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118-576: Massey Hall is a performing arts theatre in Toronto , Ontario , Canada. Opened in 1894, it is known for its outstanding acoustics and was the long-time hall of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra . An intimate theatre, it was originally designed to seat 3,500 patrons, but after extensive renovations in the 1940s, it now seats only up to 2,765. It has an extensive history of concerts by artists of many musical genres which continues today. Massey Hall

236-441: A candidate in the next regular election, so that the appointed councillor does not gain an unfair incumbency advantage. Council cannot impose this restriction on appointees but nonetheless it usually factors into the debate. There have been instances in which appointed councillors have done so; most notably, Paul Ainslie did so in 2006 by running for re-election in a different ward than the one where he had been appointed, and after

354-498: A combination of speech, gesture, music, dance, sound, and spectacle. Any one or more of these elements is considered performing arts. In addition to the standard narrative dialogue style of plays, theater takes such forms as plays, musicals, opera, ballet, illusion , mime , classical Indian dance , kabuki , mummers' plays , improvisational theatre , comedy, pantomime , and non-conventional or contemporary forms like postmodern theatre , postdramatic theatre , or performance art. In

472-703: A community council. Community councils report to City Council but they also have final decision-making power on certain items, such as front yard parking and appointments to local boards and Business Improvement Areas. The city is divided into four community councils. Their meeting locations are as follows: The current council term began on November 15, 2022. Chair, Toronto & East York Community Council Mayor's Small Business Champion Mayor's Economic Development & Culture Champion Chair, City-School Boards Advisory Committee Chair, Scarborough Community Council Mayor's Night Economy Champion Chair, Infrastructure & Environment Committee Vacancies in

590-413: A connection between the new and the old. This state-of-the-art facility was designed and designated as a space for the community, artistic development and outreach initiatives. The two-phase restoration process of Massey Hall was led by Marianne McKenna of KPMB Architects and Christopher Borgal of GBCA Architects. KPMB mainly focused on the architecture and interior design aspects, while GBCA focused on

708-468: A councillor's seat may be filled in one of two ways, either by the holding of a by-election or through direct appointment of an interim councillor chosen by the council in an internal vote. Normally the council is allowed to decide which process to follow in each individual case; however, if the vacancy occurs after March 31 in the year of a regularly scheduled municipal election, then the vacancy must be filled by direct appointment as provincial law prohibits

826-528: A final vote. The full council can, however, reject the community council's recommendation and choose a different candidate instead; in 2013, for example, the city council passed over former member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Chris Stockwell , the recommended candidate of the Etobicoke Community Council, in favour of Peter Leon . Usually, although there is no legal barrier to doing so, candidates for appointment are asked if they intend to run as

944-433: A fully stocked bar. Prior to this addition, alcohol was not permitted in the hall. The decor of Centuries includes hundreds of photos of artists who have performed there over the years (largely collecting portraits of popular music stars since the eighties), including many autographs. Centuries has a capacity of 220 people and often hosts CD releases and post-show parties for visiting artists. Roughly five years after Centuries

1062-509: A loading dock for equipment and deliveries. On the fourth floor, is the new 500 seat TD Music Centre. It additionally contains the Deane Cameron Recording Studio, which gets its name from the late Massey Hall CEO. Located in the basement is a bar that has another performance space as well. The new modern glass passerelles leading to the tower hangs off the side of Massey Hall and contrasts with the original brick structure creating

1180-675: A local temple and using puppetry for religious plays. At the ancient capital Angkor Wat , stories from the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata have been carved on the walls of temples and palaces. Similar reliefs are found at Borobudur in Indonesia. In the Philippines , the famous epic poem Ibong Adarna , originally titled "Korido at Buhay na Pinagdaanan ng Tatlong Prinsipeng Magkakapatid na anak nina Haring Fernando at Reyna Valeriana sa Kahariang Berbania" (English: " Corrido and Life Lived by

1298-534: A new seven-story addition, two new smaller concert rooms and a new retractable seating system. The new addition is called the Allied Music Centre, located on the site of the Albert Building. It incorporates an artists' lab, studio, lounge and theatre. It was completed in 2022. In 1973, Toronto City Council designated Massey Hall a Heritage Property under the province's Ontario Heritage Act . Massey Hall

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1416-541: A special part entitled " Kay Selya " (English: "For Celia") specially dedicated for Rivera. The Philippine 's national hero, José Rizal who is also a novelist, created the two famous poems in the Philippines, Noli Me Tángere ( Latin for "Touch me not", with an acute accent added on the final word in accordance with Spanish orthography ) (1887) that describes perceived inequities of the Spanish Catholic friars and

1534-466: A standing general-admission area during performances and enhancing the audio and lighting systems. This refurbishment allowed for more flexibility for a variety of performances. The audio enhancements included diminishing the echo effect of sound that occurs during performances by introducing sound-absorbing plaster into the space. The refurbishment also restored the mixed architectural styles of Moorish revival, Palladian revival, and Art Deco found within

1652-415: A theoretical treatise on Indian performing arts, including theatre, dance, acting, and music, which has been compared to Aristotle 's Poetics . Bharata is often known as the father of Indian theatrical arts. His Natya Shastra seems to be the first attempt to develop the technique or rather art, of drama in a systematic manner. The Natya Shastra tells us not only what is to be portrayed in a drama, but how

