The Kildonan Park Bandstand was for years a popular venue for live music, dance contests, and large-scale community sing-a-longs hosted by TheWinnipeg Tribune newspaper, called "Nights of Community Song", at the height of the Depression era. In 1950, however, the severe Red River flood left the bandstand destroyed, as it did thousands of other Manitoban buildings and homes. Following the flood, there was common consensus that the bandstand ought to be replaced, as bandstands were no longer a much popular attraction, and music tastes had drastically shifted.[5][6][2]
Looking to Vancouver's Theatre Under the Stars at Stanley Park as its exemplar, the Winnipeg Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Civic Music League proposed a sound stage to be built, which could serve as both a venue for local talents as well as a new tourist attraction in Winnipeg. The Civic Music League led the fundraising campaign for the construction of the new stage, and involved radio contests, a limerick competition, and canvassing at local businesses. Public fundraising ultimately brought in $15,000, with another $15,000 being offered by the Winnipeg government.[5]
The 3,000-seat theatre was designed by architects Smith, Carter, Katelnikoff. The new theatre received its named after architect Dennis Carter brought a cardboard model of the design with him to a meeting one night, and someone had observed that if lights were strung along the top curvature, "it would look like a rainbow."[5][7][8]
Construction began in 1951 and was completed in the spring of 1952, with additional work on the amphitheatre being completed in 1953. Though some construction was still needing to be done, the Rainbow Stage saw its first concert on 22 September 1953, performed by the touring Kitsilano Boys Band from Vancouver. Between 1953 and 1954, pergola walkways were constructed on either side of the amphitheatre.[2][5]
On 7 July 1954, the Rainbow Stage was officially opened, featuring a benefit concert with Bill Walker as the night's MC. Performing first was the Ukrainian Youth Association, followed by the James Duncan chorus who performed songs from the musical Carousel; other performers included Walker himself with Len Adree, as well as Eric Wild and his CBC Orchestra, and the Jewish Community Choir with Cantor Benjamin Brownstown.[5]
In its opening year, the stage saw 19 performances to a combined audience of more than 19,000.[2][5] The first full-length musical to be presented was Brigadoon, in the fall of 1955.[5]
Rainbow Stage in Kildonan Park
The Winnipeg Summer Theatre Association was founded in 1956 to administer the theatre. A decade later, in 1966, the non-profit organization Rainbow Stage Inc was chartered, with Jack Shapira as executive producer.[9]
In 1970, a triodetic dome, using 63 tons of steel and costing $175,000, was constructed over the theatre by the Dominion Bridge Company.[5][8][10] Further renovations were completed in 1975, which resulted in a modernized facility but a reduction of 600 seats. The renovations involved a labour dispute and a temporary move to the Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall.[11] In 1986, a fly gallery, carpentry and paint shops, classrooms and expanded change rooms were added to the facility.[9] The 1986 renovation involved replacing an original timber arch. A commemorative plaque and a replica of the arch were erected in front of the building in 1988.[8][12]
Jack Shapira was maintained as executive producer of Rainbow Stage Inc. until he was forced to resign in 1988 as a result of financial improprieties. Jerrett Enns became general manager in 1991.[9]
The first original production at Rainbow Stage came in 1990 with the musical review Say It With Music. The performance featured songs from various musicals.[9]
In 2011, the building's exterior was painted in an extensive mural by local artists Mandy Van Leeuwen and Michel Saint Hilaire. Painting began June 1 and the finished murals were unveiled in August.[13] The mural covers 8,000 square feet (740m2) of concrete and required 400 colours of latex paint.[14]
In 2012, the theatre appointed Ray Hogg as artistic director and promoted Julie Eccles to executive director.[15][16] After a successful and critically acclaimed 2013 season, 2014 saw the summer playbill feature three shows for the first time in over 30 years.
In Fall of 2017 Hogg resigned as Artist Director of Rainbow Stage. After an extensive search process Rainbow Stage then appointed local Manitoba artist Carson Nattrass as artistic director in November 2017.
Rainbow Stage features Canadian actors, musicians and production team members, many of whom are hired locally. Stars for some productions include the directors John Hirsch and Peggy Jarman Green; the conductors Filmer Hubble and Eric Wild; the singing actors Evelyne Anderson, Len Cariou, Ed Evanko, Cliff Gardiner, Morley Meredith, and Bill Walker; the chorus director James Duncan; and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet artistic director Arnold Spohr. Other Canadian performers at Rainbow Stage have included Jan Rubeš, Roma Hearn, Catherine McKinnon, and Wally Koster. The 2011 production of Hairspray featured American actor George Wendt in the role of Edna Turnblad.[citation needed]
In 2018, Rainbow Stage made a revenue of CA$2.8 million—2% coming from sponsorships, 3% from government (municipal, provincial, and federal), 8% from donations and fundraising, and the rest from earned income (i.e., ticket sales, concessions, souvenirs).[18]
As of June2021[update], sponsors of Rainbow Stage include:[19]
A cast recording is a recording of a stage musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the voices of the show's original cast. A cast recording featuring the first cast to perform a musical in a particular venue is known, for example, as an "original Broadway cast recording" (OBCR) or an "original London cast recording" (OLCR).
A show tune is a song originally written as part of the score of a work of musical theatre or musical film, especially if the piece in question has become a standard, more or less detached in most people's minds from the original context.
