National Arts Centre reveals diverse lineup for 2025-26 season
There is always something new and creative to discover at the National Arts Centre, whether it's an edgy modern-dance show or a surprising take on an orchestral classic.
Article content
With four stages under its hexagonal roof and a skilled team of specialized artistic programmers in charge of six different genres of performing arts, the NAC's schedule gets filled with gems well in advance.
Article content
Article content
The 2025-26 calendar is no exception. Between September 2025 and spring of 2026, dozens of concerts, theatrical productions and dance events will be shoehorned into the building, including no fewer than nine world premieres. One show calls for a skateboard ramp at centre stage, while another is described as a Macbeth-meets-biker mashup.
Article content
Article content
The season will also mark a farewell for maestro Alexander Shelley, who has been leading the NAC Orchestra for more than a decade — and whose two young sons were born in Ottawa. Shelley has designed a final season that will include a big opera production of Puccini's Tosca, an all-Canadian edition of the Great Performers series, a seasonal presentation of Handel with an all-Canadian cast of vocalists, four world premieres and more.
Article content
The first, scheduled for January 2026, is co-produced by Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre and written by Natasha Mumba, a graduate of Ottawa's Canterbury arts high school and now based in Toronto. Entitled Copperbelt, it's the story of a Zambian-born woman who's made a life for herself in Toronto, but is compelled to return to her homeland when her estranged father falls ill.
Article content
Article content
Article content
The second Aquino-directed world premiere is cicadas, created by David Yee and Chris Thornborrow. Commissioned by the NAC, it's an eco-thriller set in Toronto in 2035.
Article content
Article content
The English theatre season also features a family play described as a live theatrical cinema experience starring Canadian DJ Kid Koala, who performs live on piano and turntables every night of the Dec. 3-13 run. The tale of a small-town mosquito trying to make it big in music also uses puppeteers, miniature sets, a string trio and cameras to tell its story.
Article content
Another six shows will be presented by the Indigenous theatre department under the artistic leadership of Kevin Loring. They range from the inter-tribal collaboration that drives Nigamon Tunai to the world premiere of Tomson Highway's latest, Rose, to an allegorical circus piece from New Zealand, Te Tangi a Te Tūī.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Calgary Herald
20 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Vancouver native Seth Rogen's TV series The Studio nabs 23 Emmy Award nominations
The 2025 Emmy Nominations are out and Vancouver native Seth Rogen 's comedic skewering of the film business The Studio from AppleTV+ leads the comedy category with 23 nominations. Article content Rogen 's show, which he stars in and co-created, wrote and directed with longtime collaborator and fellow Vancouverite Evan Goldberg, nabbed 23 nominations, including best directing and writing for the partners and best comedy actor for Rogen as well as a best supporting actress nomination for Toronto-born Catherine O'Hara, who also earned a best supporting guest actress in a drama nomination for her turn on the Vancouver-shot The Last of Us. Article content Article content Article content Article content The Studio is joined in the best comedy category by Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Nobody Wants This, Only Murders in the Building, Shrinking and What We Do in the Shadows. Article content Topping the most nominated list is Apple's drama Severance with 27 nods, including best drama series, where it will compete alongside Andor, The Diplomat, The Last of Us, Paradise, The Pitt, Slow Horses and The White Lotus. Article content The Penguin was next with a total of 24 noms; followed by The Studio and The White Lotus with 23; The Last of Us garnered 16 nominations. Article content Also getting some Emmy attention is Vancouver's Nathan Fielder who picked up writing and directing nominations for his HBO docu-comedy The Rehearsal. Article content
The Province
a day ago
- The Province
The Weeknd plays two shows in Vancouver this week: Here's what to know before you go
