Monday 16 January 2017

My Favorite Books of 2016


This past year, like ever other year, I read an average of 50 books, so that it can be reviewed in the pages of The Montreal Times every week. Choosing a book to review is always done through a personal process of elimination, and that same process is done as I decided which were my favorite books of 2016.

I have to admit, the books that have reached the best seller lists this year has been a crazy salad of choices, from books by stalwarts like Stephen King, John Grisham and James Patterson, to the latest entry into the Harry Potter saga Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (which was actually the script of the stage production that went by that title), to the latest installment of controversial Fox News host Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing” series (this time he tackled the defeat of the Japanese empire during World War II, which was called Killing the Rising Sun). This year was the year of the memoir for me. There were plenty of choice titles that arrived at my door from publishers aching to be read and reviewed; however, 2016 was a vintage year for the memoir, because there were a lot of interesting people who had a lot of interesting stories to tell about their respective lives and experiences whether they were a legendary rock music superstar, a Secret Service agent, or a popular actress with an anxiety-ridden upbringing. And they were books that quickly caught my interest, read with great enthusiasm, and regularly recommended to people who asked me about which of the latest releases they should be reading.

So, without further ado, here are my favorite books of 2016.

Paul McCartney: The Life by Philip Norman. This is my choice for book of the year. Veteran British rock journalist and author Philip Norman has delivered a thorough, unflinching portrait of the soufflĂ©-talking “cute Beatle” from the streets of Liverpool, to Beatlemania, to Mull of Kintyre, to Liverpool Oratorio. There are plenty of surprises about McCartney’s personal and artistic life that are brought to light for the first time in this book (especially his rocky post-Beatles road before he really hit it big as a solo artist with his group Wings). A definite must-read for all Beatles fans.

Born To Run by Bruce Springsteen. Probably the best rock star memoir since Keith Richards’ Life. Springsteen leaves no stone unturned in this brutally honest look at his long, arduous journey to rock ‘n’ roll superstardom.  What I really liked about the book is how the narrative style almost reads like song lyrics; basically, if Springsteen decides to put this book to music, it would end up being one hell of an epic album.

American Heiress by Jeffrey Toobin. The CNN legal analyst and best selling author can certainly write an intelligent, probing true crime book. This time, he gives a thorough retelling of heiress Patty Hearst’s kidnapping by the Symbionese Liberation Army, which dominated the headlines throughout 1974 and 75. Toobin writes with the flair of an investigative journalist, and gives the reader a captivating behind the headlines story of the kidnapping, from how dysfunctional the Hearst family really was, to the rag tag motivation of the SLA, to what really happened to Hearst in the months leading up to her capture in September of 1975.

Making Waves by Shirley Babashoff and Chris Epting. During the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Shirley Babashoff was the darling of the U.S. swim team, and was expected to take home a mother lode of gold medals in the pool. But that gold rush was dashed by the members of the East German women’s swim team, which made Babashoff quite suspicious, especially due to their out of the ordinary muscular appearance. Babashoff’s memoir is a fascinating chronicle about how she became the first whistleblower to an Olympic doping scandal that would become a pandemic many years later, but sadly, she became a pariah in the world of amateur athletics because of her rare act of bravery.

Toni Tennille: A Memoir by Toni Tennille. Back in the mid and late 70s, the Captain and Tennille ruled the pop charts with such hit records as “Love Will Keep Us Together”, “Muskrat Love” and “Do That To Me One More Time”. However, Toni Tennille’s life behind the music with her musical partner and husband Daryl “The Captain” Dragon was a life of dealing with his obsessive, compulsive tendencies, which took off a lot of the sheen from their glamorous public life as popular recording artists. This memoir tells Tennille’s story with a great deal of honesty and bravado, and could have been a perfect candidate for an episode of VH1’s “Behind the Music” series.

Five Presidents by Clint Hill. The life a Secret Service agent is a very high-pressured one, where agents sacrifice many long hours – and even their own lives – in order to protect the life of the President of the United States. Hill put together a fascinating memoir of his more than 15 years as a Secret Service agent, and what it was like to be the protector of presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford. Hill gives a first-hand look at each administration he served, and the joys, quirks and idiosyncrasies that went with them (the chapters about Lyndon Johnson are filled with plenty of the latter two).

