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• in the late 1990's Richard Ouzounian (about whom we have talked quite a bit) and Marek Norman startedwriting musicals together

Marek Norman• Canadian composer, actor, singer, and producer

• as an actor his credits included Canadian premieres of • Olympiad (1976) – commissioned by John Neville for Citadel – words by Ouzounian• Closer than Ever – Maltby and Shire• Falsettos – Finn and Lapine

• and world premieres of• The Death of von Richthofen as Witnessed from Earth

• by Des McAnuff• played off-Broadway in 1982

• Amelia – John Gray (1994)

• he has composed over 40 original scores for theatre productions including:• Dracula – A Chamber Musical, Emily and Larry’s Party – all with book and lyrics by Ouzounian• Wanderlust (2012)

• written and directed by Morris Panych• using the poems of Robert Service• premiere at the Stratford Festival • didn’t get good reviews

• The Tin Soldier and Oliver Sutton Is a Sissy for the National Tap Dance Co.• The Lover (a film-ballet)• “Along The Way” – written for the Special Olympics – has become the organization’s main theme• A Day Like No Other (2016) – piece for chamber ensemble and narrator for INNERchamber• Suite Wanderlust for chamber ensemble with dancer – 2016/17 for INNERchamber – based on Wanderlust

• co-produced the Canadian premiere of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins with his wife, Barbara Barsky• that production won five Dora Awards, including Best Production and Best Musical Direction

• their company, Reprise Concerts, produced classic works in concert format including Company, Anything Goes,Roar of the Greasepaint/The Smell of the Crowd, and Guys and Dolls

• he has written, arranged, and performed over 1500 commercial jingles• his theme for American Airlines –“We’re Giving Our Best” won the prestigious Clio Award for Best Song

of the Year

• as a singer, Norman has provided backup vocals for the likes of Bryan Adams, Sheena Easton, Roberta Flack,Aretha Franklin, Liza Minnelli, Luther Vandross and Colm Wilkinson

Dracula: A Chamber Musical (1997)• music by Marek Norman, book and lyrics by Richard Ouzounian

• an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel

• first staged at the Neptune Theatre in Halifax in 1997 – where Ouzounian had been Artistic Director from1986-89

• it was then produced at The Stratford Festival in June 1999

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• directed by Ouzounian• played to record houses there

• Ouzounian, who was head of creative arts programming for TVOntario, arranged for the musical to be filmedand broadcast in collaboration with CBC Television – also given an international release• won a Gemini award for its leading actor, Juan Chioran

• premiered in the US at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts in October 2002

• seen at the Charlottetown Festival in the summer of 2003

• has had a number of revivals in regional theatres in Canada and the US

Audio Example – “Let The Night Begin” – sung by Melissa Thompson, piano by Marek Norman

• their next collaboration was

Emily (1999)• music by Marek Norman, book and lyrics by Richard Ouzounian

• based on the Emily of New Moon trilogy by Lucy Maud Montgomery

• debuted in 1999 at Charlottetown Festival and returned 2000

• a new revised version of the show was produced by Talk Is Free Theatre in Barrie in 2006• directed by Ouzounian

• produced now and then throughout Canada by regional companies

Audio Example: “Disappointed House” – sung by Jeff Madden, piano by Marek Norman

Larry’s Party (2001)• music by Marek Norman, book and lyrics by Richard Ouzounian

• based on the novel by Carol Shields

• commissioned by the Canadian Stage Company of Toronto and co-produced by them, The NAC EnglishTheatre, and The Manitoba Theatre Centre• opened 11 Jan 2011 and played there until 3 Feb• directed by Robin Phillips• starred Tony Award-winner Brent Carver• broke box office records in Toronto

• toured to Ottawa (played the NAC from 14 Feb to 3 March) and to Winnipeg (played the Manitoba TheatreCentre from 18 April to 12 May)

• about a Winnipeg-born floral arranger (Larry Weller) who develops an obsession with garden mazes after a visitto the Hampton Court Palace maze

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• as Larry makes green labyrinths for various clients, he follows the turns of his own life, moving toward a trueself-awareness

• the party – a dinner party that he has invited the important people in his life to when he has reached middle age

• the story bears more than a superficial resemblance to the story of Company – sorry but Company is a bettershow

• nominated for a Dora Award for Best New Musical

Audio Example: ‘Ashes to Ashes” – vocals and piano by Marek Norman

• the scripts to Dracula, Emily, and Larry’s Party are published by McArthur & Company

• haven’t talked much about musical theatre in Quebec –

• it has always existed but if English language Canadian musical theatre was/is a tough sell – French languageCanadian musical theatre had/has virtually no audience outside of Quebec – I say virtually because there are afew exceptions

• backtracking a bit

• Cabaret was a also a popular form in Quebec – often with a more political/satirical tone than in the rest ofCanada – but other forms of musical theatre were alive and well there too

• mentioned Montreal’s Fridolinons (1938 to 1946) – Gélinas’ annual revue

• in the 1960's and early 1970's Clémence Desrochers wrote revues that were given at her own theatre – le Patrioteà Clémence• Pierre Brault wrote the music for one of the early shows – Le Vol Rose du Flamant (1964)

