Shaw Magazine - Fall 2023

MAGAZINE FOR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS FALL 2023

Cover: Martin Happer in The Game of Love and Chance in the Spiegeltent

Editorial Committee: Tim Carroll, Tim Jennings, Kimberley Rampersad, Marion Rawson

Artistic Director: Tim Carroll

Executive Director: Tim Jennings

Associate Artistic Director: Kimberley Rampersad

Shaw Magazine is a publication for the Friends and Partners of the Shaw Festival. shawfest.com/shawmag/fall2023

The Game of Love and Chance Production Sponsor

James F. Brown

Blithe Spirit Production Sponsors

William & Nona Macdonald Heaslip Foundation

Season Sponsor

Damien Atkins, Katherine Gauthier, Deborah Hay, Donna Soares and Julia Course in Blithe Spirit

Editor: Marion Rawson

Design: Key Gordon Communications

Production photography: David Cooper Photography

Backstage and outdoor photography: Peter Andrew Lusztyk

A Love Letter to the Theatre Signed Gypsy

Much like the ghost light that waits on stage for the cast and crew and the next performance, so too waited the many parts and pieces of the Gypsy set meant for our 2020 production—postponed due to the

pandemic. In the meantime, the director also changed—from Associate Artistic Director Kimberley Rampersad to long-time Ensemble member Jay Turvey. But, at long last, Gypsy has made her way to our Festival stage.

Allan Louis in Gypsy.

Designing the Set of a Timeless Musical

By Tina Schmidt

In 2020, I talked to several people about the construction, design and creation of our production of Gypsy (intended for the Spring 2020 Members Magazine). One phrase kept coming up: “a love letter to the theatre.”

Though I believe it’s fair to say our company and artisans are always passionate about their work, there seems to be something particularly special and inspiring about a play that revolves (metaphorically and literally!) around the world of the theatre—their world. Sure, it’s very meta to be watching a performance within a performance, but it’s also very personal to those who are creating reflections of their lives on the stage. Every character in Gypsy has a relationship to the theatre, just like everyone working on the production.

When set designer Cory Sincennes was given the task of creating the world of Gypsy, in conjunction with the vision of then director Kimberley Rampersad, they were inspired to celebrate their craft visually, paying homage to both the gilded front-face of theatre, as well as the far less glamourous (but beautiful in its own right) backstage. These two contrasting halves of the whole live in harmony which is reflected through the set. An ornate, golden proscenium stays present throughout the show, as do the dark and textured brick walls of the world behind the stage. A central arch fixed to the double revolve (yes, DOUBLE revolve) hides and reveals surprises in a way that weaves these two worlds together and creates a variety of locations that Cory and new Director Jay Turvey were able to play with.

In the second act, the arch reveals a storage unit containing props and wardrobe items relating to burlesque to further connect both sides of the stage, but it is so much more than that. The cast and creative team have all been invited to contribute something

personal to the collection: something meaningful from their past as an artist, such as old dance shoes or their first tutu. These items have become a fixture in every performance—further deepening the connection between the play and the players.

Gypsy is based on real people and real places. “Shows that are based on once real-life figures are always interesting as you learn so much about the real person. Then you get to curate what parts of their lives you’d like to interpret on stage,” Cory says. “It is a fun challenge.” From the wealth of information about Gypsy Rose Lee that is available, as well as pictures chronicling her life, Cory and the creative team had plenty of source material to explore—about the woman, and that time in history.

The show spans from the early 1920s into the 1930s and is steeped in the world of vaudeville (and its demise) and into the often-seedy world of burlesque. When asked what his favourite scenes to design were, Cory cited the vaudeville-inspired sets.

The cast of Gypsy in front of the second act arch.

Scenic artists working on the set for Gypsy.