Distilled by Charles Bronfman. The 85-year-old Bronfman, the youngest child of Seagram distillery magnate and Canadian Jewish community leader Sam Bronfman, gives an engrossing account of what it was like to grow up as part of one of Canada’s most prominent business dynasties. There’s plenty of great details about how he helped put the Montreal Expos franchise together, his monumental personal clashes with his older brother Edgar on the many decisions they had to deal with that affected the family empire, and how he coped with the tragic death of his beloved wife Andrea in 2006 (which is probably one of the most heartbreaking parts of the book).

Seinfeldia by Jennifer Keishan Armstrong. Ever wondered how “Seinfeld” evolved from a show about nothing to one of the greatest sitcoms in television history? The answers are satisfyingly provided in Seinfeldia, which tells that story with a lot of fascinating behind-the-scenes details. You find out about the show’s bumpy road to its legendary status, and the origins of the show’s many popular episodes and characters, from the Soup Nazi, to “Festivus”, to “The Contest”. With books about The Mickey Mouse Club and the Mary Tyler Moore Show under her belt, Seinfeldia has cemented Jennifer Keishan Armstrong’s reputation as a top notch TV historian, and I look forward to the next classic TV show that she plans to commit between two covers.

End of Watch by Stephen King. This is the third book of Stephen King's dabbling into the crime thriller genre, and satisfyingly concludes the trilogy of novels that began with Mr. Mercedes and Finders Keepers. This time, retired police detective Bill Hodges conducts his final pursuit of mass murderer Brady Hartsfield, as a suicide he is called to investigate has a connection to Hartsfield, even though he is still incarcerated for the Mercedes Massacre that he committed in the first book. And to add to this, Hodges learns that he is about to begin his own private battle with a serious form of cancer. Cleverly written, it proves that Stephen King is more than just a writer of horror novels.

This is A Book About the Kids in the Hall by John Semley. The Canadian comedy quintet that is The Kids in the Hall is known for their quirky, edgy sketches and characters on their CBC series that ran from 1989 to 1995, and has developed quite a cult following. Semley, a diehard fan of the group, provides a thorough, seminal book that is the first serious study of the Kids, their origins, the Toronto comedy scene of the 1980s that helped develop their unique style of sketch comedy, how their cult following evolved when cable TV networks aired reruns of their TV show, and how their reunion tours made them a much stronger group. So if you enjoyed watching the Chicken Lady, Buddy Cole, their lengthy filmed sketches, or even their overlooked feature film "Brain Candy", you will find Semley's book required reading. 

And that takes care of 2016. Have a page-turning 2017.

Thursday 12 January 2017

Dispatches from the Centaur Theatre's Wildside Festival


It’s billed as the “hottest two weeks in winter”, and this year’s 20th anniversary edition of the Centaur Theatre’s Wildside Theatre Festival has certainly lived up to that billing.

For this year’s milestone edition of the festival – which runs until Sunday, January 15 -- programmers Roy Surette and Johanna Nutter have chosen seven distinctive productions that represent how different aspects of diversity can be portrayed on the stage in an entertaining, thought-provoking manner. Topics that are dealt with in this year’s Wildside shows include female, cultural and sexual identity; family relationships; journalistic responsibility; the search for authenticity; and misunderstanding the marginalized.

This year, I managed to see four of the seven Wildside offerings, and needless to say, I was entertained, amused, moved and inspired by the messages each production conveyed. Three out of the four shows I saw will be playing at the festival through January 15. So if you need some theatrical comfort food from these cold January days, here are my three Wildside recommendations.

“Hootenanny!” (Smith & Somers) is a funny, bittersweet tale of a popular Australian children’s show duo comprised of Jeff Van Der Hoot and Annie Eucalyptus (aka “Hootenanny”), who are on the Canadian leg of their world tour. And during one of their shows, the team unravels and disintegrates right before the eyes of the audience, thanks to scandal, infighting, and unshared secrets that come out into the open at the last minute. The show is done in real time, as you witness the break-up of Hootenanny during the course of their 60-minute concert, which is complete with kids’ songs, video clips and a dance break. At times uncomfortable but always captivating, “Hootenanny!” is a stark portrayal of the dark side behind the glamour of being a popular entertainer. Its remaining shows are on January 14 at 9 p.m. and January 15 at 2 p.m.

