November 2024

november24November is looking busy and interesting in both the theatre and the concert hall.  Here are some shows you might be interested in…

  • The Glenn Gould School’s fall chamber opera is Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilêges coupled with Debussy’s Prodigal Son.  That’s in Mazzoleni Hall on the 1st and 2nd.
  • Toronto Operetta Theatre is presenting Romberg’s The Student Prince at the Jane mallett Theatre on the 1sr, 2nd and 3rd.
  • John Adams is conducting the TSO in a programme mostly of his own works on the 6th and 9th at Roy Thomson Hall.  It’s also a chance to see Anna Prohaska sing.

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October 2024

oct24Opera’s back with the start of a new COC season and more.  Here’s a look at what I think looks interesting in October.

First up there are two theatre festivals with multiple shows.  Aluna Theatre’s RUTAS International Performing Arts Festival runs from September 26th to October 9th (various venues).  There’s a distinct Latinx twist to this one.  Then from the 16th to the 27th at Buddies in Bad Times there’s the Next Stage Theatre Festival run by the same folks as the Fringe.  Both are pretty varied with something for pretty much everyone.

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September 2024

sept2024Well late August has been a bit thin in terms of live performances but September. sees things back with a bang.

    • Opera Revue has a Verdi and Weill show at the Redwood Theatre.
    • Coal Mine Theatre is opening with Annie Baker’s Infinite Life which played to rave reviews in London and New York.  Previews are on the 6th to 8th with opening on the 10th.  The play runs until the 29th.
    • Crow’s opens their season with Ibsen’s Rosmersholm.  Previews run from the 3rd to the 10th with opening night on the 11th.  The run continues to October 6th.

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Late July and August

aug24It’s still mostly festival season with two events coming up in Toronto.

There’s Summer Opera Lyric Theatre   It runs July 26th to August 4th and features three operas in piano score with young artist singers.  The operas are Puccini’s La Bohème, Handel’s Serse and Mozart’s Idomeneo and the venue is the Alumnae Theatre on Berkeley Street.  Full details, tickets etc. Continue reading

Festival season

july2024When I look at my calendar for July it’s all about two festivals, both of which include far more events than I could possibly cope with.

The first is the Toronto Fringe which runs July 2nd to 14th and features 77 shows in 16 venues.  There really is something for everyone from clowns and comics to mass murderers and funeral directors.  There’s even a musical.  Most shows are $18 but that drops to $14 if one buys a ten ticket pass.  I think I’ll be able to get to maybe half a dozen shows given an overlap with… Continue reading

What’s on in June?

junebugHere’s an events listing for June as it currently stands:

  • Canadian Children’s Opera Company are doing Dean Burry’s The Hobbit at Harbourfront Centre on May 31st through June 2nd.
  • June 6th at 7.30pm at Arrayspace there’s Echoes of Bi-Sotoon; short operatic works by seven composers inspired by the ancient site of Bi-Sotoon (which) means the place of the gods).

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Something to Crow about

crowSeason announcements for theatre companies for 2024/25 are coming out fast and one notable thing is that a number of shows from Crow’s Theatre have been picked up by other companies.  Both Pierre, Natasha and the Great Comet of 1812 and Fifteen Dogs have been picked up by Mirvish (as Uncle Vanya was this season).  Soulpepper have picked up The Master Plan which will also be seen in Hamilton.  I’ve linked to my reviews which are enthusiastic about all except Pierre, Natasha.  That was a huge hit, especially with people who like Broadway musicals more than I do and, as the prologue warns, it wasn’t written for opera fans who have read War and Peace three times so my views should be viewed through that lens.

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May listings

may24It’s coming towards the end of the traditional “season” but there’s sill plenty happening.  Here’s how I see may shaping up at present (I expect more theatre listings will come in.  They tend to be somewhat less notice!):

  • May 1st and 2nd:  The TSO are coupling Brahms’ First Symphony with Emily D’Angelo and material from her enargeia CD.
  • Also on May 2nd the Women’s Musical Club are hosting Joyce El-Khoury in recital at Walter Hall.

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April preview

april24Here are some upcoming shows for April:

Music

  • First, a late March Show.  Yu Dun and Royce Vavrek’s Pulitzer winning opera Angel’s Bone, about human trafficking, comes to Harbourfront Centre Theatre March 22nd to 24th.  More information here.
  • On the 6th the Happenstancers have a concert; Being Pascal Dusapin, at Redeemer Lutheran.  We are promised a “a portrait concert in palindromic form” featuring music by Dusapin, Kaija Saariaho and Samy Moussa.

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Looking ahead to March

march2024First some additional February shows

  • On the 23rd at Harbourfront Centre Art of Time Ensemble are presenting Music from the Weimar Republic.
  • On the 25th VOICEBOX have a concert performance of Verdi’s Ernani at the St. Lawrence Centre.

Opera

  • Opera York are presenting Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts on March 1st and 3rd.
  • March 14th to 17th UoT Opera are doing Massenet’s Cendrillon at a to be determined location.
  • March 20th and 22nd at Koerner Hall, the Glenn Gould School spring opera is Poulenc’s Dialogues of the Carmelites.  That one has me excited!

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