Houston Avenue Bar & Grill opens new location on Peel Street

Downtown Montreal has a new dining experience just in time for the summer terrace season.

Houston Avenue Bar & Grill  -- which has 11 locations in Quebec and Ontario -- opened up a new location at 2042 Peel Street (between De Maisonneuve Boulevard and Sherbrooke Street) that offers tourists, businessmen or those who enjoy a night out for fine dining or getting together with friends, great food and drinks in an atmosphere that is classy, relaxing and festive.

At a special launch event that took place on June 16, invited guests got the opportunity to sample what the new Houston Avenue Bar and Grill Peel has to offer. First off, we were welcomed with a glass of J.P. Chenet Ice Edition, a sparking wine that was served on ice. Now available at SAQ outlets everywhere, this was a refreshing new way to enjoy a glass of sparking wine, especially with the hot weather now upon us. I was dazzled by the decor, in which patrons can choose between opulently set tables in the restaurant or the terrace overlooking Peel Street, comfortably-padded private booths, or the bar that is set practically in the middle of main floor of the restaurant, which is surrounded by a network of large flat screen TV monitors, which is always tuned into a baseball, football or soccer match. And that welcome feeling that emanates from Houston Peel is further exemplified by the charming hostesses who make you feel more than just a restaurant customer from the moment you enter the place and continues throughout your dining experience (and special kudos go to Gabrielle, the genial hostess who was manning the door, who greeted every guest with a warm smile and friendly greeting, and always made sure that our time at Houston Peel was enjoyable throughout the evening).

Gabrielle, one of Houston Peel's genial hostesses

And of course, the food was the star of the evening, as we got the chance to get a taste of what executive chef Joe Mercuri and his kitchen staff will be preparing for patrons. It ranged from lobster tacos and tuna tartare, mini filet mignon burgers, beer battered sticky chicken, and the item that was the hit of the evening, Oriental-style crispy ribs with BBQ sauce and covered in sesame seeds and challots.  As well, Houston Peel's varied menu  includes filet mignon, sirloin, seafood, rib steak, prime rib au jus, barbecued ribs and salads.

Tuna Tartare (left) and Lobster Tacos

So if you want a complete downtown dining experience for a businessman's lunch, a 5 a 7 after work bit of relaxation, a special occasion, or an intimate dinner for two -- indoors or outdoors -- Houston Avenue Bar & Grill Peel is the place to be.

For more information -- or reservations -- call 514-844-2121 or go to www.houstonresto.com.

Seth Rogen, Nathan Lane, Aziz Ansari and Colin Mochrie added to Just For Laughs line-up

The line-up for this year’s edition of the Just For Laughs Festival, which runs from July 13 to August 1, just keeps on expanding at a break neck pace. And this past Monday (June 13), festival COO Bruce Hills and his team of programmers and organizers invited the media and special guests to the café of the Monument National Theatre to unveil its third wave of performers to this ever-increasing line-up.

And it just keeps on getting more and more interesting.

Just For Laughs COO Bruce Hills

To start off, Hills announced that after a two-year absence, actor/comedian Seth Rogen returns to Just For Laughs. This time, he will not be hosting a gala; instead, he will be hosting a special premiere screening of his newest film “Sausage Party” on July 30 at the Imperial Theatre, nearly two weeks before its official release on August 12. Co-written by Rogen, and regarded as the first-ever R-rated computer graphics animated feature, “Sausage Party” includes the voice talents of Rogen, along with Bill Hader, Michael Cera, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill and Salma Hayek, and tells the story how a rebellious sausage leads a group of various supermarket products in a quest about their existence, and what really happens to them when they end up in a customer’s shopping cart.

Comedian (and recent best selling author) Aziz Ansari brings himself and the cast of his latest TV series – “Master of None” on Netflix – for a special panel discussion about the series on July 30 at the Grand Salon of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, as part of the JFL ComedyPRO Series. Ansari will be accompanied by fellow cast members Noel Wells, Kelvin Yu and Alan Yang, and will give a behind-the-scenes look at the series, which deals with a 30-year-old New York-based actor who can’t decide on what he has to do in his everyday life, let alone decide what his career path will be.