• in the 1960's we also have a number of shows by Claude Léveillée including Doux Temps des Amours (1964),Il est une saison (1965), and On n’aime qu’une fois (1967)

• mentioned Jacques Languirand and Gabriel Charpentier’s Klondyke (1965) earlier

• in 1969 Neil Chotem composed the music for Michel Tremblay’s modern adaptation of Aristophanes’ Lysistrata

• in 1976, Montreal’s Théâtre du Nouveau-Monde presented Marche, Laura Secord! by Claude Roussin andJames Rouselle, with music by Cyrille Beaulieu

• Heureux celui qui meurt, by Jacqueline Barrette, ran for several months in 1976-77

• 1977's Mon cher René c’est à ton tour by Jean-Guy Moreau was a tribute to Quebec premier René Levesque

• in 1978 Un Simple Mariage Double (Léon Bernier), Le Quadrillé (book by Jacques Duchesne and music byAntoine Padilla) and Trop c’est trop... même là, c’pas assez (music by Michel Robidoux) were produced

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• but the most successful writer of Canadian musicals in French is

Luc Plamondon (b. 1942)• born in Saint-Raymond-de-Portneuf – about 50 km northwest of Quebec City

• studied piano at a young age

• he also pursued literature studies at the Université de Montréal; art history at the Louvre in Paris; and languagestudies in England, Germany, Spain, and Italy

• he also attended a seminary, and later said that he went into it to become a priest and left it a poet

• he wrote musicals while in university but it was not until he saw Hair and The Three-Penny Opera that itbecame clear to him that musical theatre was going to be his vocation

• his first success was in 1970, with the song “Les chemins d’été” (aka “Dans ma Camaro” because of the firstline of its chorus) with music by André Gagnon

• beginning in 1972, he began writing lyrics for a long list of Québécois and European singers includingEmmanuëlle, Monique Leyrac, Renée Claude, Johnny Hallyday, Robert Charlebois, Petula Clark, Murray Head,Bruno Pelletier, and Céline Dion – with whom he has collaborated many times

• in 1976, Plamondon began collaborating with the composer Michel Berger on the rock opera Starmania – moreon this piece in a bit

• in 1990, a stage production of La Légende de Jimmy (music again by Michel Berger) ran for six months in Parisat the Théâtre Mogador before being staged again in Montreal and Quebec City• less successful than Starmania had been

• in 2002 he wrote the lyrics for the musical Cindy (music by was Romano Musumarra)• a modern Cinderella story• the album was released on February 26 and debuted at number 24 on the French charts and number 17 in

Francophone Belgium charts• although the album went gold, the show was not a commercial success in the theatre and closed after a few

months

• he now divides his time between Montreux in Switzerland (where he presides over the Freddie Mercury LiveMusic Awards), Paris, and Florida (where he spends the winter)

• he has been the recipient of many honours• in 1990 he was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec• in 1996 he received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award• in 2002 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada• in 2003 he was inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame• in 2005 he won the International Achievement Award at the Francophone SOCAN Awards in Montreal and

five years later in 2010 he won the Special Achievement Award at the Francophone SOCAN Awards inMontreal

• in 2011 he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

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• he is known as a Francophone nationalist and Quebec sovereigntist

Starmania (1976)

• music by Michel Berger, lyrics by Luc Plamondon

• billed as the first French rock opera

• it debuted in 1978 with a studio recording of the songs, before premiering on stage in Paris in 1979 – a commonway for a rock musical to be produced

• it helped original cast members Daniel Balavoine and Diane Dufresne to rise in popularity in France

• the first Canadian production was in 1980• the cast included France Castel, Louise Forestier, Gilles Valiquette, and Martine St-Clair

• it was produced again in Canada in 1986

• in France there were revivals in 1988 and throughout the 1990's

• in 1993 a new version of the show was produced at the Théâtre Mogador • after Paris it toured in France, Belgium, and Switzerland• it won a Félix Award in 1994 – an award given by the Association québécoise de l’industrie du disque, du

spectacle et de la vidéo (ADISQ) to artists working in the music and comedy industry in the Quebec• also won Victoire Musical of the Year Award in 1995 – an award given by the French Ministry of Culture

to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry• the album of this production (called Starmania, Mogador 94) went platinum after selling 500,000 copies

• an English version with lyrics by Tim Rice, titled Tycoon, premiered with the release of a studio recording in1992, which starred Kim Carnes, Céline Dion, Nina Hagen, Peter Kingsbery, Cyndi Lauper, Willy DeVille, andTom Jones

• the American premiere of Tycoon (English lyrics) was produced at the UTEP Dinner Theatre in El Paso, Texasin 1996

• it was also staged in Paris alternatively with the French version for a few months

• in 2004 Starmania was honoured as a MasterWork by the Audio-Visual Preservation Trust of Canada

• some of the songs from the show (e.g. “Le Blues du businessman” and “Le Monde est stone”) have had a lastingsuccess and are considered classics of French rock

