The performing arts

At the beginning of the 20th century, live entertainment was almost the only show in town. However, after the first commercial movie houses opened in Montréal in 1906 and the first broadcasting licence was issued to Marconi Station XWA in 1919, the real competition for the attention of Canadians had begun. By mid-century, television had come, sat down in the corner of the living room and never left, although it was joined several decades later by the incredibly popular VCR, and then, the DVD. However, a night at the opera or theatre, a dance performance or a musical recital is still considered a pleasure for many Canadians. The 583 not-for-profit companies across Canada that provided such evenings mounted 42,654 separate performances in 2000/01. Theatre took the leading role in these performances, accounting for 81% of them.

There is no doubt that much of the limelight in the performing arts shines on commercial musical theatre. For example, The Phantom of the Opera, which closed in 1999, ran at the Pantages Theatre in Toronto for 4,179 performances, and took in box office receipts of $465 million over 10 years. The musical comedy, Notre-Dame de Paris, adapted from a work by Victor Hugo, also became an international hit. After impressing audiences in France and Quebec, the show was adapted for English audiences and opened in Las Vegas and New York, followed by a show in London in 2000.

Arts festivals are an ancient form of outdoor gathering that have flourished in Canada and are well attended. In 2002/03, more than 288 festive celebrations across Canada were funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage, up considerably from 1997/98 when it sponsored 150 events.