And two more recent developments have been announced regarding the festival’s flagship galas at Salle Wilfrid Pelletier of Place des Arts: Russell Peters, who will be doing a special guest appearance at Howie Mandel’s gala, will be hosting his own gala for one night only on July 30. And 18 years later, actor and Broadway veteran Nathan Lane (who has been recently onstage in “It’s Only A Play”, and seen in his semi-regular role on the hit TV series “Modern Family”) returns to Just For Laughs to trod the boards as host “The Nathan Lane Showstopper Gala” on July 28.

For those fans of improv comedy, they will be happy to learn that the master if improv himself, Colin Mochrie, will be back at Just For Laughs with two separate shows. First, he teams up with master hypnotist Asad Mecci for a unique spectacular called “Hyprov: Improv Under Hypnosis” on July 30 at the Cinquieme Salle of Place des Arts. Mochrie will perform acts of improv comedy, only this time under the influence of hypnosis, along with 20 willing volunteers from the audience, with the top five volunteers matching their “hyprov” skills with Mochrie. Then on July 27, Mochrie and his “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” co-star Brad Sherwood present an evening of the type of top notch improv comedy that have made them famous with “The Colin and Brad Show” at the L’Olympia on St. Catherine Street East.

Besides hosting the much-anticipated CW gala, Howie Mandel will present a screening of his documentary “Committed”, which chronicles the 14-year struggle of aspiring comic Vic Cohen, as he tries to make it in show business. The screening, which also includes a Q&A session with Mandel, takes place on July 28. And British James Mullinger, a favorite with Montreal comedy audiences, will present a special preview screening of his upcoming autobiographical feature “The Comedian’s Guide to Survival” on July 29. Mullinger will be present at the screening, along with co-stars Mike Ward and Mark Murphy. Both screenings will take place at the Cinema du Parc.

For more information about these and other Just For Laughs shows, or to purchase tickets, go to www.hahaha.com.

(This article originally appeared in the June 18 edition of the Montreal Times)

The spirit of Elvis Presley and his music is amazingly recaptured in "Return To Grace"

It's been nearly 40 years since Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself, passed away too soon at the age of 42. It shook the music world and the millions of fans that have bought his records, watched his movies, enjoyed his songs, and experienced his larger than life concerts.

The King maybe gone, but his music and his contributions to the entertainment world lives on to this day.

And in that spirit, the show "Return To Grace: The Concert of a Lifetime", which is playing at Place des Arts until June 19, wonderfully recaptures the spirit and excitement that was Elvis the singer, the performer and the person. The show tells the story of Presley's life and career in the form of a spectacular stage concert, as it focussed on four milestone stages of his career: his early years when he recorded for Sun Records and RCA during the 1950s; his movie star years of the 60s; the legendary 1968 Comeback Special that aired on NBC Television; and the famed "Aloha from Hawaii" concert, which was broadcast live via satellite to over a billion people in 1973.

But this is not just an Elvis impersonator doing a club style solo show. "Return To Grace" takes you back as if you were a spectator at one of the King's many dazzling concerts of the early and mid 70s. Steve Michaels does a masterful job as Elvis, as he faithfully recaptures the spirit of the King by echoing every nuance and characteristic, from the hairdo, to the voice, to the costumes, to his unique style of chatter between songs, to the karate chops and kicks that was part of his performance style, to even the sweat-laden scarves that he gave out to those lucky few members of the audience. And what makes the show such an unforgettable experience is how Michaels is backed up by an ensemble of 30 musicians, singers and dancers that so beautifully recaptures the glorious spectacular of a typical Elvis concert (his rendition of the moving "American Trilogy" song medley is a showstopper that received a huge standing ovation from the audience).

For fans of the King, or if you appreciate the classic roots of rock music, "Return To Grace" is a highly entertaining tribute show that is not to be missed. Steve Michaels' wonderful performance showed that Elvis Presley was not only a rock music pioneer and legend, but was a legendary performer who never forgot his fans.