• going to listen to another –

Audio Example: “Le monde est stone” (Starmania) – sung by Fabienne Thibeault –https://youtu.be/p5qaMb_b2Xo

• “le Blues du businessman” (Starmania) – Bruno Pelletier and Céline Dion – live from Céline Dion’sMillennium Concert – https://youtu.be/5W2mx8URZ54

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• in 1998 Luc Plamondon had another huge hit with his rock opera adaptation of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchbackof Notre-Dame, entitled Notre-Dame de Paris – music by Richard Cocciante (AKA Riccardo Cocciante)

• opened in Paris at the Palais des Congrès with a mostly Canadian cast including Daniel Lavoie, Bruno Pelletier,Luck Mervil, and Garou on 16 September 1998• as part of the publicity three of the songs were released as singles – “Vivre”, “Belle” and “Le temps des

cathédrales”• they were very successful in French-speaking countries – “Belle” became a huge hit, and was named

Song of the Year in France (1998), and nominated for Song of the Century• the show was a huge hit

• it was translated into English by Will Jennings and ran in London for 17 months after its success in Paris (LesMiz-like in that respect)

• the production arrived in Montreal in 1999• the original Canadian (French) cast included

• France D’Amour (Esmeralda) – French-Canadian singer-songwriter• Mario Pelchat (Quasimodo) – French-Canadian singer• Robert Marien (Frollo) – French-Canadian singer who has also played Valjean in the original Montreal

cast of Les Miz• Sylvain Cossette (Gringoire) – French-Canadian singer songwriter• Pierre Bénard-Conway (Phoebus) – French-Canadian singer who played in Les Miz in Toronto • Natasha St-Pier (Fleur-de-Lys) – Acadian-Canadian singer – has a career in France

• also played in professional productions in Belgium, China, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Russia,Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Turkey, and has been translated into Spanish, Italian,Russian, Korean, Flemish and Polish

• beginning in 2002 a shorter version in English played Las Vegas

• in January 2006, Plamondon decided to mount a new production of Notre-Dame de Paris with new artists atthe Palais des Congrès – the same theatre where it had had its debut in 1998

• there have been numerous recordings of the show in addition to the singles, including an English version of“Vivre” (Live for the One I Love), released by Celine Dion

• it is currently on tour in Europe (in Germany right now – moving to France, and Belgium)

• returning to Montreal in September 2018 to the Théâtre St-Denis

• playing here in October 2018 – NAC

Video Example: “Le temps des cathédrales” – Bruno Pelletier original Gringoire https://youtu.be/EocLKUzsaoc– opening number

Video Example: “Belle” – performed by Garou – original Quasimodo, Daniel Lavoie original Frollo, Patrick Fiori,original Phœbus, Noa, original Esmeralda (not singing) – https://youtu.be/-XB7aftz6zY – mid-way through Act I– have to leave Powerpoint to play it

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Video Example: “Vivre” – performed by Achinoam Nini (aka Noa) – original Esmeralda on the French conceptalbum — https://youtu.be/8dwtdPR9kcA – Act II

Quebec production of Les Miz• in 2008 the Le Capitole de Québec production (LCQ) debuted in Quebec

• in French, but not the original French – more of a French translation of the English

• mix of real French/French-Canadian pop sound and classical voice• Gino Quilico as Valjean

• played in Quebec City and Montreal and toured in the province for a number of years• very successful show – well received by its audiences

• a cast album was recorded in 2008 at the Salle Raoul-Jobin, Palais Montcalm in Quebec City• cast included

• Gino Quilico (Valjean)• Alexandre de Grandpré (Javert)• Geneviève Charest (Fantine)• Sophie Tremblay (Eponine)• Carl Poliquin (Marius)• Myriam Brousseau (Cosette)• Jean-Raymond Châles (Thenardier)• Kathleen Fortin (Mme Thenardier)• Kevin Houle (Enjolras)

Audio Example: J’avais rêvé (I Dreamed a Dream) – sung by Geneviève Charest

Audio Example: Mon Histoire (On My Own) – sung by Sophie Tremblay

Audio Example – Seul, devant ces tables vide (Empty Chairs at Empty Tables) – sung by Carl Poliquin

• other Quebec shows for the late 1990's include

• Demain matin, Montréal m’attend, by Michel Tremblay and François Dompierre• had a highly successful run in Montreal and was revived at the Montreal Casino in 1999

• Jeanne la Pucelle – book and lyrics by Vincent de Tourdonnet and music by Peter Sipos (1997) • on the story of Joan of Arc• was a financial failure although it reached over 70,000 spectators

Don Juan (2003)• book, lyrics, and music by Félix Gray

• loosely based on Molière’s play

• premiered in Montreal and has since toured to Quebec City, Ottawa, and Paris

• revived in Montreal in 2006 and again in 2012

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• also given rise to a number of French-language radio hits

• the original cast included Jean-François Breau as Don Juan and Marie-Ève Janvier as Maria

• a double album was released containing the songs from the production

Video Example: “Belle Andalouse” from the 2012 Montreal production – https://youtu.be/snSajKvcBgw –