1770-426: A very colorful shadow. The thin rods that controlled their movements were attached to a leather collar at the neck of the puppet. The rods ran parallel to the bodies of the puppet then turned at a ninety-degree angle to connect to the neck. While these rods were visible when the shadow was cast, they laid outside the shadow of the puppet; thus, they did not interfere with the appearance of the figure. The rods attached at

1888-483: Is not barred from running in the next regular municipal election. In the event of a vacancy in the mayor's office, the deputy mayor is immediately elevated to acting mayor on an interim basis until the permanent new mayor is selected in a by-election. Unlike a city council seat, however, a by-election must always be held, unless the vacancy occurs less than 90 days before a regular municipal election. The situation does not trigger additional council vacancies, however;

2006-590: Is a West African oral historian who uses storytelling, poetry, and music to express the genealogies and historical narratives of the tribes they represent, often playing instruments such as the kora . This ancient profession is upheld in a position of community leadership. The most popular forms of theater in the medieval Islamic world were puppet theatre (which included hand puppets, shadow plays and marionette productions) and live passion plays known as ta'ziya , where actors re-enact episodes from Muslim history . In particular, Shia Islamic plays revolved around

2124-461: Is a member of all committees and is entitled to one vote. There are three types of committees at the City of Toronto: the executive committee, four other standing committees, and special committees of council. The executive committee is an advisory body chaired by the mayor. The executive committee is composed of the mayor, deputy mayor, and the chairs of the four standing committees who are appointed by

2242-443: Is a powerful impulse, but the art of dance is that impulse channeled by skillful performers into something that becomes intensely expressive and that may delight spectators who feel no wish to dance themselves. These two concepts of the art of dance—dance as a powerful impulse and dance as a skillfully choreographed art practiced largely by a professional few—are the two most important connecting ideas running through any consideration of

2360-422: Is also a specialized form of fine art, in which the artists perform their work live to an audience. This is called performance art . Most performance art also involves some form of plastic art , perhaps in the creation of props . Dance was often referred to as a plastic art during the modern dance era. Theatre is the branch of performing arts concerned with acting out stories in front of an audience, using

2478-405: Is divided into genres such as folk , jazz , hip hop , pop, and rock, etc. As an art form, music can occur in live or recorded formats, and can be planned or improvised. As music is a protean art, it easily coordinates with words for songs as physical movements do in dance. Moreover, it has a capability of shaping human behaviors as it impacts our emotions. Starting in the 6th century BC,

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2596-548: Is extremely complex. Konstantin Stanislavski 's "System" revolutionized acting in the early 20th century, and continues to have a major influence on actors of stage and screen to the current day. Both impressionism and modern realism were introduced to the stage during this period. With the invention of the motion picture in the late 19th century by Thomas Edison and the growth of the motion picture industry in Hollywood in

2714-528: Is finished in Art Deco style. Designed by architect Sidney Badgley , Massey Hall was completed in 1894 at a cost of CA$ 152,390.75 . Construction was financed by Massey, the founder of the Massey Manufacturing (later Massey Ferguson ) manufacturing conglomerate. The hall's debut concert was a choral performance of Handel's 'Messiah' on June 14, 1894. Ten years after the completion of construction (after

2832-402: Is located at the intersection of Shuter and Victoria Streets, just east of Yonge Street, in downtown Toronto. The idea of Massey Music Hall (its original name) began with Hart Massey , who wanted to build a music hall in order to fill the need for a secular meeting place where people from Toronto and area could meet and enjoy choral music not of a religious theme. Massey also wanted to construct

2950-429: Is one another modern form of dance that emerged in 19th- 20th century with the name of free dance style. This form of dance was structured to create a harmonious personality which included features such as physical and spiritual freedom. Isadora Duncan was the first female dancer who argued about "woman of future" and developed novel vector of choreography using Nietzsche 's idea of "supreme mind in free mind". Dance

3068-731: Is represented, no play has ever surpassed the tragedy known in the Mussulman world as that of Hasan and Husain ." Years later Peter Chelkowski, professor of Iranian and Islamic studies at NYU , chooses the same words for the beginning of his book 'Ta`ziyeh, ritual and drama in Iran'. Live secular plays were known as akhraja , recorded in medieval adab literature, though they were less common than puppetry and ta'ziya theater. In Iran there are other forms of theatrical events such as Naghali or Naqqāli (story telling), Ta'zieh , ٰRu-Howzi , Siah-Bazi , Parde-Khani , and Mareke giri . Prior to

3186-420: The shaheed (martyrdom) of Ali 's sons Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali . It commonly refers to passion plays about the battle of Karbala and its prior and subsequent events. Sir Lewis Pelly begins the preface of his book about Ta'zieh maintaining that "If the success of a drama is to be measured by the effects which it produces upon the people for whom it is composed, or upon the audiences before whom it

3304-400: The 1904 Toronto Great Fire ), a pair of fire escape staircases were installed along the front face of the building. They were installed to deal with fire concerns of the building. These fire escapes (now removed) were considered an iconic part of Massey Hall's exterior. At some point in its renovation history, three of the windows at the front of the venue were converted into doors. The doors at

3422-559: The Broadway musical became a phenomenon in the United States. Post-World War II performing arts were highlighted by the resurgence of both ballet and opera in the Western world. Postmodernism dominated the performing arts during the 1970s and the 1980s. Indigenous African performance traditions are rooted in ritual , storytelling, movement , and music . Performances were communal with

3540-573: The Classical period of performing art began in Greece , ushered in by the tragic poets such as Sophocles . These poets wrote plays which, in some cases, incorporated dance (see Euripides ). The Hellenistic period began the widespread use of comedy. However, by the 6th century AD, Western performing arts had been largely ended as the Dark Ages began. Between the 9th century and 14th century, performing art in

