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but worthy business plan – makingfetish footwear. If it seems implau-sible, think again.

“There was a [family-run] shoe manu-facturer and they did start to make fetish

footwear, and that saved them for a fewyears, so it is based on a true story,” says

Mr. Mitchell. “The thing about Northamptonis that it was the place where men’s shoes

were made in the industrial era. Leather wasplentiful and there were hundreds of factories

and manufacturers, all built on the water, so theycould transport the shoes down to London. But as

time went on, the factories closed and now thereare only a few left.”Although the story is rooted in industrial England,

it has universal themes that resonate deeply with Mr.Mitchell. “When I saw the movie, I instantly connectedwith the story,” he says from New York, where the showis currently running.

“I grew up in the working-class town of Paw Paw, Michi-gan. My parents had a business and there were three sons,and the question was always: Who would take it over? Noneof us did, but I really understood the idea – the mechanicsof children growing up in a business and what’s expected.”

In the show, when Charlie teams up with Lola, they dis-cover that even though they are very different people, theyare both failures in their fathers’ eyes.

“They discover, with the help of each other, how to moveon and be proud of who they are in their own right,” saysMr. Mitchell. “So it’s a great universal story.”This run is a great Canadian story, too – a Mirvish produc-

tion with a homegrown cast and crew. Mr. Mitchell attendedauditions late last year to get the show cast. Having previ-ously brought Hairspray and The Full Monty to Toronto, he’sfamiliar with the local scene.

“I have worked with Mirvish and love working with him,”he enthuses. “You get great support and I am looking for-

Kinky Boots steps it

up with an unlikely

friendship and a quest

for belonging

PHOTO: MATTHEW MURPHY

In order to understand the essence of Kinky Boots,the show he was about to direct and choreograph,Jerry Mitchell travelled to the heart of England’s

working class.There, in Northampton, the acclaimed American

theatre director and Tony winner learned how tomake a traditional brogue, both on a machine andby hand, so he could pass the knowledge on tohis actors.

“I knew I could teach them how to sing anddance, but I wasn’t sure I’d be able to teach themhow to make a shoe,” he says, laughing.

The real heart of Kinky Boots, though, isn’tin leather and nails, but in the tale of twomen striving to measure up in their fathers’eyes. Coming to Toronto in June as a new,all-Canadian staging by Mirvish Productions,the show, which is based on a movie of thesame title, tells the story of Charlie Price, whoinherits his father’s shoe factory. Looking tosave the family business, Charlie connects withcabaret star Lola, who gives him an outrageous

Bringing dance tothe masses

The captivating literary love storythat is Anna Karenina. A mes-merizing contemporary dance

performance. And the ever-popularLes Ballets Jazz de Montréal.

Three upcoming dance shows – twoCanadian, one Russian – presented bythe Sony Centre for the Performing

The Sony Centre is on a mission to make contemporary

dance more accessible for a general audience

Arts, are part of a “very deliberateprogramming movement” to bringhigh-quality dance to the masses,says Mark Hammond, interim CEO andprogram director of the Toronto venue.

“We are making a statement and arecommitted to bringing dance showsthat are all extremely high-quality,

but also fun and accessible,”Mr. Hammond says, addingthat there are similar plansfor next year and into thefuture.

“Dance in Toronto overthe past 30 years has gonethrough highs and lows. Inthe 1980s, it was extremelypopular. That slipped away,but I think the audience isthere now.”

As well as bringing popu-lar shows to Toronto, theSony Centre is partneringwith the New York-basedFall for Dance Festival, com-ing to Toronto in a bid to getthat message out to a wider

audience.In October, the centre will host a

range of diverse dance troupes, withevery seat in house selling for just $10.

One of this season’s much-antici-pated dance events, coming in May,is So Blue by Canadian contemporarydance legend Louise Lecavalier.

“For me, Louise is closer to streetdance and hip hop than to Swan Lake.I would describe it as a spectacle ofmovement, of kinetic energy,” saysMr. Hammond. “When she plays inMontreal, the shows sell out; peopledon’t know her as well here.”

The Montreal native began hercareer at age 18 with Le Groupe Nou-velle Aire, where she met choreogra-pher Édouard Lock.

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Making its Canadian premiere, Eifman’s astonishing choreography retellsthe fate of the famous literary love triangle in Anna Karenina.

