Against the Grain Theatre today announced their 2019/20 season which will be their tenth though I don’t think back then there really was a “season” as such.  In many ways it’s their most ambitious yet.

There’s a remount of their original La Bohème.  This time it will tour multiple cities from Banff to Toronto which is a really good idea.  The cast includes Jonelle Sills (yeah!) as Mimi (it’s not just the COC who can have a Mimi of colour.  She’ll be wanting to do Ariel next.). The boys include Andrew Adridge, Clarence Frazer, Giles Tomkins.  Tour dates are September 27th to October 8th 2019 with a run at the Tranzac in Toronto from October 11th to 25th.

There’s also a remount of Figaro’s Wedding with Miriam Khalil as Rosina, Ally Smithers as Susanna, Bruno Roy as Figaro and Phillip Addis as Alberto.  That’s at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse from December 3rd to 20th 2019.

Oswaldo Golijov’s Ayre sung by Miriam Khalil, plus other works by the composer, will open the Royal Conservatory’s 21C Festival on January 11th 2020.

Finally, Bound will get it’s premiere after two outings in workshop form during which it changed a lot so it will be interesting to see what the “final” version looks like.  The words are by Joel Ivany and the music by Kevin Lau.  It started life as a Handel pastiche so I’m curious how much of that is left.  The cast includes actor Martha Burns, soprano Miriam Khalil, tenor Ernesto Ramirez and the operatic debut of transgender opera singer Breanna Sinclairé.  It will be presented at Harbourfront Centre Theatre from April 17th to 25th 2020.

There’s also the return of Opera Pub at the Amsterdam Bicycle Club on the first Thursday of the month starting September(?) and a lunchtime concert in the RBA.

I guess we have to say that Against the Grain is now an established part of the Toronto scene.  They’ve now put, I think, eighteen, main stage shows on in Toronto plus stuff in Banff, Opera Pub, lunchtime concerts and the odd party.  All since that first show at the Tranzac.  I think I’ve seen all the Toronto shows and it’s been a ride.

More details on the 2019/20 season at http://againstthegraintheatre.com