• “Vivir” – https://youtu.be/I0205zjqJfE

• “Du Plaisir” – https://youtu.be/8F6FWsINXNs

• also out of Quebec is Cirque du Soleil

• founded in July 1984, by two former street performers – Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix• a form of musical theatre• something of a throwback to two of the antecedents of the form – circus and spectacle • a bit out of the type of things we have been talking about – no words really • but it is important and it is musical theatre of a type and it is Canadian

Leslie Arden • Canadian musical theatre composer, lyricist and librettist

• born Leslie Arden Jenkins in Beverly Hills, California to Canadian singer Cleone Duncan and her Americanperformer husband Paul Howard Jenkins

• returned to Canada at the age of 6 when her parents divorced

• in her early career she took classes with Lehman Engel – mentioned the workshops last week

• in 1990 she was chosen to study with Stephen Sondheim at Oxford University• the sessions were organized by Cameron Mackintosh

• written over a dozen musicals to date

• she composed the music for Canadian Stage’s productions of The Beard of Avon and It’s a Wonderful Life (inwhich she was also featured as a performer), and the Stratford Festival’s productions of Cyrano de Bergeracand The Three Musketeers

• written a number of choral works – including The Best Years and

• Feathers on the Page (2012) • commissioned by The King Edward Choir to commemorate their 60th anniversary• one-act choral work for soprano and choir (SATB)

• inspired by the diary of Elizabeth Simcoe, the wife of the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada.

• she composed the music for a musical version of Goethe’s Faust, which premiered in 2016

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• she has just premiered a workshop production of Starlight Tours commissioned by The Grand Theatre inLondon with her life partner, the late Cathy Elliott • based on the infamous freezing deaths of Aboriginal Canadians Saskatchewan in the 2000's

• she is the Artistic Director and co-founder of The Children’s Trio, a company dedicated to theatre for youngaudiences – with Sherry Garner and Cathy Elliot

• she has been a playwright-in-residence at the Stratford Festival

• most famous for the critically acclaimed and multi-award-winning The House of Martin Guerre

• written over a dozen musicals, including

The Last Resort (1997)• music and lyrics by Leslie Arden, book by Norm Foster• co-produced by Theatre Orangeville and Thousand Islands Playhouse in 1997• cast of 8 (3 women and 5 men)• a murder mystery/musical comedy about a New York restaurateur/FBI informant on the run from the mob

who finds himself at a run-down hotel in Saskatchewan, where everyone who checks in could be the hit-manwho’s out to get him

• there are also twin sisters who feature in the story and could not be more different• has had a number regional productions, including at the Globe Theatre, Regina in 2015

Audio Example: “Live a Little, Julia” – sung by Glynis Ranney, piano by David Thompson

A Meeting of Minds (1999)• a revue of songs her early songs called Leslie Arden and Friends in Concert at the time• first produced by Toronto’s Canadian Stage Company• nominated for a Dora Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical

• Audio Example – “I Eat Children” (Hansel and Gretel) – book, music and lyrics by Leslie Arden (1985) –sung by Cathy Elliot, piano by Leslie Arden

One Step Forward, formerly The Boys are Coming Home (2006)• music and lyrics by Leslie Arden, book by Tim French and Berni Stapleton• was part of the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University in 2006 and was showcased by

the National Alliance of Musical Theatre in New York City• set in 1945 – it is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing set to swing and bebop sounds• deals with the joys and challenges of post-war life

The Princess and the Handmaiden (2009)• music, lyrics and book by Leslie Arden• a musical adaptation of The Goose Girl by the Brothers Grimm• commissioned and produced by Toronto’s Young People’s Theatre for their 2009/10 season • nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play or Musical• medium-sized cast – 10 and up (5 women and 5 men)

The Greatest Gift

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• book, music and lyrics by Leslie Arden• a two-act family musical loosely based on Ricky of the Tuft first published by Charles Perrault in 1697• small cast – 5 (3 women, and 2 men)• story of a clever but ugly Prince who falls in love with a beautiful but stupid Princess, and everyone believes

that it is because of a spell placed on them by a Good Fairy when they were born so that they will bothrealize their potential

The Happy Prince• book, music and lyrics by Leslie Arden• small cast – 3 and up (originally produced with 3 women, but cast size is flexible)• a one-act musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic short story about a swallow who learns about

friendship, altruism, and community responsibility from a golden statue• Chalmers Canadian Play Award winner – Theatre For Young Audiences Division

Harvest Moon Rising• music and lyrics by Leslie Arden, book by Peggy Sample• Cast of 6 (5 Women, 1 Man)• deals with the contemporary farming crisis and follows the story of two families farming the same piece of

land over a hundred years apart

Ned Durango (2011) – poster for South Simcoe Theatre Production 2015• music and lyrics by Leslie Arden, book by Norm Foster• premiered at Theatre Orangeville on 5 May 2011– played until 22 May

• Diana Coatsworth, Keely Hutton, Geoffrey Tyler, David Rosser and Bill Colgate as Ned Durango• then played at the Thousand Islands Playhouse over the summer of and into October 2011 – co-production

with Theatre Orangeville • small cast – 5 (3 men, 2 women)• tells the story of an aging television cowboy star who comes to the aid of an economically troubled small

town• publicity clip for the Thousand Islands Playhouse – https://youtu.be/kkOs-55493s