3658-635: The Elizabethan masque , featuring music, dance and elaborate costumes as well as professional theatrical companies in England. William Shakespeare 's plays in the late 16th century developed from this new class of professional performance. In 1597, the first opera, Dafne was performed and throughout the 17th century, opera would rapidly become the entertainment of choice for the aristocracy in most of Europe, and eventually for large numbers of people living in cities and towns throughout Europe. The introduction of

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3776-517: The High Park area, then resold them to a developer. Grys then helped get rezoning for the area to allow developers to increase the number of units they could build, without disclosing his interest. Alderman John Sewell learned of the Grys purchases through a resident of the area. Grys launched a lawsuit against Sewell but it was dropped. Grys was defeated in 1972, the same election that Reformer David Crombie

3894-510: The Juno Awards of 2021 , which was performed from a variety of venues across Canada, the surviving members of the Tragically Hip performed their 2002 single "It's a Good Life If You Don't Weaken" with Feist on lead vocals, which marked the band's first televised performance since Gord Downie 's death. On February 29, 2024, singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith staged a retrospective concert at

4012-626: The Shahnameh . These stories were often altered to bond with the atmosphere or mood of the audience. Folk theatre and dramatics can be traced to the religious ritualism of the Vedic peoples in the 2nd millennium BC . This folk theatre of the misty past was mixed with dance, food, ritualism, plus a depiction of events from daily life. The last element made it the origin of the classical theatre of later times. Many historians, notably D. D. Kosambi, Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya, Adya Rangacharaya, etc. have referred to

4130-799: The Shang dynasty ; they often involved music, clowning and acrobatic displays. The Tang dynasty is sometimes known as "The Age of 1000 Entertainments". During this era, Emperor Xuanzong formed an acting school known as the Children of the Pear Garden to produce a form of drama that was primarily musical. During the Han Dynasty, shadow puppetry first emerged as a recognized form of theatre in China. There were two distinct forms of shadow puppetry, Cantonese southern and Pekingese northern. The two styles were differentiated by

4248-450: The Toronto Symphony Orchestra , although the intention was always for Massey Hall to remain open for other purposes following renovations. Its permanent name as Roy Thomson Hall was announced in January 1982, following a donation from media mogul and philanthropist Roy Thomson . In 1994, to commemorate the hall's 100th anniversary, the basement was completely refurbished to include Centuries,

4366-653: The mayor of Toronto . The current term began on November 15, 2022. The current decision-making framework and committee structure at the City of Toronto was established by the City of Toronto Act, 2006 and came into force January 1, 2007. The decision-making process at the City of Toronto involves committees that report to City Council. Committees propose, review and debate policies and recommendations before their arrival at City Council for debate. Citizens and residents can only make deputations on policy at committees, citizens cannot make public presentations to City Council. The mayor

4484-511: The proscenium arch in Italy during the 17th century established the traditional theatre form that persists to this day. Meanwhile, in England, the Puritans forbade acting, bringing a halt to performing arts that lasted until 1660. After that, women began to appear in both French and English plays. The French introduced a formal dance instruction in the late 17th century. It is also during this time that

4602-466: The 1950s and 1960s as the Anglo Tory lock on power faded in the increasingly diverse city. In 1952, Orangeman Allan Lamport became the first Liberal elected mayor in over 40 years. He resigned to become TTC chair and his administration was implicated in a municipal corruption scandal. In 1954, Leslie Saunders , another Orangeman became interim mayor. His staunch defence of Protestantism became an issue in

4720-471: The 1954 election. Nathan Phillips , a long-serving Jewish alderman, was elected mayor. He was a staunch Tory. His religion was an important issue in the election, in which his opponent proclaimed himself to be running as " Leslie Saunders , Protestant". The Orange Order influence dropped sharply. Only seven of 23 councillors elected that year were members of the Orange Order. Phillips was dubbed "Mayor of all

4838-461: The 2010s renovations. It had a unique two-storey oriel window. In 1933, the Massey Foundation undertook further renovations to the hall. The venue simplified its name to Massey Hall at this time. Further renovations occurred in the 1940s. Sister venue Roy Thomson Hall was known as New Massey Hall during the early planning stages. It was intended to replace Massey Hall as the primary venue for

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4956-489: The Clerk's office: City clerk staff are seated in the diamond shaped table located in front of the speaker's podium in the council chambers. City Council has a sergeant-at-arms , who is present at each council and committee meeting as per Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 27-50 to ensure order and safety of all members. In 2014 a second post was created to have two sergeants-at-arms present during council meetings. They are posted on

5074-539: The Kinks , Rush , Kraftwerk , Lenny Kravitz , Gordon Lightfoot , Yngwie Malmsteen , Golden Earring , Bob Marley and the Wailers , Nightwish , Joe Satriani , Seventeen , Ravi Shankar , Harry Styles , and Kiss . Lightfoot played the hall over 170 times in his career, the most of any artist, including both the last show in 2018 before it was closed for renovations and the first show after it reopened in 2021. Speakers at

5192-589: The Massey Hall Restoration began in 2013 and was completed in 2017. This 16,000 sq ft (1,500 m) project consisted of the deconstruction of the adjacent Albert Building to prepare for the foundation of the new tower that was planned to be constructed in Phase Two. The second and primary phase of the renovation was a 124,000 sq ft (11,500 m) project with a budget of up to CA$ 113 million, including contributions of CA$ 30 million from

