P: Opera Pub | Against the Grain Theatre

array( '1.head' => 'Opera Pub | Against the Grain Theatre', '2.body' => array( '1.div' => array( '1.h1' => 'Opera Pub', '2.span' => 'Free opera pub nights', ), '2.div' => array( '1.div' => array( '1.p' => array( '1.strong' => '#OperaPub', '2.strong' => 'The first Thursday of every month', '3.strong' => array( 1 => 'Next event: January 3, 2018, 9pm–11pm', 2 => 'Location: Amsterdam Bicycle Club', ), ), '2.p' => 'FREE EVENT', '3.p' => 'There’s a bar in Toronto where you can hear live opera—for free—with a pint in hand: this is AtG’s Opera Pub.', '4.p' => array( 1 => 'About Against the Grain Theatre’s Opera Pubs:', 2 => 'Running the first Thursday of every month, AtG Opera Pub nights are improvised, wild nights that offer up your favourite beer on tap with a side of operatic arias and ensembles, performed by both established and emerging opera talent. Free admission, discounted pints of beer. It’s the perfect introduction for newbies and a welcome break for opera vets who you want to see something “a little different.”', ), '5.p' => 'Duration/What Time Should I Show Up?: Musical performances begin at 9pm and wrap by 11pm. We perform 3–4 sets of 15 minutes and take a break between each set to refresh our drinks and chat with the audience.', '6.p' => '1) You can arrive super early and enjoy dinner/drinks before the show (and try to grab seats and a table). Arrive before 8pm to grab a seat — it’s usually standing-room-only after 8:30pm.', '7.p' => 'OR', '8.p' => '2) Join us for the late-night set, starting at 10pm, and ending around 10:30pm/11pm. More seats and tables become available at this time.', '9.p' => 'Photos by', ), '2.div' => array( '1.div' => array( '1.div' => '2018/2019 Dates', '2.div' => array( '1.h2' => array( 1 => '9pm Dec 6 2018', 2 => '9pm Jan 3 2019', 3 => '9pm Feb 7 2019', 4 => '9pm March 7 2019', 5 => '9pm April 4 2019', 6 => '9pm May 9 2019', ), '2.p' => '(Summer hiatus: every June–September)', ), ), '2.div' => array( '1.div' => 'Tickets', '2.div' => array( 1 => 'FREE admission', 2 => 'Discounted pitchers of beer', ), ), ), '3.div' => array( '1.div' => 'Location', '2.div' => array( 1 => 'Amsterdam Bicycle Club', 2 => '54 The Esplanade, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5E 1A6', ), ), '4.div' => 'Sign up to sing', '5.div' => 'Loading...', '6.div' => array( '1.div' => 'Press', '2.div' => array( '1.blockquote' => array( '1.p' => '"It has the feeling of an after party when musicians kick back, loosen up and playfully make music with their friends"', '2.span' => '− Musical Toronto', ), '2.blockquote' => array( '1.p' => '"Opera truly is best consumed live, and it’s hard to get more real-life than in a cozy pub."', '2.span' => '− Schmopera', ), '3.blockquote' => array( '1.p' => '"It was loud, it was fun and the audience, not all of whom I suspect knew what they were in for, stayed."', '2.span' => '− Opera Ramblings', ), '4.blockquote' => array( '1.p' => '"There are few events in the Canadian opera scene that have garnered as much hype as the Opera Pubs presented by Toronto\'s Against the Grain Theatre."', '2.span' => '− Schmopera', ), '5.blockquote' => array( '1.p' => '"Opera Pub brings this most secret of pleasures to astonished newcomers."', '2.span' => '− The Globe and Mail', ), ), ), '7.div' => 'Creative Team', '8.div' => array( '1.h2' => 'David Eliakis', '2.h3' => 'Artistic Associate & Opera Pub Host', '3.p' => 'Pianist, voice coach, host and lecturer David Eliakis has collaborated with some of Canada’s finest singers and has worked with world-renowned artists such as Isabel Bayrakdarian, Warren Jones, Julius Rudel, and Sir Martin Isepp. After graduating from the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music, David was awarded an Ontario Arts Council grant to study privately with Warren Jones in New York City. David’s performances have taken him to the stages of Brazil, Switzerland, England (where he was a finalist in the Wigmore Hall Song Competition), Germany, Bermuda, and the Maritime Provinces. He currently works as a collaborative pianist and voice coach at the University of Toronto and The Royal Conservatory of Music. This year he will also be seen in the Friday Night Flights series at the University of Toronto as a guest lecturer and joins us a regular host of AtG’s Opera Pubs.', ), '9.div' => array( '1.div' => array( '1.h2' => 'Joel Ivany', '2.h3' => 'AtG Founder & Artistic Director', '3.p' => array( 1 => 'Joel