to take up arms against the establishment (unrealistic as it may be) and kidnap a young, susceptible individual, who can be easily indoctrinated to their cause and help promote that cause to the outside world. Although the story is well told in this book, it still raises many questions to what happened during the Patty Hearst kidnapping case and why it happened, and how the outcome happened the way it did. As Toobin concludes in the book:

“Patricia Hearst was a woman who, through no fault of her own, fell in with bad people but then did bad things; she committed crimes, lots of them … But when she and her comrades were caught, Patricia was rational once more … A clear thinker, if not a deep one, Patricia understood that for her rich was better than poor and freedom was better confinement. She chose accordingly … The story of Patricia Hearst, as extraordinary as it once was, had a familiar, even predictable ending. She did not turn into a revolutionary. She turned into her mother.”

(This article originally appeared in the Sept. 10, 2016 edition of the Montreal Times)

Allo! Mon Coco restaurant chain celebrates 15th anniversary

The exterior of Allo! Mon Coco's Le Plateau restaurant

Back in 2001, 23-year-old Tom Bountis decided to open up a restaurant that would not only modernize the concept of breakfast, but also revolutionize it.

And now 15 years later, that restaurant – called Allo! Mon Coco – has grown to 20 franchised locations in Quebec, which offers more than 200 different breakfast and lunch dishes that are known for its fresh locally sourced ingredients, fresh fruit and generous portions, and always attract large numbers of patrons to their locations to enjoy their wide menu for breakfast, brunch and lunch.

Allo! Mon Coco founder Tom Bountis

On August 22, Allo! Mon Coco celebrated its 15^th anniversary with a special soiree at its Le Plateau location on the corner of St. Laurent Boulevard and Mount Royal. In a short address to the suppliers, franchisees and media in attendance, Bountis thanked his loyal employees, family members and franchisees who helped make the Allo! Mon Coco such a huge success over the past 15 years, and announced in 2017, that eight new Allo! Mon Coco restaurants will be opened in Ontario and the U.S.

My friend Pat sampling Allo! Mon Coco's chicken and waffles

The Le Plateau location is quite remarkable with its large terrace and its comfortable, modern interior (which is highlighted by a massive, towering light fixture at the centre of the restaurant that is constructed mainly of egg beaters). And me and my friend Pat, along with the many guests in attendance, got the chance to sample some of items from their large menu, which gives an interesting, modernized twist to many breakfast and lunch favorites. This included a watermelon and feta cheese salad, pulled pork and smoked meat sandwiches, chicken and waffles (a dish that’s popular in the southern U.S.), and our favorite, a new twist to sushi, which was filled with lox, cream cheese, a special sauce and instead of being wrapped around rice or fish, was wrapped around a crepe.

Allo! Mon Coco's "breakfast sushi"

For more information, go to www.allomoncoco.com. #coco15.

Making Waves by Shirley Babashoff with Chris Epting (Santa Monica Press, $32.50)

Back in the summer of 1976, I was caught up in the flurry of excitement that was the Summer Olympics that year, especially since it was taking place in my hometown of Montreal. I was fortunate enough to catch the opening ceremonies live at the Olympic Stadium, and was quite impressed to see all that pageantry right in front of me. As well, I watched a great deal of the coverage of the games on both CBC and ABC. And throughout those 16 days of glory, three names were always mentioned who constantly dominated the spotlight at the 76 Olympics: Nadia Comaneci, Bruce Jenner and Shirley Babashoff.

The first two are well known for obvious reasons (Nadia scored the very first “10” during the gymnastics competition and Jenner won the decathlon). As for Babashoff, she was the champion freestyle swimmer and world record holder who won three medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, and was touted to win a slew of individual gold medals in the pool four years later in Montreal (she even appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s 1976 Olympic Preview issue).

However, something happened during those individual swimming competitions at the Olympic Pool in Montreal. It was in the form of the women’s Olympic swimming team from East Germany. They somehow appeared to be more stronger and muscular in appearance than any of their other female swimming counterparts. And they virtually tore up the pool with every race they competed in, practically winning the lion’s share of the gold medals. They proved to be no match for Babashoff, who ended up winning four individual silver medals, and scored a personal victory when as a member of the U.S. women’s relay team, they beat the East Germans and won the gold medal in the 4X100 relay.

