Entertainment

Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute’s arts department is presenting a gender-flipped version of the comedy The Odd Couple, by Neil Simon, May 3 and 4, at 7 p.m., in the school’s auditorium, 3663 Danforth Ave.
The Odd Couple – Female Version, tells the story of Florence Unger, better know as Flo or Flosy, an uptight neurotic. After a divorce, Florence is invited to move in with childhood friend Olive Madison, a slovenly, fun-loving, recently divorced sports writer. Directed by A. J. Smith, the cast members include Desiree Eatmon, Naomi Guian, Julia Robertson, Torry Tough, Jennifer Norman, and Sandra El-Faki.
Tickets for The Odd Couple – Female Version are $8, and $5 for students, and will be available at the door. For more information call 416-396-6704.
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Beach United Church’s Music for the Soul and Reflection (formerly the Jazz Vespers series) continues with a capella vocal group Cadence on May 5, from 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. at St. Aidan’s Anglican Church, Queen and Silver Birch.
Cadence is an award-winning group of four guys – Aaron Jensen, Kurt Sampson, Ross Lynde, and Carl Berger – whose a capella singing has been earning them a huge following since their debut CD Frost Free in 2000. Their latest CD, Cool Yule, was released in late 2011. They are engaging performers who will leave you spellbound with their musical interpretations.
Special guest, Beach artist and story teller Nathalie Vachon, will also be on hand to add some of her reflections to the afternoon’s ambiance.  For more information visit beachunitedchurch.com.
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The Ian White Band is performing  May 10 at The Free Times Cafe, 320 College St., from 8 to 10 p.m. Singer/songwriter Ian White will be singing original material from his debut CD Wonder Grows, as well as some new and unreleased material. Backing Ian are band members Aldo Missio, mandolin, and your author Bill MacLean, bass and harmonies. For more information, visit ianwhite.org
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To celebrate 50 years in the music business – and to launch his latest CD –  Bill King is inviting you to spend A Night With Bill King, May 12, at 8:30, at The Royal, 608 College St. W.
King has been the musical force behind the Beaches International Jazz Festival since its inception. Before the multi-talented composer/pianist/arranger came to Toronto, he worked with such musical talents as Linda Ronstadt, Janis Joplin, Martha Reeves, The Pointer Sisters and Herbie Hancock. In Toronto, King got involved in the world of jazz and spent time as a broadcaster at Q-107, and was the founder of The Jazz Report Magazine. With the success of the Beaches Jazz Festival, King launched the Beaches BBQ and Blues Fest which has been gaining bigger and bigger crowds each summer.
A Night With Bill King marks the launch of his latest CD Gloryland, a collection of piano pieces tracing the music, sounds and landscape of the Old South. Joining King on the special evening will be musical guests Jackie Richardson, Jay Douglas and Stacey Bulmer, along with dance sensation Gillian Leask of the Randolph Academy of the Performing Arts. Gloryland comes with a scripted narrative  that seeks to capture the feelings invoked in these tone poems. This evening it will be read by Liza Paul. For more information on Bill King visit his website at beachesjazz.com/index/billking.
Tickets for A Night With Bill King are $45 and can be purchased through the website anightwithbillking.com.
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The Serenata Singers will be performing a concert called Feeling the Love on May 8 and 9, at 7:30 p.m., at the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave. E. Directed by Audrey McLeod, the Serenata Singers is a community-based 65-member choir of retirees drawing many members from the East End, including pianist Stan Farrow. For more information visit the choir’s website serenatasingers.ca.
Tickets are $15 and are available at the door, or by calling 416-699-5798. All proceeds will be going towards War Child, Eva’s Initiatives and the Canadian Music Therapy Fund.
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The Toronto Beaches Children’s Chorus (TBCC) presents Nick Perrin’s musical Robin Hood, May 11 and 12, at Cardinal Newman High School Auditorium, 100 Brimley Road South. This entertaining show is great for the whole family, and will feature the talented voices of children in grades 1 through 9.
