Rob Ford mingles with the arts crowd at the pre-opening party for Toronto’s new theatre centre

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Rob Ford mingling with the arts set? Must be election season! This past Saturday, west-enders were treated to a troupe of Fords (make that brother Doug, wife Renata and kidlets Doug and Stephanie) at the pre-opening celebration of The Theatre Centre’s new home on Queen Street. Formerly the defunct Carnegie Library turned public health office, the restored Edwardian will act as a live hub for the arts incubator as well as a café, gallery and event space and a community garden. Saturday’s gala helped raise a final $130,000 for the $6.2 million renovation.

Theatrics were out in full force at the Baroque-themed gala, which featured pop up choral flash mob, a midnight blindfold dance and a custom-made poem to go with your coat check retrieval. Guests including host and actor Don McKellar, nightlife impresario Richard Lambert, counselor Ana Bailo and The Theatre Centre artistic director Franco Boni took in some seriously amazing appetizers and crazy cloud drinks that flowed out of glass contraptions, the mayor posed for photos with more than a few partygoers. We were about to throw shade at their eagerness, but then we saw this and figured it could have been worse.