Toronto Magazine - Premier 2008 - (Page 12) Cityscape around town Sound effects Jack Diamond has created a formidable work of art on the corner of eclectic Queen Street West and stately University Avenue — the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (www.fourseasonscentre.ca) — a genuinely Toronto building with an appropriately creative mix of modesty and exuberance. It is Toronto’s new home for opera, the likes of which the city and Canada have been anticipating for nearly 50 years. The Canadian Opera Company (www.coc.ca), the country’s largest opera company and sixth-largest in North America, shares this new home with The National Ballet of Canada (www. national.ballet.ca), itself with more than 60 dancers and a full symphony orchestra. The National Ballet ranks as one of the world’s best, presenting not only classical repertoire but also contemporary works that encourage the creation of new ballets and the development of Canadian choreographers. To eliminate the rumble of the subway beneath the building, the auditorium was isolated on 500 prefabricated 2-foot-square rubber pads for a soundless interior with acoustics that rival the best in the world. Aesthetically, every consideration has been met to 12 create impeccable sightlines in the 2,070-seat theatre. This was the second such purpose-built theatre in Toronto involving such careful study and consultation on an acoustic and aesthetic redesign. The $24-million redesign of Roy Thomson Hall (www.roythomson.com) by KPMB in 2002 was an ambitious project that improved comfort at all levels for patrons while increasing the auditorium’s versatility. The interior was outfitted with Canadian hardwood maple for improved sound, which also added natural warmth to the auditorium. The renovations to the 2,630seat theatre were the most impressive — Roy Thomson Hall’s volume is now comparable to the premier concert halls of the world, including Carnegie Hall in New York City. Located in the cultural centre of the Entertainment District, it has become a signature spot during the Toronto International Film Festival and the permanent home for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (www.tso.ca). The TSO maintains a strong international presence, built by a history of touring, which includes its triumphant European tour in the spring of 2000. Drink like a local Sure, Saskatchewan has its pilsner, and everybody knows drinking Keith’s is next to godliness on the East Coast. But in Toronto, our beer taste prescribes to one doctrine: choice. Local beer drinkers love variety when it comes to their favourite resident brewmasters, and in true Toronto fashion, each pint fuels our indecision about which local beer is best. From within Toronto’s Roundhouse, Frank and Cameron Heaps have steered Steam Whistle (www. steamwhistle.ca) towards iconic status with their pilsner, while Mill Street Brewery (www. millstreetbrewery.com) has capitalized on the reputation of the Historic Distillery District, successfully mastering kegs of award-winning recipes. The Amsterdam Brewing Company (www.amsterdambeer.com), the city’s first brewpub, has been a leading distributor of local lagers and ales since 1986, anchoring an innovative craft beer industry unique in Canada. When you ask for a local brew in Toronto, get ready for a long list. toronto | 2008 Photos: (top right) Sam Javanrouh; (bottom) iStockphoto http://www.fourseasonscentre.ca http://www.roythomson.com http://www.coc.ca http://www.steamwhistle.ca http://www.steamwhistle.ca http://www.millstreetbrewery.com http://www.millstreetbrewery.com http://www.national.ballet.ca http://www.national.ballet.ca http://www.amsterdambeer.com http://www.tso.ca
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