ontario performing arts fall 2011

7/30/2019 Ontario Performing Arts Fall 2011

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This fall and winter,audiences acrossthe province willonce again enjoy

Canadas premierperforming artslineup. Whetherits classical or

jazz music, dance,opera or live theatre,Ontario rocks.

SpecialT H U R S D AY , O C T O B E R 6 , 2 0 1 1 SECTION PA

AN INFORMATION FEATURE

DANCAPBroadway stars light the stage

in Memphis: A New Musical,

directed by Christopher Ashley.

Page PA 7

NATIONAL ARTS CENTREThe NACs nine-show fall

lineup includes local, national,

international and aboriginal

theatre. Page PA 8

ROSS PETTY PRODUCTIONSComedian Jessica Holmes

stars in Ross Pettys upbeat

and surprising adaptation of

The Wizard of Oz. Page PA 9

MIRVISH PRODUCTIONSMesmerizing puppets and

awe-inspiring actors dazzle

in War Horse, which opens

February 10. Page PA 10

SOULPEPPER THEATREContemporary rendition of

Henrik Ibsens Ghosts tackles

hard truths about people living

inside lives. Page PA 11

Hot on the heels of the release ofhis latest solo album, SkyscraperSoul, Canadian recording artistJim Cuddy begins a fall and wintertour. Inside, he discusses his solowork, new album and Ontariosmusic scene. PHOTO: HEATHER POLLOCK

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EXCLUSIVE

Nestled beside his ruralheart, Jim Cuddy reveals

a skyscraper soul

AN INFORMATION FEATURE PA 3t h e g l o b e a n d m a i l t h u rs daY, o c to b e r 6 , 2 0 1 1

We caught up with JimCuddy as he prepares totour in support of his newalbum, Skyscraper Soul.

How does working on your owncompare to your role in Blue

Rodeo?Im happy I work in a band, and80 per cent of my time is dedicat-ed to that. And I love the peopleI work with. But there is a bigdifference in writing for myself.When I am writing for Blue Ro-deo, what is important is what theband decides to do; whether itselectric, acoustic, edgy or acces-

sible, Im serving the master. Onmy records, its just me.

What inspired you to put out anew album?I really love doing it the freerange of doing my own songs.Plus, Im almost 56; Ive probablygot 10 more years in this business.I dont want to stop for a season. I

want to keep doi ng it whil e I can.It just inspires a lot of things inme and makes me feel productive.

How do you keep your writingfresh?Everything I see and hear can besynthesized into a song. Im anobserver of human behaviour; itsticks with me. I find that it easilytranslates into notes and lyrics.

What does Skyscraper Soulmean?Although we are identified withcountry ideals, we are very muchan urban band. In my core nestled beside my rural heart isthis love of cities, and that givesme a lot of inspiration, the beautythat emanates through the cracksin the pavement. The best thingsin my life have happened in cities.This album is more fire escapesand less fields.

Any favourite tracks?I really like the little piece DontKnow That Much About Us. I

wrote a coupl e of soundtr acks forthe film Gunless and presentedthat one and an instrumental.Neither was chosen for the movie,but it worked out in the end

with Skyscrap er Soul. EveryoneWatched The Wedding is anotherfavourite. Ive never been muchof a royalist, but something aboutthis last wedding got me. I hadcome to the studio to do some-thing different and within half anhour I had this song completelysketched out. Usually theres more

work involved.

Any contributors on this al bumyoud like to mention?I was super impressed with theplayers, the collaboration. Every-one in my band Colin Cripps,Bazil Donovan, Joel Anderson,Steve OConnor and Anne Lind-say was great. Bryden Baird, atrumpet player from Toronto,provided a lot of different soundsthat really helped. Melissa Mc-Clelland performs on SkyscraperSoul, Wash Me Down and WhatIs So Wrong? And my son playspiano on Waters Running Highand on two or three other songs.Hes a good player; it wasnt outof charity.

What is it about the music busi-

ness that moves you most?Ultimately its the writing, notthe business. Its what I would bedoing if I were a lawyer; spendingmy weekends writing music.

How is Torontos live music scenetoday?I think Toronto has always hadone of the best music scenes inthe world and Ive played in cit-ies around the world and lived inNew York City. On any given nightin Toronto, you can see local,

original music and you can see allkinds of travelling artists too.

Any notable Ontario stops onyour tour schedule?I will be touring: Toronto will bean obvious stop; I play MasseyHall on Valentines Day 2012. Its ahuge, huge place for me. Barrie,Orangeville, Sudbury Ill prob-ably do them all by the time the

spring comes around. Hopefully,well stop in Thunder Bay. Itsrelaxed and friendly and theylove music. These towns have allbecome so much more sophis-ticated than they were when wefirst started out.

How does it feel to have an audi-ence sing along to lyrics youvewritten?

Its incredible feeling when youwatch people a nd theyre n otstruggling for the words. They areemblazoned in their memories.You are providing them withsome relief. Its amazing. It nevergets old.

This interview was edited and con-densed. Jim Cuddy plays in Oshawaon October 14. www.jimcuddy.com

This report was produced by RandallAnthony Communications Inc. (www.randallanthony.com) in conjunction with the advertising department of The Globe and Mail. Keith Ryder, Category Manager, [email protected].

Among his scheduled performances, Jim Cuddy plays Oshawa on October 14 and Massey Hall on February 14,2012. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

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udience members shouldplan on joining thefestivities when some of

Cubas hottest young dancers andmusicians perform at the SonyCentre for the Performing Arts onOctober 22.

Thefinal15 minutesof The

Kingsof Salsa will bea bigparty,says Jon Lee, oneof theproducers.If peoplewant,theycan get upanddanceand havea good time.

Leehas beenbringing Cubanperformers to theatres around the

world for 12 years, but the one-night-only Toronto showis partof afirst-ever North American tour.

Kings of Salsa featuresthe creamof Havanas young musicaltalent,hesays. We selected a groupofsome ofthe bestyoung danc-ers.And theband is sensational,again hotyoung performers fromHavana.

Theshow willfeature salsa,ofcourse,which haditsrootsatHavanas Buena Vista Social Club,says Lee.But itwill also spotlightmambo, rumba, cha-cha-cha,son,Cuban folkloric dancing and evenhip hop.

Something the Cubans havealwaysdone istakestylesandmixthem,he says.In the50s,

Chano Pozo went to America anddiscoveredjazz. He used to playinDizzy Gillespiesband and broughtLatin music to Americanjazz. And

when he came back to Cuba, he putAmericanjazz and Americanswingmusic together withCuban music,

which kind of created mambo.Similarly Roclan Gonzalez

Chavez,the shows choreographer,delightsin mixing themodern andthetraditional. Gonzalez, who alsosings in theshow,choreographs

many bigstate eventsin hishome-land aswellas theCuban versionsof TV awards shows.

Cuba hasa wealth of musi-cal talent becauseof its Russianhothouse method of training, saysLee.Potentialperformersgo todanceschool allday startingat age11and do theirregularschooling inthe evening.

www.sonycentre.ca,www.thekingsofsalsa.com

PA 4 AN INFORMATION FEATURE t h e g l o b e a n d m a i l t h ur s daY, o c to b e r 6 , 2 0 1 1

Cuban rhythms spice Sony Centresfall entertainment mix

In a new band, acclaimed husband and wife team makebeautiful music together

SONY CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

WHITEHORSE

hitehorsemay bea brandnewgroup witha self-titleddebut album, butits two

principals arefar fromnovices. Infact, acclaimedsinger/songwritersLuke Doucet and MelissaMcClel-land notonlyhave a long historyof working together, they are alsomarried to oneanother.

