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WE ARE BACK! After a two-year see-saw ride, entertainment throughout the GTA and the rest of the Province of Ontario has returned. Capacity limits have been lifted for all indoor public settings including theatres, concert halls, and entertainment venues.

Family Oriented Theatre, Concert & Special Events

English

2023-2024 Entertainment for the whole family!

Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front Street East
The Oakville Centre For The Performing Arts, 130 Navy Street
Meridian Hall (formerly Sony Centre), 1 Front St E, Toronto
Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King Street West

NovDec2024: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOct

November 20 – December 30, 2023
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front Street East

Ages 10+ | Grades 5+
This holiday season, transport yourself to 1945 Bedford Falls with a beloved classic! The story of George Bailey comes to life in this live 1940’s radio play adaptation. An ensemble cast of five retells the story as a radio broadcast where you become the live studio audience! Watch as each actor doubles as a foley artist (that’s someone who makes special sounds), creating a playful acoustic backdrop of sound effects and festive jingles.

December 2, 2023 | 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM
It’s Ok To Be Different
AEG Liebherr Auditorium, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts

Based on stories by Todd Parr – Mermaid Theatre
With his signature blend of playfulness and sensitivity, Todd Parr explores important and timely subjects. It’s Okay to Be Different cleverly delivers the important messages of acceptance, understanding, and self-confidence. Equally whimsical and heartfelt, The Earth Book, is a sweet homage to our beautiful planet inspiring readers of all ages to do their part to keep the Earth happy and healthy. This is My Hair is a funny exploration of how silly hair can be and that no matter how your hair looks, always feel good about yourself.

December 28, 2023 | 7:00 p.m.
Chris Funk The Wonderist
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St., St. Catharines

FirstOntario PAC presents: A visceral multimedia magic experience that has audiences talking and scratching their heads for years to come. Chris Funk’s Redefining Wonder is an engaging and visceral multimedia experience that has audiences talking and scratching their heads for years to come. Chris has pioneered the use of instruments like the violin, guitar, flute and more into his illusions. His parents wanted him to be a musician, but he wanted to be a magician. Chris tells his story on how he integrated his love for music and magic in a show unlike any other. Whether it’s a violin concerto to a magical dancing sheet of music to impossibly suspending various instruments on stage, his show is in a league of its own. The live-feed camera and interactive videos bring audiences up onstage and into the action, delivering a show that family audiences can call their own.

Decemeber 29, 2023 | 3:00pm
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre presents Sing-A-Long Sound of Music
COSTUME PARADE BEGINS AT 2PM
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St., St. Catharines

FirstOntario PAC presents: Sing-a-long to the most successful movie musical of all time! This memorable event includes an unforgettable costume parade and major amounts of audience participation.

December 31, 2023 | 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM
Chris Funk – The Wonderist
AEG Liebherr Auditorium, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts

Chris Funk’s Redefining Wonder is an engaging and visceral multimedia experience that has audiences talking and scratching their heads for years to come. Finally, a magic show with music! Chris has pioneered the use of instruments like the violin, guitar, flute, and more in his illusions. His parents wanted him to be a musician, but he wanted to be a magician.

January 11 – 12, 2024
Warner Bros. Discovery presents BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY
Meridian Hall

“What’s up, Doc?” A thrilling blend of classical music and classic animation! A dozen of the world’s most iconic Looney Tunes —What’s Opera, Doc? The Rabbit of Seville, Corny Concerto, Baton Bunny, Long-Haired Hare, and many others—plus five brand new animated shorts will be projected on the big screen, while their exhilarating original scores are played live by the FILMharmonic Orchestra, conducted by George Daugherty.

January 28, 2024 | 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM
Emilio’s A Million Chameleons
AEG Liebherr Auditorium, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts

Emilio is excited to bring you his circus act with a million chameleons to entertain you with music, magic, and amazement. His favourite chameleon of them all is Juan… the shyest little chameleon.

At its heart Emilio’s A Million Chameleons is really about a little chameleon named Juan (and maybe a not-so-little human named Emilio) who needs to stop trying to blend in and learn to let their inner sparkle shine. It was created by internationally-celebrated puppeteer Adam Francis Proulx, and directed by Canadian Comedy Award-winner Byron Laviolette. Music is by cabaret star Chris Tsujiuchi.

January 29 – February 23, 2024
TRUTH
Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front Street East

Ages 10+ | Grades 5+
It’s 1858 on a Virginian tobacco plantation. Deep in a forest, a young Black girl named Phoebe sits in the hollow of a tree, a notebook in her pocket and a harrowing choice ahead. Truth is adapted from the Governor General’s Award-winning novel “The Gospel Truth“, and tells the story of a courageous 16-year-old, the arrival of a stranger from the north, and a trail of secrets that could change everything. From the American South to St. Catharine’s, Ontario, Truth chronicles the fierce strength and resilience of a community as it struggles to find freedom.

