The longtime principal dancer and Choreographic Associate of the National Ballet of Canada, as well as Artistic Director of Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur, is finally setting aside his slippers after more than a quarter-century with the National Ballet, a tenure rivalled only by fellow Canadian Karen Kain.

Côté’s final performances with the National Ballet will be in June next year, but in the meantime, he’s partnered with another Canadian legend for a once-in-a-lifetime Shakespeare adaptation, Robert Lepage’s The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark, on now through April 7, 2024, at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre. The can’t-miss dance event of the year, the Lepage/Côté Hamlet is an evening of adventurous, innovative spectacle.

Hamlet marks the second collaboration between Lepage and Côté after their 2018 Norman McLaren tribute, Frame By Frame. That show combined video projection with minimal sets for a tribute to the acclaimed animator, whose most famous work, Pas de Deux (1969), remains arguably the most important Canadian short film ever made (sorry, Cat Came Back). This time, the pair have chosen to take on the most famous work in the English language, with Lepage directing and Côté starring and choreographing.

Like much of Lepage’s oeuvre, this Hamlet plays with light and perception to great visual effect, with inventive use of shadows, masks, and other tricks of the Lepage toolbox. (We last wrote about Lepage when he brought his fascinating “Library at Night” mixed-reality installation to Toronto’s The Lighthouse venue.)

That said, audiences may be surprised to discover this is basically a faithful adaptation of Hamlet, albeit without Shakespeare’s dialogue. The age-appropriate cast, which includes quinquagenarians Robert Glumbek and Greta Hodgkinson as Claudius and Gertrude, alongside septuagenarian Bernard Meney as Polonius, is joined by younger dancers including Carleen Zouboules (Ophelia) and Lukas Malkowski, whose breakdancing skills get put to great use as Laertes. Rounding out the cast is ballerina Natasha Poon Woo as Horatio, Hamlet’s best friend, here gender-flipped to a female role. Côté is, of course, the title prince himself.

Lepage is rightly acclaimed as Canada’s most inventive theatre directors, earning worldwide acclaim for his Cirque du Soleil productions and an award-winning revamp of Wagner’s The Ring Cycle for the Metropolitan Opera in 2010-2012. Côté, for his part, is a multi-award-winning dancer who, in 2021, was made a “Chevalier de l’Ordre national” in his native Québec. Having performed with major dance companies including La Scala Theatre Ballet, The Royal Ballet (Covent Garden), New York City Ballet, and the Bolshoi, in 2000 Côté, at the age of nineteen, became the youngest dancer to ever portray Prince Siegfried in the National Ballet’s Swan Lake. This Hamlet is, to put it simply, a match made in performing arts heaven.

The prerecorded soundtrack, by composer John Gzowski, is easily the worst part of the production, oppressive in all the wrong ways: relentless, melodramatic, and far too loud (to the point that the speakers went fuzzy from all the feedback). The set design, on the other hand – by Lepage and his collaborators at Ex Machina Productions – is deceptively simple, just a few props, some tables, and colourful curtains/ribbons which are transformed through movement into royal beds, flowing rivers, and more. Wine goblets and flashing swords abound.

While hardly the first dance-infused Shakespeare adaptation we’re seeing this year, Hamlet is easily one of the most exciting productions to arrive in Toronto for quite some time. With an extremely limited run (this week only!), audiences will either have to see it now, or cross their fingers that Lepage/Côté’s dreams of taking it on tour come to fruition.

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For more on The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark and to buy tickets, click here.
For our review of Robert Lepage’s 2022 installation The Library at Night, click here.

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This season, Brampton On Stage performances will be split into two parts, the first part will take place from June to December 2023 and the second will feature performances from January through May 2024. One of the most highly anticipated shows will see South Asian superstar, Ahad Raza Mir starring as Hamlet this October at The Rose. Raza Mir’s performance is significant as it offers Brampton residents a unique moment of representation reflected in this Shakespearean classic. Audiences can expect a thrilling, fast-paced production, with an electrifying story filled with vengeance and tainted love. Artistic Director, Steven Schipper, sees this an opportunity to break barriers in performance art noting, “we’re fortunate to have such immense talent in this city and we can’t wait to see folks breaking barriers in roles that haven’t traditionally welcomed them”.