ThecouplefirstmetwhenDoucet producedone of McClel-lands earlier soloalbums:2004sStranded In Suburbia.He hasgoneon to producetwo other recordsforher, Thumbelinas OneNightStand andVictoria Day, while shehasservedas a guestartiston hisalbums.

Theyhave regularly touredto-gether,performingin eachothersbandsor asa duo,whiletheyhave

alsoboth served among keymem-bersof SarahMcLachlans bandinrecent years (Doucethas playedguitar forher since the early 90s).

In Whitehorse, thistalentedcouple has decidedto fully con-summate their musical relationshipby forming a bandtogether,withfascinating results.

Ithink wehavea more defin-ablesound as Whitehorse thanindividually, says Doucet.Thereis chemistry an artisticunionproducessomething larger thanthe sum of its parts.We haveoftengoneouton the roadas a duo act,trading songs backand forth, sing-ing harmonies. People seethat asoneact, singular. But nowwe are aband.

McClellandadds, Whitehorse

will be about both being involvedin everysong theentireset. Wereally wantto focus onthe factthatthis isa band.

Doucet says, Our new record isabout introducing Whitehorse as aband,as an entityandas a musicalmarriage.McClellandadds, Itisalsoabout bringingour twofanbasestogether.There isa lotofoverlapalready, butwe thoughtbringingsome of theold materialandputting itin a new light, chang-ingthemaround,would bea good

way of introducing this new band.Onthe album,thegroup re-

works two of their best-knownindividual songs, Passenger24 (McClelland)and Broken(Doucet), while newjointlywrittenmaterial confirms thefresh proj-

ects potential.Audience responsehas been

rapid andpositive, with Whitehorseshows quickly selling out.Theirinclusion on Stuart McLeansVinylCafe touris also expectedto bringWhitehorse valuableexposure.

People wantto seeus together,and thatis reassuring forus, saysMcClelland. Obviously well havefans on both sideswhomightprefer tosee uson ourown,butforthemost partpeopleare excited

andaresupportingus.It hascometogether so naturally as a musicalact,it just makes sense.

Doucet adds, Thepart thatexcitesme isthatif wedo thisright,they are going tosee a show theyvenever seen before.Some may think

were going to swap songs back andforthlike a folkduo,but thatis notthe caseat all.We wanttotake itastep further.

While spendingthe bulkof eachyear on the road, the couple hasswitched their homebase regularly.After stints in Toronto and Nash-

ville, they settledin Hamilton, alocale that helped inspire Doucet'sfine 2010album, Steel CityTrawler.In September, they were on themove again, heading forNew YorkCity.

We have theluxuryof beingabletolivein a variety ofplaces because

ourwork ison the road, says Mc-Clelland. We love travelling, thankGod.Welove experiencingnewplaces,and New Yorkis sucha greatcity.Every time wewentthere, it

was We have to live here one day.Why notnow?Maybe for a year,thenwho knows?

Doucet,a dedicated marathon

runner,says partof theanswerwilldepend onhow accessible therun-ningtrails are.

Either way, in Whitehorse,thismusical pair appears tobe inforthelong haul.

Whitehorse plays Torontos WinterGarden Theatre on February 24, 2012.

Showtime

Kings of Salsa features Some of Cubas hottest young dancers and sing-ers. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

PHOTO:SUPPLIED

United professionally and in marriage, singer-songwriters Luke Doucet and Melissa McClelland recently formed a new band, Whitehorse, and releasedits debut album. PHOTO:SUPPLIED

OVE, the title of the im-minent third album fromToronto world music

quintet Sultans of String, is highlyappropriate. This hard-working

Juno-nominated co mbo is i nfull swing with extensive NorthAmerican touring in the monthsahead, plus a debut U.K. appear-ance at the famed Celtic Connec-tions Festival.

The groups career has similarly

moved forward beyond any initialexpectations of co-founders ChrisMcKhool and Kevin Laliberte.The pair first met seven years ago

when guitarist Laliberte showedup as a substitute on one of violin

virtuoso McKho ol's Toronto jazzgigs. They immediately bondedmusically, and then developedSultans of String with bassist DrewBirston, percussionist RosendoChendy Leon, and, later, secondguitarist Eddie Paton.

McKhool and Laliberte stillwrite most of the primar ily instru-mental material, but MOVE is thefullest representation of the Sul-tans sound to date, says McKhool.We did a lot more collaborativearranging on this one. Everyoneis so integral to the sound and

vibe onstage, so it was great to geteveryone really involved in themaking of this record.

The group travels the worldstylistically, drawing from suchdiverse genres as gypsy jazz,salsa, bossa nova, Celtic, rumbaflamenco, jazz and Arabic folk.

Were not trying to play authenticeast coast Celtic or flamenco-puro, says McKhool. We are justtaking these influences. The songform and sensibility has more popto it than anything.

The eclecticism of their primar-ily instrumental compositionsand their musical skills has a

very practica l benefit, McKhoolsays. Having a foot in all thesedifferent genres means we get to

play for different audiences. Wecan play in a jazz club, at a folkfestival or in a classical music se-ries as their left-field world musicpop thing. There are touchstonesfor our audience from all thesedifferent genres, and thats a realstrength. Thats confirmed by thefact that in November, Sultansof String get to play two impor-tant but very different New YorkCity clubs: folk haunt The LivingRoom and famed jazz roomBirdland.

Such notable local artists asAmanda Martinez, Dala, ErnieTollar and Ken Whiteley guest onMOVE, and McKhool terms SoS aproduct of Toronto in a deep way.Few other cities have this diversityof voices.

Sultans of String perform at OakvilleCentre for the Performing Arts onOctober 27. The group will also

perform a CD release concert wi thspecial guests at Trinity St PaulsCentre in Toronto on October 28.www.sultansofstring.com

Globally inspired quintetmoves diverse listeners

SULTANS OF STRING

The part that

excites me is that

if we do this right,

they are going to

see a show theyve

never seen before.Some may think

were going to

swap songs back

and forth like a folk

duo, but that is not

the case at all. We

want to take it a

step further.

Luke Doucet

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5/12

n the mood for some polkaand sauerkraut? Or rockn roll and haute cuisine?

Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfestoffers all that and more, whiledigging deep into the regions richGerman traditions for its 43rd year.

The festival kicks off officiallyon October 7 at Kitchener City Halland runs to October 15. This yearit offers 18 fest halls for drink-ing, eating and entertainment, as

well as dozens of special eventsand shows. New features includea unique beer, a Dine & Steinculinary event and a 100-kilometrebicycle race, of course all with a

Bavarian theme.Weve been holding onto thatheritage, says executive directorMark Kreller, who is in his first

year in the position but has beeninvolved with the festival for some35 years. Its all a lot of fun.

Oktoberfest has become moreand more of a cultural, sportingand family event, he says. This

year there will be an exhibit of 200unique German steins at KitchenerCity Hall, from October 7 to 11, andtwo new stein mascots, dubbedZiggy and Zaggy Steiner, the long-

lost nephews of traditional festivalmascot Onkel Hans.

