Bernstein's TROUBLE IN TAHITI Begins Previews at the Shaw Festival

A lush musical portrait of a seemingly blissful marriage in 1950s suburbia takes centre stage in Leonard Bernstein's Trouble in Tahiti. Directed by Jay Turvey, this season's lyrical lunchtime is a stylish, jazzy mid-day treat. Trouble in Tahiti began previews today, June 1, at the Court House Theatre as part of the Shaw Festival.

Infused with a cool jazz sensibility, Trouble in Tahiti is a musical glimpse behind the pristine façade of the 1950s American Dream revealing the chaos and turmoil lurking beneath. To the outside world, Sam (Mark Uhre) and Dinah (Elodie Gillet) are the perfect couple: she's a happy homemaker taking care of Junior; he's a successful business executive on the rise - living a picture-perfect suburban life in a little white house with all the modern conveniences, but with a painful absence of household conversation. They're living the dream, but yearn to return to the paradise of their early years together and rekindle the marital magic they have lost along the way.

With music and movement, a day in the life of Sam and Dinah is captured with a little help from an ironic stylish Chorus, featuring Alana Hibbert, Patty Jamieson, Nichola Lawrence, Anthony Malarky, Stewart Adam McKensy, Brandyn McKinson, Louie Rossetti, Jacqueline Thair and Jay Turvey.

Trouble in Tahiti has musical direction by Paul Sportelli and is designed by Michael Gianfrancesco, with lighting design by Andrew Smith and choreography by Linda Garneau. The stage management team includes Stage Manager Diane Konkin and Assistant Stage Manager Barry Burns.

Premiering in June 1952 at Brandeis University's Festival of the Creative Arts, Trouble in Tahiti was reworked that summer by Bernstein, later performed at Tanglewood's Music Theatre and then again live on NBC's Television Opera Theatre in November. It premiered on Broadway in April 1955. A Quiet Place, its sequel, premiered in 1983. Trouble in Tahiti was first presented at the Shaw Festival as a musical reading in 2010. This is the first time it has been produced by The Shaw.

Trouble in Tahiti began preview performances on Friday, June 1, opens Saturday, July 7 and plays in repertory until Sunday, October 7. Tickets to any performance of Trouble in Tahiti are $32 (CDN funds and do not include applicable tax).

The Shaw Festival's 2012 season began April 10, 2012, runs until October 28, 2012 and features 11 productions presented on the Festival's four Niagara-on-the-Lake stages. For more information on our 2012 season, performance schedule and ticket information, please visit www.shawfest.com.

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