Cottage Country Night Life & Enterntainment North of Toronto

The haunting call of a loon over a sleepy Ontario lake isn’t the only sound north of the big city.

There’s also plenty of laughter, music and, yes, even a few tears, thanks to a solid lineup of first-rate entertainment at one of the region’s live theatre venues.

Along the shores of Georgian Bay, the Midland Cultural Centre and Penetanguishene’s King’s Wharf Theatre offer a wonderful and eclectic selection of live entertainment over the coming months.

The Midland venue features plays such as Marshall Karp’s comedic take on familial relationships in Squabbles to a wide range of concerts by the likes of Steeleye Span (an ensemble that remains one of the most influential names in British roots music), prominent Canadian blues guitarist Steve Strongman and a full slate of critically-acclaimed classical players, including Austrian violinist Wolfgang David, Italian pianist Mauro Bertoli and Spanish pianist Leopoldo Erice.

King’s Wharf, meanwhile, offers a welcome location on the Georgian Bay shoreline with a summer theatre lineup led by Snow White: The Panto and followed by the raucous Sexy Laundry, which needless to say isn’t appropriate for children, and concluding with two fun musical offerings.

Legends... of Rock 'n' Roll comes to the theatre from the creators of last year’s sensation, Twist and Shout: The British Invasion. It celebrates some of the greatest musical acts from the 1950s through the 1970s such as Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Beach Boys.

The musical theme continues with Footloose (the dance musical) that features memorable 1980s anthems like Holding Out For A Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear It For The Boy and the self-titled track along with plenty of dancing and a story celebrating “the wisdom of listening to young people.”

Across the bay, Collingwood’s Blue Mountain Village boasts a number of family-friendly events.

From June 19 to 21, the seventh annual Salsa at Blue event offers a free family street party that transforms the village into a showcase of Latin life throughout the weekend with pulsating music, passionate dancing and live performances and demonstrations.

A little later in the summer on August 8 and 9, the village celebrates families with live music, interactive activities, variety shows, guided family hikes and gondola rides during Famarama.

Speaking of Rama, the Orillia-area casino hosts live music throughout the summer including Melissa Etheridge, George Thorogood and The Destroyers & Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot, Burton Cummings, Whitesnake, Charley Pride, Kenny G, Neil Sedaka, Culture Club and the Happy Together Tour 2015 to appeal to the nostalgia crowd.

The entertainment centre also offers performances designed to tickle the funny bone with headliners Craig Ferguson, Jeff Foxworthy and Weird Al Yankovic scheduled over the summer.

A little further north, the granddaddy of Ontario resorts features a new stage show that’s sure to please a wide demographic.

Deerhurst Resort’s HIT L!ST takes on a different format from previous shows while taking the audience through music’s most popular genres by incorporating rock, pop, reggae, country, indie and R&B.

Company manager Kasey Stephan said the new show that runs until next March benefits greatly by having a stable of cast members who have been entertaining crowds at the resort for decades.

“Audiences will be thrilled to see returning show-stoppers Serge Charlebois, Leaynne Connolly and Monica Nowak on vocals, and our multi-talented band members Glenn Bladon and Will Main on vocals, guitar and bass,” Stephan said.

“We’re excited to welcome newcomer Daniel Neill on vocals and drums, dancer Aislinn Wishart and I’m thrilled to be back on the Deerhurst stage as a dancer to round out the cast.”

Stephan said the creative team felt it was time to move from the previous show titled Decades to HIT L!ST to allow the company to tap into songs that “really resonate with us and our audiences rather than fitting into a chronological formula.

“So each cast member took aim at their absolute favourites to pack the new, tighter 75-minute format with only the crème de la crème hits they love.” 

Deerhurst remains unique as it’s believed to be the only resort in Canada with its own onsite entertainment department.

“It is an honour being a part of the entertainment legacy here,” Stephan said. “Former cast members come to see the current shows and you can feel the camaraderie, it’s like a special club we belong to.

“As well as a sense of responsibility, we understand there’s a reputation to uphold after over thirty years of fantastic shows and unforgettable performers.”

As you can see, you can put to rest the notion that a getaway to cottage country offers only sleepy quiet night.

Stay tuned to our Events Calendar for more events and details about the events and shows listed above.

Visit our website and plan your perfect day trip or getaway north of Toronto, today!

www.400eleven.com

Article written by: A Philips for 400eleven.com