The Thanksgiving Day parade,held on the morning of October 10,

will bring some 150,000 people outto see colourful floats, marchingbands and special entries. This

year, Kreller says, a star attractionwill be the Original Trilby StringBand from Philadelphia, which

will update its flamboyant MardiGras look with Bavarian flourishes.In a new high-tech touch, parade-

watchers can text in votes for theirfavourite floats.

Rocktoberfest, held at Kitch-eners Queensmount Arena on

October 9, will feature rock bandBig Sugar and as well as polkaartist Walter Ostanek sometimesperforming together. Its sort ofrock-meets-polka, Kreller says.Its a neat effect.

Visitors will also be able to try anew Oktoberfest lager beer, basedon a traditional German recipeand brewed by Creemore SpringsBrewery. It will be available inbottles only at the festival and inthe fest halls.

www.oktoberfest.ca

ne of Canadas longest-running and mostpopular radio shows, The

Vinyl Cafe attracts over 700,000listeners per week, all drawn tothe gifted storytelling of host andbest-selling author Stuart McLean.

Airing on CBC, the show is nowin its 18th year, and a key ingredi-ent to this longevity has been thedecision to take it on the road,criss-crossing Canada with liveperformances and tapings on aregular and always well-attendedbasis.

Many of this countrys mosttalented singer/songwriters andgroups have received invaluablecareer boosts by participation inVinyl Cafe tours. Recent examplesinclude Jim Bryson, Hawksley

Workman, and Luke Doucet andMelissa McClelland, the duo nowappearing on the current tour asWhitehorse. We decided about10 years ago to only play up-and-coming Canadian musicians,says McLean. We have met andtravelled with some amazing art-ists because of that.

McLean takes special pride inhis shows connection with smallcommunities across Canada. Asa public broadcaster, it is our mis-sion to participate in the conver-sation that is Canada, to tell partof the Canadian story. We choosethe places we go to carefully sothey in some way can contributeto the story were trying to tellslowly over the years. We wentto Manitoulin Island so we could

talk about the First Nations, andto Yellowknife to talk about theNorth.

Among his countless memo-rable encounters, McLean citesone at an ice hut on Lake Simcoe.We were doing a show in Keswickand I thought I should talk aboutice-fishing. I knocked at one hutand introduced myself. The manat the door looked as if hed seena ghost. It turned out he was a

judge from the U.S. and hed justbeen talking to his friend, waxingabout his love for a show calledThe Vinyl Cafe.

That incident confirmed theshows growing internationalpresence. It has a U.K. following,

and, says McLean with pride,We are heard in 18 Americanstates through over 100 publicbroadcasters. No resting onhis laurels for this broadcasterthough. The limit of my ambi-tion has always been to just makethe next show better.

The Vinyl Cafe tours OntarioOctober 11 to 30.

The national Vinyl CafeChristmas tour includes showsat The Sony Centre in TorontoDecember 9, 10.www.cbc.ca/vinylcafe

Stuart McLean takes storied VinylCafe on the road

Kitchener-WaterlooOktoberfest ist

sehr gut family fun!

ON TOUR FESTIVAL

AN INFORMATION FEATURE PA 5t h e g l o b e a n d m a i l t h u rs daY, o c to b e r 6 , 2 0 1 1

Showtime

Beyond offering frosty German beers, Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfestpromises a host of family-friendly attractions. PHOTO:SUPPLIED

Canadian storytelling icon Stuart McLean will record episodes of hismuch-loved Vinyl Cafe radio program in communities across Ontariothrough October. PHOTO:SUPPLIED

We decided to only

play up-and-comingCanadian musicians.

We have met and

travelled with some

amazing artists

because of that.

Stuart McLean

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WHERETHE WORLDCOMESTO PLAY!

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n 2010, Toronto DanceTheatre resident cho-reographer and artistic

director Christopher Housecreated Pteros Tactics a newwork or his company o lithe,charismatic dancers. A mastercratsman, House assembled ateam o collaborators, includingFlemish dramaturg Guy Cools andDora award-winning composerPhil Strong, to create a spellbind-ing piece o slippery, melliuouschoreography.

Now, in 2011, House is remount-ing Pteros Tactics or the smaller,more intimate space o the Win-chester Street Theatre. For me,

the essence o Pteros is the playullie orce revealed by the dancers,says House. This is especiallyapparent in the Winchester StreetTheatre where their commitmentand ull-blown physicality are thatmuch more immediate and thrill-ing to watch.

Although Pteros Tactics wasinspired by a literary source,audiences should look or mean-ing solely within the dancing.The image o Eros Ballplayer, orexample, with his golden sphere,provides the central metaphoror the choreography. The erossphaira the lovers ball iesrepeatedly across the stage in arcso invitation.

In Pteros Tactics, Houseexplores the space between thelover and his beloved with charac-teristic intelligence and wit theaudience taken on a winding,solipsistic journey where beauti-ul bodies meet beautiul ends.

Toronto Dance Theatre presentsPteros Tactics by Christopher HouseOctober 28 to 29 and November 2 to5 at 8 p.m. and October 30 at 2 p.m.(PWYC) at the Winchester StreetTheatre. Call 416-967-1365 or visitwww.tdt.org.

rand symphonic choruses,the staple o the TorontoMendelssohn Choir or

116 years, are coming back intoavour, says conductor and artistic

director Noel Edison.Ater a lean and mean gen-

eration that emphasized small,tidy and precise baroque pieces,the tide is turning to the dramaticand powerul. Young people join-ing todays choirs bring a wealtho understanding resulting incleaner and more disciplinedperormances than those romthe 1950s, he says. And the public

is reacting avourably. Todayshouses are nearly sold out, andmore young people are buyingtickets.

The 150-voice Mendelssohn

Choir will book-end its newseason with two programs osymphonic works not perormedrecently in Toronto. A Night oBrahms on November 9 willeature Nanie and Alto Rhapsody.Balancing out the program isBrahms German Requiem.

Coming May 23 is a peror-mance o Waltons BelshazzarsFeast, which Edison calls a huge

tour de orce. It will eature amassive orchestra and bass soloistJohn Relyea. Also on the programare Leonard Bernsteins Chiches-ter Psalms and Poulencs Gloria.

Both symphonic concerts will beheld at Koerner Hall. Its a perectproportion or us, says Edison.We love its size, intimacy, acous-tics and its location in the city.

Back rom past years are theFestival o Carols in early Decem-ber at Yorkminster Park BaptistChurch, Handels Messiah withthe Toronto Symphony Orchestraand an a cappella program o

sacred music on Good Friday atSt. Pauls Basilica in downtownToronto.

St Pauls provides a east orthe eyes, and its marble provides

great acoustics, he says. The largerworks this time ar ound are Massin G Minor by Vaughan Williamsand Frank Martins Mass orDouble Choir.

June brings two mo re concertswith the TSO: Mah lers EighthSymphony and the Last Night atthe Proms.

www.tmchoir.org

are concerts headliningmusicians rom both Israeland the Arab world will

highlight the Royal Conservatorysupcoming season o more than 75concerts in three venues.

The Music From Across theMiddle East series aims to showthe commonality o music romthat region, be it Palestinian,Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese, Iraqior Israeli, says Mervon Mehta, theconservatorys executive director,Perorming Arts.

