Rainbow Stage is a not-for-profit

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

company and outdoor theatre operator, located in Kildonan Park in north

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

. The covered

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (American English, U.S. English: amphitheater) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ('), meani ...

seats up to 2,600 people and operates from May to September.

History

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a city park, municipal park (North America), public park, public open space, or municipal gardens (United Kingdom, UK), is a park or botanical garden in cities, densely populated suburbia and oth ...

s became more popular in the 1910s, various public events began to be held in Winnipeg's Kildonan Park and

Assiniboine Park Assiniboine Park (formerly known as City Park) is a park in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, located along the Assiniboine River. The Winnipeg Public Parks Board was formed in 1893, and purchased the initial land for the park in 1904. Although in use ...

s, leading to the creation of a permanent

bandstand A bandstand (sometimes music kiosk) is a circular, semicircular or polygonal structure set in a park, garden, pier, or indoor space, designed to accommodate musical bands performing concerts. A simple construction, it both creates an ornamen ...

in Kildonan Park in 1917. The Kildonan Park Bandstand was for years a popular venue for live music, dance contests, and large-scale community sing-a-longs hosted by ''The'' ''Winnipeg 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. Looking to

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

's Theatre Under the Stars at

Stanley Park Stanley Park is a public park in British Columbia, Canada, that makes up the northwestern half of Vancouver's Downtown Vancouver, Downtown peninsula, surrounded by waters of Burrard Inlet and English Bay, Vancouver, English Bay. The park bor ...

as its exemplar, the Winnipeg Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Civic Music League proposed a

sound stage A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or te ...

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 Limerick ( ; ) is a city in western Ireland, in County Limerick. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is in the Mid-West Region, Ireland, Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region, Ireland, Southern Region. W ...

competition, and

canvassing Canvassing, also known as door knocking or phone banking, is the systematic initiation of direct contact with individuals, commonly used during political campaigns. Canvassing can be done for many reasons: political campaigning, grassroot ...

at local businesses. Public fundraising ultimately brought in $15,000, with another $15,000 being offered by the Winnipeg government. 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 A rainbow is an optical phenomenon caused by refraction, internal reflection and dispersion of light in water droplets resulting in a continuous spectrum of light appearing in the sky. The rainbow takes the form of a multicoloured circular ...

." Construction began in 1951 and was completed in the spring of 1952, with additional work on the

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 A pergola is most commonly used as an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support crossbeams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are t ...

walkways were constructed on either side of the amphitheatre. On 7 July 1954, the Rainbow Stage was officially opened, featuring a

benefit concert A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate h ...

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 A cantor or chanter is a person who leads people in singing or sometimes in prayer. Cantor as a profession generally refers to those leading a Jewish congregation, although it also applies to the lead singer or choir director in Christian contexts. ...

Benjamin Brownstown. In its opening year, the stage saw 19 performances to a combined audience of more than 19,000. The first full-length musical to be presented was ''

Brigadoon ''Brigadoon'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and score by Frederick Loewe. The plot features two American tourists who stumble upon Brigadoon, a mysterious Scottish village that appears for only one day every 100 years; on ...

'', in the fall of 1955. 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.Harrison, Glen. 2013 February 5.
Rainbow Stage
. ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. Retrieved 2021 June 3. In 1970, a triodetic dome, using 63 tons of steel and costing $175,000, was constructed over the theatre by the Dominion Bridge Company. 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. In 1986, a fly gallery, carpentry and paint shops, classrooms and expanded change rooms were added to the facility. The 1986 renovation involved replacing an original timber arch. A

commemorative plaque A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, or in other places referred to as a historical marker, historic marker, or historic plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, bearing text or an image in relief, or both, ...

and a replica of the arch were erected in front of the building in 1988. 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. 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. 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. The mural covers of concrete and required 400 colours of latex paint. In 2012, the theatre appointed Ray Hogg as artistic director and promoted Julie Eccles to executive director. After a successful and critically acclaimed 2013 season, 2014 saw the summer

playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the ...

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.

