DAHLIA KATZ It’s a
DAHLIA KATZ It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken: Talia Schlanger as Kate and Ali Momen as Waleed Canadian-bred horse to win the Kentucky Derby, in 1964, and capture the heart of a nation. This little show that could is now on its way to its first full production presented by Oh What a Ride! Productions Inc. in association with Crow’s Theatre & the Toronto Stage Company at Harbourfront’s Terminal Theatre (formerly the Fleck/Premiere Dance Theatre). How can actors portray horses and horse races onstage in a believable way? With the mentorship of long time leading opera director Tom Diamond, director and choreographer Stacey Tookey, well known from her ten-season tenure as resident choreographer and guest judge on Television’s So You Think You Can Dance (U.S. and Canada), has apparently found a way that captures the imagination of audiences and has led to this further stage of development. Keanu Uchida returns as Northern Dancer along with a strong Canadian cast and creative team.https://dancerthemusical.ca/ Performances begin October 6. If you don’t weaken Also in October, another original Canadian musical is continuing its development after a very successful debut at Theatre Aquarius in the spring. It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken is built around a selection of songs by iconic Canadian band The Tragically Hip, but, as I observed in the spring, thanks to an excellent original book by writers Ahmed Moneka and Jesse LaVercombe, the show subverts the typical jukebox musical formula, with the Hip’s songs chosen to serve a powerful story - an immigrant coming to Canada in search of a new home - rather than the other way around. It’s a Good Life is making its second appearance, this time at Kingston’s Grand Theatre, with the same cast and creative team, but this time under the banner of Thousand Islands Playhouse which has been developing this project over the past two years, along with Theatre Aquarius, David and Hannah Mirvish, and Michael Rubinoff (Originating Producer of Come From Away). October 22 - November 8 https://1000islandsplayhouse.com/ the-tragically-hip// Jennifer Parr is a Toronto-based director, dramaturge, fight director and acting coach, brought up from a young age on a rich mix of musicals, Shakespeare and new Canadian plays. 20 | September 2026 thewholenote.com
BLUE PAGES PRESENTER & VENUE DIRECTORY WELCOME TO THE EARLY BIRDS! Arkel CHAMBER CONCERTS Marie Bérard - Winona Zelenka Our annual membership drive for our Blue Pages directory of music presenters is underway and our full directory of Blue Pages member profiles will be published in our October/November print issue. But first: here are the names of 48 presenting organizations who met our “early bird” deadline for joining or rejoining as members. We thank them for their early commitment to supporting what we at The WholeNote do year round - and we encourage you, our readers, to find out what they've got planned this season. Their member profiles are online under the Who’s Who tab at thewholenote.com. BLUE PAGES EARLY BIRDS: 2026/27 Amadeus Choir Apocryphonia Concert Series Arkel Chamber Concerts Barrie Concert Association Canadian Arabic Orchestra Canadian Opera Company Cantabile Chamber Singers Chorus Niagara Collingwood Music Festival Common Thread Community Chorus Confluence Concerts The Edison Singers The Elora Singers Etobicoke Centennial Choir Flute Street Hannaford Street Silver Band Hugh’s Room Live Jubilate Singers Mississauga Choral Society Music at St. Andrew’s Music Toronto The Nathaniel Dett Chorale New Music Concerts North Wind Concerts Off Centre Music Salon Opera Atelier Orpheus Choir of Toronto Pax Christi Chorale Peterborough Singers Piano Lunaire Sinfonia Toronto St. James Cathedral Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir Toronto Beach Chorale Toronto Chamber Choir Toronto Children’s Chorus Toronto Classical Singers The Toronto Consort Toronto Operetta Theatre Toronto Symphony Orchestra Trinity Bach Project Vesnivka Choir Victoria Scholars Men’s Choral Ensemble VIVA Singers Toronto VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert Westben Arts Centre Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Wychwood Clarinet Choir Season 14! Wednesday Nov.18 th , 7:30 pm Trios From the Edge with Angela Park, piano Sunday March 21 st , 3 pm The Viennese Quintet with Matthew Hakkarainen, violin; Rémi Pelletier, viola Sunday May 23 rd , 3 pm TWILIGHT OF THE ROMANTICS with Jamie Parker, piano; Eric Abramovitz, clarinet; Neil Deland, French horn Trinity St. Paul's Centre, 427 Bloor St. W https://www.eventbrite.ca/ WANT TO JOIN THIS LIST FOR 2026/27? Deadline for getting 2026/27 member profiles into print is Thursday September 10. Contact members@thewholenote.com for benefits and details on how to sign up! thewholenote.com September 2026 | 21