 Although her medal haul in Montreal was quite impressive by any standards, something about the way the East German women swimmers appeared and their somewhat superhuman performance in the pool seemed to bother Babashoff a great deal. She was suspicious that these swimmers were winning their gold medals not through the merit of years and hours of hard work and practice like she did, but through constant doping using illegal performance enhancement drugs (which she learned about from a 1973 article by French journalist Jean-Pierre Lacour in Swimming World magazine, which stated that East German athletes were part of a state run program since the 1960s, and were given a “vaccine” to combat fatigue).

When Babashoff decided to go to the media and voice her opinion about why the East Germans really won so many swimming gold medals, she was accused of poor sportsmanship for picking on the poor, defenceless East Germans. And instead of being regarded as game changer who first shed light on the worldwide illegal doping of athletes, both amateur and professional, she was viewed as a bitter individual, and was given the nickname “Surly Shirley” by a rather unforgiving sports press corps.

And now more than 40 years later, Shirley Babashoff tells her story as a revered champion swimmer and a pioneering whistle blower when it comes to sports doping in her engaging memoir Making Waves.

Babashoff, who was born and raised in the L.A. suburb of Norwalk, began swimming competitively when she was eight years old. The impression you get is that she built her swimming career as a means of escaping a rather dysfunctional family upbringing with a constantly disapproving mother and a father who later was convicted of being a child molester. Through her swimming, Babashoff managed to give herself not only a sense of purpose and accomplishment, but also gave her a means to explore the country and the world through the multitude of swim meets she competed in. And she got to that champion level in a more honest manner, through a great deal of practice, long hours and hard work, not to mention plenty of motivation thanks to her longtime coaches Ralph “Flip” Darr and Mark Schubert.

What I enjoyed about the book is Babashoff’s tone, which is a combination of honesty, wide-eyed fascination, graciousness and dogged determination. You get a first-hand look at what the rigours a professional swimmer goes through in order to remain competitive, not to mention what an Olympic athlete goes through before, during and after their respective competitions (she got the chance to explore Montreal during her down time, and has a lot of high praise for the people and the city). As well, she gives a terrific, lap-by-lap account of that gold medal 4X100 relay race that will leave the reader breathless (all that is missing is the late Jim McKay offering the play-by-play description from the broadcast booth).

And Babashoff deserves a great deal of credit for her bravery to expose the world to the widespread doping of East German athletes that was approved by the state, nearly 20 years before the truth really came out and many athletes and administrators confessed to the doping and created a major international scandal as a result (and led to the establishment of the World Anti-Doping Agency). Not only was Babashoff proven right and somewhat vindicated, to her it was not enough for all of the shunning she had to endure throughout those 20 years (including her Olympic team coach) for exposing these allegations. In fact, she adamantly wants the International Olympic Committee to rectify the situation for those swimmers who lost out to the East Germans in 1976 by revising those results and award medals to those swimmers who would have finished in first, second or third place without the aid of doping, which is included towards the end of the book (so far, her proposal has fell upon deaf ears from the IOC).

Thanks to the excellent ghostwriting and researching skills of prolific author/pop culture historian Chris Epting, along with encouraging words from veteran Olympic broadcaster Donna de Varona, legendary 1972 Olympic swimming medalist Mark Spitz and Coach Schubert, Making Waves is a fascinating, complete testament to a true Olympian who showed extraordinary skills in the pool and raw courage outside it, and was years ahead of her time to realize that something was very wrong with the way athletes in certain countries were being prepared to compete on the world stage. After reading this book, you have to feel that Shirley Babashoff should not be treated as a bitter pariah, but as a true Olympic hero and role model for future generations of athletes who want to follow in her footsteps, and the footsteps of other Olympic champions.

(This article originally appeared in the Sept. 3, 2016 edition of the Montreal Times).

