That would look pretty ugly if they had the FS tree on three sides. A small tasteful one (maybe somewhere in a corner) should suffice. If it wasn't explicitly said in their contract...
The PCL images of the hall seen from the stage show how good the sightlines are. Of the three lighting areas in the ceiling the central one is manned, as is the one on the back wall above Ring 5. I believe the vertical metal cage structures on the far right and far left are for additional lights.
I think sometimes we analyse things to death here, losing perspective of the bigger picture. The FS is a gorgeous addition to Queen/University and probably the most important addition to the Toronto arts scene since the O'Keefe Centre. To complain about a "wing nut" out of place here, or a loading dock there seems absolutely ridiculous. Shake your heads, stand back a bit, take off your 'architect/designer' blinders and reconsider through blissfully innocent eyes what we have now.
Exactly. We've created a whole new entity - a custom designed opera / ballet house - where none existed before. And soon we'll be doing something similar for film fans.
Tudararms: Amen. The important thing will be the quality of the opera or ballet experience. This facility will be a quantum leap from anything we've had in Toronto previously, or probably all of Canada. And IMO, the appearance of the building, espec. from University Avenue, may not be "knock your socks off", but it is a handsome building which I think will be accepted as a landmark in the city.
I was at the Ballet last night - a night of many lasts - the last thing I'll probably see at the O'Keefe (ok, maybe I'll let myself get sucked into seeing the Rockettes at Christmas), last night to see Ormsby in the pit. No one I spoke to is shedding a tear to be leaving there. Everyone is champing at the bit for the new house.
Although, no art sales in the new house. Jack Diamond put the kibosh on it.
This was the second time I've seen A Delicate Battle. It's incredibly beautiful.
We did indeed get Guillame last night, because my man Neimiah was in There, Below, along with the aptly named Christopher Body. Grand Pas Classique was stunning - both Cote and Greta Hodgkinson were unbelievable.
There was a pretty tepid response to Petrouchka - Stravinksy isn't easy, the dance and costumes not typical - but I liked it a lot. The first movie I saw at the Festival in September was a doc about Les Ballets Russe, so seeing a danse created for them was a nice bookend.
I thought the band played very well. They're giving the COC a run for their money.
'Petrouchka' was politely received on Wednesday too. I thought they were over-costumed in their rented duds, and at times the leads had to fight to stand out, visually, against the crowds behind them.
Difficult to imagine how shocking ballets like this and 'Rite of Spring' would've once seemed, musically as well.
Vaughn-Williams Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis is one of my favourite pieces of music. They did a good job of it, which added to the pleasure of There. Below.
Agreed about Petrouchka. Generally, I prefer spare, simple ballet productions, but one would eventually get bored if everything looked like La Bayardare, Act II.