Events in Toronto – May 22 – 24, 2015

Doors Open Toronto 2015

The 16th annual Doors Open Toronto presented by Great Gulf offers free and rare access to more than 150 architecturally, historically, culturally and socially significant buildings across the city. Visitors are encouraged to take part in free Walking Tours sponsored by the University of Toronto during the Doors Open Toronto weekend. Tours will delve deep into the stories, histories and architecture of a wide variety of neighbourhoods.

1. TIN PAN NORTH Songwriters Festival

Presented by – The Toronto Chapter of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). See performances by over 40 talented songwriters, sharing their stories behind the songs. Don’t miss this three night event of great music of songs in its raw and original form. TIN PAN

2. 21 C Music Festival

21 Century music festival. Artists include Kaija Saariaho, one of the world’s great composers, alongside nights with Stewart Copeland (The Police), the Gryphon Trio, DJ Skratch Bastid, and other fresh, dazzling new voices.

3. Verdi Requiem

Sir Andrew Davis celebrates his forty-year bond with the TSO by conducting “Verdi’s greatest opera”, the mighty Requiem. Soloists, chorus, and orchestra join forces to touch your every emotion with this passionate and beautiful music.

4. Diana Krall

With the Wallflower World Tour, Krall brings her own unique jazz-pop take on some of the great pop tunes of her youth. To further enhance the concert, her touring band will be joined by a symphony orchestra to perform very special treatments of songs like the Eagles’ “Desperado,” Mamas and Papas’ “California Dreamin,” as well as the great standards that we have come to expect from this impeccable interpreter.

5. Etobicoke Symphony Orchestra

Join us in our spectacular season finale as we feature two outstanding soloists performing popular arias and duets. The season will close with Rachmaninoff’s hauntingly beautiful Second Symphony.

6. Mississauga Symphony Orchestra

The greatest sounds of Italian opera take centre stage in a presentation of well-known overtures, arias and choruses. Experience an evening to remember as the passion and excitement of Italian opera fills your soul!

7. Durham West Blues Fest

The 2015 line-up includes Dawn Tyler Watson & Paul Deslauriers, VOODOO Pawn Shop, Carlos del Junco & Jimmy Bowskill, Road Dogs, Wicked Grin, Voodoo Walters and Erin McCallum.The festival also includes a blues guitar workshop from 1-3PM hosted by Rick Fines. Gourmet Food Trucks, Beer Tent & more!

8. CBCMusic.ca Festival 2015

This year’s all-Canadian festival lineup will include Patrick Watson, Bahamas, Coeur de pirate, Jenn Grant, Joel Plaskett Emergency, Tanika Charles, Lindi Ortega, the Strumbellas, Fred Penner, Choir! Choir! Choir! and the winner of our next Searchlight contest. CBC Music Festival.

9. Italian Masters – Magnifico!

Featuring the great Verdi Requiem for Soloists, Choir and Orchestra, this promises to be a very dramatic powerful performance presented by the Brampton Festival Singers, the Headwaters’ Concert Choir and The Richmond Hill Philharmonic Orchestra.

10. Earth Songs, Love Songs

Gala program celebrating the Amadeus Choir’s 40th Anniversary season with some of our most wonderful musical friends through the years!

11. ORIANA Women’s Choir

Immerse yourself in the music of visionary writers including Ramona Luengen, Chan Ka Nin, Harry Freedman, Derek Healey, Imant Ramish, and Ruth Watson Henderson as well as the award-winning Rose Trilogy by Eleanor Daley. Join us in honoring our great wealth of composers and arrangers here in Canada.

12. A.R. Rahman

Rahman’s upcoming concert will feature a range of material from his illustrious career, which has spanned two decades. A two-time Academy Award® winner, A.R. Rahman was hailed by Time magazine as “the musician who has helped redefine contemporary Indian music” and is one the world’s best-selling recording artists of all time. The Intimate Concert Tour

13. York Symphony Orchestra

Guest Artists Romulo Delgado, Jennifer Tung, Angela Maria Sanchez. At these concerts you will hear some of the most passionate music ever composed for the human voice; music that is justly famous for its ability to convey every aspect of human emotion. Come and experience an evening of the greatest sounds of opera. This season finale will fill your soul with passion and excitement.

1. Performing Arts Events

Performing Arts & Theatre in May

Events this weekend include

Hair Spray @ Theatre Pass Muraille

Sweeney Todd @ Al Green Theatre, Miles Nadal JCC

Titanic The Musical @ Princess of Wales Theatre

Much Ado About Nothing @ Tarragon Theatre

Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal @ Sony Centre for Performing Arts.

