A New Canadian Musical About Memory and Music Is Premiering at the NAC Right Now
If you're looking for a reason to make it to the National Arts Centre this month, we've got one: After the Rain, a brand-new Canadian musical about the healing power of music, is having its world premiere on the NAC English Theatre stage — and from early reports, it's something special.
What Is 'After the Rain' About?
The production explores memory and music's extraordinary capacity to reach people in ways that ordinary language can't. It's a subject that touches anyone who's ever had a song transport them back to a specific moment in time — a first love, a loss, a summer that felt like it would never end.
At the heart of the story is a cast led by Chilina Kennedy, the Ottawa-connected performer who made a name for herself playing Carole King in the Broadway production of Beautiful. Kennedy's return to an Ottawa stage for this world premiere feels significant.
Why a World Premiere at the NAC Matters
The NAC isn't just a venue — it's one of Canada's premier institutions for developing and launching new Canadian work. A world premiere here means Ottawa audiences get to see a production before anyone else in the world. That's not a small thing.
The English Theatre team at the NAC has been investing heavily in new Canadian stories, and After the Rain fits that mission. It's a homegrown work with a professional-calibre production, and it's happening right here.
What to Expect
Think powerful vocals, an emotionally resonant story, and the kind of intimate staging that the NAC's theatre spaces do so well. The production is recommended for audiences who want something that goes beyond entertainment — something that lingers.
How to Get Tickets
Tickets are available through the NAC box office at nac-cna.ca. Given that this is a world premiere with a strong cast, performances are expected to sell out. Book soon.
Source: CBC Ottawa
