Tips:
- Street parking is free after 6 pm.
- This venue is fully accessible with an elevator and buttons by doors to have them open.
- For events, the bar sells alcohol and pop at decent prices.
I am normally good at tracking when I have performances and concerts to attend. I forgot that I had one this week at Market Hall Performing Arts Centre (PAC) on a Wednesday.
This week has been hectic. My manager, who has dedicated nearly 25 years at the company, was let go. I needed to quickly set up a proper farewell for him on Wednesday. I then needed to drive from the office in Mississauga to get here by 7 pm through nasty rush hour traffic.
I didn't know if I'd be okay. Driving to work and even from work to this venue had a lot of moments of sadness for my manager. It's painful when a good person and employee has been let go for business reasons.
My best friend lives in Peterborough where Market Hall PAC is located. She let me know that street parking is free after 6 pm. There are parking lots around the downtown area, but you need to shell out. I went the cheap route and parked around the corner, on the street, for free.
I walked a block over to the venue. Market Hall was originally built as the city's market hall when it opened in 1890. John E. Belcher designed this Italianate-style building. It has a four-face clock tower, which is a local landmark.
Market Hall is a commercial building and performing arts centre. It has been the home to Market Hall PAC since 1998.
I came to see Gill Beacon and Melanie Doane. I've been listening to Gill whenever she substitutes for Tom Power on Q for years. I have been a fan of Melanie Doane since she opened for Jann Arden in Ottawa in 1998.
The entrance faces Water Street, but you go down Charlotte Street, and turn the corner to get to the entrance. It has a button to open the door for accessibility. The elevator is straight ahead, on the right.
I used the stairs to get to the second floor. It's where the entrance to the theatre's main floor is located. Washrooms and the bar are also there.
The theatre has 350 seats. If you're in the balcony, you need to go up another floor.
I used the washroom first. I also used it before I left the venue to go home. The stalls that I used were clean and roomy. The women's washroom was impeccably maintained. The lighting was excellent, too!
I had a friendly man at the bar tell me about alcoholic beverages and pop. I felt like the latter and got a Diet Coke. It was $2.25. I tipped and paid with a debit card. He asked if I wanted a straw. I got a bendy one. He was great.
Staff are a mix of paid and volunteer folks. I got the nicest female volunteer who welcomed me and let me know where table 3 was. She was funny saying that I was so close to the stage that I would be practically in the show.
I laughed. She was right. Little did we know that I indeed was a part of the show.
Gill and Melanie are friends, thanks to their kids. It was nice seeing both of them do a show together.
Gill is a natural storyteller. I was captivated by her stories about resilience and getting out of your comfort zone. She shared personal stories of having cancer and numerous medical appointments. She described her interactions with people and their words of wisdom. She was insightful and she alone made me inspired that you can get through times.
She was lying in bed with long COVID for 22 months. She had thyroid surgery and had lost her voice -- her instrument to do her job. Obviously, to see and hear her speak was a joy and precious.
Melanie played songs between Gill's stories. She sang Adam's Rib, which was the first song that I ever heard from her. She played Mel's Rock Pile, which demonstrated her talent as a musician and performer, combining rock with a mean violin.
Melanie forgot the lyrics to Happy Homemaker. Her earpiece fell off in Goliath, with Gill fixing it. She went with the flow. I liked that she exhibited resilience, which Gill reinforced.
Gill had mini interviews with folks in the crowd. I was her first and was honoured speaking with her. My Squishmallows t-shirt became a conversational piece.
She asked me what compelled me to be here. I loved how her stories were woven into Melanie's setlist. She loved that response.
I loved this performance by both women. It was nice that they sang Alanis Morrissette's Hand in my Pocket and ended it by high-fiving with the lyric at hand.
Tickets are affordable. My ticket in the centre in front of the stage, was $39. I have seen tickets as expensive as $50, which doesn't break the bank.
I had seat 1 at my table. The seats didn't have numbers, so I sat myself down. It turned out that I had the table to myself, which was nice.
I would return to see a show here. The venue is nice and comfortable. Ticket prices are affordable. I just need to drive from home instead of work, with the former taking just over an hour to get here instead of three!
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