WORLD PREMIERES

Book of Longing
Elgin Theatre, June 1 -3
Philip Glass' original concert work based on Leonard Cohen's first collection of poems in over 20 years.

Not the Messiah (He's A Very Naughty Boy):
Roy Thomson Hall, June 1 - 4
Spamalot's Tony and Grammy award-winning creators Eric Idle and John DuPrez present the world premiere of an original light-hearted oratorio inspired by Monty Python's Life of Brian. It will be performed with a narrator, the TSO, guest soloists and choir.

An Evening With Glenn Gould:
Young Centre for the Performing Arts, June 3 - 10
In recognition of the 75th anniversary of his birth and the 25th anniversary of his death,The Distillery District will present the world premiere of an original play with music about the last night of Glenn Gould's life. The play will be presented in tandem with screenings of McGreevy's award-winning film, Glenn Gould's Toronto.

Irving Invectus:
Young Centre for the Performing Arts, June 3-10
This remarkable project is a multi-disciplinary rumination on the life and work of Canada's controversial poet, Irving Layton.

Vida!
Royal Alexandra Theatre, June 1 - 10
Luminato presents Danza Cuba in Vida! Performed by Danza Cuba, Havana's most popular dance company Vida! follows a woman as she revisits her life in Cuba over the oft-turbulent decades. See Vida's life illuminated, danced, acted and sung in various stages of her memories - from childhood to the present denouement of her life.

Auroras/testimony:
Artcore (Distillery District), June 1 - 10
An exhibition of video portraits by Turkish artist Kutlug Ataman and filmmaker Atom Egoyan. Kutlug Ataman's video is a portrait of his aging childhood nanny who also performed the same role for Kutlug's father. Atom Egoyan's film is of an early 20th-century actress, Aurora.

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OPENING WEEKEND CELEBRATIONS

Muhtadi International Drumming Festival:
Queen's Park, June 2 -3
An outdoor free event,the Muhtadi International Drumming Festival brings individual drummers and drumming groups from diverse cultures and racial backgrounds together to show case the mystique, power and versatility of the drum. More than 20 cultures  gather for a two-day musical celebration of the drum universality as a cultural icon.

Summer of Love:
Yorkville, June 2
Bringing Toronto's trendy Yorkville district back to the Summer of Love 1967 when it was the epicentre of the Canadian folk scene igniting the careers of artists such as Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and Ian & Sylvia, the village will be filled with live performances and outdoor concerts, art installations and archival exhibits.

ROM Opening:
Bloor Street and Avenue Road, June 2
Part of Luminato's official kick-off celebration. An outdoor evening ceremony will feature the debut of the Royal Ontario Museum's dazzling Daniel Libeskind-designed building, the Michael Lee Chin Crystal. The program will include free museum access all nightlong as well as illuminations, and an outdoor concert.

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FESTIVITIES

Carnivalissima:
Harbourfront, June 8 - 10
Luminato will celebrate the diversity and creativity of Toronto through a spectacular collaboration of carnival traditions of the world (Brazil,the Caribbean, European Lenten Winter Festivals, Latin America, South Asia and Louisiana's Mardi Gras) and "carnival" traditions found in diverse Toronto communities (Caribana, the Brazilian Ball and the Pride parade).

Spiegeltent:
Harbourfront, June 1 - 10
Situated at Harbourfront Centre, the Spiegel tent will be the heart of Luminato. Reminiscent of a 1920's European cabaret, the Spiegel tent will buzz with energy and activity and feature everything from burlesque showgirls and dancers to aerialists and acrobats. Each evening, the Spiegel Show will fill the tent with a colourful profusion of Nouveau Variete-style entertainment, while the Spiegel tent itself will form the social hub for all things Luminato. Spiegel tent will be free during the day to all visitors, with an evening admission fee.