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In a play that’s all about transforma-tion, costumes are key to unlockingthe divisions between classes and

their manners and mannerisms.“To put it succinctly, this is the sixth

time Shaw has done Pygmalion,” saysdirector Peter Hinton, who returnsto the Festival Theatre stage. “It issuch an important play in the canonof George Bernard Shaw. It is prettyspectacular. We wanted to bring backthe lushness and vitality of when itwas first produced [in London, in 1914],the way it connected to and shockedthe audience. I was surprised by howincredibly alive the play became bysetting it in modern day.”

That called for modern-day clothing,and thus began a very close collabora-tion between Mr. Hinton and costumedesigner Christina Poddubiuk. Asthey raced to the deadline of dressrehearsals, the two brainstormedabout how Eliza Doolittle and HenryHiggins would look today. “We hadsuch intense discussions about howclothing reveals character,” says Ms.Poddubiuk.

For Ms. Poddubiuk, who’s knownfor her period work, this assignmentposed a challenge beyond elegantEdwardian gowns.

“When we embrace modernity,”says Mr. Hinton, “we respond to it ina visceral way.” Thus, everyone wassuddenly an authority, he recalls, withthe actors piping up, ‘My characterwouldn’t wear that!’ ”

Modern technology was incorpo-rated into the mix – characters Skypewith each other – but the script mostlykept faithful to Shaw’s words.

The Irish playwright received anAcademy Award for the movie adap-tation, Pygmalion, released in 1938.The theatrical musical version, My FairLady, premiered in 1956, followed bythe film My Fair Lady in 1964, starringAudrey Hepburn and Rex Harrington.

“Christina has been very inventive,working with such anachronisms asEliza’s straw hat and hat pin,” saysMr. Hinton of his creative partner’sdesigns.

“It is so much harder to do moderndress with all the variety and nuance,”Ms. Poddubiuk explains. “In periodcostume, you can make generaliza-tions.”

And she did a lot of research, includ-ing consulting Debrett’s, the Britishspecialist publisher on etiquette andstyle, about the rules regarding whitetie and tails. Eventually, she received areply from a British embassy magazine

that she’d contacted. Those rules arerarely called for was the response.

All this was not lost on Mr. Hinton,who notes that Vogue editor AnnaWintour tried to bring back tails formen at last year’s Met Gala in NewYork. He himself thought Tom Fordtuxes would be a better fit for hison-stage ball. Together, he and Ms.Poddubiuk pulled out the fashionstops, opting for bold British designerssuch as John Galliano and his famous“homeless” collection to bring therunway to the streets and vice versa.

“Alfred Doolittle is now a garbagecollector wearing a reflective orangevest,” says Mr. Hinton. “Think howshocked you would be if he were toappear in your living room schmearedwith garbage.”

Henry Higgins, played by PatrickMcManus, remains a language profes-sor but, says Mr. Hinton, dressed inPrada and cargo pants – “thousandsof dollars but all rumpled like hedoesn’t care.”

Ms. Poddubiuk even makes a throwto Vivienne Westwood’s spring 2015menswear collection that showed inMilan in January, which was a tributeto Prince Charles.

British fashion, with all its tensionbetween punk anarchy and white-tieformality, is richly referenced visuallythroughout the show. Mrs. Higgins hasbeen reimagined as a stylist or senioreditor at British Vogue. As for ElizaDoolittle, played by Harveen Sandhu,the modern idea of a cultural mash-upplays a part.

“We mark her journey, from scruffyto refined,” says Ms. Poddubiuk.

“It’s not colour-blind casting,” saysMr. Hinton of Ms. Sandhu, who is ofEast Indian descent. “She was castbecause she was the best actress forthe job. But we are going to includeher culture in the character. That is partof our modern world.”

Mr. Hinton notes the irony in that Eli-za’s distressed jeans would cost morethan an intact pair in our designer-madworld. “This play is essentially aboutthe manor-born super-rich teachingthe Kardashians how to behave. Butthe joke is on everyone.”

And everyone is in on the joke.

The Shaw Festival Theatre beginspreviews on April 6 and runs throughNovember 1. Pygmalion begins pre-views on May 31 and opens June 27.

