Every Thursday, we publish live music and performance events at pubs and clubs in Peterborough and The Kawarthas based on information that venues provide to us directly or post on their website or social media channels. Here are the listings for the week of Thursday, October 25 to Wednesday, October 31.

If you’re a pub or club owner and want to be included in our weekly listings, please email our Nightlife Editor at nightlife@kawarthanow.com.

Come celebrate Halloween at The Theatre on King (TTOK) as Ryan Kerr and company recreates the cult classic Young Frankenstein from Thursday, October 25th to Saturday, October 27th.

The entire TTOK crew is on board for this clever production filled with thrills, chills, sex, and laughter.

Based on the classic 1974 comedy written by Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks (who also directed), Young Frankenstein is a brilliant parody of the Universal take on Mary Shelley’s classic 19th-century story of a man and his monster.

VIDEO: Young Frankenstein (1974) Movie Trailer

Luke Foster plays Fredrick Frankenstein (or, as he’d rather you pronounce it, “Fronkensteen”), who is living under the shadow of his infamous grandfather Dr. Victor Frankenstein.

When he learns that he has inherited the family estate in Transylvania, Fredrick leaves behind America and his fiancée Elizabeth (Angela Sorensen) for the old country where he quickly befriends Igor (Dan Smith), the grandson and namesake of Victor Frankenstein’s lab assistant, and the beautiful and bubbly Inga (Sarah McNeilly).

Upon discovering a secret passage in the estate to a hidden laboratory, Fredrick decides to continue his grandfather’s experiments to reanimate the dead with Igor and Inga’s help.

After successfully stealing the corpse of an executed criminal (Brad Brackenridge), all that Frankenstein needs is a brain.

However, when Igor mixes up the final task, Young Frankenstein awakens a creature so dire and destructive that it will take a little patience, understanding, music, and love to control.

Despite owning a copy of Young Frankenstein in my DVD collection, I admit I’m not as familiar with the film as much as I am with other classic films of its kind. However, according to my guest at the TTOK preview (who considers Young Frankenstein as one of her favourite films of all time), the company at TTOK do a nearly word-for-word recreation of the original film.

Even as someone not as familiar with the source material as I probably should be, I found TTOK’s production of Young Frankenstein to be quirky and good fun-filled theatre.

What is brilliant about Young Frankenstein is that it is funny by not trying to be funny at all. The humour is created by uncomfortable silences, ridiculous situations, and the beautiful portrayal of weird characters in unlikely situations. The laughs aren’t loud but are extremely effective, and instead of slapstick humour the jokes are subtle and awkward.

Furthermore, the production is extremely minimalistic in nature, which actually adds to the imaginative nature of the show as the cast is forced to create an entire motion picture with the limited resources they have. Finding the ways to bring the film to life on the small stage makes Young Frankenstein a triumph for TTOK.

In the role of Fredrick Frankenstein, Luke Foster creates comedy by rarely trying to be funny. He plays the role completely straight and often dead pan. Instead, his facial expressions and his awkward reactions to everything thrown at him create the majority of the comedy. Luke is the guiding force who leads the cast through the world of Young Frankenstein.

Now I’ve seen Dan Smith in a lot of shows over the years. Everyone knows he’s funny, and he has done literally hundreds of zany characters and voices over his long career on the local stage. But I can honestly say that his performance as Igor could be my favourite thing I have ever seen Dan do. His performance is brilliant.

Somehow Dan is able to create a character who is both subtle and quiet but outrageous and loud. In every scene that he is in, he manages to command the stage and, although he doesn’t have the most lines, when he says something he makes it count. Dan manages to fill the big shoes of Marty Feldman (who played Igor in the Mel Brooks film) in this performance, which I consider his best. Local audiences love Dan Smith, and this is a performance you don’t want to miss.

Brad Breckenridge is the obvious scene stealer as The Monster. Looming over the cast like a reincarnated Tor Johnson, Brad engulfs the stage with his might and girth. Without saying many words, Brad brings an entire stable of emotions to the monster including anger, confusion, wonderment, pathos, joy, playfulness, and mad hot sexual desire. Brad does a lot with the creature, which acts as a wonderful showcase for one of Peterborough’s finest performers.

The familiarity between all of the performers adds a sense of warmth and fun that makes Young Frankenstein so enjoyable to watch, from Sarah McNeilly’s whimsical performance as the lovable Inga to Angela’s sexy performance as Elizabeth (if you have an Elsa Lanchester fetish you are just going to love her).