Elvis may have left the building, but thanks to "Return To Grace", his music and his legacy will make sure that he will never leave the building at all.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to www.evenko.ca.

Two festivals come together as one with Zoofest & OFF-JFL ... and Trevor Noah returns to Montreal

What happens when you put together two interesting summer festivals that have established themselves in Montreal for nearly a decade – one devoted to off beat French comedy, theatre and music, and the other devoted to some of the best English language comics performing in a series of intimate venues – together for the first time?

You get Zoofest & OFF-JFL.

Last week (June 7), organizers, performers and media gathered at the Le Balcon club (a converted room in the historic St. James United Church), to announce this festival merger and its varied line-up, which will offer well over 100 shows of all sorts for comedy lovers of all sorts.

And for Montreal comedy fans, the OFF-JFL side of Zoofest & OFF-JFL will be a feast of solo shows, concept shows, multi-comic shows and local comedy shows that will certainly cater to those who enjoy quality comedy by top-name comics in the venues that they are meant to be performed in (such as Le Balcon, the MainLine Theatre, Montreal Improv and the Wiggle Room).

Some of the recent additions to the OFF-JFL line-up includes: Alan Carr, one of the top comics in the U.K. today, performs his solo show “Yap, Yap, Yap” for the first time in Canada; Australian comedian (and Just For Laughs favorite) Adam Hills, who will be performing his solo show “Adam Hills: Clown Heart” (which will also be making its Canadian debut); “The Goddamn Comedy Jam”, in which some of the best comics around today perform a stand-up set, and then belt out a cover version of their favorite song accompanied by a live band … and totally unrehearsed; “Trump vs. Bernie” an exercise in the hypothetically absurd, in which impressionists Anthony Atamaniuk and James Adomian will engage in a lively onstage comedy debate in the guise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders (and political comedy will never be the same as a result); and of course, the perennial favorite “Midnight Surprise”, in which the audience is treated to an hour of comedy filled with a line-up of surprise guests (and let’s see who can top last year’s ultimate Midnight Surprise line-up of Louis C.K. and Dave Chappelle?).

And this year, Zoofest & OFF-JFL goers will enjoy their festival experience even more with the newly-announced “Zooff” passes. With prices at $49.99 (Zooff pass), $89.99 (Super Zooff pass) and $119.99 (Ultra Zooff pass), the pass holder will get their opportunity to reserve their choice of any Zoofest and OFF-JFL show tickets in advance (3, 6, and 6 shows, respectively), plus take advantage of special show offers and discounts.

For more information to how you can get the best of both festival worlds, go to www.zoofest.com.

* * *

Since he hosted a gala at last year’s Just For Laughs festival, South African-born comedian Trevor Noah has had quite an interesting year. First he successfully inherited Jon Stewart’s big-shoes-to-fill mantle as host of Comedy Central’s mega-successful “The Daily Show”; then he recorded a stand-up special called “Trevor Noah: Lost in Translation”, which also aired on Comedy Central, and offered his take on American culture, as well as some of the major events that took place over the past year in the U.S. and around the world; then, he went on a successful stand-up tour, where he played to sold out crowds in the U.S., the U.K. and Australia.

And on September 24, Noah will bring his comedic take on the world to Montreal, as he performs that sold-out solo show in person at the St. Denis Theatre. Tickets are $45.50, $55.50 and $65.50, and are now on sale at the St. Denis Theatre box office, or by calling 514-790-1111, or online at www.theatrestdenis.com.

(This article originally appeared in the June 11, 2016 edition of The Montreal Times)

A night at the Fringe-For-All 2016 … and an interview with Jem Rolls

Summer festival season in Montreal is finally here! How do I know? Simple. I just experienced the opening event of the 26^th edition of the St. Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival: the Fringe-For-All.