The vaudeville era was full of whimsy and over-the-top design, as Cory explained:

“Since they are meant to be obvious theatrical pieces of scenery, we were able to have lots of fun with colour and employ a much more hand-painted look. I think what is most exciting about this production for me as a designer, is that it chronicles the rise of an icon, along with all the bumps in the road they faced along the way. With that the opportunity for storytelling with scenery and objects is vast. It allows me to show the opulence and wealth in the objects the characters touch and locations they visit when they are successful, and then conversely show the grit at the bottom of the barrel. For me, it visually provides such a rich palette to explore: it is very exciting as there is so much variety in the design of this show from one scene to the next.”

Why have one revolve if you can have two?

Our Scenic Construction staff are no strangers to a stage revolve they spun an entire house in 2019 for The Ladykillers however the design of the Gypsy revolve created some specific challenges due to its size and the fact that it’s embedded into the Festival stage floor.

The turntable for the Gypsy stage is 20 feet in diameter with a second 13 foot revolve in the centre. Yes, The Shaw has done a flush stage revolve before but not of this size. The Festival stage has a trap room and orchestra pit underneath and is supported with several steel I-beams 16 feet apart. The challenge: how to fit a revolve that is 20 feet wide between integral support beams that only have 16 feet between them? That’s what Lesslie Tumner, head of our Scene Shop, had to work out.

As you watch the performance from your seat in the Festival Theatre, take note of the way light leads you on a journey and be on the lookout for several surprises that Cory is keeping under his hat including a reinvention of the classic ending for Momma Rose.

From the thrill of more than 600 chase lights to the shadows of the textured brick, the whimsical vaudeville acts to the scandal of the burlesque striptease, the circular motion of the revolves, to the unwavering line of Momma Rose’s ambition, one thing is certain audiences are in for a spectacular visual journey. If Gypsy is a love letter to the theatre, The Shaw has put its stamp on it.

Not only did it have to fit while maintaining the structural integrity of our stage, the revolve itself would have to be able to support the weight of 5000-pound scissor lifts for changeovers, heavy set pieces, not to mention dancing Ensemble members but since that wasn’t enough of a puzzle, they also wanted to be able to take it apart to store for future use.

Lesslie and the team made it work. With occasional check-ins over the process from a civil engineer, the revolve has been built with some of the mechanisms over the I-beams and some suspended below. As a result, the turntable is completely flush with the floor with a mere 5/16” gap around the outside. Creativity followed by precision is how this vision became a functioning reality.

Gypsy Production Sponsor Mary E. Hill

A view of the double revolve from under the stage.

Photo by Mark Callan.

HERE’S ROSE!

by Kyle Golemba

We were rehearsing Gypsy in 2020 as news reports concerning COVID-19 increased in intensity. Then came March 16, when we were meant to gather for our final rehearsal hall run but instead were asked along with the rest of the country to stay home. It eventually became clear that we could not resume, and the show was put to bed. Three years later, Gypsy is finally playing and (if I may be so bold) thrilling audiences at the Festival Theatre. I caught up with Kate Hennig, Julie Lumsden, and Jason Cadieux to discuss the journey.

Kyle: What words come to mind when you think of March 16, 2020?

Kate: Numb. Shock. Loss. Helplessness.

Jason: Shock. Sadness.

Julie: Shock, disbelief, and an unhealthy amount of hope!

Kyle: What was it like to begin again?

Kate: I was frightened. I was injured. I wasn’t sure if I could sing it. But on that first day, I was grateful for the incredible energy in the room, from both the newcomers and those that had been there before. Everyone wanted to start fresh and bring their complete selves to the process. That was gratifying, uplifting, and made the whole re-engagement hopeful, and, finally, tangible.

Julie: It felt like returning to an old friend—known but changed and meeting again almost for the first time.

Jason: It was and wasn’t like a continuation. … There was an ongoing dialogue about what this version of Gypsy could be with our new cast and crew. For me, with the same cast returning as the core family, it was very much like a reunion and a picking up where things left off.

Kyle: What changed for you in your role since 2020?