The Weeknd, Toronto-born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, has teased that this could be the final tour as his namesake alter ego The Weeknd performs a medley during the 67th annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 2, 2025, in Los Angeles. Photo by Chris Pizzello / Invision/AP Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The Weeknd brings his After Hours 'til. Dawn tour to Vancouver's B.C. Place for two nights this week. UPDATE: There's been a last-minute change to the concert lineup — and we have the set times. Here's what you need to know about the concerts: When are The Weeknd concert dates at B.C. Place? The Weeknd plays B.C. play for a two-night stand July 15 and 16. What time does the concert start? The concert is expected to start at 7 p.m. Doors at B.C. Place open at 5:30 pm. LiveNation shared the planned set times for tonight's concert. According to the company, Mike Dean will perform from 7:20 p.m. to 8:10 p.m. The Weeknd is set to take the stage at 8:40 p.m. — minus any possible delays caused by any backstage sipping of his new Nespresso collaboration brew — through to 11 p.m. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. UPDATE: What are the bag restrictions for B.C. Place? The B.C. Place website has a full list of rules and regulations regarding what you can and can't bring into The Weeknd concert. Concert goers are recommended to have their tickets downloaded on their mobile device or Ticketmaster app and ready to scan at the gate for quick entry. Bags are restricted at B.C. Place. The venue has a 'clear bag policy' that sees the size of bag restricted to the below dimensions: Bags no larger than 6.5' x 8.5' Clear plastic bag (including clear plastic freezer bags) no larger than 12' x 12' x 6' Large bags can be checked at the venue for a fee of $10 per piece. This service is offered on a first-come-first-serve basis. Check the venue website for a full list of restricted items and recommendations. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Tickets are available for the Vancouver concert via A quick search on the site and app Tuesday morning yielded a short wait in a digital waiting room. Plenty of pairs of tickets showed as available, both via verified resale and direct sale, with prices ranging from around $78.40 to $249.90 (including taxes and fees). Who is opening on the tour? American rapper Mike Dean is the opening act for the two Vancouver shows. Playboi Carti, who collaborated with The Weeknd on the song Timeless, is no longer on the B.C. Place bill. The news was released in a statement from the After Hours Til Dawn account on X in the early morning hours on July 15. 'Playboi Carti will NOT be joining The Weeknd on the Vancouver shows of the #AfterHoursTilDawnTour. Ticketmaster changed the name of the Vancouver shows to 'The After Hours Til Dawn Tour with Mike Dean'. As of now all other Canada shows still show Carti as part of the event.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In a statement from B.C. Place, the venue confirmed the change, adding that Carti was dropped from the concerts 'due to border crossing issues.' Dean has co-written a number of popular tracks by The Weeknd, including Double Fantasy, Popular, Jealous Guy and others. His set is averaging 112 songs from across his career. Dean appeared with The Weeknd at his headlining set at Coachella in 2022. What is the The Weeknd's latest album? Hurry Up Tomorrow was released on Jan. 31, 2025. The album is considered the final instalment in a trilogy that began with 2020's After Hours and 2022's Dawn FM. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Weeknd, Toronto-born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, has teased that this could be the final tour as his namesake alter ego. Hurry Up Tomorrow is the artist's sixth full-length album and was accompanied by a companion film of the same title. Directed by Trey Edward Shults, the movie starring The Weeknd, Jenny Ortega (Wednesday) and Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) was poorly reviewed, with a 15 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. (Tomatometer ratings of less than 60 per cent are considered 'rotten.') This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Weeknd's set list is averaging 35 songs on the After Hours 'til. Dawn tour and features a selection of songs drawn from across his multiplatinum career. How Do I Make You Love Me? from Dawn FM is the most-performed song on the tour so far. The artist is also dropping a number of covers in the show, including Future's Low Life, Rosalía's La Fama and the Kendrick Lamar collaboration Pray for Me. To keep things on equal footing, he is also performing Drake's Crew Love. Whether he is continuing to include Ye's Hurricane and Diddy's Another One of Me will remain to be heard at the B.C. Place shows. The Weeknd performed at B.C. Place in Vancouver on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2022. Photo by DARRYL DYCK THE CANADIAN PRESS / THE CANADIAN PRESS How are the tour reviews? The After Hours 'til. Dawn tour has been going since 2022. The Aug. 23, 2022, concert at B.C. Place was well-reviewed in The Vancouver Sun, noting the following: This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's a big jump from Rogers Arena to B.C. Place and The Weeknd is one of those rare artists to make it. There isn't another Canadian act of the moment touring playing 50,000-plus seat arenas. 'The Toronto singer's mix of futuristic R&B, pure new wave and dance pop has completely captured contemporary music at the moment and last night the artist born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye showed off his Grammy-winning live chops to an adoring audience. 'Naturally, the stage set up for the After Hours 'til. Dawn Tour is a lavish one with no shortage of bells, whistles, explosions and more.' Expect more of the same from this edition of the tour. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Expect The Weeknd to sell well for both of the Vancouver concerts, which means around 50,000 people attending each night. Be sure to give yourself ample time to get into the venue, find you seating and so on. Read our guide on what to know about B.C. Place. sderdeyn@ Read More Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances. Crime News News News News