We are trying to introduceartists that Toronto has not seenbeore, and to introduce artists to

each other who maybe have notplayed together beore because opolitical dierences, he says.

True to the conservatorys over-all programming mandate, thefve Middle Eastern concerts covera range o genres including jazz,classical, olk and world music.They take place in Koerner Hall,the two-year-old concert venuethat has won praise rom audi-ences, artists and the media.

Following last months seasonopener, the Middle Eastern seriescontinues November 12 with anevening o Israeli and Arabic jazz.December brings a olk music per-ormance by Israeli singer-song-writer and peace activist ChavaAlberstein and Egyptian-Canadianvocalist and qanun player Maryem

Tollar.The Middle Eastern concerts areone example o a move by the con-servatory to curate its own shows,rather than signing up artists whohappen to be in town, says Mehta.In a similar vein, the new seasonincludes a series o jazz concerts

eaturing great saxophonists romCanada, the U.S. and Europe. Andcoming in 2012 is a Kabaret at Ko-erner! series eaturing Weimer-era,Berlin-based music.

The conservatory, a nationalmusic education institution, iscelebrating its 125th anniversary.Its varied perormance lineupalso includes a return by Latvianviolinist Gidon Kremer, a chamberconcert eaturing Itzhak Perlman

and a olk evening with Peterand Paul carrying on the Peter,Paul and Mary tradition. Mehtastressed that the conservatorymakes every eort to keep ticketprices reasonable.

performance.rcmusic.ca

here are ew roles morecoveted than that o Juliet,the lovelorn, old-beore-

her-time heroine o Shakespearesmasterwork. No matter how manytimes or how many incarna-tions, we cannot help but haveour hearts in our mouths as, withsteely-eyed resolve, Juliet ends herlie knowing that the hereaterholds more or her and her truelove than the here and now.

It is, without question, a role o

a lietime says Elena Lobsanova,the nimble-ooted 24-year-old whowill dance the role o Juliet in theNational Ballet o Canadas newproduction. Recently promoted toFirst Soloist, Lobsanova is elatedto be delving into a role she hasrevered all her lie. Juliet is suchan incredible fghter, and I amreminded o that act every time Istep into the studio.

Lobsanova was selected todebut the role in a new produc-tion created by internationallycelebrated Russian choreographerAlexei Ratmansky. In recognitiono its 60th anniversary season, theNational Ballet o Canada commis-sioned Ratmansky to stage a reshinterpretation o Shakespearesclassic text to premiere at the FourSeasons Centre or the PerormingArts in November.

Ratmanskys reimagining o

Romeo & Juliet will take the placeo John Crankos neoclassical ver-sion that has been in the NationalBallets repertoire since 1964. LikeCranko beore him, Ratmansky isusing Sergei Prokofevs haunting,evocative score.

Known or his musicalityand physical inventiveness, theBolshoi-trained Ratmansky is alsoregarded as a master storyteller.

He is currently Artist-in-Residenceand the Artistic Advisor at Ameri-can Ballet Theatre in New Yorkand the ormer Artistic Director othe Bolshoi Ballet. Ratmansky wasalso once a Principal Dancer withCanadas Royal Winnipeg Balletand Royal Danish Ballet.

Ratmanskys genius lies in hisability to honour his classical Rus-sian roots while making his balletsdistinctly modern. He has createdworks or the Dutch National

Ballet, Kirov Ballet, Royal Dan-ish Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet,New York City Ballet and the SanFrancisco Ballet including RussianDreams, which had its Canadianpremiere with the National Balletlast season.

And while he counts theinimitable George Balanchine asan inuence, Ratmansky believesthat the steps must transcend the

technique, becoming part o aconversation that blends crat andpassion.

In 2009, when Crankos Romeo& Juliet was last staged, Lobsanovawas just a member o the corps deballet. That same year, she won TheErik Bruhn Prize. Two years on, ac-ing her frst career-changing role,she is nervous but knows that herhard work will pay o. Artisticallythe process has been extremelyenriching, says Lobsanova. The

choreography is very layered andclearly comes rom a hugely cre-ative mind. The whole experiencehas been like a dream come true.

The National Ballet of Canada pres-ents Romeo & Juliet November 16-27at the Four Seasons Centre for thePerforming Arts.www.national.ballet.ca or call416-345-9595.

PA 6 An informAtion feAture t h e g l o b e a n d m a i l t h u r s d aY , o c t o b er 6 , 2 0 11

opera atelier

The talented and nimble-footed Elena Lobsanova will dance the role of Juliet under the direction of celebrated Russian choreographer Alexei Ratmanskyin the National Ballet of Canadas production of Romeo & Juliet. photo: sIan rIcharDs

Middle Eastern concertseries bridges cultures and

musical genres

Pteros Tactics: Toronto

Dance Theatres siren song

Dramatic and powerful choral music drawing younger audiences

Re-imagined, Romeo & Juliet opens NationalBallet of Canadas 60th season

royal cons ervatory

toronto dance theatre

toronto mendelssohn choir

Egyptian-Canadian vocalist andqanun player Maryem Tollar.photo:supplIeD

rowing up as a pastorsson in the U.S. Midwest,Lawrence Wiliord oten

sang with his two brothers atchurch socials while his atherstrummed the guitar. But it wasseeing the movie Amadeus as ayoung boy that got him hookedon classical music.

I went out and grabbed everytape I could possibly fnd oMozart symphonies, says thetenor, who now calls Toronto hishome. Wiliord returns to Mozartstarting October 29 when he takeson the role o Don Ottavio in Op-

era Ateliers production o DonGiovanni.

These days, however, Wili-ords most identifed with Bachand Benjamin Britten, whoseworks eature promin ently in theconcerts and recitals that takeup two-thirds o his perorm-ing schedule. The other third isdevoted to opera.

I cant imagine a career with-out either one, he says. Whileopera allows or the opportunityto develop characters on-stagedramatically and vocally, theconcert experience provides an

environment o intimate collabo-ration between the conductor andother musicians.

Concerts, wherever they takehim, bring a short burst o inten-sive work, but allow him to returnhome quickly. Opera contractsmean longer absences, he says.His frst solo CD, Britten DivineMusick, was released last year.

As a 10-year-old, Wiliord be-came a member o the AmericanBoychoir School in Princeton,N.J. Later he enrolled at St. OlaCollege in Northfeld, Minn., plan-ning to become a choir conductor.It was his choir conductor therewho encouraged hi m to become aproessional perormer.

Wiliord lived in Oxord, Eng-land, or a period, then moved

to Toronto where he and hisEdmonton-born wie, Dr. KatieLarson, could continue graduatestudies. It was in Toronto, he says,that his career ell into place.

Today, he says he specializes inworks o Bach and Br itten partlybecause they are a good matchor his voice. You dont get tochoose what your voice might bebest suited or, he says, but I amthrilled to be singing Baroque andClassical works as well as musicrom the 20th and 21st centuries.

Communication through textand music is one o the most im-portant aspects o writing or thevoice. Bach, Britten a nd Mozartare all masters o this.