Kate: I talked with a lot of folks about the show in the three years in between. One thing [Director] Jay Turvey said that gave me a lot of courage was that this play didn’t need to be pretty or nice. That it could be about the rough and tough side of the theatre. I really like that. Another colleague said Rose doesn’t need to be all “bombast.” That was really liberating for me. It allowed me to create a more

complex and nuanced approach to Rose that I really love and that gives me something to sink my teeth into every show. My dad thinks I’m “playing Ethel Merman,” but I’m really not.

Julie: I think I gained a bigger love for Louise and how she witnesses the world. She doesn’t say a whole lot in Act 1–I think sometimes that can be seen as weak, boring, or uninteresting. I spend three whole numbers in this show watching. She is such a wonderful witness for those around her, and that has been such a joy to lean into her as a witness and watcher of those she loves!

Jason: At the end of Act 1, Herbie says, “We’re going to have a home,” and I think the idea of home has changed for me… During the pandemic, we all had to just hunker down at home: for some of us this was a good thing, for some of us I imagine it was challenging, but we’ve all reconnected with the elemental nature of home. Herbie represents the potential stability of home; he also represents an old school, patriarchal way of thinking these concepts seem more alive to me now as I approach the role, and I’m grateful for the extra time to reflect and to weave my perspective on these ideas into the performance.

Kyle: What words come to mind when you think about finally performing Gypsy?

Jason: Hope. Home.

Julie: Completion, joy, and dreams coming true!

Kate: Grateful. Challenging. Mountain. Shared experience. Resilience. Achievement.

Previous page: Kate Hennig in Gypsy. This page: Jason Cadieux, Kate Hennig and Julie Lumsden in Gypsy

“Falling in Love Again”…with Spiegeltents

Spiegeltents began to appear around the turn of the twentieth century when the hand-hewn pavilions were used as portable dance halls, bars and entertainment salons that would pop up overnight in pre-war fields in Flanders. Spiegel means “mirror” in Flemish, and the point of all the mirrors is to facilitate flirty eye contact with strangers. Painted come-hither reds, they are typically embellished with stained glass, framed by sumptuous rich woods, topped with dramatic canopies and bedazzled with mirrors. Around the perimeter, patrons in velvet and brocade upholstered booths enjoyed bottle service libations while others sat in the heady centre of all the action.

For town fairs and festivals, the tent components were shipped (likely by train or horse and carriage), assembled, enjoyed and then disassembled for transport to the next affair. Where dance halls were not available, Spiegeltents provided venue and shelter… but that wasn’t all. They also offered ambience, romance, intrigue and magical places for people to interact with one another, apart from the rigours of daily life.

Spiegeltents recall the decadence of an era long gone. It’s easy to imagine what they would have been like in their heyday: dark, smokey entertainment venues where people of all ages went to view light entertainment such as vaudeville and cabaret, whilst later in the night others went to indulge in the pleasures of burlesque. Only a handful of these unique and legendary “tents of mirrors” survive today.

Words by Bob Hetherington

Photos by Michael Cooper and David Cooper

Along with chocolate and Tintin, Spiegeltents are among Belgium’s great contributions to world culture. Since Marlene Dietrich sang “Falling in Love Again” on The Famous Spiegeltent stage in the 1930s, its magic mirrors have reflected thousands of images of artists, audiences and exotic gatherings. Fall in love — again or for the first time — with Spiegeltents by visiting the Shaw Festival.

It’s fair to say that the advent of film and television, and their increasing popularity in the 1950s, sealed the fate of the Spiegeltent as well as the industries that it supplied vaudeville, cabaret and burlesque. Travelling entertainment which reached small country towns and villages was no longer needed as cinemas were built and television was beamed into households around the world. Although the heyday of those eras may be past, Spiegeltents such as those which continue to tour across the world bring these old forms of entertainment and their beautiful surrounds to generations of new admirers. Lately, Spiegeltents have made a surprising comeback. The Spiegeltent is the very essence of a festival club, “kabaret salon” and intimate performance hall. Like every old theatre, her ghosts travel with her, woven into ballooning velvet canopies, circular dance floor stage and bevelled mirrored columns that hold a thousand secrets. There is something about the tent’s convergence of twinkle and intimacy that lends a conspiratorial comfort to the performances therein. Surrounded by the audience, a show often feels intimate and more authentic an experience that could only have happened there and then. More than most kinds of theatre experiences, you might say that “what happens in the Spiegeltent stays in the Spiegeltent!”

