Things are Getting Rather Wicked Around Here....

Wicked:
Book by Winnie Holzman
Song and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire

Show in Toronto:
October 20 - November 28
Approx. $100 - $400
Canon Theatre


If you haven't heard already, Wicked the Musical has come to Toronto, and brought with it a frenzy of excitement. The musical is based on childhood classic The Wizard of Oz (1939, dir: L. Frank Baum), but adds a modern twist: Wicked is told from the perspective of the witches in the land of Oz, set before and during Dorothy's arrival in Kansas.

Wicked follows the friendship of Elphaba, the future wicked witch of the west, and Glinda, the good witch of the north. They experience some Mean Girls-esque drama, competing for the same love interest (who is later turned into the scarecrow we all know and love) and butting heads on various issues in Oz, particularly the Wizard and his corrupt government. The two switch from friends to enemies and back again as the drama unfolds in Oz, with the storyline of the original Wizard of Oz woven in as well. Wicked has received stunning reviews and has caused serious excitement across the city - I strongly advise getting your tickets!

"It was Maguire's brilliant idea to take this hated figure and tell things from her point of view, and to have the two witches be roommates in college, but the way in which their friendship develops – and really the whole plot – is different onstage." 

                                                      ^{- Holzman for Playbill}

"Primarily we were interested in the relationship between Galinda – who becomes Glinda – and Elphaba...the friendship of these two women and how their characters lead them to completely different destinies." 

                                        - Schwartz

[An interesting sidenote: Wicked was written during the years following 9/11, and is largely based on the smoke-and-mirrors foolishness of George W. Bush and the seemingly all-powerful government of the United States of America. Elphaba (the Wicked Witch) and Glinda (the Good Witch) represent the blue states and the red states of America, respectively.]

*If you've seen the show, please send us in your reviews, comments, or criticisms!

In the Spirit of Halloween...

Thanks to Karim for this one!

Things All Men Should Own:

Stubbs & Wootton's line of men's loafers range from very European classy to American schoolboy prep, some reminiscent of Hugh Hefner and some well fitted for those not faint at heart. They're all extremely well made and well-designed, embroidery on velvet of all different colors, black and brown soles and heels. Because of the quality, they are a bit more expensive than your average loafer ($400-$600) but well worth the money.

A devil embroidered on blue velvet, just in time for Halloween...



For every boy who got kicked out of boarding school...




And my personal favorite: the skull and crossed swords that just make you want to buy a ship, become a pirate, and own the seas.




Check out the website here!

This Is Not A Kanye Blog.

but:

Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Hova, Bon Iver - Monster

Teenage Paparazzo: Adrian Grenier, Fame, and Documentaries

Thanks to Michael for this one!

Apparently it's old news, but today I got wind of Adrian Grenier's documentary about a fourteen-year-old paparazzo in LA. The kid makes $500-1000 a photo and works 17 hours a day. I really have no idea why he isn't in school but with that kind of bank, I suppose he doesn't need to be.

Being as young and doll-faced as he is, celebrities of course picked him out of the crowd of old, balding, and scruffy paparazzo. Adrian Grenier (most recently of Entourage fame for those who don't swoon at recognize the name) decided to make a documentary about him, fame, and the most-despised-job-in-the-world: the paparazzi.

Trailer:

Kanye the Visionary

This post will not surprise most of you. Kanye's short film "Runaway" premiered on MTV and BET on Saturday and since then, it's exploded, much like the Phoenix herself.

Not that we're complaining. The film is beautifully shot, edited, choreographed, and creatively directed. It stars stunning supermodel Selita Ebanks as the phoenix, and the opening bit is the lovely Nicki Minaj with a full-out British accent. We'll get more into the illuminati rumors and whatnot later - for now, watch the movie, love the album, admire Kanye's suits and shoes,  and marvel at Ms. Ebanks beauty.

Kanye's a beauty too, of course.

American Film Legend Tony Curtis: Rest In Peace

Don't mind my tardiness...

I'm nearly a month late on the news, but Tony Curtis, American film legend of the 1950s and 60s, died on September 29th of cardiac arrest. He was 85 years old and, for those who don't know, led quite an interesting life.

