Centre In The Square diversifying for upcoming season

Despite the loss of a major staple, Centre in the Square has announced a big lineup for the upcoming season. CTV’s Colton Wiens takes a peek.

The upcoming 2025-26 season at Centre In The Square will see over 30 productions take the stage.

“Probably by the end of the season will be near double of that. Plus all the promoters that come in and rent a theater here. Like Live Nation and Outback and many, many of them,” Eric Lariviere, executive director of Centre In The Square, said.

New funding was announced today, with $125,000 coming from the province. Longtime sponsor Heffner Lexus Toyota also increased its funding of the centre and renewed for a three-year commitment.

“We’re doing really well. We had a good year last year,” Lariviere said.

What won’t be on the stage again this year is the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra. Lariviere said the orchestra is part of the building’s DNA and not having it leaves a major hole to fill, but they aren’t giving up on the symphony coming back.

“The venue is built partly for symphony orchestras and classical concerts. And the acoustic is one of the best acoustics in Canada. So at the end of the day, do we want the orchestra back? 100%, They have a lot of work to do. They’ve been working really, really hard,” Lariviere said. “All I’m going to say is that, hold on, because more news is coming about the orchestra.”

With the symphony no longer a staple at the theatre, management said they have had to diversify their types of shows but are in a comfortable position heading into this season.

“So we had to rethink how we do business. So really, our strategy was about the client and the producer that we work with, how can we increase their footprint in the Centre In The Square? Number two, how can we reach out to new promoters and new partners?” Lariviere said.

Amongst the shows announced are several Broadway productions set to hit the stage. Lariviere said they’re also expanding productions for school kids, starting a new summer camp, and Kitchener’s Pat The Dog Theatre Creation will use the Studio Theatre behind the main stage to showcase locally produced work.

“It’s a 200 seat theatre. It’s literally the other side of Center In The Square. And it’s where we present all new Canadian work. National work, work from local creations, creators, which are, really exciting and work for us, by us and service of us, for the community, and particularly at this political time to support Canadian work and actually show our Canadian work. It’s pretty exciting,” Lisa O’Connell, Artistic Director of Pat the Dog Theatre Creation, said.

O’Connell added that the the arts community in the Region of Waterloo is only growing.

“We’re in a real upswing. I think we’re really, again, It’s always been, you know, we talk more about the bad story, but we don’t talk about the good story. I can tell you, because I work with individual artists. We have more young artists. I would say folks your age or a little bit younger that are moving to the community, that love this community, that are choosing this community, and they’re practicing their work,” O’Connell said.