About Footlight

Footlight Theatre has been providing quality live drama, music and comedy to Lower Mainland audiences, along with opportunities to become involved in the world of live theatre, since the 1960′s. Today, we continue to be a vibrant part of the community, entertaining audiences of all ages with popular musical theatre hits.

We began as “Burnaby Civic Opera” back in 1965, with a mission “to  produce and present operas and musicals, and to engage and train singers and artists by stimulating interest and participation”. Our first production was “Trial By Jury” in January and February of 1966.

In 1975, in association with what was then called the Heritage Village, we became “Heritage Musical Theatre”, and presented “Annie Get Your Gun”. The Heritage Village, a painstaking re-creation of Burnaby at the turn of the century, is today known as the Burnaby Village Museum. 1977 saw the first season of a continuing theatrical tradition at the Museum: the “Vaudeville Varieties”.

Finally, in June of 1988, we adopted the name we’ve stayed with since: Footlight Theatre Company. After making our home at the James Cowan Theatre for many years, as of 2009 we are presenting our mainstage production at the 613-seat Michael J. Fox Theatre. We also present the Vaudeville Varieties and a Christmas show at the Burnaby Village Museum.