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PYGMALION: A CLASS ACTIN MODERN COSTUME

Shaw Festival launches with the timeless comedy about elegance, elocutionand the social pecking order. Just you wait

▲ Model Act 5Mrs. Higgins’s setting is hershowroom/office, where peoplein the fashion industry gatherand show. There will be a groupof models whose clothes in someways play with the identity andtransformation of Eliza and someEdwardian tropes.

▲ Alfred Doolittle Act 2Self-explanatory. He will be filthybut natural, at ease with his station.

▲ Mrs. Higgins Act 3Clearly modelled on Britishdesigner Vivienne Westwood.Much of Dame Westwood’ssingularity and activism suit – ifturned on its head slightly – theindependent taste-making Shawversion.

Eliza Doolittle Act 5Finally, Eliza masters the tricks

of “passing” socially – theaccent, the manners, the chic.

▲ Eliza Doolittle Act 2She has decked herself out in herbest effort to appear as “a lady.”

Henry Higgins Act 1The idea with this design is

that Professor Higgins ownsa closetful of ill-cared-fordesigner duds and things

picked up on a careless whim.He’s a bit of a misanthrope, astubborn intellectual who’s a

social misfit.▲

▲ Eliza Doolittle Act 1Here she is as the “squashedcabbage leaf” of a flowerseller. She is a survivor and anentrepreneur with aspirationsand wit, if not the correctaccent.

▲

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Basil, Sybil and Manuel serve upcomedy amid culinary chaosFawlty Towers homage is an improvised recipe for disaster that everyone enjoys

After she has played the nag-ging wife and dished outBritish cuisine and comedy

for 17 years, you’d imagine AlisonPollard-Mansergh might feel slightlyjaded about the whole thing.

Far from it; the actress, who wasinstrumental in starting Faulty Towers:The Dining Experience back in 1997,can’t imagine life without performingand finds new laughs in every show.

“I’ve often wondered when the timewould come that it would dry up butit hasn’t, and I think it’s going to runfor a long time to come,” says Ms.Pollard-Mansergh, who plays the roleof Sybil Fawlty.

If past success is anything to go by,she could be right.

Interactive theatre at its best, thedining event is an homage to FawltyTowers, the hugely popular 1970s TVseries, written by John Cleese andConnie Booth.

From humble beginnings in Aus-tralia in 1997, Faulty Towers: TheDining Experience took the world bystorm, making its international debutin 2008 at the Edinburgh FestivalFringe, where it has sold out everyyear since.

It has also been played to sold-outcrowds in India, Iceland, Singaporeand the Emirates.

The event opened a residency inLondon’s West End in 2012 and con-tinues there still, ranking consistentlywith critics and audiences alike as oneof London’s best performances andattractions.

Ms. Pollard-Mansergh attributes itspopularity to the excellent writing ofthe original TV show.

“The writing was just brilliant. It tooka long time to write the script, and the

stories are very layered,” she says.“I think it is also because anyone

who has stayed in hotels around theworld knows what can go wrong, sothere is a believability to it to thisday. People laugh at thingsthey recognize.”

And while the content of Faulty Tow-ers: The Dining Experience mirrors theTV series by playing upon scenes, Ms.Pollard-Mansergh is keen to point out

that they do not poachfrom the script.

“ Pe o p l e w h ocome are fansof the show,so it has to berelative to theser ies ,” shesays.

So, of course,Sybil screams

for Basil in her high-pitched way, andManuel mixes up his words at everyturn.

Only a third of the Fawlty Towersis scripted; the rest is improv, so any-thing can happen.

“We have scripted pieces that weplay for the entire room and they arethe main backbone of the storyline,but there could be 20 other differentstories going on in the room.”

The actors, just three, have a widearea to cover – 130 guests in a largeroom – so not everyone will get tohear every joke.

“We do get around to all thetables, and the things we

do are relative to that

table. Some of the audience who arenot versed in interactive theatre don’tunderstand that and think they aremissing out, but it’s just part of theexperience.”

The show runs until May 10.For ticket information, visitsonycentre.ca or phone 416.368.6161.

From left: BenedictHolme, Leigh Kellyand Alison Pollard-

Masergh play thehapless characters

of Fawlty Towersfrom the 1970s show inFaulty Towers: The Dining

Experience. The interactivetheatre experience is

based on the TVseries written by

John Cleeseand Connie

Booth.

