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Toronto's new Live with Culture campaign perfectly captures the cultural renaissance happening within the city, from the boom of artistic talent driving an amazing selection of events to the new additions and renovations of performing arts centres. For planners, the benefit isn't just more options with which to entertain groups, but also more choice in venues that can give their events and corporate gatherings the kind of stage presence you just can't achieve in a hotel ballroom. Here's a look at a couple of the new cultural landmark additions along with changes to a few smaller theatre playhouses around town. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts: Acoustically innovative and dramatically grand, this new home for the Canadian Opera Company and National Ballet of Canada opens in mid June. While commercial rentals are on hold until the fall's opera season is in full swing, planners can look forward to a number of spectacular special event spaces.
With a design based on the elegance and excellent sightlines of European opera houses, the multi-tiering and horseshoe shape of the R. Fraser Elliott Hall signature auditorium seats 2,000. For seated receptions up to 350 people, enjoy the glass-enclosed splendour and city views of the City Room lobby. Several corporate and sponsor lounges holding 150 to 250 people, and smaller hospitality suites fitting groups of up to 25 people, offer pre- and post-performance entertaining options. Young Centre for the Performing Arts: The new Distillery District home for the Soulpepper Theatre and resident George Brown Theatre School is a marvel of versatility housing four intimate theatres with configurable seating and staging ranging from 90 to 400 people, four rehearsal studios, two classrooms and an open-air concert stage with seating for up to 150. The stage in the Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre, the largest space, can be reconfigured three ways including the first thrust stage available in Toronto. Designed to enhance the exposed brick beauty and historic features of the original 1832 buildings, the 44,000 sq. ft. facility is outfitted with wireless connectivity and planners can utilize the full array of lighting-sound technology and on-site support. A fireplace, long tapas bar and floor lights for dramatic uplighting make a welcoming lobby and common area between all the rooms.
The Second City: With new digs at the back of Wayne Gretzky's restaurant at Blue Jays Way and Mercer Street, Second City returns to its theatre roots with a user-friendly space for up to 320. Crackling with a dynamic energy far removed from the formality of traditional theatre, hundreds of photos of famed Second City alumni and performances paper the walls and casual cabaret-style seating can be removed or reconfigured for varying uses. A raised main floor area at the back of the theatre does double duty for food and beverage service and the tiered balcony offers additional seating. Private daytime rentals are available, or package an afternoon corporate presentation with cocktails and dinner at Gretzky's followed by an evening show. Planners can also tap into the creative services of Second City Communications to help deliver the power of comedy with customized scripting, improv-training workshops, tailored skits and hilarious masters of ceremony to underscore the event messaging.
Diesel Playhouse: Stage impresario Jeffrey Latimer and company recently worked their magic on the former Second City and Tim Sims Playhouse on Blue Jays Way transforming the space into the new Diesel Playhouse. Renovations extended the main theatre stage and expanded seating capacity to 400, plus increased seating capacity to 118 in the separate cabaret theatre for more intimate events. A funky new colour palette and chandelier lighting add a hip freshness to the space with Kultura Catering (of Blowfish and Doku restaurant fame) providing on-site catering. The spacious lobby with cascading stairwell and window wall is impressive for receptions up to 400. A permanent art gallery near the entrance opens soon and two downstairs restaurants (formerly Tony & Tina's and Leoni's Italian Kitchen) are slated for opening in mid-summer. Groups can use the in-house graphic service to customize exterior marquees and interior signage with their message. Along with full a-v service, large projection screens are available for both theatres. The Music Hall: A fixture at Danforth and Broadview since 1918, this restored landmark recently re-opened with the Canadian premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Song & Dance musical. Fresh Wedgewood blue walls, restored goldleaf beadwork and mouldings, and new plush red seats reawaken the rich elegance of the historic 1,200 seat theatre. A portable stage-wide screen and projection equipment from a previous incarnation as a movie house is available for digital or 35 mm films. A new state-of-the-art sound and lighting system, renovated backstage area, washrooms, lobby and bar area update the facility for multi-use purposes. Downstairs, lobby set ups accommodate receptions for up to 120 with the exterior marquee and several video screen displays available for private event purposes. Upstairs, two private VIP lounges for groups of up to 35 people flank the balcony lobby.
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