Lauren Gienow - Page 5

We are in the Ides of August and the final few openings of the 66th season at the Stratford Festival have begun. Last night, JULIUS CAESAR had its opening night at the Festival Theatre. It has been nine years since this production graced the Stratford stage and this thrilling production is sure to have audiences clamouring to come see it.

On Friday evening, BWW had the pleasure of taking in some fantastic live jazz music as part of the Stratford Summer Music Festival's cabaret series. The venue was the always-enchanting Revival House, and on stage was John MacLeod's Rex Hotel Orchestra featuring vocalist Carol McCartney.

Back for a third consecutive year as part of the 'Night Music' series with The Stratford Festival's 'Forum', is a cabaret performance by company members . THIS THING CALLED LOVE will be presented in the Festival Theatre Lobby at 7:30pm on Monday, July 30th. Steve Ross, who plays Mayor Shinn in THE MUSIC MAN and The Narrator in THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW this season at the Festival, is once again developing, and performing in this cabaret.

Stratford Ontario has caught ROCKY HORROR fever with the hit production at the Stratford Festival's Avon Theatre, and BWW had the chance to chat with the performers, the director, and audience members from all walks of life to find out just what magic is at work here!

Over the years, I have had a variety of different thoughts as I walked out of a theatre at the Stratford Festival having just watched a Shakespearean production. I often reflect on how the show made me feel, or the incredible performances I just witnessed, or the creative ways the director made the production his or her own. All of those thoughts certainly crept into my mind in the hours following the opening performance of CORIOLANUS, but Friday night was the first time that I exited the theatre after seeing one of Shakespeare's works where the very first thought that crossed my mind was 'That. Was. Cool.' The second thought that crossed my mind was 'Had the Tom Patterson Theatre been available, would this production have been at the Avon?' If the answer is 'no', then thank goodness for construction because the Avon Theatre is exactly where this production needed to be and Robert Lepage is exactly the person who needed to direct it. Again…That. Was. Cool.

Thursday evening marked the world premiere of BRONTË: THE WORLD WITHOUT at the Stratford Festival's Studio Theatre. Written by Jordi Mand, and developed in the Stratford Festival's Laboratory, this piece explores the relationship between Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Bronte, as well as the brilliance and passion for writing that each sister possessed. Director Vanessa Porteous and the small but mighty cast of Beryl Bain, Jessica B. Hill, and Andrea Rankin explore the genius, jealousy, and genuine love of writing and of each other shared by these iconic sisters.

As the house lights went down in Stratford's Festival Theatre on June 10th and it became clear that director Antoni Cimolino's production of THE TEMPEST was about to begin, there were loud cheers of excitement and, quite frankly, relief from the audience-many of whom had been at the theatre for what was supposed to be Opening Night of the Festival just weeks earlier. All eyes were on the 44-season Festival veteran Martha Henry, who was already on stage. The anticipation among audience members was palpable. Everyone seemed excited that she finally had this moment that had been rudely taken away from her by a bomb threat on May 28th. And then, as is the case with all good theatre…those thoughts and emotions were swept away, as the audience became immersed in the story happening before the

Audiences at the Shaw Festival are in for a treat (or three) for the next month, as Stephen Fry regales them with tales of Greek myth. He has constructed three one man shows, directed by Tim Carroll and based on his book MYTHOS which explores these myths as he has heard them and read about them over the years. His stage trilogy at the Festival Theatre is split into GODS, HEROES, and MEN. Theatregoers can choose to see some or all of these productions. The Shaw Festival indicates that it does not matter if you see the shows in order, but after watching all three, I will say that there is most definitely an established order, and I would argue that audiences who are seeing all three would get the most enjoyment out of the experience if they did watch them in such order (GODS, then HEROES, then MEN). That said, I agree that this is certainly not necessary to appreciate the grand storytelling ability of Mr. Fry.

Opening week has come and gone at the Stratford Festival and with that, the 2018 season is in full swing. This includes the events and discussions taking place as part of The Forum. One such event is MAKING CLASSIC MUSICALS CONTEMPORARY--A discussion between Director/Choreographer Donna Feore and CBC Radio Host and Globe and Mail music critic Robert Harris, moderated by director and journalist Richard Ouzounian. This in-depth analysis of what makes classic musicals last, how they stay relevant, and the ways in which they can be made to feel more contemporary for audiences today, will take place this Saturday morning at the Studio Theatre.

