What to see, do, read and hear in Toronto this November

A pop juggernaut’s Toronto takeover

The most anticipated event of the year has arrived, with global pop phenomenon Taylor Swift touching down in Toronto for six shows at the Rogers ­Centre—one of the Eras Tour’s longest stops. Her marathon 10-act performance spans three hours and multiple outfit and set changes, featuring songs from nearly all of her “eras,” including her most recent album, The Tortured Poets Department. She may be here for several nights, but no two shows are the same, with Swift performing two surprise acoustic songs every night. Rogers Centre, November 14 to 16 and 21 to 23

A celebration of a revolutionary musical era

It can be easy to forget that Detroit, the birthplace of Motown, is just a straight shot west along the 401. But folks of a certain generation will remember when that city’s R&B and soul music filled Toronto’s airwaves, leaving a musical legacy that continues to inspire artists from the Weeknd to Charlotte Day Wilson. In Legends of Motown, a 16-­person ensemble of singers and musicians celebrates the era by performing hits by the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Temptations and the Jackson 5. Like the supergroup shows of the 1960s, this one features dazzling costumes and choreography. Roy Thomson Hall, November 2

A stunning production of a classic romance

A classic comes to the National Ballet this month with Giselle, the 1841 romance by French composer Adolphe Adam. It follows a young girl who takes her own life after falling for a noble in disguise who is already promised to another woman. But that’s not the end for Giselle: the spirits of betrayed women bring her back as a ghost and goad her into getting revenge—with unexpected results. The production features choreography by Sir Peter Wright and a moody, haunting score. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, November 20 to 24

An award-winning author’s fantastical novel

Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami has written more than a dozen books since his 1979 debut, Hear the Wind Sing. In that time, he’s become renowned as a master of magical-­realist fiction. Now, he’s releasing his first novel in six years, The City and Its Uncertain Walls. Through two parallel stories, the book follows a teenage boy whose girlfriend mysteriously vanishes. In one, the boy struggles to move on. In the other, he sets out to find the girl and arrives at a fantastical city of horned beasts, where she’s working at a library and has no memory of their shared past. Out November 19

An innovative artist’s latest series

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas’s Haida manga art combines elements of Japanese cartooning with themes and designs from the Indigenous art of the North Pacific. An exhibition of his work, Diaries After a Flood, is on now at MOCA, including Daalkaatlii Diaries, a new series of 26 large-scale panels that unfold like an accordion. Also on view is Red—a multi-panel Haida manga tragedy—and wall sculptures made from car hoods. MOCA, until January 26, 2025

A posthumous memoir from a beloved film star

Legendary Canadian actor Donald Sutherland died in June at the age of 88, but not before completing a reflective memoir about his life and career, Made Up, but Still True. Following a New Brunswick childhood rocked by illness, he charmed audiences at Hart House as a University of Toronto student and later in London, UK, before embarking on a 60-year film career starring alongside icons like Clint Eastwood, Gene Wilder and Jane Fonda. Sutherland’s posthumous memoir gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at his life, written with his characteristic humour and wit. Out November 12

A hit stage adaptation’s Canadian debut

Elizabeth Strout’s bestselling 2016 novel, My Name Is Lucy Barton, has taken on a second life as a theatre production, earning rave reviews on Broadway and the West End. The one-woman monologue follows the eponymous New York writer as she awakens from an operation to find her estranged mother at her bedside. What ensues is a powerful meditation on life and the relationships between mothers and daughters. Bluma Appel Theatre, until November 3

A deep dive into the world of bio­dynamic wine

The sommelier’s answer to craft beer, natural wine, which is made without the chemical additives found in mass-produced bottles, is having an extended moment. The Raw Wine festival, now in its third year in Toronto, offers attendees the opportunity to take a deep dive into the biodynamic world with hundreds of wine tastings and a chance to meet the passionate growers behind them. The day-long, multi-city event, which also runs in New York, Tokyo and Los Angeles, promises an education in all things natty wine—plus some really good sips. Artscape Wychwood Barns, November 13

A timeless show returns with local talent

The enduring hit musical The Lion King is famous for its larger-than-life set design and costumes as well as its score of original songs by Elton John, Tim Rice and Hans ­Zimmer. While much of the show has remained consistent over its 26-year run (because if it ain’t broke…), this new Mirvish production is stacked with Toronto talent, including Salvatore Antonio as Scar, David D’Lancy Wilson as Mufasa and Brian Sills as Timon. Here, associate director Anthony Lyn gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the production’s award-winning sets. Opens November 2, Princess of Wales Theatre

1. How do you represent a landscape on stage? “Julie Taymor, the show’s creator, decided to put the entire ensemble in grass skirts and headpieces. They move in unison and settle in different configurations to represent new locations,” says Lyn. Made from a base of carbon board and topped with synthetic grass, the headpieces require careful movement. “They’re lighter than they look,” he adds, “but they’re difficult to balance—­especially when the actors are moving at speed.”

2. As the centrepiece of the ecosystem, the Tree of Life dominates the stage, dwarfing the narrator, Rafiki, who is herself the spiritual heartbeat of the story. “Surrounding it are genuine African symbols,” says Lyn, “each of which carries a message.”

3. “The grass on the actors’ heads is tied to the idea that the whole landscape is rooted in our ancestors,” says Lyn. “We encourage the actors to be proud of their own ancestors and to work together to create the big picture.”

4. Lit from below, this scene depicts the dawn at the opening of “Circle of Life.” It’s the creation of lighting designer Donald Holder, who won a Tony Award for his work on The Lion King.

5. The fibreglass cheetah shares its back feet with its puppeteer while its front feet are controlled by their hands. Thin wires link the actor’s head to the puppet’s, syncing their movements. “The cheetah represents the beauty, and potential savagery, of the animal kingdom,” says Lyn.

6. The rising sun is made out of a simple piece of silk run through with clothes hanger–like wires to give it texture. It’s drawn up by two visible pieces of string. “We don’t try to hide them,” says Lyn. “Throughout the show, the audience is required to use their imagination.”

7. The giraffes are portrayed by human actors wearing long fibreglass headpieces and standing on hand and foot stilts. “It takes a lot of skill, strength and bravery,” says Lyn. “At that height, you have to do the one thing your body is telling you not to do: tilt forward.”