Plum Viewing

Welcome to the latest edition of Plum Viewing, my weekly roundup of arts and culture to view online.

In light with the vibe of the moment, this week is a bit of a lighter read. Happy viewing!

We are starting with a reader recommendation (thank you, Robert!). This is truly delightful. It’s from the National Ballet of Canada and is a modern-day Swan Lake, filmed entirely remotely from the bathtubs of 27 of the company’s leading ballet dancers from around the world, including Principal Dancers Jurgita Dronina and Harrison James, created by award-winning choreographer Corey Baker. It is pure joy!

And, if this has piqued your appetite for dance, let’s revisit Matthew Bourne’s Red Shoes, 12 minutes of equally joyful and delightful content, filmed remotely by dancers from their homes. Although it has to be said us passive observers should NOT try this from the comfort of our own homes. No one needs to see this. NO ONE!!!

Let’s continue this theme and move to the Perspective Ensemble, who are presenting a free live stream of J.S. Bach: The Six Solo Cello Suites, performed by internationally renowned cellist, Wendy Sutter. It is a two part performance taking place on Sunday, August 23. Admission is free but registration via Eventbrite is required. Register here for Part I, which starts at 3 pm ET (Suites 1–3) and here for Part II, which starts at 6 pm EDT (Suites 4–6). It will be live streamed from Judson Memorial Church in New York City.

I am so happy to have recently discovered Nubya Garcia, a 28-old year tenor saxophonist from the UK who is definitely and quite rightly having a moment. You will thank me for sharing this gem!

Today, Nubya is releasing her first full-length album, Source, an one-hour listening experience which she describes as “about my heritage, my ancestry, exploring those places and those stories from my parents and my grandparents.” If you want a sneak peek at her incredible talent, check out her London performance from 2018 of Lost Kingdom. Goosebumps!!

Let’s take a visit now to the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, a beautiful venue that I got to know personally when I lived in Minnie. Like most theatres, the Guthrie remains closed but that hasn’t stopped all the performances.

They recently launched Here We Are, a virtual series of microplays written by notable playwrights, including Lydia R. Diamond, Lynn Nottage and Regina Taylor. Performances take place on Thursdays through September 24, with free tickets released at 9 a.m. the Monday before each performance. These performances are very personal and moving and act as a lovely reminder of just how impactful theatre really is.

Let’s jump from Minnie to Calgary — because we can — and go from the Guthrie to Theatre Calgary. The wonderful team there have launched TC Takeout: The Arts Delivered, with a goal, and I am quoting them, ‘to bring a smile to your face during these times, while providing artists an opportunity to share their talents with you!’ Well, we at Plum Viewing are here for that! There are 20 charming episodes to be enjoyed and more to come!

Ok, let’s end where we started — with something of pure joy.

I will take any excuse to revisit The Roses, the First Family of Schitt’s Creek. This week Jennifer Garner showed us that she too is a fan girl in this wonderful Q&A with the cast.

We once again get to hear Moira turn ‘How’, a three letter word into a three syllable one. She is a national treasure!!

Enjoy!!

And, an ask: While we’re enjoying these wonderful performances, let’s remember that for the arts organizations producing this incredible content, this is their livelihood; not a hobby. If we can, now is our time to continue to support our incredible arts community!

And, if you’d like to receive Plum Viewing weekly, send me a note at maggiefairs@gmail.com and I will add you to my mailing list.