His role in Don Giovanni bringshim back to Mozart, a composer

who shares his b irthday. True toOpera Ateliers traditions, theproduction will stick closely tothe original libretto and style, hesays.

www.operaatelier.com,www.lawrencewiliford.com

Vocalist LawrenceWiliford revisitsMozart in

Opera AteliersDon Giovanni

Lawrence Wiliford. photo:supplIeD

Pteros Tactics was created to showcase Toronto Dance Theatres lithe,charismatic dancers. photo: DavID hou

national ballet of canada


7/12

ecause of its energy,directness and simplicity,the music Giuseppe Verdi

wrote for Rigoletto in 1851 remainsas popular as ever, says the mancurrently conducting the work forthe Canadian Opera Company.

Everyone can sing or whistle itsworld-famous aria La donna e mo-bile, which has even been used fora pizza commercial, says the COCsmusic director, Johannes Debus.But the entire work is a master-

piece, he says. Rigoletto continuesat the Four Seasons Centre for thePerforming Arts until October 22.

With this tragic work, Verditook a huge step away from con-

ventional bel canto an d towarddramma in musica (musicaldrama), a direction already fore-shadowed in his earlier operas,says Debus. With Rigoletto, musicbecomes more and more part ofthe drama. It is not just accompa-niment.

As an example, Debus pointsto the orchestral music for LaTempesta near the end of act three.Its used to express and form theclimax of the opera when Gilda,Rigolettos daughter, dies, hesays. The whole piece deals withextreme situations. Its such apowerful piece. Its like a force ofnature.

The character of the musicchanges with the situations in

which the characters find them-

selves, he says. Gildas music islight at the beginning when shesfull of dreams. At the end whenshe dies, the music is more ma-ture, a little heroic.

Debus has praise for the cast ofmainly young singers. You maynot have heard their names before,but Im pretty sure youll hearthem more often in the future, hesays. He describes Quinn Kelsey,one of two baritones sharing theRigoletto role, as phenomenal.

This role is one of the hardestin the repertoire, he says. Iveheard of people dying on stage inthis role. I think we really have a

wonderful cast here.Also singing Rigoletto is Lester

Lynch. Among the other singersare Ekaterina Sadovnikova andSimone Osborne as Gilda, andDimitri Pittas and David Lomel asthe Duke of Mantua.

www.coc.ca

wo performers whowowed Broadway audi-ences as understudies

take over the leads when DancapProductions brings the rousing,Tony Award-winning Memphis:A New Musical to Toronto thisDecember.

Bryan Fenkart stars as a whitedisc jockey who introduced blackrhythm and blues to Memphisaudiences in the 1950s. Its a rolehe stepped into twice a week onBroadway. Playing the black singer

who becomes his girlfriend i sFelicia Boswell. She was so impres-sive at her touring-show audition,she was immediately brought toBroadway as an understudy.

We thought if we dont makeher a star, someone else will, says

Joe DiPietro, who wrote the showsbook and lyrics.

As on Broadway, the Torontoshow will be directed by Christo-pher Ashley and choreographedby Sergio Trujillo, a Broadway icon

who was raised in Toronto. As oneof the shows producers, Dancapsfounder and president Aubrey Dan

won a 2010 Tony Award when theshow was named Best Musical. To-nys also went to DiPietro for bestbook of a musical, to David Bryanand DiPietro for best original scoreand to Daryl Waters and DavidBryan for best orchestration.

David Bryan, thekeyboard playerwith pop-musicact Bon Jovi, wasbroughtin to composethe musicafter DiPietro hadwritten the book.DiPietrodidntknow Bryan inadvance, so senthim somelyricsto determine whether they could

work together. When he received

a CD withBryans interpretationofThe Musicof My Soul,Di Pietroknewhe hadtherightperson.

As they collaborated, Di Pietrosayshe found Bryan tobe a funny,down-to-earthfamily guywho hadmusic coming outof him. Thepair arenowjointlywriting a musi-

cal about Tin PanAlley songwritersinthe 60s.

Memphis is an epic love storyset against the rise of rock n roll,says DiPietro. He calls it rollicking,funny and touching. The centre ofthe story, he says, is this literallyforbidden and illegal love affair.

Unlike some recent jukeboxmusicals that rehash past hits,Memphis has an original score,says DiPietro.

David took the sounds of thatera, which are rhythm and blues,gospel and rock, and through hismodern ears made it sound likethe music of the time, yet updateda little bit, he says.

The Toronto production will beas first-rate as the one continuingin New York, says DiPietro. Thedancings going to be as terrificand dynamic as on Broadway.Trujillo, who has choreographedother big musicals including JerseyBoys, is at the top of his game,says DiPietro. I think Memphis ishis best work.

DiPietros output is already

known to Toronto audiences.He wrote The Toxic Avenger, aDancap hit in 2009, as well as AllShook Up and I Love You, YourePerfect, Now Change.

Memphis resonates with audi-ences, because the entire creativeteam was able to work in sync,DiPietro says. We were very luckythat David and myself and Sergioand the rest of the team really lovethe show and we all told the samestory.

dancaptickets.com;www.memphisthemusical.com

Broadway stars shine in Tony Award-winning production ofMemphis: A New Musical

DANCAP PRODUCTIONS

AN INFORMATION FEATURE PA 7t h e g l o b e a n d m a i l t h ur s daY, o c to b e r 6 , 2 0 1 1

Showtime

Among the celebrated talent involved in the Toronto production of Memphis: A New Musical is director ChristopherAshley and choreographer Sergio Trujillo, a Toronto-born Broadway icon. PHOTO: JOAN MARCUS

Verdi opera classics resonate like natures force

CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY

National Balle o

Carmina BuranaEnglishTh

eatre Company

Bolshoi Ballet

Rufus Wainwright

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AC Or

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This unique fes

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See what we

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nac-cna.ca

Photo:KennTaylor

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The NACPresents

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National is not

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The Canadian C

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8/12

hat makes a nationaltheatre unique? PeterHinton, the artistic

director of English theatre at theNational Arts Centre in Ottawa,

will conti nue to answer thatquestion this season, presentingplays and musicals that highlightsignature works from playwrightsand performers at the height oftheir careers.

The nine-show lineup show-cases a mix of local, national,international and aboriginal

theatre, Hinton says, with coast-to-coast elements underscoringthe national institution.

Thats why the NAC existstoday, yet its challenging to makethat principle a reality, says Hin-ton, in his seventh year at the NAC.Its absolutely unique.

The season includes an all-aboriginal cast performing KingLear. Starring August Schellen-

berg, the production will be setin Canada during the Iroquois-Huronia Wars, Hinton says. The

Shakespeare classic, he adds, hasa lot of resonance in our own his-tory.

Among works by innovativeCanadian writers, the NAC willfeature Alberta marionette masterRonnie Burketts latest creation,Penny Plain, a gothic thriller, andDaniel MacIvor's Communion,part of the Nova Scotia artists tril-ogy centred on womens lives.

With an increased emphasis atthe NAC on families and children,the season includes Salt-Water

Moon, by Newfoundlands DavidFrench, as well as Oliver!, basedon the Charles Dickens story, andMonster Makers, a childrens

work from Toronto's MammalianDiving Reflex.

The NACs resident acting com-pany will star in five of the produc-tions. The company and studentsfrom the National Theatre Schoolbegan the season on Newfound-

lands Fogo Island in a three-weekimmersion in the work of Norwe-gian playwright Henrik Ibsen. Aco-production between the NACand the Belfry Theatre in Victoria

will present Quebec playwright Mi-chel Nadeaus And Slowly Beauty

will be performed both in Victoriaand Ottawa.

