Latest news with #SoulpepperTheatre
CBC
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
After a rocky post-pandemic recovery, Toronto's Fringe Fest finds stable ground
It's been a roller-coaster five years for the Toronto Fringe Festival. In 2020, it was cancelled completely thanks to the pandemic. In 2021, it went digital. The next three years were tough in different ways: the festival returned to in-person shows with disappointing audience numbers, temporarily lost a critical provincial grant, and cut down the number of shows it presented by a fifth. This year, says Toronto Fringe Festival executive director Rachel Kennedy, "I think we're in a really good spot." "Fringe has now placed things in a way that feels really good for us," she continued. "We're seeing the numbers corroborate that … it's definitely an upward trajectory." There are a couple of signs that the Fringe Festival, which began on July 2nd and runs through this weekend, may be getting its groove back. This year, the festival has expanded back to 100 shows, with steady audience numbers, says Kennedy. And, as of Thursday, it's surpassed $500,000 at the box office, all of which goes back to the artists. "That's half a million dollars going directly into artist pockets through the Fringe," all of whom are chosen by lottery, she said. "It's more than last year." The 'Avengers' of Toronto theatre Kennedy spoke to CBC Toronto on the patio next to Soulpepper Theatre, in the Distillery District — a new venue for Fringe, and, says Kennedy, a key part of this year's success. Late last year, Fringe signed on to a three year agreement with four other theatre companies, including Soulpepper, to "try to share knowledge and resources," said Kennedy. Called the Creative Collaboration Initiative, the agreement also includes Obsidian Theatre, The Musical Stage Company, and Bad Hats Theatre. "We actually had someone comment online and say, 'this is the Avengers of Toronto theatre,'" laughed Kennedy. The festival also expanded its offerings this year when it comes to genre, with a slate of musicals running at Theatre Passe Muraille as a Fringe satellite program. Britta Johnson is a Canadian composer and playwright whose award-winning musical 'Life After' follows a 16-year-old girl grappling with the death of her father. Loosely inspired by her own experiences, the show originally debuted at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2016, but later this month, it will return to Toronto at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre. Britta sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about the massive success of 'Life After' and what it means to bring the show back to the city where it all began. If you enjoy this conversation, check out Tom Power's chat with playwright Katori Hall on 'The Tina Turner Musical.' A festival that feels 'robust' All of the rebuilt momentum means artists like Vancouver's Naomi Steinberg, appearing at the Toronto Fringe for the first time, can find new audiences. Steinberg's show, designed for children and called 'Goosefeather Kamishibai,' builds on a traditional style of Japanese storytelling that uses a wooden frame with pictures inside to weave a performance. "I was the very last person pulled in the kids' fringe section [artist lottery]. And I cannot tell you how exciting it was," she said backstage at Soulpepper after one of her performances. Patricia Allison, a former Fringe performer herself who mentors independent theatre-makers and artists at a Toronto organization called Generator, says she can feel a change in the wind this year. "This year's festival has felt really robust. The shows I've gone to have been really well-attended," she said — a relief after the "precarity" she watched them navigate after the pandemic. "A lot of artists and a lot work comes out of there," continued Allison. "We need to make sure that it's around for years to come."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
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. 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. 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. 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. Two more world premieres occur during the English theatre season, both directed by the department's artistic producer, Nina Lee Aquino. 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. 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. 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. 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. Rounding out the theatre offerings is French theatre with a season programmed by Mani Soleymanlou. The centrepiece is a version of Macbeth, created with Quebec theatre master Robert Lepage, that sets the Shakespearienne tragedy in Quebec in the 1990s and populates it with members of a motorcycle gang. Speaking of Shakespeare and Lepage, the dynamic duo will resurface as part of the dance season spearheaded by NAC Dance executive producer Caroline Ohrt. In February, Lepage, the famed stage director, joins forces with renowned Canadian choreographer Guillaume Côté in tackling Hamlet. Their reimagination is titled The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. Also on the dance program are big productions by Royal Winnipeg Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada and Dance Theatre of Harlem, plus a piece by Danish choreographer Mette Ingvartsen that will see the theatre stage become a skatepark to show off Ingvartsen's explorations of the power and energy of skateboarding. A crew of Ottawa skaters will accompany the professional dancers. As for Popular Music and Variety, the department headed by Heather Gibson has unveiled a preliminary list of concerts confirmed between October and March 2026. Highlights include jazzfest fave Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, the Soweto Gospel Choir, a Choir! Choir! Choir! singalong, a Classic Albums Live take on Michael Jackson's Thriller and a date with the Israeli-born British chef Yotam Assaf Ottolenghi. More concerts will be announced during the season. Finally, two popular festivals are also returning. The biennial Zones Théâtrales, which showcases Francophone theatre from across Canada, celebrates its 11th edition in September, while the family-friendly Big Bang festival returns in February 2026. Existing season subscribers get first chance at tickets, with the window to renew subscriptions starting May 16. New subscriptions and individual tickets will go on sale June 12. For more information, go online to or call 1-844-985-2787. Want to stay in the know about what's happening in Ottawa? Sign up for the Ottawa Citizen's arts and life newsletter — Ottawa, Out of Office — our weekly guide to eating, listening, reading, watching, playing, hanging, learning and living well in the capital. Volunteers at the National Gallery worry about opportunities vanishing Four Ottawa restaurants crack 2025 Canada's 100 Best list
National Post
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
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 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 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.