Vancouver Sun
2 days ago
- Vancouver Sun
Canadian singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin reveals her beauty must-haves
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Canadian singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin's resume is, by all measures, impressive. The six-time Juno Award winner, Album of the Year winner, and Billboard Canada Women of the Year winner has added another bullet point to the list of achievements: a L'Oréal Paris ambassador. The Montreal-born, now Paris-based singer has been named a face of the global beauty brand in both Canada and France. It's a dual-country representation that Cardin says is a proper fit. 'I'm Québécoise — I grew up in Canada, but I now live in France, so it just made sense for me to be an ambassador for both places,' Cardin explains. 'I think what they have in common — aside from the language, of course — is that both have this 'less-is-more' approach when it comes to beauty.' Where Cardin says Parisians are known for a 'chic, effortless vibe,' the style in Quebec embraces a more natural approach. 'So even though fashion and beauty trends differ between the two, that understated, natural approach is something they share,' she says. 'And it's definitely something I connect with.' A post shared by L'Oréal Paris Official (@lorealparis) The 99 Nights singer says the brand role is more than just a business move, it's a continuation of a relationship with a company that has long played a role in her life. 'I grew up watching my mom, my grandmothers and my sister do their makeup, so L'Oréal has always been present in some way,' Cardin says. 'Beyond that, I really connect with the brand's values. L'Oréal has always spoken about feminism, female empowerment and inner beauty — and those are values I deeply believe in.' The singer-songwriter says she's 'very proud' to take on the new role. Discover the best of B.C.'s recipes, restaurants and wine. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of West Coast Table will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. As for her personal approach to beauty — with her flawless complexion, blue eyes and big smile, Cardin has become somewhat of a darling in fashion and beauty, too — the star leans in to the less-is-more approach that suits both Canada and France. 'Makeup, for me, has always been about enhancing my features rather than hiding behind anything,' she notes. 'I think makeup is such a creative, beautiful thing, and even though I'm not the most skilled or creative when it comes to doing my makeup, I've always felt like the best version of myself when I use just a little bit to enhance certain features.' She admits, though, that she arrived at that approach as part of a personal beauty evolution. 'Coming from a modelling background, I've had experiences where people used my face and my body as their canvas,' Cardin says. 'And while some of those experiences were eye-opening and creatively interesting, it never fully felt right to me.' When the now-30-year-old stopped modelling at age 19 she recalls feeling empowered to ' reclaim the narrative of my own body and beauty' and to use beauty to tell her story — her way. 'Rather than being a vessel for someone else's,' she says. 'I think my simple, classic approach to beauty and the fact that I don't wear a lot of makeup probably comes from that — it's my way of keeping it authentic and connected to who I am.' Cardin points to the Plump Ambition Gloss by L'Oréal Paris in the shade Worth It as her personal go-to. 'It's so natural,' she says of the sheer, peachy pink shade. 'It gives that kind of kissed-lip look, with a nice shine, but without any stickiness. Plus, it's plumping and has this little tingling effect on the lips, which feels amazing.' A beauty discussion with Cardin wouldn't be complete without touching on her trademark tresses. Her long, honey-brown locks are the source of admiration — and envy — for many a beauty fan. 'For my hair, I really try to stay away from heat tools,' Cardin dishes. 'I don't use blow dryers or irons unless it's for a special event and my hairdresser is styling it. Usually, I just let it air-dry naturally and let it do its thing. 'That's honestly how I've managed to keep it as healthy as possible over the years.' Aharris@