Ivany is the Founder and Artistic Director of AtG, and is the program director of Banff Centre’s “Open Space: Opera in the 21st Century.” His directing credits include productions of Verdi’s', '2.em' => 'Macbeth', 3 => '(Minnesota Opera),', '4.em' => 'Carmen', 5 => '(Vancouver Opera),', '6.em' => 'Les Contes d’Hoffmann', 7 => '(Edmonton Opera), Gavin Bryars’', '8.em' => 'Marilyn Forever', 9 => '(Adelaide Festival) and', '10.em' => 'Le nozze di Figaro', 11 => '(revival at Norwegian National Opera). He is the author of five (and counting) original librettos. He was a Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee for Outstanding Direction (AtG’s', '12.em' => 'Figaro’s Wedding', 13 => '), Outstanding New Opera/Musical (AtG’s', '14.em' => '#UncleJohn', 15 => ') and the recipient of the same prize for', '16.em' => 'Figaro’s Wedding', 17 => '. Recent mainstage directing credits include debuts at the Canadian Opera Company (', '18.em' => 'Carmen', 19 => ') and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (', '20.em' => 'Mozart’s Requiem', 21 => '). His 2016/2017 engagements include AtG’s', '22.em' => 'Ayre', 23 => ', a new production of', '24.em' => 'Dead Man Walking', 25 => '(', '26.em' => 'Vancouver Opera', 27 => '), a revival of AtG’s hit', '28.em' => 'La Bohème', 29 => ', and a semi-staged presentation of', '30.em' => 'The Seven Deadly Sins', 31 => '(Toronto Symphony Orchestra).', ), ), '2.div' => array( '1.h2' => 'Topher Mokrzewski', '2.h3' => 'AtG Music Director', '3.p' => array( 1 => 'Conductor, pianist and vocal coach, Topher “Verklemption” Mokrzewski is a steadily rising figure in the world of Canadian opera. He is serving his fourth season as Resident Conductor of Calgary Opera, and is Music Director of both AtG and the Open Space Opera Program at The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. A graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, he is frequently sought as a soloist, collaborator and music director. He recently conducted Gilbert and Sullivan’s', '2.em' => 'The Mikado', 3 => 'and Ravel’s', '4.em' => 'L’enfant et les Sortilèges', 5 => 'at Calgary Opera (where he also served as assistant conductor for', '6.em' => 'Lakmé', 7 => ',', '8.em' => 'Die tote Stadt', 9 => 'and', '10.em' => 'Die Zauberflöte', 11 => ') and Britten’s', '12.em' => 'The Rape of Lucretia', 13 => 'with Against the Grain Theatre at the Banff Centre and Toronto Summer Music Festival. In 2016/2017, Topher returns to his duties at Calgary Opera, Against the Grain Theatre and Banff Centre and will also return to the music staff of the Canadian Opera Company.', ), ), ), '10.div' => array( '1.div' => array( '1.h2' => 'Amanda Hadi', '2.h3' => 'Editorial & Digital Media Manager', '3.p' => 'Toronto-based editor and copywriter Amanda Hadi is best known to AtG as the “GZA Genius” for her outrageously quick wit and damn good ideas. She has worked for the Canadian Opera Company, the City of Ottawa Public Art Program, several creative branding studios in Toronto, and, most recently, as the Social Media Officer for the Art Gallery of Ontario. She is currently a Digital Engagement Producer for the Toronto International Film Festival.', ), '2.div' => array( '1.h2' => 'Jonathan MacArthur', '2.h3' => 'General Manager', '3.p' => array( 1 => 'Jonathan MacArthur is known as both a producer and performer in the Toronto arts scene. He is a Masters graduate of the University of Toronto Opera program, and has studied abroad at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory and the Saint-Petersburg State University in Russia. He is a passionate performer of the Baroque and New Music genres, and was an ensemble member of AtG’s Dora Award winning performance of', '2.em' => 'AtG’s Messiah', 3 => '. Having worked closely with FAWN Chamber Creative, and Tapestry Opera, Jonathan adds another colourful feather to his Indie Opera TO hat as interim General Manager at AtG.', ), ), ), '11.div' => array( '1.div' => 'Gallery', '2.div' => array( 1 => 'For media inquiries,', 2 => '.', ), ), '12.div' => 'Venue Partner', ), '3.div' => array( '1.div' => 'Next up: Opera Pub', '2.div' => array( '1.div' => array( '1.h4' => 'Donate now', '2.div' => 'Donate now at', ), '2.div' => array( '1.h4' => 'Subscribe', '2.div' => 'Sign up for our', ), '3.div' => array( '1.h4' => 'Buy Tickets', '2.div' => 'to our next show', ), '4.div' => 'Careers & Volunteer', ), '3.div' => 2019 Against the Grain Theatre. — site designed by', ), ), )