American Idiot The Musical @Lower Ossington Theatre

Bluebeard’s Castle/ Erwartung @ Four Seasons Centre

9 to 5: The Musical @ Scarborough Village Theatre

How to Kill a Comedian @ The Second City Theatre

Bedroom Farce & Of Human Bondage @ Young Centre for the Performing Arts

Mr. Burns: A Post Electric Play @ Historic Aztec Theatre

Ballad of the Burning Star @ The Theatre Centre

Eurydice @ Young Centre for the Performing Arts

Mahmoud & Paolozzapedia @ The Theatre Centre

The Dybbuk, Between Two Worlds @ Young Centre for the Performing Arts

2. Contact Photography Festival

With well over 1500 Canadian and international artists and photographers exhibiting at more than 175 venues throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

3. ICFF Junior

The Italian Contemporary Film festival will be screening a variety of new and diverse films, from home grown Canadian films to the latest Italian films freshly brought to Canada. Geared toward students, the films will inspire and educate students and expose them to exciting new cinema they could not see anywhere else. All non-English films will be subtitled.

4. T.O. Webfest

T.O. Webfest celebrates the best of web content from Canada and around the world with a host of industry panels and workshops.

5. SOULO Theatre Festival

The SOULO Theatre Festival is Toronto’s annual One-Person Show Festival that celebrates the best of Solo Theatre with top notch workshops and panels that teach people how to create their own solo show.

6. Inside Out

LGBT Film Festival

7. Odysseo

The unique theatrical production is first and foremost a grandiose three dimensional show where spectators are taken to a live Hollywood-style movie set while the touching interactions between human and horse are at the heart of the action. Layers of mesmerizing decors combined with gravity-defying acrobatic and areal stunts and the staggering effects created by state-of-the-art scenery makes this humongous stage a real 3-D feast for the eyes! Cavalia

1. Toronto Blue Jays

vs. Seattle Mariners

2. Toronto FC

vs. Portland Timbers

3. Toronto Rock

East Division Final Game 2. Vs Rochester Knighthawks

4. Amanda Edwards Charity Game & JUEL Prep & JUEL All-Star Game

Amanda Edwards Charity Game is to raise funds for the former Notre Dame Secondary School basketball star who received serious injuries after an automobile incident. The Amanda Edwards Charity game will include former Sultan Prospect players coming together to help raise funds for Amanda. JUEL of Ontario is Canada’s longest running Elite Basketball league celebrating its fifth season.

5. MUD Hero Urban

6 km – 16+ obstacles – challenging yet fun for participants of all fitness levels Mud Hero’s course will get your adrenaline and blood pumping, while announcers, music and zany obstacles make this course like no other.

6. Runs & Walks

Toronto Women’s Half Marathon/5k

Sunday, May 24, 2015 | 08:00 AM @ Sunnybrook Park, Toronto

Peace of Minds Walk for Schizophrenia

Sunday, May 24, 2015 | 1:00 PM @ Nathan Phillips Square

World Partnership Walk

Sunday, May 24, 2015 | 9:00 AM @ David Pecaut Square, Toronto

Sharing Dance Day 2015

Canada’s National Ballet School, in partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto, Parkinson Society Canada, and World Animal Protection, is hosting the second annual Sharing Dance Day.

Sunday, May 24, 2015 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM. at Yonge-Dundas Square. – Free

1. Small Paintings for Small Spaces

“Small Paintings for Small Spaces”, The Beach Guild of Fine Art’s annual Spring Show and Sale

This show will feature small paintings by over 40 of the Guild artists, and is a great opportunity to view and purchase affordable art (nothing over $350) by some of the most well-known Beach Artists. Details

2. Carassauga: Mississauga’s Festival of Cultures

A city-wide multicultural festival to promote understanding, respect and co-operation among all Canadians of different heritage. Experience the world at Carassauga during three incredible days! Taste Exotic Dishes…See Breathtaking Performances…Experience Cultural Diversity.

2. anime North 2015

Anime convention that celebrates anime, manga, music, games and all other forms of Japanese Culture!

3. Spring Fling

Join us for sidewalk sales on Queen St. and at Ivan Forrest Gardens for entertainment and activities – break dancing, hula hoops, comedy & juggling, splatter paint crafts, face painting, music, karaoke and more! Details

4. Artillery Day

Join us for Artillery Day at Fort York and see displays of historic and modern guns from the 2nd Regiment Royal Canadian Horse Artillery (Petawawa, Ontario), the 7th Toronto Regiment (Royal Canadian Artillery) along with Fort York’s own on-site collection of original garrison guns from the War of 1812 and Victorian eras. See demonstrations, presentations and firing through the day.

5. GMO-free Festival and Farmers’ Market

The event serves to educate and raise awareness about the potential health and environmental impacts of GMOs. A festive celebration of all the safe, healthy food options we have in Toronto and to honor the organic farmers and businesses in Ontario who work so hard year round to serve the GTA and beyond.