The Performing Arts

Toronto's arts scene offers something for everyone year-round. The city's arts institutions are widely renowned, and many top-notch international performers pass through town.

Discount Tickets -- Want to take in a show, but don't want to spend a bundle? Drop by the T.O. Tix booth (tel. 416/536-6468, ext. 40), which sells half-price day-of-performance tickets. The booth is currently in the Yonge-Dundas Square, which is just across the street from the Eaton Centre. T.O. Tix accepts cash, Visa, and MasterCard, and all sales are final. The booth is open Tuesday to Saturday from noon to 7:30pm; it's closed Sunday and Monday (tickets for performances on those days are sold on Sat).

Toronto's arts scene offers something for everyone year-round. The city's arts institutions are widely renowned, and many top-notch international performers pass through town.

Theater

While it may seem that Toronto favors big-budget musicals -- The Lion King and Mamma Mia! both played here for what felt like forever -- a number of excellent smaller companies also exist. Many of the smaller troupes have no permanent performance space, so they move from venue to venue.

The best time to capture the flavor of Toronto's theater life is during the Fringe Festival (tel. 416/534-5919; www.fringetoronto.com), usually held for 12 days starting in late June or early July. In July and August, try to catch the Dream in High Park (tel. 416/368-3110; www.canstage.com). It mounts stunning productions of Shakespearean or Canadian plays from the CanStage Company in an outdoor setting.

Farther Afield -- Don't forget that two major theater festivals -- the Shaw Festival (www.shawfest.com) in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Stratford Festival (www.stratfordfestival.ca) in Stratford -- are only an hour or two away.

More Than Church Music

Everyone knows that a church is where you go to listen to choir music -- but in Toronto, several churches double as performance spaces for classical or opera ensembles. Trinity-St. Paul's United Church, 427 Bloor St. W. (tel. 416/964-6337; www.tspucc.org), is home to Toronto's acclaimed Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. St. James' Cathedral, at 65 Church St. (tel. 416/364-7865; www.stjamescathedral.on.ca), hosts everything from solo performances of classical cellists to youth choirs from abroad. St. Patrick's Church, 141 McCaul St. (tel. 416/483-0559), is where the Tallis Choir of Toronto often performs (its repertoire spans Tudor music to songs by Canadian composer Healy Willan). And if you happen to love real church music, stop in at St. Michael's Cathedral, 65 Bond St. (tel. 416/364-0234; www.stmichaelscathedral.com). Its own Boys Choir has won international competitions.

Opera Obsessed

It was big news in 2006 when Toronto's opera house -- the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts -- opened its doors for the first time. The irony was that Toronto, a city that had never before possessed an opera house, was already the North American magnet for opera lovers. And while I'm a huge fan of the Canadian Opera Company , it was just one reason to visit. Others include Opera Atelier (tel. 416/703-3767; www.operaatelier.com), a renowned company that produces baroque operas (Monteverdi, Mozart, and Gluck are perennially popular). The Toronto Opera Repertoire (tel. 416/698-9572; www.toronto-opera.com) is dedicated to making opera accessible to all, using supertitles in English and keeping ticket prices democratically low. Tapestry New Opera Works (tel. 416/537-6066; www.tapestrynewopera.com) is dedicated to the production of original works of Canadian opera and musical theater. A favorite of mine is the Queen of Puddings Music Theatre (tel. 416/203-4149; www.queenofpuddingsmusictheatre.com) which offers a provocative and fantastical take on chamber opera; the company has performed in London's Convent Garden.

Pop & Rock Music Venues

Everyone comes to Toronto -- even Madonna, who ran into some trouble with the obscenity police a while back (that was before her reincarnation as lady of the manor, of course). Tickets are available through Ticketmaster (tel. 416/870-8000). In addition to the previously mentioned Hummingbird Centre and Massey Hall, these are the major pop and rock music venues.

Great Music on a Budget -- As the cost of concert tickets spirals ever upward, it can be frustrating to budget for an evening out. But there are some places you can count on scoring a deal. My personal best bet is University of Toronto's Faculty of Music (tel. 416/978-3744; www.music.utoronto.ca), which offers a full range of instrumental and choral concerts and recitals. They are held at various locations around the St. George Campus, and many are free of charge. It's also worth checking out who's performing at the Royal Conservatory of Music, 273 Bloor St. W. (tel. 416/408-2825; www.rcmusic.ca). There are concerts by well-known jazz vocalists or international ensembles (the cost is usually around C$10/US$9.50/£4.50 per ticket), as well as free recitals given by faculty members and students.