One of the perks of having the Hilton Toronto as your Artist Hosting Sponsor is that sometimes we get a behind-the-scenes peek at what’s going on across the street from the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts!

After hearing about the Hilton Toronto’s freshly renovated top floor suites, the COC was curious for a closer look and arranged for Keri Alkema, who sings Giovanna Seymour in the COC’s Anna Bolena, to take a visit.

1. LEPAGE’S STAGECRAFT

Director Robert Lepage flips opera on its head in this visionary production of The Nightingale and Other Short Fables, which incorporates a variety of puppetry techniques, shadow play, and most impressively, fills the orchestra pit with 67,000 litres of water to transform the performance space into an enchanting forest. In this unconventional configuration, the orchestra players are situated directly on stage while the singers perform in the water itself, giving added intimacy to the evening.