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| - I've been to the Sony Centre a couple times this fall since the renovations. I have to say, I was a bit underwhelmed. It is basically the Hummingbird Centre, except with Sony demo stations in the main lobby, nicer seating area at the bar upstairs, and cup holders in the seats. I kid you not. Cup holders. The theatre is still less than ideal -- acoustics are not great and the orchestra seating goes too far back (if you are in the last few rows, you will need binoculars!). Basically, it's the opposite of intimate.
Since the National Ballet of Canada and Canadian Opera Company took up residence at the Four Seasons Centre, the Sony Centre has been having a bit of an identity crisis. I suspect the Silvercity-esque cup holders are meant to make the theatre seem less high-brow ("It's not art, it's 'entertainment'!"). At the same time, programming such as Robert LePage's "Eonnagata" isn't terribly accessible, judging by the abundance of empty seats when I was there. The programming, although admirable in its diversity, is pretty random -- from the Kirov Ballet to "Merchants of Bollywood". I feel like ticket sales have not been great this year, but hopefully with time this venue will find it's niche and an audience. In the meantime, I'm taking advantage of their $15 under 30 rush seats (they email you about 1 week before a performance and you can buy online or in person)!
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