Productions

Rainbow Stage has presented the following shows in its history:

1950s

*1955 - ''

'' *1956 - '' The Wizard of Oz'', '' Annie Get Your Gun'', ''

Our Town ''Our Town'' is a three-act play written by American playwright Thornton Wilder in 1938. Described by Edward Albee as "the greatest American play ever written", it presents the fictional American town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 ...

,'' ''

Kiss Me, Kate ''Kiss Me, Kate'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Cole Porter and a book by Bella and Samuel Spewack. The story involves the production of a musical version of William Shakespeare's ''The Taming of the Shrew'' and the conflict on and off- ...

'' *1957 - ''

Can-Can The can-can (also spelled cancan as in the original French /kɑ̃kɑ̃/) is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music-hall dance in the 1840s, continuing in popularity in French cabaret to this day. Originally dance ...

'', '' Pitfalls of Pauline'', ''Do You Remember'', '' I Remember Mama'', '' Gentlemen Prefer Blondes'', '' Chu Chin Chow'', ''Pot O'Gold Variety Show'' *1958 - ''

The King and I ''The King and I'' is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel '' Anna and the King of Siam'' (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the childr ...

'', '' Hell's A' Poppin''', ''

'' *1959 - ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Run ...

'', ''

Show Boat ''Show Boat'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerome Kern and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Edna Ferber's best-selling 1926 Show Boat (novel), novel of the same name. The musical follows the lives of the per ...

'', '' The Wizard of Oz''

1960s

*1960 - ''

The Pajama Game ''The Pajama Game'' is a musical based on the 1953 novel '' 7½ Cents'' by Richard Bissell. The book is by George Abbott and Richard Bissell; the music and lyrics are by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. Dances were staged by Bob Fosse in his chor ...

'', '' Damn Yankees!'', ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...

'' *1961 - '' South Pacific'', '' High Button Shoes'', '' The Most Happy Fella'' *1962 - ''

The Music Man ''The Music Man'' is a musical theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...

'', ''

The Student Prince ''The Student Prince'' is an operetta in a prologue and four acts with music by Sigmund Romberg and book and lyrics by Dorothy Donnelly. It is based on Wilhelm Meyer-Förster's play ''Old Heidelberg (play), Old Heidelberg''. The piece has a scor ...

'', ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical theater, musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs's 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs (play), Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of ...

'' *1963 - ''

West Side Story ''West Side Story'' is a Musical theatre, musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a Book (musical theatre), book by Arthur Laurents. Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo an ...

'', ''

'', '' Bye, Bye Birdie'' *1964 - ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

'', '' Anything Goes'', '' Finian's Rainbow'', '' Gypsy: A Musical Fable'' *1965 - ''

Flower Drum Song ''Flower Drum Song'' was the eighth musical theatre, musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is based on the 1957 novel, ''The Flower Drum Song'', by Chinese-American author C. Y. Lee (author), C. Y. Lee. It premiered on Broadway the ...

'', ''

'', '' Annie Get Your Gun'' *1966 - ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...

'', '' South Pacific'' *1967 - ''

Oliver! ''Oliver!'' is a stage musical, with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the 1838 novel ''Oliver Twist'' by Charles Dickens. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre, southwest London in 1960 before opening in the W ...

'', ''

'' *1968 - ''

Carnival! ''Carnival'' is a musical theatre, musical, originally produced by David Merrick on Broadway in 1961, with the book by Michael Stewart (playwright), Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Bob Merrill. The musical is based on the 1953 film ''Lil ...

'', ''

'' *1969 - ''

'', '' Funny Girl''

1970s

*1970 - '' The Wizard of Oz'', '' Hello, Dolly!'' *1971 - ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythical ...

'', ''

Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...

'' *1972 - ''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

'', ''

Mame MAME (formerly an acronym of Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is a free and open-source emulator designed to emulate the hardware of arcade games, video game consoles, old computers and other systems in software on modern personal computers and ...

