Centrepointe Theatre
Encyclopedia
Centrepointe Theatre is a 966-seat publicly owned performance hall located in Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
. It opened on May 3, 1988.
, which served as the city hall of Nepean
, Ontario until that city was amalgamated with Ottawa in 2001. Located near Baseline Station
and the Queensway
(Highway 417), it is easily accessible to the residents of the city and is at the geographical centre of the City of Ottawa.
, theatre
, dance
, comedy and music. In addition to community theatre groups, Centrepointe Theatre is rented to commercial presenters and "self-presents" under the banner "Front and Centre".
The Orpheus Musical Theatre Society
, the Savoy Society of Ottawa, the Capital City Chorus and other community groups have sustained the theatre with hundreds of performances since its opening. Numerous touring performers have graced Centrepointe's stage including Paul Potts
, Russell Peters, Dave and Ian Thomas, Jeff Healey
, David Clayton-Thomas
, Sarah McLachlan
, Bruce Cockburn
, Blue Rodeo
, The Barenaked Ladies
, The Kids in the Hall
, The Rankin Family
, Leahy
, Lyle Lovett
, and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
.
duties to the stage crew, stage lighting
and sound board.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It opened on May 3, 1988.
Location
The theatre is located in Ben Franklin PlaceBen Franklin Place
Ben Franklin Place is a building complex in the Centrepointe area of Ottawa which houses the Centrepointe Branch of the Ottawa Public Library, the Centrepointe Theatre, and a satellite office for the city of Ottawa. It also includes an outdoor skating rink...
, which served as the city hall of Nepean
Nepean, Ontario
- Recent quantity of snow :- History :Nepean Township, originally known as Township D, was established in 1792 and originally included what is now the central area of Ottawa west of the Rideau River. Jehiel Collins, from Vermont, is believed to have been the first person to settle in Nepean...
, Ontario until that city was amalgamated with Ottawa in 2001. Located near Baseline Station
Baseline Station (OC Transpo)
Baseline Transitway Station is directly across from the main campus of Algonquin College in Ottawa's west end, off of Woodroffe Avenue and Baseline Road. Many Algonquin students and Centrepointe residents use this terminal to get to various points in the city, and of course, to get to the College...
and the Queensway
Queensway (Ottawa)
The Queensway is a major controlled-access freeway running through Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from Kanata in the west to Orleans in the east. It is the primary east-west transportation artery in the Ottawa-Gatineau area....
(Highway 417), it is easily accessible to the residents of the city and is at the geographical centre of the City of Ottawa.
Performances
Genres presented include musical theatreMusical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, comedy and music. In addition to community theatre groups, Centrepointe Theatre is rented to commercial presenters and "self-presents" under the banner "Front and Centre".
The Orpheus Musical Theatre Society
Orpheus Musical Theatre Society
One of North America's oldest amateur musical theatre societies, Ottawa, Ontario based Orpheus Musical Theatre Society was founded in 1906.Orpheus performs three shows annually at the Centrepointe Theatre in Ottawa, Ontario. Past performers in Orpheus shows include Alanis Morissette, Peter...
, the Savoy Society of Ottawa, the Capital City Chorus and other community groups have sustained the theatre with hundreds of performances since its opening. Numerous touring performers have graced Centrepointe's stage including Paul Potts
Paul Potts
Paul Robert Potts is an English pop opera tenor who won the first series of ITV's Britain's Got Talent in 2007, singing an operatic aria, "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's "Turandot". As a singer of operatic music, Potts recorded the album One Chance, which went to #1 in nine countries...
, Russell Peters, Dave and Ian Thomas, Jeff Healey
Jeff Healey
Norman Jeffrey "Jeff" Healey was a blind Canadian jazz and blues-rock vocalist and guitarist who attained musical and personal popularity, particularly in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
, David Clayton-Thomas
David Clayton-Thomas
David Clayton-Thomas is a Canadian musician and singer best known as the lead vocalist for the American band; Blood, Sweat & Tears...
, Sarah McLachlan
Sarah McLachlan
Sarah Ann McLachlan, OC, OBC is a Canadian musician, singer and songwriter. Known for her emotional ballads and mezzo-soprano vocal range, as of 2006, she has sold over 40 million albums worldwide. McLachlan's best-selling album to date is Surfacing, for which she won two Grammy Awards and four...
, Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Douglas Cockburn OC is a Canadian folk/rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. His most recent album was released in March 2011. He has written songs in styles ranging from folk to jazz-influenced rock to rock and roll.-Biography:...
, Blue Rodeo
Blue Rodeo
Blue Rodeo is a Canadian pop and country rock band, which was formed in 1984 in Toronto, Ontario. They have been signed with Warner Music Group since their debut album Outskirts in March 1987...
, The Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies
Barenaked Ladies is a Canadian alternative rock band. The band is currently composed of Jim Creeggan, Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, and Tyler Stewart. Barenaked Ladies formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, then a suburban municipality outside the City of Toronto...
, The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall
The Kids in the Hall is a Canadian sketch comedy group formed in 1984, consisting of comedians Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch, Mark McKinney, and Scott Thompson. Their eponymous television show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States...
, The Rankin Family
The Rankin Family
The Rankin Family is a Canadian musical family group from Mabou, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The group has won many Canadian music awards, including 15 East Coast Music Awards, six Juno Awards, four SOCAN Awards, three Canadian Country Music Awards and two Big Country Music Awards.- Career...
, Leahy
Leahy
Leahy is the name of a Canadian folk music group. The eight band members, all from the Leahy family of eleven siblings, are from Lakefield, Ontario and have been actively touring Canada and internationally since the early 1980s when they were known as The Leahy Family...
, Lyle Lovett
Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
, and the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Moscow, Russia. It was founded in 1951 by Samuil Samosud, as the Moscow Youth Orchestra for young and inexperienced musicians, acquiring its current name in 1953...
.
Funding
A five million dollar expansion of the theatre had been planned in 2002, largely funded by a ticket surcharge,http://ottawa.ca/city_hall/budget/previous_budgets/budget_2003/overview/3_2_en.html but in 2005 these plans were set aside in favour of a "Capital Renewal" fund for replacement of existing facility elements such as sound and lighting equipment. Also in response to civic budget pressures, the theatre has increasingly been reserved as a venue for school graduation ceremonies, squeezing out the performing arts.http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2005/05-11/hrss/ACS2005-CPS-CSF-0008.htmOrganization
Although the theatre employs a full-time manager, most functions are performed by a regular company of volunteers, from ushers and other front of houseFront of House
Front of house is primarily a theatrical term, referring to the portion of the building that is open to the public. In theatre and live music venues, it typically refers to the auditorium and foyer, as opposed to the stage and backstage areas...
duties to the stage crew, stage lighting
Stage lighting
Modern stage lighting is a flexible tool in the production of theatre, dance, opera and other performance arts. Several different types of stage lighting instruments are used in the pursuit of the various principles or goals of lighting. Stage lighting has grown considerably in recent years...
and sound board.
Centrepointe Theatre Gallery
The city of Ottawa owns and operates the Centrepointe Theatre Gallery for displaying the works of local and regional artists.External links
Further reading
Margaret Genovese, "The Art of the Volunteer: Volunteerism in the Professional Performing Arts in Canada".