Toronto is suffering from an embarrassment of artistic riches over the 10 days of Luminato, sure to be a frustration to local culture vultures, not to mention producers of competing events. Maybe it is time for other festivals and programmers to simply make way for the Luminato juggernaut and adjust their bookings for 2009 accordingly.
Here are some of the attractions that will force many to make draconian decisions as they fill out their calendars:
- North by Northeast Music and Film Festival opens Thursday for four days - overlapping Luminato’s final weekend. The Canadian Film Centre’s Worldwide Short Film Festival opens Tuesday and runs until June 15.
- Possibly the most sought-after concert tickets of the season are those for Leonard Cohen’s four performances beginning tomorrow at the Sony Centre.
- Jazz fans will be torn between Luminato and the Art of Jazz festival, in the Distillery District until Sunday. SoundaXis ’08 festival of new music is still running through the end of Luminato.
- Openings of Soulpepper’s Uncle Vanya at the Young Centre for the Arts and The Sisters Rosenzweig at St. Lawrence Centre compete for theatregoers’ attentions. Author Salman Rushdie reads at the Music Hall on Monday.
- And dance mavens are hardly going to skip Luminato’s Mark Morris and National Ballet shows to spend the week in Ottawa at the Canada Dance Festival.
- Finally, for those Vancouverites coming all the way to T.O. for Luminato, they’ll be giving up Magnetic North Theatre Festival, running June 4 to 14.
-Susan Walker
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