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Brenda Cardillo - Patron Exemplar
July 29, 2019“No question — dull and colourless!” That’s how National Arts Centre patron and donor Brenda Cardillo describes what her life would be without the arts. And she should know. Brenda has been an avid attendee and supporter of the NAC for almost 50 years. She simply cannot imagine what…
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Interview with Rich and Kenton
July 9, 2019Now widely recognized as one of the finalists on Canada’s Top Chef (season 4), Rich Francis is redirecting the spotlight to issues of importance to him, namely the rights of Indigenous people to continue creating and serving food in a culturally authentic way. As the Head Chef of Seventh…
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The National Arts Centre at 50: Propelling Canada’s Voices
June 18, 2019By Christopher Deacon, President and CEO of the National Arts Centre. One month ago, I was sitting in the darkened hall of La Seine Musicale in Paris, overwhelmed. On three large screens, Indigenous dancers performed a choreography by the Mohawk dancer and choreographer Santee Smith in…
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A few comments on The Marriage of Figaro
June 7, 2019Susanna, Rosine, Marcellina, Barbarina and the rest It was barely two years after the opening night of The Marriage of Figaro, six years after its publication, that Mozart and Da Ponte transformed Beaumarchais’ lively ideological offering into a much more subversive musical work,…
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Illuminating Thoughts: Nicole Brooks on Obeah Opera
June 5, 2019Ten years ago she was told it could never be done — it was too big, too unconventional, too diverse, too much about women — now, artist Nicole Brooks is reveling in the success of her creation, Obeah Opera. Revolutionary creator Nicole Brooks shares her inspiration for Obeah Opera, the…
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A Glimpse Behind the Creation of Joni Mitchell’s The Fiddle and the...
June 5, 2019On Wednesday, May 15, NAC Foundation supporters spent an inspiring afternoon watching Alberta Ballet dancers engage in a working rehearsal of Act 1 of Joni Mitchell’s The Fiddle and the Drum, which would open that evening in the NAC’s Southam Hall. Prior to the rehearsal, donors were…
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Reinventing the wondrous world of Marie-Claire Blais in SOIFS Matériaux
June 3, 2019INTERVIEW Over the years UBU has often created plays based on works not written for the stage. How does this novel by Marie-Claire Blais fit into that approach? Denis Marleau – What was appealing about Soifs was its vigorous writing, its larger-than-life scope, its embrace of a…
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Howard Shore’s Notable Journey from Lighthouse to The Forest
May 15, 2019Attending intermission chats and open rehearsals are one of the many benefits donors receive when they support performance, creation and learning across Canada through the National Arts Centre Foundation. On May 1, NAC Foundation supporters experienced a truly once-in-a-lifetime…
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The spectacular launch of Indigenous Theatre
May 15, 2019Don’t miss Mòshkamo: Indigenous Arts Rising, the two-week All-Indigenous Takeover at the NAC this fall Lori Marchand and Kevin Loring first met almost 20 years ago and quickly connected over a shared vision. It’s a vision they continue to share today as together they set the stage for the…
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Message from the National Arts Centre Foundation CEO - May 2019
May 15, 2019On June 2, 2019 our beloved National Arts Centre turns 50 years old. That’s quite a milestone for any organization and I hope you’ll join us in celebrating. After all, your support has played a key role in our success. Our public Open House on June 2 is a wonderful opportunity for arts…
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The best gift ever: NAC Music Alive Program makes an impact in...
May 14, 2019In the opinion of NAC Music Alive Program (MAP) Teaching Artist, Samantha Whelan Kotkas, the most important moment of the entire day happens at the very beginning. That’s when educators and students see Samantha and her MAP partner, Walter MacDonald White Bear, walk into the school…
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Carrefour
May 14, 2019Two-year residency program gives emerging, culturally diverse or Indigenous composers the chance to “live inside” the NAC Orchestra One of the things Ian Cusson will remember most about Carrefour, his two-year residency with the NAC Orchestra, is sitting on a bus on the way to…
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The NAC celebrates our 50th anniversary all year long
May 14, 2019June 2, 1969 was a special day for lovers of the performing arts in Ottawa and across the country. On that memorable day the doors of the National Arts Centre opened for the first time. The momentous occasion drew more than 40,000 people eager to explore the extraordinary,…
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Le cheval de bleu: Matching actions to words
May 14, 2019Inclusiveness. It’s a word you hear often from Milena Buziak, who directs the children’s play Le cheval de bleu, presented June 1 and 2 at the Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins. In a rare creative decision, sign language is at the root of the artistic concept. For the young director, this…
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Tea with a Ballerina: A day young dancers will remember all their...
May 14, 2019At first, the eight young dance students, ages five through 12, were shy and awestruck. After all, it’s not every day they have the opportunity to meet a ballerina from The National Ballet of Canada. But then they realized that Ottawa-born Meghan Pugh is a real person. “It’s at this…
