Theatre in the 1000 Islands

One of the coolest parts of living in Gananoque is the 1000 Islands Playhouse. Labelled Canada's Dockside Theatre it resides in the old Gananoque Canoe Club, right on the St. Lawrence River. Those with neighbouring cottages can literally boat in and dock for the evening.

They run about seven shows a year - from spring to fall. According to their website, it is the largest theatre between Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa and they bring in amazing talent from across the country. This is big city theatre with an excellent production quality, right in the heart of town. I pinch myself every time we go to see a show. I will never travel for theatre again. This gem is in my backyard.

This past year the big headliner was Mamma Mia, which didn't disappoint. We took my youngest kiddo, my sister and our parents, who sang the night away. At intermission you can step outside, onto the balcony or the dock with a glass on wine on a perfect summer night, admiring the stillness of the early evening over the river. It's fabulous.

In the last couple of years we have also gone to see Jersey Boys and The Sound of Music. After watching The Sound of Music we went to a local pub for a bite to eat, and found ourselves at the next table over from the one and only, Maria. There happened to be local karaoke that evening and we kind of winced and shrugged our shoulders playfully to her as a beer soaked voice cracked over the microphone. Good grief!

Looking at the line up Jesus Christ Superstar is on the docket for the fall. We might just need to book some last minute tickets and go.

If you are looking for a weekend getaway and love the theatre - take a look at the Playhouse. You won't regret it.