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yThroughthe eye of a needle

Ottawa audiences will soon beable to see one of the trulygreat works of Canadian the-

atre – in either of Canada’s officiallanguages – when Robert Lepage’sastounding Needles and Opium (LesAiguilles et l’opium) comes to theNational Arts Centre (NAC) from lateMay to early June.

“The show, conceived in 1991, wasthought to be years ahead of its timethen – and now, 25 years later, it isstill light-years ahead of its time,” saysJillian Keiley, artistic director of Englishtheatre at NAC. “There isn’t anythinglike it and there may never be.”

Like all of Mr. Lepage’s masterpieces,Needles and Opium is nothing if notunique – a blend of skillful, emotion-filled writing, dazzling staging andextraordinary technology.

In a series of mesmerizing scenesthat are filled with stunning visualimages, Mr. Lepage conjures up twodrug-addicted artists. French writerJean Cocteau is in Paris in 1949 enroute to New York, and jazz greatMiles Davis is also in Paris in 1949 andexperiencing a turbulent love affairwith French singer Juliette Greco. Bothare hooked on drugs – Mr. Cocteau onopium and Mr. Davis on heroin.

Then there’s a man from Quebec, awould-be theatre artist called Robert,who is staying at Hotel La Louisianein 1989. Abandoned by his lover, he iswracked by feelings of loss and tryingto shake off his own addiction – to

love. Robert’s pain mir-rors that of Mr. Cocteauand Mr. Davis: Is he artistenough to create some-thing great and wonder-ful out of this extremesuffering?

Most of the action takesplace inside a large cube,which twists and rotates,offering a huge variety ofperspectives and view-points. All this, plus art-fully chosen projected video imagesand Mr. Davis’s gloriously mournfulmusic, creates an evening of puretheatrical magic.

Mr. Lepage crafted the show when hewas artistic director of Théâtre françaisat the NAC from 1989 to 1993 and origi-nally played the central role himself.He has since handed off this role toMarc Labrèche but directs this revival.Among the updates: The character ofRobert has aged 20 years, from about30 to 50, and the figure of Miles Davisnow appears on stage.

Raised in Quebec City, the 57-year-oldMr. Lepage sprang to fame with suchshows as The Dragons’ Trilogy (1985),Vinci (1986), Le Polygraphe (1987-90)and Tectonic Plates (1988-90). Needlesand Opium helped cement his fameinternationally, and in 1994 he foundedhis production company, Ex Machina,which continues to showcase his workworldwide.

He has remained busy, creating and

directing his own work, as well asstaging films, plays, operas and mul-timedia extravaganzas.

“[Being at the NAC] was a reallyexciting time for me,” says Mr. Lep-age, “I learned a lot about who I amand what my aspirations are. It gaveme the means to produce and create alot of stuff I wasn’t able to do before.”

A co-presentation of NAC EnglishTheatre, Théâtre français du CNA andthe Magnetic North Theatre Festival,Needles and Opium will be performedin French from May 19-23 and inEnglish from May 27 to June 6. Fortickets, call 1.888.991.2787 or visit theNAC box office at 53 Elgin St., Ottawa.

VideoCabaret, a prolific and highlyinventive experimental the-atre ensemble in Toronto, has

amassed an incredible series of Cana-dian history plays told in a thoroughlyentertaining style.

More than 20 productions drama-tizing the history of Canada overthe centuries have been created byCanadian playwright, theatre directorand multimedia artist Michael Hol-lingsworth and his team, and theirefforts have garnered numerous DoraAwards and nominations. Two of Mr.Hollingsworth’s plays are featuredthis spring as partner presentationswith Soulpepper, Canada’s largesturban theatre company – Trudeauand the FLQ, a sell-out hit last year,and Trudeau and Lévesque, whichpromises to follow suit.

In Trudeau and Levesque (onstageApril 25), the irreconcilable visions

of Pierre Elliott Trudeau and RenéLévesque clash: one of les Canadiensgoverning Canada from sea to sea,the other of les Québécois governingQuébec. Black comedy at its best, theplay is populated with diverse char-acters, ranging from politicians andcombatants to provocateurs and spies.Trudeau and the FLQ (May 12) refer-ences the centenary of Canadian Con-federation, with Québec separatistsescalating the violence and Trudeaupirouetting to power on a stage lit byexploding terrorist bombs. The showportrays the confrontation betweenTrudeau and the FLQ.

