Frommer's Montreal and Quebec City by Patricia Gajo

Author:Patricia Gajo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Published: 2012-03-17T16:00:00+00:00

The Performing Arts

Circus

The extraordinary circus company Cirque du Soleil is based in Montréal. Each show is a celebration of pure skill and nothing less than magical, with acrobats, clowns, trapeze artists, and performers costumed to look like creatures not of this world—iguanas crossed with goblins, or peacocks born of trolls. Cirque performs internationally, with as many as 20 shows playing across the globe simultaneously. Although there isn’t a permanent show in Montréal, the troupe often comes to town in late spring and sets up its signature blue-and-yellow-striped tents in Vieux-Port. In 2011, the “Totem” show had performances in June and July. The new “Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour” also debuted in Montréal at the Centre Bell in Oct. Check www.cirquedusoleil.com for the schedule.

Pavillon de la TOHU Adjacent to Cirque du Soleil’s training complex and company offices, TOHU is a performance space devoted to the circus arts. Acrobats and performers from Québec’s Productions à Trois Têtes and the Imperial Acrobats of China have performed here, and the annual June shows by students of the National Circus School present many of the top rising stars. TOHU features an intimate in-the-round hall done up like an old-fashioned circus tent, and an exhibit space displays more than 100 circus artifacts. The entire venue was built with recycled pieces of an amusement-park bumper-car ride and wood from a dismantled railroad. The facility is in the lower-income Saint-Michel district well north of downtown, and accessible by Métro and bus, as well as taxi. 2345 rue Jarry est (corner of rue d’Iberville, at Autoroute 40). 888/376-8648 or 514/376-8648. www.tohu.ca. Free to view facility and exhibits. Tour admission from C$6 adults; C$4 seniors, students, and children 7–11; free for children 6 and under, but not recommended. Tour requires reservations. Mon–Fri 9am–5pm. Performances from C$45 adults, from C$32 children 12 and under. 8km (5 miles) from downtown, up rue St-Denis and east on rue Jarry to where it meets Autoroute 40. Métro: Jarry or Iberville. Bus: 94 nord.

Classical Music & Opera

Many churches have exemplary music programs. At Cathédrale Christ Church, 635 rue Ste-Catherine ouest ( 514/843-6577, ext. 369; www.montrealcathedral.ca), a top-notch choir sings Sundays at 10am and 4pm with programs that often include modernists such as Benjamin Britten and David Lord.

Opéra de Montréal ★★★ Founded in 1980, this outstanding opera company (it’s one of the 15 largest in North America) mounts six productions per year in Montréal, with artists from Québec and abroad participating in such shows as Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Puccini’s La Bohème. Video translations are provided from the original languages into French and English. Performances are held from September to June at Place des Arts. Just next door, a new concert hall, L’Adresse Symphonique, was scheduled to open in September 2011. Place des Arts, 175 rue Ste-Catherine ouest (main entrance), downtown. 514/985-2258 for tickets. www.operademontreal.com. Tickets from C$46. Métro: Place des Arts.

Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal The orchestra performs during its regular season at Place des Arts. The 2011 schedule included 10 performances, and opened with Great Classics, such as Beethoven’s Symphony No.

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