Young Frankenstein also features TTOK favourites Kate Story as Frau Bulcher and Adam Martignetti as Inspector Kemp, with supporting roles played by Sam Sayer, Chris Jardin, Rob Fortin, and Samuelle Weatherdon (who incidentally gets my pick for the best stage death of 2018).

Beyond the cast, it is some of the little touches that make Young Frankenstein so fun to watch. Once again, Kate Story proves herself to have an incredible eye for costumes in her creations for the cast, and the company makes imaginative use of the stage and platforms to create an entire world despite having no set.

A special shout-out goes to Adam Martignetti for the fantastic soundscape he created for the show, from the standard lightning sounds, to a horse sound effect (part of an ongoing joke), to a ridiculous barking dog that gets more ridiculous as it plays.

I was also absolutely fascinated by the music that is played throughout the show. Talking to Adam after the show, he introduced me to the source of the music, which is something called Mall of 1974. The music used in TTOK’s Young Frankenstein is literally music that was commissioned to be used in shopping centres in the 1970s.

This is an entire genre of music all its own, and it’s fascinating and used so effectively in this show. That’s the great thing about music: the moment you think you’ve heard it all, you discover a hidden sub-group just sitting under your nose.

There’s no shortage of ways to celebrate the Halloween season in the Kawarthas, but I can say that Young Frankenstein is a great way to get yourself in the spirit of the season. Imaginative, inventive, playful, witty, and filled with a superstar cast of all your TTOK favourites, this is a show you’ll want to see.

Make sure to get there early, because I suspect that Young Frankenstein will be a sell out.

Young Frankenstein runs from Thursday, October 25th to Saturday, October 27th at TTOK (171 King St., Peterborough). Tickets are $15 at the door (or pay what you can) and the show begins at 8 p.m.

With the colder weather now here, we’re heading into binging season and the offerings on Netflix Canada in November are heavy on original Netflix content and light on everything else.

There are 17 Netflix-produced films coming this month, including Angela’s Christmas (Nov. 1), the documentary ReMastered: Tricky Dick & The Man in Black (Nov. 2), the completed 1970s Orson Welles’ film The Other Side of the Wind (Nov. 2), Outlaw King (Nov. 9), the historical action drama about the renowned King of Scots Robert the Bruce, and many more.

Then there are 44 Netflix original new and returning series. New series include The Judgement (Nov. 1), Patriot Act with Hasan Minjag (Nov. 4), Westside (Nov. 9), Narcos: Mexico (Nov. 16), The Final Table (Nov. 20), Sick Note (Nov. 23), and more.

Returning series include season 6 of House of Cards (Nov. 2), season two of Dynasty (Nov. 3), season two of Black Lightning (Nov. 6), season three of Riverdale (Nov. 8), season three of The Last Kingdom (Nov. 19), and more.

There’s a mix of older and newer Hollywood movies (but no recent blockbusters) coming in November, including 21 (Nov. 1), The Da Vinci Code (Nov. 1), Jason Bourne (Nov. 1), Robin Hood (Nov. 7), Love Actually (Nov. 7), Smokin’ Aces (Nov. 7), I Feel Pretty (Nov. 17), Sing Street (Nov. 23), Bad Santa (Nov. 26), and Passengers (Nov. 28).

Here’s the complete list of everything coming to Netflix Canada in November, along with what’s leaving.

VIDEO: New to Netflix Canada in November

November 1st

• 21
• Angela’s Christmas (Netflix Original) – A trip to church with her family on Christmas Eve gives young Angela an extraordinary idea. A heartwarming tale based on a story by Frank McCourt.
• Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders
• Beverly Hills Ninja
• Children of Men
• Disobedience
• Ethel & Ernest
• Follow This: Part 3 (Netflix Original) – BuzzFeed reporters research sexbots, superbug snipers, and more in the third installment of this documentary series.
• Jason Bourne
• Katt Williams: The Pimp Chronicles: Pt. 1
• Look Who’s Talking Too
• Lowriders
• Once Upon a Time in Mexico
• Schitt’s Creek: Season 4
• Star: Season 3 – streaming every Thursday
• The Da Vinci Code
• The Judgement (Netflix Original) – After a traumatic incident at a party makes her a target of gossip and derision, a young college student tries to change her school’s toxic culture.
• The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin
• The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

