10 things to do in Ottawa this weekend – November 4-6, 2022

 Ernesto Cervini at the NAC When: Friday, November 4, 2022 Where: National Arts Centre,1 Elgin Street What time: 8 pm Admission: Starting at $34 • Click here to purchase tickets Born from the imagination of JUNO Award-winning drummer and composer Ernesto Cervini and inspired by the incredible village from Louise Penny’s Three

10 things to do in Ottawa this weekend – October 28-30, 2022

 Royal Wood at NAC When: Friday, October 28, 2022 Where:  National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin Street What time: 7:30 pm Admission: From $ 35 • click here for tickets Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Royal Wood has established himself as a true musical talent. Since being proclaimed “Songwriter of the Year”

The musical inspired by the film, “Mean Girls,” will inspire you!

 Book: Tina Fey  Music: Jeff Richmond  Lyrics: Neil Benjamin At last night’s Broadway Across Canada production of Mean Girls, it was clear that this was a ‘girls’ night out.’ The scene brought me back to the release of the first Sex and the City movie when theatres were full of women excited

10 things to do in Ottawa this weekend – September 2-4, 2022

 Cirque du soleil - Kooza When: Until September 25, 2022 Where: Zibi, 3 Rue Eddy, Gatineau What time: Various time Admission: From $50 • Click here for tickets The family-friendly Cirque du Soleil’s big top is back with the production KOOZA. The amazing show is non-stop entertainment from beginning to end.

Broadway Across Canada at the NAC continues to wow with Anastasia

 Broadway Across Canada at the National Arts Centre has impressed me three times in two months. When Hamilton finally touched down, after a two-year delay, it wowed audiences in Ottawa as it has in every other market. Dear Evan Hansen was up next to remind people that musical theatre is for

“Dear Evan Hansen” is a must-see at the NAC.

 ABOVE: Anthony Norman (Evan Hansen), John Hemphill (Larry Murphy), Lili Thomas (Cynthia Murphy), Alaina Anderson (Zoe Murphy), in the 2022-2023 North American Tour of Dear Evan Hansen. (Photo: Evan Zimmerman) Once again, I am boasting about the National Arts Centre, specifically its Broadway Across Canada program. A few weeks ago, Hamilton was wowing audiences,

Hamilton is a Broadway smash hit that everyone should see

 To fully appreciate Hamilton, you need to go back to 2009. Before the Tony Awards, before the hoopla, before we knew who a Daveed Diggs was, back in 2009 at the White House specifically. The Obama Administration was hosting a ‘Poetry Jam’ night. This was the first-ever White House Poetry

10 things to do in Ottawa this weekend – March 4-6, 2022

 From live music to museums and flea markets, check out our weekly roundup of things to do in Ottawa this weekend. We have a mix of fun activities, including some free options, all are guaranteed to help you get out and enjoy the weekend. The Worst Person in the World When:  March

Ottawa’s Neighbourhoods: Downtown Ottawa

 From the Parliament buildings south to the 417, we are looking at downtown Ottawa. This is the part of the city that makes Ottawa really feel like a major capital, from the centres of industry tucked into skyscrapers, to the most iconic historic halls of politics in the city, especially Parliament

Stories of connection in the age of lockdowns

 At no time since the advent of the World Wide Web have our lives been so virtual. This was true before a global pandemic forced entire countries indoors and pushed Internet traffic to the limits of network tolerance. Telework and online grocery shopping have gone from optional for some to

Laila Biali Pushes Back

 While a home studio might seem like a way to make things easier, it turned out as a bit of a trap for Laila Biali. With mould taking over her recording space, Biali had to power through making a record and deal with illnesses caused by the mould itself. Amongst

BEST OF OTTAWA 2019: Live music venues

 After over 20-years writing about life in Ottawa, we think we have a pretty good idea of the best of what this city has to offer. In this weekly series, we share our picks with you — our top hotels, live music venues, local brews, bands and more. Check, share and discuss

