Join us on June 20th for GayGrandpa's 70th Birthday Celebration!
When it comes to queer storytelling and performance, intertwined with the rich history of Toronto - and Canada’s - queer community, there isn’t a more compelling and storied personification of Queer than Dennis Duncan’s GayGrandpa. Out since 1969, lifelong actor, ballerino, and visual artist: Dennis lived through the parties, AIDS epidemic, a cross Canada migration, and has lived proudly. Dennis’ story is one of love, loss, and community- and he is ready to share it for the first time as part of Toronto’s 2025 Pride programming.
As Pride Toronto unfurls its vibrant tapestry of gaiety: join the Poetry Brothel Toronto for an evening promising heartwarming humour and merrymaking. Celebrate Pride at "GayGrandpa's 70th Birthday!" – a joyous one-[Gay]-man show, produced by the Poetry Brothel Toronto.
On Friday, June 20th, The Poetry Brothel Toronto, renowned for its unique immersive fusion of literary artistry and cabaret, proudly presents "GayGrandpa's 70th Birthday!" at the Super Wonder Gallery. This special event promises a contribution to Pride Month that is powerful and deeply personal. Move beyond the bustling downtown core for an intimate, unforgettable, experience on the city's west side.
Connect with a living legend of Toronto’s queer scene, celebrating the wisdom of an elder within the 2SLGBTQI+ community. GayGrandpa is written and performed by Dennis Duncan, our beloved "Gay Grandpa," celebrating a life rich in experiences as an out and proud gay man: tales of love, resilience, and the enduring power of self-acceptance. His narrative will inspire laughter and tears and your own journey toward unapologetically embodying the person you are truly proud to be.
Come OUT for the best show Pride Month has to offer, and be regaled with tales from Toronto's very own Gay Grandpa. This curated one-man show will have you laughing, crying, and dancing.
Doors and Cocktail Hour 8 PM
Opening Act 8:45 PM
The Main Event: GAYGRANDPA 9 PM
PRE-SHOW ACT
Featuring original music written by Poetry Brothel Toronto producer Brendee Green and Asher Ettinger
Performed by
Brendee Green - Vocals
Asher Ettinger - Piano
THE MAIN EVENT
GayGrandpa is a dramatic auto-biographical one-man show written and performed by Mr. Dennis Duncan. It is a story about a kiss. About Life. About Death.
About GayGrandpa
Mr. Dennis Duncan has been in the spotlight his entire life. From ballet and theatre tours to gallery showcases of his photo-based conceptualist prints, Dennis has been manifesting fantastical presentations, making the unseen seen, with a creative eye and voice unique to his experience of the spaces in between - in a world built for the binary.
Now, returning to Toronto's Super Wonder Gallery stage, the Poetry Brothel Toronto is SO PROUD to present GayGrandpa's first full length presentation of this beautifully woven fabric of true, fabulous, heart-wrenching, and inspiring stories from seventy years of a life lived boldly. Here for audiences to experience GayGrandpa offers a celebration of life and love in this theatrical evening not to be missed.
"In nature there are no happy endings; there's only rejuvenation." - Dennis Duncan
GayGrandpa was born out of his grief: for the death of his partner and his own near death experience. It was born of a desire to support the young queer community, via discord, through the journey of what it means to be queer and relate in a world without a handbook on "how to be gay." It has evolved through his featured performances at Toronto's Poetry Brothel Cabarets. It was born out of a desire to live an out, loud, and proud gay life.
"We danced down the streets of Porto Vallarta, swam with the Sting Rays off the Coast of the Cayman Islands, and made out on top of the Saint Grata Famiglia in Barcelona." - Dennis Duncan
GayGrandpa has been meditating on how to tell his story, and now he is ready to share it with you. Get your tickets to this cathartic and moving performance of one man's journey of transmutation: through grief, loss, and creation. Through GayGrandpa Dennis has been rejuvenated, reborn, and transformed, and we cannot wait to introduce you to your Gay Grandpa.
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