November 2nd

• Brainchild (Netflix Original) – From germs and emotions to social media and more, it’s the science of your world explained in a way that’s refreshingly relatable.
• House of Cards: Season 6 (Netflix Original)
• ReMastered: Tricky Dick & The Man in Black (Netflix Original) – This documentary chronicles Johnny Cash’s 1970 visit to the White House, where Cash’s shifting ideals clashed with Richard Nixon’s policies.
• The Holiday Calendar (Netflix Film) – A talented photographer stuck in a dead-end job inherits an antique Advent calendar that may be predicting the future — and pointing her toward love.
• The Other Side of the Wind (Netflix Film) – A completion and restoration of Orson Welles’s unfinished film, this satire follows the final days of a legendary director striving for a comeback.
• They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead (Netflix Original) – This engaging documentary explores Orson Welles’s unfinished film, “The Other Side of the Wind,” which he worked on for a decade before his death.
• Trolls: The Beat Goes On!: Season 4 (Netflix Original) – With her sunny attitude, Poppy leads her friends in rescuing Mr. Dinkles, supporting Guy Diamond’s new invention and teaching Smidge to be helpful.

November 3rd

• A Taiwanese Tale of Two Cities (Netflix Original, streaming every Saturday) – Two brainy beauty queens — same heritage, on separate coasts — and one fateful decision that soon links their paths.
• Dynasty: Season 2 (Netflix Original, streaming every Saturday) – In the wake of a calamitous fire that set their family home ablaze, the Carringtons sift through the rubble to rebuild their dynasty — and rise again.

November 4th

• Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj (Netflix Original, streaming every Sunday) – In this weekly show, Hasan Minhaj brings his unique comedic voice and storytelling skill to explore the larger trends shaping our fragmented world.

November 5th

• Homecoming: Season 1
• John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Morons (Netflix Original) – Colombian-American actor John Leguizamo’s one-man Broadway show examines 3,000 years of Latino history,from a satirical recap of Aztec and Incan history to stories of Latin patriots in the American Civil War, revealing how whitewashed history truly is.

November 6th

• Black Lightning: Season 2) (Netflix Original, streaming every Tuesday) – Black Lightning may have survived, but his superpowers did not. Now, he must help his daughters harness their special abilities to continue the fight for good.
• Happy!: Season 1

November 7th

• Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them
• Live by Night
• Love Actually
• Robin Hood
• Scent of a Woman
• Smokin’ Aces
• The Break-Up

November 8th

• Riverdale: Season 3 (Netflix Original, streaming every Thursday) – After a riot and a season of high-stakes political warfare, the Riverdale gang continues to navigate high drama of surreal small town life.

November 9th

• Beat Bugs: Season 3 (Netflix Original) – Music keeps the Beat Bugs going and points the way to problem-solving solutions in another season of fun and adventure.
• Medal of Honor (Netflix Original) – This emotional docudrama tells the stories of Medal of Honor recipients from U.S. military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam and more.
• Outlaw King (Netflix Film) – This period drama follows Robert the Bruce’s battle to regain control after being made an outlaw by the King of England for taking the Scottish Crown.
• Spirit Riding Free: Season 7 (Netflix Original) – Seasons change, and so do Lucky’s adventures, whether she’s racing through the snow, outsmarting villains or soaring high in the sky!
• Super Drags (Netflix Original) – Three gay friends, working by day at a department store, lead double lives as crime-fighting superhero drag queens.
• Treehouse Detectives: Season 2 (Netflix Original) – Brother-and-sister detectives Toby and Teri are back on the case, helping others, being brave — and asking big questions about the world around them.
• Westside (Netflix Original) – Westside offers an unscripted and deeply personal glimpse into the journeys of nine young L.A.-based musicians as they follow their dreams. Each episode sheds light on their creative processes and personal struggles, interspersing cinema verité-style documentary footage with beautifully produced music videos featuring original songs.

November 10th

• American Ultra
• Shaun the Sheep Movie

November 12th

• My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic: Season 8

November 13th

• Loudon Wainwright III: Surviving Twin (Netflix Original) – Grammy-winning singer Loudon Wainwright III reflects on the close but complicated relationships between fathers and sons in this intimate evening of music and storytelling, from executive producer Judd Apatow, director Christopher Guest and produced by Funny Or Die.
• Oh My Ghost (Netflix Original) – When a skilled but timid chef is possessed by a sassy spirit, her newfound confidence catches the eye of her longtime crush, a culinary hotshot.
• Warrior (Netflix Original) – A war veteran plagued by guilt over his final mission teams up with his best friend’s widow to infiltrate a dangerous Copenhagen biker gang.