February 17, 2024
Sonic Symphony
Meridian Hall

From the classic 8-bit and 16-bit tunes to rock bands and EDM, this concert will take you on a musical journey through the colourful world of Sonic the hedgehog. Relive your favorite Sonic moments, brought to life by a full symphony orchestra. Sonic Symphony will be an electrifying tribute to the music that has defined generations of gamers, old and new. Don’t miss the chance to experience the sounds of Sonic like never before.

Presented by MGP Live.

February 19, 2023 | 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m.
The Drama Garden By Carousel Players
FAMILY DAY AT THE PAC!
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Robertson Theatre, 250 St Paul St., St. Catharines

FirstOntario PAC presents: An interactive drama activity adventure created by Carousel Players! Explore five different stations where audiences will interact with performers, puppets and more! Five separate activity stations will be set in Robertson Theatre for families to explore, featuring:

  • The Flower Garden
    An interactive musical performance where audience members help make music to encourage flowers to grow.
  • Dragon on the Hill
    Audiences animate and dance with a large Dragon puppet, sing a lullaby for the Dragon, and then imagine what might happen next in the story.
  • The Cardinal
    The audience helps a comedic human sized bird to rebuild their broken nest.
  • Puppet Friends
    A tabletop puppet piece about friends helping one another.
  • Creation Station
    A craft space where families can build their own puppets and crafts, and contribute to a community art project called Carousels of Hope by writing their hope for the year ahead on a carousel horse.

February 19, 2024 | 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
Postcards From A Blue Planet: A Musical Adventure
FAMILY DAY AT THE PAC!
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Recital Hall, 250 St Paul St., St. Catharines

FirstOntario PAC presents: A love letter to our home planet that takes the listener on a musical tour of diverse biospheres. Developed for children ages 4 and up, this imaginative performance showcases a variety of wind instruments including multiple flutes, clarinets, bassoons, and saxophone. Written by Canadian composer Kevin Lau, Postcards from a Blue Planet is a love letter to our home planet that takes the listener on a musical tour of diverse biospheres. The Niagara Symphony Orchestra is pleased to present this program as a part of the PAC’s Family Day activities.

February 19, 2024 | 2:00 p.m.
No Excuses, No Limits By ILL-ABILITIES
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St., St. Catharines

ILL-ABILITIES™ is an International Breakdance Crew comprised of seven active members from around the world: Redouan “Redo” Ait Chitt (The Netherlands), Sergio “Checho” Carvajal (Chile)
Jung Soo “Krops” Lee (South Korea), Jacob “Kujo” Lyons (U.S.A), Lucas “Perninha” Machado (Brazil), Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli (Canada), and Samuel Henrique “Samuka” da Silveira Lima (Brazil). An International Breakdance Crew comprised of an all-star team of seven of the world’s best differently-abled dancers spreading positive thinking by sharing their motivational stories and theatrical dance performances worldwide. This crew originated from an idea by Montreal-based dancer/motivational speaker Luca “Lazylegz” Patuelli to create an all-star team of some of the world’s best differently-abled dancers. ILL-ABILITIES™ was officially formed in 2007, with four founding members Lazyegz, Tommy Guns, Kujo, and Checho whose goal was to compete and perform internationally showing the world that anything is possible.

March 4 – 17, 2024
THROUGH MY EYES
Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front Street East

Ages 4-7 | JK-Gr. 2
Immerse yourself in Through My Eyes – a vivid world of dance, colour, sounds, textures, forms and illusions. In a spectacular topsy-turvy playground, four dancers play together and discover a constantly shifting wonderland. Full of surprises, this stimulating dance piece from Quebec’s Bouge de là invites audiences to see the world afresh through the eyes of an exploring child.

March 14, 2024 | 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM
Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo
AEG Liebherr Auditorium, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts

Get ready for the ultimate playdate – 65 million years in the making – as Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live guides your family on a breathtaking tour that begins in pre-historic Australia. Brought to life by a team of skilled performers and puppeteers, and designed with the help of professional paleontologists, Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live’s puppets are so extraordinarily realistic you may feel the urge to run and hide – but don’t!

Expect a roaring good time while observing, meeting, and interacting with over 19 dinosaurs, including the Triceratops, T. Rex, Megneura, Leaellynasaura, Titanosaur, and more!