Audiences can also look forwardto two Soulpepper concert series inApril – The Nina Project (April 3-12),which showcases award-winningAfrican-Canadian vocalists performingthe music of jazz artist Nina Simone;and New Orleans – The Big Easy (April10-12), a celebration of the famouscity’s rich musical legacy.

Soulpepper also hosts a weeklycabaret night, an intimate musicalexperience with some of Toronto’sbest artists.

Cocteau and Davis, drama and jazz,

Needles and Opium presents an all-time high

theatre experience

Marc Labrèche has stepped intothe role originally created 25 years

ago by writer-director RobertLepage in Needles and Opium.

PHOTO: NICOLA-FRANK VACHON

VideoCabaret gets everyone on board for historic plays. PHOTO: MICHAEL COOPER

Historic plays resonatewith contemporaryaudiencesSoulpepper season opens

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revived VideoCabaret hit plays

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After a long and particularly brutalwinter, how about a bracingnight at the opera as a pick-

me-up?Opera Atelier’s Marshall Pynkoski’s

prescription is Christoph WillibaldGluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice, whichis “the perfect opera for spring.”

Says Mr. Pynkoski, “It is the mostbeautiful opera – a universal story oflove, sacrifice and hope.”

Tuneful, romantic and passionate,Orpheus and Eurydice was first per-formed in 1762 and is now an acknowl-edged favourite among opera-goers.According to Greek myth, Orpheuswas the supreme musician of his age, aman who could charm all living things– and even stones – with the beautyof his voice.

The opera opens with Orpheus indeep mourning at the tomb of hiswife, Eurydice. Amour appears andtells him he can go to the Underworldand attempt to win her back.

But Amour imposes one condi-tion: Orpheus must not look back at

Supreme springlove storyEnduring Greek myth Orpheus and Eurydice descendson Opera Atelier

21C Music Festival promises fresh new sounds from‘today’s most fearless musicians’

Stewart Copelanddrums up newbeats for premiere

Eurydice until they are both safelyabove ground.

Directed by Mr. Pynkoski and cho-reographed by Jeannette LajeunesseZingg, the production will star Cana-dian mezzo-soprano Mireille Lebel asOrpheus; it will be her first major rolefor Opera Atelier. Soprano Peggy KrihaDye will be Eurydice, with MeghanLindsay as Amour.

They will be joined by members ofthe Atelier Ballet and by the TafelmusikBaroque Orchestra, conducted byDavid Fallis. It will be sung in French,with English surtitles.

Opera Atelier is no stranger toGluck’s Orpheus and Eurydice, last pre-senting it 2007. But this time aroundthey are using the 1859 version by Hec-tor Berlioz in which Orpheus is playedby a female contralto; the role wasoriginated by the renowned castratoGaetano Guadagni.Gluck’s masterpiece will run April 9to April 18 at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre.Tickets are available at ticketmaster.ca or by calling 1.855.622.2787.

Steward Copeland, former drummer for The Police,pushes the boundaries with Off the Score.

Imagine Canadian classical pianistJon Kimura Parker in musical part-nership with Stewart Copeland, who

was the drummer of 1980s rock bandThe Police.

Such innovative collaborations areat the heart of the 21C Music Festival,where modern music – mainly 21st-century – is front and centre. Theeight-concert Royal Conservatory ofMusic (RCM) festival runs from May20 to 24 in Toronto. Here are somehighlights.

The first concert, on May 20 atKoerner Hall, is titled Off the Score andfeatures Parker and Copeland, plus achamber ensemble in a program thatincludes the world premiere of Cope-land’s Coincidence or Convergence? –which was commissioned by the RCM.

Light and Matter on May 21 atKoerner Hall brings Finnish electro-acoustic composer Kaija Saariaho toToronto. The concert features three ofher works and includes two Canadian

premieres – a composition by OmarDaniel for piano quintet and basswith text by author Yann Martell, anda musical work by Polish composerJerzy Fitelberg.

Illusions, on May 22 at Koerner Hall,is the Ontario premiere of a majornew multimedia work written for theGryphon Trio, Ensemble contemporainde Montréal and baritone VincentRanallo. The concert will also featuretwo works commissioned by the RCM,one by clarinetist Don Byron, the otherby jazz guitarist Michael Occhipinti.