Kildonan Park is a park in the West Kildonan area of northern Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
The Tuacahn Center for the Arts is an arts organization located at the mouth of the Padre Canyon, adjacent to Snow Canyon State Park, in Ivins, Utah. The 42,000-square-foot (3,900 m2) facility was completed in 1995 and includes a 1,920-seat outdoor amphitheater, a 328 seat indoor theater, a black box theater, a dance studio, a costume shop, a scene shop, and the campus of Tuacahn High School for the Arts. The Tuacahn Center for the Arts contributes to the arts by producing two or three performances on its amphitheater stage and offers a spring and fall concert series for the region. They also produce the annual "Christmas in the Canyon" featuring a live-action recreation of the nativity called the "Festival of Lights."
The Geneva Amateur Operatic Society is an English-speaking musical theatre and light opera group. Based in Geneva, GAOS was founded in 1971 by a small group of theatre enthusiasts. They produce three productions per season, including their traditional English pantomime in the winter. GAOS is a nonprofit organization, its members receive no payment and the society makes a point of giving a substantial donations to various charities around Geneva.
Music Theatre Louisville was a non-profit organization in Louisville, Kentucky, dedicated to producing, presenting, and developing diverse and affordable entertainment. Up through 2008, the company staged several shows during the summer at Iroquois Amphitheater in Iroquois Park. In 2009, the company moved to the Bomhard Theater at The Kentucky Center.
East Rockaway Junior-Senior High School is a co-educational six-year secondary school in East Rockaway, New York, and the sole high school in Nassau County, New York, School District 41, the smallest school district in Nassau County. It is currently undergoing renovations to expand the school into a middle school and high school, becoming a seven-year secondary school. East Rockaway High School serves graduates from local Centre Ave. and Rhame Ave. Elementary Schools, as well as the private St. Raymond Elementary School.
Theatre Under The Stars, commonly referred to as TUTS, is a not-for-profit charitable organization and one of the largest musical theatre companies in Vancouver. It is officially operated by the Theatre Under The Stars Musical Society, and presents two full length musicals during the summer season at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park. In addition, the company participates in other park activities in association with the Vancouver Park Board such as their annual Sing-A-Long. The society also operates the Malkin Bowl venue and routinely rents it to Live Nation Entertainment for the summer concert series.
Elena Shaddow is an American singer and actress. She is originally from Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
Schenectady Light Opera Company is a nonprofit community theater organization in Schenectady, New York, established in 1926. The current location of the theater is at the new performance art center at 427 Franklin Street, in downtown Schenectady. The company has presented over 200 shows at various locations for over 90 years. The company presents amateur theater productions.
Regional Theatre of the Palouse (RTOP) is an established non-profit theater company based in Pullman, Washington. It was founded in 2007 by award-winning Managing Artistic Director John Rich. Its mission statement explains its goal: "make a positive difference in the Palouse region by providing an outlet for creative expression through theater arts". RTOP provides theatrical entertainment in the form of play, musicals, and theater workshops. Productions occur primarily in the RTOP Theatre. Past performances have been held at Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum and venues across the Palouse.
Broadway in Tucson/A Nederlander Presentation is part of the nationally recognized Nederlander Producing Company of America. The Nederlander organization was awarded a contract by the City of Tucson in 2003 to present a series of Broadway musicals and special events downtown at the Tucson Music Hall and Leo Rich Theater, all of which are part of the Tucson Convention Center. Since 2003 Broadway In Tucson has been responsible for bringing over 25 Broadway shows to downtown Tucson.
The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois is a respected Chicago area regional theatre. Attached to the Marriott Lincolnshire Resort, the theatre produces an average of five musicals each year, presented in the round, as well as productions aimed at younger audiences. A small, live orchestra provides accompaniment.
The Aerospace Players, or TAP, is a theater organization based in El Segundo, California, founded in 1988 as part of the Aerospace Employee's Association. TAP enables and encourages Aerospace employees, Air Force personnel, and members of the community to participate with high-quality musical productions. In other words, The Aerospace Players puts rocket scientists on stage.
The Manor Operatic Society is an amateur operatic society based in Sheffield, England.
Greenwood Community Theatre, or GCT, is a non-profit theatre in Greenwood, South Carolina. Greenwood Community Theatre officially began in 1954.
Regina Summer Stage is a Canadian community theatre organization established in 1984 and based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Starlight Theatre is an outdoor theatre operated by Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois. Performances are held in the outdoor Bengt Sjostrom Theatre. Operations of Rock Valley College Studio Theatre, an indoor black box theatre, were suspended in 2016. Starlight Theatre also has an award-winning structure designed by Jeanne Gang and Studio Gang Architects that features a unique, one-of-a-kind movable roof, which was added in 2003. Starlight Theatre has transformed itself into a popular destination for the Northern Illinois region. The theatre is situated on 217 acres that were purchased by the college in 1965 from Dr. J.J. Rogers.
Drayton Entertainment is a not-for-profit professional theatre company based in Southwestern Ontario operating seven venues across the province: the original Drayton Festival Theatre in Drayton, Huron Country Playhouse and Playhouse II in Grand Bend, King's Wharf Theatre in Penetanguishene, Schoolhouse Theatre in St. Jacobs, St. Jacobs Country Playhouse in Waterloo, and Hamilton Family Theatre Cambridge, formerly Dunfield Theatre Cambridge in Cambridge.
The Melody Top Theatre was a musical theatre located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and featured performances in the round. The theatre that was originally built as a circus-style tent is now defunct.
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rainbow Stage.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