Bob Hetherington is a theatre director and professor emeritus at the University of Memphis. He is an editorial assistant at the Shaw Festival and frequent programme essayist, whose recent contributions include On the Razzle and Blithe Spirit (2023), The Importance of Being Earnest and Damn Yankees (2022), Charley’s Aunt (2021), Rope (2019) and Henry V (2018).

Previous page: Travis Seetoo in rehearsal for The Game of Love and Chance. Photo by David Cooper. This page left: Spiegeltent exterior. Right: Spiegeltent interior. Photos by Michael Cooper.

Four for the Shows

By Alex Vermey

Four Artists Vinnie Alberto, Sanskruti Marathe, Francis Masaba, and Sophie Smith-Dostmohamed have joined The Shaw for the inaugural Baillie Cohort. Thanks to Marilyn and Charles Baillie, who established a fund to support this initiative, these young artists have the opportunity to develop their craft through ensemble classes and training while simultaneously covering roles in multiple shows this season. With many of their shows already open, and classes well underway, we checked in with these four artists to see what their experience at The Shaw has been like so far.

Francis Masaba Sanskruti Marathe

Vinnie Alberto Sophie Smith-Dostmohamed

Francis: Being a part of the inaugural Baillie Cohort is a true blessing and honour. As members of the Cohort, the Shaw Festival is our oyster: we can enroll in an unlimited amount of Academy classes free of charge and receive weekly coaching sessions with TC and various embedded artists that not only strengthen our performance skills but our financial and self-care strategies as well.

Sanskruti: We have been juggling coaching sessions with different teachers and taking one-on-one voice, movement, Alexander and singing lessons. We are also part of two shows this season in different capacities, so getting to sit in these rehearsals and watching seasoned actors do their magic has been very valuable.

Vinnie: Observing some of our industry's finest actors has been beautifully terrifying in the greatest way imaginable. From their first season to 25 seasons here at Shaw, each artist holds such an incredible wealth of knowledge that I feel fortunate enough to learn from.

Sophie: It’s a rare opportunity to experience consistent training alongside the same group of people. It encourages camaraderie and ensemble thinking, and while I’ve experienced a whirlwind of personal growth these first few months, it’s beautiful to really listen to and witness another artist’s journey as well. I feel lucky to call the rest of the Cohort my friends as well as brilliant colleagues.

Francis: Keeping in company with such a large ensemble of incredibly talented artists, in just 3 months as a ‘Baillie’ I have not only become a more skilled actor, but a more well-rounded theatre professional. Whether in a rehearsal or ensemble class, being able to watch, question, and

perform with some of Canada's finest actors and gleaning insight from their craftsmanship is perhaps the best learning environment that a budding actor can hope to be in! As an understudy in On the Razzle and The Apple Cart I have had my hands full with two fun and challenging texts and each of the principal actors that I cover (Graeme Kitagawa, Taurian Teelucksingh, and Richard Lam) have been extremely generous and resourceful in helping me understand the roles and how to approach rehearsal.

Vinnie: I am very grateful and feel incredibly lucky to be a part of the Baillie Cohort. Thank you to the Baillie Family and to all the folks who have gone out of their way to chisel us four cohort members into the diamonds we can be.

Vinnie Alberto: Understudy for Prince Caspian and The Playboy of the Western World; ensemble for Mother, Daughter

Sanskruti Marathe: Understudy for On the Razzle, and The Apple Cart

Francis Masaba: Understudy for On the Razzle, and The Apple Cart.