March 15, 2024 | 2:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St., St. Catharines

Get ready for the ultimate playdate – 65 million years in the making – as Erth’s DINOSAUR ZOO LIVE guides your family on a breathtaking tour that begins in prehistoric Australia. You’ll observe, meet and interact with an eye-popping collection of amazingly life-like dinosaurs and other creatures presented in a theatrical performance that will thrill and entertain kids while stimulating their imaginations in ways that will forever connect them to their world.

March 26, 2024 | 7:30 p.m.
The Peking Acrobats
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St., St. Catharines

For the last 35 years, The Peking Acrobats have redefined audience perceptions of Chinese acrobatics. They perform daring manoeuvres atop a precarious pagoda of chairs and display their technical prowess at such arts as trick-cycling, precision tumbling, juggling, somersaulting, and gymnastics. They push the limits of human ability, defying gravity with amazing displays of contortion, flexibility, and control. The Peking Acrobats are often accompanied by live musicians who skillfully play traditional Chinese instruments; the time-honoured Chinese music coalesces with high-tech special effects and awe-inspiring acrobatic feats, creating an exuberant entertainment event with the festive pageantry of a Chinese Carnival.

March 2024
Maple Sugar Festival
Brooks Farms, Ashworth Road, Mount Albert

Take a Wagon Ride back to the Bush and enjoy an educational tour given by one of our Farmers! Maple Sugar Tastings, Bon Fires, Indoor Pancake House, Kids Activities, and More! www.brooksfarms.com/maplesugarfestival

March 2024
Maple Town
Mountsberg, 2259 Milburough Line, Campbellville

It’s the sweetest time of year at Conservation Halton! The Mountsberg sugarbush has been producing maple magic for more than 150 years and educating the public for over 40 years. The park will tap about 300 sugar maples this spring and the crystal-clear sap will be magically transformed into sweet maple syrup in the Sugar Shanty. Purchase a delicious pancake meal, maple-themed sweets & treats!

The sugar bush will offer park visitors independent exploration and guided tours throughout the park during their visit to Mountsberg (Tours requires a reservation and additional fees apply)

March 2024
Bridges Festival

Bridges Festival is a three-day puppetry festival that happens at the beginning of March Break. Filled with exciting puppetry shows from around the world, award-winning animated shorts, and an exhibit about the art of puppetry from its origin to today. Bridges Festival aims to connect professional puppeteers from around the world and bridge cultures through one of the oldest art forms. www.cranecreations.ca/bridges-festival-march-break

March 2024
Maple at the Village
Black Creek Pioneer Village, 1000 Murray Ross Parkway, Toronto

This March Break, celebrate the charm of maple syrup season as Black Creek Pioneer Village buzzes with the energy of early spring. Discover the old-fashioned skills needed to take this sweet treat all the way from tree to table. Our costumed educators will “spile” the beans on maple’s magic, and teach you the backwoods skills necessary for adventures in the sugarbush. blackcreek.ca/things-to-do/maple-syrup

April 15 – May 2, 2024
THE FIXING GIRL
Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front Street East

Ages 8-13 | Gr. 3-8
From celebrated UK playwright, Kevin Dyer comes the world premiere of The Fixing Girl. Mum is lost in her own thoughts and it’s making Meghan’s horrible day even worse. So Meghan retreats to the backyard shed where she and Grandad have always fixed broken things. It’s there that she hopes to find the answer to feeling better – but instead finds only more questions.

April 30, 2024 | 7:00 p.m.
360 Allstars
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, Partridge Hall, 250 St Paul St., St. Catharines

A phenomenal physical performance exploring all forms of rotation, 360 ALLSTARS connects the street with the elite to deliver a supercharged urban circus. Boasting a stellar cast of World Champion and World Record holding artists and athletes, 360 ALLSTARS is a spectacular fusion of the extraordinary artistry that emerges from street culture.

May 2, 2024 | 7:00 PM
360 ALLSTARS
AEG Liebherr Auditorium, Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts

BMX, basketball, breakdancing, acrobatics, drumming and more, the international smash hit returns!

A phenomenal physical performance exploring all forms of rotation, 360 ALLSTARS connects the street with the elite to deliver a supercharged urban circus. Boasting a stellar international cast of World Champion and World Record-holding athletes and artists, 360 ALLSTARS is a spectacular fusion of the extraordinary artistry that emerges from street culture.

May 7 – 16, 2024
UNWRITTEN: THE IMPROV SHOW
Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front Street East

Ages 11+ | Gr. 6+
Unwritten: The Improv Show is pure in-the-moment improvisation, inspired by full audience participation. With a guided and thoughtful approach, three professional improv artists lead this interactive mash up, spurred by asking kids what’s on their minds and turning it into an impromptu adventure. It’s a hilarious volley of ideas and spontaneous exchanges both exhilarating – and unexpected!

 

 

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