Major Musical revivals in Ontario this summer

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/25/05 at 4:06am

For those who venture outside New York, (ok, WAY outside NY!) the Stratford festival in Stratford Ontario (approx 2 hours west of Toronto) is staging Sondheim & Lapine's INTO THE WOODS this summer. They are also staging HELLO DOLLY! Stratford has traditionally done excellent performances with their musicals and sometimes even revive less common shows (THE BOY FRIEND, IRMA LA DOUCE.)

Meanwhile the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake (approx 20 minutes east of Niagara Falls, Ontario) is presenting GYPSY opening in May and playing until the end of October. They are also reviving Kurt Weill's HAPPY END later in the season. SHAW began doing musicals 25 years ago. More recently they have presented stylish well-recieved productions of PAL JOEY, SHE LOVES ME and MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.

Both towns are historic and loaded with wonderful specialty shops and restaurants.

For more info on either festival feel free to e-mail me:
[e-mail]

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 3/25/05 at 4:27am

I'm beyond excited to see Stratford's production of INTO THE WOODS (with Peter Donaldson as the Narrator!). It's my must-see of the year.

Any word on who's playing Mama Rose in the Shaw Festival's GYPSY?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/25/05 at 4:32am

Shaw festival vet Nora McClellan will be Rose and Jeff Lillico has been cast as Tulsa.

Did you see theier MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG a few seasons ago?

[Jon]

Posted: 3/25/05 at 7:43am

The Shaw's MERRILY was absolutlely awful. I'm not the only one who felt this way. The night I saw it, it was sold out... for Act 1. After intermission, there were at least 75 empty seats in the theatre.

[AbsolutKnight]

Posted: 3/25/05 at 8:50am

Sweet! Thanks for the news! I live in Buffalo so that is VERY close for me.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/25/05 at 10:31am

Stratford IS wonderful......I used to go up when I lived in Detroit. Do you know when they are doing Into the Woods. We are spending time in detroit this summer, and I'd LOVE to go up......

[WOSQ]

Posted: 3/25/05 at 10:44am

I saw Happy End in 2003 and I liked it, but it being Brecht/Weill and all, this show may not be for everyone.

Gypsy is being done in the large Festival Theatre, the first musical to be done there. No mikes remember?

I am seeing nine shows at the Shaw July 13-17. The Shaw is like summer camp for theatre buffs.

[Jon]

Posted: 3/25/05 at 10:59am

Elphaba - the Stratford runs several shows at each theatre in repertory, so INTO THE WOODS will be playing for the entire summer, with about four performances a week.

[BlueWizard]

Posted: 3/25/05 at 11:32am

And well into the fall, too.

I've actually never been to the Shaw Festival (which inevitably means I'll be lost on the road to Niagara-on-the-Lake). Does Nora McClellan have what it takes to be Mama Rose?

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 3/25/05 at 3:08pm

Am going to Stratford in August and already have tickets for several shows. A couple of family friends are in the company so it should be fun. Last year's production of Anything Goes was as good as any production I've seen anywhere, and I've seen probably everything that's been on Broadway in the past 7 or 8 years. If you're anywhere close, I'd highly recommend seeing Stratford's shows!

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 3/25/05 at 4:18pm

My proffessor, Peter McBoyle, is the sound designer for Hello, Dolly! at Stratford, and Gypsy at Shaw, and says they are both shaping up really nicely.

Akiva

[sabrelady]

Posted: 3/26/05 at 8:36am

As a non driver Stratford & Niagra are challenges to me but i discover a program of day trips to the Festival for Matinees that inc rd trip bus fare & a show tckt @ a very reasona ble fee. so will do more this year. Wish Shaw would do something similaR!

[Elphaba]

Posted: 3/26/05 at 10:13am

duh, that's right...thanks Jon....been a long time since I was there........
Interestingly enough a local group (Temecula Valley Players) or something like that is doing Into the Woods today at Elsinore HS with the proceeds to benefit that schools theater department, so......I'm driving down to see it. I can't get enough of this one!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/26/05 at 2:40pm

I believe CAA offers day trips to the Shaw Festival on a bus &show ticket package deal. The town of NOTL does not really welcome the large tour busses and make them drop people off and walk to the theatres (it's only a few blocks but some seniors have difficulty with that.)

I disagree with Jon though as to the quality of their productions. Shew fesitival's MERRILY was better acted than any other production I have seen. The singing was more variable (nothing quite beats the original cast) but no one was terrible.

Shww's production of ON THE 20TH CENTURY (2003) was far more disappointing to me. Badly staged, and not well sung at all.

They had a lot of complaints and walk-outs at the 2004 musical FLOYD COLLINS which I loved but, let's face it, that is not an easy show for audiences to get the first time. Especially Shaw festival audiences who are older and more in tune with Richard Rodgers than with the musical stylings of his grandson.

I have heard that for the first time they are bringing in a sound system to the festival theatre for GYPSY, probably to balance the singers and orchstra.