Toronto And Its Theatres

By Elli Davis, August 10, 2011

SummerWorks Festival

The lively and vibrant theatre district forms an inseparable part of Toronto‘s spirit. Our city can be proud of being the top theatre destination in the English-speaking world, with only New York City and London beating the Toronto theatre district in size. Hundreds of culture lovers visit Toronto specifically to see one of the amazing Broadway-style musicals or classical plays.

The well-known district is located in the southwestern part of downtown Toronto. There are hundreds of different types of productions in the area. I am sure fans of all genres and styles will find their own favourites here, and nobody will leave disappointed. Conveniently, there are many great restaurants in this area as well, so you can easily enjoy a delicious meal and a glass of wine before or after going to see a show. Are you unsure about where to go? Here are some suggestions for you.

Toronto Fringe Festival

Fringe Festival

Toronto Fringe Festival is the largest theatre festival in the city, and with more than 60,000 visitors every year, it has become an immense success. The 2011 season just wrapped up and if you have missed it, you will have to wait until next summer, when the 24th annual event is to take place. Take a friend and discover the world of the theatre!

SummerWorks Theatre Festival

If you hurry up, you can still take part in Toronto‘s Our Indie Theatre and Arts Festival. The event, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is taking place in Toronto from August 4th to August 14th. Check out SummerWorks website to see the program. 

The Princess of Wales Theatre

The Princess of Wales

Broadway fans, this theatre was created for you! The 2000-seat theatre, located at 300 King Street West, was the very first privately financed and owned theatre seen in Canada since 1907. David and Ed Mirvish built the theatre in 1993. It was designed by architect Peter Smith, winner of the Governor-General‘s Award for theatre design. The firm Yabu-Pushelberg designed the interior, such as the lobbies and lounges. Thanks to this collaboration, the theatre is a wonderful mix of classical style, modernity and elegance. Amazingly enough, due to a well thought out seating plan, no seat is more than 85 feet away from the immense stage. The theatre officially opened of May 26, 1993 with the musical Miss Saigon. If you are interested in visiting The Princess of Wales Theatre in the near future, you can look forward to Chess: the Musical, showing from September 1st to October 12th, or Mary Poppins showing from December 1st to December 12th.

The Royal Alexandra Theatre

Royal Alexandra

At first sight, The Royal Alexandra Theatre might seem similar to the Princess of Wales Theatre. They have the same owners and although they are neighbours on King Street, they are very different. The Royal Alexandra Theatre, first opened in 1907, is actually the longest functioning theatre in North America. The main architect of this project was John M. Lyle, who made the theatre one of first buildings with air-conditioning in North America. It is truly royal, as it was — with the permission of Edward VII — named after his consort, Princess Alexandra, great-grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II. Over the more than 100 years of its existence, about 3,000 productions have been featured in the theatre, which was named a National Historic Monument in 1987. Pay a visit in the next few months and you can see Carrie Fisher's one woman autobiographical account Wishful Drinking; or Paul Gross & Kim Cattral in Private Lives, showing from September 1st to October 10th, or Hair, showing in March 2012.

Soulpepper

Soulpepper

Back in 1997, 12 Toronto artists decided to found a theatre that would put on not so famous yet classical productions. Thus, Soulpepper was born. It offers Canadian interpretations of a number of theatrical masterpieces, thanks to which it has become a vital part of Toronto‘s theatre scene. In 2005, the theatre was moved to the Distillery District’s Young Centre for the Performing Arts. The venue is also home to the theatre school at George Brown College. If you visit in the next couple of weeks, you can enjoy the currently showing Exit the King and The Odd Couple, on stage on September 22nd, or Ghosts, on stage on October 10th.

The Second City

The Second City

For a good laugh, I strongly recommend you go to The Second City. The roots of this theatre lie in a cabaret revue show, Compass Players, started by students at the University of Chicago. The first Second City thus logically opened in that city at the end of 1959. Toronto got its own Second City in 1973. Since then, the place has become famous for giving rise to comedians, and for its overall extremely joyful atmosphere. Check it out yourself! Go and see the newest show, Dreams Really Do Come True! (And other lies), officially opening on August 30th.

We have an amazing world of theatre in our city! Many do not even realize it and might not appreciate it, however. Interestingly, I have recently seen the opening of the Tony Awards with the fantastic Neil Patrick Harris, and while the song he performed is very controversial, its message is clear, and one I absolutely agree with: Broadway (the theatre district, anyway) is for everyone — not only from “cousins from out of town you have to amuse,” those “who write the reviews” or “liberal intellectuals”.

As the same song states, “If you have seen a show, then you already know how magical theatre can be. It is a two-hour, live action, barely affordable, un-lip-synced version of Glee.” Indeed, it is something wonderful and in many aspects unforgettable. Come and see a show, then! If you are a regular visitor, good for you! If you are not, why not to try it out? I honestly believe you will not regret it.

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