The Distillery District:
Distillery District, June 3 - 10
Each day Luminato will feature, in collaboration with the Young Centre For The Performing Arts and Soulpepper Theatre Company, vocal and instrumental concerts, cabaret events, poetry readings, slam poetry competitions and multi-disciplinary events celebrating the traditions of Italy, Portugal, Spain and the Caribbean. Take a dance lesson from professionals at the site of the public square Social Dancing evenings, then dance the night away to the music of a live orchestra. The site will be animated within installations such as giant multilingual scrabble boards and vast expanses of canvas on which artists and audiences a like can paint their town with images and words. For youth, Lumina to will shine a light on young people of our city through week-long programming that includes installations and youth creation performance.

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VISUAL ARTS
(In partnership with the Art Gallery of Ontario)

''The Robotic Chair"
Location TBA, June 1 - 10
Characterized by his sleek and innovative construction, Max Dean's "Robotic Chair" systematically breaks apart and pulls itself together again in a mesmerizing repetition that leaves audiences free to interpret the significance of self-destruction and empowerment.

"Floating Artworks"
Union Station, BCE Place, June 1 - 10
An exhibition of floating artworks entirely composed of large and unusual mobiles suspended from the ceilings of public spaces such as Union Station and BCE Place.

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DANCE

Shen Wei Dance Arts: Canadian Premiere.
Premier Dance Theatre, June 6 - 9
Celebrated Chinese-born, U.S.-based choreographer Shen Wei brings to the stage performances of "Re" and "Rite of Spring" in an evening of contemporary dance.

Motus 0 Dance Theatre & Sampradya Dance Creations:
Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, June 6 - 7
Partnership between two distinct and celehrated dance companies. Motus 0 Dance Theatre presents Petrouchka, a magical world on stage, where a Wizard and his three marionettes - the handsome but cruel Strongman, the beautiful Ballerina and the unlikely hero Petrouchka - all live. Sampradya Dance Creations presents Kshetrama multi-media dance production integrated with a projected audio-visual design inspired by the living traditions of Indian culture which are infused by the devotional poetry of saint poets.The production is a celehration of dance and music dedicated to the honour eddeities of Indian temple sites.

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THEATRE

Risk Everything:
June 3 - 10
In partnership with Harbourfront Centre, acclaimed Polish director Grzegorz Jarzyna reinvents Toronto playwright George F. Walker's gritty and compelling play into a live street performance.

The Walker Series:
Factory Theatre, Factory Theatre Studio, June 1-10
George F.Walker is featured through the production of his East End Plays: Better Living together in repertory with Escape From Happiness, as well as a special production of Tough! Written for three actors aged 17-19, this production of Tough! will use an ensemble of 9-12 young actors of diverse cultural backgrounds, so that each role is played by at least three actors of different racial or ethnic identities during various sections of the play.

Spirit Horse:
Lorraine Kimsa Theatre For Young People, June 4 - 5
Spirit Horse is a brilliant new adaptation of the internationally acclaimed play ''Tir Na N'Og". A powerful and moving adventure of two First Nations children whose lives are changed forever by the appearance of a Spirit Horse.

Back Home:
June 4 -10
Performed by Australia's Urban Theatre Project, Back Home bristles with explosive physicality. This is a deeply emotional story about characters coming to terms with their past and facing up to their future.

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MUSIC

Opera LUNA:
Roy Thomson Hall, June 8
Luminato's magnificent opera evening will be a magical mix of moonlight and music in an evening that celebrates the power and beauty of the human voice. Danish-Italian conductor Giordano Bellincampi will lead 16 of Canada's greatest international opera stars. Accompanied by members of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company Chorus, RoyThomson Hall will resound with arias and ensembles from some of the world's greatest operatic composers.

Masters of World Music:
Harbourfront Centre, June 4 - 7
Masters of World Music will celebrate the man yworld cultures that now make Toronto their home. Over four Luminato evenings, returning "masters" will grace the stage in a series of free concerts.

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For complete program information on both free and ticketed Luminato events including dates, locations and schedules visit www.luminato.com.