Sophie Smith-Dostmohamed: Understudy for Prince Caspian; Ensemble for The Playboy of the Western World

Since first meeting Charles and Marilyn after I became AD, I have found their commitment to the development of young artists inspiring – indeed, it has long been a subject that is near to my heart. I am grateful to them for helping me to realize one of my dreams by initiating the Baillie Cohort. I look forward to seeing it grow over time. – Tim Carroll, Artistic Director

This page, left: Shawn Wright and Vinnie Alberto in Mother, Daughter. Right: Marilyn Baillie, Vinnie Alberto, Sanskruti Marathe, Sophie Smith-Dostmohamed and Charles Baillie.

Baillie Cohort Supported by Baillie Family Fund for Education

MAHABHARATA: THE STORY CONTINUES

The Barbican will present Mahabharata from

October 01–07 2023

For further information: barbican.org.uk

Why Not Theatre is taking their production of Mahabharata on the road. This epic production an astonishing re-envisioning of the ancient Sanskrit poem of the same name had its world premiere on the Festival Stage, here in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Now they are taking it across the pond, to the Barbican Theatre in London. On behalf of everyone at the Shaw Festival, we say to all cast and creative team members break a leg!

Production Sponsors Tim & Frances Price Risk Fund Corinne & Victor Rice Andy Pringle Creative Reserve

This page: Neil D'Souza, Meher Pavri and Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu in Mahabharata on the Festival Stage.

Enduring Gifts of Time, Human Connections and Joy

One of the first person-to-person encounters you will have while attending a production at the Shaw Festival is with a member of the Shaw Guild an organization made up of volunteers who support The Shaw in many ways.

By Kimberley White

Perhaps you’ve seen their smiling faces welcoming you into our theatres, scanning your tickets or guiding you around backstage: 300 members strong, they share a common belief in the power of theatre to create real human connections. As Guild Volunteer Suzanne Hébert says, “You see a play, you love how it transports you: investment into that miracle for the future is critical my time as a backstage tour docent, gives me the opportunity to show the magic of theatre behind the scenes it’s pure joy!”

One of the most extraordinary elements of this story is that many Guild volunteers are now building on their gifts of time, expertise, and community spirit. These members have taken their shared bond with us one step further: leaving a legacy to the Shaw Festival through a gift in their will.

Front Row: Paddy Parr Wendy Glazier, Deborah Williams, Peggy Bell, Suzanne Hébert

Back Row: Brian Parr, Tim Dodson, Derek Collins, Delf Dodge, Grant Williams

In 2018, the Guild’s dynamic executive team formalized their mission and strategic plan, which includes the four E’s: Engage volunteers, Enrich the volunteer experience, Enhance the patron experience, and finally, Extend outreach in the community. These four pillars of the organization connect members with each other, as well as with Shaw’s Ensemble, staff, and patrons, and members of the Niagara-on-the-Lake community. Such vital connections happen within this community through greeting patrons, conducting backstage tours, facilitating Continue the Conversation talks, and acting as ambassadors on Queen Street.

Guild volunteer Laurie Harley says it perfectly: “Volunteering and supporting the Shaw Festival is all about following your passions. For me, there’s nothing more inspiring than donating time to connect with patrons on a backstage tour or facilitating a conversation with audience members after a performance. You learn, you grow, and you build lasting relationships. This unique Shaw experience creeps into your heart and you want it to continue for generations to come. My future Legacy gift to The Shaw helps to ensure that happens.”

As many of you know, there is nothing more pleasing than walking through our gardens, especially around the Festival Theatre. If you ever have a chance to walk around the Festival grounds in the morning, you’ll experience an ethereal beauty where deer regularly wander around the Festival’s perimeter. Why not pause a moment in the Bevan Bell Secret Garden and let the beautiful water feature calm your spirit. Peggy Bell and her husband Ken joined the Guild and were part of the Docent backstage tour program for 13 years. In 1997 Peggy took over as lead gardener and her team of mighty green thumbs can be seen every Tuesday nurturing these spaces. Peggy’s Legacy gift to The Shaw will include provisions to continue the work of linking us with not only theatre and community but also maintaining the beauty of our green spaces.