23 shows in 21 days: What I saw (and laughed at) during Just For Laughs 2016

On the evening of Saturday, July 30, around 11 p.m., Sarah Silverman concluded her solo show in front of a large crowd at the Maison Symphonique. It was the second Just For Laughs show of the night for me (I caught the Mega Stars of Comedy gala earlier that evening at Place des Arts), and the 23^rd for me during the whirlwind three weeks that was the 34^th edition of the world-renowned comedy fest. After spending about 90 minutes at the Hyatt Hotel bar doing a final round of schmoozing, I wrapped up my 30^th year at the festival.

Me pictured with JB Smoove (left); Alonzo Bodden is on the extreme left

Although a previous commitment in Milwaukee didn’t give me the opportunity to catch Carrie Fisher’s festival debut as a gala host and P.K. Subban’s official farewell to Montreal as host of his own all-star gala, I got to enjoy a well-rounded comedy experience at Just For Laughs hopping from one show to another, and trying to catch as many of the best names in comedy ply their trade to consistently packed houses. Here are some of my favorite highlights from Just For Laughs 2016.

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Biggest Surprise of the Festival: Comedian Kevin Hart, who agreed to accept all 10 proposed TV comedy projects that were vying to be part of his new comedy streaming network at his Laugh Out Loud Network Pitch Panel, which attracted over 300 people to the Hyatt’s Grand Salon Opera. The line-up of proposed projects was a very strong one, and it must have difficult for Hart to choose just one or two, so as a firm believer in developing up and coming comedy talent, he decided to accept all 10 projects.

One of them was “The Review”, which was pitched by Montreal comic Abdul Butt. The show is described by Butt as a comic version of CBC’s “Marketplace” newsmagazine show. “It involves real stories, real people getting ripped off and going after the people who are ripping them off, but this time using comedy,” said Butt during an interview at the Hyatt bar the night after the pitch panel. “I had the idea for two years and I pitched it across Canada. There was interest in it, but never any real money to do anything with it. When I heard about what Kevin Hart was doing, I decided to give it a shot, so I tightened it up and out of 500 applicants, I somehow managed to make it to the top 10.”

Butt admitted he was shocked when he found out about Hart’s decision to accept all of the projects. “It’s something that doesn’t happen very often, and it’s a huge milestone in my career,” he added. While he waits for the next step in this process, Butt will be competing in the Sirius XM Top Comic competition, in which the online voting process is underway until Aug. 23, and the comedians with the most number of votes will compete in a special showcase during the JFL 42 Festival in Toronto on September 29, which will be hosted by Tom Green.

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The Most Emotional Moment of the Festival: This belongs to Australian comedian Adam Hills. During his set at the Nathan Lane Gala, he talked about a video segment he did on a show called “Naked Tuesday” with a British fan named Craig, who was diagnosed four years ago with thyroid cancer. After the video was finished, he told the audience that Craig was now cancer free, and appeared onstage with Hills, which ended up with an emotional standing ovation. He even gave Craig an opportunity to tell a couple of jokes to the crowd, to help him kick off his new ambition of being a comedian.

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The Spirit of ‘86 Revisited: It was exactly 30 years ago that I attended Just For Laughs for the very first time. And in a somewhat coincidental JFL time warp, two of the comedians that I saw during that first year in 1986 – Louie Anderson and Emo Phillips – returned to perform a series of solo shows and gala appearances. I have to admit, that their comic timing and styling hasn’t changed a bit over the past 30 years; they seemed to get even better with age.

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Cause Celebre of the Festival: Quebecois comedian Mike Ward. Just as he was about to embark upon his second year as Nasty Show host, this controversial comic found out he lost a case with the Quebec Human Rights Commission, who ordered him to pay a total of $42,000 to the family of a disabled boy that was a target of one of his jokes. Although Ward took the decision with a great deal of class and humour, his fellow Nasty Show comics quickly rallied by his side, and Just For Laughs decided at the last minute to hold a “Free Mike Ward” bilingual benefit show on July 30 at the Metropolis to help pay his legal fees for the appeal that he will be launching. The show, which quickly sold out, included Jeff Ross, Jimmy Carr and Brad Williams on the line-up.

