guide

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Music through the decades
Another well-established Muskoka musical tradition
is Gravenhurst’s Music on the Barge. Now in its
55th year, performers literally play over water on a
large, specially designed stage a few yards from shore.
Opened just in time for a visit by the Queen in 1959,
the Barge program these days ranges from big bands
to Dixieland, jazz, folk, the rock of the 50s and 60s,
to modern country and pop. Held on Sunday nights
throughout the summer, these ever-popular concerts
draw large crowds of cottagers and locals alike. Also in
Gravenhurst is the iconic Opera House, famous for
the high caliber comedy, theatrical and musical talent
it attracts.
Another great way to experience music from a variety
of genres and eras is to pay a visit to Deerhurst Resort’s
excellent Decades show. This feast of fantastic music
from the 50s right through to the present day has been
around for years, and is in fact where Shania Twain got
her first big break in what was then called The Vegas
Show. The most recent incarnation is an all-new show,
and the energetic cast do an incredible job of covering
more than 70 songs from artists as diverse as
Madonna, Elvis, Michael Jackson, Fleetwood Mac,
Gotye, Rod Stewart, Stevie Wonder and Queen, to
name but a few.
Finally, be sure to check out the year-round
Huntsville Festival of the Arts. Since its early
beginnings the Festival has entertained audiences with
an eclectic choice of music, including jazz, pop, choral,
Celtic, country, orchestral, and classical music… not
to mention a healthy smattering of theatre, prose,
poetry, and the visual arts. Presenting audience
favourites like John McDermott, Jesse Cook, Bruce
Cockburn and Hawksley Workman, the Festival also
acts as a launch pad for up and coming local artists
through its free Music at Noon concert series.
There are three other great theatre venues in Muskoka
offering a wide variety of entrainment. The Rene M.
Caisse Theatre in Bracebridge, Algonquin Theatre in
Huntsville both bring in top shows and performers.
New Actors’ Colony Theatre is celebrating 80 years of
professional summer theatre which started right here
in the small resort town of Bala in 1934.
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Muskoka Rolls