SOLD OUT SHOWS in Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto!

  • The Picture of Happiness: Brad Hampton and Patti Loach, directed by Rae Ellen Bodie
  • Sunday June 29th, 2014: Brunch at 11:30 a.m., show at 12:30 p.m.
  • The Jazz Bistro, 251 Victoria Street just south of Dundas, Toronto
  • 416-363-5299 for reservations or email sybil@jazzbistro.ca

The Picture of Happiness tells the true story of an old photograph that actor-singer Brad Hampton discovers in his grandmother’s basement when he is just twenty-three years old. Hidden away for decades, the photo, taken just before WWII, is of two soldiers sitting together on a picnic blanket. Smiling, with their arms around each other, the two young men are the picture of happiness. Brad knows that one of the men in the photograph is his grandfather, Bill. When he asks his mother who the other man is, she says, “We don’t talk about it. We never talk about it.” Over the course of a funny, moving and intimate hour, Brad makes the connection between his life today and the life his grandfather lived in 1943.

Directed by Rae Ellen Bodie, Brad and pianist Patti Loach lovingly and hilariously depict a colourful cast of characters through storytelling and songs from the worlds of contemporary cabaret and musical theatre.

MEDIA QUOTES

“The Picture of Happiness feels like spending an hour with a very talented friend who revels in the act of storytelling and also just happens to sing like a dream.” Drew Rowsome, FAB Magazine

“Patti Loach and Brad Hampton were hilarious.” Jim Caruso, Birdland, New York

“It’s what you’d want in a cabaret: it’s personal, it has both humour and heart, and both Brad and Patti are compelling performers.” Liz Nicholls, Edmonton Journal

“Hampton is charismatic, he and Loach have excellent chemistry, the songs are just the right mix of funny, touching and irreverent, and the show’s timing is impeccable, thanks to director Rae Ellen Bodie’s careful guidance.” John Terauds, Musical Toronto 

LINKS

  • Website: http://thepictureofhappiness.com/
  • Official Trailer: http://youtu.be/owC74lNLDk8
  • Jazz Bistro Website: http://jazzbistro.ca
  • The Picture of Happiness event page on Bistro site: http://jazzbistro.ca/event/the-picture-of-happiness-brad-hampton-and-patti-loach/

Submitted by: Lara Thompson

Feature and Events Editor

 

About the Author

theBUZZ Features is written by theBUZZ editorial staff. Check back often for news on the latest LGBTQ arts, entertainment, and events.