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Movie Review – The Hangover: Part II

On May 11, 2011, blogUT Featured Blogger Danielle Klein spoke with Bradley Cooper while promoting his upcoming film, The Hangover: Part II.

While promoting the much-anticipated sequel to the 2009 hit The Hangover, Bradley Cooper is relaxed and confident. Prior to the release of the first film, the actor was humble and quiet in interviews; he expressed both uncertainty and hope for the success of the film. This time around, he more than hopes for success – he expects it, declaring rather boldly, “you can’t even argue that The Hangover II isn’t as good as the first one; it’s actually better.” Continue reading “Movie Review – The Hangover: Part II”

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Four Wheels or Two? – Living Sustainably In The City

A recent article released by the Toronto Star states that the air quality in Toronto might not be as bad as we all think it is.

This may seem hard to believe, considering the extreme density of the downtown core.  Ironically though, it is the suburbs which we should avoid.

The mid-20th century boom of the suburbs in the GTA was supposed to be a Renaissance in urban development and infrastructure. However, another Toronto Star article indicates that the typical infrastructure of the suburbs is what causes high levels of CO2 emissions. The greatest amount of the emissions in the GTA comes from the town of Whitby at 13.02 tonnes per year. Where do they place the blame? Distance from the sidewalk. Apparently, living in a house that is set well back from the sidewalk makes one more inclined to ride around in a large, gas-guzzling SUV. But is it worth risking our environmental well being to get to and from soccer practice, the corner store, or even through the long lineups at McDonald’s (which consequently makes us fat) by driving a gas-guzzler?

So why should we be living in the city? The answer is actually quite clear. Public transportation is much better in the city and the sidewalks are closer to retail buildings and housing. Getting around is just easier. No one has much need for a car, except for Mayor Ford, who continues to pick fights with the ‘evil streetcars’. But that brings me to my next point. Not everyone can afford public transportation in the city; $3 a ride adds up.

Much to the pleasure of many, the bicycle has made a miraculous comeback. Everyone is using bikes. Children, adults, professors, students, hipsters… just about everyone scurries to one of the many bicycle shops in the GTA to get the latest one speed, skinny tire, weave-basket-carrying bicycle. Biking is no doubt the best way to get around the city, especially with the numerous picture-esque tree-lined streets and bike paths (another enemy of our beloved mayor). Even many of our adored professors at U of T, including Professor Brym (Department of Sociology) take their bikes wherever they go. It is almost impossible  to avoid cyclists on the St. George campus, especially the ones that we almost run into while jaywalking across St. George Street to get to Sid Smith.

Recently, downtown Toronto was introduced to the BIXI bike system. This system allows anyone to go to the one of 80 BIXI stations and pay the small fee of $5 per day ($40 per month, or $95 per year) to use a bike and go their merry way.

However, there are some downsides to the program.  You still have to find a station, pay a security deposit with a credit card, and there is no discounted rate for students. Despite these obstacles though, there are still many stations on campus for students to use.

In this day and age,  I truly believe that our generation has the power to make an environmental change. We don’t have to make the same mistakes our parents did, driving around in gas-guzzlers.  Instead, we should make sure to utilize the numerous ways of being environmentally  conscientious so that the next generations can enjoy the earth too. As the centre of research for our ‘true north, strong and free’, the students of U of T should join together in a revolution against irresponsible automobile use with the same enthusiasm as Louis XIV and Napoleon – on our bikes, ready to take on CO2 emissions (and succeed).

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First Year: The Small Classes at U of T

You’ve just received your offer of admission from the University of Toronto. Congrats! While you may feel excited and hopeful now, there’s still time for you to encounter the dread and anxiety experienced by most students about to start university. You might even be missing high school already. Never fear! U of T knows just how to handle this – let me introduce to you… the seminar course.

 

I see you.

Continue reading “First Year: The Small Classes at U of T”

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A Sombre Production of Orfeo ed Eurydice

The Canadian Opera Company completes its trio of productions for the spring session with Cristoph Willibald Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. The names Orfeo and Euridice may sound familiar to you because the opera is based on the story of Orpheus the lyre player, who literally went to hell and back in an attempt to bring his dead lover, Eurydice, back to life.

Orfeo ed Euridice was memorable for the simplistic sets and costumes that helped set the tone for the tragedy that drives the plot and raison d’être of the show. The cast consisted of very proficient actors who expressed their grief convincingly. However, in song, they were, for the most part, unmemorable.

Maybe my expectations for the opera were too high (my standard Orfeo is, after all, the goddess Maria Callas – the video linked here is one where she sings the most famous aria of the opera, but in French rather than Italian), but I felt that the sadness and the drama of the entire production was only conveyed by the brilliant mise-en-scene. The scene in hell was particularly well done and is perhaps the only thing that I will give special mention for this review. However, even this positive quality seems to have failed Orfeo ed Euridice at the end when Orfeo and the chorus are celebrating Euridice’s return to the land of the mortals. The cast’s black costumes and the barren set overpowered the celebratory song and it felt as if they were at a funeral of someone who wasn’t well-liked in life.