The Guild also fundraises through events such as the Shaw Guild Garden Tour and Sip, Savour & Stroll, with proceeds supporting The Shaw Guild Endowment Fund and sponsoring productions like A Christmas Carol. The Shaw is forever grateful for the Guild’s vital contribution to this organization. We are delighted to recognize and thank these generous individuals for their lasting support in perpetuity through estate planning gifts.

“The power of theatre to connect us all is Pure Joy I plan to make that joy spread indefinitely.”

–Mary Hill

“I think that life without art would be a very sad life indeed. The Shaw Festival is a jewel. Theatre entertains, challenges, and makes us grow. It must endure; I only wish I found it sooner. I’m confident that my legacy gift will assist The Shaw as it continues to grow, meeting the challenges of the future”.

–Wendy Glazier

“After my 22-year career as the Director of Operations at the Shaw Festival, retirement naturally led to our fifteen years volunteering as Guild Gardeners. The ongoing commitment of our group to tend the beautiful Shaw gardens sparked our personal interest in joining The Doherty-Rand Legacy Circle. Being able to direct our legacy gift specifically to the gardens allowed us the privilege of continuing our Shaw journey with a “lasting LIVING gift” for many years to come…in the garden!”.

–Paddy and Brian Parr

To help plan for your Legacy Gift or for more information, contact Kimberley White: 289-783-1924 or 1-800-657-1106 ext 2397

kwhite@shawfest.com

Kimberley White is the Senior Development Officer, Individual Gifts and Legacy Giving.

This page top: Mary Hill with the cast of White Christmas (2022). Photo by Bea Campbell. Middle: Deborah and Grant Williams, Peggy Bell. Bottom: Paddy and Brian Parr. Photos by Peter Andrew Lusztyk.

JAMES A. BURTON & FAMILY FOUNDATION GIVES TO THE COMMUNITY PILLAR AT THE SHAW FESTIVAL

An incredibly generous gift of $500,000 made by the James A. Burton & Family Foundation will help The Shaw work toward our goal of deepening connections with our community, reaching new audiences, and sharing the art of theatre with those unable to experience it due to accessibility barriers. The gift will support the creation of two new roles within The Shaw team to anchor our community outreach and engagement work. We have already hired our new Director of Engagement and Outreach, Pragna Desai, and an Associate Executive Director will be hired soon.

The gift will also support the expansion of our Embedded Artists Program, to deliver this outreach. This program provides artists with full-time employment, which in turn provides a level of financial security in their lives which is unprecedented in the Canadian theatre industry, and which we hope will help transform it, bringing an end to the idea that you have to live in precarity to make great art. Thank you to Jim Burton and family for your visionary support as we continue to imagine and build the future of the Shaw Festival: a future where not being able to physically access the Festival for whatever reason is no barrier to experiencing the joy and the connection that our art can bring.

APOLOGIES TO JULIA!

→ As of August 15, 2023

“We are thrilled to offer a warm welcome to our newest Governors Council members and Corporate supporters. Thank you!”

Julie Allen-Sargent* & Stuart Sargent

Ms Gina Foster

We published the wrong photo of Julia Thompson in our last issue of the magazine. Julia can be seen this season as one of two Sylvias in The Shadow of a Doubt at the Royal George Theatre.

Tim Carroll, Artistic Director

Tim Jennings, Executive Director

Jim Burton and Pragna Desai

Martin & Maria Hoke Dr Pamela Hopper

Johanna Killam

Ann & John Lorenc

Ms Deborah Nathan Rich Products

Mr Glen Salzman

Renee Stein, In memory of Mel Stein

1 anonymous gift

We Remember Paxton Whitehead

Paxton Whitehead, Artistic Director Emeritus passed away on June 16, 2023. Paxton was the Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival from 1967 to 1977 and served as actor and director in numerous plays. During his tenure, The Shaw experienced tremendous growth the length of the season, the size of the Company, the reach of the Festival through touring and, not least of these, the addition of the Festival Theatre in 1973.

