Our Mission

Rainbow Stage is passionately dedicated to creating professional musical theatre, training and developing Manitoban artists, and promoting a thriving, accessible, and sustainable arts & culture community in Winnipeg and beyond.

About Us

Rainbow Stage is Canada's largest and longest-running outdoor musical theatre company, presenting Broadway-style musicals in its gorgeous open-air theatre in Kildonan Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba since July 1954. We're committed to fostering artistic and economic opportunities and enrichment for artists, audiences, and the community at large through our efforts both on-stage and off. As a non-profit organization, Rainbow Stage relies on fundraising and charitable gifts to grow and develop our artistic training programs, to maintain our series of free community events and performances, and to continue producing world-class musical theatre with affordable ticket prices.

"Where Does My Contribution Go?"

Your donation is an investment in your artists and communities! Your contribution will go towards creating world-class musical theatre, funding artistic development initiatives and community outreach programs, and helping us to fulfill our vision of an inclusive, sustainable, and musical arts & culture landscape in Manitoba.

Education & Community Outreach

We believe passionately in the educational potential of art and in the power of arts and culture in nurturing thriving and happy communities. Our vision is to ensure the long-term sustainability of musical theatre in our communities by promoting inclusivity and accessibility in everything we do, from special student and community performances to our dedication to maintaining among the lowest ticket prices in the industry.

Community Support Performance

Every season, Rainbow Stage presents a free-of-charge Community Support Performance for which we distribute complimentary tickets to individuals and organizations that would otherwise be unable to attend the theatre. Since 2007, we have given out more than 12,000 free tickets in our communities, providing thousands of individuals with their first live professional theatre experience.

School Awards & Scholarships

The School Awards & Scholarships program provides monetary grants and post-secondary scholarships to deserving middle schools, high schools, and students who have demonstrated outstanding ability, dedication, and potential in their pursuits of musical theatre excellence. Since 2004, Rainbow Stage has provided over 80 scholarships and awards totalling more than $50,000 to passionate and deserving students and schools.

Musical Theatre Conference for Students

Introduced as an educational initiative for 2016, Rainbow Stage hosted its first Musical Theatre Conference specifically geared towards Junior High and High School students. Students choose and participate in up to eight unique workshops that cover the most important business and creative aspects of running a theatre and “putting on a show," including Business/Arts Administration, Wardrobe Design & Construction, Set Design & Construction, Lighting Special Effects Design & Construction, Choreography, Song Writing, Script Writing, and Performance Skills (Acting, Singing, & Dancing). The next Musical Theatre Conference for Students will take place May 17-18, 2017, at Rainbow Stage's theatre venue in Kildonan Park, and is generously supported by MTS Future First and Great-West Life.

The Rainbow Stage Music Theatre Conservatory

The Rainbow Stage Music Theatre Conservatory was established in 2012 with the vision of creating an internationally-recognized learning hub with a specific focus on post-graduate professional development for musical theatre performers, designers, and technical crew.

The Conservatory provides applied post-graduate training and professional development opportunities in Winnipeg in order to support emerging artistic talent by removing financial barriers to continued training, bridging gaps in practical knowledge, providing mentorship with regards to career management, and pairing Manitoban artists with creative leaders from around the world.

Creative Mentorship Program / Artists-in-Residence

The Creative Mentorship Program pairs internationally-recognized music theatre professionals from around the world with emerging local artists, creating a hands-on teaching environment within each Rainbow Stage production. Locally-based Artists-in-Residence (mid-career) and Apprentices (early career/entry-level) work and learn directly with world-renowned professionals from across the globe (including some who have worked at The Globe).

Contingent on program funding, Artists-in-Residence are engaged from as close to the beginning of the creative process as possible in three positions: Resident Director, Resident Music Director, and Resident Choreographer. Apprentices are engaged prior to the beginning of rehearsals, with the positions dependent on funding in directing, choreographing, music directing, lighting design, costume design, set design, hair & makeup design, and stagecraft.

Actor's Intensive

The Actor's Intensive program provides paid, elite-level, post-graduate training to young and emerging professional actors. Each 10-day session provides 60+ hours of professional instruction with a focus on specific skills and applied learning, including a unique exploration of business and marketing skills that is far more comprehensive than typical post-secondary programs.

Community & Professional Development Workshops

Our series of free workshops feature classes and seminars in dancing, singing and acting technique, music theatre repertoire, panel discussions, symposia, audition preparation, and professional practices and skills. The workshops are hosted and led by Rainbow Stage artists throughout the year and are open to any and all!

"Thank you for your incredible contribution, from all of us!"

- The entire Rainbow Stage team