We always look at what we cando from a national and a Canadianperspective, Hinton says. Itsan embodied expression of theNational Arts Centre.

www.nac.ca

Unique NAC performances convey distinctlyCanadian perspectives

NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE

PA 8 AN INFORMATION FEATURE t h e g l o b e a n d m a i l t h ur s daY, o c to b e r 6 , 2 0 1 1

Showtime

Fromcontemporary toclassics,dazzlingdanceamong NAC programhighlights

Dance performances ranging

fromthe contemporaryto theclassic,a farewellto aniconofFrench theatreand rareperfor-mances by theRoyal Philhar-monic Orchestra willmake fora busy season atthe NationalArtsCentrethis year.

Rosemary Thompson,direc-torof communications fortheNAC,saysthere will be1,009performancesat the Ottawain-stitution in the2011-12 season.Its thebusiest performing artscentre in Canada, she says,

with more than one millionpeople coming throughthebuildingeach year.

Highlights of theseasonincludean exclusiveCanadianengagementby TanztheaterWuppertalPina Bausch of

Germany, presenting Danznby theavant-garde director-choreographer Pina Bausch,

who died in 2009. The BolshoiBallet performsDon Quixote,a Russianballetcomplete withglittering costumes, lavish setsand sweeping score.

WajdiMouawad willpresent19plays in hisfinalseasonas the NAC French theatreartisticdirector, including hisown highly anticipatedDesfemmes. This is an extremelyexciting opportunity tosee him

while hes still here,Thomp-son says. The newartistic direc-torwho willtake over Frenchtheatrenext year, BrigitteHaentjens, willdirectOprade Quatsous (ThreepennyOpera) by Bertold Bretch andKurt Weillthis season.

The NAC Orchestra,oneof thebusiest orchestras inCanada with91 performancesthisyear,travels to AtlanticCanada foran extended falltour,Thompson says. In

Januaryit welcomes the RoyalPhilharmonic, conducted byPinchasZukerman, whowillalsoplay soloviolin.

www.nac.ca

NAC HIGHLIGHTS

Peter Hinton

Left: Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch presenting Danzn: Aida Vainieri (pictured). Right: Svetlana Zaharova of the Bolshoi Ballet in Don Quixote.PHOTOS: BETTINA STSS, DAMIR YUSUPOV BOLSHOI BALLET

another africaplays from volcano theatre's the africa trilogy

by binyavanga wainaina and roland schimmelpfennig

directed by ross manson and liesl tommya volcano theatre production presented by canadian stage

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Nov 19 Dec 17, 2011 bluma appel theatre

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2010 Tony Award winner for Best Play

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9/12

eturning to Ross Pettysannual family musicalthis holiday season is part

of a year of dreams come truefor comedian Jessica Holmes.

The former star of Royal Cana-dian Air Farce and The HolmesShow plays Splenda the GoodWitch in The Wizard of Oz: TheWickedly Wacky Family Musical!,

which runs November 24 to Janu-ary 6 at the Elgin Theatre.

Rounding out her incredibleyear are a new career as a motiva -tional comedian and the publica-tion of her first book, I Love YourLaugh: Finding the Light in MyScrewball Life.

What shes looking forward tomost in The Wizard of Oz is goof-ing around on stage, she says. Thesecond thing is pretending that Ima real singer. I think I sing pretty

well for a comedian, but Im usedto singing ridiculous songs.

The Wizard of Oz reunitesHolmes with three other stars ofPettys 2009 panto, Robin Hood.Dan Chameroy is back in dragas the man-hungry Plumbum

von Botox. Yvan Pedneault, whorecently starred in We Will RockYou and Rock Of Ages, plays theTin Man. And Petty himself takeson his usual villain character thatchildren are encouraged to boo.This time hes the Wicked Witchof the West. As well, Tracey Flye,

who choreogra phed Robin Hood,will be directing and choreograph-ing The Wizard of Oz

Making her panto debut as

Dorothy is Elicia MacKenzie, who

played Maria in The Sound OfMusic and a rock n roll chickin Rock Of Ages. Rounding outthe cast are Stratfords SteveRoss as the Cowardly Lion, theShaw Festivals Kyle Blair as theScarecrow and Eddie Glen as TheWizard of Oz.

As usual in a Ross Petty pro-duction, this will be a fractured

version that will be upbeat andfull of surprises, says Holmes.And as in past pantos, there willbe jokes for adults that the kids

will miss.Its like a tamer version of

The Simpsons, where the entirefamily can show up and getsomething out of it, she says.

Ad-libs and jokes tied to thenews are other traditions. Andonce again there will be videocommercials for panto sponsors.We make sure that theyre goingto be just as funny as the show sothat they fit with the flow, shesays.

Holmes says her book talks ina funny way about personal diffi-culties she has overcome. Amongthe experiences covered are about of post-partum depressionand a stint as a missionary withthe Mormon Church.

A mother of two children,Holmes recently took up moti-

vational com edy. On November2, she will team up with stressexpert Loretta LaRoche in a Powerof Women event at the MetroToronto Convention Centre.

www.rosspetty.com

ay Turvey and Paul Spor-telli are used to workinghard at the Shaw Festival,

juggling roles and responsibilitiesas part of the ensemble in a longrepertory season. But betweenthem this year, the remarkableduo has been responsible variouslyfor creating, writing, musicallydirecting, conducting and acting inmore in almost half of the festivalsproductions.

The shows reflect the vast rangeof work at the Shaw and are beingpresented to celebrate the festivals50th year, says Turvey, now in his11th season at Shaw. Its not justteacups and British accents here,but if you want that, weve got it.

Among the highlights, thislandmark season has seen theproduction of the second musicalcreated by Turvey and Sportelli:Maria Severa, which is now enjoy-ing an extended run at the CourtHouse Theatre stage. This storyof the legendary Portuguese fadosinger pushed the boundaries atShaw, Turvey says, with its hot set-ting, passionate tempers, exposed

flesh and brightly coloured palette.Its a very different world, hesays. Theres a real sense of theunfamiliar.

Juggling so many responsi-bilities has posed challenges forTurvey and Sportelli. For example,

until October 23, Turvey stars as Dr.Baugh in Tennessee Williams Caton a Hot Tin Roof, a work knownfor its raw energy and no-holds-barred feel. At the other end of thespectrum, he also plays policemanTom Mooney in Drama at Inish A Comedy, which has been heldover to October 9.

This rollicking crowd-pleaserportrays how a visiting theatrecompany transforms an Irishseaside town, as the once happy-go-lucky citizens see the worldthrough the rather melancholylens of playwrights such as Ibsen,Strindberg and Chekhov. It saysa lot about the role of theatre inour lives, and how it can affect us,Turvey explains.

For Sportelli, in his 13th seasonas Shaws musical director, the

wide range of shows presented thisanniversary year is as much aboutcelebrating the future as celebrat-ing the past. As well as creatingMaria Severa with Turvey, thisseason Sportelli musically direct-ed, conducted, re-orchestrated and

worked with the companys sing-

ers and actors. Its great to work ata place where I get to use so manymusical muscles, he says.

Sportelli is musical directorand conductor of My Fair Lady,

which the festival has never stagedbefore, but has nonetheless been

dusted off and further adapted,he explains, for example featur-ing the largest orchestra ever ina Shaw production. Were notsitting back and doing the My FairLady everyone does, or everyoneremembers, he says of the pro-duction, which runs to October 30.Were doing a very vibrant, veryrelevant, My Fair Lady.