The TBCC was founded by Artistic Director Bronwen Low in 2006. With a membership of 120 voices in four divisions, the TBCC offers vocal and dramatic training for kids who love to sing and act, from JK up to Grade 9. For more information, or to purchase tickets to Robin Hood, visit the website, torontobeacheschildrenschorus.com.
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Acoustic Harvest presents singer/songwriter Tannis Slimmon, May 12 at 8 p.m., at St. Nicholas Church, 1512 Kingston Rd.  Slimmon is an acclaimed Canadian musician who has been touring nationally and internationally for more than 30 years. Her CD Lucky Blue won her  Contemporary Vocalist of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards in 2008.
Along with her performing schedule, Slimmon has  travelled to Mali and Cuba, studying music and percussion.  For more information visit her website at tannis.ca.
Tickets are $22, $20 for seniors and students, and are available at the door. For more information call Acoustic Harvest at 416-264-2235, or visit acousticharvest.ca.
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My Pop Choir is a new way of being in a choir without the long process of auditioning. If you have always wanted to sing in a choral ensemble, but don’t read music, or have never taken vocal lessons, this may be for you.
My Pop Choir is holding a spring session at Beaches Rec Centre every Thursday night from April 19 through June 21. The sessions will be led by an energetic and talented ‘choir master’ who will take you through the process of choral singing; you will be soon singing popular songs from pop, rock and soul catalogues.
To find out more about this exciting opportunity to express yourself in song, contact Jacqueline Curtis at 905-815-3476, or visit mypopchoir.com.
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Darryl ‘Daz’ Coppins took the long route to the Beach, but has been enjoying living in this area and being part of the music scene in Toronto for a few years now. His band Hard Honey, a good, solid, rock  band will be playing Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St. W., May 11.
Coppins was born and raised in New Zealand, the son of musical parents. He began playing music when he was 9 and eventually became one of those indispensable all-around players proficient in guitar, bass, drums and keyboard. He played in several bands while still living in New Zealand, but also took time to sail with a friend on his 42 foot catamaran to Vancouver in 2004, his first trip to Canada. After moving to Australia he heard of a Toronto punk band looking for a guitarist, contacted them, and eventually landed here playing with Sound & Fury from 2007 to 2009. They toured with Sum 41 across Canada and England. Coppins has chosen to live in the Beach with his wife and dog.
Find more info and hear music at darrylcoppins.com, and hardhoney.com.
Beach jazz chanteuse Peggy Mahon is hosting and performing in the Fifth Annual Interval House Benefit, May 17 at 7:30 p.m., at the Heliconian Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. Mahon will be dipping into her repertoire of jazz standards as well as folk tunes and other material. She is accompanied by pianist Danny McErlain, Dave Field on bass and Don Vickery on the drums.
Advance tickets are $30, and are available by calling 416-698-2163. There will be a reception following the concert.
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Independent Beach filmmaker Ryan Noel has taken to the internet to fund his latest project, a comedy film mockumentary series called Manuel Labour. Loosely based on his experience working for 1-800-GOT-JUNK, the series features the misadventures of Jim and Randy Manuel and their company Funk ‘n’ Junk. What starts out as a great, easy money-making gig soon goes south as the pair make one disastrous mistake after another. It stars Rod Cebrallos and James McDougall.
Noel is using the online fundraising campaign site kickstarter.com for a month – April 18 to May 18 – to find investment money to get the project off the ground. Visit kickstarter.com/projects/retrofilmsent/manuel-labour-trash-collecting-junk to make a pledge, and earn a reward. For more information on Ryan Noel’s company visit retrofilmsentertainment.com.
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The Hirut Restaurant, 2050 Danforth Ave, half a block west of Woodbine, is offering a space for musicians to jam Saturdays, between 2 and 6 p.m. If you play, bring your axe. If you like to hear a good solid jam session, bring your ears. For more information call Hirut at 416-551-7560.

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