ARTS Episodes

Freed Developments’ Glen Baxter talks about making the move from Montreal to Toronto, doing CBC French language traffic reports without ever owning a car, getting ‘the call’ in 1991 from Moses Znaimer, his 20 years at 299 Queen Street West for MuchMusic/CityTV/CTV's In Fashion, his excellent interactions with David Bowie/Drake/Rihanna/Deadmau5/Jeanne Beker/Tim Blanks/Jay Levine/Rick Campanelli/Dave Foley/Alex Lifeson/Joe Mimran/Michael Budman/Don Green, his NOT so excellent interactions with Bar...

Comedy hypnotist/motivational speaker/author The Incredible Boris Cherniak talks about his journey from Moscow to Toronto, running out of material early in his first professional show [at age 17!], being Facebook Friends with The Amazing Kreskin, enjoying conversations with a surprisingly chatty Teller backstage after a Penn & Teller show in Las Vegas, appearing on The Howie Mandel Show on the exact same NBC Burbank studio stage as The Tonight Show’s Johnny Carson once did, working on people wit...

Degrassi Co-creator Linda Schuyler talks about producing over 500 episodes of the iconic franchise, why Drake will always be Aubrey Graham to her, sets the record straight on the urban legend that Drake threatened legal action to get Jimmy Brooks OUT of his wheelchair, gives HER side of the Aubrey Graham audition story [in contrast to Drake’s version as delivered to Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show], claims that Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith know MORE Degrassi trivia than she does, clarifies Degra...

Stand-up Comedian & Podcaster Ben Bankas talks about taking his ‘Permission 2 Laugh’ tour across Canada, the strength of Mark Breslin’s Yuk Yuk’s brand, launching his ‘Please, Wear a Mask’ stand-up special on YouTube, travelling from Kingston to Toronto for his very first set [5 minutes!] at P.J. O'Briens Irish Pub, his creative process of using journal entries to create new material, the post-script to dealing with $7,000+ in fines for performing outdoors in parks during lockdown, and his upcom...

Actor/Writer/Author/Musician/Comedian Paul Reiser talks about stand up comedy being his first love, creating Mad About You & casting Helen Hunt with his wife’s approval, stumbling into his breakout role in Barry Levinson’s ‘Diner,’ seeing George Carlin/Robert Klein/David Brenner/Robin Williams/Billy Crystal/Rodney Dangerfield LIVE in the local NYC clubs, sharing the set with Carol O’Connor/Carol Burnett/Mel Brooks & noted comedienne Yoko Ono, using his son as the cultural canary in the coalmine ...

Scarborough rap superstar Choclair talks about coming up together with Jully Black, Kardinal Offishall and Saukrates, morphing from ‘Junior’ to ‘Choclair’ [and how he got that name], literally getting called out of the classroom to rep his high school in rap battles, his appreciation for MuchMusic’s Michael Williams & Master T, the bump from the Little X-directed ‘Let’s Ride’ video, using paper-scissors-rock to determine his role in the recording of ‘Northern Touch,’ growing up listening to the ...

Comedy writer Darrell Vickers talks about being Head Writer for The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson, how after being hired he did not actually talk to Johnny again for two and a half years [!!], moving freely past Ed McMahon’s bodyguard, working with guest hosts Garry Shandling/Jay Leno/Billy Crystal/Bill Cosby/Chevy Chase, why Johnny wishes his 2nd last show [Robin Williams, Bette Milder] had actually been his LAST show, the surreal enormity of educating standup legend George Carlin about h...

Offside: The Harold Ballard Story executive producer Michael Geddes talks about working with Vancouverite/90210’s Jason Priestley, the ‘Ballard Curse’ being responsible for 56 seasons [and counting] without a Stanley Cup [and 19 seasons without winning a playoff round!], uncovering both urban legends [threatening to turn the womens’ McGill Club into a Playboy Club] and realities [direct fan access via the ‘Muppets Bunker’], Ballard operating not with a sharp pencil but rather with NO pencil, how...

Sports Artist David Arrigo talks about his breakout projects for Wayne Gretzky, driving the California coast in a Corvette with Guy Fieri, going speechless in front of Bono as he perused his art portfolio, handling all the detailed minutiae from KISS ‘Manager Al’ [or was it actually Gene Simmons??], his infamous ‘Grinch’ goalie mask for Mike Smith, starting his career with an air-brushed jean jacket [Molson beer + monkeys!], travelling the world with his Live Mural Experience, and why life is go...

Toronto radio personality turned Host of NPR’s World Cafe Raina Douris talks about interviewing Springsteen/Neil/Questlove/Shatner/Streisand, the career advantages of being a loudmouth and not asking for permission [as well as being annoying but not TOO annoying], her adventures exploring Philadelphia/attending Eagles games, working for an Ivy League institution, CBC vs NPR, Junos vs Polaris, why it’s OK that you can’t escape Nickelback, and BREAKING NEWS on her upcoming biggest World Cafe celeb...

Big brother Tom Farley talks about the ‘Farley Magnetism’ and shares stories about Dana Carvey & David Spade’s 5hr tribute podcast, Chris NOT auditioning for Saturday Night Live, his ‘ogre with a heart’ being the basis for Mike Myers’ Shrek character [which was the 3RD recording of that part!], why he did NOT end up being The Cable Guy [Jim Carrey did], confirms there is an ACTUAL Matt Foley [although NOT a motivational speaker but rather a Catholic priest in Chicago], the parallels with other a...