Sportelli also wrote the musicfor On the Rocks, Bernard Shawsclassic political comedy, whichruns to October 8. Playwright Mi-chael Healey has re-envisioned theplay with a series of twists for the50th season.

There was a real sense this yearof lets give every play and musicaleverything it needs to succeed,Sportelli explains, adding thatthe range of shows has especiallybeen gratifying for the company.That kind of variety is incrediblyrefreshing.

Sportelli and Turvey are not fin-ished with Maria Severa. The musi-cal is now in rehearsals in Krakow,Poland, where it has been fullytranslated into Polish. Its going to

be a real trip for us to see it playingin another language, Sportellisays, adding that the two hope themusical will come to more stagesin the future.

www.shawfest.com

ancap Productions iswooing young theatergo-ers with a program that

offers discounted tickets, special

events and a sense of commu-nity through social media.

The


10/12

he life-size equine pup-

pets may attempt to stealthe show as they have

in London and New York, butthe all-Canadian cast of MirvishProductions War Horse will givethem a run for their money, saysco-director Marianne Elliott.

The array of talent at the To-ronto audition was awe-inspiring,she says, praising the actors fortheir accents, their understandingof the script and their experi-ence. War Horse, which beginsperformances February 10 at thePrincess of Wales Theatre, hasalready won six Tony and fourOuter Critics Circle awards in NewYork plus Olivier, Evening Stan-dard and Critics Circle awards inLondon.

Audiences and critics alike haveraved about the horse puppetscreated by South Africas Hand-spring Puppet Company. Each

horse is manipulated by three

actors. Theres magic in the waythe animals come alive whenthey are merely bits of wood,says Elliott.

The plot centres aroundAlbert, a lonely farm boy, whoseonly friend a horse is shippedoff to First World War France.The audience takes an emotion-al journey as Albert searches forhis soul-mate on the battlefields.The play has been called a chil-drens story for adults.

Its the story of David andGoliath in a way, says Elliott.A boy triumphs over adversity.Through sheer acts of will andfaith, he finds his dream.

The origins of War Horse dateback to 2004 when Tom Mor-ris, the other director, joinedthe National Theatre of GreatBritain. Hoping to create a showusing the Handspring puppets,

he began looking for a childrens

story that could be adopted. Ironi-cally it was his mother, in a ran-dom conversation, who suggestedhe look at Michael Morpurgosbook War Horse. After that, therandomness continued.

We were extremely fortunatein having the National Theatrestudio at our disposal. Its a puredevelopment resource wherestupid ideas can be tried out,he says. It was the fantasy of acreative team. We had the time tomuck about without the pressureof having to deliver anything.

The show finally opened atthe National Theatre in 2007 andtransferred to Londons West Endin 2009. The Broadway produc-tion started in April.

Morris was as surprised asanyone by its success. We neverthought it was going to be a long-running show anywhere, he says.

Without resorting to technical

wizardry, War Horse makes theaudience feel they are witnessingthree battles and a cavalry charge,says Elliott. The show works onthe imagination of the audiencerather than realistically recreatingexactly what happened.

Joey, the boys horse, neverspeaks, but he is a blameless wit-ness to the horrors of war, saysMorris. While War Horse is not amusical, it features both a film-style sound track and a number offolk songs sung by a Song Person.

In the Toronto production, Al-bert will be played by Alex Furber,a recent graduate of the NationalTheatre School. Others in the castinclude Brad Rudy, Tamara Berni-er-Evans, Richard McMillan, StevenYaffe, Patrick Galligan, MelanieDoane and Tatjana Cornij.

www.mirvish.com

Mesmerizing puppets and awe-inspiring actorsdazzle in War Horse

or those who thinkseasonal theatre is onlyabout froth and fun, Brian

Dennehys performance in HaroldPinters The Homecoming at theStratford Shakespeare Festival hasone message: Summers over.

Dennehy, who plays Max, thetyrannical patriarch of a dysfunc-tional all-male household visitedby a distant son and his attractive

wife, says tha t Pinters char acter-ization of family as wolf-pack inthe show brings a noticeable levelof discomfort to audiences. Its apretty raw play, says the veteranactor, who is back at Stratford

after having performed there inthe 2008 season.

Theatres not just about mak-ing you feel good and making youlaugh although some people

want that, and I have no prob-lem with it, explains Dennehy.Sometimes its virtually an attackon the audience and its precon-ceptions, its attitudes, its preju-dices. Certainly this play qualifiesas that.

Dennehy, who has twice wonthe Tony Award for best ac-tor and has long starred in filmand television, has never beforeacted in a Pinter play, and this isthe first time one of the Britishplaywrights works have beenperformed at Stratford. TheHomecoming was first producedin London in 1965.

On the other side of the coin,Dennehys role as Sir Toby Belchin Shakespeares Twelfth Night isa drunken and riotous romp in aproduction full of laughter, musicand dance. Having such variety ina repertory company and mov-ing from playing Max to playingSir Belch is a relief, he allows, as

well as a challenge.

Youre living a schizophrenicexistence, Dennehy says.

Itsa life with which Tom McCa-mus, who plays thisseasonin Strat-fords TheGrapesof Wrath, basedon the novel by John Steinbeck, as

well as the popular Shakespearefarce Merry Wives of Windsor, is alltoo familiar.

McCamusis a veteranof reper-toryensemble theatre, nowin his11th season at Stratford and having

workedfor eight seasons at theShaw Festival aswellas othersum-mer theatre. He saysthat perform-

ingin differentkinds of rolesandplaysat the same time shakesyourbrain free.

The Grapes of Wrath is especiallya play thatworks in the late season,

when some members of the audi-enceand indeed students cometotownformoreseriousfare,hesays. This playis alsovery relevanttoday,McCamusadds,with itsthemes of economichardship and

environmental degradation. Anytime something is thatclose,itsagreat reason to do theatre.

Withso manydifferent showson the go,by the time Stratfordactors reach thefall, itsimportantto have something left,says Mc-Camus, who startedrehearsalsatthe festival in mid-February.Youhave tofind waysto keepit aliveand keep it smart.

Indeed,The Homecoming hasgarneredexcellentreviewsanddrawn substantial audiences, butDennehysays hesnot finishedwith

Max orthe play justyet.Indeed,he saysthe showis differenteachtimeits performed.

You never really establishsomething thatis unchanging, heexplains. Ina long season andwitha strong companysuch as Strat-fords,he adds,Youget a chance toreally work on theplay.

www.stratfordfestival.ca

Sharp Stratford productions challenge

and entertain audiences

First of Ten Commandments

examines workings of theatreovelist and short story

writer Andr Alexis plansto write a play about each

of the Ten Commandments. Hisfirst, Name in Vain (DecalogueTwo), is now running at the Tar-ragon Theatre.

Each work will explore a dif-ferent aspect of theatre, Alexissays. Name in Vain tells its storythrough physical theatre and isalmost entirely silent. It deals withthe repercussions of a monk whobreaks his vow of silence by swear-ing in anger.

The best way to understandthe value of words is to be forced

not to use them, says Alexis. So,I took words away from the actor.Well, all words except, of course,

for the name of the Christian God.While todays culture treats

swearing more lightly than in thepast, the principle of not swearingin anger is the same, he says.

