Let’s Dance at the Winter Garden Theatre

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On August 10, 2023, I went to Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre to see the newly opened musical Let’s Dance. I mainly wanted a look inside this singular theatre, while also supporting a locally produced song-and-dance show. I left behind the little camera I usually carry, assuming that photography would not be allowed during the performance. That turned out to be a mistake.

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The Winter Garden is a historic theatre in downtown Toronto, Ontario. Built in 1913, it is distinguished by its unusual design and decor and is considered one of the best-preserved Victorian-style theatres in North America. Its still-operating elevator was also among the earliest installed in Toronto.

© Richard Huang

Victorian-style murals, ornamentation, carvings, and foliage give the theatre the atmosphere of a fairy tale.

© Richard Huang

One of its most striking features is its “garden in the sky.”

© Richard Huang

© Richard Huang

This indoor garden on the theatre’s uppermost level is filled with murals, artificial trees, and plants, creating a visual experience unlike any other.

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Since photography was prohibited during the performance, I have borrowed the next two publicity photographs from the production. Let’s Dance! is a new musical from Terra Bruce Productions, a homegrown company based in St. John’s and Toronto. It brings together outstanding local performers, writers, and musicians to create an ambitious slate of world-class productions.

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Set around a middle-school theatre troupe, the musical weaves in some of the greatest pop songs of the early 1960s, including “It Never Rains in Southern California,” “I Know a Place,” “Peppermint Twist,” and “The Carnival Is Over.” With unforgettable melodies and an abundance of high-energy choreography, it had the audience moving along to one beloved hit after another.

© Richard Huang

It is a cheerful rock musical for the whole family. On my way out, I spotted two young girls being interviewed and took a phone photo. Judging by how they were dressed, they had clearly treated the occasion with due importance.

© Richard Huang

Stepping out of this remarkable theatre, I found Toronto still bursting with energy beneath the night sky.

© Richard Huang

When I saw the tender scene of a mother and daughter dining together after dark, I quickly captured it on my phone. By then, I was beginning to regret leaving my little camera at home—the phone’s image quality was noticeably poorer at night. Wonderful things seem to be happening around us all the time. A camera should always be close at hand.

© Richard Huang

I strolled over to Nathan Phillips Square in front of City Hall. As usual, the stone benches were surrounded by people playing chess and watching the games. The only difference was that tonight they had brought their own desk lamps.

© Richard Huang

The square was ablaze with lights and crowded with tents. I asked around and discovered that it was hosting the three-day Toronto Vietnamese Food Festival. Restaurants and vendors were serving all kinds of Vietnamese dishes, accompanied by music, dance performances, and a craft market—an opportunity for visitors to discover more about Vietnamese food and culture.

© Richard Huang

All those aromas were making me hungry. Unfortunately, it was late and most of the stalls had already closed. At last, I found one still open and ordered two skewers of grilled squid and two of grilled lamb without asking the price. At the till, the owner said, “Forty dollars—but since we’re closing, I’ll make it thirty.” I grumbled to myself that it was still awfully expensive. Then I reconsidered: oh well, call it my contribution to the local economy.

© Richard Huang

Canada is often described with a familiar quip: beautiful mountains, beautiful lakes, and beautiful boredom. But life in Toronto is actually rich and varied, with more events throughout the year than anyone could count. This square alone hosts something different almost every week. The previous weekend brought an Indian food festival; later there would be a Filipino one, and so on.

© Richard Huang

So whether life is boring depends not only on our surroundings, but also on whether we are willing to embrace all the color it offers. It is like the dancing tonight: a solo can never match the excitement of an ensemble whose members join in, respond, and play off one another. A stage is not enough. There must also be people willing to dance.

Let‘s Dance!

All photographs were taken with a phone.