Broadway hit musical, Come From Away, arrives at NAC

 Photo: The cast of Come From Away (credit: Matthew Murphy, 2018) You will laugh, you will want to cry, but most of all you will be thoroughly entertained for 90-minutes straight as you relive the day that forced 38 planes loaded with passengers to land in Gander, Newfoundland, almost doubling

Steven Page to perform his politically-charged pop album, Discipline, at the NAC

 (Photo credit: David Bergman) On the heels of 35 U.S. headlining dates and 2 U.K tours, Canadian rock legend Steven Page is kicking off his first cross-Canada tour in none other than our nation's capital! On Wednesday, May 1, Steven will perform his latest album Discipline: Heal Thyself Part 2 at the National Arts

2018 Ottawa Life Award Winners

 The votes are in! After over 20 years writing about life in Ottawa, we think we have a pretty good idea of the best of what this city has to offer. For the better half of last year, we shared our top picks with you, from hotels, live music venues, local

The Night Ravel met Gershwin

 Photo: Classical pianist Jan Lisiecki (credit: Christoph Koestlin) In 1928, French composer Maurice Ravel made a very successful, four-month long tour of the US and Canada, during which he presented 25 concerts and many informal soirées. Ravel was a great admirer of the new world and he embraced modernity with all

The Leipzig-Damascus Coffee House

 Photo credit: Bruce Zinger There’s really no need to refer to Toronto’s Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra as one of the premiere ensembles of its kind in the world. This is a fact consistently underscored by its stellar catalogue of recordings and its critical reception by audiences on acclaimed international tours. But Tafelmusik is

Amanda Rheaume Uses Music To Help Others

 Amanda Rheaume has been crafting music for some time but it wasn't until recently that she felt comfortable with herself. With her hard work starting to pay off, Rheaume wanted to reflect on this time with the album The Skin I'm In. Rheaume also spent time with Darkspark, using music

Inventive and eclectic event series, 3 Chefs 1 Dinner, closes out 2018 with blowout showcase

 For the past three years, Michael Blackie, co-founder and executive chef at NeXT, has been spearheading an inventive and eclectic initiative; playing host to two guest chefs every month for a one-of-a-kind event series aptly named “3 Chefs 1 Dinner”. Wrapping up the 2018 season with a blowout event, Michael

NAC’s National Creation Fund is the Antidote to the Creation Gap

 The National Arts Centre has long helped to pave the way for artists in our nation's capital and across our country. Last week, the National Arts Centre announced the National Creation Fund, a $25 million fund that will support ambitious new Canadian work in theatre, dance and music by artists and arts organizations across

Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida collaborative performance Moon v. Sun

  Chantal Kreviazuk and Raine Maida (Moon v. Sun) took over the National Arts Centre Tuesday night. OLM's Keith Whittier, reviews the show here!  

Sarah MacDougall’s Northern Inspiration

 Photo credit: Jen Squires One clandestine flight hit Sarah MacDougall so deeply that she felt she needed to make music to reflect this feeling. For her new album All The Hours I Have Left To Tell You Anything, MacDougall wrote music with a wide-swath of writers and honed it all in

Chelsea Handler joins Civilized in conversation about cannabis

 October 17th, better known as the day pot will become legal in Canada, is less than a month away. While provinces and territories are busy deciding on various rules and regulations regarding cannabis consumption and distribution, many of us are left with a lot of lingering questions. What if all

Timeout with the Twins talk family, new music and Tessa and Scott with Jim Cuddy

 Photo credits: Warner Music and Daniel Vazzoler / Video by Amanda and Brittany van Frankfoort On Feb. 26, 2018 fans of Blue Rodeo front-man Jim Cuddy were invited to share in new melodic stories of love and loss – delivered in the familiarly plainspoken storytelling style characteristic of Cuddy – on his fourth

Love Finds a Way for Ron Weiss

 Some people spend a life looking for true love. Ottawa musician Ron Weiss put a life on hold for it. Before there was the heart stopping, time freezing, world changing moment named Debbie, Weiss was on a fairly straight trajectory to becoming the singer-songwriter he'd always wanted to become even