After winning three TONY Awards in 2010, Mirvish Productions now is ready to unleash the hilarity in Toronto that is La Cage aux Folles. Starring Golden Globe Award Winner George Hamilton and TONY-nominated Christopher Sieber, the Musical centers around Georges (Hamilton), the Owner of a Saint Tropez Night Club and the love of his life Albin (Sieber), who also is known in drag as the glamorous Zaza. Georges‘ Son finally is ready to introduce his FiancĂ©e‘s Parents to Georges and Albin and what ensues is pure comedic Drama as these personalities clash in the name of love.
Both Hamilton and Sieber were out and about doing the morning Television Circuit here in Toronto including visits to CityTV’s Breakfast Television and also Global Television‘s The Morning Show. They are slated also for Radio and Television Interviews at CBC later today.
I had the pleasure of meeting the Duo quickly following their appearance on The Morning Show, where they played-up their chemistry with a bit of bickering. You can watch the Interview in full here. One of Hamilton‘s Handlers was extremely kind to lend a hand to snap Photos – the Gentlemen all smiles. I must say Hamilton – who was spotted a Sotto Sotto last night with a Female Friend enjoying Champagne – looks impeccable!
La Cage aux Folles opens tomorrow night at Royal Alexandra Theatre, running through November 18, 2012.
Get your tickets here.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Umm… if he looks this good on a day off, just how good does he look like when he’s glammed-up? Toronto Fans have long been hungry for the incredible Jonathan Rhys Meyers and on a chance run-in (honest!) tonight , I crossed paths with him and a Friend after enjoying some Italian this Canadian Thanksgiving Day.
The brilliant Actor is known best for his eclectic and amazing Body of Work which includes Bend it like Beckham, Woody Allen‘s Match Point and more recently award-worthy turns in CBS Mini-Series Elvis and Showtime‘s The Tudors. He tells me he arrived in Toronto about a week ago to begin work on The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones. This first Adaptation of Cassandra Clare‘s popular Novels has Meyers starring as Arch Villain Valentine Morgenstern, who happens also to be the Biological Father of Clary Fray (Lily Collins) and also the Adoptive Father of Jace Lightwood (Jamie Campbell Bower).
Although filming for The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is set to wrap early next month, Meyers simultaneously is getting ready to begin work in the Titular Role on upcoming NBC Series, Dracula. Set in London, Dracula poses as an American Businessman who secretly wants to seek revenge on those who ruined his life centuries ago.
Meyers is a true Class Act and noticing off-the-bat our Photo didn’t turn-out the first time, he asked kindly that his lovely Friend take another, before wishing me a Happy Thanksgiving!  A real honour – one of the greatest Actors of my Generation.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Next Sunday marks the 74th edition of the Pattison Canadian International, bringing the World’s finest Turf Stars together in a mile-and-a-half Showdown at Woodbine Racetrack. Valued at $1.5 million, several of Horse Racing’s greatest Legends have won the Grade I Race in the past including the inimitable Secretariat, who capped off his celebrated Career here in Toronto back in 1973 with a smashing runaway Victory.
Here’s the scoop – our Friends at the Woodbine Entertainment Group were kind enough to offer my Readers a handful of $25 Gift Cards. So simply RSVP that you’ll be attending the Race here and also confirm that you’ve done so by clicking “like” on this Post at Mr. Will Wong on Facebook before Thursday, October 11, 2012 for your chance to win! You must be 19 years of age to enter.
Although you can do whatever you’d like with your $25 Gift Card, chances are you’ll want to stay for an afternoon of fun at the Races. And believe it or not on Woodbine Mile Day recently, a Friend of one of my Readers Gabriella, was lucky enough to win a free $1,000 bet! Of course, he played it smart and safe, won his bet and went on to take his winnings home! Now who doesn’t like free money?
The Pattison Canadian International takes place Sunday, October 14, 2012 at Woodbine Racetrack – just minutes from Toronto Pearson International Airport and less than 30 minutes by bus from Islington Station (Bus 37A). Races start at 1:00 PM and run till approximately 6:00 PM. All you need is $2.00 to place a bet!
Click here to learn more about the Pattison Canadian International and the Contenders. The U.S. is expected to be represented by Air Support, while Canada will cheer-on one of our v. best in Stormy Lord. The European Contingent includes highly-touted Reliable Man (GB), lightly-raced Imperial Monarch (Ire), recent local Winner Wigmore Hall (Ire) and past Winner of this Race, Joshua Tree (Ire).
Click here to learn more about the Pattison Canadian International and the Contenders.
I’ll definitely be around, so come by and say “hi” if you see me. Good luck and I’ll see you at the Races!
