What’s on in Montreal – Some choice arts and entertainment events for October Richard "Bugs" Burnett October 11, 2024 1068 What’s on in Montréal courtesy of Tourisme Montréal CLASSICAL Montreal choreographer and dancer José Navas in AVES will pay tribute to late choreographer William Douglas Photo: Sasha Onyshchenko Under the baton of Grammy-winning conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Orchestre Métropolitain presents four concerts in three days celebrating the music of Beethoven, the uncontested master of the symphony: Heroic Beethoven (October 17), Pastoral Beethoven (October 18), and Fateful Beethoven and Choral Beethoven (October 20 at 11 am and 3 pm), all at the Maison Symphonique. DANCE The prestigious Danse Danse series has programmed 16 shows for its 27th season including legendary Montreal choreographer and dancer José Navas in AVES paying tribute to late choreographer William Douglas in a series of six autobiographical solos, at Cinquième Salle from October 22 to 26. Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal celebrates the 100th birth anniversary of Ludmilla Chiriaeff Photo: courtesy of les Grands Ballets Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal celebrates the 100th birth anniversary of Ludmilla Chiriaeff – a pioneer of dance in Canada who founded Les Grands Ballets in 1957 – with a program titled LUDMILLA, featuring works by Jean Grand-Maître, James Kudelka, George Balanchine and Ginette Laurin, at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier from October 24 to 26. THEATRE The Segal Centre for Performing Arts presents the much-anticipated Canadian premiere of the off-Broadway smash hit Titanique which turns one of the greatest love stories of all time into a hysterical musical fantasia, as seen through the eyes of Céline! This all-Canadian production stars Québec entertainer Véronique Claveau as Céline Dion, with show-stopping performances of such hits as My Heart Will Go On and All By Myself with a full band. Opens October 27. The Rocky Horror Show returns to The Mainline Theatre Mainline Theatre remounts their annual Halloween season production of Richard O’Brien’s musical-theatre masterpiece The Rocky Horror Show where camp sci-fi meets sexual exploration and glam-rock, with a full cast and live band (October 17 to November 2). Get your tickets early, this run always sells out. Arsenal Contemporary Art Montreal in Griffintown presents the blockbuster exhibition Tintin: The Immersive Adventure EXHIBITIONS A smash hit in Paris and Brussels, Arsenal Contemporary Art Montreal in Griffintown presents the blockbuster exhibition Tintin: The Immersive Adventure which pays tribute to Hergé and the famous Belgian reporter, from the first 1929 edition of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets to the latest publications. Visitors will discover legendary artifacts and unique treasures before diving into an immersive experience with six themes such as “Tintin, Great Reporter” and “The Big Villains.” Runs October 4 to December 1. CINEMA The 53rd edition of the Festival du Nouveau Cinéma screens more than 200 works from 60 different countries, at various venues from October 9 to 20. The largest Rocky Horror Picture Show event in North America, Montréal’s iconic ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Halloween Ball is back at the historic Rialto Theatre on October 31 and November 1, then at the gorgeous downtown St. George’s Church on November 2 for a total of 6 wildly interactive shows at 7 pm and 11 pm nightly, with a shadow cast onstage while the cult film projects onto a large screen. Zany MC, wild costume contest, Time Warp dance, hilarious callback lines and you’ll get to throw around specific props during key scenes! Montreal drag stars Uma and Selma Gahd host the glitter-filled Dragcessible cabaret at MAI COMEDY Scottish-American comedy legend and TV host Craig Ferguson headlines the Beanfield Theatre on October 28. DRAG Canada’s Drag Race Season 1 winner Priyanka headlines Le Studio TD on October 11; Montreal drag stars Uma and Selma Gahd host the glitter-filled Dragcessible cabaret at the Montréal, arts interculturels centre – better known as “The MAI” – in the Plateau on October 17 and 18; and, fresh from touring with Madonna, Bob The Drag Queen returns to Montreal to headline the Olympia Theatre on October 21. POP MUSIC Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Doobie Brothers headline Place Bell (October 12), pop icon Cyndi Lauper (October 18), and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (October 31) all headline the Bell Centre. Engelbert Humperdinck headlines Théatre Maisonneuve with his Last Waltz good-bye tour on October 31 and November 1. Dubbed “Mr. Montreal” by the CBC, arts and culture journalist and columnist Richard “Bugs” Burnett knows Montreal like a drag queen knows a cosmetics counter.