'' *1973 - ''

Where's Charley? ''Where's Charley?'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by George Abbott. The story was based on the 1892 play '' Charley's Aunt'' by Brandon Thomas. The musical debuted on Broadway in 1948 and was revived on Broadway ...

'', '' Annie Get Your Gun'' *1974 - ''

'', '' No, No, Nanette'' *1975 - ''

'' *1976 - ''

'', ''

'' *1977 - ''

Irene Irene is a name derived from εἰρήνη (eirēnē), Greek for "peace". Irene, and related names, may refer to: * Irene (given name) Places * Irene, Gauteng, South Africa * Irene, South Dakota, United States * Irene, Texas, United States ...

'', ''

'' *1978 - ''

'', '' Hello, Dolly!'' *1979 - ''

'', '' The Desert Song''

1980s

*1980 - ''

'', ''

'' *1981 - '' South Pacific'', '' Funny Girl'' *1982 - ''

'', ''

'' *1983 - ''

The Pirates of Penzance ''The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, W. S. Gilbert. Its official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 3 ...

'', ''

'' *1984 - '' Kismet'', ''

'' *1985 - ''

H.M.S. Pinafore ''H.M.S. Pinafore; or, The Lass That Loved a Sailor'' is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It opened at the Opera Comique in London on 25 May 1878, and ran for 571 performances, w ...

'', ''

'' *1986 - ''

'', ''

'' *1987 - ''

'', '' Annie'', '' Anne of Green Gables - The Musical'' *1988 - ''

'', ''

Sweet Charity ''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon, based on the screenplay for the 1957 Italian film '' Nights of Cabiria''. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse sta ...

'' *1989 - ''

'', ''

1990s

*1990 - '' Anything Goes'', ''Say It with Music'', ''

'' *1991 - ''

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Inspired by the farces of the ancient Roman playwright Plautus (254–184 BC), specif ...

'', '' The Wizard of Oz'' *1992 - '' The Wizard of Oz'', ''

'' *1993 - ''

'' *1994 - ''

'', '' Damn Yankees!'' *1995 - ''

'' *1996 - ''

'' *1997 - '' South Pacific'' *1998 - ''

'' *1999 - '' Crazy For You''

2000s

*2000 - ''

Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds, and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell, Rita Moreno a ...

'', '' 42nd Street'' *2001 - ''

A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is cent ...

'', '' Big: The Musical'' *2002 - '' Fame'', ''

'' *2003 - '' Footloose'', ''

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat ''Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'' is a sung-through musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice ...

'' *2004 - ''

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

'', ''

Beauty and the Beast "Beauty and the Beast" is a fairy tale written by the French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in (''The Young American and Marine Tales''). Villeneuve's lengthy version was abridged, rewritten, and publish ...

'' *2005 - ''

Miss Saigon ''Miss Saigon'' is a sung-through musical theatre, stage musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby Jr. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's 1904 opera ''Madama Butterfly'', and similarly tells th ...

'', '' Good News'', '' Smokey Joe's Cafe'', '' Strike! the Musical'' *2006 - '' The Wizard of Oz'' *2007 - '' Grease'', ''

'' *2008 - ''

The Full Monty ''The Full Monty'' is a 1997 comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy. The film is set ...

'', ''

'', '' Forever Plaid'' *2009 - ''

2010s

*2010 - '' Rent'', ''

'' *2011 - ''

Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

'', ''

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * Hairspray (1988 film), ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** Hairspray (1988 soundtrack), ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundt ...

'' *2012 - '' Footloose, Annie'' *2013 - '' Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story,

Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to: * Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers * Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny ** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...

'' *2014 - '' A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline'', '' The Producers'', ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...

'' *2015 - ''

'', ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

'', '' Sister Act'' *2016 - ''

Ring Of Fire The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a tectonic belt of volcanoes and earthquakes. It is about long and up to about wide, and surrounds most of the Pa ...

'', '' Shrek The Musical'' *2017 - ''

Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors may refer to: * '' The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 American film * ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film * ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986 film), a 1986 American film based on th ...

