Canadian Opera Company

Going to the opera probably isn't the first thing you think of when you're planning a cheap night out, but the Canadian Opera Company's discount ticket options and their impressive range of public programming, which goes well beyond their operatic offerings, makes them worth considering.

Toronto Continuo Collective and Capella Intima

While it's true that booking a premium seat to one of the COC's operas can cost several hundred dollars, there are cheaper options available. Regular seats can be purchased for as little as $50. If you have a youngster showing signs of interest in this art form, tickets for those 15 and under are available at half the price of normal tickets, although this excludes Grand Ring seating and they must be accompanied by an adult. Even better news for adults under 30. They can purchase tickets in designated areas for only $22, or pay $35 in advance and be moved into the best available seats on the day of the performance. For people like me who prefer to act spur of the moment, the COC also has two last-minute programs. If you're able to stand for the duration of the performance, there are 60 standing room tickets available for each performance. They go on sale at 11 am at the box office the day of the performance and cost only $12. Rush tickets, if available, also go on sale at 11 am but according to the website, "discounts are at the discretion of the Canadian Opera Company".

In addition to the operatic productions, the COC hosts an impressive amount of free programming. From September to May they host a free concert series which provides an average of two free performances each week. The offerings are divided into a number of series: Jazz, Vocal, Chamber Music, World Music, Piano Virtuoso, and Dance. One slight hitch for some might be the timing: most performances are held from 12 - 1 pm during the week. Great if you happen to have time off or work downtown and have the ability to take a long lunch but not so convenient otherwise. Occasionally performances are held at 5:30 pm, but there are no more evening concerts scheduled this season.

If you enjoy talks and lectures, the COC also has you covered. Opera Insights is a series of free events billed as "big conversations & interactive events". Tickets must be booked in advance, but they are free. Tickets for the new spring series, which starts April 19, are available starting on April 5.

COC Costume Supervisor Sandra Corazza speaks at an Opera Insights event

Opera Talks are a bit more casual and are held in conjunction with Opera Canada magazine and the North York Central Library. Again, the talks are free to attend but registration is recommended. The talks are held throughout the opera season, and the last one for 2015/2016 will be on April 28.

If you want to learn a bit more about opera but don't want to leave the house, the COC also hosts a number of pod casts on its website. They're no longer in production, but 30 episodes produced between 2012 and 2015 are still available for your listening pleasure. They also provide a list of links to a number of opera-related blogs if you want to browse.

The photos in this article are by Karen E. Reeves and were supplied by the COC.

Duotang Chesterfield's Mystery Theatre

Growing up, one of the things I looked forward to each week was the Sunday night airing of Theatre of the Mind. For those of you not familiar with it, it was a radio program that aired the best of the radio plays from the 1930s and 40s. Full of drama, suspense and sound effects, the radio plays were a great way to pass the time, especially on long car rides.

Yesterday at the Fringe Festival, I discovered Duotang Chesterfield's Mystery Theatre. A group based out of Toronto, they are keeping the tradition of radio plays alive, presenting stories from "the case files of fictional detectives across the 20th century". You can follow the exploits of C.H. Arles, The Oregon Twins, Jim Buckles, or my current favourite, Myrna Sinclair. The podcasts, released on the 11th and 25th of the month, lovingly re-create the experience of listening to those vintage shows, but they're modern and funny too.

In addition to the podcasts, the group also presents live shows, re-creating the vintage radio studio atmosphere on stage. Don't worry, it's much more than watching people read lines. With their adopted personas, you feel transported back to this golden age and it's always fun to watch the foley artists in action. Currently, you can catch the gang at the Toronto Fringe Festival. 

Duotang Chesterfield's Mystery Theatre Live! is playing at the Randolph Theatre on Bathurst. Tickets are only $10, $12 if you buy in advance. Two twenty minute episodes are presented at each performance, and there are four different programs in total.  

Wednesday July 8 at 8:45 pm

Thursday July 9 at 1:45 pm

Friday July 10 at 7:30 pm

Sunday July 12 at noon

If you don't catch them at Fringe, download their podcasts - they're free - and follow them on Twitter and Facebook to find out when their next live performance will take place.

Pictures courtesy of Duotang Chesterfield's Mystery Theatre.