The first portion of the season will see exclusive performances by both Canadian and international artists including an intimate evening with Tony award nominated, Grammy award winning Broadway artist Eva Noblezada. This is the first Canadian performance for Noblezada, the self professed mezzo-soprano vocalist. Noblezada will render a speakeasy performance style of classic musicals and pop hits.

This summer, concert lovers of all ages can explore the free concerts taking place during the Friday Night Live Series in Garden Square. Music lovers will have their choice of performances to attend with acts like JUNO Award-winning reggae band Kirk Diamond and The Movement of Ahryel feat. Jônelle, live band karaoke with Rock Star Live, an East Coast Kitchen Party, Wannabe – a Spice Girls Tribute and Cree roots rocker Adrian Sutherland with Mimi O’Bonsawin. Sutherland and O’Bonsawin’s performance is in partnership with The Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund. Other free events taking place in Garden Square include family friendly movies on Wednesdays at Movies by Moonlight and showings of the latest box office hits every Saturday evening during Starlight Saturday Movies. This season of BOS is highly inclusive of the Indigenous voice and artistry.

Schipper posits, “the City of Brampton is a multicultural tapestry, and it’s our mission to showcase all of our city’s diversity on our stages. We aim to continue to embrace the incredible cultural fusion specific to Brampton and all our gifted creators, continue to experiment on our stages, and honour the classics but through a unique new lens”. As a new feature this year, BOS will debut Stage Door Stories. This series offers the perfect opportunity to experience intimate performances and conversations with Canadian cultural treasures Susan Aglukark and Ashley MacIsaac and international icons Burton Cummings and his band Unplugged (of The Guess Who fame) and comedian Whitney Cummings.

The performances scheduled this season take an unabated approach to reframing classics from an inclusive perspective. This diversity is sure to refresh known theatrical masterpieces, including Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz and The Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition performed by Ballet Jörgen in collaboration with the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. Brampton Mayor, Patrick Brown notes the significance of the arts and culture within Brampton communities, “They help us to express ourselves, connect with others, and share our feelings with the world. Brampton is a diverse city that celebrates each other’s traditions and cultures, and I am proud to see this represented on our stages”.

The multitude of vintage classical performances are bolstered by homegrown talent including comedian Jay Martin, performing The Jay Martin Series in late November at the Lester B. Pearson Memorial Theatre (LBP). Martin is known for hilarious on-point, culturally relevant quips. Martin’s routines are deeply relatable as they often draw inspiration from childhood experiences and reflect his cultural upbringing as a first generation Canadian. Furthermore, Early Morning Rain: The Legend of Gordon Lightfoot will celebrate the music and legacy of Canadian legend, singer and songwriter Gordon Lightfoot. The Rose theatre will host this event in mid-November; this immersive experience is sure to draw a crowd. The Afro-Caribbean styling of Flow Fest will also grace The Rose theatre’s stage in late September. This is the second annual event which will highlight Afro-Caribbean drumming styles performed by Brampton raised, Grammy Award-winning musician Larnell Lewis and award winning artist, Joy Lapps. This show comes on the heels of the Toronto Caribbean Carnival keeping the hot summer vibes alive just a little bit longer.

With a schedule this packed with entertainment, Brampton on Stage is sure to be a festival worth visiting. Regional Councillor, Rowena Santos declares, “Our team has curated a thoughtful and exciting program that will bring together audiences of all different backgrounds. These performances are reflective of our diverse and dynamic community, and give everyone a chance to connect through arts and culture”.

Tickets for Brampton On Stage are on sale now and prices range from free to $49. There is something for everyone to enjoy and performances which reflect the beauty of diversity found only in the Greater Toronto Area.

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