There’s more music by Kaija Saa-riaho in Cinq à Sept, the concert onMay 23 at the Conservatory Theatre,when soprano Carla Huhtanen andmezzo Marion Newman perform inGrammaire des rêves. The programalso includes the world premiere of awork by Jordan Noble, commissionedby the RCM.

Also on May 23 is the Spin Cycleconcert, which features four young

Canadian composers, the Afiara Quar-tet and the renowned scratch stylistSkratch Bastid in a series of composi-tions, remixes and responses.

The festival ends May 24 withEncuentros at Koerner Hall, presentedby Soundstreams and featuring afusion of the sensual music of Latincultures.For more information and to purchasetickets, go to rcm.ca.

NEXT WEEK AT THE RCM

The acclaimed Chamber Music Societyof Lincoln Center visits Koerner HallWed., April 8, as part of a 12-city tourwith Romantic Piano Quartets, a con-cert that is being recorded by DeutscheGrammaphon. The society’s co-artisticdirectors, cellist David Finckel and pia-nist Wu Han, join violinist Daniel Hopeand violist Paul Neubauer in works byMahler, Schumann and Brahms.

The Gryphon Trio willperform at The RoyalConservatory of Music’ssecond annual 21C MusicFestival, running fromMay 20 to May 24.

A photo from a 2007 production of Orpheus and Eurydice, by Opera Atelier, shows Orpheusrescuing his wife in the Underworld. In this season’s production, Peggy Kriha Dye (foreground)will once again play the role of Eurydice, but Orpheus will be played by a woman.

PHOTO: BRUCE ZINGER

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Another epic journey

PHOTO: MATTHEW MURPHY

ward to getting back to Toronto.”The energy of a new cast is some-

thing he also enjoys. “It’s the samelines and moves, but different actorsbring something fresh. New thingscome out,” he explains. “And what’sso wonderful about this show is thatyou’re not dealing with a chorus ofdancing girls. It’s about individualpeople who work in a factory.”

And then, of course, there’s themusic, written by singer and song-writer icon, Cyndi Lauper. Pop-infused,yet very theatrical, says Mr. Mitchell,

she was eager to learn the craft of writ-ing for a theatrical production.

“Cyndi didn’t come into the pro-cess thinking she was just going towrite pop. She wanted to bring herknowledge of pop music, but shealso wanted to learn to tell stories,”he says. “We had an amazing col-laboration!”Kinky Boots plays June 16 to Sept.27 at the Royal Alexander Theatre.For tickets, visit mirvish.com or call416.872.1212 or 1.800.461.3333

Tolstoy’s tragic novel AnnaKarenina comes to life in dance

in a performance by thefamous Russian company

Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg.

The internationally celebratedcompany Les Ballets Jazz de

Montréal will present a diverseprogram when it premieres

in Toronto.

So Blue marks the emergence ofMontreal-born Louise Lecavalier

as a choreographer, shown (right)performing with Frédéric Tavernini.

With Ms. Lecavalier as his mainmuse, Mr. Lock established La La LaHuman Steps. Many of the company’sseminal works – including HumanSex, New Demons and 2 – weredefined by her remarkable power andpresence.

Ms. Lecavalier also figured promi-nently in Mr. Lock’s collaborations withFrank Zappa and David Bowie.

About So Blue, first presented inDüsseldorf, Germany, in late 2012, Ms.Lecavalier says: “I wanted to allow thebody to say everything it wants to saywithout censoring it, so that out ofthis profusion of spontaneous move-ments, something true and beyondour control emerges.”

Meanwhile, making its Canadianpremiere in April is Anna Karenina –about passion and adultery, and thedesire for happiness and fulfillment– presented by the Eifman Ballet ofSt. Petersburg.

“There are the big two [ballet com-

Dance, three ways

Cyndi Lauper’s score ispop-infused

FROM PAGE 1

FROM PAGE 1

Opera star Ben Heppner makes his

musical theatre debut in Titanic

Everyone knows how the storygoes, but the tale of the ill-fatedocean liner Titanic has endured

through the years as a celebration ofthe human spirit.

This May, Titanic, the musical, willembark on yet another epic voyage.Not to be confused with the Holly-wood movie, the musical first took tothe stage in 1997 (the same year thefilm hit movie theatres) on Broadway,where it enjoyed a two-year, TonyAward–winning run. Returning as arevival by the producers of Chicagoand Pippin, the show is sailing into

Toronto for an exclusive pre-Broadwayrun.

