MUSICAL THEATRE | Assassins
Returning to the stage is the 2010 Dora Award for Outstanding Production of a Musical winner, Assassins. If you didn't get a chance to see it last year, now is your opportunity with the opening performance happening tonight. It's the musical for those who claim they don't like musicals. And for those of you who do, you're in for a real treat of something special.
The Theatre Centre (1087 Queen Street West), 8pm $25 (Preview Price)

COMEDY | Festival of New Formats Presents the Celebrity Stand Up Show
Experience Lady Gaga like you never have before at the Celebrity Stand Up Show tonight at the Comedy Bar. Okay, maybe it won't be the real Ms. Thing but Veronika Swartz's version might be more entertaining. See her and many others personify your favourite celebs and enchant you with their uncanny appearances, and knee-slapping humour. It's sure to be an evening of absurdity and laughs. And heck, it's free!
Comedy Bar (945 Bloor Street West), 8pm Free

MUSIC | Entire Cities CD Release with Strumbellas and Wayne Petti
Entire Cities' latest album I Hope You Never Come Home, pegged as their take on "traditional country and fiery rock 'n roll" is being celebrated tonight at The Dakota Tavern. They are an eclectic collective (try saying that 10 times fast) who have been making great strides in the music world, having been named Chart Attack's top ten NXNE live acts among distinctions. Cuff the Duke's Wayne Petti and Strumbellas are also on the bill.
The Dakota Tavern (249 Ossington Avenue, 9pm $7 or $15 with CD

ART | They Told You
Carlos Granados-Ocon's latest exhibit explores the ideas of Determinism and Free Will and his pieces are created through a process of layering on wood and paper. They are colourful, vibrant and dynamic and draw on his time spent in Seoul, South Korea. Tonight is the opening reception where you can meet the artist and discover his story.
Gladstone Hotel Art Bar (1214 Queen Street West), 7pm Free

THEATRE | Next Stage Theatre Festival
Infuse your first week of 2011 with a little culture, courtesy of Toronto Fringe's Next Stage Theatre Festival. It kicked off yesterday and runs until the 16th and features just eight superb plays making it not out of reach to catch them all. The main stage at the Factory Theatre lights up tonight with Eating with Lola at 5:15pm, The Apology at 7pm and Tom's a-cold at 9pm. It is a fun and affordable way to experience some up-and-comers in Toronto's theatre circuit.
The Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street), Starts at 5:15pm, $12-$15

MORE EVENTS ON OUR RADAR:

• Local-Motion
• Autofunction
• Open House for the Global Leadership Program
• Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis
• Duel of Ages at the Next Stage Festival

Have an event you'd like to plug? Submit your own listing to the blogTO Toronto events calendar or contact us directly.

For Toronto movie showtimes, view our Movie Listings section.

Photo by Scarlett Rose in the blogTO Flickr pool.