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Poster for Jeff Ross Roast Battle outside the L'Astral

The Best Show I Didn’t See at the Festival: Jeff Ross Presents Roast Battle. Ross, known as “The Roastmaster General”, has taken the art of insult humour that was mastered by the Friars Club to a whole new level, and that was quite evident with his series of Roast Battle shows, which were introduced at last year’s festival. Tickets for this year’s Roast Battle shows at the L’Astral quickly sold out and became one of the hottest tickets at JFL this year (next to the Midnight Surprise shows that were hosted by Piff the Magic Dragon). And to make this raunchy insult fest even more interesting, an impressive roster of celebrities such as Judd Apatow, Jimmy Kimmel, Seth Rogen, David Spade and Whoopi Goldberg served as judges for this four night spectacular. Luckily, Comedy Network aired these Roast Battle shows every morning live to tape, so I got to see what all that roasting excitement was all about.

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Discoveries of the Festival: British comic Nish Kumar, whose routine about board games was one of the highlights of the David Cross gala; and Piff the Magic Dragon, who proved that comedy and magic (not to mention dragon costumes) can work when it’s done by the right dragon costume-wearing individual.

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Podcasts, Podcasts Everywhere: Spectators who got the chance to catch what the annual ComedyPro Conference had to offer, got a wide choice of comedy podcast live tapings to experience (with about 15 of them to choose from). My favorites were Greg Proops’ “The Smartest Man in the World”, “The Industry Standard with Barry Katz”, in which he interviewed Howie Mandel (his story about a fundraiser he did for an organization of Holocaust survivors in L.A. was hilarious), and “Unmasked with Ron Bennington”, with featured an in-depth interview with comedy bad boy Andy Kindler.

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The Three American Comedians whom Montreal will certainly welcome with open arms if Donald Trump is elected President of the United States: Lewis Black, Greg Proops and Andy Kindler.

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Favorite Personal Moment: Showing JB Smoove the interview that I did with him for the July 23 edition of the Montreal Times, and the boisterous, characteristic reaction he gave when I presented a couple of copies of the paper to him (and in the presence of fellow comics Alonzo Bodden and George Wallace).

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Favorite Festival Freebies: The endless supply of Schwatrz’s smoked meat sandwiches (with all the fixings) and poutine that were offered at the Hyatt Bar for two nights in a row thanks to Netflix; the endless supply of St. Viateur bagels (plain or dressed) offered by TruTV for three nights in a row between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m.; and the sharp, understated looking TruTV/JFL tuques (which will look great once another cold Montreal winter comes around).

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Other Festival Highlights: the Nathan Lane Gala, the Mega Stars of Comedy Gala, the solo shows of Derek Seguin and Tom Green as part of the Zoofest/OFF-JFL series; Brad Williams, Beth Belle and Ralphie May at the Nasty Show; the entire line-up of this year’s Ethnic Show; An Evening with the cast of Veep; Allan Carr; Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood (who proved that improv comedy is indeed alive and well); James Mullinger’s film “The Comedian’s Guide to Survival”; witnessing the birth of Kevin Hart’s LOL comedy streaming network; seeing French comic Gad Elmaleh perform in English for the first time with a killer set; Lewis Black, Greg Proops and any other comic ripping apart Donald Trump.

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Finally, a big thank you to festival COO Bruce Hills and his programming team led by Paul Ronca for putting together another memorable festival; Jamie O’Meara and his JFL P.R. team (Leisa, Danny, Talar, Dane, Chana, Alex, Erika, Alexandra and Michelle) for all of their help and guidance in helping me churn out a lot of great JFL-related material for my Montreal Times columns throughout this spring and summer; and to the following people who made my 30^th Just For Laughs festival another fun and memorable one: Allan, Bill, George, Neil, Jeffrey, Victoria, Anastasia, Katerina, and Sophie. See you next July for Just For Laughs’ 35^th anniversary edition.