Rainbow Stage facts for kids
Front entrance of Rainbow Stage in Kildonan Park
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| Address | 2021 Main St., Winnipeg, MB | ||||||
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| Coordinates | 49°56′31″N 97°06′02″W / 49.94194°N 97.10056°W | ||||||
| Elevation | 232 metres (761 ft) | ||||||
| Public transit | 18 North Main / 18 Corydon | ||||||
| Type | Outdoor theatre venue | ||||||
| Capacity | 2,600 | ||||||
| Construction | |||||||
| Broke ground | 1951 | ||||||
| Built | 1951 to 1953 | ||||||
| Opened |
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| Renovated | 1970, 1975 | ||||||
| Architect | Smith, Carter, Katelnikoff | ||||||
| Company | |||||||
| Name | Rainbow Stage Inc. | ||||||
| Type | registered charitable organization | ||||||
| Formed | April 20, 1993 | ||||||
| Headquarters | 202-1215 Henderson Hwy, Winnipeg, MB R2G1L8 | ||||||
| Executives |
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| Revenue | $2.8 million CAD (2018) | ||||||
| Employees | 9 full-time, 61 part-time (2020) | ||||||
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Rainbow Stage is a special outdoor theatre in Kildonan Park in north Winnipeg, Manitoba. It's a not-for-profit company that puts on amazing musical shows. The theatre has a roof and can seat up to 2,600 people. It's open for shows from May to September each year.
Contents
The Story of Rainbow Stage
From Bandstand to Big Stage
Long ago, in the 1910s, urban parks like Winnipeg's Kildonan Park became very popular. People gathered there for public events. In 1917, a permanent bandstand was built in Kildonan Park. This bandstand was a favorite spot for live music and dance contests. It even hosted big community sing-alongs during the Depression era.
However, in 1950, a huge flood, the Red River flood, destroyed the bandstand. Many other buildings in Manitoba were also damaged. After the flood, everyone agreed that the bandstand needed to be replaced. But tastes had changed, and bandstands weren't as popular anymore.
A New Idea for Entertainment
People in Winnipeg looked to Vancouver's outdoor theatre, Theatre Under the Stars, for inspiration. The Winnipeg Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Civic Music League suggested building a new sound stage. This new stage would host local talent and attract tourists to Winnipeg.
The Civic Music League led the fundraising to build the new stage. They held radio contests, a limerick competition, and asked local businesses for donations. The public raised $15,000, and the city government added another $15,000.
How Rainbow Stage Got Its Name
The new 3,000-seat theatre was designed by architects Smith, Carter, and Katelnikoff. The name "Rainbow Stage" came about when architect Dennis Carter showed a cardboard model of the design. Someone noticed that if lights were added along the curved top, "it would look like a rainbow."
Building and Opening the Theatre
Construction started in 1951 and finished in the spring of 1952. More work on the seating area was done in 1953. Even though it wasn't fully complete, Rainbow Stage held its first concert on September 22, 1953. The Kitsilano Boys Band from Vancouver performed. Walkways were added on both sides of the theatre between 1953 and 1954.
The Rainbow Stage officially opened on July 7, 1954, with a special concert. Many performers took part, including the Ukrainian Youth Association and the James Duncan chorus, who sang songs from the musical Carousel. In its first year, the stage hosted 19 shows for over 19,000 people. The first full-length musical, Brigadoon, was performed in the fall of 1955.
Changes and Updates Over Time
In 1956, the Winnipeg Summer Theatre Association was created to manage the theatre. Ten years later, in 1966, the non-profit organization Rainbow Stage Inc. was officially formed.
In 1970, a special triodetic dome was built over the theatre. It used 63 tons of steel and cost $175,000. More updates happened in 1975, making the theatre more modern but reducing the number of seats by 600. In 1986, new areas were added, like a fly gallery (for moving scenery), carpentry and paint shops, classrooms, and bigger change rooms. A special plaque and a replica of an original arch were put up in front of the building in 1988.
New leaders took over the theatre in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1990, Rainbow Stage put on its first original show, a musical review called Say It With Music. This show featured songs from many different musicals.
In 2011, local artists Mandy Van Leeuwen and Michel Saint Hilaire painted a huge mural on the outside of the building. The mural covers 8,000 square feet of concrete and used 400 different colors of paint! In 2012, new artistic and executive directors were appointed. In 2014, the theatre presented three shows in one summer for the first time in over 30 years. Carson Nattrass became the artistic director in 2017.
Past Performances
Rainbow Stage has presented many popular musicals over the years. Here are some of them:
Musicals by Decade
- 1950s: Brigadoon, The Wizard of Oz, Annie Get Your Gun, Kiss Me, Kate, The King and I, Guys and Dolls, Show Boat
- 1960s: The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees!, Carousel, South Pacific, The Music Man, Oklahoma!, West Side Story, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, Oliver!, Funny Girl
- 1970s: Hello, Dolly!, Peter Pan, Fiddler on the Roof, Cinderella, Mame, Irene
- 1980s: The Pirates of Penzance, Kismet, H.M.S. Pinafore, Annie, Anne of Green Gables - The Musical, Sweet Charity
- 1990s: Anything Goes, Say It with Music (original production), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Crazy For You
- 2000s: Singin' in the Rain, 42nd Street, A Chorus Line, Fame, Footloose, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, Miss Saigon, Grease, The Full Monty
- 2010s: Rent, Cats, Hairspray, Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, Mary Poppins, The Producers, The Little Mermaid, Les Misérables, Shrek The Musical, Mamma Mia!, Strike! the Musical
- 2020s: The Hockey Sweater
About the Company
The company that runs Rainbow Stage is called Rainbow Stage Inc.. It's a registered charitable organization, which means it's a non-profit group that does good for the community. It was officially formed on April 30, 1993, and is guided by a board of directors and a team of staff.
Rainbow Stage proudly features Canadian actors, musicians, and production crew members. Many of these talented people are hired right from Manitoba. Famous Canadian performers like Len Cariou and Arnold Spohr have worked at Rainbow Stage. In 2011, American actor George Wendt (from the TV show Cheers) even performed in Hairspray.
In 2018, Rainbow Stage earned about $2.8 million CAD. Most of this money came from ticket sales and things sold at the theatre. A smaller part came from donations, sponsorships, and government support.
Supporters of Rainbow Stage
Many businesses and groups help support Rainbow Stage. Some of their sponsors include:
- Prolific Group
- Assiniboine Credit Union
- Gerry & Barb Price
- Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP
- KISS 102.3
- Richardson Foundation
- Canada Life
- The Winnipeg Foundation
- Empire Iron Works
- Winnipeg Arts Council
- Independent Jewellers Ltd. (IJL)
- CJNU 93.7
- Garden City
- Payworks
- The Asper Foundation
- Microsoft
- Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries
- Government of Canada
- Bell Let's Talk
- Gail Asper Family Foundation
- Manitoba Sport, Culture and Heritage
- Wawanesa Insurance
- CAA Manitoba
- Christie Lites
- Casinos of Winnipeg
