Excited about the future. City Playhouse newly minted programming and operations supervisor Sam Rosenthal promises to put a new spin on your neighbourhood playhouse. STAFF PHOTO/STEVE SOMERVILLE
What do gypsies, Johnny Cash and a girl who adores pink cupcakes have in common? They’re all part of City Playhouse Theatre’s upcoming season.
And this season promises to be unlike any that have come before it, according to newly minted programming and operations supervisor Sam Rosenthal.
“This is a fresh start,” said Mr. Rosenthal, who in his previous role as artistic director mainly handled educational programs and marketing duties. “It’s my first stab at putting a new spin on this place and the new spin is, basically, it’s your neighbourhood playhouse with a great combination of some fantastic community performances and some terrific professional shows. ... It’s a great mix for everybody.”
While the entire lineup promises to be entertaining, Mr. Rosenthal said, there are two productions he’s particularly jazzed about.
“I’m excited about all of the shows here (but) I’m particularly excited by a couple of the shows we’ve brought in from New York for kids. That’s a show called Pinkalicious and Angelina Ballerina, which our younger audience is really excited about,” he said.
Pinkalicious The Musical is a sweet story about a little girl who gorges on pink cupcakes and winds up at the doctor’s office with an extreme case of “pinkititis”, which causes her to turn pink from head to toe. It runs Dec. 17 to Jan. 8.
Angelina Ballerina The Musical, based on the animated TV series, dances into town March 10 to March 16.
The 2011-2012 season kicks off Sept. 10 with Nu’Scugnizz’ A Toronto.
Performed in Italian, Enrico Rennella offers a peek inside the life of a street kid from Naples.
The Eastminster Choir takes over the stage for one night Oct. 15.
“They’re going to perform what’s called the Missa Gaia, which is this beautiful choral piece of work and they do blue grass as well. So if you’re into gospel music, come check this out,” Mr. Rosenthal said.
Following that will be the Gypsy Flame Showband, performing Yiddish and Roma folk songs on Oct. 16 and Colin Christopher the Hypnotist on Oct. 21.
After that the theatre travels back to the 1930s and 40s for two radio plays.
A re-creation of H.G. Wells’s classic alien-invasion tale, War of the Worlds, touches down Oct. 23 and 30. Following that will be the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, which runs during Holocaust Education Week Nov. 1 and Nov. 6.
“That one I’m really excited about because it’s near and dear to my heart and it’s a really incredible story of how these people rose up in the time of the Second World War,” Mr. Rosenthal said.
There will be something frighteningly new happening at the end of October.
That’s when Canadian playwright Peter Colley’s comedy-thriller When The Reaper Calls settles in for a two-week run from 0ct. 26 to Nov. 6.
“They haven’t had a professional production running for two weeks here. It could be suicide because to fill this place every night for two weeks is a real challenge,” Mr. Rosenthal said. “So we’re kicking off with a big gala opening night with a silent auction and there’s going to be a band here and cocktails.”
Michael McMurtry’s acclaimed one-man comedy, A Tale of Rich & Poe, is up Nov. 13. In this family friendly comedy, Mr. McMurtry explores the true meaning of wealth through the story of a hapless thief named Poe who is determined to rob a benevolent millionaire named Rich.
Johnny Cash fans will want to mark Nov. 18 and 19 on their calendars.
That’s when The Legend in Black - Songs and Stories of John and June Carter Cash rolls into town.
Following The Man in Black will be Marquee Theatrical Productions’s rendition of Disney’s Aladdin from Nov. 24 to Nov. 26 and City Youth Players’s take on the famed musical Chicago from Dec. 1 to Dec. 4.
Judy & David’s Chanukah Live returns to the stage Dec. 10 and 11.
If you missed Paul Fracassi performing his tribute show, New Jersey Nights — Songs and Stories of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, last month during Vaughan’s Concerts in Park series, you can catch his act Feb. 3 and Feb. 4, 2012.
Fans of Canadian theatre can watch this country’s most prolific playwright, Norm Foster, starring in one of his own plays, The Love List, from Feb. 8 to Feb 19. “Norm’s shows aren’t typically done in Toronto or York Region, they’re more done in summer theatres ... so I’m happy to bring it in here,” Mr. Rosenthal said.
City Youth Players returns with its rendition of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat from Feb. 24 to March 4.
Rounding out the season is Marquee Theatrical Productions’ take on the hit Broadway musical Hairspray, which runs April 26 to April 29.
It’s not just the mix of professional and community theatre productions that sets this season apart, Mr. Rosenthal said.
This year the City Playhouse will be offering lunch and show packages for select performances. Plans are also in the works to set up an online ticket purchasing system. And the theatre is applying for a liquor licence.
“You can actually take the drink into the theatre with the new liquor laws. That’s kind of fun for adults coming to see some shows and they want to sit and have a drink,” Mr. Rosenthal said.
The theatre is also offering a wider array of educational programs this fall.
“We’ve been so successful that we’ve had to expand by adding a whole art course so, literally, you can come in now and take anything from preparing your portfolio to drawing and painting and there’s a photography course as well. We’ve added adult courses and seniors courses,” Mr. Rosenthal said. “So if you want to come watch something, you can. If you want to be involved in something, you can. ... This is a much more interactive place.”
Source:
No comments:
Post a Comment