Grand Theatre Announces Casting for Upcoming Season

The Grand Theatre is thrilled to announce an extraordinary line-up of local and national, returning and debuting artists in the 2017/18 Season. The season features a stunning artistic presence including Tara Rosling, Benedict Campbell, Catherine Joell MacKinnon and Daniel Williston. In addition, the Grand welcomes nationally and internationally renowned directors including Peter Hinton, Tracey Flye, Carey Perloff, and the Grand's Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum, who makes his Grand directing debut in his first season. Single tickets go on sale Tuesday July 4, 2017.

"We've been incredibly busy these last several months auditioning artists from across Canada. Our coming season will be our biggest yet with 95 actors and an expansive creative team producing known and new works on our stages," said Artistic Director, Dennis Garnhum.

Peter Hinton directs SILENCE, the inaugural production of the COMPASS New Play Development program. Hinton recently directed the Canadian Opera Company production of Louis Riel and currently is directing Octoroon at the Shaw Festival. Making her Grand debut in SILENCE is Tara Rosling, now in her 10th season at Shaw appearing in Dancing at Lughnasa and Middleton. She will perform with Catherine Joell MacKinnon, director of the biennial Toronto International Deaf Film and Arts Festival, and Suzanne Bennett, Acting Professor at Sheridan College, among others.

Debuting in the Grand's production of ONCE is Nathan Carroll (Andrej), who stared as Terry Fox in the Marathon of Hope: The Musical, and Soulpepper's Daniel Williston (Billy). ONCE will be directed by Tracey Flye, Associate Director of the 2015 Mirvish production of Once.

Debuting in CHARIOTS OF FIRE, which will be directed by Garnhum with set and costumes by the award-winning Bretta Gerecke, are Harry Judge, who is frequently at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre and Shaw, and Charlie Gallant, who has appeared at a number of Vancouver-based theatres including the Arts Club, Studio 58, and Bard on the Beach. Judge and Gallant are the lead actors (and runners) in this North American Premiere of the stage adaptation of Chariots of Fire.

The 2017/18 season marks a return to the Grand for many artists including Jeremy Walmsley (Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story ) starring as Guy in ONCE; Rachel Jones (A Christmas Story) who will be Mrs. Cratchit in A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and Stratford veteran Michael Spencer-Davis (Art) starring as Gardiner Greene Hubbard in SILENCE.

Several Londoners are cast in the coming season including Jim Doucette, Patrick Monaghan, Owen Barteet (who makes his acting debut as Tiny Tim in A CHRISTMAS CAROL), and Artistic Director of London's Original Kids Theatre Company, Andrew Tribe who will be Assistant Director for CHARIOTS OF FIRE.

The season also includes, on the Spriet Stage, Rebecca Northan's run-away improv hit, BLIND DATE, and the stage adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS, which premiered at A.C.T in San Francisco and was directed by Carey Perloff.

On the Grand's McManus Stage will be a three-play series that includes Ronnie Burkett's return engagement of THE DAISY THEATRE and 2b Theatre Company's WHAT A YOUNG WIFE OUGHT TO KNOW by award-winning playwright Hannah Moscovitch. The Grand's new production of THE GLASS MENAGERIE, directed by Artistic Associate Megan Watson, will premiere in the round on the McManus Stage, representing the Grand's return to producing in this intimate space after a 10-year hiatus. The audition call for the show received a record-breaking response from across the country with over 750 submissions for four roles. Casting begins this summer for this iconic Tennessee Williams play.

Since it began over 20 years ago, the Grand's High School Project has produced some of the country's top actors. Several alumni of the program return to the Grand this season including Ellen Denny, David Michael Moote, and Anwyn Musico in CHARIOTS OF FIRE, as well as Aidan deSalaiz, Kelsey Falconer, and Moote in A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

For additional casting and creative team preview listings, see the following pages.

Single tickets for the 2017/18 Season go on sale at grandtheatre.com, by phone (519-672-8800) and at the box office (471 Richmond Street) on Tuesday, July 4, at 10 a.m. Single tickets range from $29.95 to $88.50; season subscribers save up to 25% off the regular single ticket price.

The Grand Theatre 2017/18 Season is proudly sponsored by BMO Financial Group.

About The Grand Theatre
Under the leadership of newly appointed Artistic Director Dennis Garnhum and Executive Director Deb Harvey, the Grand is a leading cultural hub proudly located in the heart of downtown London, Ontario. The Grand offers diverse, relevant, and original stories from around the globe through collaborations with national and international performing arts organizations and is committed to developing, producing, and premiering original homegrown stories through COMPASS, a New Play Development Program. The Grand supports educational programming and youth mentorship such as The High School Project, the only program of its kind in North America, and 100 Schools, a new community initiative that brings professional theatre to London-area schools in 2018 at no cost.

A not-for-profit regional theatre, the Grand produces and presents professional theatre on two stages: the Spriet Stage (839 seats) and the McManus Stage (144 seats). The Grand's season runs from September to May. The 2017/18 Season is now on sale.

