Organizers of the sixth annual WinterCity Festival—which runs through February 12—offered the media a sneak peek at the festival's opening-night performance during a preview at Nathan Phillips Square Thursday. The renowned theatre company Close-Act rehearsed a scene from the underwater love story Pi-Leau at 6 p.m.—offering local news crews a chance to promote the festival during dinner-hour broadcasts. The Dutch theatre troupe, known for combining theatre, dance acrobatics, and music in large-scale street performances, will perform four free public shows this weekend and next.
"Toronto comes alive with culture every winter as music, theatre, dance, art, and food take centre stage," Mayor David Miller said in a statement. "The WinterCity Festival encourages residents and tourists to get out during the coolest months of the year and experience the city's vibrancy and urban winter wonders."
The City of Toronto's special events department also unveiled the RBC WinterCity Lodge Thursday. The venue, sponsored by RBC, will feature comedy nights, activities for children, and DJ dance parties throughout the 14-day festival. The lodge, a tent designed to look like a log cabin, is filled with hanging snowflakes, white lounge furniture, and two fireplaces. Visitors to the lodge will also have the chance to hold the official Olympic torch from the Turin Games. "We're here trying to educate the public about the torch," Olympian Kimberly Orr said, noting that RBC is operating a contest offering Canadians the chance to win an opportunity to take part in the torch relay—also sponsored by RBC—to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games.
The festival includes the Wow series of outdoor performances at Nathan Phillips Square, the Warm Up series of events at local cultural institutions, and the Winterlicious prix-fixe restaurant promotion presented by American Express.