November 14th

• The Flash: Season 5

November 15th

• May The Devil Take You (Netflix Film) – When her estranged father falls into a mysterious coma, a young woman seeks answers at his old villa, where she and her stepsister uncover dark truths.
• The Crew (Netflix Film) – Work-life balance breaks down for Paris’s most gifted armed robbers when a grave mistake forces them to work for a crime boss in a high-stakes heist.

November 16th

• Cam (Netflix Film) – Her online life’s been stolen. Her real life’s unraveling. There’s only one way out: beat the impersonator at her own game.
• Narcos: Mexico (Netflix Original) – See the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel as an American DEA agent learns the danger of targeting narcos in Mexico.
• Ponysitters Club: Season 2 (Netflix Original) – Skye and the Rescue Ranch gang return for another round of action-packed adventure, incredible friendship and adorable animals.
• Prince of Peoria (Netflix Original) – When an easygoing 13-year-old prince goes incognito as a U.S. exchange student, he strikes up an unlikely friendship with a fastidious overachiever.
• She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (Netflix Original) – In this reboot of the ’80s series, a magic sword transforms an orphan girl into warrior She-Ra, who unites a rebellion to fight against evil.
• The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (Netflix Film) – Saddle up for six tales about the American frontier from the unique minds of Joel and Ethan Coen, who wrote and directed this anthology.
• The Kominsky Method (Netflix Original) – Michael Douglas stars as a briefly successful actor turned revered Hollywood acting coach. A Chuck Lorre comedy series also featuring Alan Arkin.
• The Princess Switch (Netflix Film) – When a down-to-earth Chicago baker and a soon-to-be princess discover they look like twins, they hatch a Christmastime plan to trade places.

November 17th

• I Feel Pretty

November 19th

• Donald Glover: Weirdo
• The Last Kingdom: Season 3 (Netflix Original) – As Alfred’s health weakens — and with it his dream of a united England — Uhtred must take command and confront a new threat, Danish warlord Sigrid.

November 20th

• Kulipari: Dream Walker (Netflix Original) – Now the Blue Sky King, Darel must lead a rescue mission to save a Dream Walker — leaving the village under the protection of the Kulipari youth.
• Motown Magic (Netflix Original) – Imaginative boy Ben transforms his city by bringing colorful street art to life, armed with a magic paintbrush — and the classic sounds of Motown.
• Sabrina (Netflix Film) – A toymaker and his wife are terrorized by a demonized doll after their adopted child tries to summon her late mother’s spirit using a spooky ritual.
• The Final Table (Netflix Original) – A global culinary competition show featuring the world’s most talented chefs fighting for a spot at the elite Final Table, the series features 12 teams of two chefs from around the world cooking the national dishes of Mexico, Spain, England, Brazil, France, Japan, the U.S., India and Italy.
• Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia (Netflix Original) – Trevor Noah gets out from behind the “Daily Show” desk and takes the stage for a stand-up special that touches on racism, immigration, camping and more.

November 21st

• The Tribe (Netflix Film) – An executive-turned-viral sensation loses his reputation and his memory, but finds a new life with his biological mother and her empowered dance group.

November 22nd

• Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Gauntlet (Netflix Original) – This season, Kinga subjects Jonah and the bots to a devious new experiment: a back-to-back marathon of six hilariously cheesy — and riffworthy — films.
• The Christmas Chronicles (Netflix Film) – Two siblings team up with Santa Claus for a high-flying holiday adventure. A new Christmas classic from the makers of “Harry Potter” and “Home Alone.”

November 23th

• Fugitiva (Netflix Original) – A woman organizes a escape plan camouflaged as a kidnapping to protect her children from her husband’s enemies.
• Sick Note (Netflix Original) – This black comedy series follows a slacker misdiagnosed with cancer whose lies lead him into an absurd web of secrets, blackmail and suspicion.
• Sick Note: Season 2 (Netflix Original) – Rupert Grint, Nick Frost and Lindsay Lohan star in the second dose of the brilliantly dark comedy. And the lies just keep on coming…
• Sing Street
• To Build or Not to Build: Season 2

November 24th

• Forever My Girl
• Hostiles

November 25th

• Harold and Lillian: A Hollywood Love Story

November 26th

• Bad Santa

November 27th

• Bumping Mics with Jeff Ross & Dave Attel (Netflix Original) – Veteran comedians Jeff Ross and Dave Attell roast each other, the audience and special guests.
• Operation Red Sea

November 28th

• Bleed for This

November 29th

• Passengers
• Soltera codiciada (Netflix Film) – A heartbroken ad copywriter living in Lima, Peru, is inspired to write a blog about life as a single woman and is surprised by her website’s success.