Moll• music and lyrics by Leslie Arden, book by Leslie Arden & Cathy Elliott, with Anna Theresa Cascio• medium-sized – 14 or more (9 women and 5 men)• very loosely based on Moll Flanders – given a contemporary setting • Sarah is born to a suicidal drug addict and raised in foster care where she is abused. She adopts the name

Moll when she becomes a sex worker at the age of seventeen, but she finds a way out through caring for heryoung foster sister Katie, and with the help of her lovers James and Jenny

The Gift of the Magi (2015) • musical adaptation of two O. Henry short stories – The Reformation of Jimmy Valentine and The Gift of the

Magi

• most famous for

The House of Martin Guerre (2013)• music and lyrics by Leslie Arden, book by Arden and Anna Theresa Cascio• produced by Theatre Plus (1993)• the Goodman Theatre (1996) in Chicago• the Canadian Stage Company (1997)

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• nominated for a Chalmers Award and won three Dora Awards(including Best New Musical) and six JosephJefferson Awards in Chicago (including Best New Musical)

• large cast – 22 plus (10 women and 12 men)• done by Queen’s a few years back • based on a historical account from 16th century France• about an 11 year old girl who is forced to marry Martin, an angry young boy of 14• needless to say, it is an unhappy marriage, and eight years later Martin deserts his home and family• nothing is heard from or about him, then eight years later he suddenly reappears, a changed man – he now

a kind and loving husband, and all goes well until Martin’s uncle decides to take him to court in an attemptto prove that Martin is not who he appears to be

Audio Example: “The World is Changing” – sung by Brent Carver, piano by Leslie Arden

Cathy Elliot (1957 - 2017)• Cathy Elliot was an award-winning artist Canadian artist of note

• she was a writer, actor, singer and composer, director, and educator

• she was also a member of the Sipekne’katik Mi’kmaq First Nation in Nova Scotia

• struck and killed by a vehicle while walking near her home in Alliston, ON – on 15 October – she was 60 yearsold

• she had just wrapped up a five-week workshop with more than a dozen Sheridan College students on her latestproduction – Starlight Tours, with Leslie Arden• staff at the Grand Theatre have put the production on hold, hoping to pick it back up after a period of

grieving

• as an actress she was seen across Canada and beyond, including Halifax, Toronto, Barrie, Regina, Vancouver,and Alaska

• she appeared last June at the NAC stage in the highly acclaimed (but poorly attended) production of Childrenof God by Corey Payette• mentioned the show the first day• played Rita – a role she created at the musical’s premiere at Urban Ink in Vancouver earlier in 2017• if you were downtown around the middle of October you might have noticed that the NAC was flying its

flag at half-mast for three days – it was done in her honour• musicals of hers include:

• Fireweeds (1992) and Fireweeds: Women of the Yukon (1993) – music, lyrics and book by Cathy Elliot• Moving Day (2007)• The Talking Stick (2011)

• mounted by the Young People’s Company of the Charlottetown Festival• featured stories and songs of Indigenous people in Canada• the entire cast was made up of Indigenous youth

• Lonecloud• Moll (with Leslie Arden)• Chez Nora• Farmdale Forever • Chatagua Kids

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• Starlight Tours (with Leslie Arden)

• when we talked about Anne of Green Gables I mentioned the quasi-sequel – Anne & Gilbert (2005)• music and lyrics by Jeff Hochhauser, Nancy White, and Bob Johnston• book by Jeff Hochhauser and Nancy White• opened at the Victoria Playhouse in Victoria-by-the-Sea, Prince Edward Island, directed and choreographed

by Duncan MacIntosh• in 2006, the production moved to the Harbourfront Theatre in Summerside, PEI

• it kept much of the original cast• played there each summer for 7 years – Anne was playing up the way in Charlottetown • a second professional production at The Thousand Islands Playhouse was mounted in the summer of

2007 • the show has toured the country• it played the NAC in December 2015

• in the late 1990's a cute little show came out of Toronto

The Drowsy Chaperone (1997 plus)• music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison, book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar

• they are linked in more ways than just the Drowsy Chaperone

Lisa Lambert (1962)• actress, comedy writer, and Tony Award-winning composer

• acting credits include Childstar and Slings and Arrows (film) Getting Along Famously and Skippy’s Rangers-The Show They Never Gave (TV)

• on stage she has performed in productions of Mirth, People Park, The Irish Musical, The Drowsy Chaperone,The Bargain Musical, All Hams on Deck, Ouch My Toe, An American in Harris, An Awkward Evening withMartin and Johnson

Greg Morrison (1965)• Tony Award and Drama Desk Award–winning Canadian writer and composer

• also has extensive directing and musical directing credits across Canada and in the US including• The Second City National Touring Company and the Alumni Caf (Tim Sims Playhouse)• The Chimps and The Muckrakers (CBC Radio).