SPRIET STAGE

ONCE
October 17 to November 4
Book by Enda Walsh
Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová
Based on the Motion Picture
Written and Directed by John Carney
Directed by Tracey Flye
Musical Direction by Joseph Tritt

A co-production with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre

Cast
Isaac Bell Svec
Zoë Brown Ivanka
Nathan Carroll Andrej
Duncan Cox Emcee
Quinn Dooley Ex-Girlfriend
Jeff Hamacher Bank Manager
Amanda LeBlanc Girl
Duff MacDonald Eamon
Jane Miller Baruska
Alicia Toner Reza
Jeremy Walmsley Guy
Daniel Williston Billy
Cory Wojcik Da

Creative Team
Tracey Flye Director
Joseph Tritt Musical Director
Brian Perchaluk Set and Costume Designer
Louise Guinand Lighting Designer
William Fallon Sound Designer
Thomas Alderson Assistant to the Director
Leslie Watson Stage Manager
Melissa Cameron Assistant Stage Manager
Fran Barker Apprentice Stage Manager

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
November 28 to December 30
By Charles Dickens
Adapted and Directed by Dennis Garnhum

Cast
Owen Barteet Tiny Tim
Benedict Campbell Ebenezer Scrooge
Ian Deakin Mr. Fezziwig
Aidan deSalaiz Fred
Jim Doucette Topper
Kelsey Falconer Mrs. Dilber
Tracey Ferencz Mrs. Fezziwig
Leah Gliddon Fan
Manya Hegde Belinda Cratchit
Rachel Jones Mrs. Cratchit
Amrit Kaur Abigail
Nathaniel Keith Boy Ebenezer
Michael Man Dick Wilkins
Patrick Monaghan Jacob Marley
David Michael Moote Spirit of Christmas Future
Christopher Newton Voice of Charles Dickens

Creative Team
Dennis Garnhum Director
Megan Watson Associate Director
Allan Stichbury Set Designer
Kelly Wolf Costume Designer
Bonnie Beecher Lighting Designer
Jamie Nesbitt Videographer
Jeremy Spencer Composer
Jim Neil Sound Designer
Kelly Luft Stage Manager
Lani Martel Assistant Stage Manager
Jordan Guetter Apprentice Stage Manager

SILENCE
January 16 to February 3, 2018
WORLD PREMIERE
By Trina Davies
Directed by Peter Hinton

Cast
Suzanne Bennett Gertrude Mercer McCurdy Hubbard
Graham Cuthbertson Alexander Graham Bell
Catherine Joell MacKinnon Eliza Bell
Madelyn Narod Berta Hubbard
Tara Rosling Mabel Bell
Michael Spencer-Davis Gardiner Greene Hubbard

Creative Team
Peter Hinton Director
Michael Gianfrancesco Set and Costume Designer
Beth Kates Lighting and Projection Designer
Richard Feren Sound Designer
Michael Hart Stage Manager
Sandi Becker Assistant Stage Manager
Kelly Boudreau Apprentice Stage Manager

CHARIOTS OF FIRE
April 17 to May 5, 2018
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Stage Adaptation by Mike Bartlett
Screenplay by Colin Welland
Directed by Dennis Garnhum

Cast
Al Braatz Ensemble
Erin Breen Jennie Liddell
Ben Cookson Ensemble
Ellen Denny Florence
Fraser Elsdon Sandy
Alex Furber Aubrey Montague
Charlie Gallant Eric Liddell
Kyle Gatehouse Andy
Jonathan Gysbers Running Ensemble
Aaron Hastelow Running Ensemble
Harry Judge Harold Abrahams
David Michael Moote Running Ensemble
Anwyn Musico Sybil Evers
Joe Perry Running Ensemble
Edmund Stapleton Ensemble
Tim Welham Running Ensemble

Creative Team
Dennis Garnhum Director
Andrew Tribe Assistant Director
Bretta Gerecke Set and Costume Designer
Gerald King Lighting Designer
Jim Neil Sound Designer
Kelly Luft Stage Manager
Fran Barker Apprentice Stage Manager

McMANUS STAGE

THE DAISY THEATRE
October 23 to November 4, 2017
Created and Performed by Ronnie Burkett
Music and Sound Design by John Alcorn
Stage Managed by Crystal Salverda

WHAT A YOUNG WIFE OUGHT TO KNOW
February 6 to 10, 2018
A 2b Theatre Production
By Hannah Moscovitch
Directed by Christian Barry

THE GLASS MENAGERIE
April 3 to 14, 2018
By Tennessee Williams
Directed by Megan Watson

BEETHOVEN LIVES UPSTAIRS School Tour launches Spring 2018
2018 SCHOOL TOUR | Classical Kids
Series Creator Susan Hammond
Written by Barbara Nichol

Special March Break public engagement on the McManus Stage March 12 to 17, 2018.

To post a comment, you must register and login.