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88-660: The TSO was founded in 1922 as the New Symphony Orchestra, and gave its first concert at Massey Hall in April 1923 with 58 musicians. The first conductor was Luigi von Kunits , and that season there were twenty concerts, as well as a performance at a spring festival. In the summer of 1924, the symphony performed at the Canadian National Exhibition . Shortly thereafter, they began holding children's concerts. The orchestra changed its name to

176-498: 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

264-647: A famous composer made by the Faircloth Brothers glass firm. The foyer 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

352-434: 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

440-487: 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

528-690: 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

616-552: 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

704-416: A religious theme. Massey also wanted to construct 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

792-555: 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

880-469: 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

968-415: 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

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1056-426: 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

1144-590: 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

1232-443: 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

1320-422: 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

1408-405: 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,

1496-559: 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

1584-429: 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

1672-461: Is operated by The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, a non-profit charitable organization. It 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

1760-740: 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

1848-420: 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

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1936-576: 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

2024-587: 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

2112-646: 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

2200-524: 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

2288-635: 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

2376-824: 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

2464-537: 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,

2552-520: 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

2640-707: The visual arts , which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects . Performing arts include a range of disciplines which are performed in front of a live audience, including theatre, music, and dance. 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

2728-657: The war in Donbas which were seen as conducive to "public incitement of hatred" under the Criminal Code of Canada. In January 2017, the TSO announced its participation in the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of Canada , with a cross-country celebration of Canadian music funded by the Canadian government. In May 2017, the TSO announced the return of Davis to the orchestra as its interim artistic director, beginning with

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2816-513: 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 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

2904-472: 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

2992-449: The 2018-2019 season, for a period of two seasons. In April 2018, the TSO announced the appointment of Matthew Loden as its chief executive officer (CEO), effective July 2018. In February 2018, Gustavo Gimeno guest-conducted the TSO for the first time. On the basis of this appearance, the TSO announced the appointment of Gimeno as its next music director, effective in the 2020-2021 season, with an initial contract of 5 years. In July 2020,

3080-552: 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

3168-609: 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

3256-545: 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

3344-498: 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

3432-519: The TSO announced the cancellation of its originally scheduled 2020-2021 concert season, with plans for replacement concerts on a smaller scale in various Toronto venues, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. In July 2021, the TSO announced that Matthew Loden was to stand down as its CEO, effective 22 September 2021. In January 2022, the TSO announced the appointment of Mark Williams as its next chief executive officer, effective April 2022. In November 2022,

3520-477: The TSO announced the extension of Gimeno's contract as its music director through 2030. Massey Hall 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

3608-503: The TSO had debt of $ 7 million CAD, and both executive director Ed Smith and music director Saraste had left the ensemble. Peter Oundjian was appointed as music director in January 2003 and became music director in the 2004–2005 season. The 2005 documentary film Five Days in September: The Rebirth of an Orchestra recorded the first days of the TSO's inaugural season with Oundjian as its new music director. His contract

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3696-580: 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

3784-602: The Toronto Symphony Orchestra in 1927. In 1929, the TSO made its radio debut with a one-hour broadcast on CBC Radio from the Arcadian Court . After von Kunits' death in 1931, Ernest MacMillan served as music director for 25 years. In 1951, the orchestra made headlines when it declined to renew the contracts of musicians, thereafter known as the Symphony Six , who had been denied entry to

3872-493: The United States on suspicion of communist activities, during the McCarthy Era. Andrew Davis was the TSO's music director from 1975 to 1988. The TSO subsequently granted Davis the title of conductor laureate. The orchestra had financial and audience size problems during the 1990s, and in 1992, TSO musicians accepted a 16% pay cut because of a threat of bankruptcy to the orchestra, with a promise from management to make up

3960-575: 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

4048-475: 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

4136-627: 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

4224-440: The completion of construction (after 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

4312-473: 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

4400-417: 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

4488-642: 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

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4576-404: 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

4664-538: 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

4752-541: 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

4840-412: 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

4928-485: 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

5016-468: 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

5104-471: 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

5192-474: 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 The performing arts are arts such as music , dance , and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from

5280-462: 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

5368-786: 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

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5456-412: The loss in subsequent contract negotiations. By 1999, this pay restoration had not happened, which led to an 11-week musicians' strike that autumn. Relations between the musicians and management deteriorated, and the music director at the time, Jukka-Pekka Saraste , offered to serve as mediator in the situation. In addition, there was a lack of public sympathy to the orchestra musicians' situation. By 2001,

5544-434: 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

5632-410: 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

5720-449: The orchestra reported its third consecutive year of budget surpluses, with average audience attendance of 88% (excluding concerts for schoolchildren), although the orchestra still retained overall debt of $ 8.9 million CAD in 2008. In 2022, the TSO ended the season with its first net surplus since 1979. In April 2015, controversy ensued after the TSO cancelled the appearance of Valentina Lisitsa , citing Twitter postings by her in relation to

5808-452: The original brick structure creating 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

5896-444: 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

5984-425: 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

6072-517: 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

6160-555: 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,

6248-474: 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 ,

6336-513: 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

6424-546: 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

6512-531: 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

6600-783: 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 ,

6688-414: 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

6776-942: 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

6864-404: 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

6952-420: 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

7040-449: 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

7128-477: 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

7216-528: The width of the interior hall. This interior 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

7304-438: 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

7392-412: 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,

7480-635: 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

7568-435: Was extended through to the 2017-2018 season. He concluded his TSO tenure at the close of the 2017-2018 season and was given the title of conductor emeritus. With Oundjian, the TSO made commercial recordings for its own TSO Live label and for other labels such as Chandos Records . By the 2006–2007 season, the subscriber base had increased to about 25,000, and the audience average capacity also increased to 84%. In November 2008,

7656-500: 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,

7744-458: 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

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