The year ahead: From books to movies to music and more, here’s what to look forward to in 2023

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Visual Arts

Women and design dominate 2023 museum calendar

The year ahead marks the centenary of the birth of Quebec abstractionist Jean-Paul Riopelle but aside from the celebrations of that mighty painter’s life and work, it is design rather than fine art, and women rather than men, that figure most prominently on the 2023 museum calendar.

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Film

The most anticipated movies of 2023 that have nothing to do with superheroes or franchises

If 2022 seemed like a question mark for the state of Hollywood, then 2023 looks like a question mark plus an exclamation point, maybe a few # and @ symbols, too, to denote an unprintable vulgarity. With the entire film industry in a tailspin, it is difficult to make any sweeping predictions or name sure-fire cinematic bets. But I’m still going to play the optimist and recommend the following five films as ones to see, hopefully in theatres (I’m old-school that way).

And while the next 12 months offer loads of superheroes (Ant-Man, Groot, Aquaman, the Flash) and long-in-the-tooth brands (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning: Part 1, Fast X, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), the following picks are guaranteed to be franchise-free.

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Music

Canadian music scene has a promising year ahead in 2023, from Drake to Shania Twain

Over the past few years, music lovers have come to expect concert postponements and cancellations. One of the first significant shows of 2023 happens at New York’s historic Apollo Theater, where Toronto rap superstar Drake is scheduled to perform on Jan. 21 and 22 – an event that has been postponed twice.

Let’s hope things get back to normal in 2023, because the Canadian schedule looks promising.

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Television

Zombies, Mandalorians and Time Bandits, oh my: The most exciting television series coming in 2023

The thing about television at the moment is how, even if you were able to watch most of the great series of 2022, there are still enough must-see shows that you missed this past year to fill the entirety of 2023.

But if you would rather move forward with your life – I’m sorry, Severance, I’m sure that you were as good as everyone said! – here are five of the most exciting, intriguing new series coming to small screens this year.

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Theatre

Theatre is back in full swing for 2023 — and it’s going big

Canada’s theatre companies are premiering new productions of epic proportions in 2023 to lure back spectators as live performance continues its sector-wide recovery.

The pandemic-emergent philosophy: Go big, or the audiences might stay home and stream. Here are five big stories, big stars and big musicals to catapult theatregoers off their comfy couches – and perhaps create new audiences too.

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Books

30 long-awaited literary returns and page-turners

Book lovers have an exciting year ahead. Renowned authors such as Margaret Atwood and Eleanor Catton return with new works, while fresh talent shows great literary promise. And if you’re looking for a change, the upcoming wealth of genres – suspense, horror, sci-fi, comedy, nonfiction deep-dives and celebrity memoirs – could light up new taste buds in any kind of reader.