When the Living Arts Centre opened last October in Mississauga, a Toronto-centric arts community assumed it would have little impact on the downtown entertainment core of the city, except perhaps to keep people closer to their suburban home and away from some in-town shows.

But it turned out that some of the programming has been intriguing enough for Torontonians to begin driving the highway and now the $65 million centre with its 200,000 square feet of multiple performance facilities and state-of-the-art equipment, is pulling in some shows that might previously have played in some of Toronto's downtown road houses.

The first major big-time hit to land at the Centre is Australia's Hot Shoe Shuffle, the latest in the line of movement/theatre/music shows begun by Stomp and Tap Dogs. This "spectapular" musical has been created by Australian superstar David Atkins and is co choreographed by Dein Perry of Tap Dogs.

Performed by a cast of 17 to the big-band sounds of a 14-piece orchestra playing swing era music from Gershwin and Hoagy Carmichael to Duke Ellington, it has been playing to rave reviews around the world.

The Mississauga stop is the Canadian premiere, after which the show will travel to Minneapolis/St. Paul's Ordway Theatre, en route to Broadway. Hot Shoe Shuffle plays from July 18 for three weeks only, at Mississauga's Living Arts Centre. For tickets call: 905-306-6000.

By Mira Friedlander
Canada Correspondent