↓ Excerpt from The Toronto Star, review of The Philanderer , 1971 This production’s glory is a really grand performance Paxton Whitehead as Charteris. Silly, infuriating, but always recognizable, this is a man given to sweet, idiotic grins at just those moments when others are abusing his reputation.

Shrinking hideously from the truth (“It hurts”), jack-knifing his way across the stage in a split second, betrayed constantly by a face that won’t obey orders, Whitehead contributes a major piece of acting.

↓ Excerpt from the Saturday Review, review of The Apple Cart , 1966

Mr. Whitehead is the ideal Shavian. As King Magnus, Shaw’s imaginary monarch of the future, he is asked to deliver lengthy speeches about the complexities of politics that in lesser hands could become pedantic. However, he possesses both a sharpness of mind that makes the complexities clear, and a passion for the true wonder of the world that is warmly contagious.

↓ Excerpt from The Evening Star, Washington, D.C., review of Misalliance, 1972 Misalliance opened last night at the Eisenhower Theatre. The production, by the Shaw Festival from Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada is gorgeous, not a trick missed anywhere.

The players are superb, the setting and costumes imaginative and appropriate. The play itself is top-quality Shaw…

The key contribution, of course, is Paxton Whitehead’s nimble direction, with movement enhancing and revealing the flow of thought, never obscuring it. The director serves Shaw as well as the playwright serves his audience.

Top of page: Paxton Whitehead in Charley's Aunt, 1974.

Above: Paxton Whitehead, Photo by Robert C. Ragsdale.

Celebrate the Holidays with the Return of Two Shaw Festival Favourites!

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Royal George Theatre

Previews begin November 5

Closes December 23

by Charles Dickens

Adapted and originally directed by Tim Carroll

Directed by Brendan McMurtry-Howlett

Set and Costumes designed by Christine Lohre

Lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte

Original Music by Paul Sportelli

Music Director Ryan deSouza

Original Movement and Puppetry Direction by Alexis Milligan

The cast in alphabetical order

Mr Hubble

Christmas Past

Belle

Mrs Dilber

Bob Cratchit

Ebenezer Scrooge

Fred

Mrs Cratchit

Emily (Fred's wife)

Christmas Present

Jason Cadieux

Élodie Gillett

Marlene Ginader

Patty Jamieson

Andrew Lawrie

Sanjay Talwar

Jonathan Tan

Jacqueline Thair

Kiana Woo *

Shawn Wright

This page: Marla McLean, Kelly Wong, Marie Mahabel, Jason Cadieux, Kelsey Verzotti and Patty Jamieson in A Christmas Carol (2021). Next Page: Kristi Frank and the cast of Brigadoon (2019).

LERNER AND LOEWE’S BRIGADOON

Festival Theatre

Previews begin November 15

Closes December 23

Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner

Music by Frederick Loewe

Original Dances Created by Agnes DeMille

Revised Book by Brian Hill

Directed by Glynis Leyshon

Music Direction by Paul Sportelli

Original Choreography by Linda Garneau

Set Designed by Pam Johnson

Costumes Designed by Sue LePage

Lighting Designed by Kevin Lamotte

Sound Designed by John Lott

Projections Designed by Corwin Ferguson

Associate Choreographer Matt Alfano

Fight Direction by John Stead

The cast in alphabetical order

David Adams

Kristi Frank

Alexis Gordon

JJ Gerber

Alexandra Gratton **

Jane Johanson

Claire Jullien

Graeme Kitagawa

Madelyn Kriese

Jawon Mapp *

Stewart Adam McKensy

Kevin McLachlan

Peter Millard

Drew Plummer

David Andrew Reid

Jade Repeta

Travis Seetoo

Genny Sermonia

Jay Turvey

Kelly Wong

Jenny L. Wright

Call Box Office to book tickets at 1-800-511-7429 or go online at shawfest.com

Premier and Governors Council Members can call 1-800-657-1106 ext 2208

Holiday Season Ticket Package buy both to save 20%!