“A Perfect Picture” (32-Hour Theatre Company) is based on the true story of South African photographer Kevin Carter, who won a Pulitzer Prize for his photograph of a vulture lying in wait for his prey, a starving child in war torn Sudan. Written and performed by Laurent McCuaig-Pitre, he tells the story of Carter and his famous photo from two points of view: Carter himself and the vulture in the picture, who tries to justify his presence in the photo. “A Perfect Picture” is a fascinating portrait study of the type of tortured souls photojournalists are (especially when they are assigned to war zones), and the ethical questions that stir in their minds when they shoot photos of tragic events, whether it be for the sake of their profession, or for the glory that it can bring them. Remaining shows on its run take place on January 12 at 7 p.m., and January 13 and 15 at 9 p.m.

"Empire of the Son" (Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre) is nothing short of a sheer triumph. Tetsuro Shigematsu, a performer/CBC Radio show host/stand-up comic, who worked as an usher at the Centaur years ago, delivers a multi-media story filled with plenty of humor, heart and culture, as he tells about the rather quirky relationship he had with his father, who not only survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, but also had an interesting career as a broadcaster with the BBC in London and Radio Canada International. What I enjoyed about the show is not only Shigematsu’s easy-going, yet candid delivery, but also his clever use of photos, props, audio tape recordings of interviews with his family, and small scale model re-enactments, which certainly adds to this emotional theatrical experience. It's a very entertaining, uplifting piece about coming to terms with a parent during the difficult time of mourning their passing, and how important it is to listen to what each family member has to say, whether one agrees or not. A definite must-see! There are three remaining performances of “Empire of the Son” on January 12, 13 and 14, and all start at 7:30 p.m.

Although its run at the Wildside Festival has ended, I have to give special kudos to "Outta Here".  It’s a musical production by the students of Summit School, a private school that creates an individualized and enriching atmosphere for different special needs students. The show deals with a group of students with developmental disabilities who go on a school field trip, but end up going on an adventure of self-discovery, and what motivates each of the five students who decide to forsake the field trip for this adventure in the city. I have to give the 35 Summit students who make up the cast a great deal of credit for taking on and succeeding in this stupendous task of putting on this large-scale show for an audience outside of the comfort zone of their school, and taking on multiple roles that can be a challenge for even the most professional of actors. And judging by the heart and enthusiasm each student put into their respective performances, it is hoped that more courageous and entertaining productions from the students of Summit School will grace the stage of future Wildside Festivals.

And if you can’t get enough of what the Wildside has to offer, then catch its remaining Offside events, which begin immediately following the final show of the night at the Centaur’s Ted T. Katz Family Trust Gallery space, starting around 10 p.m. There will be a puppet karaoke showcase (where you get to sing a favorite song, and let a puppet act it out for you) on January 12; and a special all-star musical tribute to the late Leonard Cohen takes place on January 13. Admission is free for both events.

For more information about the Wildside Festival, or to purchase tickets, go to www.centaurtheatre.com.
   adventure of self-discovery. I have to give these 35 student actors a lot of credit for their courage of mounting and performing a production of this scale. And special kudos goes to Cassandra Mac Isaac for her scene stealing performance as Erica, the sassy student who is part of the five students who ditches the school field trip for an adventure.adventure of self-discovery. I have to give these 35 student actors a lot of credit for their courage of mounting and performing a production of this scale. And special kudos goes to Cassandra Mac Isaac for her scene stealing performance as Erica, the sassy student who is part of the five students who ditches the school field trip for an adventure.
adventure of self-discovery. I have to give these 35 student actors a lot of credit for their courage of mounting and performing a production of this scale. And special kudos goes to Cassandra Mac Isaac for her scene stealing performance as Erica, the sassy student who is part of the five students who ditches the school field trip for an adventure.adventure of self-discovery. I have to give these 35 student actors a lot of credit for their courage of mounting and performing a production of this scale. And special kudos goes to Cassandra Mac Isaac for her scene stealing performance as Erica, the sassy student who is part of the five students who ditches the school field trip for an adventure.

adventure of self-discovery. I have to give these 35 student actors a lot of credit for their courage of mounting and performing a production of this scale. And special kudos goes to Cassandra Mac Isaac for her scene stealing performance as Erica, the sassy student who is part of the five students who ditches the school field trip for an adventure.adventure of self-discovery. I have to give these 35 student actors a lot of credit for their courage of mounting and performing a production of this scale. And special kudos goes to Cassandra Mac Isaac for her scene stealing performance as Erica, the sassy student who is part of the five students who ditches the school field trip for an adventure.