FringeTO: My Thoughts on "A Nurse's Worst Nightmare"

I kicked off the Toronto Fringe Festival with Zabrina Chevannes's "A Nurse's Worst Nightmare." The comedian and nurse, who hosts and produces a regular show, "Things Black Girls Say" at the Comedy Bar, took an intimate audience at the Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace through the trials and tribulations of her life. The best part of the show is her imitation of her Jamaican father. "You called the wrong Black man!" is his response to a paying $30, 000 to get his son released from a Mexican jail. As a comedian, Chevannes shares with us the fact that she can't help but put these things in her show because while they are negative, they are just so bizarre that her comedian brain automatically saves them for her stand-up routine. This stance on sharing even includes such elements as the heartbreak of dealing with a husband whose mental illness changed the dynamics of their marriage to racist elderly patients who "don't like" people like her. While the flow of the material could be smoothed out for easier transitions, "A Nurse's Worst Nightmare" is a unique stand-up show that is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

My Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5

Show: A Nurse's Worst Nightmare
Venue: Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace,
16 Ryerson Avenue (north of Queen, 1 block east of Bathurst)

Upcoming Performances:
July 03 at 03:00 PM  

July 05 at 02:45 PM

July 06 at 09:15 PM

July 07 at 05:00 PM  

July 09 at 02:45 PM  

July 10 at 10:30 PM  

July 11 at 06:15 PM  

Show length: 55min.

Genre(s): Comedy, Storytelling

This performance is not accessible for non-English speakers

For all things Fringe Toronto please visit: 

http://fringetoronto.com/fringe-festival/

James Quandt on Satyajit Ray and Zabrina Chevannes on A Nurse's Worst Nightmare!

James Quandt, TIFF Cinematheque's Senior Programmer and I chat about the Satyajit Retrospective (on now until August 17) and nurse and standup comedian Zabrina Chevannes and I talk about laughter mental health, and the other talents that are part of her upcoming show, A Nurse's Worst Nightmare. Have a look/listen at the segment below.

FILM/SHOW INFO
http://tiff.net/satyajit-ray 
 http://comedybar.ca/nurses_worst_nightmare.php
 

Congratulations Jannett Scott aka Lady Luscious!

At the end of the show on Saturday, November 8th we decided to honour one lucky winner by drawing for one of the prizes. CONGRATULATIONS to Jannett Scott aka Lady Luscious on winning the Mooredale Concerts tickets.

Janett has won A PAIR OF TICKETS to Mooredale Concerts featuring Germany’s Kolja Lessing on violin and Anton Kuerti (recipient 2008 Governor General's Performing Arts Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award) on piano. Tickets courtesy of Mooredale Concerts.

CONGRATULATIONS also to Zabrina Chevannes, who won a $50.00 gift certificate courtesy of Harlem Restaurant. The gift certificate was a surprise donation brought to the station by publicist Kirk Cooper who was assisting me with the fundraising show. Thank you Kirk and thank you Harlem Restaurant for this wonderful surprise.

One lucky winner will be selected at 1:00 pm on Saturday, November 15th for the remaining prizes in the exclusive show prize package.

Intimate and Interactive with Musicians in Ordinary and Comedian, Zabrina Chevannes

Last Saturday's show turned out to be more intimate than expected. Lutenist (but this time on baroque guitar), John Edwards and soprano, Hallie Fishel and I huddled around 1 microphone on Saturday due to a technical difficulty in our interview studio. Both Hallie and John were great sports as they talked about their upcoming concert Guard My Cows, which showcases music from 17th century Spain and Mexico. The last time John was at CIUT we talked about lutenists being hanged as spies during the Elizabethan era. This time round he and Hallie talked about the dirty songs of the 17th century that were banned! And you thought music from the past was boring. I hope you enjoyed the interview as well as some of the selections they performed.
Musicians in Ordinary
Sat. Oct 25th, 8:00 pm
Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. (near Bay Subway) at 8PM, Single tickets $20 / $15 students & seniors. For information call us at 416 535 9956 or click here

Zabrina Chevannes, Tim Sims Encouragement Award NomineeI didn't ask stand up comedian, Zabrina Chevannes to do or say "something funny". She hears that all the time as soon as people find out she is a comedian. Zabrina will be performing at Second City on Monday, Ocotber 27th, 8pm. She is just one of 5 nominees who will be showing off their comedic skills and timing to a panel of judges. She will be the only Jamaican, the Black woman, and the only nurse in the line up to win the $5,000 award. Click here for details or contact Second City (51 Mercer Street)(416) 343-0011. Tickets are $10.