5310-533: The Ontario and Canadian governments. The main aspects of the second phase included a full restoration of the interior and exterior elements and the construction of the new addition. The phase was completed in 2022. However, Massey Hall reopened for performances in November 2021. The renovation of the interior of Massey Hall incorporated upgrading the technology by implementing mechanized removable seating to provide space for

5428-412: The Orange Order to be a Toronto mayor. In the late 1960s and 1970s, a new division arose on city council between two groups that became known as the "Reformers" and the "Old Guard". Both groups crossed party lines and were divided by their approach to urban issues. The Reform faction arose in opposition to the urban renewal schemes that had been in favour in the previous decades. Two key battles were over

5546-503: The People" and governed in a non-partisan manner. During his term, Phillips enraged the Order by accepting funding from O'Keefe Brewing for the new O'Keefe Centre auditorium. In 1956, Phillips initiated the international architectural competition for a new City Hall. In 1966, former CCF Member of Provincial Parliament William Dennison was elected mayor. He was an Orangeman and the last member of

5664-493: The Philippines. Florante at Laura is an " awit " or a poem consisting of 12-syllable quatrains with the full title "Pinagdaanang Buhay ni Florante at ni Laura sa Kahariang Albanya" (English: "The History of Florante and Laura in the Kingdom of Albania ") was written by Francisco Balagtas in 1838 during his imprisonment dedicated to his sweetheart Maria Asuncuion Rivera (nicknamed "M.A.R.", referenced to as "Selya"). The poem has

5782-563: The Three Princes, children of King Fernando and Queen Valeriana in the Kingdom of Berbania") from the 16th century was written by José de la Cruz during the Spanish era . Aside from theatrical performances, different films were produced by different film studios/ television productions. The first produced "Ang Ibong Adarna" film was produced by LVN Pictures , the biggest film studio in the history of

5900-561: The West was limited to religious historical enactments and morality plays , organized by the Church in celebration of holy days and other important events. In the 15th century performing arts, along with the arts in general, saw a revival as the Renaissance began in Italy and spread throughout Europe plays, some of which incorporated dance, which were performed and Domenico da Piacenza credited with

6018-402: The appointment process is seen as less expensive for the city to undertake. When the appointment process is followed, people who are interested in the appointment are asked to submit their names to the local community council for the area where the vacant seat is located; the community council then evaluates and interviews the applicants, and submits a recommendation to the full city council for

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6136-472: The audience below from debris. The renovation allowed audiences to see the repaired detailed ceiling. The interior renewal also consisted of keeping the Hall’s original brass railings and new seats, which mimicked the originals. The renovation moreover, focused on re-establishing the 100 original stained-glass windows that had been concealed with plywood since the 1950s due to sound disturbances. The refurbishment of

6254-461: The beginning of the Cold War and staunch opposition from the other political groups, the communist presence quickly disappeared. The last communist alderman lost his seat in 1950. The first part of the 20th century was the era of the newspaper slates . Each of the daily newspapers would endorse a full slate of candidates for office. The two most influential were the right-wing Toronto Telegram and

6372-609: The best known of which is Beijing Opera, which is still popular today. In Thailand , it has been a tradition from the Middle Ages to stage plays based on plots drawn from Indian epics. In particular, the theatrical version of Thailand's national epic Ramakien , a version of the Indian Ramayana , remains popular in Thailand even today. In Cambodia , inscriptions dating back to the 6th century AD indicates evidence of dancers at

6490-409: The building in memory of his son Charles, who loved music. Massey also did not want the music hall to make large profits. He wanted both rich and poor to attend events. Ideally, once all expenses were paid, Massey wanted tickets for a season of lectures to sell for $ 1. The building was designed with a neoclassical facade and features Moorish arches that span the width of the interior hall. This interior

6608-520: The city approved a re-organization to Council changing the number of wards to six; each ward was known by a number. Each ward elected four aldermen. Over the next three decades three new wards were added, one each in the north, east, and west, as new areas were annexed to the City of Toronto. In 1896, the Board of Control executive branch of Council was established to handle all daily council business and report to Council. Mayor Robert John Fleming presided over

6726-428: The city the other for Metro. In the next election, a separate set of wards was established for Metro councillors. Each Metro ward consisted of two city wards, each electing only one councillor. With the amalgamation of the City of Toronto with the suburban municipalities of Metro in 1997, the councils of the six former cities were abolished. The new council for the "megacity" kept the ward map of Metro Toronto but doubled

6844-399: The city, and its members had considerably more power than the city councillors. In 1969, the Board of Control was abolished and the four controllers were replaced by four new councillors from two new wards. The ward map was rebalanced to give more equitable representation. In 1985, the system of electing Metro councillors was changed so that two separate ballots were held in each ward, one for

6962-470: The concert, the band released the 2013 EP The Road to Massey Hall , comprising covers of songs by other musicians who had played the hall in the past. In 2015, Canadian rock band Spirit of the West performed at Massey. The preparations for it are profiled in the 2016 documentary film Spirit Unforgettable . Toronto-born comedian, Russell Peters' April 2016 appearances at Massey Hall, were recorded for his Netflix stand-up special Almost Famous . For

7080-417: The context of performing arts, dance generally refers to human movement , typically rhythmic and to music, used as a form of audience entertainment in a performance setting. Definitions of what constitutes dance are dependent on social , cultural , aesthetic , artistic , and moral constraints and range from functional movement (such as folk dance ) to codified, virtuoso techniques such as ballet . There