November 30th

• 1983 (Netflix Original) – In a totalitarian Poland, law student Kajetan Skowron and detective Anatol Janów unravel a terrible conspiracy stretching to the country’s foundations.
• A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding (Netflix Film) – A year after helping Richard secure the crown, Amber’s getting ready to walk down the aisle with him. But she’s not so sure she’s cut out to be queen.
• Baby (Netflix Original) – By day, Chiara is a promising student at one of Rome’s most elite private high schools. But by night, she leads a scandalous secret life.
• Death by Magic (Netflix Original) – British magician Drummond Money-Coutts, or DMC for short, is on a mission to uncover the stories of magicians who died performing the most dangerous stunts ever attempted. He travels the world to track down where the fatal performances took place and to work out exactly what went wrong, sharing his magic with the people he meets along the way.
• F is for Family: Season 3 (Netflix Original) – When Frank befriends a handsome young fighter pilot — voiced by Vince Vaughn — the family embarks on a whole new set of adventures.
• Happy as Lazzaro (Netflix Film) – Ordinary teen Lazzaro is content with life as a sharecropper in rural Italy, but a visit from the aristocrat landowner’s son changes everything.
• Nicky Jam: El Ganador (Netflix Original) – Based on the life of Reggaeton artist Nicky Jam, this series follows his ups and downs, from early drug use and prison to his rise to global success.
• Rajma Chawal (Netflix Film) – An internet-rookie father attempts to use social media to enhance his faltering relationship with his millennial son.
• Spy Kids: Mission Critical: Season 2 (Netflix Original) – Finally feeling like a real team, the Mission Critical kids face their toughest test as they set out to destroy Golden Brain’s lair once and for all.
• The World Is Yours (Netflix Film) – To escape his life of crime, a small-time mobster in Paris accepts one last job involving Spain, drugs, the Illuminati and his overbearing mother.
• Tiempo compartido (Netflix Film) – Two men join forces to rescue their families from a tropical paradise, convinced a U.S. timeshare conglomerate has a sinister plan to take them away.

Leaving Netflix in Novemberr

November 1st

• The Queen

November 11th

• Central Intelligence

November 21st

• Moonlight

November 29th

• Philomena

November 30th

• Doctor Strange

All titles and dates are subject to change.

On Saturday, October 27th, many of Peterborough’s finest musical, visual, and performing artists are coming together for a fundraiser for Public Energy.

Presented by Max’s Cabaret, the Runway Challenge and Wearable Art Musical Revue takes place on Sunday, October 27th at The Mount Community Centre in Peterborough.

Max’s Cabaret is the brainchild of local dancer and raconteur Max Price who, every year, creates a showcase of the Peterborough’s most entertaining musical and performing artists benefit a local cause. For the second year in a row, the cause will be Public Energy, a charitable organization that produces the adventurous performing arts season in Peterborough.

Like last year, Max has invited artists to contribute original works of wearable art to be paraded down the runway, in the tradition of Public Energy’s Wearable Art Shows that have happened annually since 2011.

The highlight of every Wearable Art Show is the Runway Challenge, which this year introduces a new format: the 48-Hour Runway Challenge.

Just 48 hours before the event, four artists — Dreda Blow, Bruno Merz, Mel McCall, and Bradly Boyle — will be presented with a pile of objects, materials, and used goods from which they must create an original work of wearable art.

Joining the Runway Challengers are six artists who have created their own wearable art fashions especially for Max’s Cabaret: Dawna Greenham, Berlynn Ellis, Kathryn Bahun, Hartley Stephenson, Marilyn O’Connor, and Max Price himself.

The event will again be hosted by emcee Laurel Paluck, and a range of musical, dance, and spoken word artists will provide non-stop entertainment.

These include: dancers Nicole Malbeuf, Sarah Rudnicki, Lindsay Haacke, Heather Kenny, and Corrine Maynard; spoken word artist Katherine Heigh; live music with Chester Babcock, Justin Hiscox, Judy Jordan, Matt Allen, and Rutherford & Rose; singers Carolyn Kay and Cheyenne Buck; and burlesque performer Naomi Duvall.

Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door, which opens at 7 p.m. with the event beginning at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are available by calling 705-745-1788 or online at www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-runway-challenge-wearable-art-musical-revue-with-maxs-cabaret-tickets-50869374669.