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Just when you thought one abduction in the Family was too much, it happens again in Taken 2! The Follow-up to 2010’s $226-million grossing Action-Thriller adds Famke Janssen to the mix, while the bigger draw of course would be Box Office Megastar Liam Neeson. This Sequel from 20th Century Fox opens to horrific reviews (19% on Rotten Tomatoes) but big reception from Moviegoers, earning $50 million in its debut. Stellar. Although I hate to be the one pointing it out, Neeson‘s Career since experiencing the sad misfortune of Widowhood in March 2009, has skyrocketed. Since then, his Films have earned over $1.1 billion worldwide. Suffice it to say, there is an Angel looking over him?
Hotel Transylvania continues to perform beautifully for Sony Pictures, earning $26.6 million in its second weekend, now tallying at $75.4 million. Meanwhile, Pitch Perfect expands in its second week to 2,770 theatres, impressive in third spot with $14.5 million. Reviews also are solid for the Musical-Comedy starring Rebel Wilson, Anna Kendrick and Brittany Snow.
Disney‘s Frankenweenie opens in fifth this weekend with $12 million from 3,005 theatres. This latest effort from Tim Burton, garnered v. strong reviews with 85% on the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes. Some may see this as a disappointment, however the Film was made for a sensible $39 million and still has yet to open overseas.
The Master in 864 theatres continues to hang onto the Top Ten in ninth spot with $1.6 million for The Weinstein Co./eOne Films, while Finding Nemo 3D rounds out the Top Ten for Disney.
Meet your new RoboCop. Swedish/American Actor and Model Joel Kinnaman might be a familiar face – especially if you’ve visited an H&M of late – but he v. much is on his way to becoming Hollywood’s Next “It” Boy. Currently in Toronto filming JosĂ© Padilha‘s Remake of RoboCop, Kinnaman has kept a low profile since arriving in the City a month ago.
Just last year, he appeared in David Fincher‘s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and he is known for his work in acclaimed Swedish Thriller Easy Money, which opened here in limited release late August. TV Audiences know him for his work in AMC‘s now-defunct The Killing, which Fox Television Studios currently is in talks to renew for a third season on alternative networks.
Carrying a copy of Christopher Hitchens’ Mortality in-hand during a chilly filming break today University of Toronto-ish, Kinnaman was nice enough to stop to greet a small number of Fans. A Stills Photographer even captured the moment also! The $100-million Blockbuster from Sony Pictures features an impressive Cast including: Abbie Cornish, Gary Oldman, Jackie Earle Haley, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton and Jay Baruchel. Due for an August 2013 release, RoboCop films in Toronto up till January 2013.
The charming Kinnaman can be seen next in Auteur Filmmaker Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups alongside Natalie Portman, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Isabel Lucas and Joe Manganiello.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Beautiful, remarkably talented and most of all, sweet as pie, Australian Actress Abbie Cornish always makes my day! Check-out this lovely note she jot for me today after stopping by for a quick visit at the RoboCop Set here in Toronto!
I was lucky enough to get a Snap with Cornish not only at TIFF 2011, but also last month again as she was so gracious with Fans at Windsor Arms Hotel’s InStyle Magazine Party. Cornish truly is a Class Act and I am so excited about where her Career is going after falling in love her after seeing her performance in Bright Star and also the superb Limitless.
Just last week, the stunning Cornish attended the Los Angeles Premiere for Seven Psychopaths, which had premiered at TIFF 2012 and without skipping a beat, she’s now back in Toronto and ready to work again!
Follow Cornish on Twitter here.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Oh yeah, HIM! Israeli-born, but now American-based Actor Oded Fehr is a familiar face to many Resident Evil Fans, but those of you who followed Cult Hit Charmed, might also have a fond memory or two of him. Currently in Toronto filming Covert Affairs, in which he stars in the recurring role of Eyal Lavin, Fehr was spotted out earlier this evening grabbing some Indian Cuisine after a day at work. On the well-received Series, he plays a Mossad Operative who is an Ally of Annie (Piper Perabo).
Surprised to be recognized, Fehr was super-nice to to stop for a quick Snap after a long day. “Nice Camera!”, he said after spotting my Olympus E-PL2! We got to talking about some of his famous Neighbours staying in his vicinity and he tells me two words about the Cast of The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, “Nice Kids!”.
The Actor recently made an appearance at TIFF 2012 for the Red Carpet Premiere of Inescapable, alongside Marisa Tomei, Joshua Jackson and Alexander Siddig.
Covert Affairs currently is in its third season on Showcase in Canada, while news of a fourth season with 16 episodes being green-lit just was announced two weeks ago.
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)
Is she this year’s Uggie? Bonny the Shih Tzu has only been acting since she was 10 months old (equivalent to 13 human years), but this little Lady is already stamping herself as a Star on the rise. Bonny stars in TIFF 2012 Midnight Madness People’s Choice Award Winner Seven Psychopaths, stealing the show from her famous Co-Stars Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Tom Waits, Sam Rockwell, Abbie Cornish, Gabourey Sidibe and Olga Kurylenko. The Dark Comedy has her starring as the Canine Companion to a dangerous Criminal (Harrelson), getting kidnapped by troubled Actor and Dog Thief, Rockwell. Before we know it, the stakes are raised and no lives are spared to get Bonny back.