7198-416: The council. Beyond these few exceptions, the slates of all the papers were largely made up of male, white, Conservative, Orangemen. Many candidates also appeared on the slates of several newspapers. With the exception of James Simpson , who became Toronto's first socialist mayor in 1935, the city's mayors were Tories in the first half of the 20th century. The character of Toronto politics began to change in

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7316-578: The country's system made no effect and seemed impossible with the corrupt attitude of the Spaniards toward the Filipinos. These novels were written during the colonization of the Philippines by the Spanish Empire . Toronto City Council Toronto City Council is the governing body of the municipal government of Toronto , Ontario. Meeting at Toronto City Hall , it comprises 25 city councillors and

7434-478: The deputy mayor is not deemed to have vacated their council seat during the acting period, and a sitting councillor who runs in the mayoral by-election does not have to resign their council seat unless they win the election. Three vacancies occurred during the 2010-14 council term. Doug Holyday resigned from council in 2013 after winning election to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in a byelection, and

7552-497: The downtown areas covered by Ward 4 and Ward 5, especially in the heavily Jewish areas of Kensington Market and the Garment District around Spadina Avenue and further west along College and up to Christie Pits including what is now Little Italy . The peak of communist influence was in the 1946 election when leader Stewart Smith was elected to the Board of Control and three other communists won seats on city council. With

7670-637: The earliest Indian dramatists and they do it even today. Indian dramatists such as Bhāsa in the 2nd century BC wrote plays that were heavily inspired by the Ramayana and Mahabharata . Kālidāsa in the 1st century BC, is arguably considered to be ancient India 's greatest dramatist. Three famous romantic plays written by Kālidāsa are the Mālavikāgnimitram ( Mālavikā and Agnimitra ), Vikramōrvaśīyam ( Pertaining to Vikrama and Urvashi ), and Abhijñānaśākuntala ( The Recognition of Shakuntala ). The last

7788-404: The early 20th century, film became a dominant performance medium throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Rhythm and blues , a cultural phenomenon of black America, rose to prominence in the early 20th century, influencing a range of later popular music styles internationally. In the 1930s Jean Rosenthal introduced what would become modern stage lighting , changing the nature of the stage as

7906-416: The federal ridings (electoral districts) that covered Toronto. Each riding was split in half to create a 44-ward system. The current ward names are based on the federal and provincial electoral districts, but some no longer shared the same name as those district names have changed since 2000. When the City of Toronto was incorporated in 1834, a city council was created. It provided direct representation in

8024-426: The first Board of Control. Eventually, the numbers of aldermen was reduced to two aldermen per ward as the number of wards was increased. When a higher level of municipal government, Metro Toronto , was introduced in 1953, the alderman with the most votes of the two elected councillors from each ward was also a member of Metro Council. Until 1955 municipal elections were held annually, either on New Year's Day or on

8142-451: The first Monday in December. In 1955 council moved to two-year terms, and in 1982 three-year terms were introduced. Along with the other municipalities of Ontario, Toronto moved to a four-year municipal term in 2006. Starting in 1904 the Board of Control was elected directly. Until 1969 there was a four-person Board of Control in addition to city council. The board was elected at large across

8260-525: The first plays were performed in the American Colonies . During the 18th century, the introduction of the popular opera buffa brought opera to the masses as an accessible form of performance. Mozart 's The Marriage of Figaro and Don Giovanni are landmarks of the late 18th century opera. At the turn of the 19th century, Beethoven and the Romantic movement ushered in a new era that led first to

8378-529: The first use of the term ballo (in De Arte Saltandi et Choreas Ducendi ) instead of danza (dance) for his baletti or balli . The term eventually became Ballet . The first Ballet per se is thought to be Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx 's Ballet Comique de la Reine (1581). By the mid-16th century Commedia Dell'arte became popular in Europe, introducing the use of improvisation . This period also introduced

8496-754: The floor or near the entrances beside the speaker's desk. Toronto was divided into a group of wards, each named after a Christian saint. In 1834, the city had five wards and the number of wards would expand to nine by 1891. While out of use for over a century, these ward names continue to appear in neighbourhood names and subway stations and, until the 1990s, provincial electoral districts. The old wards and their boundaries in their final form, used from 1871 to 1891, were: By 1891, there were 13 wards, with three aldermen elected per ward: St. Alban's, St. Andrew's, St. David's, St. George's, St. James's, St. John's, St. Lawrence's, St. Mark's, St. Matthew's, St. Patrick's, St. Paul's, St. Stephen's, and St. Thomas's. When Yorkville

8614-411: The front of the venue were painted red (from their earlier brown-gold colour), a giant neon sign was hung above the main entrance, and notice boards listing upcoming acts were revamped on either side of those doors. The Albert Building, at 15 Shuter Street, was added as a janitorial residence in 1917 and later converted as backstage space. It has since been demolished and replaced by a new addition during

8732-479: The god Osiris was performed annually at festivals throughout the civilization, marking the known beginning of a long relationship between theatre and religion. The Dramatic Ramesseum Papyrus , the oldest surviving illustrated papyrus details the performance during the Sed Festival and has been used as evidence of the birth of theatrical tradition, which western scholars often attribute to ancient Greece. A Griot

8850-537: The government of Toronto to the population. The Town of York had been governed by the then-province of Upper Canada , with electoral representation in the Upper Canada assembly. The first councils were elected yearly. Each of the five wards elected two aldermen and two common councillors by the votes of male householders. The first councils were dominated by two factions: the Family Compact and its loyalists; and

