by CHRIS CLAY
ARE YOU IN THE HOLIDAY MOOD YET?
IF SO, you’re definitely going to want to grab tickets to see the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA when the band comes to the Scotiabank Arena for a pair of concerts on December 30. The band enjoyed a massive amount of success with its album Christmas Eve and Other Stories, featuring the wildly popular track “Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24,” and they’re bringing their sound here to Toronto. Billed as an unforgettable multi-sensory extravaganza, the band’s upcoming concerts are not to be missed by fans or those who love a holiday performance filled with visual spectacle. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
If you have little ones, you will probably want to see DISNEY ON ICE when it returns to Scotiabank for a series of shows January 24 to 26. Children, and probably more than a few young-at-heart adults, will be thrilled with the new Dream Big! show. It features Miguel from the heartwarming movie Coco plus other Disney favourites including Moana and Maui, Anna and Elsa and a number of Disney princesses. Filled with magical moments on the ice and stories people love from the films, it’s promising to be a great event for families. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
CHANCE THE RAPPER brings his The Big Tour to Scotiabank on February 12. The Grammy Award-winning artist is joined by special guests Lil Yachty and Taylor Bennett. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
If you’re looking for holiday concerts, there’s a number happening at Roy Thomson Hall in December. The TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA will be joined by talented Canadian soprano Measha Brueggergosman for its Holiday Pops concerts on December 10 through 12. The Christmas with the Salvation Army concert will be December 14 while the Toronto Children’s Chorus will present its A Chorus Christmas: Celestial Celebrations show on December 15. Meanwhile, those who love to raise their voice in song won’t want to miss a singalong to Handel’s Messiah on December 21, in what is a yearly holiday tradition for many. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the box office at 416.872.4255.
There’s no doubt that the musical HAMILTON has been a revelation. The modern take on American founding father Alexander Hamilton’s life has proven to be hugely popular, with tickets hard to come by south of the border, and it has turned Lin-Manuel Miranda into a household name. The musical is the winner of multiple Tony Awards, a Grammy Award and even the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It’s finally coming to Canada and is set to make its Canadian premiere at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. It opens February 11 and continues until May 17. Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 416.872.1212.
Also making its Canadian premiere at the Ed Mirvish Theatre is the musical ANASTASIA. Based on the film of the same name, it follows young Anya who is fleeing from a ruthless Soviet officer as she embarks on an epic adventure. It runs December 3 to January 12. Tickets start at $39 and can be purchased by calling 416.872.1212.
The Sony Centre has a new name – it’s now Meridian Hall – but a yearly Christmas tradition returns this December when the Toronto International Ballet Theatre stages a pair of performances of THE NUTCRACKER on December 14. This ballet is based on the classical version of The Nutcracker and will feature guest artists Anastasia Stashkevich and Vyacheslav Lopatin, both of whom are principal dancers with the famed Bolshoi Ballet. Tickets cost $55 to $135 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 1.855.872.7669.
For many people, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without the National Ballet of Canada’s version of The Nutcracker. The ballet, which is based on James Kudelka’s re-imagining of the classic holiday performance, runs at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts from December 12 to January 4. This version is set in 19th century Russia and follows brother and sister Misha and Marie on their magical journey to see the Sugar Plum Fairy. Tickets start at $45 and can be purchased through the box office by calling 416.345.9595.
At the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, the Victoria Ballet Company presents The Nutcracker on December 20 to 22. To purchase, call the box office at 905.787.8811.
Over at the Flato Markham Theatre there are lots of holiday shows in December including the JOHN MCDERMOTT Family Christmas with special guests Dala (December 13), A SWINGIN’ CHRISTMAS with the Toronto All-Star Big Band (December 22) and Canada’s Ballet Jorgen’s presentation of The Nutcracker (December 30 and 31). For tickets and more information, call the box office at 905.305.7469.