October is fall leaves and pumpkin pie, bats, black cats and witches, oh my! Oh yes, and the beginning of the new theatre season for many organizations!
The Canadian Opera Company began its season at the Four Seasons Centre with a completely sold-out performance of Turandot on September 28th. There are several more opportunities to see this Puccini opera during October, as well as performances of Dvořák’s Rusalka between October 12 and 26.
At Roy Thomson Hall, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra begins the month with Star Wars: Return of the Jedi – in concert from October 3-5, and ends the month with Symphony Spooktacular, a Young People’s Concert at which “boys and ghouls” are invited to attend in costume. Check the TSO’s site for its full calendar of October offerings.
The Canadian premiere of The Band’s Visit began on September 17 and runs through October 20 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. This celebrated musical won ten of the eleven Tony Awards it was nominated for in 2018, including for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score. Toronto’s own Chilina Kennedy and award- winning Israeli actor Sasson Gaba star.
The Band’s Visit is followed by Mozart’s comedy opera Don Giovanni when Opera Atelier takes to the Mirvish stage between October 31 and November 9.
Girl From the North Country is onstage at the Royal Alexandra Theatre through November 24. The story, about the residents of a boarding house in Duluth, Minnesota, during the Great Depression, was written by award-winning Irish playwright Connor McPherson, who incorporated 19 of Bob Dylan’s songs into the musical.
Come From Away continues to sell out at the Elgin Theatre. Tickets are available for performances there through December 1, after which the beloved show will return to the Royal Alexandra Theatre in mid-December.
The Princess of Wales Theatre is closed this fall to undergo renovations for the first time in its 26-year history. Originally opened in 1993 with the Canadian premiere of Miss Saigon (which will return to the theatre in the summer of 2020 for a brief run), the theatre will reopen on November 27 when Andrew Lloyd Webber’s blockbuster musical Cats leaps onto the stage.
Remember to check for the possibility of rush tickets for all of Mirvish’s shows, available at 9 a.m. on most performance days.
The newly-christened Meridian Hall (formerly the Sony Centre) has lots to offer dance lovers this month, beginning with Fall for Dance North from October 2-4, followed by World of Dance Live and Discover Dance: KH Kanna later in October. A wide variety of performances take place in-between, from Avril Lavigne to RuPaul’s Drag Race to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in concert.
The George Weston Recital Hall at the Meridian Arts Centre (formerly Toronto Centre for the Arts) is also presenting a variety of performers this month, including the North Metro Chorus, Flamenco Legends, Sinfonia Toronto and more.
Whether you’re a regular theatre-goer, or new to the world of musicals, if you attend a performance at one of Toronto’s major theatres listed on our homepage, please help us build our database by submitting a review of the view from your seat.