Richard "Bugs" BurnettWhat’s on in Montréal courtesy of Tourisme Montréal

CLASSICAL

Montrealer Bruce Liu

Montrealer Bruce Liu will perform under the direction of Rafael Payare on November 13 and 14 at Maison Symphonique 
Photo: Bartek Barczyk

The Orchestre Métropolitain presents The Little Prince family concert on November 17 at 1:30pm and 3:30pm at the Maison Symphonique.

The Orchestre symphonique de Montréal presents Paris-born Montreal pianist Bruce Liu performing Scriabin’s sole Piano Concerto in the Strauss’ Towering Alpine Symphony with conductor Rafael Payare, November 13 and 14 at the Maison Symphonique.

Hamlet at the Opera de Montréal will perform Hamlet

Hamlet at the Opera de Montréal will perform Hamlet Nov 16 – 30

The Opéra de Montréal presents the opera Hamlet, Ambroise Thomas’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s iconic play, with conductor Jacques Lacombe leading the Orchestre Métropolitain and an all-Canadian cast, at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier from November 16 to 24.

Montreal singer-songwriter-pianist Patrick Watson and his band perform with conductor Francis Choinière and the FILMharmonique Orchestra at the Maison Symphonique from November 20 to 30.

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan will perform Lunar Halo 

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan will perform Lunar Halo 
Photo: Liu Chen-hsiang

DANCE

Montreal’s prestigious Danse Danse concert series presents Raven Mother which pays tribute to Margaret Harris, an Indigenous elder who devoted her life to keeping her culture alive, at Cinquième Salle from November 12 to 16; then Asia’s leading contemporary dance company, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, takes us on a sensory journey inspired by a mysterious lunar phenomenon, in Lunar Halo with music by legendary Icelandic band Sigur Rós, at Théatre Maisonneuve from November 28 to 30.

The family-oriented Geordie Theatre with Imago Theatre will present American playwright Sarah DeLappe’s one-act play <em>The Wolves</em>

The family-oriented Geordie Theatre with Imago Theatre will present American playwright Sarah DeLappe’s one-act play The Wolves

THEATRE

The family-oriented Geordie Theatre with Imago Theatre, a professional feminist theatre company, present a co-production of American playwright Sarah DeLappe’s Pulitzer-nominated one-act play The Wolves which explores belonging, friendship, sexuality, grief and politics of nine strong young women teammates on a high school soccer team. Runs November 6 to 17 at the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts.

The Centaur Theatre Company presents playwright Chloé Hung’s Three Women of Swatow, a darkly funny and sharp exploration of family ties among a trio of Chinese-Canadian women. Directed by Sophie Gee, this play stars Shiong-En Chan, Qianna MacGilchrist and Julie Tamiko Manning. Runs November 5 to 24.

The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts inaugurated its new space dedicated to Inuit art on Nov. 8 Darcie Bernhardt (born in 1993), Jijuu’s Patterns

The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts inaugurated its new space dedicated to Inuit art on Nov. 8.
Darcie Bernhardt (born in 1993), Jijuu’s Patterns, 2023. MMFA, purchase, the Museum Campaign 1998-2002 Fund.
Photo MMFA, Jean-François Brière

EXHIBITIONS

The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts in the Golden Square Mile on November 8 inaugurates its new space dedicated to Inuit art. Located on the ground floor of the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion, these brightly lit modernized galleries double the exhibition space dedicated to Inuit art. Conceived by Inuk artist asinnajaq, ᐆᒻᒪᖁᑎᒃ uummaqutik: essence of life rotates some 120 works – prints, drawings, photographs, paintings, sculptures and installations – by 70 Inuit artists.

CINEMA

North America’s most important French-language film festival, CINEMANIA celebrates its 30th anniversary from November 6 to 17 at various venues, with France as the Country of Honour.

Canada’s influential image + nation queer film festival screens more than 100 films from around the world at its 37th edition, at various venues from November 20 to 30.

COMEDY

American stand-up Elon Gold at Club Soda on November 20, superstar Sebastian Maniscalco at the Bell Centre on November 21, and British comic Michael McIntyre at the Olympia Theatre on November 27.

DRAG

Hilarious Montreal drag legend Mona de Grenoble headlines the Olympia Theatre on November 19.

Direct from Paris, the touring Madame Arthur Cabaret Travesti concert revisits French and English repertoire on piano and vocals, from Céline Dion to Édith Piaf, at Bar le Ritz PDB on November 21.

The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show is back starring “The Queens of Christmas” BenDeLaCreme and Jinkx Monsoon, at the Olympia Theatre on November 28.

Ranee Lee

Ranee Lee will perform two shows at Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill on Nov 16 
Photo: Vladim Vilain

POP MUSIC

Pop diva Tinashe at MTELUS (November 10), two-nighter solo show by Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys (November 12 and 14) at the Beanfield Theatre, South Korean girl group KISS OF LIFE at MTELUS (November 15), reggae legend Sanchez at the Olympia Theatre (November 16), post-grunge rockers Creed reunion tour at the Bell Centre (November 25),  jazz guitar legend Pat Metheny at the Olympia Theatre (November 29), and Montreal guitar god Steve Hill headlines the Beanfield Theatre (November 30).

Montreal jazz icon Ranee Lee headlines two shows with her quintet at Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill on November 16 at 7 pm and 9:30 pm.

Billy Bob Productions present I Shall Be Released: A Recreation of The Last Waltz at Le 9e on November 28 when a who’s who of the indie Montreal roots, blues, folk and rock community will celebrate the music of The Band.

To mark American Thanksgiving, the concert will be preceded by an optional turkey dinner prepared by Le 9e’s Île-de-France restaurant.

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.