• he is a recipient of a Canadian Comedy Award and a Sterling Award for Original Composition• other composer/lyricist credits include

• Hello ... Hello (Tarragon Theatre)• Pochsy Unplugged (Toronto Fringe premiere, Canadian/U.S. tours)• Mump and Smoot in Something Else (Canadian Stage, Yale Repertory Theatre)• Mump and Smoot in Flux (Canadian Stage)• An Awkward Evening With Martin and Johnson (Tim Sims Playhouse)• The Age of Dorian (Artword Theatre)

• his TV song-writing credits include• Slings & Arrows (Rhombus Media for Showcase/Sundance) – about a Canadian theatre company struggling

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to survive while a crazy genius director haunted by his dead mentor helps the actors find authenticity in theiracting

• Getting Along Famously (CBC)• The Joe Blow Show (Comedy Network)

Bob Martin (1962)• Toronto based/English born writer, actor, and comedian

• he began his career with The Second City in Toronto in 1996

• starred as The Man in The Chair in Toronto, on Broadway and in London (The Drowsy Chaperone)• nominated for a Tony Award for his performance

• also wrote the book for the musical Minsky’s, which premiered at the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles in 2009

• working on an adaption the classic film The Sting for Broadway

• his TV credits include• Slings & Arrows (TMN/Sundance) – also involved Lambert and McKeller• Michael: Tuesdays and Thursdays (CBC TV)

• co-created with McKeller• writer and star

• the voice of Cuddles the comfort doll on Puppets Who Kill (aired on The Comedy Network)

Don McKellar (1963)• Canadian actor, writer, and filmmaker

• part of a loosely-affiliated group of filmmakers to emerge from Toronto known as the Toronto New Wave

• a founding member of Toronto’s Augusta Company – with his Tracy Wright and Daniel Brooks

• his first screen appearance was in 1989 in Bruce McDonald’s film Roadkill• he also wrote the screenplay• nominated for Genie Awards for best supporting actor and best screenwriter

• collaborated again with McDonald for Highway 61 (1991)• wrote the screenplay and playing the starring role as the barber Pokey Jones

• second nomination for Genie Awards for best supporting actor and best screenwriter

• his most recent collaboration with McDonald spawned the cult classic television series Twitch City, inwhich McKellar played the starring role of Curtis, a television addict and shut-in

• appeared in Atom Egoyan’s The Adjuster (1991) and Exotica (1994)• the latter earned him the Genie for best supporting actor

• authoring the screenplays for • Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (François Girard – 1992)• The Red Violin (François Girard – 1998)

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• starred with Samuel L. Jackson and Colm Feore

• appeared in eXistenZ (alongside David Cronenberg – 1999)

• a filmmaker in his own right• Last Night (1998)

• won the Prix de la Jeunesse at the Cannes Film Festival and the Claude Jutra Award at the Genies

• Childstar (2004)• opened at the Toronto International Film Festival to enthusiastic reviews.

• also appeared (with Lambert) in Slings & Arrows,

• made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2016 “for his contributions to Canadian culture as an actor, writerand director”

• the Drowsy Chaperone started in 1997, when McKellar, Lambert, Morrison and several friends created a spoofof old musicals for the stag party of Bob Martin and Janet Van Ee Graaff

• reshaped for the 1998 Toronto Fringe Festival – Martin wrote the part of the Man in Chair to serve as anarrator/commentator for the piece

• Toronto Fringe Cast: • Janet Van De Graaff (as, well, Janet Van De Graaff)• Bob Martin (Man in Chair)• Don McKellar (Aldolpho)• Lisa Lambert (Mae Todd (The Drowsy Chaperone))• Ophira Eisenberg (Mimi)• Scott Anderson (Underling)• Tracey Hoyt (Mr. Feldzieg)• Nick Johne (Gangster No. 1)• Jonathan Crombie (Gangster No. 2)• John Mitchell (Robert Martin)• Paul O’Sullivan (George Best)• Jennifer Whalen (Trix)

• in 1999, after the Fringe staging, David Mirvish financed an expanded production at Theatre Passe Muraille• small venue – 160 seats• good box office and good notices led Mirvish to produce a full-scale version at the Winter Garden Theatre

– much larger venue, 992 seats • during that production New York producer Roy Miller was invited to see the show

• he saw potential in it and optioned the rights

• on 5 October 2004 there was a reading for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre on 5 October 2004 in NewYork• Broadway producer Kevin McCollum was invited• it captured his interest and in time Miller, McCollum, Bob Boyett, Stephanie McClelland, Barbara Freitag

and Jill Furman committing to producing the show

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• had its out-of-town Broadway try-out at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in 2004• after alterations (made in LA) The Drowsy Chaperone began previews on 3 April 2006, opened on 1 May

and ran until 30 December 2007 for 32 previews and 674 performances• played the Marquis Theatre (in the Marriot Hotel) – 1,611seats

• a Canadian show that made it on Broadway (not too many of them)

• to date it is the longest-running Canadian show on Broadway – Come From Away might beat it

• it won five Tony awards, seven Drama Desk awards, and four Critics Circle awards

• is an old-fashioned musical comedy – a loving send-up of a 1920's-style musical

