Theatre: ‘Pride & Prejudice* (*sort of)’
If you’re a Jane Austen purist put off by the idea of spoofing what many consider to be her greatest novel, “Pride and Prejudice,” get over yourself. This witty play with music, now onstage at the CAA Theatre (651 Yonge St.), is a hoot. Five very talented women play Regency-era servants who perform all the key characters from the novel of romance and manners. Renditions of pop songs mix with lines (and smouldering glances) from the book and big dollops of physical comedy. By all accounts, Austen didn’t take herself too seriously, so why should theatre about Austen? —Debra Yeo
Song: Óscar Maydon (feat. Neton Vega and Peso Pluma), “Desvelada”
As Toronto suffers through a series of never-ending, sidewalk-melting heatwaves, I’ve found myself escaping into the playful and brightly coloured world of corridos tumbados — where traditional elements of regional Mexican music blend with hip hop and trap. Though I have no idea what Óscar Maydon and the gang are singing about on “Desvelada,” something about those trilling horns, that rubbery bass and those longing vocals capture the dizzying pleasures and sweaty exhaustion of peak summertime in the city. —Richie Assaly
Concert: The Ngoma Ensemble
The Harbourfront Centre’s Summer Music in the Garden series (479 Queens Quay W.) continues this Sunday with a free concert featuring the Ngoma Ensemble, a pan-African drum and dance group. Founded in 1995 by a collective of young performance artists, the ensemble regularly performs across the province. Their hour-long concert on Sunday at 4 p.m. will feature eight songs, blending elements of Afrobeat, tap dance and percussion. —Joshua Chong