Toronto Operetta Theatre and Toronto Masque Theatre have announced their respective 2014/15 season line ups.  TOT will present three shows.  The first is a zarzuela; Federico Chueca’s La gran via.  Jose Hernandez conducts and the cast includes Margie Bernal, Fabian Arciniegas, Pablo Benitez and Diego Catala. There’s one performance on November 2nd.  The Christmas show will be Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Mikado.  Singers include Lucia Cesaroni, Mia Lennox, David Ludwig and Giles Tomkins with Derek Bate conducting.  There are six performances scheduled between December 27th and January 4th.  Finally, and perhaps most exciting, is a revival of Victor Davies’ 2008 piece Ernest, the Importance of Being.  It’s based on the Wilde play and will star Jean Stilwell as Lady Bracknell.  Larry Beckwith conducts.  There will be four performances on April 29th and May 1st to 3rd.  All three shows will be directed by Guillermo Silva-Marin and will be staged at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. (www.stlc.com)

Toronto Masque Theatre will also stage three shows.  On October 25th and 26th they will stage Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale as part of Soulpepper’s Global Cabaret festival.  This one is at the Young Centre at the Distillery.  January 15th-17th will see Handel’s Acis and Galatea staged at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse.  Singers include Graham Thomson, Lawrence Wiliford, Terri Dunn and Peter McGillivray.  Finally, on May 14th and 15th, they are staging a “balletic exploration of the obsession with mechanical gadgets and the Orient in 18th century France”.  The show is called Les Indes Mécaniques and will feature dancers with harpsichord accompaniment.  It’s  at the Fleck Dance theatre at Harbourfront.  More details and tickets at www.torontomasquetheatre.com.