Vittorio Rossi looking to "Kickstart" his play The Envelope into a motion picture

After I first met noted Montreal playwright Vittorio Rossi last winter when he visited his old high school, James Lyng in St. Henri, we spoke about his then upcoming play at the Centaur Theatre called The Envelope.  I was very intrigued and made a point of going to see it. Needless to say, it was a great piece of work lambasting the Canadian film industry. In fact, my first thought was "Why can't this be turned into a motion picture?"

Here is  my review of the play.

Vittorio Rossi

Rossi, who  has a small role as a police officer in the upcoming Montreal shot motion picture The Walk, is indeed thinking big about The Envelope. He wants to bring it to the big screen, but after depicting government funding for such projects as somewhat of a sham he plans to raise his own funds. As of October 1,he will launched a 40-day Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to raise $140,000, a sizeable amount but a meagre sum, even by indie film standards.

Rossi says he ispassionate about The Envelope’s universal theme of artistic integrity versus financial gain, which he’s filtered through the circumstance of a writer/director trying to make a Canadian film within the current landscape. “At one time or another, we’ve all discussed why we don’t care about or watch Canadian-filmed entertainment," he states. “The general public definitely has an opinion on the subject but what it may not know is why the state of the industry is the way it is. That’s why the making of this film is so important. If things are to improve, if we are to gain the recognition Canadian artists deserve, the system needs a major overhaul. Like the saying goes, ‘the same old thinking gets the same old results.’ Nothing will change if we keep hiding from the current state of affairs that this screenplay exposes.”

Kickstarter awards Rossi the money only if he meets his goal. He expanded on his choice to take this risky route. “As an artist I have to think big or go home! If I chose a crowdfunding campaign that gave me whatever I managed to raise, and it was only half or even three quarters of my goal, I’d have to make the movie with insufficient funds. My supporters wouldn’t see the film I envisioned and it would have little or no impact. I’ve taken the budget down to the bare minimum so if I can raise this amount, I can deliver what I imagine.”

Rossi already has an  all-Canadian cast in mind. They would include: Mark Camacho (X-Men: Days of Future Past, ACTRA Award for Outstanding Performance as President Nixon), Howard Rosenstein (well-known face to theatre audiences across Canada, most recently in Scotland, where he reprised his role of Red Peter in Kafka’s Ape at the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe Festival), and Brett Watson (a Ryerson performing arts grad with over 20 years of experience in film, TV, stage and voiceover). Stand-up comedian, Guido Cocomello, who blew Montreal audiences away revealing his dramatic chops in the stage version of The Envelope, would reprise his role as Marcello.

Relative newcomer, Vladimir Philogene is Rossi’s first choice for cinematographer. Simon Webb (Being Human and Mohawk Girls), who worked on Rossi’s first short film, Little Blood Brother, and is a 25-year film and television veteran, would be film editor. Sound goes to Gabor Vadnay, a two-time Gemini award-winner with over sixty film, TV and documentary credits to his name. Patrizia Pino (The Hunger and Further Tales of the City), another long-time teammate of Rossi’s, is coordinating the post production process.  

Rossi is calling in as many favours as he can to keep costs down and in addition to the feature film, he’s producing a companion documentary about the making of the film and the Canadian film industry. Donors at a certain level will have an opportunity to voice their opinions about the industry, whether they coincide with Rossi’s views or not. “Making a donation to my campaign”, stated Rossi, “tells me you think the Canadian film industry is broken too; that talented, experienced artists, not bureaucrats, should decide which film projects merit financial support; that funds need to be funneled into the promotion of our own Canadian stars; that pandering to the lowest common denominator does not a film make … all these elements currently in play only further damage our reputation as filmmakers at both the national and international levels.” 

On Thursday, October 1 between 5 and 7 pm, Rossi will celebrate the launch of his Kickstarter campaign at Old Montreal’s Ristorante Da Franco’s (233, rue Notre-Dame Ouest), a favourite Rossi hangout and the backdrop of the film’s story. Everyone is welcome: meet the cast, discuss filmmaking with Rossi and his team, and learn more about The Envelope and the crowdfunding campaign. Live Kickstarter donation stations will be at the ready for eager contributors. “Three K a day …” Rossi quipped, “… seems doable to me.”

For more on The Envelope on Kickstarter, go to www.kickstarter.com; enter The Envelope in the Search Projects line.

Schwartz's The Musical: Toronto option and much more

The Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen, better known as Schwartz’s, has received its fair share of publicity over the years. In recent years it has been the subject of a documentary film and a book by journalist Bill Brownstein. When the highly regarded Centaur Theatre announced last year that it would be presenting a stage version of the Brownstein publication called Schwartz’s The Musical many people wondered whether this was an elaborate April Fool’s joke.

