BELLE SOEURS THE MUSICAL Set to Explode on the Montreal Stage, 10/19 - 11/9

After taking Quebec by storm, the smash-hit musical adaptation of Michel Tremblay's landmark work BELLES SOEURS: THE MUSICAL explodes onto the Montreal stage in its premiere English Language incarnation at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts from October 19 to November 9, 2014.

Pairing Michel Tremblay's iconic 1960s story of working class strife with book, lyrics and direction by René Richard Cyr and the music of Juno Award-winning recording artist Daniel Bélanger, Belles-soeurs théâtre musical premiered at the Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui in 2010, touring throughout the province and to Paris in 2012.

Montreal producer Allan Sandler, CEO of Copa de Oro Productions, will produce the world premiere English adaptation of this Quebec musical sensation. Sandler has been at the helm of successful theatrical productions in both the English and French languages, including Chicago: The Musical, Grease, and the Mirvish production of War Horse.

Belles Soeurs: The Musical combines the talents of its original creative team, René Richard Cyr and Daniel Bélanger, with the musical vision of award-winning Canadian writers Neil Bartram and Brian Hill.

"Our challenge in adapting the French musical to English has been to combine the essence of our original production with the structure of the Broadway-style musical while ensuring that the story and the characters remain quintessentially Quebecois," stated director René Richard Cyr. The preeminent Quebec theatre, film and opera director makes his English theatre directorial debut at the Segal Centre with this exciting new production.

"Our task has been to retain the essence of these iconic women and tap into their universality for an English- speaking audience. It's been a fascinating and joyful challenge getting inside their heads and finding a counterpart for their unique voices," said composer and lyricist Neil Bartram and book-writer Brian Hill. The New-York based Canadian duo has created multiple musical theatre hits including Broadway's The Story of My Life (nominated for four Drama Desk Awards).

Tremblay's 1968 tragicomedy takes on a whole new dimension in this outrageously fun and poignant musical celebration performed in English by a stellar all-female cast hailing from across the country.

Val Boyle, Lili Connor, Élise Cormier, Lisa Horner, Geneviève Leclerc, Anik Matern, Geneviève St Louis, Stephanie McNamara, Marcia Tratt, Astrid Van Wieren, Paula Wolfson and Jocelyne Zucco have been cast as the heartbreaking and hilarious women of Belles Soeurs: The Musical.

The original design team of Jean Bard (Set Design), Mérédith Caron (Costumes) and Martin Labrecque (Lighting Design) will continue to bring their talents to the new production.

Playwright Michel Tremblay's impressive body of work continues to transcend all cultural and language barriers. His plays have been published and translated in a number of languages and have garnered critical acclaim in Canada, the United States and all over Europe.

Belles Sœurs: The Musical is presented by arrangement with B-14 Productions and Agence Goodwin.

The Segal Centre is a meeting place for all of the performing arts, showcasing the best professional artists from here and abroad and playing a leading role in the artistic development of Montreal's youth and the creation of its cultural legacy. Through theatre, music, dance, cinema and the Academy, the Segal Centre is setting a broad vision by recognizing the importance of building bridges through the arts and supporting multicultural projects in Montreal. The Centre's commitment is to ensure that creativity resonates within our community and that it remains accessible and inspiring each and every day. segalcentre.org

Select tickets are now on sale ($32-$64). Reserve today by phone at 514.739.7944 or online at segalcentre.org

Previews run from October 19 - 22, 2014 (all previews at 8:00 p.m.). Official performances will run until November 9, 2014. During the regular run, Monday and Sunday performances will be at 7:00 p.m., and Tuesday through Thursday will be at 8:00pm.

There will be matinées on Sunday, October 19 (1:30 p.m.), Wednesdays October 29th & November 5th (1:00 p.m.), and Sunday (2:00 p.m).

All performances will be held at 5170 chemin de la Côte-Ste-Catherine, Montreal, H3W 1M7.

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