8968-461: The hall have included William Booth , Winston Churchill , Helen Keller , Thomas Mann and the Dalai Lama . Comics have included Jerry Seinfeld and Russell Peters . In May 1953, Massey Hall was the location of a notable jazz concert put on by five of the genre's most prominent artists of the era: Charlie Parker , Dizzy Gillespie , Bud Powell , Charles Mingus , and Max Roach . The performance

9086-464: The hall to mark his sixtieth birthday. In 2013, the Corporation of Roy Thomson and Massey Hall announced the closing of the performance space at Massey Hall for a revitalization project. The then 119-year-old building would proceed to undergo a two-phase renovation to restore some of the building's historic elements and the construction of new spaces to improve the community-driven centre. Phase one of

9204-791: The heritage impact and restoration perspective. The total budget was CA$ 184 million. An entrance to Queen subway station on Line 1 Yonge–University is located nearby at the corner of Shuter Street and Yonge Street. The 501 Queen streetcar line stops at the corner of Victoria Street and Queen Street. Performing arts Theatre , music, gymnastics, object manipulation , and other kinds of performances are present in all human cultures. The history of music and dance date to pre-historic times whereas circus skills date to at least Ancient Egypt . Many performing arts are performed professionally. Performance can be in purpose-built buildings, such as theatres and opera houses, on open air stages at festivals, on stages in tents such as circuses or on

9322-423: The holding of a by-election in the final six months of a council term. Vacancies in the office of mayor must be filled by by-election unless the vacancy occurs after March 31 in an election year, in which case council appoints. There is no appointment option for mayoral vacancies before that time. The process often results in public debate, however. The by-election process is widely seen as more democratic, while

9440-456: The interior of the building while also ensuring the structural integrity of the building. The main idea was to make sure the Hall looked as if nothing had changed. This refurbishment procedure included the original wood, steel beams and restorers, repairing details, and making new plaster moulds of arch features if they were beyond repair. The ceiling had previously been covered in chicken wire to protect

9558-775: The last two cover between them, the entire epic of Ramayana . The powerful Indian emperor Harsha (606–648) is credited with having written three plays: the comedy Ratnavali , Priyadarsika , and the Buddhist drama Nagananda . Many other dramatists followed during the Middle Ages . There were many performing art forms in the southern part of India, Kerala is such a state with different such art forms like Koodiyattam , Nangyarkoothu , Kathakali , Chakyar koothu , Thirayattam and there were many prominent artists like Painkulam Raman Chakyar and others. There are references to theatrical entertainments in China as early as 1500 BC during

9676-501: The mayor and three "at-large" members appointed by City Council. The role of the executive committee is to set the City of Toronto's priorities, manage financial planning and budgeting, labour relations, human resources, and the operation of City Council. The committee existed in the old City of Toronto beginning in 1969. Before that Toronto had a Board of Control , as did former cities North York and Etobicoke . The executive committee makes recommendations to city council on: Following

9794-434: The method of making the puppets and the positioning of the rods on the puppets, as opposed to the type of play performed by the puppets. Both styles generally performed plays depicting great adventure and fantasy, rarely was this very stylized form of theatre used for political propaganda. Cantonese shadow puppets were the larger of the two. They were built using thick leather that created more substantial shadows. Symbolic color

9912-463: The more left-leaning Toronto Daily Star . In the early parts of the century, the duelling papers ran the communications portion of the campaign of the candidates they supported, using yellow journalism to extol those they supported and denigrate those they opposed. The newspaper slates did not have a unified ideology: all the papers claimed to be seeking a balanced council, making sure that groups such as labour and Roman Catholics had representation on

10030-410: The necks to facilitate the use of multiple heads with one body. When the heads were not being used, they were stored in a muslin book or fabric lined box. The heads were always removed at night. This was in keeping with the old superstition that if left intact, the puppets would come to life at night. Some puppeteers went so far as to store the heads in one book and the bodies in another, to further reduce

10148-605: The next century, the Tories dominated Toronto municipal politics, as they did the other levels in "Tory Toronto". The Tories were associated with staunch Protestantism, shown through membership in the Orange Order , and support for the Lord's Day Act . In the 1930s, various forms of left-wing opposition arose to the Tory-dominated council. The Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF)

10266-413: The number of councillors by adopting the system of electing two councillors from each ward. East York had only one ward and was thus greatly underrepresented. Former East York mayor Michael Prue lobbied successfully for a third councillor to be elected from that ward, and this was implemented mid-term. This system was only used for the first megacity election. In 2000 a new ward map was devised based on

10384-442: The panes involved the fitting of noise defensive shades for the glass during concerts and performances. The renovation also facilitated the updating of Massey Hall to meet current Canadian accessibility standards. These updates included a Passerelle to connect the old Massey Hall to the addition and an elevator allowing individuals easy access to the upper levels. The grand stage was rebuilt and lifted to provide better visibility from

10502-423: The performances. Hawkins' band, The Hawks, or permutations of it, backed most, if not all, of the acts. All of the musicians performing that night were collectively dubbed "The Rock ‘N’ Roll Orchestra." The May 2008 performance by Matthew Good at Massey was released as a live album, entitled Live at Massey Hall . In 2013, folk-rock band Whitehorse made their first appearance at the venue. In conjunction with

