Since its opening in 2015, my friend Shelley and I have attended many shows at the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines. Most of the shows have been singers or groups, however our most recent outing was spent not singing along with the performer, but laughing out loud. Minute Canadian stand-up comedian Elvira Kurt brought her quick wit to the PAC on Dec. 5th and had us tearing up with laughter. This was not Elvira’s first visit to our fine city. She has now appeared several times at the PAC both on her own and as part of a series called Girls Night Out, which features a group of funny ladies.
Although no opening act had been announced, Kurt did bring out a local comedian and Carolyn Taylor from the CBC series Baroness Von Sketch Show, who each did a brief stint before Elvira returned to the stage. She spoke often of the unique bond between her and those who come out to see her at the PAC. We’re not sure if it was something she professes when appearing in other venues, but it came across as genuine.
What impressed me most about the show was Kurt’s spontaneity. Four people with front row seats arrived a bit late for the show and immediately became the subjects of her jokes. It was the same with the people in the balcony and an audience member who was a retired ice skating instructor. Each of them became part of her act and I can’t remember the last time I laughed that much. Shelley and I kicked off the night with dinner at The Works, a downtown bistro whose specialty is gourmet hamburgers.There’s actually an entire page of unique creations including one that combines Reese’s Peanut Butter cups with a burger. We didn’t try it this time around, but it is on my bucket list for future visits.
Both The Works and Elvira Kurt’s show get 5 stars from Scribbles.