It took place last Monday (May 30) at Café Campus on Prince Arthur Street, as devoted Fringers packed the club to partake in the ultimate sneak preview. Hosted by Fringe Fest veterans Al Lafrance and Cat Lemieux (resplendent in her Fringe Buzz bumble bee costume), the Fringe-For-All, in the space of three hours, jams 81 local Fringe shows and attractions, who get exactly two minutes to preview their respective productions to the audience, so that they can spark their interest in getting them to see their shows throughout the course of the festival, which runs until June 19.

And two minutes is all they get. When that time limit is up, the lights go out and it’s time to leave the stage. So each show preview pulls no stops to make sure that your interest is indeed sparked. First of all, every table and counter top are covered with interesting promotional items (such as the ones pictured above), from cards to flyers, to prescription bottles filled with M&M’s, to pizza boxes delivered by actual pizza deliverymen, to being pelted with a flurry of condoms that are thrown from the stage.

I always look forward to attending the Fringe-For-All, because it not only helps build the excitement (and yes, the buzz, too) for the upcoming Fringe Fest for me, but also gives me a big help to decide which shows in their overwhelming line-up that would be worth my while to catch and write up about in a future column for the Times. And after this wild and fun bombardment of everything Fringe, here are some of the shows that did spark my interest: “Camp Wanapoke”, a no-holds-barred comedy about the goings on at a summer camp that makes “Meatballs” look like a Walt Disney flick from the 50s (pictured above); the romantic comedy “Miranda & Dave Begin Again”; “Coffee Erotica”, a multi-disciplinary showcase of dance, spoken word … and coffee; “The McSorly & Chung Magic Hour”, a new twist to the conventional magic show; and “Folie’s Follies”, a trilogy of short plays that deals with the good, bad and absurd of relationships (which was the one is got pelted with from the rain of promotional condoms).

Indeed, the Fringe-For-All was a buzz worthy night to get you geared up for three weeks’ worth of buzz worthy fun at the Montreal Fringe Festival. For more information, or to purchase tickets, go to www.montrealfringe.ca.

* * *

One show that I will certainly catch at this year’s Fringe Festival is “Get Lost Jem Rolls” by Fringe Festival legend Jem Rolls, and is playing at the MAI, located at 3680 Jeanne Mance, on June 10, 11, 12, 15, 17 and 18.

A native of Surrey, England, Rolls has performed at the legendary Edinburgh Fringe Festival since 1996, and at the Montreal Fringe Fest since 2002. With his uncanny ability to mix his wealth of obscure knowledge, poetry and storytelling, Rolls gives his loyal Fringe fan base an entertaining experience that have made his shows a must-see ever year (his solo show “The Inventor of All Things” was one of the big hits of last year’s Fringe Festival, and earned him a special Lifetime Spirit of the Fringe Award as well).

“’Get Lost Jem Rolls’ is like a twisted travelogue. It chronicles the blundering adventures of an English traveler who goes to different places that are not touristy in nature, but with the design to get myself lost,” said Rolls in a recent phone interview. “For example, I went up the Amazon on a boat with 70 other people, and with no clue where we were going to end up. My favorite countries to get myself lost in are India, Indonesia and Brazil, and even the marketplace in Marrakech, Morocco, which is a splendid place to get lost in.”

Rolls loves to perform at the Montreal Fringe Festival, and uses it as a launch pad for his new shows before he takes them to other Fringe Fests across Canada (he’ll perform “Get Lost” in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Vancouver afterwards), and always enjoys introducing his new shows to Montreal audiences first. “Starting a new Fringe show is like doing the worst school exam of your life. So if I have to do that exam, I might as well do it in front of a Montreal audience, because they are always up for it, and those first shows go down well with them,” he said.

And another thing that Rolls will happily get himself lost in during his stint at this year’s Montreal Fringe Festival is his endless pursuit of the what he regards as the best Chinese food and ice cream in the country. “Ripples on St. Laurent Boulevard is one of the best ice cream places in the city, especially a scoop each of their New York cheesecake and coffee ice cream on a single cone,” he said. “In fact, I have eight of nine stamps on my Ripples card, which means I will be getting my free ice cream cone from them this year.”

(These articles originally appeared in the June 4, 2016 edition of The Montreal Times)