10620-508: The portrayal is to be done. Drama, as Bharata Muni says, is the imitation of men and their doings ( loka-vritti ). As men and their doings have to be respected on the stage, so drama in Sanskrit is also known by the term rupaka , which means portrayal.{{ }} The Ramayana and Mahabharata can be considered the first recognized plays that originated in India. These epics provided the inspiration to

10738-547: The possibility of reanimating puppets. Shadow puppetry is said to have reached its highest point of artistic development in the 11th century before becoming a tool of the government. In the Song dynasty , there were many popular plays involving acrobatics and music. These developed in the Yuan dynasty into a more sophisticated form with a four- or five-act structure. Yuan drama spread across China and diversified into numerous regional forms,

10856-467: The prevalence of ritualism amongst Indo-Aryan tribes in which some members of the tribe acted as if they were wild animals, and some others were the hunters. Those who acted as mammals like goats, buffaloes, reindeer, monkeys, etc. were chased by those playing the role of hunters. Bharata Muni (fl. 5th–2nd century BC) was an ancient Indian writer best known for writing the Natya Shastra of Bharata ,

10974-513: The previously male-dominated art. Modern dance began in the late 19th century and early 20th century in response to the restrictions of traditional ballet. The arrival of Sergei Diaghilev 's Ballets Russes (1909–1929) revolutionized ballet and the performing arts generally throughout the Western world, most importantly through Diaghilev's emphasis on collaboration, which brought choreographers, dancers, set designers/artists, composers and musicians together to revitalize and revolutionize ballet. It

11092-519: The proposal for the Spadina Expressway and the replacement of the Trefann Court neighbourhood with a housing project. The Reformers opposed the destruction of existing neighbourhoods and followed the urban theories of recent Toronto arrival Jane Jacobs . The Old Guard supported new highways and housing projects, in part because of their close ties to the development industry. The debate between

11210-507: The reformers under the leadership of William Lyon Mackenzie , Member of Parliament for York. Mackenzie won election to Council and was elected by Council as the city's first mayor, but was defeated in the next election, after proposing increased taxation. After the defeat of the Upper Canada Rebellion in 1837, the reformers were marginalized, as several were executed for treason, and others, such as Mackenzie, went into exile. For

11328-539: The ruling government and El Filibusterismo (translations: The filibusterism; The Subversive or The Subversion, as in the Locsín English translation, are also possible translations, also known by its alternative English title The Reign of Greed) (1891). The novel's dark theme departs dramatically from the previous novel's hopeful and romantic atmosphere, signifying Ibarra's resort to solving his country's issues through violent means, after his previous attempt in reforming

11446-482: The salary of the mayor and city councillors and is annually adjusted to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). In 2022, the salary of a councillor is $ 120,502.20 and the salary of the mayor is $ 202,948.20. The city clerk is the senior administrative officer of the municipal government of Toronto . The city clerk is charged with building public trust and confidence in the city government. There are five divisions in

11564-524: The spectacles of grand opera and then to the musical dramas of Giuseppe Verdi and the Gesamtkunstwerk (total work of art) of the operas of Richard Wagner leading directly to the music of the 20th century. The 19th century was a period of growth for the performing arts for all social classes, technical advances such as the introduction of gaslight to theatres, burlesque , minstrel dancing, and variety theatre. In ballet, women make great progress in

11682-765: The stage of Massey Hall. The hall was also a prominent location for political speeches before the development of television. Until 1984, the primary performer at the hall was the Toronto Symphony Orchestra , along with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir . Operatic singers have included Montserrat Caballe , Maria Callas , Enrico Caruso , Luciano Pavarotti and Vladimir Rosing . Classical musicians have included George Gershwin , Glenn Gould , Vladimir Horowitz , Oscar Peterson and Arturo Toscanini . Popular musicians and singers have included Joni Mitchell , Tears for Fears , Justin Bieber , Cream , Bob Dylan , Billy Joel ,

11800-414: The storytellers and audience interacting and participating in call and response , which is characterized by a vocalist singing a phrase that is then echoed or responded to with a new phrase by the other performers and/or audience. This ancient tradition is rooted in many African cultures. The earliest recorded theatrical event dates back to 2000 BC with the ceremonial plays of Ancient Egypt . The story of

11918-942: The street. Live performances before an audience are a form of entertainment. The development of audio and video recording has allowed for private consumption of the performing arts. The performing arts often aims to express one's emotions and feelings. Artists who participate in performing arts in front of an audience are called performers. Examples of these include actors , comedians , dancers , magicians , circus artists, musicians , and singers . Performing arts are also supported by workers in related fields, such as songwriting , choreography and stagecraft . Performers often adapt their appearance , such as with costumes and stage makeup , stage lighting , and sound. Performing arts may include dance, music, opera, theatre and musical theatre, magic , illusion , mime , spoken word , puppetry , circus arts , stand-up comedy , improv , professional wrestling and performance art . There

12036-404: The subject. In dance, the connection between the two concepts is stronger than in some other arts, and neither can exist without the other. Choreography is the art of making dances, and the person who practices this art is called a choreographer. Music is an art form which combines pitch , rhythm, and dynamic to create sound. It can be performed using a variety of instruments and styles and

12154-441: The sudden decision by the provincial government to reduce the size of City Council in summer 2018, the committee structure went under review. Before December 1, 2018, there were eleven other committees that reported to Toronto City Council. As of the 2022-2026 term, the four standing policy committees are: There are five other committees that report to Council: Source: City of Toronto All members of Toronto City Council serve on

