+++
author = ["authors/jenna.md"]
categories = "Humour"
date = "2015-10-06T09:26:00-04:00"
lastmod = "2015-10-06T10:53:00-04:00"
primary_image = "https://res.cloudinary.com/schmopera/image/upload/v1545409169/media/webhook-uploads/1444140060912/Barbara-Hannigan-High-Res-1---credit-Elmer-de-Haas.jpg.jpg"
primary_image_credit = "Photo: Elmer de Haas"
publishDate = "2015-10-06T10:11:00-04:00"
related_articles = []
related_people = ["scene/people/barbara-hannigan.md","scene/people/doug-macnaughton.md","scene/people/russell-braun.md"]
short_description = "Canadian soprano, conductor, and general Renaissance woman Barbara Hannigan has been on my mind lately, largely because she&#039;s in Toronto Oct 7th and 8th to conduct and to sing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Hannigan&#039;s website has tons of video gems available to view, one of which stuck out as a must-share."
slug = "gems-barbara-hannigan-does-comedy"
title = "Gems: Barbara Hannigan does comedy"

youtube_url ="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSAsn9u3e8U"
+++

Canadian soprano, conductor, and general Renaissance woman [Barbara Hannigan](/scene/people/barbara-hannigan/) has been on my mind lately, largely because she's in Toronto [October 7th and 8th](http://www.tso.ca/en-ca/concerts-and-tickets/2015-2016-Season/EventDetails/Barbara-Hannigan-Sings-Conducts.aspx) to conduct and to sing with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Hannigan's website has tons of [video gems](http://www.barbarahannigan.com/watch/opera-concert-videos/) available to view, one of which stuck out as a must-share.

Larry Weinstein directs Hannigan and Mark McKinney (*Kids in the Hall*) in *Toothpaste*, a soap opera by Alexina Louie and Dan Redican. Hannigan does her own singing, of course, and McKinney's "voice" is provided by Canadian baritone [Doug MacNaughton](/scene/people/doug-macnaughton/); [Alex Pauk](/scene/people/alex-pauk/) conducts the [Esprit Orchestra](http://www.espritorchestra.com/index.html). The story is simple: woman gets lazy when it comes to screwing the cap back on the toothpaste, and man is upset about it. Now *that's* relevant art.

There's also the sequel, [*Burnt Toast*](https://youtu.be/2DrN57bRe4Y), also a must-see. It's the 8th episode in Louie and Redican's series of shorts by the same name, which is about the highs and lows of romantic love. *Burnt Toast* is where we found the episode with [Colin Mochrie lip-syncing to Russell Braun](/colin-mochrie-russell-braun-and-operagrams/) while wielding a leaf blower.
