Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me, but Banjos Saved My Life – Summerhall
Tomatoes, the staple foodstuff of his Italian upbringing on the Canada/America border, were almost the undoing of Keith Alessi. They caused acid reflux his whole life, which led to his Oesophageal Cancer diagnosis in his early sixties and a 50/50 chance of living more than one year. Fortunately, he was one of the lucky ones who responded well to treatment, he lasted the year and here he is on the Summerhall stage over 9 years later.
Like Lazarus resurrected, his brush with death set him free. Keith only began to play the banjo seriously after his cancer diagnosis, turning his back on his previous jobs as a certified accountant, major public company CEO and College Professor. Since then, he has created this show and gigged his way around the world, donating 100% of the profits, over ...