Canadian tenor opera star BenHeppner joins the Titanic cast, play-ing Isidor Straus, a prominent U.S.politician and businessman, who,along with his wife, died when theship went down. The involvementof Mr. Heppner, who has taken onsome of the most iconic roles in operaand performed with the world’s toporchestras at acclaimed venues, is agreat coup for the musical. And he ispleased to be on board.

“Last spring, I mentioned to DavidMirvish that I’d love to do some actingin one of his shows. I never thoughtthat he might take me seriously,” saysMr. Heppner. “I’m totally pumped toclimb aboard this production. Justthink, I get to sail onstage again with-out having to drink Isolde’s poison orwear Viking horns.”

Besides playing Mr. Straus, he willtake on three other roles. Thom South-erland, a British theatre director knownfor his revivals of classic musicals on

the London stage, uses an ensemblecast for Titanic, which means theactors play two, three or more rolesin the telling of the story.

It will be a “privilege,” notes Mr.Southerland, to work with the tenorand see him create the role of Mr.Straus. “I can’t wait to begin rehears-als,” he says, “and to finally bring theshow to Toronto.”

Set to a captivating score by Ameri-can composer Maury Yeston, whowon a Tony for Best Score for Broad-way’s Titanic, the musical followsthe journeys of real-life characters.Among these are three women insteerage, all named Kate; J. BruceIsmay, chairman and managing direc-tor of prominent British shippingfirm White Star Line; Edward Smith,captain of the Titanic; and the ship’sprincipal architect, Thomas Andrews,who caused the tragedy by ignoringthe iceberg warnings but then tried toavert the disaster.Titanic plays May 19 to June 21 at thePrincess of Wales Theatre.

‘Last spring, I mentionedto David Mirvish that I’dlove to do some acting inone of his shows. I neverthought that he might takeme seriously.’

panies] and then Eifman,” Mr. Ham-mond says.

“They are popular with the Russiancommunity and the ballet audience.They are very populist in many ways;it’s not high-end ballet but still anextremely sophisticated technique.”

On Friday, April 24, a preshow dis-cussion will take place with Universityof Toronto professor Julia Zarankin onwhat makes Tolstoy’s Anna Kareninaa classic.

The third show is by Les Ballets Jazzde Montréal dance company.

“They have been coming to Torontosince 1979. The first time I presentedthem was at a cinema on the Danforththat we turned into a dance theatre forthe night,” Mr. Hammond recalls.

Under the artistic direction of LouisRobitaille since 1998, the troupe willperform a mixed bill of contemporaryworks from three different chore-ographers. Each brings a distinctivetechnique, combining the aestheticsof classical ballet with many otherstyles of dance.

“Again, this is very accessible forall,” Mr. Hammond contends.

This is a show to which anyonecan come and have a good time, but[Les Ballets Jazz] would rival any dancecompany from around the world.”

For all three shows, top-class qualityis essential, says the program director.

“We will not put something on stageunless we can stand up and say, thisis excellent work. Often in the artsworld, it’s said that something can’tbe excellent and popular, but we knowthat’s just not true.”

‘I wanted to allow thebody to say everythingit wants to say withoutcensoring it, so thatout of this profusion ofspontaneous movements,something true andbeyond our controlemerges.’

Ben Heppner, opera star

Louise Lecavalier,Canadian contemporary-dance legend

Canadian tenor starBen Heppner joinsthe cast of Titanicin a bold transitionfrom classical operato musical theatre.

Rose Theatreseason springsinto actionDance and acrobatics are main April

attractions at Brampton’s performing arts centre

It began as a way to mark the 25thanniversary of the release of NelsonMandela after 27 years in prison. But

Spotlight South Africa, which runsuntil April 25 in Toronto at CanadianStage, is now even more special. It’sa celebration of the vibrant, vital cul-ture that continues to flourish in thistroubled republic.

Matthew Jocelyn, Canadian Stage’scurrent artistic and general director,recalls how the “magnificent force anddetermination” of South African artiststook him by surprise in 2013, when hefirst visited the country.

“It soon became clear that CanadianStage’s third Spotlight Festival had tocentre around the theatre, dance andperformance art of this great nation,”he says.