12272-420: The twentieth century, storytelling was the most recognized form of entertainment, although today, some forms still remain. One form, Naghali, was traditionally performed in coffeehouses where the storytellers, or Naghals (Naqqāls), only recited sections of a story at a time, thus retaining regular cliental. These stories were based on events of historical or religious importance and many referenced poetries from

12390-557: The two groups became the central issue of the 1969 municipal election with mayoral candidate Margaret Campbell running on an explicit reform platform. Campbell lost the mayoralty, but on City Council, six veteran members of the Old Guard were defeated. One example of the close ties was revealed in 1971; a conflict of interest case of alderman Ben Grys, who chaired the Buildings and Development Committee. His wife Gladys, bought properties in

12508-445: The upper gallery seats. The restoration additionally re-established new backstage artist and performer accommodations. The construction of the new southern seven-story glass addition, named the Allied Music Centre, was designed to accommodate more support spaces for the hall. Accessible through the outdoor passerelles, the addition contains rehearsal spaces, a performance studio, a lounge, new washrooms, dressing rooms for performers, and

12626-470: The venue in 1977 and 1978, followed by a solo performance by Kim Mitchell , formerly of Max Webster, in 1984. On January 8, 1995, Ronnie Hawkins celebrated his 60th birthday with a concert at Massey, which was documented on the album Let It Rock . The concert featured performances by Hawkins, Carl Perkins , Jerry Lee Lewis , the Band and Larry Gowan . Jeff Healey sat in on guitar for most, if not all, of

12744-415: The ward boundaries were adjusted in 2018, former ward 28 councillor Lucy Troisi ran in the new ward 13 against the former ward 27's elected incumbent Kristyn Wong-Tam . Peter Leon considered registering as a candidate in the 2014 election following his appointment as an interim councillor in 2013, but ultimately did not do so. If a full byelection is pursued, however, then the winner of that by-election

12862-463: Was a gift to the people of Toronto from industrialist Hart Massey . Massey Hall was designated a National Historic Site of Canada on June 15, 1981. The hall closed in July 2018 for a two-year-long renovation including a new seven-storey addition and two smaller concert rooms. It re-opened in 2021. It is operated by The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, a non-profit charitable organization. It

12980-438: Was also very prevalent; a black face represented honesty, a red one bravery. The rods used to control Cantonese puppets were attached perpendicular to the puppets' heads. Thus, they were not seen by the audience when the shadow was created. Pekingese puppets were more delicate and smaller. They were created out of thin, translucent leather usually taken from the belly of a donkey. They were painted with vibrant paints, thus they cast

13098-544: Was annexed in 1883, it became St. Paul's Ward (named for Paul the Apostle or Saint Paul). When Riverdale was annexed in 1884, it became St. Matthew's Ward (named for Matthew the Apostle or Saint Matthew). Brockton was also annexed in 1884, and it became the ward of St. Mark's (named for Mark the Evangelist or Saint Mark). When Parkdale was annexed in 1889, it became St. Alban's Ward (named for Saint Alban ). In June 1891,

13216-410: Was created, an additional bar in the balcony lounge was added. In 2013, Massey Hall began a long-awaited major renovation, which included the demolition of the Albert Building and preparing the rear space for construction activities. In July 2018, Massey Hall announced phase two of the renovation, entitled "Massey Hall Forever," which included extensive exterior and interior renovations, expanded stage,

13334-629: Was designated a National Historic Site of Canada on June 15, 1981. The primary use of the hall has been for musical performances, but the hall has been used for many types of events, including public memorials, speaking tours, and boxing, among others. Many dignitaries have attended the hall since its inauguration. In 1901, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York (the future King George V and his wife Queen Mary ) visited with Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier . Many prominent choirs, comedians, musicians, musical groups, singers and speakers have appeared on

13452-449: Was founded in 1932. The pro-labour social democratic party found support in various working-class areas of Toronto and several of its members were elected to city council. Unaffiliated anti-poverty activists like May Birchard also were elected to Council in this era. An important faction in Toronto politics in the 1930s and 1940s were the communists. There was considerable communist support in

13570-494: Was inspired by a story in the Mahabharata and is the most famous. It was the first to be translated into English and German. In comparison to Bhāsa, who drew heavily from the epics, Kālidāsa can be considered an original playwright. The next great Indian dramatist was Bhavabhuti (c. 7th century). He is said to have written the following three plays: Malati-Madhava , Mahaviracharita and Uttar Ramacharita . Among these three,

13688-601: Was inspired by the Alhambra Palace in Spain as well as Louis Sullivan's Chicago Auditorium . The exterior is Palladian architecture while the interior is Moorish Revival architecture . The exterior neoclassical facade was a preference voiced from Lillian , Hart Massey's daughter. Around the top of the hall are thirty stained glass windows, each depicting a famous composer made by the Faircloth Brothers glass firm. The foyer

13806-451: Was recorded and released as Jazz at Massey Hall . Neil Young 's performance on January 19, 1971, was recorded and later released as a live album, entitled Live at Massey Hall 1971 . Young has since performed several times at Massey Hall. In June 1976, Rush recorded the live album All the World's a Stage here. Max Webster , a Toronto band, opened for Rush and would later headline at

13924-581: Was succeeded by Peter Leon. Adam Vaughan resigned from council in 2014 to contest a federal byelection for the House of Commons , and was succeeded by Ceta Ramkhalawansingh . Peter Milczyn resigned in 2014 after winning election to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in the 2014 election and was succeeded by James Maloney . Since amalgamation there are five instances that a councillor died while in office: The Toronto Municipal Code, Chapter 223 sets

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