Original MuchMusic VJ Christopher Ward checks in from ‘temperate’ Santa Monica to talk about being chosen AHEAD of Mike Myers for the Second City touring company, Mike’s iconic Wayne Campbell character making his TV debut on City Limits, kicking off the inaugural broadcast of The Nations’s Music Station at 6pm on Aug 31 1984 with current Fox News anchor John ‘JD’ Roberts, an inspirational Greyhound bus ride to Memphis with 40 Elvis impersonators, writing Black Velvet [and winning a Juno] for Ala...

Toronto Life’s Editor-in-Chief Malcolm Johnston talks about managing the Toronto Life ‘brand,' coming up with the annual list of the 50 most influential Torontonians, serving as ‘an anchor for Toronto residents,’ digging deeply into Canada’s most famous cold case, his concern about the ‘war on journalists & journalism,’ being in awe of Andre De Grasse & Josh Donaldson, his respect for The New Yorker, being a reporter & investigative journalist at heart, and his thoughts on the Blue Jays trading ...

Writer & Journalist Ivy Knight talks about pivoting from 10 years in restaurant kitchens to writing, her realization that the pressure had turned her into a ‘dickless man’ and a ‘rage machine,’ the wonderful mentorship of James Chatto, her role in the documentary “The Heat: A Kitchen [R]evolution,” getting published in The New Yorker, enjoying her neighbourhood’s transition from 'Crackdale' to Parkdale, her distaste for Mayor John Tory but love for memes, and THREE awesome hidden gems in Toronto...

Filmmaker & Marketing Executive Barry Avrich talks about RENT-A-FAN CLUB, getting stuck in an altercation between Jackie Mason & Jerry Stiller, why you need to treat ‘yelling’ as performance art, why his Bob Saget anecdote was far too filthy to share, whether we can expect an update to Unauthorized: The Harvey Weinstein Project, how Hollywood is the “only place you can die of encouragement,” his father’s best advice [“look at the audience, not the movie” and “DON’T blend in”], working on docs ab...

Superstar singing impressionist André-Philippe Gagnon talks about Jay Leno discovering him at Just For Laughs, getting the ‘blessing’ to approach Johnny Carson after his breakout spot on The Tonight Show [after DECLINING his 1st invitation!], PM Brian Mulroney promoting him to Lady Diana, singing with Celine Dion in front of 95,000 in France, singing We Are The World to Quincy Jones, playing the famed LA Comedy Store, opening the SkyDome with Oscar Peterson, his first major English show opening ...

Singer/songwriter Matt Dusk takes a 'Matt Dusk Sings Sinatra' tour break to talk about dining with the Queen & Prince Philip, his graduation interaction with Oscar Peterson, his breakout role on Mark Burnett’s The Casino, Michael Buble: friend? enemy? frenemy?, his celebrity status in Poland, fond feelings for The Reservoir Lounge and The Rex Hotel, how building relationships in Las Vegas is like ‘planting a flower in the desert,’ his preshow ritual [hint: Two Shots], and taking over for the Cha...

Ahead of the 47th Toronto International Film Festival, CEO Cameron Bailey talks about growing up in the countryside of Barbados, his time at NOW during the heyday of alternative weekly newspapers, writing his first movie review [DIE HARD!], why he initially said ‘NO’ to Piers Handling, TIFF’s focus on being a ‘walkable audience-centric festival,’ being a voting member for the OSCARS, the craziness of BORAT and Sean Penn, social media engagement lessons learned from Harry Styles, and his admirati...

Canada’s First Supermodel Monika Schnarre talks about the risks of swimsuit photoshoots, her connection to BNL & Jason Priestley, her ‘Forrest Gump-iness,’ bloodhound bonding with Luke Perry, her Vogue/Sports Illustrated Swimsuit/BH90210 experiences, official height clarification [spoiler alert: 6’ 1.75”], and why Scarborough Rules!

TORONTO LEGENDS is hosted by Andrew Applebaum.

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Comedy King Mark Breslin shares the Yuk Yuk’s story and talks the Order of Canada, Joan Rivers vetting him via Howie Mandel, his initial reaction to Jim Carrey, why “the customer is always in the way,” his Canadian-first booking policy, and “if a customer complains about a comedian, we get rid of the customer!”


TORONTO LEGENDS is hosted by Andrew Applebaum at andrew.applebaum@gmail.com
All episodes available at www.podpage.com/toronto-legends/episodes/

Iconic actor, comedian, impressionist and author John Byner talks about his appearances on Ed Sullivan and Johnny Carson, voicing ‘The Ant and The Aardvark,’ working with Bob ‘Super Dave’ Einstein, his autobiography ‘Five Minutes, Mr Byner!’ and playing over 350 characters on 6 seasons of the BIZARRE comedy sketch series (filmed & produced right here in Toronto)!


TORONTO LEGENDS is hosted by Andrew Applebaum at andrew.applebaum@gmail.com
All episodes available at www.podpage.com/toronto-legen...

Advertising Guru/Podcaster/Author Terry O’Reilly talks about great mentors, overcoming your ‘best’ mistakes, fist slam moments, solving for what’s stepping on your garden hose, driveway podcasts, and 17 seasons of being Under the Influence!

TORONTO LEGENDS is hosted by Andrew Applebaum.

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Celebrate Toronto’s founder/CEO Micayla Doria talks about throwing Toronto’s birthday party festival, the Toronto Made Market, why OCAD rules supreme, Guildwood Park’s sculptural sanctuary, Reservoir Lounge/El Mocambo/Orbit Room/Salad King/King Taco, and how to get the best view from Humber Bay bridge!

TORONTO LEGENDS is hosted by Andrew Applebaum.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Restaurateur Michael Rubino talks about his numerous restaurants, brother power with Guy, his ‘Made to Order’ TV experience, and his foray into indoor vertical farming!


TORONTO LEGENDS is hosted by Andrew Applebaum.




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