Sphere Festival Opens With A Beautifully Intense Inter-discipline Performance

 The National Arts Centre kicked off its 2024 SPHERE Festival, an enlightened celebration of the coming together of arts and science, with UAQUE, a collaboration between Colombian Canadian choreographer Andrea Peña, renowned Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky, and the NAC Orchestra’s masterful Music Director Alexander Shelley. The curtain was up as

‘Rose in the Machine’ at the NAC

 Rose in the Machine follows the life of a Quebec mother, Maude, as she navigates life after an autism diagnosis of her three-year old daughter, Rose. It is a beautiful, moving docu-drama that is playing at the NAC tonight and tomorrow. The journey will feel eerily familiar for anyone who has

Broadway Across Canada’s Hairspray Exemplifies why Live Theatre is so Precious

 Broadway Across Canada’s production of Hairspray made its National Arts Centre (NAC) debut last night, where it will run through November 19th. As a man with a shaved head, I was looking forward to seeing a musical named after a product I don’t use. Based on a book by Mark

10 things to do in Ottawa this weekend – November 4-6, 2022

 Ernesto Cervini at the NAC When: Friday, November 4, 2022 Where: National Arts Centre,1 Elgin Street What time: 8 pm Admission: Starting at $34 • Click here to purchase tickets Born from the imagination of JUNO Award-winning drummer and composer Ernesto Cervini and inspired by the incredible village from Louise Penny’s Three

The musical inspired by the film, “Mean Girls,” will inspire you!

 Book: Tina Fey  Music: Jeff Richmond  Lyrics: Neil Benjamin At last night’s Broadway Across Canada production of Mean Girls, it was clear that this was a ‘girls’ night out.’ The scene brought me back to the release of the first Sex and the City movie when theatres were full of women excited

10 things to do in Ottawa this weekend – September 16-18, 2022

 Walk Right Back – The Everly Brothers Story When: September 18, 2022 Where: Meridian Theatre @Centrepointe, 101 Centrepointe Drive  What time: 7 pm Admission: From $59 • Click here for tickets With “harmonies from heaven,” The Everly Brothers were unmatched in their talent. Walk Right Back is the first show of its

Broadway Across Canada at the NAC continues to wow with Anastasia

 Broadway Across Canada at the National Arts Centre has impressed me three times in two months. When Hamilton finally touched down, after a two-year delay, it wowed audiences in Ottawa as it has in every other market. Dear Evan Hansen was up next to remind people that musical theatre is for

“Dear Evan Hansen” is a must-see at the NAC.

 ABOVE: Anthony Norman (Evan Hansen), John Hemphill (Larry Murphy), Lili Thomas (Cynthia Murphy), Alaina Anderson (Zoe Murphy), in the 2022-2023 North American Tour of Dear Evan Hansen. (Photo: Evan Zimmerman) Once again, I am boasting about the National Arts Centre, specifically its Broadway Across Canada program. A few weeks ago, Hamilton was wowing audiences,

Hamilton is a Broadway smash hit that everyone should see

 To fully appreciate Hamilton, you need to go back to 2009. Before the Tony Awards, before the hoopla, before we knew who a Daveed Diggs was, back in 2009 at the White House specifically. The Obama Administration was hosting a ‘Poetry Jam’ night. This was the first-ever White House Poetry

Weekend What’s Up December 17-19, 2021

 From holiday shopping to taking part in seasonal activities, check out our weekly roundup of things to do in Ottawa this weekend. We have a mix of fun activities including some free options, all are guaranteed to help you get in the festive spirit! 1. Leahy: A Celtic Family Christmas When: December 19,

Ottawa’s Neighbourhoods: Downtown Ottawa

 From the Parliament buildings south to the 417, we are looking at downtown Ottawa. This is the part of the city that makes Ottawa really feel like a major capital, from the centres of industry tucked into skyscrapers, to the most iconic historic halls of politics in the city, especially Parliament

The boundless creativity of Laurent Bourque

 Creative spurs don't always come to you in a straight line. For Laurent Bourque, endless touring and the usual grind back to writing again just left him in a rut. So instead he began a venture into writing with others that led to over 100 songs and eventually his latest

