Rock of Ages actor Aaron Walpole. (Bob Dunkin)

By Bob Dunkin, G20 citizen blogger

I sat down Tuesday night after a performance of the musical Rock of Ages with the actor who plays "Lonny," Aaron Walpole. I went to Sheridan College with Aaron about 10 years ago. He was in the acting course and I was a technician. Like most people in Toronto, Aaron is not a fan of having the G20 in the downtown core.

 In his opinion, it's a colossal waste of money that could have been better spent elsewhere, and having the meeting in a different location would have been more beneficial. The idea that they're getting together to discuss fiscal restraint, and spending a billion in the process, seems wrong. Add to this that people in the area will be disrupted for weeks.

The show's audiences haven't suffered much so far in the process, but as of Sunday night, the theatre will close for a week. It's an unpaid week for everyone. It takes a small army to put on a show like Rock of Ages; they'll all go a week without work. It's not all bad for Aaron, though, as the pace of the show can be rough on him. He describes it as a two-hour marathon, eight times a week, with only one day off. He'll take the forced time off and use it to relax, recover, visit family and friends, and take in a few concerts back home in St. Thomas, Ont. Talk of seeing his nieces, fishing and camping also came up.

Related: Dale Boyer on working at Second City during the G20