South African artists are uncompro-mising in their need to re-examine thepast and question social and politicalorder today, he says, and “to imaginea future that, with hope and much hardwork, might just resolve many of thedeeply complex issues still plaguingtheir post-apartheid world.”

Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (April28 at 8 p.m.) Combining classical andcontemporary dance, this popularMontreal dance company promises acolourful evening featuring works bychoreographers Benjamin Millepied(director of the Opéra de Paris), Ando-nis Foniadakis and Barak Marshall.Tickets from $41.

Cirque Mechanics: Pedal Punk (April30 at 8 p.m.) Blending traditionalcircus disciplines with Cirque-styleelements, this production features a

contortionist on a turntable poweredby unicyclists, a trapeze artist flyinghigh and trampoline wall artists defy-ing the laws of physics.All the while, audiences will begiggling at the antics of the come-dic characters and marvelling atthe acro-dancing and they will beenchanted by the narrative. Ticketsfrom $58; children 12 and under, $25.

To reserve seats, please phone thebox office at 905.874.2800 or pur-chase tickets online at rosetheatre.ca.

Putting the SPOTLIGHT onSouth AfricaCanadian Stage features five vibrant productions

from the post-apartheid nation

In total, five productions will bepresented at the Bluma Appel andBerkeley Street theatres:Nongogo, written by Athol Fugardand produced by Johannesburg’srenowned Market Theatre. April 8-12,Berkeley Street Theatre Downstairs.The Meal and Hatched by dancer/cho-reographer/activist Mamela Nyamza– an exploration of what it is to be awoman in today’s society. BerkeleyStreet Theatre Upstairs, April 8-19.Ubu and the Truth Commission, a playby Jane Taylor, merges Alfred Jarry’sUbu Roi with testimony from the post-apartheid Truth and ReconciliationCommission and is directed by WilliamKentridge. Berkeley Street TheatreDownstairs, April 15-19.Dominion, choreographed by LuyundaSidiya – a dance program about theuses and abuses of power. BlumaAppel Theatre, April 22-25.Chandelier, a piece by controversialSouth Africa-born performance artistSteven Cohen that explores issues ofidentity. Berkeley Theatre Downstairs.April 22-25.

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Performanceartist StevenCohen stars inChandelier,which bringsinto focus theevacuation ofa township inJohannesburgset to bebulldozedbecause ofpoor livingconditions.PHOTO: JOHN HOGG

Set against the turbulence of 1950s South Africa, Nongogo is a play about a budding romancebetween a tough township queen and a travelling salesman. PHOTO: RUPHIN COUDYZER

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Shininga light ongrowing pains

EMILY’S PIANOYoung People’s Theatre (YPT) pres-ents the world premiere of Emily’sPiano, which tells the story of a younggirl’s emotional journey amid familyupheavals: her parents are separating,her dad is starting a new relationship,and her grandmother is being placedinto a care facility.

The play continues YPT’s explora-tion into mental health and wellnessin the lives of young people. April 13to May 2.

TAGGEDA timely play about the dangers ofsocial media and the harsh realitiesof cyber bullying come to a head inTagged.

Three young people are swept up ina social media maelstrom, as a picturefrom a party goes viral. The photo, apassed-out girl’s face with the word“slut” written on it in lipstick, prompts

the characters to deal with issues ofownership, privacy and culpability.Tagged, by acclaimed Canadian play-wright Dave Deveau, will be presentedby Green Thumb Theatre from April21 to May 8.

BEDTIMEMontreal’s dynamic dance companyBouge de là returns to YPT with itshigh-octane dance-theatre piece Bed-time. Co-produced by the YPT andMontreal-based dance theatre Agorade la danse, the show explores thephases of childhood as seen in thebedroom. With the bed as the centreof the piece, choreographer HélèneLangevin explores four slices of lifedrawn from childhood, where babies,children and adolescents transformtheir beds into a territory of multiplepossibilities.Bedtime will be at the Mainstage The-atre from May 6 to 14.

From peer pressure to mental health, Young People’s

Theatre showcases stories that matter to young people

Young People’s Theatre is kicking off the season with plays themed around emotional health and wellness.Bedtime, above, chronicles experiences as seen from a bedroom. PHOTO: SUZANE O’NEILL