Curtis's rags-to-riches romantic Hollywood story was one of the originals. Born in the Bronx and grew up exceedingly poor - had to live in an orphanage because his parents couldn't afford to feed him. Brother dies tragically not long after - hit by a truck. Mother was an abusive schizophrenic. Curtis joins the US Navy shortly after the Pearl Harbor attacks and following the war, studies drama in New York. No idea where his drama dreams came from, but it sure as hell worked out for him - at 23 years old Universal Pictures takes control of his life and within a few years, Tony Curtis is an American film star complete with oodles of money, women, and fast cars.
Not to mention, of course, a star complete with quite a few legitimately amazing performances. To rattle off a few of the best - and highly recommended:

• Sweet Smell of Success (his breakout role)
• The Defiant Ones (Sidney Poitier!)
• Some Like It Hot (Marilyn Monroe)
• The Boston Strangler (Curtis plays serial killer Albert de Salvo..this film is intense)

Also, at some point in your life, please do yourself a favor and watch The Persuaders, his TV show with Roger Moore (007 baby). The two are a loveable pair of spies, one British, one American, and they get up to all sorts of adventures in a variety of stunning locations (Italy, French Riviera, Sweden etc) with stunning women who they woo with their Aston Martins and Ferraris and other playboy things. Amazing series.

Tony Curtis was married six times. He has six children, one of whom died of a heroin overdose at the age of 23. Tony himself struggled with alcoholic and substance abuse, mainly cocaine. (Though he was arrested at Heathrow when he flew in to shoot The Persuaders for possession of cannabis haha) In spite of, or perhaps because of, the life he led, Tony Curtis was and will remain an extremely influential American actor and golden boy.

MoMA's Tim Burton Exhibit comes to Toronto!

In the Toronto film world....
 

The first MoMA exhibit to come to Toronto in more than 20 years will be the Tim Burton exhibit, opening on November 26th at the TIFF Bell Lightbox. Toronto couldn't ask for a better treat - Burton's visual imagination is a force to be reckoned with, and the exhibition is extensive. It features more than 700 items collected from his personal vault and studio archives, including his first shorts and experimental films, costumes and puppets, storyboards, sketches and paintings from his private collection, and the Burton Blitz, a screening marathon of his most iconic films.

The mind of Tim Burton on display, in other words. As Burton is one of the most interesting and slightly insane people of our generation, this will be ridiculous. The man himself will be in Toronto for some special events, and rumor has it that his lovely muse (and my future husband) Johnny Depp will be making an appearance as well. Tickets go on sale October 26th!

Lanvin for H&M

In other fashion news, H&Ms across Toronto are once again going to be absolute wrecks. You know when you walk in and wonder why you didn't see the tornado warnings on the news? Oh yeah - it happened with the Jimmy Choo/H&M collabo and it will be havoc once again for the Lanvin collection, out in stores on November 23rd.

November 23rd. Start saving. Also start working out so you can forcefully push and shove your way ahead of the masses to the front of the line. If the recently released ad with Natasha Poly is any indication (video also on the way), this collection is going to be insane.

Fashion Week in Toronto!

LG Fashion Week has come once again to Toronto, and to celebrate, the Studio will be selling tickets to some of the shows. We will also let you know about Fashion Week afterparties and events where the designers and models will be partying...so you can mingle, drink, and rub elbows with some of the industry's elite.

*If you've been to any shows so far, photos and reviews would be welcome!

LG Fashion Week Official Website

RomCom Hype: Love and Other Drugs

Sure, it's no Scorcese masterpiece but romcoms are always nice too.

Jake Gyllenhaal is a stud.

Want of the Week

Want of the Week is some creative little gadget that anyone can appreciate. 




This week it's the new Nixon Newton watch. They use dots instead of hands and come in amazing colors...the white one with the pink face and yellow trim is my favorite, but the others are pretty slick too. Only $100, and Christmas is coming up...buy one for your significant other? mother? me? :)

 

Welcome to the Studio

The Studio is a creative arts club at SMC. It focuses on film, music, photography, fashion, and art, but is no way limited to these. We have a number of big things planned for this year, and can't wait to get them underway.

Want to join the Studio? Email me at genevieve.zingg@utoronto.ca with your name and college and you'll become a member! 

Right now we're starting slow - midterms are killing us and sadly our creativity is taking a back seat. However, we do ask that you send in any artwork - photography, fashion sketches, drawings, paintings, writing - so we can put it up on the blog!

Good luck on midterms and see you soon....


The S.