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King Tut: The Golden King and The Great Pharaohs

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Thirty years after the wonders of King Tut had their celebrated Canadian debut at the Art Gallery of Ontario, an even bigger exhibition – Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs – will make its sole Canadian appearance at the AGO with a members-only preview starting November 21 and public opening November 24. The 1979 exhibition sparked “Tutmania” throughout Canada and brought more than 750,000 visitors to the AGO. With an almost entirely different selection of treasures and more than twice the number of artifacts as were displayed in the 1979 exhibition, Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs features 130 remarkable pieces from the tomb of King Tut and ancient sites representing some of the most important rulers throughout 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history. Derived from temples and royal and private tombs from 2600 B.C to 660 B.C., most of these artifacts had never before been seen in North America prior to this exhibition, which is currently breaking venue attendance records during its U.S. premiere in Atlanta.

Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The Institute for Contemporary Culture (ICC) at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) presents Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008 from September 26, 2009 to January 3, 2010. The exhibition, which garnered record-breaking attendance in its recent European engagements, showcases 150 portraits, including classic images from Vanity Fair’s early period and photographs featured in the magazine since its 1983 relaunch. A collaboration between Vanity Fair and the National Portrait Gallery, London, the exhibition is curated by Terence Pepper, Curator of Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery, and David Friend, Vanity Fair’s Editor of Creative Development. Vanity Fair Portraits is presented by the Bay and will be displayed in the Roloff Beny Gallery on Level 4 of the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. The ROM will be the only Canadian venue to display Vanity Fair Portraits, and this will be its first showing in eastern North America.

Shut up and Show Us Your Tweets!

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Toronto: World class city or whiny little baby? With a summer full of strikes and strife, Toronto is in need of some serious fresh air. Our councillors, companies and unions have been flipping us the bird for months. It’s time we tweeted back. So on Tuesday September 29th the Second City tells Toronto to Shut up and Show Us Your Tweets! as we premiere our 64th revue.

One of a Kind Christmas Show and Sale

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Celebrating its 35th year, the One of a Kind show offers distinct handcrafted gifts and unique finds for all tastes and interests. Featuring sections for visual art, food, fashion, new artisans and green creations, shoppers can find "one of a kind" creations showcasing Canadian artisans.

BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Four years after BODY WORLDS 2 brought record crowds to the Science Centre, the new blockbuster exhibition, BODY WORLDS & The Story of the Heart, will open to the public on October 9, 2009. See through the lenses of anatomy, cardiology, psychology and culture how the heart nourishes, regulates and sustains life. The exhibition will give you a profound insight into the human body, health and disease, and the intricate world of the cardiovascular system with over 200 human specimens including whole-body plastinates, organs and translucent body slices. The striking whole-body plastinates in BODY WORLDS allow you to see inside the staggeringly complex and interconnected network of muscles, tendons and blood vessels that make up our bodies. The specimens on display come through the Institute for Plastination's body donation program - all of the donors had agreed before their deaths that their bodies can be displayed for public education purposes. Sixty-eight Canadians have bequeathed their bodies to von Hagens' Institute for Plastination in Heidelberg, Germany. Nearly half a million visitors came to see BODY WORLDS 2 at the Science Centre during its five-month run from September 30, 2005 to February 26, 2006. Due to its popularity, doors remained open for 61 consecutive hours during the final weekend, when over 32,000 people flocked to see the exhibition before it closed.

The Nutcracker

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

James Kudelka’s visually stunning, choreographically rich and thematically beguiling version of The Nutcracker is a pure gem of a ballet, touching and replete with the humour, spectacle and open emotionalism one expects from this grandly traditional work, but at the same time enlivened by a fresh, modern sensibility. The holiday classic, based on E.T.A. Hoffman’s cherished holiday story, is a wonderful dreamscape of childhood reveries, fantastic creatures and magical events, brought to life by some of Mr. Kudelka’s most imaginative choreography, a beloved Tchaikovsky score and gorgeously detailed and breathtaking sets and costumes by Santo Loquasto. Set in an enchanted, rustic world of 19th-century Russia, this version of The Nutcracker follows the quarrelling brother and sister Misha and Marie from their recognizable, everyday domain of folk customs and holiday rituals through a dream world that leads to the ice-coated realm of the Snow Queen and the splendour of the golden palace of the Sugar Plum Fairy. When they awake to their familiar lives, they find that the journey they have made and the experiences they have undergone have led them to a new level of maturity and understanding about themselves and their world. Box office: 416-345-9595.

The Sound of Music

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Andrew Lloyd Webber, David Ian and David Mirvish present the North American premiere of the lavish, new, hit London production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, with music by Oscar Hammerstein II, lyrics by Richard Rodgers and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. This timeless family classic is overseen in Canada by director Jeremy Sams, choreographer Arlene Philips and designer Robert Jones, all of whom won raves from the London critics for their superb work on the West End production. NOTE: Elicia MacKenzie is scheduled to play MARIA on Wednesday matinees, Thursday through Saturday evenings and both the Sunday matinee and Sunday evening performances; Janna Polzin is scheduled to take the part on Wednesday evenings and Saturday matinees. This schedule is subject to change without notice in the event of illness or other unforeseen circumstances.

Stingray Bay: A touching Experience

Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

For the first time in Ontario and only at the Toronto Zoo touch, feed and learn all about stingrays at the newly installed Stingray Bay. This exhibit will engage visitors and provide them with the opportunity to humanely and safely interact with these incredible creatures. Up to 25 Cownose and Southern Stingrays will be featured at Stingray Bay, located within the Zellers Discovery Zone.

Nuit Blanche

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Here is a synopsis of what occurred last year at this innovative all night festival: "For one dreamy night residents and visitors explored unfamiliar corners of the city or encountered familiar destinations transformed by artists. They discovered everything from interactive video art, a balloon maze, and steamy saunas to floating clouds, Parisian vampires, and a pom-pom exchange. Thousands experienced an intergalactic miracle, prehistoric fish swimming in storefront windows, and a sweater-wearing building. And who can forget the gargantuan locust in Lamport Stadium, the Brazilian festival in the heart of Toronto, Toronto’s ghost station in Yorkville, and a chocolate stag in Trinity Bellwoods Park!" Look forward to 2008's edition being just as spectacular.

Jersey Boys

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Directed by Canadian Des McAnuff, with book by Marshall Brickman & Rick Elice, JERSEY BOYS is the 2006 Tony Award®-Winner for Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. Broadway's biggest success story takes you behind the music of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons and, as The New York Times says, "the crowd goes wild!" Follow the rags-to-rock-to-riches tale of four blue-collar kids working their way from the streets of Newark to the heights of stardom. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were 30! JERSEY BOYS features their hit songs Sherry, Big Girls Don't Cry, Rag Doll, Oh What a Night and Can't Take My Eyes Off You. "IT WILL RUN FOR CENTURIES!" proclaims Time Magazine.