The Night Ravel met Gershwin

 Photo: Classical pianist Jan Lisiecki (credit: Christoph Koestlin) In 1928, French composer Maurice Ravel made a very successful, four-month long tour of the US and Canada, during which he presented 25 concerts and many informal soirées. Ravel was a great admirer of the new world and he embraced modernity with all

NAC’s National Creation Fund is the Antidote to the Creation Gap

 The National Arts Centre has long helped to pave the way for artists in our nation's capital and across our country. Last week, the National Arts Centre announced the National Creation Fund, a $25 million fund that will support ambitious new Canadian work in theatre, dance and music by artists and arts organizations across

Last Chance to catch Up to Low at NAC

 Photo credit: David Hou The last play of the NAC theatre season closes tomorrow. I have to say that this year, the plays in the smaller Azrieli Studio theatre have been the ones that have impressed me the most so keep a special eye out for those plays next year. The

THE NAC: Canada’s Stage, Transformed

 Feature photo by David Kawai It’s not often that the head of a major cultural organization has been able to thank both the Harper and Trudeau governments for major investments in their organizations. But on July 1, 2017, at the lavish opening of the revitalized and expanded National Arts Centre,

Perfect 10 at the NAC! Sir John A.: Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion

 The NAC has pulled off a theatrical perfect 10 in Drew Hayden Taylor’s Sir John A:  Acts of a Gentrified Ojibway Rebellion.  It is a thought-provoking play about various issues such as First Nations relations,  the struggles of youth, reconciling with history, justice and finding your place in the world. 

New Producer, New Season! The NAC Presents Dynamic 50 Show Fall Lineup

 It must have felt like a dream come true when Heather Gibson stepped into the role of Executive Producer of NAC Presents & Variety Programming last year. Instead of a light bulb you could almost see the multiple strands of music notes dancing around her head. The passionate music lover

The Colony of Unrequited Dreams: A Theatrical Dream

 Photos by Victoria Wells With Canada’s  150th birthday fast approaching, it seems like a fitting time to brush up on some Canadian history in a highly creative and entertaining fashion.  While Joey Smallwood is not an uncommon name and certainly the fact that Newfoundland joined Confederation in 1949 is another

Synths and Strings, the Glory of the 80s Goes Symphonic

 The NAC Orchestra is turning the clock back this week to showcase the music of 80s. Those looking for composers like Strauss, Tchaikovsky and Brahms, however, should turn their time machine ahead by a century. Put away your three-piece suits and gowns and break out your florescent day-glo, tease your

Get ‘Kinky’ in Ottawa

 You may recall the 2005 independent movie Kinky Boots. In it, main character Charlie Price unexpectedly inherits his father’s shoe company. He discovers that the company is in deep trouble as comfortable, sturdy and practical men’s footwear is no longer in demand. As Charlie looks to save the company, he

Warm your heart and Soul This Weekend with Empire of the Son

 Empire of the Son, the latest production at the NAC, keeps up with the stellar theatrical offerings of artistic director Jillian Keily.  The show is real, a theatrical biography of the family of Tetsuro Shigematsu (former host of CBC Radio One’s The Roundup) who wrote and stars in the show. 

Canada’s Stage to Shine Brighter Than Ever in 2017!

 This morning inside the National Arts Centre the message rang out as loud as a 1st of July firework: in 2017, the NAC will be Canada’s stage. Though the NAC has always celebrated the diversity of Canadian arts since opening its doors back in 1969, next year’s big 150th birthday

20th Annual NAC Gala Brings a New Energy to the NAC

 Gala images by Ernesto Distefano and Andre Gagne. Saturday October 22ND, 2016 marked the 20TH Annual Natioanl Arts Centre Gala, featuring performances by five-time Grammy-winning Canadian artist Diana Krall, in collaboration with Music Director Alexander Shelley and the National Arts Centre Orchestra. This year’s Gala raised almost $725,000 in support

‘Canadian Songbook’ Tour Captures its Last Note in Ottawa

 All photos by Eric Murphy.  A journey that began three months ago will end this evening when classical crossover singer Eleanor McCain and the NAC orchestra strike the last note of the seven songs they’ve been recording together. The seven songs, all re-interpretations of Canadian classics and contemporary hits, are