• an escapist comedy – something it makes no apologies for

• a not-too-secret secret is that the man in the chair is an homage to Richard Ouzounian – journalist, theatre critic,and lyricist

• in 2007 it played the West End with Bob Martin as the Man in the Chair• nominated for Olivier Awards for Best New Musical, Best Actress in a Musical (Summer Strallen), Best

Actor in a Musical (Bob Martin), Best Theatre Choreographer (Casey Nicholaw), and Best Costume Design(Gregg Barnes)

• a national tour opened 19 September 2007 in Toronto at the Elgin Theatre• among the performers were original Broadway cast members Bob Martin (Man in Chair ) and Georgia Engel

(Mrs. Tottendale – added for Passe Murraille)• toured more than 30 cities in the US

• very popular show and it gets a lot of productions• in 2008 the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company mounted an independent production

• played from 27 November to 27 December • in July 2009 the Thousand Islands Playhouse mounted another independent production

• in 2009 the NAC English Theatre and Citadel Theatre (Edmonton) co-produced a remounting of theVancouver Playhouse production• played the Shoctor stage of the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton from 5 September to 4 October• played the NAC from 14 October to 31 October

• its musical director Lloyd Nicholson died of a heart attack on the eve of the first performance inOttawa

• the cast carried on, although a couple of early performances were cancelled• on 7 January 2010 the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg opened its co-production with Theatre

Calgary• it played the Cape Playhouse in Dennis, Massachusetts with Jo Anne Worley reprising her Broadway

role of Mrs. Tottendale between 30 June and 11 July 2015• popular with High Schools and amateurs

• Nepean High School did it in the spring of 2016• Canterbury has just finished its fall 2017 production

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• there is a Japanese production – done in translation

• it has played Australia • the Melbourne Theatre Company opened for a limited engagement in Melbourne on 21 January 2010 with

Geoffrey Rush as the Man in Chair• hugely successful – had to extend its run

• Brazilian production – also in translation (Portuguese) • played São Paulo in 2013

• And the list goes on

Audio example: “I Do, I Do in the Sky” – Broadway cast

• clip from The NAC/Citadel production – https://youtu.be/R9qwbwt5wjo

• clip from The Chilliwack Players Guild 2011 production – https://youtu.be/MiqZORP2vnU

Mamma Mia! (London 1999, Toronto 2000, Broadway 2001)• music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson, lyrics by Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Anderson and Stig Anderson,

book by Catherine Johnson

• opened at The Prince Edward Theatre in London’s West End in April 1999 and is still playing

• it made its North American debut at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto where it played between 22 May2000 and 22 May 2005

• produced by Mirvish Productions

• directed by the original London director Phyllida Lloyd, and choreographed by the original Londonchoreographer Anthony Van Laast

• propelled Canadian Louse Pitre into the spotlight (played Donna Sheridan) • the production moved to Broadway – Pitre went with the show – began previews on 5 October 2001 at The

Winter Garden Theatre, opened on 18 October and played until 12 September 2015 for 5,758 performances and14 previews

• made into a film in 2008

• again, Baby Boomers + wanting to relive our youth – some of us go to the theatre – what do we want to see –ourselves – but maybe our younger selves

• frequently a tour offering – in fact Carleton graduate Chris Santillán was on tour with it as assistant musicaldirector and assistant conductor from September 2016 to Spring 2017

Video Example: Title song plus with Louise Pitre – https://youtu.be/MTn3tJiQ7IY

Rob Roy (2006)• David Warrack had great success with this show

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• premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival• played Toronto at the Elgin Theatre in 2008

• directed by Len Cariou

• clip on and about the 2006 Edinburgh Fringe Festival – The UK Theatre Network –https://youtu.be/Gwmu1BRVsz8

• in 2006 the Mirvishes co-produced another mega-type musical

Lord of the Rings (2006)• music by A. R. Rahman, Christopher Nightingale and the band Värttinä, book and lyrics by Matthew

Warchus and Shaun McKenna – adapted from J. R. R. Tolkien• produced by Kevin Wallace and Saul Zaentz in association David Mirvish and Michael Cohl• premiered in Toronto

• began previews at the Princess of Wales Theatre on 4 February 2006, had its press opening on 23 Marchand closed on 3 September

• played to almost 400,000 people in Toronto• nominated for 15 Dora Awards and won 7 including “Outstanding New Musical” and awards for

direction, design and choreography• Richard Corliss of Time Magazine described it as “ingenious” and a “definitive megamusical”• Ben Brantley of the New York Times wasn’t as kind

• “Everyone and everything winds up lost ... [including] plot, character and the patience of most ordinarytheatergoers”

• epic casting calls –had to be 5'-ish to be a Hobbit • cost about $30 million to mount• starred Brent Carver as Gandalf • played between February and September 2006• cast of 65 – 3 ½ hour show

• Canadian composers, book writers and lyricist continue to write home-grown material• often for regional theatres

• mentioned Tristan (2007) and Maria Severa (2011) by Paul Sportelli and Jay Turvey when I talked about Shawlast week