Was fame written in the stars for Bonny?  The adorable tri-coloured Shih Tzu actually is a Rescue Dog, now owned by the Performing Animal Troupe, a Movie Animal Company. She is trained currently by Claire Dore who praises her incredible focus and ability to tune things out around her.
Okay Miss Bonny, we’d like to see you tune this out! My little Boy Billy is just smitten with you and had one question to ask:
Alliance Films releases Seven Psychopaths on October 12, 2012.
“Like” Bonny the Shih Tzu on Facebook!
UPDATE: It appears there is a romance looming! Billy received this reply from Bonny on Facebook:
(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong/Kevin Winters – Getty Images)
The 13th Annual Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival kicks-off next week in Toronto, running between Wednesday, October 10 through Sunday, October 14, 2012. With 70 Canadian and International Films being showcased this year, Movie Lovers have a chance to connect with Filmmakers who are bringing to light the issues impacting us on a global scale. Galas, Child & Youth Programs, Industry Series, Panels and Screenings (some free even!) highlight the Festival.
Here are some of the Films to look-out for:
LOST RIVERS – Caroline Bâcle (CAN)   World Premiere, Opening Night Gala Presentation
Planet in Focus’ 2010 Green Pitch Winner Lost Rivers delves into the often overlooked rich-history of rivers within Canada and around the World. Once flowing through nearly every developed city in the world, rivers provided the infrastructure upon which modern metropolises were built. In this adventurous and revelatory look into the disappearance and recent resurfacing of these historic waterways, Lost Rivers leads us down the drain into vast underground museums of urban development.
CHASING ICE – Jeff Orlowski (USA)   Canadian Premiere, Closing Night Gala Presentation
James Balog, National Geographic Photographer and Founder of the Extreme Ice Survey—an innovative, long-term photography project that merges art and science—sets out with his posse of young explorers to the Arctic with the aim of giving a “visual voice” to the planet’s changing ecosystems. Setting up their high-tech time-lapse cameras in sub-zero temperatures, the adventurers come face to face with their own mortality and the all-too-real signs of climate change. Balog and his team capture the magnificent glaciers in motion through film and photography in a way that has never been seen before and, with the alarming rate of glacial recession, is likely to never be seen again. With breathtaking images of a land that is rapidly shifting, Chasing Ice is a must-see film that takes us to the precipice of a disappearing world and proposes a challenge for change.
NORTHWORDS Â – Geoff Morrison (Canada)Â Toronto Premiere
Northwords is a new transmedia documentary project that is hosted by Shelagh Rogers, the Voice of CBC Radio’s popular book show The Next Chapter. The project follows a group of Canada’s finest writers as they travel to awe-inspiring Torngat Mountains National Park in northern Labrador to explore, have adventures and create new works that add to the continuing story of the north.
TRASHED – Candida Brady 
(UK)     Canadian Premiere, Special Presentation
Academy Award-winning Actor Jeremy Irons pulls up his Wellies to cross littered beaches in Lebanon, inspect prison compost heaps in Yorkshire and investigate a state-of-the-art recycling plant in San Francisco on his voyage of discovery about the garbage we create, every hour of every day, across the planet. Journeying from Iceland to Indonesia, Irons speaks to Scientists, Politicians and ordinary Citizens whose health and livelihoods have been affected by pollution.
FUTURE WEATHER – Jenny Deller (USA)  Canadian Premiere
When her single mom runs off to California to pursue her dream of becoming a make-up artist for the stars, Lauduree (Perla Haney-Jardine, Kill Bill Vol. 2, Untraceable), an eighth grader passionate about the environment, clings to her rural home and a science experiment she hopes will help slow climate change. During this troubled time, Lauduree is forced to come to terms with her relationships with the other women in her life: Ms. Markovi, the Science Club Teacher she idolizes (Lili Taylor, Six Feet Under, I Shot Andy Warhol) and Greta, her caustic grandmother superbly played by Amy Madigan (Gone Baby Gone, Field of Dreams).
Click here for a full list of Films complete with Trailers and click here to buy Tickets!
(Photo credit: Blenheim Films)
Producer Paul Epworth teams-up with Adele again after some massive success on her 21 Disc, and after much talk and rumour, we finally get to hear the official Theme Song for Sony Pictures’ Skyfall, the latest in the James Bond Franchise. Backed by a 77-piece Orchestra, Adele sounds stunning here in this bit of a dark Masterpiece, which sounds Classic Bond.
With the impending birth of her Child, she might be gone for a bit. This will do I suppose!
The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for Skyfall hit stores November 6, 2012.
(Photo credit: Sony Music)
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