2012-2013 Season offers variety and quality
Created: June 1, 2012 Last Updated: June 1, 2012
Canada's favorite Celtic family, The Leahy Family, to perform Christmas program at Markham Theatre.
TORONTO?Let?s face it, the era of the car is slowly drawing to a close. What will that mean for arts programming in the GTA?
If you live downtown, you already know how to take the TTC to the opera, or a nightclub, but what about residents of our expanding suburban communities?
Markham Theatre for Performing Arts is giving Markham residents many reasons to play close to home this year. Over the past three years, it has made big changes to its programming schedule and 2012-2013 is set to be the best season yet.
A hub for community culture
Open since the fall of 1985, Markham Theatre was built to serve Markham?s community groups, the advanced arts programs at Unionville High School, as well as act as a venue for national and international acts.
(L-R) Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, Councillor Carolina Moretti, Flato Developments president and owner Shakir Rehmatullah, and Markham Theatre general manager Eric Lariviere. (CorrVision)
At the time, Markham was still considered a rural community with a population of 80,000. Building a 530-seat theatre was a sagacious decision.
?It was a very bold vision when you think about it,? says current theatre manager Eric Lariviere.
Today, over 300,000 people live in Markham, with 15,000 more coming to settle annually. An increasing population has improved commercial potential for the theatre.
Not just a residential suburb, Markham is home to the Canadian headquarters of companies like American Express, Johnson & Johnson, Apple Inc., Toshiba, and Motorola. Markham?s largest employer is IBM. Naturally, corporate support of the theatre is at an all-time high.
This year Markham Theatre announced a naming sponsorship opportunity that was quickly snapped up by real estate developer Flato Developments Inc. For the next 10 years the theatre will be called the Flato Markham Theatre, sign and all.
\>");Revenue generated from ticket sales is just a part of what keeps the theatre?s books in the black. Ticket sale revenue also supports local groups? access to an upscale venue.
One of the core mandates of Markham Theatre is to provide a venue for locally based groups.
?Part of our main business here is to serve community organizations, groups, and promoters,? Lariviere says.
?We offer them a [full] theatre service. We provide the technical and productions services and equipment, which is all state-of-the-art.?
Just last year, the theatre installed a new sound system worth half a million dollars.
Flato Markham Theatre's 2012-2013 Season begins with the world premiere of Ballet J?rgen?s Swan Lake. (Courtesy of Markham Theatre)
Lariviere and his team are very serious about providing community groups with excellent sound, lighting, and technical staff.
This year the theatre is hosting 305 events. More than 100 events will be held by local schools, arts organizations, and community groups, and over 100 will be for commercial purposes.
Tickets are already selling for the 84 professional performances that are part of the 2012-13 season.
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