In any case, Orfeo ed Euridice is running from May 8th to May 28th at the Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts. For those living on a student budget, rush tickets are $20 and are available starting at 11 AM the day of the performance. All rush tickets seats are in the 5th ring. If you are under the age of 30, you are eligible for Opera for a New Age tickets, which cost $22 and will get you seats in the 5th or 3rd ring.

For more information on Orfeo ed Euridice and the Canadian Opera Company, click here.

Since this is my last opera review for blogUT, I would like to end with a brief personal note.

I decided to review productions by the COC purely for the purpose of generating curiosity, in hopes that students will, at least once in their lives, attend an opera production. From reading my reviews, you can probably guess that I’m not an opera expert and I’m still learning the finer details of the art. However, I feel justified in writing the way I do and in expressing the opinions I have expressed because I want to introduce the art of opera to an audience who may initially be turned off by the conception that it’s a kind of art form where one needs a lot of prior knowledge to appreciate it. To some people, that may be true, but I don’t see why the average person can’t enjoy opera for its amusing plots or beautiful music. In the end, I hope that my reviews have generated some interest, because the opera is truly a magnificent experience that everyone can enjoy.

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From My Garden To Yours – Living Sustainably In Any Space

If you haven’t already heard, the country (and the world) is coming out of a recession.
Stop right there.
Take a deep breath. In and then out again.
You don’t need to have passed the dreaded ECO100 to understand where I’m going with this.
I’m steering you in the opposite direction now.
Vegetables – the kind your grandmother hides in tomato sauce so you get nutrients to grow up tall and strong. Regardless of how you digest them, vegetables are known to be good for you, and they might just help a lot of people out of a tight squeeze.

Continue reading “From My Garden To Yours – Living Sustainably In Any Space”

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Robarts

Photographer’s Note:

This is a picture I took of Robarts.

I know most people think that it’s an ugly building (my friend once called it a Soviet spaceship) and I had only seen it in the winter before this but, when I saw it here, with the trees and cherry blossoms and sun, I actually thought there was something nice about it.

I just finished my first year and I think this reflects that really well. It was a pretty tough winter in Toronto and, of course, U of T was much more difficult than high school but, now that it’s over, it was worth it to get to see days like the one here… and really, it wasn’t as bad as it once seemed.

I don’t really have any deep thoughts or comparisons to make here, although I wish I did. But when I saw Robarts like this, I thought people should see it. I think that most students love being at U of T. There are plenty of legitimate complaints to make, but there are also plenty of things to enjoy, and those are just as, if not more, important to acknowledge.

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Ariadne auf Naxos – Delightful!

Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos is not an opera about Ariadne and her tale of woe and romance but a whimsical tale of an opera production going… in a way that it doesn’t usually go. The show follows an opera troupe who learns that they have to perform alongside a ‘vulgar’ comedy troupe at a nobleman’s dinner.

The first act, in which the audience follows the two troupes and observes their pre-show nervousness and anxiety about the changes being made to their productions, is wonderfully entertaining. A special mention goes to Alice Coote, who plays the talented but angsty composer of Ariadne auf Naxos (the opera in the opera). Her superb acting and voice brings us the highs and lows as the composer goes into his diva-esque fits at the prospect of having his opera changed.

Another special mention goes to Jane Archibald, who plays the feisty and flirty Zerbinetta. She’s the star of the second act, which shows the result of the mash-up of the two productions, where her voice and spunky personality is the cause of much laughter. When I went to the dress rehearsal, Amber Wagner, Adrianne Pieczonka’s understudy, took the role of Ariadne/the Prima Donna halfway through the production in act II. It seems that fate has been on my side, because Wagner seems to have taken the role for the current productions of the opera (until further notice). Wagner is a powerful singer whose voice should not be forever relegated to being an understudy.

Overall, the direction, set and costumes were appropriate and did not detract from the performance or the libretto of the opera. The show was absolutely brilliant and is sure to draw a few laughs – I highly recommend it. A few opera virgins came with me to this production and were as delighted by it as I was.

Ariadne auf Naxos is running from April 30th to May 29th at the Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts. For those living on a student budget, rush tickets are $20 and are available starting at 11 AM the day of the performance. All rush tickets seats are in the 5th ring. If you are under the age of 30, you are eligible for Opera for a New Age tickets, which cost $22 and will get you seats in the 5th or 3rd ring.

For more information on Ariadne auf Naxos and the Canadian Opera Company, click here.

Thanks for reading! I will be reviewing Orfeo ed Eurydice in a few days. Enjoy!