Catch a glimpse of Cybertruck, the controversial electric SUV, and many more electric and hybrid vehicles at the Montreal Auto Show, which has returned to its pre-pandemic format. Until January 26 at Palais des congrès.
Before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine nearly two years ago, The National Ballet of Ukraine performed regularly in Kyiv. The corps of 125 dancers is now on the road, having just begun its Nadiya Ukraine tour of Canada. There are two more performances for the Montreal stop. The program includes excerpts from Le Corsaire and Don Quixote and references to Ukrainian culture. Audiences will have the opportunity to make tax-deductible donations to relief efforts on the ground in Ukraine. Friday 8pm and Saturday, 4pm at Théâtre St Denis.
After wowing spectators Thursday night, Madonna performs again at the Bell Centre, Saturday 8pm.
Genesis cover band The Musical Box present Selling England by the Pound at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Friday and Saturday, 8pm.
Montreal garage punk band Nobro, Friday, 8pm at La Sala Rossa.
More Saturday’s music picks: American rockers Beartooth at MTelus, Saturday 6:30pm. Local indie rockers Fleece at La Sala Rossa, 8pm.
South Korean R&B singer Rad Museum at Corona-Beanfield, Sunday 8pm.
Nuits d’Afrique continues its series of weekend concerts, Les Cabarets Acoustique, at Club Balattou, including Gotta Lago, an ivorian-Quebec guitarist and vocalist, Saturday at 9pm.
Wildside Festival is Centaur Theatre’s journey into the fun, weird and provocative. The latest edition has just launched with Still Life, a Talisman work-in-progress centered around an anxious writer and performance art, until January 20. Also check out Scaredy Cat Theatre’s free reading, Plays for the End of the World, Sunday at 3pm. Wildside continues until February 8.
Imago Theatre presents an innovative virtual theatre piece from Vancouver’s Rumble Theatre: Good Things To Do only requires you be at home in front of your screen for 45 minutes to receive a message from a forgotten friend. Saturday’s shows are sold out, but there are still limited spots for showings on Sunday’s four viewings.
La Rébellion du minuscule is a puppetry piece exploring the concept of quantum physics. Object theatre is a form of the art that employs ordinary objects to tell a story. Here, creator Antonia Leney-Granger has found plastic picture frames to convey concepts we cannot grasp with our ordinary eyes: quantum physics. Theatre du Renard presents the show at Théâtre aux Écuries until January 27.
So You Think That Was Dance? marks its 10th anniversary as an open mic of sorts contemporary dance artists to try out cutting-edge ideas. Hosted by Karen Fennell, with drinks and discussion up for grabs. Friday, 8pm at MainLine Theatre.
Montreal dance artist Lara Oundjian performs a quirky piece about liquids and the body in an atmospheric space in Leaky Immediations, Friday 7:30pm at La Chapelle Scenes Contemporaines.
Ryan Conner (The Late Late Show with James Corden, Just For Laughs) headlines at The Comedy Nest, with support from the likes of Lisa Chanoux, Mike Carrozza, John Cotrocois and more! Friday and Saturday, 8 and 10:30pm.
There a few other comedy picks this weekend: Lebanese-born, New York-based Nataly Aukar at Le Studio TD, 8pm. Mariana Mazza presents her second French-language show, Impolie, at L’Olympia, Friday at 8pm. And there a few tickets left to see our Friday morning guest Dave Nihill. The Irish comic and former McGill exchange student brings his Shelf Help Tour to Club Soda, Sunday at 7:30pm.
Several shows on tap at Montreal Improv in St Henri, including As Seen on TV: An Improv Show Double Feature, in which boob tube-inspired scenes will roll for the audience, Saturday at 8pm.
Dr Sketchy Montreal welcomes artists of all skill levels to a drawing session starring dancer Célesta O'Lee. With the theme being “bad”, O’Lee will exude daring and rebellion. Saturday 2-5pm at MainLine Theatre.
Happy birthday, Dolly Parton! Spaghetti Western bar in St Hubert Plaza hosts a dance party in homage to the country icon, Friday 10pm to 3am.
(Speaking of country icons, Hillbilly Night at NDG’s Wheel Club marks its 58th anniversary on Monday evening with a 7pm potluck, followed by a lot of anniversary cake and a joyous evening of country and folk.)
Two shows ripped from the comic book pages this weekend at burlesque headquarters The Wiggle Room! Friday’s 9pm show is Batman: The Naughty Knight Rises features Elle Diablo, Olivia Killjoy, Miami Minx, KyKy Delavega and Crimson Dutchess. On Saturday, 9pm, Jolie Lolita, Enshantay, Minx Arcana and Kinky Karma perform in Planet Boob! Sci-Fi versus Fantasy Burlesque. Wiggle Room owner Frenchy Jones will host both shows.
It’s last call at the Museum of Fine Arts for Marisol, a touring retrospective of the visual artist’s life and work. The big draw here is Marisol’s life-sized wooden statues. Until Sunday.
Visit the ongoing 14th edition of Luminothérapie, a display of outdoor light installations in and around Place des Festivals, including the larger-than-life flower installation Astera. Bring your skates (or rent a pair) for a turn around the refrigerated rink at Place Tranquille. The rink has an interactive projection nightly at 6:30pm: Au Bord du Lac Tranquille captures the flora and fauna of the St Lawrence, playfully moving along with your feet. (But do check weather conditions - 15 to 20 cm of snow is expected to fall by Saturday night.)
Dreaming of Asia is a stunning exploration of Chinese and Japanese culture, making its North American premiere at OASIS Immersions. French digital art studio Danny Rose has crafted four different experiences, including a look at shadow puppet theatre. On now at Palais des congres.
Immersive Disney Animation brings you into the House of Mouse, with characters and music from fan favourites like Frozen, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. At Arsenal Contemporary Gallery, now extended until May 5. The Griffintown venue also hosts an immersive show that takes you inside Notre Dame Cathedral. Consecrated nearly a thousand years ago, the magnificent Medieval church was nearly destroyed during the blaze; this show takes you into the history of the Cathedral, and its rebuilding process. It has just been extended until February 4.
Still time to visit the city’s newest museum: Centre des Mémoires Montréalaises promises to capture the metropois’ history and citizens. Check out the vintage neon signs at the entrance, and look for the colourful balls that once decorated Ste-Catherine in the Gay Village. There are two exhibition up now: a lookback at the 90 years of Le Chaînon, the women’s shelter and resource centre, and Détours, which focuses on hidden corners of the city. Located at 1201 St Laurent.
Artist Sonia Bazar explores the people and history of a Jewish cemetery using photography, textiles and sculpture. Back River is at the Museum of Jewish Montreal, until March 3.
The McCord Stewart Museum’s excellent and informative Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience. The show profiles the 11 nations living within the borders of Quebec, with testimonies and carefully curated objects. Two of the McCord’s current shows include Becoming Montreal is about the depictions of the city in the 1800s, and Wampum: Beads of diplomacy, which displays over 40 wampum belts from different collections, underscoring their symbolism and history.