Audio Clip – “One Face” from Tristan – sung by Paul Sportelli, piano by Jeff Madden

David Hein and Irene Sankoff

• Toronto based writing team – also performer

• David Heine was born in Regina and went to university at York in Toronto

• they met on the first day of frosh week at York in the 1990s

• by the time they graduated they were engaged

• they moved to NYC where he worked at music (he has dual citizenship) and she studied at the Actor’s Studio

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• they saw the plane hit the towers on TV from the grad residence (International House in Upper Manhattan)

• inspired them to get married – 12 October 2001• they headed down to City Hall and secretly eloped

• after several years they returned to Toronto and Hein

• scratched out a living in the arts

• then Hein wrote a song – “My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding”

• based on his own experience as the son of a woman who came out later in life and remarried

• he and Sankoff expanded into a musical that was staged at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2009

• featured Hein sitting on a stool, singing songs• about his mother’s coming out• how he introduced his two moms to Irene at a Hooters• and the history of same-sex marriage in Canada

• used a company of actors – including Sankoff – to tell the stories• meant that they got to spend time together as a couple since they both performed in most productions of the

show

• then picked up by Mirvish Productions (à la Drowsy Chaperone) for a run at their Panasonic Theatre beforetouring Canada

Come From Away (La Jolla Playhouse 2015, Toronto 2016, Broadway 2017) • book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein

• the show was first conceived by Michael Rubinoff (Associate Dean of Visual and Performing Arts at SheridanCollege in Oakville)

• approached Irene Sankoff and David Hein• he knew their work from My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding

• in 2011, armed with a $12,000 grant from the Canada Council, Sankoff and Hein went to Gander for the tenthanniversary of the attacks to interview locals and returning passengers

• they talked to people and built their script using the stories they had been told

• in 2012 their original script was used to create a 45 minute workshop that was part of the Canadian Music TheatreProject, at Sheridan College (Music Theatre Performance Program)• very successful – maybe more so than expected

• Rubinoff invited Sankoff and Hein to finish writing it for a full production at Sheridan in 2013• played as part of the college’s regular theatrical season• directed by Brian Hill using Sheridan students

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• an artistic success but Rubinoff couldn’t attract a Canadian producer to take it further• don’t know why Mirvish Productions didn’t option it

• however, Goodspeed Musicals of East Haddam, Connecticut, included the show in its workshop program and itwas selected by The National Alliance for Musical Theatre in New York (saw them before with DrowsyChaperone) selected it as a showcase presentation in fall 2013• that performance led to the show being optioned by Junkyard Dog Productions (Memphis and First Date)

• always Broadway-bound

• got its first professional production at the La Jolla Playhouse• opened in June 2015• featuring Joel Hatch (Mayor of Gander), Jenn Colella (Beverley), and Chad Kimball (Kevin)• had an extend run

• then went to the Seattle Repertory Theatre (2015) • extended run, and it broke all their box office records (including highest grossing show and largest single ticket

sales day)

• it played out-of-town engagements at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. from 2 September to 9 October 2016

• then the show returned home – well, almost home

• it played the Royal Alexandra Theatre from 15 November 2016 to 8 January 2017• the entire run was sold out during its second week of performances• it couldn’t extend due to its Broadway commitment – Mirvish productions added four box seats and 12

standing-room locations for the duration of the show and an additional show was added on 18 December• the show’s ticket sales set a record for the Alex – $1.7 million in tickets in a single week

• scheduled to return to Toronto in February 2018 and will be playing here coming next October (2018)• previews began on 18 February 2017 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, opened on 12 March – as of 26 November

it has played 25 previews and 297 performances

• it was nominated for seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book of a Musical and BestFeatured Actress in a Musical for Jenn Colella – won for Best Direction of a Musical

• one of the featured musical theatre bits on this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

• small cast – actors play multiple roles and minimalist staging

• set in Gander, Newfoundland, in the week following the September 11 attacks when the townspeople of Gandertook in thousands of people from the 38 planes diverted there when all US airports closed

• the Broadway production of Come From Away has joined forces with the Gander SPCA to release a 2018 calendar

• features photos of the cast and creative team with a mix of furry friends from the Gander Area SPCA

Video example: interview with Sankoff & Hein and “Welcome to the Rock” – https://youtu.be/wbydN6q4v_k

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Video Example: “Me and The Sky and other selections from the Toronto production – featuring Jenn Collela –https://youtu.be/hket1voAngk

Video Example: “Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere” (Thanksgiving Day Parade 2017)https://youtu.be/cMER1zPUiJ4

• a few other clips from the show that you might want to look at – • https://youtu.be/Sac7pp5fiCA – “Heave Away”• https://youtu.be/h4lKaTvcUGE – the real pilot Beverly Bass• https://youtu.be/04tTgO-RzM0 – Colella and Bass• https://youtu.be/ndmdB2XS6Jc – actors talking about the show and the characters they play

• I don’t think that an American creative team (Sondheim excepted) could have written this show

• I also think that this show’s history sums up where we are, better than anything – an amazing show and we gaveit away because no Canadian producer would take the chance on it