Theatre: Peccadilloes, Oct. 11-28, Wednesday-Saturday at 8 p.m.; Theatre Ste Catherine (264 Ste-Catherine E.). Wendy Clubb directs a Whip Theatre Company presentation consisting of a series of eight one-acts penned by Jon Rannells under the temptingly sinful banner Peccadilloes, or “sins” in Spanish. It features a diverse range of sensitively portrayed personalities who one by one reveal their outer and inner sins of modern living in the most unexpected ways. The theatre is closest to Metro Berri. Tickets are $15. Call (514) 284-3939 for tickets and more information.
Music: Barbra Streisand, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m.; Bell Centre (1260 Rue De La Gauchetière O.). Yes, Babs is in town. This singing/acting/everything icon takes Montreal for the first time in her long, long career this Sunday. This follows the release (yes, she still records!) of last year’s Gold-status album, Guilty Pleasures. Her first live shows following her purported Las Vegas “farewell” concert in 1999, Barbra tries to top it off with some unconventional acts, including a reference to Canada in a highly discussed skit where a George Bush impersonator quips that he’s “concerned about the national debt, so I’m selling Canada.” Babs and her nose will also be doing a Funny Girl medley and a Q&A session with the audience in the second act. Pretty boys Il Divo is sharing the stage with her. Call (514) 790-1245 for tickets and more information.
Literature: A Spot of Bother, released Sept. 5. This much- touted and anticipated second attempt from Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time author Mark Haddon once again shines due to its stark painting of the uncommon mind’s internalization. Haddon attributed part of his inspiration for the basis of Curious Incident’s style that follows the autistic main character’s own mental flow to Jane Austen’s novels due to their portrayal of feminine manners in exactly the format and stream-of-consciousness that those characters understand and admire. In his second book, Haddon takes the idea further and tackles manners head-on in a dark comedy about an over-polite, restrained family man who must confront the possibility of a terminal illness.
Film: Infamous, opens Sept. 13. Better known as Capote redux, Infamous tells the behind the scenes story of writer Truman Capote as he attempts to finish his shocking exposé In Cold Blood, focusing on the eerie relationship that builds between the author and his specimens Dick Hickock and Perry Smith, the convicted murderers of a Kansas family of four in 1959. In an attempt to repeat or even overshadow Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s Oscar win just last year, Toby Jones offers what many are saying is a more seductive and less technical portrayal than Hoffman’s. It’s up to you to judge, since this comes from the man best known for his voice-acting of Dobby the house elf in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Sandra Bullock stars as Harper Lee, author of To Kill a Mockingbird and Capote’s close friend and fellow writer-in-crime. Daniel Craig, Sigourney Weaver and Isabella Rossellini also appear as supporting characters.
