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Dayton dons robe, bares soul as Canadian Romantic

July Fourth Toilet's gnome-filled return comes up short

He's slender, mustachioed and often bare-chested. His performances are theatrical, strangely sincere and, at least lately, glitter-filled.

Ex-Vancouverite Robert Dayton returns home for the first time in three years to perform with his band July Fourth Toilet, Jan. 12, and as The Canadian Romantic, Jan. 13.

If Dayton's search for "talent" shorter than four foot eight had been a success, the musical collective's theme for The Waldorf July Fourth Toilet and Talent Time Pop Up Show would have been gnomes. According to Dayton, the set list would have included an original gnome ditty and potential covers of David Bowie's "The Laughing Gnome," Pink Floyd's "The Gnome" and The Monkees' "Teeny Tiny Gnome."

Alas, Dayton says, "The well came up dry." So the group which has never played the same show twice and once performed Paul William songs in front of the musician and actor who celebrated his heyday in the 1970s, has chosen 2012: The Shortest Year Ever as its planed theme for the Thursday night show.

Dayton will then slip into his silky robe and melodramatic persona for An Evening with The Canadian Romantic, Friday night. UNIT/PITT Projects, formerly the Helen Pitt Gallery, is presenting the dinner-theatre performance and musical show.

Press bumph describes The Canadian Romantic as a melodramatic figure who tries to bridge and explore the gap between Canada and romance with somewhat dubious results.

Dayton and Vancouverite Kevin Howes deejayed a chill Sunday night called Moods in Toronto a couple of years back when Dayton decided he should perform midnight, candle-lit improvised recitations, following in the footsteps of actors as singers that include Bruno Gerussi (The Beachcombers), William Shatner (Star Trek) and Telly Savalas (Kojak). Over time, the character of The Canadian Romantic emerged.

"I feel like moving across the country really tapped me into a particular Canadian mentality," said Dayton, a multidisciplinary entertainer, writer and artist now living in Toronto. "I was able to see a Canadian mentality a little bit more and in a way do this as a semi-glib public service. I do like Toronto in a lot of ways, but I do find it can be sensually stiff. And that's a very Canadian trait, or people say it's a Canadian trait."

The Canadian Romantic project includes a series of videos and performances. Dayton, as TCR, will field topic suggestions from the audience at the Dunlevy Snackbar for an impromptu recitation. The musical portion of the evening will hear him revive the "plummy tones" of some of the aforementioned actor-singers. The Canadian Romantic will release a book of musings and drawings and hawk The Canadian Romantic plush doll.

Dayton, who originally hails from Fort St. John, says he's motivated to foster a sense of wonder with all of his creations, whether it's acting in Chilly Gonzalez's 2010 film Ivory Tower alongside Tiga, Feist and Peaches, writing and drawing for such publications as Roctober and Cinema Sewer or performing in the humorous musical duo Canned Hamm.

"There's just not enough of a sense of wonder out there," he said. ".A sense of wonder with me, a sense of wonder with the people I'm trying to reach. I find that everything's got to be cookie cutter."

An Evening with The Canadian Romantic starts at 7 p.m. at 433 Dunlevy Ave. Advance tickets are $25 for the performance and dinner, or $40 for the performance, dinner and book. For more information, see waldorfhotel.com and unitpitt.ca.

[email protected] Twitter: @Cheryl_Rossi