'', '' Mamma Mia!'' *2018 - '' Breaking Up Is Hard To Do'', ''

'' *2019 - ''

'', '' Strike! the Musical'', '' Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella''

2020s

*2022 - '' The Hockey Sweater, The Wizard of Oz'' *2023 - '' Rent'', ''

'', ''After Light'' *2024 - ''Ma-Buhay'', ''

'', ''Miss Shakespeare''

Full-length musicals

The first full-length

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

to be presented at Rainbow Stage was ''

'', in the fall of 1955. Since then most of the productions have been of

Broadway musicals Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), many of the extant or closed Broadway venues use or used the spelling ''Theatr ...

including: '' Annie Get Your Gun'' (1956, 1965, 1973), ''

'' (1956, 1983), ''

'' (1958, 1963, 1969, 1979, 2004), ''

'' (1959, 1965, 1980, 1992, 2019), ''

Damn Yankees ''Damn Yankees'' is a 1955 musical comedy with a book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, music and lyrics by Richard Adler and Jerry Ross. The story is a modern retelling of the Faust legend set during the 1950s in Washington, D.C., d ...

'' (1960, 1994), ''

'' (1962, 1968, 1982, 1998), ''

'' (1966, 1975, 1987), ''

'' (1964, 1967, 1974, 1986, 1996, 2007), ''

'' (1960, 1989), ''

'' (1972, 1990, 2019) and '' Anything Goes'' (1964, 1990). In 1990, Rainbow Stage presented its first original production, the musical review ''Say It With Music'', "put together by Manitobans for Manitobans" featuring songs from '' The Wizard of Oz'', ''

'', '' Kismet'', ''

Gypsy {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

'', ''

'', and other musicals.

Company

The company, officially Rainbow Stage Inc., is a registered charitable organization. Formed on April 30, 1993, it is governed by a

board of directors A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

and managed by 7 full-time staff. 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 Edward Danylo Evanko (October 19, 1938 – November 18, 2018) was a Canadian actor and singer who became a Ukrainian Catholic priest. He was born and died in Winnipeg. Biography Early life Evanko was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Danylo ...

, Cliff Gardiner, Morley Meredith, and Bill Walker; the chorus director James Duncan; and the

Royal Winnipeg Ballet The Royal Winnipeg Ballet is Canada's oldest ballet company and the longest continuously operating ballet company in North America. History It was founded in 1939 as the "Winnipeg Ballet Club" by Gweneth Lloyd and Betty Farrally (who also fou ...

artistic director Arnold Spohr. Other Canadian performers at Rainbow Stage have included

Jan Rubeš Jan Ladislav Rubeš Order of Canada, CM (6 June 1920 – 29 June 2009) was a Czechs, Czech-Canadians, Canadian bass (voice type), bass opera singer and actor. Life and career Rubeš was born in Volyně, Czechoslovakia, to Ružena (née Kel ...

, Roma Hearn, Catherine McKinnon, and Wally Koster. The 2011 production of ''

'' featured American actor

George Wendt George Robert Wendt Jr. (October 17, 1948 – May 20, 2025) was an American actor. Wendt was best known for playing Norm Peterson on the NBC sitcom ''Cheers'' from 1982 to 1993, which earned him six consecutive nominations for the Primetime Em ...

in the role of Edna Turnblad. In 2018, Rainbow Stage made a

revenue In accounting, revenue is the total amount of income generated by the sale of product (business), goods and services related to the primary operations of a business. Commercial revenue may also be referred to as sales or as turnover. Some compan ...

of CA$2.8 million—2% coming from

sponsorships Sponsoring something (or someone) is the act of supporting an event, activity, person, or organization financially or through the provision of products or services. The individual or group that provides the support, similar to a benefactor, is k ...

, 3% from government (municipal, provincial, and federal), 8% from donations and fundraising, and the rest from earned income (i.e., ticket sales, concessions, souvenirs).

References

External links

Official website
{{authority control 1954 establishments in Manitoba Music venues in Winnipeg Theatres in Winnipeg Theatre companies in Manitoba Tourist attractions in Winnipeg