EXPLORE IT ALL THE SHAW AND NIAGARA:

October

Backstage Tours

Various Dates | 10am & 11am

Peek behind the stage curtain! An hour-long guided tour of the Festival Theatre.

$10 |$5 with ticket to performance

Free for all Friends, Governors Council members and Corporate Partners

Gospel Choir

October 1 | 10:30am | BMO Stage

Big, beautiful uplifting vocals! Enjoy the euphoric and inspirational musical experience performed by glorious voices in our Ensemble.

$20

Happy Hour

October 26 | 5pm | Online

A virtual conversation with some of the people who help make our season possible—on-stage or behind-the-scenes. It’s like bumping into an old Shaw friend…online. Watch your inbox one week prior to each date for registration information. Free

Early Ordering for our 2024 Season starts

November 4.

November

Backstage Tours

Various Dates | 10am & 11am

Peek behind the stage curtain!

An hour-long guided tour of the Festival Theatre.

$10 | $5 with ticket to performance

Free for all Friends, Governors Council members and Corporate Partners

A Christmas Carol

November 5–December 23

Royal George Theatre

Ebenezer Scrooge is back! The charming holiday favourite returns.

The Doherty-Rand Legacy Circle Rehearsal

November 8 | 12pm-4pm

Experience Brigadoon as it takes to the stage and starts to incorporate elements such as set, lighting and sound.

Free. All members of The Doherty-Rand Legacy Circle are welcome to attend.

Meet Shaw Directors and Designers

November 8, 16 | 10am | Online

Intimate conversations with our Directors and Designers. A Christmas Carol (Nov 8), Brigadoon (Nov 16)

$10

Lerner and Loewe's Brigadoon

November 15 – December 23 | Festival Theatre

Come out this holiday season and see one of the most romantic and magical musicals!

Happy Hour

November 30 | 5pm | Online

A virtual conversation with some of the people who help make our season possible— on-stage or behind-the-scenes. It’s like bumping into an old Shaw friend…online. Watch your inbox one week prior to each date for registration information.

Free

December

Backstage Tours

Various Dates | 10am & 11am

Peek behind the stage curtain! An hour-long guided tour of the Festival Theatre.

$10 | $5 with ticket to performance

Free for all Friends, Governors Council members and Corporate Partners

Candlelight Stroll

December 1 | Court House | 6:30pm

Meet outside the Old Court House for this holiday tradition. Candles are $3 each, cash only. For more information call 905-468-1950 or email tourism@niagaraonthelake.com Hosted by Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce.

The Golden Age of Musical Theatre

December 2 | 11am | Festival Theatre

Join Shaw Music Director Paul Sportelli to learn about and sing along to music theatre classics including Lerner & Loewe’s Brigadoon.

$20 | $15 for Shaw Friends & under 30

Santa Claus Parade

December 9 | 11am

Santa Claus is coming to town! For more information call 905-468-3266

Happy Hour

December 21 | 5pm

A virtual conversation with some of the people who help make our season possible. It’s like bumping into an old Shaw friend…online. Watch your inbox one week prior to each date for registration information. Free

Plan your visit to The Shaw and Niagara: shawfest.com/plan-your-visit/ or niagaraonthelake.com

To book Shaw events: call 1-800-511-7429

Governors Council and Premier Members call 1-800-657-1106 ext 2208

BMO Stage

Sponsored by

Kristi Frank, Mike Nadajewski, Julie Lumsden, Jason Cadieux and Ric Reid in On the Razzle

On the Razzle Production Sponsors

Royal George Theatre Sponsor

Bruce & Wendy Gitelman

The Playboy of the Western World Production Sponsor Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre Sponsor