Founded in 1928 by Reuben Schwartz, a Jewish immigrant from Romania, the restaurant has been at the same location ever since, on Bulevard Saint-Laurent. The locale is a single white-tiled room containing several rows of long narrow tables. Next door is a new takeout counter, with limited seating, which has helped reduce the lineups which frequently snake up the street. (photo above left, Felicia Shulman and Vito DeFilippo)

The musical features the outstanding comedy duo of Bowser & Blue, brought to life on stage with a full cast of larger-than-life characters who call Schwartz's "home," and some of the many customers who pass through its doors. Schwartz's: The Musical celebrates the eccentric side of Schwartz’s and the dreaded F-word: franchise!

Since its debut at the end of March, the musical has plated before repeated sellout crowds and had its run extended twice. As of this writing it is scheduled to continue until May 7. Directed by the Centaur’s Artistic and Executive Director Roy Surette, the multi-talented cast of actors and musicians comprising Chris Barillaro, Rick Blue, George Bowser, Jim Cahill, Vito DeFilippo, Bruce Dinsmore, Holly Gauthier-Frankel, Dominic Lorange, Stephanie Martin, Gordon Masten (who can also be seen these days I n the big screen movie Source Code as the conductor), and noted stage veteran Felicia Shulman play as many as 60 characters ranging from Toronto executives, to Schwartz’s owners, staff and loyal customers from over the years! (photo above, one of the funnier scenes from the show)

The fictitious story is set in 1998 when owner Madame Chartrand (Shulman) decides to sell the deli. In comes Martin. She portrays Amber, a gal who is sent from Toronto to Montreal by her boyfriend to check out its potential for franchising. The set is amazing, the script hilarious and the musical numbers quite impressive as well.

Could the musical be headed down Highway 401 to Toronto? Hy Diamond, a Montreal businessman who actually purchased Schwartz’s in 1998, believes this would be a natural. “I have been telling everyone who will listen that this show just has to go to Toronto,” he told me.

Surette confirmed that the question being asked to him most often these days is whether or not the show will indeed be seen in Toronto. “Well the script itself presents a real tongue in cheek rivalry between Montreal and Toronto,” he said. “I do intend to get on the phone with the folks from Mirvish Entertainment and make a pitch. I could definitely see them booking this for a limited run.”

There is a classic line in the musical when discussion turns to whether it would be a good idea to have a Schwartz’s Deli in Toronto, that with all of the ex-Montrealers in Canada’s largest city “it would give them a reason to live!”

Another great line comes when a character says , “You know its spring, when the Leafs are out,” a dig at Toronto’s hockey team.

Surette has only been with the Centaur for a few years, having arrived here from Western Canada. “Like any tourist to Montreal, I would come here and one of my first stops was Schwartz’s,” he says. “When Bowser and Blue approached me two years ago with the idea of creating such a musical I thought it was a great idea. The response, in terms of ticket sales and reviews, though, has exceeded my expectations.”

Diamond notes that for more than 80 years Schwartz’s has been attracting diners from around the world. The musical follows the book by Brownstein, for which a second updated version was recently introduced, and the film called Chez Schwartz. It played in theatres, on CBC, is still available as a DVD and can now be seen on Air Canada flights. “At Schwartz’s, it does not matter whom you are or where you are from,” he remarked. “Everyone is treated the same way. People know this as a proud Montreal Jewish institution.” (photo above, Hy Diamond and granddaughter Jennifer Wieskopf)

Recently, Diamond brought in his 27 year old granddaughter Jennifer Wieskopf to work by his side. A graduate of York University’s Shulich School of Business, with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration, she has been focusing on marketing and promotions and as a liaison to the producers of the musical. “I have helped them a lot with props,” she said. “Stuff like pickle jars or waiter’s uniforms. We really wanted to make the set look as realistic as possible. We even had the cast here to eat, but kept it kind of secret so they could observe exactly how our staff function . A photo shoot was also organized.”

Interestingly, Wieskopf is kosher and as a result she cannot eat the mouth watering smoked meat. “I enjoy the pickles, the French fries and the black cherry cola,” she laughs.

My first memories of Schwartz’s go way back to when my dad was friends with Maurice Zbriger, a previous owner and noted musician at the time. He would host our entire family for dinner on a regular basis, reserving a special table in the rear of the restaurant.

Whenever my brother in law comes to town from Chicago, he insists upon this being one of his first stops.

There are always celebrity sightings. Manager Frank Silva can barely keep track of them. Former Premier Lucien Bouchard loves the place and his character is depicted in the musical, as are Joan Rivers and Leonard Cohen.

Taking in the show on the night I attended was Quebec Minister of Finance Raymond Bachand and his lovely wife. They were laughing the entire time and stood up with the rest of the audience at the end to contribute to a standing ovation for the cast.

For ticket information go to http://www.centaurtheatre.com/ or call 514-288-3161.