Two shows

This week I attended two events that are impossible to photograph and even hard to describe. The first one was a show with french actor Fabrice Luchini. He started his career in film but has since made a name for himself on stage. I saw him in Paris a few years back and jumped at the chance to see him again here in Montreal. He masters the awesome feat of standing alone on stage, and talking about literature for two hours non stop. People don’t leave, people don’t yawn, people don’t even move! This time, the theme was Jean de LaFontaine, a famous XVIIth century french writer who is well known for his fables. Luchini is so good at using his voice that he had us leaning forward, so as not to miss a single word…the audience follows him like the pied piper and would probably kneel down on the floor if he asked. He can be very funny both in what he says and his physical moves, yet he still gets his love of language come through loud and clear. After the show people always wonder…did he do this just for us, or does he do this every night?…THAT is a sign of a great performer: making the spectator feel that he is unique and the show was a gift just for him. He also mastered the delicate balance of using both french and Quebec cultures with humor but without being mean or insulting. No wonder he has been playing to a packed house every night!

The second show was a free outdoor concert, last night, in parc Maisonneuve, at the foot of the olympic stadium. It was a Montreal symphony orchestra concert with a wonderful young guest violinist: Alexandre Da Costa. They played some russian, some tsigane inspired and some film music .
This was my first time going to such a concert, so I sat on the grass as opposed to the hundreds of veterans who came equipped with folding chairs, blankets and mats, pic nic baskets, wine glasses etc. It was fun to perople watch: lots of babies in strollers, toddlers rolling in the grass, young people with skates or bicycles, and a lot of older folks too… It was a balmy evening….perfect!

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