Each season at the Stratford Festival, there is a production that is geared to children or youth and is put on by Schulich Children's/Youth Plays. This season, that production is TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Based on the novel by Harper Lee and dramatized by Christopher Sergel, this play is likely advertised as being geared towards youth and adults because the book is so commonly read at the high school level, and also because it explores the perspective of children. The material and the issues dealt with are hard ones--for both young people and adults. this is what made the novel so important when it was published, and what makes this play important today. The powerful story is matched by powerful performances by all involved. This is a play that will linger in your mind long past the final bows.

Saturday night marked the end of Opening Week at the Stratford Festival and there was no better way to wrap up a successful week than with the opening of Donna Feore's thrilling production of Richard O'Brien's THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. Captivating from beginning to end, and guaranteed to feel fresh and new each time it is performed, audiences are bound to have a thrilling time all season long.

On Friday night, a unique production of Shakespeare's THE COMEDY OF ERRORS was performed at the Studio Theatre-another production, which in any other year, would likely have been performed at the Tom Patterson Theatre, but I must say, it was neat to see it done at the Studio. Director Keira Loughran's production takes place in a completely gender fluid society-accepting of all sexual identities and orientations. Though potentially confusing for those who don't take the time to read the program liner notes, this twist proves to be quite inspired.

A delightfully fun and well-cast production of Oscar Wilde's AN IDEAL HUSBAND opened at the Stratford Festival's Avon Theatre on Thursday night. The show is a light-hearted comedy with a bit of an edge, as Wilde's story explores the notion that a woman should forgive a man's imperfections-even if said imperfections involve a serious crime-so long, of course, that the man has not been caught for committing said crime! This conclusion is somewhat unsettling, and the fact that the characters in question are generally likeable has audience members questioning their own morality in the end because, one's knee jerk reaction is indeed to be happy for everyone! Leave it to Oscar Wilde (and director Lezlie Wade) to trick us a fun play that actually becomes a spring board for self analysis and discussion about when it is appropriate to forgive ourselves and others and how we can manage to justify our actions or those of the people we love…when it suits us.

The latest production to open at the Stratford Festival, is the Eugene O'Neill classic LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. Directed by Miles Potter, this emotional and honest production will rip your heart out and leave you thinking about the family it is based on for days. It is an absolute must-see this season at the Festival.

Last night marked the opening of the Stratford Festival's production of Meredith Willson's THE MUSIC MAN at the Festival Theatre. In this show, music is responsible for bringing the children of River City back to their parents. Tonight, it also brought patrons of the Stratford Festival back to the theatre.

Earlier this evening, the Stratford Festival's Opening Night Performance of THE TEMPEST was promptly canceled and audiences, staff, and performers were evacuated from both the Festival and Avon Theatres in response to what has now been confirmed as a bomb threat. Publicity Director, Ann Swerdfager released the following statement on behalf of the Festival:

This Sunday, April 22nd, will mark the cinematic release of the 2017 Stratford Festival production of TIMON OF ATHENS - One of Shakespeare's later plays, for which productions are not nearly as common as some of Shakespeare's other stories. Directed for the stage by Stephen Ouimette, and directed for the screen by Barry Avrich, TIMON OF ATHENS is a story of a man who gives generously but does not pay close enough attention to his own debt. When the collectors come calling, Timon's friends do not show up for him like he did for them. This betrayal drastically changes his worldview and sends him into a tragic, reclusive life. Joseph Ziegler, who portrayed Timon in the production, was kind enough to chat with Broadway World about bringing this play to the big screen.

In 2015, the Stratford Festival of Canada, under the leadership of Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino and Executive Director Anita Gaffney, committed to capturing the entire Shakespeare canon in HD. Several stage productions have been filmed and released in cinemas and on DVD in the past few years, and this past season, it was ROMEO AND JULIET's turn. One performance of this much lauded production, starring Sara Farb as Juliet and Antoine Yared as Romeo, was filmed late in the 2017 season. Its cinematic release is now upon us. It will be coming to select Cineplex theatres nationwide on March 3rd. Broadway World had the opportunity to chat with Ms. Farb and Mr. Yared about their experience playing these characters and what this jump to the big screen means to them.

This holiday season, a delightful production of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT is on stage at Hamilton's Theatre Aquarius. This production is loads of fun for the entire family, and makes for the perfect holiday excursion.

A few weeks ago, Broadway World reported that an exciting in-concert production of DRACULA: A CHAMBER MUSICAL would be presented one night only at Knox Presbyterian Church in Stratford, Ontario. The concert took place last week in front of a packed church, and it certainly did not disappoint.