After 13 seasons and over 60 productions, Toronto Masque Theatre’s Artistic Director, Larry Beckwith, is stepping down from his post - with his exit will come the final season of TMT, a company closely connected to Beckwith’s aesthetic and artistic vision.

“I’m filled with so many emotions as I introduce you to our final season,” says Beckwith. “I’m humbled to present many of Canada’s leading performing artists – some TMT regulars alongside some new faces. I’m heavy-hearted as I contemplate the end of a magnificent journey. But above all, I’m excited to present to you an entertaining season of music, theatre and dance that I’m sure will demonstrate the accomplishments of this unique company and its place in the performing arts in Canada.”

Dubbed The Stars Align, Toronto Masque Theatre’s final season features three mainstage events and three salon evenings.

The salon series happens at The Atrium, 21 Shaftesbury Avenue, starting on September 25 with Canada in Words and Music; the night offers some singing paired with interviews with Canadian composer Alexina Louie and Esprit Orchestra Music Director Alex Pauk. TMT’s Christmas salon, Peace on Earth happens December 17-18, mixing carols and instrumental music with excerpts of Canadian composer Clarence Lucas’ cantata, The Birth of Christ. The final salon, The Means of Grace: Seven Monologues on Music on April 23, 2018, is programmed with a personal touch by Beckwith himself. ““Music has always been a powerful force in my life,” he says of the salon. “I look forward to sharing stories and examples of what I feel are some of the great moments in music.”

On the mainstage, the fall sees a double-bill of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and James Rolfe’s Aeneas and Dido, October 20-21. The cast is not to be missed, headed by Canadians Krisztina Szabó, Jacqueline Woodley, Andrea Ludwig and Alexander Dobson. February 8-10, 2018, TMT pairs together J.S. Bach’s The Peasant Cantata with All the Diamonds, a concert of songs inspired by the night sky; these performances happen at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, and the line-up of artists include Patricia O’Callaghan, Giles Tomkins and Marion Newman.

TMT’s star-studded season finale happens on May 12, 2018 at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts. The Last Chaconne: A Celebration will mark the final performance from the company, with performances by Monica Whicher, Lawrence Wiliford, Geoffrey Sirett, Shannon Mercer, and many more, with music by everyone from Handel and Purcell to Dean and Abigail Richardson.

With its final offerings, Toronto Masque Theatre seems to strike a balance between reflecting back on its past 13 seasons and focusing forward on creating music and theatre. Says Beckwith, “I look forward to a year of celebration…of beauty, of life, of art.”

For full details and ticket information, visit TMT’s website here.