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The stage lights will soon come on at the Capitol Theater with the Windsor Symphony Orchestra once again offering in-person concerts, marking another milestone in Windsor’s return to normal.

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The province is set to lift COVID-19 capacity restrictions in all public indoor settings on March 1, paving the way for a full house in the Capitol’s 625-seat Pentastar Room.

The WSO begins its series of shows on March 12 and 13 by honoring Beethoven with the Tepperman Masterworks: A Hero’s Symphony.

“We pivoted quite heavily to live streaming and digital concerts during the pandemic, and I think it was a great way to stay in touch with our audience,” said maestro Robert Franz. “But there’s something about sitting in the room and having the sound of a full orchestra enveloping you. There are the vibrations of sound, the sensation of sound. There is something about this energy that simply cannot be reproduced digitally.

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The WSO is among many cultural organizations and local businesses developing plans and expanding operations after the province began easing pandemic restrictions.

That’s the goal, to get back to some kind of normalcy

It started on February 17 with the lifting of several restrictions, including capacity limits in places where proof of vaccination is required, such as bars, gyms, cinemas, bingo halls, convention centers, casinos and restaurants.

“It was awesome, like a breath of fresh air,” said Nick Politi, owner of popular Erie Street restaurant Nico Taverna. “It feels like normality, finally, after two years. People are in a better mood. Everything was positive.

Throughout the pandemic when he was allowed to open, Politi said he had to turn away customers.

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“It will be good to meet the demand now because we have turned away a lot of people, especially at weekends,” he said. “We are still booking but at least we can accept more people because it always hurts business by turning people away for whatever reason. After a while, they give up. »

On March 1, if “public health and healthcare indicators continue to improve,” the province said it would lift evidence of vaccine requirements and capacity limits in all indoor settings.

Mask mandates are still in place, but Dr. Kieran Moore, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said his team will review that rule in mid-March.

“We are also excited about March 1,” Politi said. “We won’t have to check QR codes. This will make things even easier. We are super happy. Everyone is excited. My staff, customers.

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The City of Windsor announced this week that more if its recreational and cultural programs are available again as the provincial reopening expands. Among them are the Learn-to-Swim classes, which will resume in March after a two-year break.

The city said the Chimczuk Museum and the François Baby House have reopened. Proof of vaccination is not required, although screening, mask-wearing and physical distancing are still required.

Earlier this month, in anticipation of easing capacity restrictions, Caesars Windsor also put tickets on sale for a lineup of live shows extending into the summer.

The Windsor Symphony Orchestra briefly began giving concerts in September – after an 18-month absence – with crowds limited to 25 per cent capacity. But a spike in the Omicron variant quickly put an end to that in December.

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The musicians return again in March, starting with one of Beethoven’s most famous groundbreaking works.

“Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony, which we begin on March 12 and 13, is literally one of the most important pieces at the junction of classical music there is,” said Franz. “It really represents as a piece of music the change, not only in Beethoven, but also in the way people thought about music. The scale of the music, the scope of the music, what the music could accomplish.

On March 26 and 27, singer Colleen Williams will join the symphony to present Toldo Pops: Great American Song Book Reimagined, featuring music by Gershwin, Rogers and Hammerstein, Barbra Streisand, Peggy Lee, Barry Manilow and Billy Joel.

“Even though it will be with a full symphony orchestra and a packed house at the Pentastar at the Capitol Theater, Colleen will make it feel like an intimate cabaret-style evening with her singing these songs,” Franz said. “She just has this ability to make everyone in the room feel like her best friend and she’s just there with them and communicating with them. I think especially after what we’ve been through, that’s a particularly important quality to bring out.

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There is also one for the family on April 9. The WSO will once again tell the story of Zhen Yi Sao, “the most powerful pirate in history”, based on Helaine Becker’s children’s book, The Pirate Queen.

Franz said these concerts are just the start of the comeback.

“We’ll probably have a few more this spring,” he said. “Of course what we’re really doing right now is putting plans in place for a normal quote-unquote season next year. That’s the goal, to get back to some kind of normality.

For WSO tickets and more concert details, go to windsorsymphony.com.

twilhelm@postmedia.com