Rob Ford, the Opera MacMillan Theatre (80 Queens Park) January 22, 2:30 p.m. Rob Ford is very likely aware of the art form that is opera. That is, he’s likely aware of its existence and perhaps has even seen one performed. But he probably doesn’t know too much about the art form, and definitely hasn’t [...]

I Want Your Job finds Torontonians who make a living doing exactly what they love to do, in any field, and for any salary, and asks them how they did it. Name: Adrianne Pieczonka Job: Opera singer There’s a certain stereotype associated with female opera singers—particularly soprano leads—that conjurs up a particular four-letter word that [...]

One could argue that Rob Ford’s year as mayor has had moments so dramatic that they could be described as operatic, but until now nobody has actually tried turning Ford’s story into a musical stage production. (There has been a non-musical, which was part of last summer’s Fringe Festival.) Yeah, that’s right: until now. On [...]

THEATRE: Soulpepper brings back their popular 2008 production of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple, opening tonight,  starring Albert Schultz as the slovenly Oscar and Diego Matamoros as the anal-retentive Oscar. All the original production’s poker pals are back—Schultz and Matamuros are joined by fellow founder Michael Hanrahan, associate artist Derek Boyes, and longtime Soulpepper favourites [...]

Now, this is a cast we can relate to: Justin Welsh, Adam Luther, Gregory Finney, Keith Lam, and Stephen Hegedus in Against the Grain Theatre’s La Bohème. Photo by Gene Wu. Against the Grain’s La Bohème Tranzac Club (292 Brunswick Avenue) Thursday, June 2, to Sunday, June 5 at 8 p.m. A huge challenge for [...]

Robert Carsen on the steps of the Four Seasons Centre, where Orfeo ed Euridice is now playing. Photo by Miles Storey/Torontoist. Most would think that an opera written 250 years ago could be considered “old”—but not opera director Robert Carsen. “I always think, there’s nothing old and there’s nothing new⎯it was new when the composer [...]

Rick Miller as Brian Mulroney leads Canada in feel-good chorus. It’s tricky to describe what Canadian comedy, or the Canadian sense of humour, is. Everyone kind of assume we’re funny, mostly because we’ve birthed such funnypeople as Eugene Levy, Jim Carrey, Rachel McAdams, Norm MacDonald, and Scott Thompson. (Also: Luba Goy, Brent Butt, Carla Collins, [...]

In today's Urban Planner: film and indie rock combine forces to talk about film and indie rock, Judith Butler talks about Israel, and a new opera talks about sex trafficking.

Jeff Melanson is on his third career now, and it’s proving to be far more of a tightrope act than singing or book-balancing. It’s a real hot seat, this volunteer position as Mayor Rob Ford’s special adviser on the arts: the arts community, deeply mistrustful of Ford (especially after his disastrous showing at the mayoral [...]

The Canadian Opera Company has been on a roll for a while now, but it really hit its stride this past year, both artistically and in its campaign to bring opera to a broader audience.

From June 11–20, Torontoist is exploring the best and most promising of Luminato’s many offerings. Janis Kelly as the pained former soprano, Régine St. Laurent. Photo by Antony Crook. At the tender age of fourteen, confused by his changing sexuality and frightened by the AIDS epidemic, Canadian singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright says that opera saved his [...]

Janis Kelly as Régine Saint Laurent, the mysterious soprano of Prima Donna. Photo by Antony Crook. We know what you’re thinking—June is so gloomy! No birds are chirping, the patios are bare, and streets are devoid of rollerbladers and bikes soaking in the summer sun. If only there were some way we could let more [...]