Luminato Festival – TSO’s Beethoven’s 9th Symphony and Masters of Magic/Mac King

Reviewed by Paula Citron

Imagine a performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony at 11 pm attracting a sold out crowd. It was wonderful to see a lot of young people at Roy Thomson Hall, and I’m sure it was the first time for many of them at a symphony because people applauded during the movements.

Conductor Peter Oundjian led a spirited performance featuring sterling singers soprano Marianne Fiset, mezzo-soprano Michèle Losier, tenor Frédéric Antoun, baritone Brett Polegato and the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir. It really was a joyous Luminato closing event.

I also managed to catch one of the Luminato Festival’s Masters of Magic shows, and I had so much fun, I’m sorry I missed the others. My magician was Mac King from Harrah’s Casino in Las Vegas. He’s the type of magician who does amazing things with simple ideas, in this case, rope and card tricks.

His banter is filled with double entendres for the adults, and he was funny enough to be a stand-up comedian.

Luminato Festival
Beethoven’s 9th Symphony
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Peter Oundjian
Performed by Marianne Fiset, Michèle Losier, Frédéric Antoun, Brett Polegato and Toronto Mendelssohn Choir
Roy Thomson Hall, Jun. 19, 2010
Masters of Magic – Mac King
Panasonic Theatre
Jun. 17 to 20, 2010