Toronto Composers to Collaborate on Breaking Into Song: The Music of Scott Christian, Colleen & Akiva, and Kevin Wong, March 9
By: Toronto Newsdesk Mar. 03, 2015
Join four Toronto-based composers for an evening celebrating Canada's exciting new voices in contemporary musical theatre. Scott Christian, Colleen Dauncey, Akiva Romer-Segal and Kevin Wong are behind some of the biggest hits recently presented at the Fringe, SummerWorks and Next Stage festivals. Their songs have been enjoyed on recordings and in theatres, concert halls and cabarets worldwide. Discover compelling characters and stories brought to life by a whole new generation of musical theatre creators.
Performing their material is a stellar lineup of Toronto's young stars including:
Rielle Braid (Ride the Cyclone)
Nathan Carroll (Once)
Steffi DiDomenicantonio (Spring Awakening)
Jacob MacInnis (James and the Giant Peach)
Tringa Rexhepi (RENT)
Ticket information is available here: http://gallery345.com/performances.php#mar9
Monday March 9, 2015 at 8 pm
$15 | RSVP Reservations: info@gallery345.com or 416-822-9781
SONGWRITERS
Scott Christian is a Toronto-based Musical Director, Composer, Arranger and Pianist. His musical A Misfortune, based on the short story by Anton Chekhov, sold out its run at the 2014 Next Stage Theatre Festival. His first musical, Hero & Leander, was a hit at the 2011 Summerworks festival. Scott also composed the music for Through the Gates, a musical detailing the early life of which was performed in concert at the 2012 Summerworks Festival. He is currently working on the Jewish/Christmas/40's musical Christmas Eve In Brooklyn. Selected Musical Director credits include Addams Family (Neptune Theatre, upcoming), Company (Theatre 20), Marry Me A Little (assistant MD, Tarragon Theatre), The Way Back To Thursday (orchestrator/MD, Theatre Passe Muraille), and Second City Toronto. Scott was the intern musical director at the Shaw Festival in 2012 and had the opportunity to conduct and play piano in their production of Ragtime. Check out www.scottchristiansmusic.com
Colleen & Akiva
Colleen Dauncey (Music) and Akiva Romer-Segal (Lyrics) are a Toronto-based songwriting team who have written the scores to The Subway Songs, Scenes from the Bathhouse (Talk is Free Theatre) and the Toronto Fringe Festival hit Bremen Rock City. Their songs have been performed internationally by cabaret performers, recording artists, and Broadway stars. They recently began developing a stage musical adaptation of the movie Prom Queen as part of the Canadian Musical Theatre Project at Sheridan College. They were selected as participants in the 2011 Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project in Chicago, the Canadian Musical Theatre Writer Collective Acting Up Stage's Noteworthy program for songwriters and librettists, and Theatre 20's Composium initiative. They are two-time grant recipients from the Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Records (FACTOR) and several grants from the Ontario Arts Council, including being selected as the Writers-in-Residence at Talk is Free Theatre in Barrie, Ontario. Additional info and music can be found at www.colleenandakiva.com
Kevin Wong
Kevin Wong is a composer/singer-songwriter/violinist/occasional keyboardist based out of Toronto. After an upbringing rife with music and lasagna, Kevin went to school to become a dentist and then became a lawyer instead. He spent 3 years practicing law and moonlighting as a freelance musician and singer-songwriting performing his own songs before leaving law to write musical theatre full time in July, 2013.
Kevin's first complete musical work, a song cycle entitled Recurring John, debuted as part of the 2014 SummerWorks festival on August 10, 2014 to positive reviews and audience response. In December, Kevin participated in the matching phase of Acting Up Stage Company's 2015 NoteWorthy program. He is currently working on two pieces currently: music for a book musical titled Highrising with playwright/lyricist Matthew Milo Sergi and lyrics & music a to-be-announced musical.
Kevin is terrible at team sports. Just terrible.
PERFORMERS
Rielle Braid
Rielle Braid was one of the original cast members in Atomic Vaudeville's Ride the Cyclone, which toured across Canada in 2013. She can be seen in the upcoming Outside the March production Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play this spring. She is also the co-creater of 'Terrible Adults', a company she formed with Kholby Wardell.
Nathan Carroll
Nathan has played on stages across Canada, from Vancouver to Charlottetown. His work includes Floyd Collins (Talk is Free); Salt-Water Moon (Common Roof); The Book of Esther, Bordertown Café (Blyth Festival); The Sound of Music (Citadel); A Midsummer Night's Dream (Driftwood); and The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Tempest (St. Lawrence Shakespeare). Nathan is currently playing Andrej in the Original Canadian Cast of Once (Mirvish).
Steffi DiDomenicantonio
Steffi most recently played Sally Bowles in the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre's production of Cabaret. Her other theatre credits include Spring Awakening (1st US Broadway National Tour), the North American Premiere of Cinderella (a RATical retelling) (YPT), The Rocky Horror Show (Sudbury Theatre Centre), Next to Normal (Manitoba Theatre Centre and Tarragon), the Canadian Premiere of Dogfight (Tranzac), Idiot's Delight (Soulpepper), Look, No Hans! (Drayton), The First Wives Club (pre-Broadway workshop), I Love You Because (Stage West) and the Canadian Premiere of Rooms: A Rock Romance (Winnipeg Studio Theatre). Her film and television credits include Canadian Idol Season 4 (Top 5), Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, Saving Hope, Lost Girl, Nikita, Moitié Moitié (4 Seasons) and the feature film Stage Fright with Meatloaf. Steffi received a 2013 Dora Award Nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Musical for Cinderella: a RATical retelling and a 2013 Broadway World Toronto Award Nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Next to Normal. She is also one half of the folk duo Good Together. Steffi is heading to Halifax next to play Wednesday in The Addams Family (Neptune). Follow her adventures on Twitter @SteffiD3!
Jacob is thrilled to be singing the music of these crazy-talented writers! A recent Sheridan College grad, Jacob has taken to the stage in countless concerts, benefits and musicals! Recent theatre credits include, Earthworm in James and the Giant Peach ( YPT), Eddie/Dr.Scott in The Rocky Horror Show ( STC) and Mary Sunshine in Chicago ( Stage West Calgary)
Tringa is excited to be part of this presentation of new works by talented young Canadian writers! Tringa worked with Colleen and Akiva on the workshop production of Prom Queen: The Musical this past November originating the role of Emily. Past theatre credits include: Kate in Taming Of The Shrew, Cinderelly in Cinderelly The Musical (SBTS), British Invasion: America Strikes Back, Country Jubilee (Stephenville Theatre Festival), Jingle in Jingle and Jangle (Stage West Mississauga), Maureen (replacement) in RENT (Panasonic Theatre), Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, Nathaniel in Love's Labour's Lost (Theatre Sheridan), Cinderella in Into The Woods, Mayzie in Seussical The Musical (Saints Alive! Theatre). FILM/TV: Played (CTV), Soul (Vision TV). Other: Josh Groban: In The Round (Air Canada Centre), Natalie Weiss Toronto Debut, 2013 Heart & Vision Awards, David Foster's Ovation Star Search regional finalist, NS Talent Search 1st place winner, Zahalan "Pop Star" Award (Sheridan Institute). TRAINING: Honours graduate from Sheridan Institute, and CAP21 in New York City.
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