The plays arent about affirm-ing Judeo-Christian morality,says Alexis. They are about howtheatre works and how it usesthings like lighting, movement andmusic.

Name in Vains five monks areplayed by Walter Borden, Sergio DiZio, Eric Goulem, Dean Gilmourand Richard MacMillan.

www.tarragontheatre.com

PA 1 0 AN INFORMATION FEATURE t h e g l o b e a n d m a i l t h ur s daY, o c to b e r 6 , 2 0 1 1

ShowtimeMIRVISH PRODUCTIONS

The inventive play Name in Vain (Decalogue Two) explores how theatreuses elements including lighting, movement and music.PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Its the story ofDavid and Goliath

in a way. A boy

triumphs over

adversity. Through

sheer acts of will

and faith, he finds

his dream.

Marianne Elliott

Co-director, War Horse

STRATFORD SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL TARRAGON THEATRE

Twelfth Night cast, from left: Tom Rooney as Malvolio, Cara Ricketts asMaria, Sara Topham as Olivia, Ben Carlson as Feste, Andrea Runge as Viola,Stephen Ouimette as Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Brian Dennehy as Sir TobyBelch. PHOTO: ANDREW ECCLES


11/12

Hard truths take centre stage in Soulpeppers Ghosts

oronto is a city fortunateto have a wide variety ofentertainment options,

from classical theatre to block-

buster musicals and much more.Yet Canadian Stage artistic andgeneral director Matthew Jocelynsays the theatres new identityfills a gap that wasnt occupiedbefore.

Canadian Stage now emphasiz-es bold, contemporary, director-driven works, says Jocelyn, whosesecond season is just under way.The Bluma Appel will be home tolarge-scale performances, whilethe Berkeley Street Theatre willoffer a trampoline for localcompanies pushing the forms oftheir work.

Jocelyn says a number o fTorontos top actors want to workat Canadian Stage because it putscontemporary art at the centre ofthe city. Among those appearing

this season are Eric Peterson, Son-ja Smits, Bre nda Robbins, HenryJudge, Daniel Kash and Ar sineKhanjian. As well, acclaimed filmdirector Atom Egoyan will directhis first large-scale theatre piece,Cruel and Tender.

Atom has chosen to bring hisdirecting talent to the stage, says

Jocelyn. In doing so, he is say ingthis type of live theatre is impor-tant for Toronto.

Two of this seasons playsare prize-winners. Red, aboutartist Mark Rothko, is a TonyAward winner, while Studio 180sClybourne Park recently won aPulitzer.

Accolades for these produc-tions encourage our programmingchoices, as we had chosen these

productions long before they wonprizes, says Jocelyn.

Currently at the Bluma Appel isAnother Africa, a pairing of twoplays that deal humorously withthe relationship between Africaand North America. Meanwhile,The Test, starting October 31, isthe English-language premiere ofa play by Swiss-German play-

wright Lukas Ba rfuss.Jocelyn wil l personall y direct

The Game of Love and Chancenext spring. Its an 18th-centurycomedy about love that still ringstrue today, he says.

Dance and music also playprominent roles this season.

Canadian choreographer Crys-tal Pite will bring in her interna-tional team of dancers for DarkMatters, a Frankenstein-like story.And Marie Chouinard will retellthe Greek myth of Orpheus andEurydice in a feisty and irreverent

way, says Jocelyn.Queen of Puddings, a Toronto-

based chamber opera theatre,will present Beckett: Feck it!, aprogram of Samuel Beckett playscombined with contemporaryclassical music. And Torontos

Art of Time Ensemble will stageI Send You This Cadmium Red,featuring actors and dancers.

The new Canadian Stage is

reaching out to young peoplewho go to a rt galleri es and filmfestivals but dont always consider

live theatre as an entertainmentoption, says Jocelyn. But it is nottrying to shed its existing audi-ence, welcoming back subscribers

from last year and seasons past.

www.canadianstage.com

lays directed by MorrisPanych are often big,bold and full of physical

energy. His Soulpepper produc-tion of Henrik Ibsens Ghosts(on stage October 10) will be adeparture.

Im trying something reallynew for me, and its tricky and

its hard, he says. Im trying todo an Ibsen play like an Ibsenplay, which is pretty radical forme. This production of Ghosts,he says, will be a very quietunfolding of some hard truths.

The play, considered shockingand indecent when it premieredin 1882, could still be surpris-ing for todays audiences, saysPanych. Plays about familysecrets are always a little shock-ing. One of the biggest hits of thepast few years was August OsageCounty, which is essentially like

an Ibsen play. This is no less acontemporary play than that is,except maybe the language isntas spicy.

For this production, Panychreworked an existing translation

to give a sense of contemporaryCanadian English, while keepingthe action in the 1880s. I wantedthe language to have a vitality andlife to it that makes it more pres-ent, he says.

The play remains relevant, inpart, because it is about peopleliving inside lives, says Panych.

Every time I watch this play, Ithink it could have been set in the60s, during the Vietnam war. Itcould have been about a kid withAIDS. Ultimately its about peoplestruggling with their own personal

limitations and their baggage,their ghosts.

Ghosts stars Nancy Palk asthe widowed Mrs. Alving, Palkshusband Joseph Ziegler as the pas-tor, Gregory Prest as the widowsson, Michelle Monteith as themaid, and Diego Matamoros as themaids father.

These are really fine actors,says Panych. Its a domesticdrama. Its what Soulpepper doesbest. Its a real actors play.

For more, visit www.soulpepper.ca.

AN INFORMATION FEATURE PA 1 1t h e g l o b e a n d m a i l t h ur s daY, o c to b e r 6 , 2 0 1 1

Showtime

SOULPEPPER THEATRE

Considered shocking and indecent when it premiered in 1882, Henrik Ibsens Ghosts is still expected to surprise todays audiences, says director Morris Panych. PHOTO:SUPPLIED

Bold, contemporary Canadian Stageaims to fill gap in Toronto theatre scene

CANADIAN STAGE

Im trying to do

an Ibsen play like

an Ibsen play,

which is pretty

radical for me.Morris PanychDirector, Ghosts

THE HIT NEW YORK COMEDY IS COMING TO TORONTO!

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A Night of BrahmsWed. Nov. 9, 2011KOERNER HALL

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Handels Messiahwith the TSO

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12/12

Lead philanthropic support for Romeo and Juliet provided by Sandra

& Jim Pitblado with addit ional generous support from Sandra Faire &

Ivan Fecan, The Catherine & Maxwell Meighen Foundation, an

anonymous friend of the National Ballet and Walter Carsen, O.C.

The Sleeping Beauty is made possible by generous

contributions from Margaret & Jim Fleck, The Catherine

& Maxwell Meighen Foundaiton, Sandra & Jim Pitblado,

Gretchen Ross and Nancy Pencer & Michael Benjamin.

national.ballet.ca 416 345 9595

November 1627World Premiere by Alexei Ratmansky

presents

Celebrating 60 Years of Partnership with The Volunteer Committee, The National Ballet of Canada

&Romeo Juliet

Celebrate With Us and Subscribe!For full season details and 60th Anniversary events visit national.ballet.ca

The Sleeping BeautyMarch 1018, 2012

Premiere!HamletJune 110, 2012

presents

2011|12 season is presented by

ontario performing arts fall 2011

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